The Self-Launched Galapagos and Amazon Adventure

Fly into Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO). Take the Aeropuerto Bus (Ruta 5) into central Quito for around £1, or a metered taxi for roughly £10-12. Check into a hostel in the historic La Mariscal or Old Town neighbourhood. Spend the evening exploring the area and grab dinner at a local comedor — try locro de papa (potato soup) or seco de pollo.

🚌Public airport bus (Ruta 5) into central Quito ~£1, or metered taxi ~£10-12

🛏Hostel in La Mariscal or Old Town (e.g. Casa Helbling, Hostel Revolution, or similar) — dorm from £10/night or private twin from £20/night

• →Settle into Quito
• →Explore La Mariscal neighbourhood on foot
• →Sample traditional Ecuadorian food at a local comedor

Spend the morning exploring Quito's UNESCO-listed Old Town — Plaza Grande, La Compañía de Jesús church, and the covered Mercado Central for a cheap and delicious lunch. In the afternoon, take a local bus or taxi to Panecillo Hill for panoramic city views (£1-2 by taxi). Then head to San Antonio de Pichincha to visit La Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the Earth monument) — take bus from La Ofelia terminal for around £0.50 each way.

🚌Local city buses ~£0.50 per ride; bus to La Mitad del Mundo from La Ofelia terminal ~£0.50 each way

🛏Same Quito hostel as Day 1

• →Walk Quito's Old Town: Plaza Grande, La Compañía de Jesús church, El Panecillo
• →Lunch at Mercado Central for traditional Andean food
• →Visit La Mitad del Mundo (equator monument) — self-entry ~£3
• →Catch the sunset from Panecillo Hill viewpoint

Fly from Quito to Baltra Island (Galápagos) — book independently with LATAM or Avianca, typically £150-220 return from Quito. On arrival, pay the Galápagos National Park entrance fee (£80). Take the free shuttle bus to the canal, then the free public ferry across to Santa Cruz Island (£1). From there, take a shared taxi or local bus to Puerto Ayora (~£1.50). Visit Los Gemelos volcanic sinkholes (free, self-guided), El Chato Giant Tortoise Reserve (£3 entry), and the Charles Darwin Research Station (free) in the afternoon.

🚌Shuttle bus + public ferry from Baltra to Santa Cruz ~£1; local bus/shared taxi to Puerto Ayora ~£1.50

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz (e.g. Hostal Flamingo or similar) — from £15-25/night twin share

• →Fly Quito to Baltra (book with LATAM/Avianca ~£150-220 return)
• →Pay Galápagos National Park entrance fee (~£80 — one-time cost)
• →Free ferry crossing from Baltra to Santa Cruz (£1)
• →Visit Los Gemelos volcanic sinkholes (free)
• →El Chato Giant Tortoise Reserve (~£3 entry)
• →Charles Darwin Research Station (free)

Head into the Santa Cruz Highlands by shared taxi or local bus (~£2-3) to visit a local organic coffee farm — several offer informal tours and tastings for a small fee or donation. Hike back down and rent a mountain bike in Puerto Ayora (£8-12/half day) to ride out to Garrapatero Beach, a quieter stretch of sand teeming with wildlife. Swim, snorkel, and enjoy the beach before cycling back. Dinner at a local restaurant on Charles Darwin Avenue.

🚌Shared taxi to highlands ~£3; bike rental £8-12

🛏Same Puerto Ayora hostel/guesthouse

• →Shared taxi to Santa Cruz Highlands (~£3)
• →Visit organic coffee plantation — tasting/tour ~£3-5
• →Rent a mountain bike in Puerto Ayora (£8-12/half day)
• →Cycle to Garrapatero Beach (~16mi round trip)
• →Swim and wildlife-spot at the beach (free)

Start the day with the early-morning hike to Tortuga Bay (free, self-guided, ~2.5km each way) — one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galápagos. Spot marine iguanas, lava lizards, and frigatebirds. Bring snorkel gear (rent from town, ~£5) for a swim in the calmer lagoon at the far end. In the afternoon, take the public speedboat ferry from Puerto Ayora to Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island (~£25-30 each way, 2.5 hrs). Check into a guesthouse in Puerto Villamil and explore the laid-back town on foot.

🚌Public speedboat ferry Puerto Ayora → Puerto Villamil ~£25-30 per person

🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Villamil, Isabela (e.g. Hostal Ballena Azul or similar) — from £15-22/night twin share

• →Self-guided hike to Tortuga Bay (free, ~5km return)
• →Snorkel in the calm lagoon at Tortuga Bay (rental ~£5)
• →Public speedboat ferry to Isabela Island (~£25-30)
• →Explore Puerto Villamil on foot and catch the sunset

The Sierra Negra volcano hike is one of the Galápagos' best and can be done with a local licensed guide (mandatory inside the national park). Book directly in Puerto Villamil the evening before — most local operators charge £25-35 per person for a guided hike including transport to the trailhead. The 10-mile round trip takes around 5 hours, with sweeping views over one of the world's largest volcanic calderas and on to the Lava Nueva lava fields. Return to Puerto Villamil in the afternoon for a well-earned swim.

🚌Transport to volcano trailhead typically included in local guide price

🛏Same Puerto Villamil guesthouse

• →Guided hike to Sierra Negra volcano rim (~£25-35, booked locally)
• →Walk across Lava Nueva volcanic landscape
• →Afternoon swim on Isabela's beaches
• →Dinner at a local Puerto Villamil restaurant

Rent a bike in Puerto Villamil (~£5-8/day) and pedal the flat track out to Muro de las Lágrimas (Wall of Tears) — a fascinating historic site where you may spot giant tortoises and flamingos along the way. Stop at the Arnaldo Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Centre (free entry). In the afternoon, head to Concha de Perla — a short boardwalk from the dock leads to a natural lagoon where you can snorkel for free (bring or rent gear). Look out for reef sharks, sea lions, marine iguanas, sea turtles, and even Galápagos penguins.

🚌Bike rental ~£5-8/day

🛏Same Puerto Villamil guesthouse

• →Rent a bike and cycle to Wall of Tears (~£5-8/day)
• →Visit Arnaldo Tupiza Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre (free)
• →Spot flamingos and giant tortoises en route
• →Free snorkelling at Concha de Perla lagoon (gear rental ~£5)

Book a morning boat trip to Islote Las Tintoreras directly with a local operator in Puerto Villamil (~£20-30 per person including snorkel gear). This chain of tiny islets is famous for its white-tipped reef sharks, Galápagos penguins, blue-footed boobies, and sea lions. Snorkel alongside turtles, manta rays, and marine iguanas. In the afternoon, take the public speedboat back to Santa Cruz (~£25-30) for your final night in the Galápagos — treat yourself to a farewell seafood dinner in Puerto Ayora.

🚌Public speedboat ferry Isabela → Santa Cruz ~£25-30 per person

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz

• →Boat trip to Islote Las Tintoreras with snorkelling (~£20-30, booked locally)
• →Snorkel with reef sharks, penguins, sea lions, and marine iguanas
• →Public speedboat ferry back to Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz (~£25-30)
• →Farewell seafood dinner in Puerto Ayora

Take the shared taxi and ferry back to Baltra airport (£3-5 total) and fly back to Quito on your return Galápagos flight (already booked as a return). The afternoon and evening are free — explore more of Quito's Old Town, visit the Basílica del Voto Nacional, or simply relax at the hostel. Tonight is your last in Quito before heading into the Amazon tomorrow, so get an early night.

🚌Shared taxi/bus + ferry Baltra (~£3-5); return flight already booked

🛏Hostel in La Mariscal or Old Town, Quito — from £10-20/night

• →Ferry and bus back to Baltra airport (~£3-5)
• →Return flight to Quito (included in return ticket booked Day 3)
• →Explore Quito's Basílica del Voto Nacional or Old Town
• →Rest and prepare for the Amazon leg

Take an early morning bus from Quito's Quitumbe terminal toward Tena (~£5, 4-5 hrs). Ask the driver to drop you at the Papallacta crossroads, then take a short taxi (£2) up to the Papallacta thermal pools — a stunning network of geothermal pools high in the Andes (entry ~£7). Soak for a couple of hours before catching another bus down into the Amazon basin to Tena or Misahuallí. A local operator or community lodge (such as Cotococha Lodge or Hamakua Amazon Lodge) can be booked directly online from around £40-60/night full board.

🚌Bus Quito → Papallacta ~£4; local bus onward to Tena ~£4; taxi to lodge ~£5-10

🛏Community rainforest lodge near Tena/Misahuallí (e.g. Cotococha Amazon Lodge, Hamakua, or similar) — from £40-60/night per person including meals

• →Bus from Quito Quitumbe terminal toward Tena (~£5)
• →Stop at Papallacta hot springs — entry ~£7
• →Continue by bus into the Amazon basin to Tena/Misahuallí (~£3-4)
• →Check into community rainforest lodge

Wake up to the sounds of the jungle and head out with a local naturalist guide from your lodge (guides can usually be arranged directly through community lodges for ~£20-30/day). Hike through the jungle to the Ushpayacu Estuary and waterfalls for a swim in the rainforest, then explore the birdlife-rich trail network around the lodge. In the afternoon, climb to a viewpoint over the Amazon canopy. Many community lodges include guided hikes as part of their full-board package — confirm when booking.

🚌On foot / lodge transport

🛏Same rainforest lodge

• →Guided jungle hike with local naturalist guide (~£20-30 if not lodge-inclusive)
• →Hike to Ushpayacu Estuary and waterfalls
• →Open-water swim in the rainforest
• →Canopy viewpoint hike for panoramic Amazon views
• →Wildlife spotting: birds, insects, primates

The Tena area is Ecuador's rafting capital. Book a Class III white-water rafting day on the Jatunyacu River directly with a local operator in Tena (e.g. RiosTropicales, Aguas del Tena, or your lodge can arrange it) — half-day trips run from about £20-30 per person including guides, gear, and transport to the put-in. Spend 4-5 hours on the river, with calm stretches for swimming on remote river beaches, before being transferred back to your lodge.

🚌Rafting operator transport to/from river included in price

🛏Same rainforest lodge

• →Half-day Class III white-water rafting on the Jatunyacu River (£20-30/person)
• →Swim on remote river beaches
• →Spot rainforest wildlife from the river
• →Relax at the lodge in the evening

Book a kayaking excursion on the Alto Misahuallí River through your lodge or a local Tena operator (~£20-30/person including guides and gear). Navigate Grade II rapids through stunning rainforest scenery with qualified guides. Rest at the lodge in the afternoon. After dark, head out on a guided night hike (~£10-15 if arranged separately) to spot nocturnal wildlife — tree frogs, tarantulas, night monkeys, and more — with your naturalist guide leading the way by torchlight.

🚌Kayak operator transport to/from river included in price

🛏Same rainforest lodge

• →Kayaking on Alto Misahuallí River — Grade II rapids (~£20-30/person)
• →Afternoon rest and wildlife spotting around the lodge
• →Guided night hike in the jungle (~£10-15 if separate)

Enjoy a final breakfast at the lodge and say goodbye to the jungle. Take a local bus from Tena back to Quito's Quitumbe terminal (~£5, 4-5 hrs), with a stop for lunch at a roadside restaurant overlooking the cloud forest — budget around £4-6 for a set lunch. Back in Quito, check into a hostel in the Old Town for your final night. Celebrate the end of an epic two-week adventure with dinner and drinks in La Ronda or La Mariscal — try a ceviche de camarón and a cold Pilsener.

🚌Local bus Tena → Quito ~£5

🛏Hostel in Quito Old Town or La Mariscal — from £10-20/night

• →Final breakfast at rainforest lodge
• →Bus from Tena back to Quito (~£5, 4-5 hrs)
• →Lunch stop at cloud forest roadside restaurant (~£4-6)
• →Farewell dinner in Quito's Old Town or La Ronda

Your adventure ends today. Take the Aeropuerto bus or a metered taxi (~£10-12) from your Quito hostel to Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) in plenty of time for your international flight home. If you have time before your flight, grab a final coffee and pastry at one of the Old Town's cafés.

🚌Public airport bus ~£1, or metered taxi ~£10-12

• →Final breakfast in Quito
• →Airport transfer by bus (~£1) or taxi (~£10-12)
• →Depart from Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO)