Family Galapagos

Arrive in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, where you are met and transferred to your hotel.

Start your day with a visit to La Mitad del Mundo Equatorial Line Monument, dedicated to the 18th-century French expedition that first established the position of the equator. Then, transfer north to the edge of the city for an awesome Ride Like a Local on TelefériQo, an aerial gondola offering breathtaking views over Quito. The gondola deposits you at the top of an active volcano, 12,950 feet above sea level, where you take in the marvelous vistas. After lunch, have fun in a desserts class featuring traditional and local desserts. Return to Quito to walk its historic district with its beautiful churches and colorful plazas, and take in firsthand views of local life and the city’s charming colonial architecture. Tonight, gather for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Fly to Baltra in the Galápagos Islands, where you board ‘La Pinta.’ After a welcome briefing, enjoy lunch on board. This afternoon, begin exploring the Galápagos, starting at South Plaza Island. Observe the native flora, such as the prickly pear cactus, a favorite snack of the land iguana that roam the island like real-life dragons. Scan the coastline for playful sea lion and colorful wild birds. Tonight (and each evening) back aboard ‘La Pinta,’ enjoy a variety of all-ages activities designed to capture the imaginations of young explorers, including fun quizzes, making handicrafts and learning some Spanish words.

Today, discover Santa Fe Island, boarding a panga (small boat) for a brief ride to its idyllic sandy-white beaches. Walk the onshore terrain, keeping a lookout for wild residents: a curious sea lion coming to greet you, a Galápagos hawk perched atop salt bushes or a Santa Fe land iguana sunning itself on a rock. Then, snorkel and swim along a natural wave barrier or ride in a glass-bottom boat for a cool glimpse into life beneath the waves. Break for lunch back on board as you set a course toward San Cristobal Island. Disembark at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and drive to the breeding center for highly endangered giant tortoise at Cerro Colorado, set in a fantastic deciduous forest.

Land on San Cristobal Island and set out on a trail that ascends from the beach to a lookout offering you spectacular shoreline views. Observe frigatebird and a colony of sea lion, and, if conditions are favorable, swim from the beach. After lunch on board, take a panga to Cerro Brujo and walk the same sandy shore once trod by Charles Darwin, the 19th-century English naturalist whose theory of evolution began with the firsthand observations he made of life in the Galápagos.

Begin at Punta Suárez, walking on lava terrain to visit the island’s seabird colonies. Depending on the time of year, you may spy soaring waved albatross, booby or swallow-tail gull; watch for marine iguana, too. After lunch aboard, cruise Gardner Bay and go ashore to observe sea lion, mockingbird and various species of finch. The bay has a magnificent beach, a great place to snorkel, kayak or ride a glass-bottomed boat.

Disembark on Santa Cruz Island to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and learn about the captive rearing program for giant tortoise. Afterward, ferry to Baltra and fly to Quito for a farewell dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport to depart.