Quito & The M/V Galapagos Legend Cruise

Settle into the eco-inspired GO Quito Hotel, overlooking the Andean capital’s dramatic mountain skyline.
Explore Quito’s colonial Old Town and stand on the equator, where two hemispheres meet.
Glide through Black Turtle Cove’s mangrove lagoons, spotting reef sharks, sea turtles, and elegant herons.
Discover Genovesa Island’s thriving seabird colonies, from red-footed boobies to playful fur seals.
Walk among iguanas and sea lions on South Plaza and Santa Fe Islands before relaxing on Bachas Beach.

Days

55 Years of Expertise in Tailor-Made Travel

ExcellentBased on 5,258 Reviews

55 Years of Expertise in Tailor-Made Travel

ExcellentBased on 5,258 Reviews

Trip Features

Epic Scenery

Showcases landscapes that elevate parts of the journey.

Family Friendly

Fun, safe adventures to delight travellers of all ages.

Iconic Landmarks

Features renowned sites that capture the essence of each destination.

Active & Adventure

Trips that keep you active while exploring the great outdoors.

Safari & Wildlife

Vacations that showcase the world's most fascinating wildlife.

Epic Scenery

Showcases landscapes that elevate parts of the journey.

Family Friendly

Fun, safe adventures to delight travellers of all ages.

Iconic Landmarks

Features renowned sites that capture the essence of each destination.

Active & Adventure

Trips that keep you active while exploring the great outdoors.

Safari & Wildlife

Vacations that showcase the world's most fascinating wildlife.

Trip Itinerary

At a Glance

DAY

Arrive in Quito

DAY

Private Full Day Exploring Colonial Quito & the Equatorial Line

DAY

Quito to the Galapagos Islands

DAY

El Barranco & Darwin Bay

DAY

South Plaza Island & Santa Fe Island

DAY

Bachas Beach & Departure

Travel Itinerary

Trip Starts

Trip Stop

Trip Ends

Detailed Itinerary

DAY

Arrive in Quito

Transfer

Quito Airport to Quito - New Town

Your Accommodation

GO Quito Hotel

A sustainable hotel with spectacular views of Quito, and a design inspired by the natural beauty and cultural richness of the Andes, GO Quito Hotel is one of the premier accommodations in the new town of Quito. GO Quito Hotel provides a peaceful atmosphere for both work and play, with gourmet dining, refreshing drinks, and a range of leisure activities available. With everything you need in one place, the hotel caters to your travel needs. With an on-site swimming pool, ground-floor gardens, and a rooftop restaurant, plenty to enjoy on-site when you're not out exploring the city and countryside.

Duration

2 Night Stay

Meal Plan

Full Breakfast

Show on Map

DAY

Private Full Day Exploring Colonial Quito & the Equatorial Line

Day Tour

Exploring Colonial Quito & the Equatorial Line

Ecuador is history, fascinating indigenous cultures, slow winding rivers and lush tropical forests, spectacular snow capped volcanoes and some of the most exciting wildlife on earth. Today's private-guided tour of the Middle of the Earth begins just 30 minutes north of Quito. Your guide will first take you on a brief journey to visit the Pululahua volcanic crater for a peek into the crater floor where patchwork fields gleam far below. Later you will visit the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo, a group of buildings designed to explain the significance of the Ecuadorian equator, as well as the Intiñan Museum, located directly on the Equator. Here you will have the chance to plant your feet in two hemispheres at the same time, try to balance an egg on the head of a nail, and see the unique water dynamics that occur! Back in Quito and after lunch, you will visit the city's impressive colonial center. Quito was the first city to be named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations (alongside Krakow, Poland in 1978), and touring the historic core highlights why it is so widely lauded. First on the agenda is a walk through the Main Plaza, the Plaza de la Independencia, where you will see the Government Palace, the Cathedral, and some of the most important churches built around the XVI and XVII centuries, including the San Francisco Monastery, a building begun only five days after the founding of the city. Winding down, you'll enjoy a chocolate tasting experience in the old town at Yumbos; a small artisanal chocolate factory that uses fine Ecuadorian cocoa. During the visit, you will be able to learn the secrets behind making fine chocolate, and soon after, you will be returned to your hotel.

DAY

Quito to the Galapagos Islands

Transfer

Quito - New Town to Quito Airport

Multi Day Tour

Baltra Airport & Black Turtle Cove

Depart from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Island, a flight lasting roughly two hours and 30 minutes (included). Arriving in the Galapagos, you will be picked up at the airport by naturalist guides who will welcome you to the archipelago and assist with the transfer to the nearby pier. After getting acquainted with the vessel, you'll soon disembark on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island, an area accessible only by sea. Here, in Black Turtle Cove, four species of mangrove crowd and form an internal lagoon, and turtles visit the calm waters, peaking their heads above the surface while fish, rays circle below. White-tipped reef sharks can be seen beneath the boat, plus sea birds, including pelicans, herons and egrets. This cove has been declared as a "turtle sanctuary". Please note, on certain sailings, the visit to Black Turtle Cove may be replaced with a visit to the Highlands Tortoise Reserve on Santa Cruz Island.

Meal

Dinner, Lunch

Your Accommodation

M/V Legend

This legendary, 100-passenger, first-class vessel offers all the amenities of a large cruise liner without sacrificing the intimacy you'd expect on a small sailing craft, and consequently allows you to have it all.

Show on Map

DAY

El Barranco & Darwin Bay

Multi Day Tour

El Barranco & Darwin Bay

This morning, marvel at the variety of sea life that uses the crevices of the lava cliffs for shelter. Red-billed Tropicbirds fly overhead, switching between their nests and the bay, and a small colony of fur seals may be found near the landing site. You will be dropped off at a steep stairway that begins on rocks at the foot of a path that leads through a seabird colony full of Nazca and Red-footed Boobies. At the plateau, the trail continues inland allowing you to see more nesting booby colonies in the thin Palo Santo forest. Near the end of the trail, over a rocky lava plain, Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels can be observed flying in all directions. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a Short-eared Owl. In the afternoon, disembark onto a small sand and coral beach. A short trail heads west along a tidal lagoon and then up a rocky hill that leads to a point overlooking the cliffs and Darwin Bay. Along the trail near the tidal lagoon, visitors will see pairs of Swallow-tailed Gulls, Lava Gulls, Yellow-crowned and Lava Herons. The trail continues through Palo Santo trees, Opuntia cacti, and Saltbushes inhabited by Great Frigate birds and Red-footed Boobies. This is one of the few places in the islands where visitors are guaranteed to see Red-footed Boobies. It is estimated that more than 200,000 Red-footed Boobies live in the trees and bushes of Genovesa.

Meal

Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Your Accommodation

M/V Legend

Show on Map

DAY

South Plaza Island & Santa Fe Island

Multi Day Tour

South Plaza Island & Santa Fe Island

Sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls and land iguanas are all present at this morning's landing site - South Plaza Island. This small island is covered with a carpet of red succulent studded with Opuntia cacti. At the cliffs edge, spend some time watching birds fly past at eye level in the updraught. These include Frigatebirds, flocks of Galapagos shearwaters and red-billed tropicbirds. Back at sea level, you will once again encounter land iguanas, some of which have been hybridized with their marine cousins. In the afternoon, you'll make a wet landing on Santa Fe Island. Here you'll find white sand beaches surrounded by sea lion colonies; through the island path, an endemic cactus forest is passed, home the Santa Fe land iguanas (the largest in the islands). This island is the habitat for several species, including the Galapagos hawk, Galapagos snakes, rice rats (one of the few endemic Galapagos rodents), a variety of finches and one of the four mockingbird species of the archipelago.

Meal

Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Your Accommodation

M/V Legend

Show on Map

DAY

Bachas Beach & Departure

Multi Day Tour

Highlands Tortoise Reserve & Departure

After breakfast, make a dry landing in the mountains of Galapagos. Enjoy admiring different kinds of birds, such as tree and ground finches, vermilion flycatchers, paint-billed crakes, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets (usually standing on the tortoises' shell). Your journey to the reserve offers great opportunities to see the contrasts that the island offers in reference to the variety of ecosystems. The road goes from the coast through the agricultural zone and straight up to the dense humid forests. Often, Galapagos Giant Tortoises are also seen on the way, wandering through pastures in the paddocks. This spot is a birdwatchers' haven, since almost every land bird present on the island lives or migrates here. After visiting Highlands Tortoise Reserve, you will be transferred to the airport ahead of your return flight to Guayaquil or Quito.

Meal

Breakfast

What to Expect

Explore what moves you.

Quito, Ecuador

Whale Shark, Darwin Island, Galapagos

Land iguana, Galapagos

ExcellentBased on 5,258 Reviews

Verified

Touching base after our trip. As usual you did a great job helping plan and execute an amazing travel experience!! Everything was fantastic. Especially our hotel location. Since it's connected to the Victoria station it made getting around very easy. Thanks again for your help I'm sure we'll be booking our next trip soon...Leigh Ferris

Verified

The trip was planned perfectly, with the support of knowledgeable and dedicated local staff during any critical point of the trip. The accommodations, transfers, transportation, guides' input and visits' setup met the highest standards and expectations.Nadia & Cristian

Verified

We recently completed a trip to Crete, Greece - our third trip with GoWay - and I have run out of superlatives to laud their efforts. This was a self drive trip, and as has been our experience with GoWay, we were permitted to customize the standard offered itinerary to suit our personal preferences. Brooke, our agent on this trip, went the extra mile to make all the adjustments we requested, including providing for an English-speaking guide at the Phaistos archeological site. The hotels which Brooke booked on our behalf were truly excellent, and - again, per our wish - just outside of the urban chaos of Heraklion, Rethymno and Chania, but close enough to readily access the cities' benefits. Each hotel was a beachside sanctuary, and we spent several serene, idyllic days never leaving the hotel, and yet there was plenty of time for more distant and adventurous sight seeing. I cannot overstate how happy we have been with our GoWay experiences - most notably in their willingness to listen to our preferences and make those manifest in the itinerary - and this most recent trip just confirms our already positive opinion of GoWay, and we will be certain to consider them again for our next travel adventure.Frank Venuti

Verified

Venessa Lloyd at GoWay organized a trip to Africa for us- We just returned last week. It was very well organized and included everything we requested, and more. We did two safaris - one in Tanzania and one in South Africa. They were both excellent, with first class accommodations and guides. We absolutely would recommend GoWay and Vanessa to anyone. Sandra

Verified

Overall, the hotel and tours were amazing. We had issues with communicating with the driver. At times I was asked where, I was gone. The local company handled the situation and there were minor issues after. I would recommend a local English-speaking guide every day. My clients loved the trip. The area we stayed in had many restaurants and local markets nearby. I recommend the cooking class, flamenco dance show, wine tasting and taps tour, and the city tour. Jolynn Tizeno

Verified

Ani M was absolutely amazing to work with! I actually chose Goway for our group trip because of her recommendations. She was the only agent who took the time to explain that we really needed to split our travels into two separate trips if we wanted to experience everything on our wish list, and I really appreciated her honesty and guidance. Throughout the planning process, Ani was incredibly helpful and answered ALL of my questions, even when I asked the same ones more than once! She was patient, knowledgeable, and always willing to help. I enjoyed working with her and her team so much that I already have another group trip planned with her, and I expect we'll be planning another one soon! The guides during our Scotland trip were wonderful as well. Ian Short was the BEST! He was professional, knowledgeable, and made sure everything ran smoothly so we could simply enjoy the experience. He even worked in sightseeing stops we didn't know we needed to see, and those little extras made the trip even better. The entire experience was absolutely wonderful from beginning to end. I'm already looking forward to our next adventure to Ireland with Goway and working with Ani and their team again!Angela Butler

Verified

Michael was informative and answered all my questions. Flexible with package details and accommodated changes we preferred with activities. He put together a superb tour with transportation and guides that were very knowledgeable. Would book with them again on next trip to Europe.Christopher Carey

Verified

We recently traveled to Portugal and had the most wonderful experience. As our first venture overseas, we decided to search online for travel assistance. We happened across Goway Travel and are so glad we did! Michael Keon, our Destination Specialist, is extremely proficient and knowledgeable in his profession. "Thorough" is an understatement. He assisted every step of the way from the moment we stepped on our flights, transfer arrangements, hotel accommodations, train travel and multiple tours/outings tailored to our specific needs/wish list. He provided unparalleled guidance and support during the planning process and was always available to discuss any questions/concerns. His communications were always prompt and concise. Without a doubt, our best trip to date...there will be no hesitation to contact Mr. Keon for future travels. Joanna Lynn Mays Michael Andrew Mays Joanna Mays

Verified

What made this experience great was Cedric Wai. Had a client going to Asia and this is Cedric's wheelhouse since he is from there. Everything was wonderful. Everything went smoothly. The individual tours were wonderful and all the guides were exceptional. A lot of traveling-the flight was very good on Cathay Pacific would highly recommend their airline seats were comfortable and spaced well. Being on an airplane for 16 hours sucks in general, but other than being a little sore from being stuck in one place all was good. Thank you so much for all your help and the trip was wonderful and everything that it should be! Next trip will be much more relaxing, sitting still for a while on a beach somewhere ha ha!Careen Sullivan

Verified

Andrea Paredes helped me plan a last minute Colombia trip for my clients who had never been! They loved every minute of it. The hotels, history, excursions, and flights went very smooth. They were so happy with all their tour guides. Deanna Frisbie Borrego

Our Commitment

Why Travel with Goway?

Personalized Trips

Every vacation with Goway is tailored to your exact travel needs. Our vacations are as unique as you are.

Elevated Experiences

Travel experiences with up to 5-star accommodations and private guided tours that offers an intimate and exclusive way to see the world.

Authentic Experts

Work with our Destination Specialists who are true experts, having lived, worked, or traveled extensively in the destinations we offer.

Global Adventures

Enjoy great value on vacations to over 115 destinations on all seven continents. Explore the whole world in the way and style you choose.

What do the experts say?

Kajal Gadhia

Destination Specialist

Learn More About This Expert

If you a looking for a unique experience, then a stay at Mashpi Lodge, Cloud Forest would be perfect. It is a remote high-biodiversity experience which boasts over 600 bird species, unique monkeys, and other fascinating wildlife

Learn More About This Expert

Kajal Gadhia

Destination Specialist

Learn More About This Expert

Ecuador has incredible biodiversity and varied landscapes, from the wildlife-rich Galapagos Islands to the high-altitude Andes mountains and Amazon rainforest

Learn More About This Expert

Osvaldo Gonzalez

Destination Specialist

Learn More About This Expert

Tourists often focus on the Galápagos or the Amazon, but the Cloud Forests — mysterious, humming with life, and relatively uncrowded — are a hidden gem.

Learn More About This Expert

Osvaldo Gonzalez

Destination Specialist

Learn More About This Expert

One local tradition that travelers should absolutely try to experience in Ecuador is "La Diablada de Píllaro", or The Devils of Píllaro, held every January 1–6 in the small Andean town of Píllaro, in the Tungurahua province

Learn More About This Expert