A Journey of Unparalleled Luxury
Welcome to a luxury experience in the heart of Ecuador, where natural beauty merges with opulence and personalized attention. We invite you to immerse yourself in an exclusive program that combines the majesty of Quito and its surroundings with the serenity of the Galapagos Islands.
Our tour of Quito and its surroundings will welcome us with its beauty, architecture and warm and friendly people, we will combine our stay at Pikaia Lodge, a new concept of luxury land eco-adventure in the Galapagos Islands exploring the nearby islands on the private yacht M/Y Pikaia I.
After arriving at Quito International Airport, we will take a private transfer from the airport to the hotel located in the historic center of the city. Explore the Ecuadorian capital, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the colonial architecture and vibrant streets will immerse you in a unique cultural experience. It is a very special place and visiting it at night allows you to admire its imposing illuminated architecture, including domes, bell towers, facades and squares. At night, you can appreciate the beauty and charm of this site.
After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, the guide will pick you up to begin the visit to the largest and best preserved historic center of Latin America. The first stop will be the Basilica del Voto Nacional Church, known for its neo-gothic style and its gargoyles and Ecuadorian fauna. We will continue our visit to the Plaza de la Independencia or Plaza Mayor, surrounded by the Presidential Palace, the Archbishop's Palace, the municipal building and the emblematic Metropolitan Cathedral Church.
Our next stop will be the Church of the Company, whose interior is decorated and elaborated with gold leaf. Then, we will visit the open square of San Francisco and its monumental church and convent, known as El Escorial de los Andes, built in the 16th century by the indigenous people of the San Andres School. We will continue to the Panecillo, a hill crowned by the Winged Virgin of Quito, from where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the city and the impressive Andean landscape. Here, passengers will enjoy a traditional lunch with a beautiful view of the city.
In the afternoon, we will continue the tour to the Middle of the World, which is located 22 km north of the city of Quito and where the equatorial line is located. This location was determined in the 18th century by the French Geodesic Mission together with Spanish and Ecuadorian geographers. We will live the experience of standing on the two hemispheres and visit the Intiñán museum, where we will perform a series of dynamic experiments that confirm the location of the equatorial line. At the end of the afternoon, we will return to the hotel.
After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, we will leave the city of Quito taking the Panamerican Highway to the south and arrive at Cotopaxi National Park after approximately two hours of travel. The Cotopaxi volcano is the second highest peak in Ecuador, with an altitude of 5,897 meters. It is an active cone-shaped volcano, with snow on its summit and surrounded by beautiful Andean paramo vegetation.
Our visit will begin with the registration of travelers at the southern checkpoint of the National Park. Then we will move to the interpretation center, where we can learn about the fauna, flora and general information about the volcano and the Andes Mountains. After this stop, we will hike for about an hour around the Limpiopungo Lagoon, which is an ideal place to admire the majestic volcano and take beautiful photographs.
Optionally, it is possible to go by vehicle to the parking lot of the José Rivas mountain refuge, from where you can walk about 200 meters to reach the refuge that serves as a base point for hikers who ascend to the top of the volcano. The parking lot is located at an altitude of 4,600 meters.
During the tour, passengers will enjoy lunch with a view of the Cotopaxi volcano from the only hotel located inside the National Park. After lunch, we will continue south to rest at our hotel.
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then we will transfer from the hotel to the Mariscal Sucre airport in Quito to take the flight to Galapagos. We will arrive at Seymour Airport on Baltra Island, where we will check in at the airline.
Our guests will be transferred to the VIP lounge at Seymour Airport (GPS), where our representatives will be present to assist with arrival procedures. We will then transfer by private van to the Itabaca Channel, where we will enjoy a short 7-minute boat ride to Santa Cruz Island.
We will continue our trip in private transportation for approximately 45 minutes until we arrive at Pikaia Lodge. Once we arrive, we will check-in at the lodge. Check-in will be at 2:00 p.m. and check-out will be at 12:00 p.m.
During check-in, guests will receive a complimentary welcome cocktail and their printed itineraries. In addition, the front desk will assign the most convenient time for a welcome briefing, where important information about the stay and the Galapagos Islands will be provided.
After check-in, we will enjoy lunch at the Evolution Restaurant or on the Pool Terrace. Guests will have the opportunity to relax and familiarize themselves with the lodge's facilities and beautiful surroundings. We recommend taking advantage of the therapeutic treatments at the Sumaq spa, swimming in the Infinity Pool, using the fitness center, hiking or biking within the 31 hectares of land located in the heart of a turtle reserve.
In the evening, we will have dinner at the Evolucion Restaurant and then an HD documentary of Galapagos filmed by Sir David Attenborough will be shown in the Homo Sapiens Explorers Lounge. Finally, we will stay at the lodge.
The yacht cruise is a full day program aboard the Pikaia I yacht. Private cabins are assigned according to the room reserved and guests will have breakfast on board. Upon arrival on the island, guests can enjoy hiking or snorkeling activities until noon. During this time, you can explore the natural beauty of the island and enjoy the marine life.
After the morning activities, a buffet lunch with traditional Ecuadorian food will be served while the yacht sails to the next destination. During navigation, guests can rest, shower or freshen up in their private air-conditioned cabins. They can also enjoy the Jacuzzi, watch a Galapagos documentary, participate in conversations with the guides, sunbathe or watch seabirds and dolphins.
Two hours before sunset, the yacht will set sail back to Pikaia Lodge, where guests can enjoy dinner and rest after a day full of activities and exploration in the Galapagos Islands.
The day will begin with breakfast at the Lodge restaurant. Guests will meet their assigned naturalist guide in the lobby before beginning the first half of the day's adventure. After the morning activities, guests will return to the lodge for a delicious lunch. They will then have a brief rest before embarking on the afternoon activities.
TIME & ACTIVITY
*Times and order of activities may vary
The yacht cruise is a full day program aboard the Pikaia I yacht. Private cabins are assigned according to the room reserved and guests will have breakfast on board. Upon arrival on the island, guests can enjoy hiking or snorkeling activities until noon. During the cruise, a buffet lunch with traditional Ecuadorian food will be served while the yacht sails to the next destination. Two hours before sunset, the yacht will set sail for Pikaia Lodge. During the navigation, guests will be able to rest, shower or freshen up in their private air-conditioned cabins. They can also soak in the Jacuzzi, watch a Galapagos documentary, participate in conversations with the guides, sunbathe and watch seabirds or dolphins.
Departure time from the hotel according to flights booked. We will transfer to Baltra Island airport to take the flight back to Guayaquil or Quito, assisted by Pikaia Lodge representatives.
*Exploration programs are non-transferable, non-refundable and subject to change.
Our highly qualified team is ready to deploy their knowledge and passion to make your Ecuador travel dreams come true, taking care of every detail of your itinerary to ensure that every moment is exceptional. Your perfect trip starts with us.