GO WILD IN THE GALAPAGOS

Whether you’re joining from our Ecuador trip or traveling independently, you’ll touch down at Seymour Airport (GPS) on Baltra Island. Enter through a VIP lounge before being whisked to your hotel. You’ll be greeted by our Local Insider who will accompany the group throughout the trip. Head straight to the Itabaca Channel and safely observe white-tipped reef sharks as you kayak, snorkel or stand-up paddleboard past red mangrove forests and lava rock cliffs. Continue into the Santa Cruz highlands and spot giant tortoises at El Chato nature reserve. Come nightfall, get to know your fellow travelers over dinner.

Venture to one of the remote, uninhabited islands of the Galápagos by yacht, accompanied by a naturalist. The choice of island will depend on weather conditions and possible animal sightings. On boulder-strewn North Seymour, you’ll find an abundance of sea lions and magnificent frigatebirds, while South Plaza offers the chance to spot the Galápagos hybrid iguana on a hike through cactus forests – the only place on earth where this species exists. Alternatively, you may search for Galápagos hawks and Darwin’s finches on Santa Fe, or snorkel with penguins off the coast of Bartolome.

After breakfast, wave goodbye to Santa Cruz as you take a speedboat to San Cristóbal – the island where Charles Darwin first set foot in 1835. Follow the hiking trail through lava fields towards Cerro Tijeretas for spectacular views of Darwin Bay. Frigatebirds are abundant here, but look out for blue-footed boobies and Nazca boobies too. Continue on to Punta Carola Beach where you can snorkel among sea lions, turtles and marine iguanas before spending the afternoon at Mann Beach. Feel free to relax, rent kayaks or stroll to the nearby town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

You have the option to spend today as you please or board a boat to Kicker Rock – an extinct volcano which towers nearly 150m (492ft) above the Pacific. Teeming with an incredible variety of marine species, it’s one of the best snorkeling and scuba diving sites in the Galápagos. You’ll have the opportunity to spot Galápagos and whitetip sharks, eagle rays, sea turtles and a myriad of other aquatic creatures in the natural channel that splits Kicker Rock in two. Stop by picturesque Manglecito Beach on the way back.

Make the most of your final morning by visiting La Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado – a tortoise reserve in the southeast corner of San Cristóbal, which aims to protect the island’s population of giant Galápagos tortoises. Snap some photos and learn about the evolution of these remarkable animals as well as the threats they face today. At 10am, you'll be taken to San Cristóbal Airport (SCY) where you'll bid farewell to your fellow travelers and begin your journey home.