Next up on our list of inspiring trips to Ecuador is an amazing 18 day garden tour! Ecuador & Galápagos International Garden Tour: Ecuador is home to an amazing array of ecosystems, indigenous people, and the famous Galápagos Islands. This exciting garden tour gives you a taste of the Andes Mountain capitol of Quito and it’s botanical gardens, the lush trails of Mindo Cloud forest, and the jungles of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Last but not certainly least, journey on a first class vessel through the Galápagos Islands, one of the most unique locations in the world. Highlights

• Visit the diverse ecosystem of Quito Botanical Garden.
• Explore the 1,500 acre El Pahuma Orchid Reserve.
• Hike through the Mindo Cloud Forest.
• Experience the energy of Humanizarte Andean Ballet.
• Navigate the Galápagos Islands aboard the M/Y Coral I or II.
• Observe common Galápagos tree species such as the Incense Tree, Darwin’s Aster, and Galápagos Cotton.
• Learn about volcanic formations including lava bombs, spatter, and cinder cones.
• Get up close with with wildlife including friendly sea lions and giant tortoises.
• Witness the highly threatened and rare tree of the daisy family, Scalesia pedunculata, that grows at high elevations in old craters.

Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1  - Arrival in Quito

Day 2 - Quito Botanical Garden

Day 3 - El Pahuma Orchid Reserve

Day 4 - Mindo Cloud Forest Reserve

Day 5 - Sachatamia Reserve; evening ballet performance in Quito

Days 6-8 - Amazon; Jatun Sacha Biological Stations

Day 9 - Return to Quito

Days 10-16 - Galápagos (Santa Cruz; Rabida; Fernandina; Bartolomé; Floreana)

Day 17 - North Seymour; Baltra; depart Galápagos Islands; farewell dinner in Quito

Day 18 - Flight home from Quito