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The Galapagos Islands Oceanographic, Zoological, Geological, and Ecological Explorations Tour 11
Days - Easy Touring Day 1 ARRIVE QUITO (9,300 feet): Depart your hometown to Quito arriving in the evening. Please note that international airfare and en route stop-overs are not included in the Land Cost and are shown separately at the end of the itinerary. Upon arrival in Quito, you will be met by our representative and assisted with transfer to the deluxe Hotel Swissotel. Hotel Swissotel or similar (Meals Aloft) Day 2 QUITO: Today we will enjoy a tour of the capital city, passing through the northern residential section, the Sala Capitular, and the city's oldest colonial center, Independence Square. We will visit the ornate green and gold domed La Compania, Ecuador's oldest church the Monastery of San Francisco and Quito's archeological museum, Museo del Banco Central. We will end our tour with a drive up Panecillo hill for a spectacular panoramic view of Quito and the surrounding mountains. After lunch, the rest of the day is free to continue exploring on your own. Hotel Swissotel or similar (B,L,D) Days 3-10 GALAPAGOS: We fly 600 miles across the Pacific to the Galapagos Islands where we will be met by our guide and yacht captain and assisted with transfer to our yacht. Weather, wildlife, the ocean and other local conditions will affect our day-to-day itineraries but the following islands are usually included in our 7-day cruise:
GALAPAGOS TO QUITO: We return to Quito on an afternoon flight. Upon arrival we will be met and assisted with transfer to the hotel. Hotel Swissotel or similar (B, Lunch on flight) Day 11 QUITO TO HOME: Transfer to the airport for the return flight home. (Meals Alfot) Trip Dates: Scheduled Throughout the Year as Available 2002 Approximate NET Cost (per person sharing twin)
**Please note that if a group is less than 15 passengers, the per person tour cost will increase.
Trip Dates: Contact information regarding trip dates is provided at the end of this itinerary. Reservations and Payment: A deposit of 20% of the tour rate (non-refundable, but transferable) is required to confirm a reservation. A second payment of 20% (non-refundable) is due 6 months prior to departure. Final payment is due 4 months prior to departure (non-refundable). Please make deposit check payable to Geographic Expeditions and note on it: Treasure Trip—Galapagos, and include the dates of the trip. Please mail check to: Geographic Expeditions, 2627 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. Cancellation insurance is available. Included in Land Cost
Not Included in Land Cost
International Air and En Route: Stop-overs are not included in the Land Cost. Geographic Expeditions' air department will be happy to assist you with these arrangements and in any other additional extensions you may wish to add to your trip itinerary. Approximate round-trip international airfare on American Airlines as of November 27, 2001: Miami/Quito
$647 Maximum Elevation: 9,300 feet at Quito
Visas No visa is necessary for US citizens traveling to Ecuador, but you must have a valid passport. Immunizations and Health Matters No immunizations are required for the Galapagos but some are recommended for other parts of Ecuador by the Center for Disease Control. Participants will be sent a list of the suggested immunizations and a packet of health information in their trip preparation packet. When To Go Anytime. The Galapagos Islands are located on the equator, which makes the Galapagos a year-round destination. The usual tropical heat of equatorial areas is cooled by the ocean currents which play an important role in the islands' climate. May through December is the "cool" season with the Humboldt current predominating and air temperatures between 60 F to 73 F. Water temperatures are about 65 F to 72 F. Oceans can be rougher from July to October. The "warm" season is January through April with air temperatures from 65 F to 82 F. Water temperatures range from 76 F to 84 F. There is plenty of wildlife viewing whenever you go. Most of the birds nest all year round. Sea lion pups are around at all times but are most plentiful in the cooler months. The waved albatross nests from April to November then disappears to sea until the next April. A Typical Day on Cruise The day usually begins off shore a new island since we do a majority of our sailing at night. After a delicious breakfast served on board, we board dinghies and are ferried ashore for the morning shore excursion. Landings may be "wet", where you wade to shore and then put your shoes on, or "dry" where you step directly onto the rock landing. Accompanied by a naturalist guide, we follow marked paths which vary from season to season to skirt bird nesting areas. The shore excursions are fascinating, the wildlife profuse and endearing, and you don't need to be Darwin to see evolution in action from island to island. After the morning shore excursion there is time for swimming and snorkeling before lunch. During lunch, the boat usually travels to the next site and the afternoon shore excursion begins about 2 or 3PM. Again there is often time for snorkeling or a swim before dinner. After dinner our naturalist guide will brief us on the next day's shore excursion, and perhaps a brief lecture on flora or fauna. Most passengers retire early; others talk, play cards or enjoy the bright stars of the southern constellations. Cancellation Policy Special circumstances apply for these Galapagos departures. If cancellation occurs at least 121 days prior to departure there will be a $200 per person cancellation charge. At 120 to 60 days prior to departure, there will be a $500 per person cancellation charge. At 60 days or less there will be no refund. ***IMPORTANT NOTE*** Trip itineraries are subject to change and are meant as a guideline only. While as accurate as possible at the time of this printing, it should be considered an approximation of the itinerary arrangements. We will make every effort to notify trip participants in advance of any changes, but due to the nature of adventure travel, this is not always possible. Geographic Expeditions
Geographic Expeditions is a professional travel management corporation, which provides a broad range of travel and location management services for individuals, travel agents and corporations. It also supplies an array of location and marketing support services and specializes in remote locations and complex logistics. The company has operations throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Pacific. Geographic Expeditions was organized in 1981 (as InnerAsia Expeditions) to develop and operate specialized travel programs in central Asia. It was the first American company to negotiate protocols with the Chinese government to operate treks into Tibet and western China. Nepal, India and Bhutan were added soon thereafter. It has pioneered travel in Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia, Vietnam, Burma, Patagonia and remote sections of the former Soviet Union. Over the years, Geographic has expanded from its Central Asian roots to the rest of the world. Currently the company provides travel services for approximately 4,500 passengers a year. Geographic has acted as tourism development consultants to numerous governments and non-governmental organizations. Another expanding and significant area of Geographic's services is location consultation and management for a grand variety of companies such as ABC Television, Boeing, Sotheby's, the Walt Disney Company, ESPN, the BBC, Travel and Leisure, the National Geographic Society, Fox Broadcasting, HarperCollins, and CBS Television. The company also arranges special interest trips for a variety of non-profit organizations such as: the American Museum of Natural History, the Audubon Society, Stanford Alumni Association, the Tibet House, World Monuments Fund, the University of Chicago, Houston Museum of Science, Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology Outward Bound, the California Culinary Academy, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Nature Conservancy and many, many more. Operating Standards The staff of Geographic Expeditions is dedicated to preserving the character of the lands and cultures they visit. They invite you to call them for a description of the steps they are taking to promote environmental and cultural preservation. Copyright Geographic Expeditions 2001 For further information regarding this trip and available dates, please contact:
The Treasure Site, Inc. is dedicated to inspiring scientific, technological, and cultural exploration. Back to top |
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