ECUADOR and THE GALAPAGOS with THE AMAZON EXTENSION (WBGQ2010)

City Highlights


Cruise:
3-night cruise in the Galápagos in an outside stateroom

Quito:
Sightseeing with a Local Guide; Legislative Palace, San Francisco Monastery, La Compania Church, Workshop & Museum of Oswaldo Guayasamin, and Equatorial Monument; welcome dinner

Galápagos Islands Cruise:
Three nights cruising Galápagos National Park aboard the Santa Cruz; Charles Darwin Research Station; guided sightseeing each day with a local Naturalist

Galápagos Islands Finch Bay Hotel:
Two nights for relaxing and further exploration of the Galápagos; farewell dinner

Amazon Extension:
Naturalist-guided Amazon cruises, canopy walk, butterfly house, dugout canoe excursion, and nature walks

All Intra-Tour Flights
Notes:Wine with dinner on cruise.Maximum elevation on tour: 9,200 ft.The ship’s itinerary may vary according to Galápagos National Park policies and regulations, weather conditions, and seasonal changes to create the perfect cross-section of sites visited.

Ship
M/V Santa Cruz

 

Meals
American breakfast daily (B), 8 lunches (L), and 9 three-course dinners (D), including a welcome dinner in Quito and a farewell dinner at the Finch Bay.

Hotels


Quito
Swissotel Quito (SF),

Galápagos Cruise
Santa Cruz (F),

Galápagos Hotel
Finch Bay Hotel (F),

Guayaquil
Oro Verde (SF);

Amazon Extension
Sacha Lodge (BA)M/V Santa Cruz

Day 1:
Fly to Quito, Ecuador. (Sat.) Board your flight to Quito, the capital of Ecuador and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Your flight to South America arrives late this evening and will be met by your Local Host.

Day 2:
Quito–Coca. (Sun.) Fly from Quito to Coca and travel by canoe to your Amazon lodge. (B,L,D)

Day 3:
Amazon. (Mon.) (B,L,D)

Day 4:
Amazon. (Tue.) (B,L,D)

Day 5:
Coca–Quito. (Wed.) Return to Coca, where you will board your flight to Quito and join Day 1 of your Ecuador and Galápagos trip. (B)

Day 6:
Quito. (Thu.) An included sightseeing tour showcases Quito’s treasures: the historic stone murals of the LEGISLATIVE PALACE, Independence Plaza and the 16th-century SAN FRANCISCO MONASTERY, the Jesuit’s LA COMPANIA CHURCH with its stunning golden altars, and the impressive paintings at the WORKSHOP & MUSEUM of Oswaldo Guayasamin. Have your photo taken in front of the EQUATORIAL MONUMENT, the “Center of the World.” This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner. (B,D)

Day 7:
Quito–San Cristobal–Galápagos Islands (Embarkation)–Cruising. (Fri.) A morning flight to San Cristobal, one of the remote Galápagos Islands. Upon arrival, board the sleek Santa Cruz and enjoy four days of CRUISING among various Galápagos Islands. Each day, travel ashore to the remote islands with your expert Naturalist who introduces you to the unique fauna living free and fearless of man. Today, visit San Cristobal Island, where Charles Darwin first set foot in the Galápagos back in 1835. This island is home to seabirds like blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, herons, and frigatebirds. Also look for the Chatham (San Cristobal) Mockingbird and Chatham Lava Lizard—both species are endemic to this island and seen nowhere else in the Galápagos. (B,L,D)

Day 8:
Galápagos Islands Cruising. (Sat.) Your exploration continues on Española (Hood Island), one of the oldest islands in the archipelago. Here you will see the famous blowhole as well as unique sea bird colonies, including the waved albatrosses (April-December), Nazca and blue-footed boobies, and Darwin’s finches. Also, look for red-green-black marine iguanas and a rookery of sea lions right at the landing site. This afternoon, visit a brackish-water lagoon on Floreana, where you may observe Greater Flamingos, pintail ducks, common stilts, herons, and sandpipers. For marine enthusiasts, this is a great place for snorkeling! (B,L,D)

Day 9:
Galápagos Islands Cruising. (Sun.) This morning brings you to the youngest island, Fernandina. Having no introduced mammals, Fernandina has a very unique environment and the highest density of marine iguanas. Sharing their habitat are sea lions, Sally Lightfoot crabs, and hawks. In the afternoon on Isabela Island, enjoy coastal exploration by panga along the cliffs of sunken Ecuador Volcano. Your Naturalist guides explain the dramatic geology of the area with remains of lava flows and tuff stone layers. This is the nesting place for flightless cormorants, the only birds in the world that have changed from flying birds to diving birds. Wildlife here includes sea lions, Galápagos penguins, blue-footed and Nazca boobies, and noddy terns. (B,L,D)

Day 10:
Galápagos (Disembarkation)–Santa Cruz–Finch Bay Hotel. (Mon.) This morning, disembark on Santa Cruz Island, where your Naturalist introduces the island’s lush and vibrant green highlands, pit craters, lava tunnels, the Scalesia forest, and the giant tortoises’ wild habitat. After checking in at the Finch Bay Hotel, visit the CHARLES DARWIN RESEARCH STATION, established to help conserve the Islands’ natural habitat and protect the famous giant tortoises. (B,L,D)

Day 11:
Galápagos. Finch Bay Hotel. (Tue.) Named after the famous Darwin’s finches abundant in the area, the Finch Bay Hotel offers a private seaside location surrounded by mangroves. Outings today include a list of activities that allow you to have a “Galápagos a la carte” adventure. Choose a walk to Tortuga Bay, a 6-mile-long coralline beach, mountain bike up in the highlands, or swim or snorkel right off the beach. Tonight, enjoy the view of the bay at your farewell dinner at Angermeyer’s Point. (B,L,D)

Day 12:
Santa Cruz–Baltra–Guayaquil. (Wed.) Transfer to Baltra for your return flight to Guayaquil, where you’ll enjoy free time this evening. (B)

Day 13:
Guayaquil–Homebound Flight. (Thu.) Depart this morning for hometown connections. (B)

Don't miss our current specials: Save up to $2,000 on select 2010 Europe River Cruises Save up to $2,000 per couple on these select 2010 Avalon Waterways River Cruises.* $2,000 off per couple Paris to Normandy’s Landing Beaches 8 days from Paris to Paris or 9 days incl. travel Aug 30, 2010 Burgundy & Provence 11 days from Côte d’Azur to Paris or 12 days incl. travel Aug 30, 2010 Central European Experience 12 days from Prague to Paris or 11 days incl. travel Aug 19, 2010 Sept 30, 2010 The Blue Danube Discovery 13 days from Budapest to Prague or 14 days incl. travel Oct 21, 2010 Oct 24, 2010 European Splendor 13 days from Vienna to Amsterdam or 14 days incl. travel Oct 18, 2010 Windmills, Vineyards & Paris 13 days from Paris to Amsterdam or 14 days incl. travel October 4, 2010 Blue Danube to the Black Sea 13 days Vienna to Bucharest or 12 days incl. travel Aug 17, 2010 The Rhine & Moselle 14 days from Amsterdam to Basel or 15 days incl. travel Oct 16, 2010 Magnificent Europe 15 days from Amsterdam to Budapest 16 days incl. travel Aug 21, 2010 Oct 9, 2010 Oct 16, 2010 Magnificent Europe 15 days from Budapest to Amsterdam 16 days incl. travel August 28, 2010 September 4, 2010 September 25, 2010 October 2, 2010 The Upper Rhine to the City of Music 13 days from Zürich to Vienna or 14 days incl. travel Oct 29, 2010 North Sea—Black Sea Cruise 23 days from Bucharest to Amsterdam or 24 days incl. travel August 27, 2010 *Book a select 2010 Europe Avalon Waterways River Cruise vacation to receive $1,000 off per person. Book a select Taste of Danube river cruise vacation to receive the $500 off per person. Offer available on select dates of select cruises listed above. Suites excluded. Booking must be made, under deposit, and discount applied anytime after May 18, 2010 for travel at select times in 2010. Applies to new 2010 bookings only, and offer will not be applied to pre-existing bookings. Offer reliant on space availability and may be withdrawn at any time. Not combinable with any other offer other than Journeys Club member benefit. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply. Avalon Waterways Will Not Be Undersold! Avalon will match competitor pricing on 2010 European river cruises!* Call today and gives us the name and departure date of a competitor's river cruise you are considering.  If Avalon has a comparable 2010 cruise available, they'll match the per diem price - with the newest fleet on the market, why not? *Book a Europe Avalon River cruise vacation to receive the match offer.  Must provide the name and departure date of the competitor cruise in order to qualify.  Must be made, under deposit, and discount applied prior to March 2, 2010 for travel through December 31st, 2010. Offer good in conjunction with other qualifying offers including Journeys Club.  Offer is subject to change and could be withdrawn at any time.  Applies to new 2010 bookings only, and offer will not be applied to pre-existing bookings.  Offer reliant on space availability.  Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.
Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
9/18/2010 - 9/30/2010	$4,409
10/16/2010 - 10/28/2010	$4,409
11/6/2010 - 11/18/2010	$4,409
11/27/2010 - 12/9/2010	$4,409
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

Price Details US
Intra-tour air value: $560Single Room Supplement: $2418Triples are not available.Extra nights per person in Quito:in single room $171; in twin room $97.Extra nights per person in Guayaquil:in single room $150; in twin room $90.Cruise pricing is based on main deck cabins. Upgrades are available. 2011 prices and itineraries are subject to change.

Related Tours
WBG|Ecuador & the Galápagos

Save up to $2,000 on select 2010 Europe River Cruises

Avalon Waterways Will Not Be Undersold!

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