Accessible Galapagos & Amazon Tour

Duration: 11 days

Itinerary

Day 1 (includes lunch and dinner)

Upon your arrival in beautiful Quito, Ecuador, you’ll be picked up from the airport and transferred to the hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you may have lunch and enjoy a relaxing afternoon.

After dinner, our knowledgeable tour leader will provide a briefing about the program. For people arriving early in the morning, we will visit the Middle of the World Monument, which designates the line of the equator as drawn by early European explorers in 1736. We will then visit the IntiÑam Museum and observe several experiments that prove we are in the middle of the world. Mid-afternoon we will return to the hotel to rest and recover.

Day 2 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)

After breakfast we will drive to the Amazon––the biologically richest area on earth. On our way, we will cross two mountain chains and will drive through seven different climate floors. Depending on the weather, we may see some volcanoes and stop to sample delicious local food specialties. We will have several other stops, including a visit to an Environmental Communication Center at the entrance to the Amazon Region where we will receive a lecture on Amazon conservation. We will arrive at the accessible Huasquila Amazon Lodge around 2:00 pm and be presented with a welcome cocktail, lunch and briefing. After lunch, we will visit an animal rescue center with local animals that have been recovered from illegal animal trade. If we’re lucky we may be able to take a few snapshots of a monkey or two jumping around. After a full day of exploration, we will return to the lodge for dinner.

Day 3 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)

In the morning, we will travel 1.5 hours to the popular Anzu River, where we will enjoy fun and relaxing day rafting in the very calm river (class II). Even though the river is very calm, we will be lead by several experienced kayakers at all times for safety. During our adventure, we’ll admire the surrounding Amazon nature. We can stop at several points of interest to take pictures and rest. We will finish our journey around 3:00 pm and start our way back to the lodge. Back at the lodge, we will have dinner, partake in a delicious tropical juice or wine and enjoy each other’s company (play games, cards, etc.).

Day 4 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)

We will go for a quick walk/hike through a secondary rain forest and use an off-road wheelchair to enter the path. If for any reason we cannot complete the activity, a local guide will bring the medicinal plants from the hike to the lodge area and show us their different uses. After lunch we will visit an indigenous community where we will have the opportunity to interact with the natives, learn their costumes, watch them prepare food, and perform dances. If you are more adventurous, you can get a cleansing of the body and soul done by an indigenous doctor (shaman). We will then return to the lodge for dinner and enjoy our last night at the Amazon together.

After breakfast we will drive back toward Quito. On the way, we will make a two-hour stop for lunch at one of Ecuador´s hot spots for bird watching. The views of the landscape from this area are simply magnificent. We will arrive in Quito in the afternoon to prepare for the Galapagos trip.

Day 6 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)

We will make our way to Galapagos Islands, arriving at San Cristóbal around lunch time. We will be staying at a beautiful, wheelchair-friendly house overlooking the ocean. After lunch, we will visit an Environmental Communication Center where we will learn about the Island´s history, and conservation efforts, as well as some of the Island’s hazards.

Day 7 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Today we will be safely transferred into kayaks or small glass bottom boats. Depending on your mobility, we will select what option is more appropriate for you. We will observe iguanas, as well as blue footed boobies and sea lions. A professional kayaker will join you (two persons per kayak). After lunch, we will travel back to the hotel and spend the afternoon at La Loberia where sea lions, marine tortoises, marine iguanas and birds can be spotted.

Day 8 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)

After breakfast we will drive across the Island to the Galapaguera where we will see the famous Galapagos Turtles. After lunch, we will take a short hike to Tijeratas lookout point to observe more blue footed boobies, fragates and finch birds.

Day 9 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)

After breakfast you’ll have a couple of hours to enjoy a massage and learn how to manufacture a handicraft with the Island’s locals. Around 1:00 pm we take our flight back to Quito, arriving around 4:00 pm.

Day 10 (includes breakfast, lunch and dinner)

In Quito, we will visit the Colonial Center, declared World Culture Heritage by UNESCO. We will also visit he churches and squares and learn about their history. Then we will visit the skylift of Quito, where we will reach an altitude of 4,100 meters. From this altitude we will have a great overview of Quito and the surrounding mountains. If we’re lucky we will be able to observe the snow-covered mountains surrounding Quito. We will have a hot drink at this location and then come back down to Quito. After dinner, we will give you a final overview of the trip––including a presentation of all the pictures we took during the excursions. We will give every guest a CD with the pictures as a remembrance gift.

Departure

The price includes:

• All tours and activities specified in program
• Accommodations specified in program
• All entrance fees during tours and activities specified in program
• All meals specified in program
• Transportation specified in program

The price doesn’t include:

• International airfares and airport taxes
• Any expenses not specified in program (personal expenses, alcoholic beverages, souvenirs, laundry, etc)
• Equipment rental or supply (if necessary)
• Personal insurance
• Any medical expenses

For pricing, please contact info@abletotravel.org.

Tips**

The months of January through May are the rainy wet season for the Galapagos, but also the warmer season. The rain is not constant and in general you will have a chance to see more greenery on the islands.

Please be aware that there is not a vehicle with a lift in the Galapagos so all vehicle and activity transfers are manual transfers. We’ve also found it is more convenient if the traveler uses a manual wheelchair for the tour. The hotel has a tub with a bench seat and grab bar which has worked well for previous clients.