Galápagos: Wildlife Wonderland Holiday Departures 2011

•   All gratuities to Tauck Director, ship staff, drivers & local guides

Day 1: Arrive Quito, Ecuador
A transfer is included from Mariscal Sucre International Airport to the Swissôtel Quito, where you’ll spend the next two nights in Executive Level rooms. Begin your adventure early tomorrow morning in Ecuador’s capital city and environs. Founded in the 16th century on the ruins of an Inca city, Quito stands at an altitude of 9,200 feet above sea level. Take the time to acclimate to the elevation tonight before your family adventure begins in the morning.
Overnight: Swissôtel Quito, Ecuador
Meals Included:

Day 2: All aboard for a look at la vida local in Quito
A fun way to explore the cultural treasures and scenic landscapes around Quito, a train ride* today introduces you to daily life in Ecuador. You’ll visit a dairy farm alive with cows, horses and llamas and have lunch at a local hacienda. Dine on farm-fresh cheese and just-picked vegetables and sample your choice of homemade desserts... sweet! You’ll have some leisure time to spend bird watching or exploring on your own before returning to Quito. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight.
Overnight: Swissôtel Quito, Ecuador
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 3: Cruise to Islands time forgot
Hop on a plane headed to Baltra Island, the starting point for your Galápagos Islands expedition*. The crew of the M / V Santa Cruz is waiting to welcome you aboard. Settle into your cabin and get your sea legs ready for one of the most amazing wildlife cruises in the world! Your first stop is Santa Cruz Island in the middle of the archipelago, home to eight different species of Darwin’s Finches, the tiny birds that have become the symbol of evolution in the Galápagos. Don your hiking shoes for a walk around a saltwater lagoon; look for pintail ducks, flamingos, stilts, and sandpipers. Have fun at the Captain’s welcome reception tonight, followed by your first dinner at sea. 
Overnight: Cruising aboard M/V Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4: See marine animals & walk on lava
Even though Bartolomé Island is pretty small, it’s big on volcanic features like lava tubes and tuff cones, and teems with marine animals. Hike up to the summit of the island for great views of the neighboring islands, then climb aboard a panga for a ride around Pinnacle Rock – one of the islands’ best places to see Galápagos penguins, sea lions and sea turtles. You’ll have a chance to meet these animals face-to-face from a glass-bottom boat or on a snorkeling adventure. Join our expert naturalists on a wet landing for a walk atop the black lava shores of San Salvador (Santiago or James) Island, learning more about how these volcanic islands were formed; tonight, there’s a briefing, a lecture before dinner, and (weather permitting) some stargazing!
Overnight: Cruising aboard M/V Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5: Finches, sea lions and much more
Every day is a different adventure here in the Galápagos, including how you land on the islands. Today, prepare to get wet when we wade ashore on the red beaches of Rabida (Jervis) Island, where you may be welcomed by a colony of noisy sea lions; this island is studded with volcanic craters that marine iguanas, mockingbirds, yellow warblers and Darwin’s Finches call home. Snorkeling and a glass-bottom boat ride show you the sights under the sea! Continue to North Seymour Island for a dry landing on sandy beaches populated by Galápagos sea lions, swallow-tail gulls and blue-footed boobies.
Overnight: Cruising aboard M/V Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: Giant tortoises & more on Santa Cruz Island
Head to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island for a look at the giant tortoises that have captured the imaginations of travelers for centuries. Here’s your chance to see them in their natural environment, along with bright red Vermilion Flycatchers who are often just as curious about you as you are about them, and native vegetation like the Scalesia Forest. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to hear about ongoing conservation efforts to preserve the natural environments and wildlife you’ve encountered – including the rare giant tortoises of the Galápagos, some of which you may get to meet today. Explore Puerto Ayora before returning to the ship. 
Overnight: Cruising aboard M/V Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7: In Darwin's footsteps on San Cristobal Island
After landing in the port of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal (Chatham) Island, travel to Cerro Colorado to visit a special tortoise breeding center; if you wish, check out the San Cristóbal Interpretation Center – a great place to learn even more about the islands’ natural history – and the port village on your own. Or you may want to play soccer or volleyball, swim or snorkel off the beach. Later, get set for a wet landing on the white coralline beach of Cerro Brujo, where young Charles Darwin first set foot on the Galápagos Archipelago with his shipmates from the H.M.S. Beagle in 1835. Along with colonies of sea lions, keep your eyes peeled for the Chatham Lava Lizard and the Chatham Mockingbird, found nowhere else in the world!
Overnight: Cruising aboard M/V Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: Albatrosses, boobies & blowholes
A dry landing at Punta Suarez on Española (Hood) Island lets you watch Waved Albatrosses put on a show; with wingspans of up to eight feet, they have to fling themselves off cliffs to get airborne! Look for masked and blue-footed boobies, red-green-black marine iguanas and comical sea lions, and walk across lava landscapes to a famous blowhole. After an opportunity for snorkeling, a wet landing at Punta Cormorant on Floreana Island gives you a rare chance to observe a colorful colony of pink flamingos in their natural habitat.
Overnight: Cruising aboard M/V Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9: Fernandina & Isabela... wildlife wonderlands
Your final day of cruising aboard M / V Santa Cruz leads to wildlife-rich Fernandina, the youngest island in the archipelago. A mile-long walk on barren lava terrain shows you where marine iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs and hawks like to cavort. Your cruise continues through Bolivar Channel, passing by Isabela Island for great views of rugged volcanic landscapes, sea birds, dolphins and maybe whales; panga rides along the island coast with our on-board naturalists are fun for everyone!
Overnight: Cruising aboard M/V Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 10: Disembark and fly to Guayaquil
Bid a fond farewell to M / V Santa Cruz and her crew as you disembark at Baltra Island for a flight to Guayaquil on the mainland of Ecuador. Tonight, join us for a festive farewell dinner by the pool where we can exchange memories – and addresses – with all your new found friends!
Overnight: Hilton Colon Guayaquil, Ecuador
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 11: Homeward bound
Tour ends: Guayaquil. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Hilton Colón Guayaquil to Guayaquil International Airport; allow a minimum of 2½ hours for flight check-in.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
12/19/2012 - 12/30/2012	$4,990
12/24/2012 - 1/4/2013	$4,990
Note: Departures appearing above in green are guaranteed to operate by the tour operator.
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

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