17 Day Inspiring Galapagos With Colombia Small Group Tour

Welcome to Equador and the gateway to the Galapagos! On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel. 

This afternoon, your local guide will take you on a walking tour of Guayaquil.  You will visit Seminario Park, famously known as Iguana Park for its resident Green Iguanas. Next, explore The Integration Plaza at Guayaquil City Hall and Vulcano Forge, showcasing sculptures that unravel the Independent secret plan of the Patriots. Then, venture to the Malecon 2000 with its plazas, monuments, and gardens before delving into the historic Las Penias Neighborhood, marked by its ancient fort and wooden houses recounting tales of past pirate attacks.
Estimate time of the walking tour: 2 hours  

Note: If you wish to join the complementary city tour, please make sure your flight arrives before 1500hrs

This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos Islands.  (Flight tickets and departure time will be advised locally on your arrival in Guayaquil). Your guide will pick you up from the airport and continue on to visit the Highlands of the Island where you can observe the giant tortoise roaming in a natural habitat. Make the most of great picture opportunities with this endangered species, endemic to the Galapagos before continuing to your hotel in Puerto Ayora.

Later, head to the Charles Darwin Research Station, located in Puerto Ayora. The research station plays a crucial role in the conservation and preservation of the Galápagos Islands' delicate ecosystem. Here, you'll learn about ongoing research projects, breeding programs for endangered species, and the conservation efforts to protect the islands' biodiversity. One of the main highlights of the Charles Darwin Research Station is the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center. You'll have the opportunity to see these magnificent creatures up close and learn about the conservation efforts to protect and reintroduce them to their natural habitats.  

Note:  Please note a US$20 per person transit card is payable on departure at Guayaquil Airport.  Galapagos National Park entry fee of USD200 per person is payable on arrival on the islands. Both payments are made in USD cash.

For your flight today, any tickets that are required will be provided for you on tour by your tour leader.

After breakfast, you will embark on a full day tour to one of the beautiful uninhabited islands of Santa Fe, South Plaza, North Seymour or Bartolomé (subject to scheduling).  Your excursion will travel by speed boat - the trip takes approximately 2 hours each way. 

Your expert naturalist guide will introduce you to the islands unique wildlife which may include endemic species such as Galapagos penguins, land iguanas, Darwin's finches, blue-footed Boobies and many more.

You will have the opportunity to snorkel in the crystal-clear waters. Discover the marine life and vibrant coral reefs.  
Note:  Confident swimming skills are required to take part. Alternative activities will not be available.

You’ll then return to Puerto Ayora by late afternoon.

After breakfast, visit Tortuga Bay.  You will take a guided walk (45 minutes each way) to take in the scenery and wildlife.  Visitors can often encounter marine iguanas, Galápagos crabs, sea lions, and a variety of bird species such as pelicans and finches.

Once you reach Playa Brava, please be aware that swimming is not allowed here due to the presence of hazardous currents. For those wishing to swim, continue walking along the beach until you discover a trail leading through the mangrove forest. This path will take you to Playa Mansa, a sheltered bay where you can safely swim and relish the cool shade provided by the mangroves.

This afternoon, transfer to the pier and board a speed-boat to San Cristobal Island (approximately 2.5 hours ride). Upon arrival, you will enjoy a walking tour in the beautiful Puerto Baquerizo to enjoy the local life.

This morning you will visit one of the most iconic sites in the Galapagos Islands:  Kicker Rock or “Leon Dormido”, an amazing rock formation just 90 minutes from San Cristobal Island. This incredible landmark is a remnant of a vertical tuff cone formation with an altitude of 500 feet from the Pacific Ocean, it is considered as one of the best snorkelling sites in the Archipelago.

Erosion has given the formation its characteristic shape of a shoe (hence the name Kicker Rock) and others see a sleeping lion from above, the reason why in Spanish it is called “Leon Dormido”.

Snorkelling in the vicinity of the rock is truly an unforgettable experience! You will be able to spot marine iguanas, sea turtles, rays, Galapagos sharks, schools of colourful fish and, with some luck, hammerhead sharks. Also in the crevasses of the rock, you can encounter blue-footed boobies, masked-boobies and frigate birds.
Note:  Confident swimming skills are required to take part. Alternative activities will not be available.

Return to San Cristobal and your hotel for a well-deserved short resting time. In the afternoon, visit La Loberia beach, a scenic beach filled with large colonies curious sea-lions, marine iguanas, frigate birds and more.

Note: in some instances visits to Kicker Rock will be restricted.  For groups not able to visit Kicker Rock, a visit to Isla Lobos will be provided as an alternative.  Isla Lobos is named after the numerous sea lions (lobos marinos in Spanish) that inhabit the island.  You'll also have opportunities to observe a variety of bird species, including blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and brown pelicans. Once you arrive at Isla Lobos, your naturalist guide will lead you on guided walks through the island's unique vegetation and provide opportunities for close encounters with the wildlife. You will have time to do snorkeling with unique species and then sail to an isolated beach, to relax on its sand, or swim or do some more snorkeling.  

This morning visit to the Interpretation Center, which takes you through the history and settlement of the islands. Visitors can enjoy expositions on natural history, human history and conservation. The natural history explains the different natural facts, such as the volcanic origin of the islands, the distance between the mainland, its currents, the special climate, the arrival of different species, etc. The exposition room of Human History gives a chronological overview of the discovery and colonization of the Galapagos. 

The second section describes the reality of today's Galapagos: the problems and the struggle of several institutions and individuals to conserve Galapagos. The Center also has an outdoor theater and a cinema.

At the appropriate time you will be picked up  and transferred to the airport in time to board your flight to the capital of Ecuador, Quito. Upon arrival, your guide will welcome you and drive to your cosy centrally located hotel.  The rest of the afternoon is free for you to explore the surroundings.

For your flight today, any tickets that are required will be provided for you on tour by your tour leader.

Today you are at leisure to enjoy the quaint city at your own pace. The Ecuador capital is constructed on the foundations of an ancient Incan city and is known for its well-preserved colonial centre, rich with 16th- and 17th-century churches and other structures blending European, Moorish and indigenous styles. 

Alternatively, you may wish to join an optional full day tour of this fascinating city.

This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Bogota.

Upon arrival into Bogota, you will have a private transfer from the airport to your hotel (just look for a sign with your name). Bogotá is a large, vibrant city known for its arts, gastronomy and culture. Be ready to absorb plenty of history and insight into Colombian culture over the next 10 days!

This afternoon there will be a group meeting to discuss the next 10 days and meet any joining passengers, followed by a walking tour of the hotel surroundings.

After breakfast, we will visit the Gold and Botero museums, and explore the La Candelaria neighbourhood. The Gold Museum (Museo Del Oro), is a huge part of the tourism industry in Bogotá and attracts a million guests per year. There is a huge collection of pre-Columbian archaeological treasure: art, jewellery, medallions, currency, and more. The Botero Museum's modern art collection, together with the National Museum of Fine Arts of Buenos Aires, is one of the most important art collections in Latin America. The museum's namesake, Colombian artist Fernando Botero, contributed more than 200 pieces including 123 pieces of his own work.

For lunch, you’ll have the chance to try one of the most significant dishes in the country called ajiaco,  a thick soup made from three different kinds of potatoes, chicken, guasca leaves (a common Colombian herb) and half an ear of corn. Dinner tonight will be at your own leisure. 

This morning at 8am we’ll meet our driver at the hotel lobby after checking out. Today’s destination is The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, around 90 minutes from Bogotá. Described as a ‘Jewel of Modern Architecture,’ this Roman Catholic church was built by miners within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 metres underground in a halite mountain near Zipaquirá.

After our visit, we’ll head to lunch before boarding a flight to Pereira, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia. Upon arrival we’ll transfer to our boutique hotel.

For your flight today, any tickets that are required will be provided for you on tour by your tour leader.

After breakfast, meet your tour leader in the hotel lobby. This morning we’re driving to Salento, around an hour away, from here we’ll change vehicle to a Jeep Willys and continue onto Cocora Valley (approx. 30 minutes). At Cocora Valley, we’ll go out on a hike (it can be as long or short as you like). On the hike, look out for the famous wax palm trees or uindío wax palm,  the tallest palm trees in the world and a native to this land. Enjoy the views of the valley and if you are lucky, you might be able  to spot an Andean Condor, the largest flying bird in the world.

After the hike, we’ll return to Salento, the oldest municipality in the region.  Salento is renowned for its colourful architecture and traditioanl atmosphere.  You will have an opportunity to learn how to play tejo in town, a national sport where the goal is to throw a tejo, or weighted steel disc inside the bocin (a metal ring).

Finally, you will end the day with a 2 hours visit to a coffee farm in the area. Conducted on a small coffee farm, picking ripe coffee beans among the coffee plants and learning about the wonderful coffee process from seed to cup. The experience concludes with a tasting of filtered coffee methods.

After meeting the tour leader in the hotel lobby this morning, we’ll set off on a 90 minute drive to La  Romelia Orchid Farm, a family farm run by José and Marisa. They have dedicated more than half of their lives to the collection, study and conservation of orchids, among other plants. The tour is around 2.5 hours; we’ll walk the natural trails, tour the orchid nursery and bonsai gardens, and more. We’ll end the tour with a delicious vegetarian lunch, before continuing onto Medellín.

We’ll meet our tour leader at the lobby at 9am for a tour of Comuna 13. Once famous for being one of the most dangerous places in the world, Comuna 13 has undergone an incredible transformation over the past few decades and today is a flourishing barrio (neighbourhood). After exploring this barrio and its escalators, we’ll visit Plaza Botero and its 23 Fernando Botero statues, (legend has it that rubbing Botero’s statues will bring good luck—feel free to test the theory!) and the Museum of Antioquia which houses works by Medellín native Fernando Botero and Pedro Nel Gómez. 

Today explore the city at your leisure.  Alternatively you may wish to book an optional tour.   
This afternoon we will head to the airport to catch a flight to Cartagena.

For your flight today, any tickets that are required will be provided for you on tour by your tour leader.

Located by the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena is without doubt one of the most beautiful cities in the Americas. Its historic downtown, walled by the fortifications built in the colonial time,  still preserves its original architecture and nowadays the colourful walled city is filled with life and Caribbean charm.  Nobel Prize winner and author, Gabriel García Márquez found inspiration here. Stories about pirate attacks remain present in the numerous fortresses that remain intact until today and it was the largest port for slaves. This chequered history lead Cartagena to be declared a heritage of humanity by UNESCO, an enormous importance.

At 9am, we’ll set off on a 3-4 hour tour of the city taking in San Felipe Fortress, a magnificent structure that was built by the Spaniards in 1536 to keep the city safe against pirates. We’ll learn about the city’s colourful history, see important buildings, squares, and churches. 

Today is at your leisure to further explore Cartagena.  Alternatively you may wish to book an optional tour to enjoy some beach time at a nearby island. 

Enjoy one last delicious breakfast this morning, before your Colombian adventure comes to an end. 

We hope you’ve been inspired. 

Airport transfers are not included. Our transfer portal offers the option to book your airport transfers for an easier arrival experience (additional charges apply). Access to this portal will be available through your Traveller Hub once your booking is confirmed.

Check out: Check-out time is generally around 10am. You are welcome to leave your luggage at the hotel reception and spend your final moments of free time exploring the area or alternatively please speak with hotel staff if you would like to extend your check-out time. If required, your tour leader can help you arrange a transfer to the airport.