Exclusive Ecuador & the Galapagos

(13 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Quito, Otavalo Valley, Galapagos cruise (6 nights)

This tour has been designed for travelers who want to experience the Galapagos Islands in all their profound diversity in addition to the cultural highlights of mainland Ecuador.

Begin in Quito, the capital of Ecuador and a historic city set among snowcapped volcanoes in the Andes. With your private local guide, tour the city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with Spanish colonial-era architecture. Explore interesting back streets, hidden courtyards and churches with spectacular interiors. Visit the best museums, traditional workshops, markets and other sites according to your interests. Perhaps also shop for a high-quality Panama hat—an Ecuador original.

Continue to a historic hacienda in the beautiful Otavalo region, a bucolic highland landscape of rolling hills, farms and indigenous villages beneath snow-capped volcanic peaks. Stop to smell the roses at a rose-growing hacienda and learn about the cut flower industry’s important contribution to the local economy. Visit local indigenous food and craft markets, and stop by select workshops to meet artisans and shop for high-quality handwoven wool textiles, delicate embroidery, leather goods, and other traditional and modern crafts. At your hacienda, dine on delicious local cuisine and enjoy activities such as mountain biking or horseback riding past unexcavated pre-Colombian ruins; learning about conservation efforts at a condor sanctuary; visiting a cheese dairy and factory; birdwatching; guided hiking through spectacular valleys; and exploring the beautiful grounds and gardens. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can arrange additional activities such as spa appointments, a cooking lesson, an embroidery or leather workshop, horse-drawn carriage rides or a luxurious picnic in the countryside.

Next, spend seven days exploring the Galapagos Islands—a dream destination for nature lovers—on one of our preferred expedition cruises, the Silversea Silver Galapagos. Each day, tour different islands with an expert naturalist, and get close to giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas and other iconic Galapagos wildlife. See the cycle of life up close, which depending on the season, might include mating rituals, newborns feeding, territorial squabbles, and more. Snorkel among sea turtles, playful sea lions and schools of brightly colored fish.

The tour concludes with one night in Quito or Guayaquil.

Booking Information >

All Artisans of Leisure tours are private and depart daily.

Please Contact Us for more information regarding the above tour, or to begin customizing your own itinerary.

The Artisans of Leisure Style of Travel:

• Private touring with your own personal guides and drivers
• Preferred rooms in the very best luxury hotels
• Firsthand, sophisticated destination knowledge and recommendations from our travel specialists
• Itineraries that are customized according to your interests and schedule
• Artisans of Leisure upgrades and amenities
• A seamless travel experience, including all logistics, skipping lines during touring whenever possible, restaurant and spa reservations, performance tickets, private airport transfers, internal transportation, VIP and fast-track airport assistance in many destinations
• Around-the-clock support in each destination during your trip
• Unique, insider travel experiences and access to the Artisans of Leisure network of experts around the world