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Family Galápagos Adventure
Aboard the Letty
Prices are per person, based on double occupancy: $5,095 (category 1), $5,395 (category 2), $5,695 (category 3). Singles pay 1.25% regular rate.
Trip Overview
There may be no better place on the planet for an intimate encounter between children and wildlife than the Galápagos Islands. Here in the remote Pacific, 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, the magic of nature is palpable as sea lions, marine iguanas, penguins and blue-footed boobies entertain us at close range, nonchalant about our presence. Herman Melville called this ancient chain of submerged volcanoes “Las Islas Encantadas,” or The Enchanted Isles, an apt name for a destination that is sure to create family memories that can be found nowhere else in the world. And on this trip, a Special Children's Guide is dedicated to assisting children with activities specially designed for them.
Trip Itinerary
Please note that the dates below do not include travel time to and from the destination. We suggest consulting our tour operator, Natural Habitat Adventures, to discuss the best flight options for your travels.
Friday, July 29: Quito, Ecuador
Arrive in Quito and transfer to your hotel. Hilton Colon
Saturday, July 30: Quito
Explore Ecuador’s capital and visit Mitad del Mundo (the “Center of the Earth”), where you’ll stand on the equator. Meet for a welcome dinner this evening. Hilton Colon (B,L,D)
Sunday, July 31: Quito to Galápagos Islands / San Cristóbal
Fly to the Galápagos, where you’ll meet your Expedition Leaders and board the yacht. You and your family will quickly discover the magic of the islands, with your first of many chances to snorkel with sea lions. At sunset, cruise around Kicker Rock, a lava cone formation jutting up 500 feet from the sea. Blue-footed boobies perch on its cliffs, while frigate birds soar overhead. Children will have the opportunity to play Galápagos Bingo throughout the week for a chance to win prizes. (B,L,D)
Monday, August 1: Genovesa
Genovesa Island is a collapsed volcano that attracts vast numbers of pelagic seabirds that come here to nest and breed. Inside the flooded crater you are surrounded by redfooted boobies, lava gulls, storm petrels and yellow-crowned herons that rend the air with a cacophony of squawks. Sea kayaks are available to paddle along the shoreline, and at Darwin Bay you can swim with sea lions again. (B,L,D)
Tuesday, August 2: Fernandina / Isabela
At Fernandina, the youngest and most active volcano in the chain, flightless cormorants nest on the barren lava while colonies of marine iguanas bask nearby. Cruising through Bolivar Canal, keep watch for whales and dolphins. On the largest island, Isabela, explore by panga or sea kayak, finding penguins, pelicans and graffiti dating to the 1800s, when the names of ships were carved into the rock above a historic anchorage for pirates and whalers. (B,L,D)
Wednesday, August 3: Santiago/Sombrero Chino
Visit Puerto Egas on the island of Santiago to search for octopus and starfish as well as great blue herons, lava herons and yellow-crowned herons. This afternoon explore the primeval landscape of Sombrero Chino (or “Chinese Hat”), home to colonies of sea lions, marine iguanas and oystercatchers. Today on the yacht, kids will love a "Learn to Navigate" lesson with the captain. (B,L,D)
Wednesday, August 4: Bartolomé / Santa Cruz / Camping
Little Bartolomé is big on natural features, from spatter cones and lava tubes to candelabra cacti, lush mangroves and white-sand beaches where penguins sidle up beside us. A hike to the summit is rewarded with classic panoramas. You might visit Black Turtle Cove for a chance to see rays, white-tip reef sharks and sea turtles mating. For those who wish, you may participate in an optional camping excursion tonight in the Santa Cruz highlands, sleeping under the stars among giant wild tortoises. Activities at the camp will include a scavenger hunt. Optional Tortoise Tented Camp (B,L,D)
Thursday, August 5: Santa Cruz
In the misty craters of Santa Cruz, search for giant tortoises. At the Charles Darwin Research Station, learn about efforts to protect the tortoises and other unique wildlife that led Darwin to generate his theory of evolution after his 1835 voyage to the islands. You’ll also have the opportunity to see how children on the islands learn by visiting a local school. (B,L,D)
Friday, August 6: Española
Sea lions congregate on Gardner Bay’s broad beach, which is a major nesting site for sea turtles. Snorkelers may see turtles swimming among the islets nearby. Punta Suárez boasts an amazingly diverse concentration of wildlife, including vast colonies of boobies and marine iguanas. You may see the nesting sites of the enormous waved albatross; all but a fraction of the world’s population lives here. (B,L,D)
Saturday, August 7: San Cristóbal / Return to Quito
At Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, capital of the Galápagos, visit the National Park Interpretation Center. Later this morning, fly back to Quito and transfer to the hotel, with the rest of the day at leisure. Hilton Colon (B)
Sunday, August 8: Quito / Home
Transfer to the airport after breakfast for flights home. (B)
Optional Extension
Amazon Lodge Extension
Stay deep within the Amazon rain forest at a conservation-oriented lodge, the Napo Wildlife Center. It offers outstanding opportunities to experience the sensory drama of the Amazon. Day and night walks reveal monkeys, sloths, black caiman and a kaleidoscope of tropical birds, while dugout canoe journeys offer insight into the lives of the indigenous people. You’ll also be able to climb into and above the rain forest in the lodge’s special canopy tower. Cost: Four- and five-day extensions available from $1,195 per person, based on double occupancy; single supplement: from $390.
Machu Picchu Extension
Explore the vast ruins of this fabled “Lost City of the Incas” during a six-day extension in Cusco, Peru. Barter for colorful handicrafts with Quechua Indian artisans at the Pisac market. Stay in opulence at the Hotel Libertador, a restored Spanish colonial palace in Cusco. Please contact us to inquire about rates.
