Depart from London Heathrow this morning by British Airways flight to Miami (9 hours 45 minutes). Continue from Miami by American Airlines flight to Quito (4 hours). On arrival in Quito, you will be met and transferred to the Grand Hotel Mercure Quito. Stay here for 4 nights.

Morning sightseeing of Quito and the Equatorial Monument. Quito’s colonial quarter is one of the largest and best preserved of South America and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your walk starts at the Independence Plaza, flanked by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal Building and the Archbishop’s Palace. Visit the temple of La Compañía de Jesús and its awesome gilded interior. Continue on to the Monastery of San Francisco, one of the great religious buildings of the New World; its impressive façade and atrium that lead to its Baroque interior influenced by Moorish style, with the winged Virgin of Quito at its main altar. Afterwards continue to the Equatorial Monument, 25 kilometres north of Quito, which marks the exact Middle of the World, latitude 0º, where you can stand with a foot on each hemisphere. Visit the Ethnographic Museum inside the monument, which shows the different Native American groups living in Ecuador. Beside the monument there is a colonial-style town, complete with main square, church, post office, bullring, cafeterias, restaurants and many gift shops with postcards and souvenirs. The afternoon is free.

The day is free. Optional excursions can be booked locally.

Full day excursion to the Cotopaxi National Park. Surrounding Cotopaxi Volcano, this is an ecological sanctuary of 36,000 hectares (88,920 acres), especially attractive for nature lovers, with the treeless vegetation of the Andean moorlands or paramo. From the entrance to the park, you travel on a dirt road for approximately 1 hour. On arrival at the park, you will receive a briefing about the flora and fauna of the area and visit the small Interpretation Centre. Continue on to Limpiopungo Lagoon to see a variety of birds and occasionally, wild horses. On clear days, the Cotopaxi Volcano is an awesome backdrop. A short walk around the lagoon allows the observation of the Andean flora. After lunch at a local restaurant, board the "Chiva Express", a colourful one coach train, like a bus on tracks, for the ride back. A highlight of the trip is to 'ride the roof' with panoramic views of the stunning Andean region of Ecuador. A short stop at a hacienda is made on the way, where a mid-afternoon snack will be served. The Chiva Express ride ends at the Tambillo station, where the bus is waiting to transport you back to Quito.

Morning flight to Cuenca (40 minutes). On arrival, you will be met and transferred to the Santa Lucia Hotel. Stay here for 2 nights. Afternoon city tour of Cuenca which is Ecuador’s third largest city. It’s red tiled roofs, cobblestoned streets, flowery plazas and museums make it very special. This comprehensive tour includes San Sebastian Plaza, a colourful artisans market, where handicrafts are sold. Visit the Museum of Modern Art which features an excellent collection of contemporary fine art. The original building was the “House of Temperance” where alcoholics were once shut inside its thick walls in an effort to cure them. A stop is made at Plaza San Francisco, where small handicraft shops can be visited and the exquisitely embroidered skirts of the cholas are for sale. Next is a visit to the flower market at the small plaza in front of the carved stone entrance to the church of El Carmen de la Asunción. From here, stroll to the main square, surrounded by the imposing blue-domed cathedral, the Court of Justice, the Municipal Palace, the Governor’s Palace and the Church of El Sagrario. Also, visit the ruins of Todos Santos, where in different archaeological strata are vestiges of the rough Cañari construction, the classical Inca stone walls without mortar and remains of Spanish arches. Then, a drive along the Tomebamba River to admire the city’s overhanging houses and the laundry spread out to dry on its river banks and finally enjoy a great view of the city from Turi Hill.

The day is free.

Leave Cuenca in the morning, traveling through the Cajas National Park to Guayaquil. A jacket and walking shoes are necessary when heading for the area of Cajas, 19 miles (30 kms) west of Cuenca. Cajas is lake country, a protected 28,800-hectare area starting at 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level; the region shows remains of intense volcanic activity and glaciation. The highest point is reached on the road at Three Crosses. The wind and drizzle can make it very cold, but the scenery surrounding these 230 lakes is splendid, for walking and hiking and observing flora, fauna and bird life. The vegetation includes small forests of quinua trees, a high protein grain. These dwarf forests are home to many species of birds like hummingbirds and the grey-breasted mountain toucan. The cold lakes of Cajas are full of trout. Lunch is included. In Guayaquil, stay overnight at the Oro Verde.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Guayaquil airport. Fly to San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands (1½ hours). Transfer to the MV Santa Cruz, which will be anchored at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the provincial capital of the Galápagos Islands. After lunch there will be an introductory welcome talk and boat drill. Later you will take a dinghy ride along the shores of tuff-stone layers will take you to Cerro Brujo's white coraline beach. Here you have a wet landing (this means that the craft will beach short of dry land, and you will have to wade through shallow water to reach the shore). You should see a number of sea-birds like blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, herons, frigate birds, and some shore birds. Also, look for Galapagos sea lions. The beach is a great open walking area, with rewarding birdwatching. Highlights ashore include the Chatham (San Cristobal) Mockingbird, Chatham Lava Lizard; both species are endemic to this island, and seen nowhere else in Galapagos. You may also spot Yellow Warblers, Galapagos flycatchers and with luck a Vermillion flycatcher (an endemic sub-species to San Cristobal). Return to the Santa Cruz, where before dinner there will be a briefing on the next day's activities.

The Santa Cruz will have sailed to Espanola (Hood Island). In the morning you will land at Punta Suarez (dry landing) for an exciting walk on lava/boulder terrain to visit its unique sea bird colonies, including the waved albatrosses (April to December), Nazca (masked boobies), blue-footed boobies, swallow-tail gulls, and the famous blowhole. Among its landbirds, the Hood island mockingbird, and three species of Darwin’s finches are common highlights. Also, look out for red-green-black marine iguanas, and a rookery of sea lions at the landing site. Return to the boat for lunch and sail to Floreana Island The afternoon excursion on Floreana Island is at Punta Cormorant (wet landing). On an olivine-crystal beach, an easy walk leads to a brackish water lagoon where bird species like Greater flamingos, pintail ducks, common stilts, herons, sandpipers, and others may be seen. This outing also includes a white-sand beach where sea turtles come out at night for nesting (from December to May). There is a possibility of snorkelling from the beach, or joining the Santa Cruz’s Glass Bottom Boat or advanced snorkelling (if conditions permit). Evening briefing before dinner.

Morning excursion to the youngest island, Fernandina. Disembark at Punta Espinoza (dry landing) for a one-mile walk. This spot combines barrenness with lots of wildlife. Having no introduced mammals, Fernandina has a very unique environment with the highest density of marine iguanas, sharing their island habitat with sea lions, sally-light foot crabs, and hawks. The lava terrain calls for good walking shoes. Return to the boat for lunch and as the Santa Cruz sails along the Bolívar Channel to Isabela, astonishing views of the Galápagos’ youngest volcanoes can be seen. The nutrient-rich waters of the west can also bring surprises like encountering sea birds feeding, dolphins, and possibly whales. In the afternoon, depending on the ocean conditions, snorkel along the cliffs of partly-sunken Ecuador Volcano, in the northern tip of Isabela Island. A dinghy ride along the coastline is included. The guides will explain the geology of the area with remains of lava flows and tuff stone layers. This is the nesting place for flightless cormorants, the only existing marine birds in the world other than penguins that have changed their condition of flying birds to diving birds. Wildlife also includes Sea lions, Galápagos Fur seals, Galápagos Penguins, Blue-footed and Nazca Boobies and noddy terns. This area has a very rich marine life, and is seasonally visited by green sea turtles.

Early morning visit to the famous Charles Darwin Research Station which is located on Santa Cruz Island. Arriving at the Itabaca Channel, between the islands of Baltra and Santa Cruz you disembark at the public dock (dry landing) for a 30-minute bus ride along the highlands en route to Puerto Ayora where changes in vegetation can be witnessed. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and the rearing-in-captivity programme for the famous giant tortoises. After an hour visit, return to Baltra Island airport in time for the late morning flight back to Guayaquil. Stay 1 night at the Oro Verde Hotel. (Alternatively, stay on the Santa Cruz for a further 4 nights as an extension to your trip).

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport. Fly on American Airlines to Miami (4 hours). From Miami, continue by British Airways overnight flight to London.

Morning arrival at Heathrow.