Sailing the Galápagos: A Tailor-Made Journey by Yacht

Arrive in Quito and meet your private guide for the transfer to your hotel, about an hour from the airport. Enjoy the rest of the day to relax at your hotel or take a walk along the adjacent shopping streets, where artists come to exhibit their wares on the weekends.

Surrounded by Andean peaks and built atop Inca ruins, Quito is a delightful mix of old and new with a vibrant contemporary culture. Set off to discover this World Heritage-listed city on a morning walking tour with your private guide. In the Old Town, stroll across lovely plazas and venture into beautifully preserved baroque churches such as the Church of San Francisco, where architectural influences range from the Inca to the Moors. Cap off the tour at a viewpoint overlooking the city. In the afternoon, you're free to keep exploring Quito at your leisure. We recommend visiting one of the city's museums, such as the pre-Hispanic art museum Casa del Alabado or ride the teleférico for extraordinary aerial views of Santiago against a backdrop of Andean peaks. (B)

A private transfer will take you to the airport in time for your two-hour flight to the Galápagos Islands. Upon arrival, you'll be met by members of the Archipel I crew and escorted to the harbor on Baltra Island where the yacht awaits. Get settled in your cabin and gather with your fellow passengers for a welcome and a safety briefing. This afternoon, you'll tour Fausto Llerena Breeding Center to see the tortoises of Espanola Island.

Spend the morning at Moreno Point where you can hike, snorkel, and boat among the lush vegetation and contrasting pitch-black lava formations. The afternoon will be spent at Urbina Bay, a reef that was raised out of the water by tectonic movement. You can snorkel here and spot land iguanas, sea turtles, rays, and flightless cormorants.  (B,L,D)

At Fernandina, you will find some of the most bizarre animal species, products of natural selection. Among them is the flightless cormorant, which after thousands of years isolated here lost the ability to fly and turned its wings into fins.In the afternoon, visit Vicente Roca Point on Isabela Island. Here, the calmer waters are well-protected and make for a great place for snorkeling. You might spot various species of sharks, Galápagos penguins, seahorses, and perhaps even a giant mola-mola. (B,L,D)

Historic Puerto Egas is a favorite spot on Santiago Island for wildlife lovers—and it’s considered the best place in the archipelago to observe Galápagos fur seals. Head to Rabida in the afternoon. When you land at this remarkable red beach, you will likely be greeted by a large bachelor colony of Galápagos sea lions. (B,L,D)

Spend the morning snorkeling from a Zodiac and exploring Black Turtle Cove.  In the afternoon, look for flamingos and sea turtles at Bachas Beach. (B,L,D)

One of the outlying isles of the archipelago, Genovesa Island is a collapsed volcano known as “bird island” for its large populations of frigatebirds and boobies. Keep an eye out for the rare red-footed booby and myriad other species as you explore the trails around Darwin Bay and El Barranco. Then go snorkeling in the sunken caldera, where the volcanic walls harbor all manner of marine life. (B,L,D)

Land at Bartolomé Island today and go on a short hike to its summit for phenomenal views of Pinnacle Rock and neighboring Santiago Island. Continue to Sullivan Bay, where Sally Lightfoot crabs scamper over hardened black lava and sea lions frolic on a white coral-sand beach. (B,L,D)

Spend your last morning at El Chato Reserve, a protected area and official part of the Galápagos National Park. You'll be assisted by crew this afternoon as you depart the yacht and head to Baltra for your journey onwards. (B)