Darwin’s Galapagos

Day 1: UK/Quito
Your Galapagos adventure starts today, as you fly to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, where you will stay for the next two nights.

Day 2: Quito
Take the time to relax and get used to the high altitude of Ecuador’s capital. A fascinating city, Quito’s old town is a captivating maze of narrow streets and what is perhaps the most incredible collection of Spanish colonial architecture in Latin America. Join your knowledgeable Local Guide on an included city tour, where you will have the opportunity to stand on the Equator.

Day 3: Baltra, Galapagos
After breakfast today, you’ll fly to Isla Baltra in the Galapagos, where you will step aboard Celebrity Xpedition and embark on your seven-night cruise. In the afternoon this specialist ship will cruise to Daphne Island, a small inactive volcanic island. During your cruise you will be able to take cruises aboard a Zodiac – an exceptionally buoyant rubber boat with an inflatable hull.

Day 4: Gardner Bay, Española
Celebrity Xpedition continues its journey around the islands made famous by Charles Darwin, stopping today at Gardner Bay on Isla Española, the most southerly as well as the oldest island in the Galapagos Archipelago, then on to Punta Suarez, where there is an incredible concentration of wildlife, including the red marine iguana, only found on this island.

Day 5: Cormorant Point, Isla Floreana
Spend the day cruising around this former penal colony, with the option to land at Cormorant Point or the satellite island of Champion. Visit Bahia’s Post Office Bay, where you’ll see the legendary post barrel that whalers historically used to post their mail in.

Day 6: Punta Moreno, Isabela
Located on the extreme north coast of Isabela Island, between volcanoes Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul, Punta Moreno is dominated by jet-black pahoehoe lava that extends as far as the eye can see. Numerous tidal pools, some surrounded by mangroves, are a magnet for wildlife. You can walk to the edge of the lava to look straight down at the inhabitants of the crystal-clear pools, including the occasional green sea turtle, white-tipped reef sharks, and puffer fish. At Urvina Bay you can see large land iguanas, and there’s the possibility of spotting giant turtles, rare flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies, penguins and huge marine iguanas.

Day 7: Punta Vicente Roca, (Isabela), Galapagos
The remains of an ancient volcano, dramatic cliffs and blue waters give Punta Vicente a spectacular setting. Search for sea turtles, penguins and fur seals during your visit.

Day 8: South Plaza, Santa Cruz
Your cruise continues to South Plaza, a small volcanic island off the east coast of Isla Santa Cruz, which is home to many species of seabird including red-billed tropic birds and swallowtail gulls. This afternoon you will arrive at Isla Santa Cruz where a visit has been arranged to Dragon Hill, a nesting site for land iguanas. Alternatively, you can choose to take a stroll inland where you will discover a salt-water lagoon, which is a favourite spot for flamingos, common stilts, pintail ducks and many other types of bird.

Day 9: Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz
Your cruise brings you to Puerto Ayora on Isla Santa Cruz, where you can visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, which is dedicated to the conservation of the Galapagos Islands’ unique ecosystem. This evening enjoy a farewell cocktail party and barbecue under the stars hosted by the ship’s Captain.

Day 10: Baltra, Galapagos
Your cruise of discovery comes to an end on Isla Baltra, where you will disembark Celebrity Xpedition and transfer to the airport for your flight to Quito, where you will stay tonight.

Day 11: Quito/UK
Transfer to the airport for your overnight flight to the UK.

Day 12: UK
Arrive in the UK.

Please note
The Galapagos National Park authorities have recently requested that alternating itineraries are operated in order to further minimize the impact of tourism on the islands and their wildlife. Therefore, on certain dates, you may visit some different islands from those listed here. The cruise will operate otherwise as normal.

Accommodation throughout is in hotels of a comfortable standard, typical of the hotels you will stay in are:

4-star Marriott Quito Hotel in Quito
Rooms feature comfortable beds, en suite facilities, hairdryer and coffee/tea making facilities. Sometimes accommodation will be in alternative hotels of a similar standard.

Your ship

Celebrity Xpedition
Celebrity Xpedition is the smallest of the Celebrity fleet at just under 300 feet in length. Designed to be environmentally sensitive and accommodating just 92 guests on board it has a sense of intimacy and exclusivity and is extremely comfortable, casual and relaxed. It is the perfect ship to explore the remote Galapagos Islands.

Hotels will be confirmed in your final documents.

With 50 years’ experience in arranging escorted tours to exciting destinations across the globe, Travelsphere have built an excellent reputation founded on quality and value.

By choosing a Travelsphere escorted holiday you can travel with confidence, knowing that every aspect of your holiday has been carefully planned and arranged from start to finish. Further to this they are ATOL bonded and members of ABTA.

Travelsphere’s thorough planning of travel arrangements, itineraries and accommodation combined with the unique insight of their knowledgeable Tour Managers and Local Guides will enable you to experience the culture, traditions and hidden away places less accessible to other travellers.

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