Galapagos Biking Adventure $2200

Departure Date

Every Saturday

Duration

8 days 7 nights

Views

109

Maximum Seats

10
Overview

This 8-day biking itinerary offers a unique way to explore the stunning landscapes, rich ecosystems, and abundant wildlife of this extraordinary archipelago. Get ready for an adventure that combines biking, swimming, snorkeling, cultural experiences, and encounters with fascinating wildlife. This itinerary offers a comprehensive and exciting way to explore the Galapagos Islands on two wheels. You'll have the opportunity to bike through diverse landscapes, encounter unique wildlife, and immerse yourself in the local culture. With experienced guides and carefully curated activities, this trip promises to be a memorable adventure.
  • Bike on volcanic trails and explore the diverse landscapes of the Galapagos Islands. The volcanic terrain offers a unique and challenging biking experience, allowing you to witness the geological wonders of the archipelago.

  • Visit the local brewery and enjoy a wine tasting experience. As part of the itinerary, you'll have the opportunity to visit the Santa Cruz Brewery and taste their craft beers. This cultural experience will give you a taste of the local flavors and traditions.

  • Share time with the local people and learn about their culture and way of life. This itinerary emphasizes cultural interactions, allowing you to meet and learn from the local people. You'll have the opportunity to immerse yourself in their traditions and gain insights into their way of life.

  • Stay at unique places in every location, immersing yourself in the beauty of the islands. Throughout the trip, you'll stay at carefully selected accommodations that showcase the beauty and unique character of each location. This ensures that you have a comfortable and memorable experience.

  • Be led by top Activexpedition experienced guides at every step you take. Your biking adventure will be guided by experienced and knowledgeable guides from Activexpedition. They will provide you with insights into the local environment, wildlife, and culture, ensuring that you have a safe and enriching experience.

  • Support sustainable travel to preserve the unique culture and nature of the Galapagos Islands. The itinerary is designed to promote sustainable travel practices, with a focus on minimizing environmental impact and supporting local communities. By participating in this trip, you contribute to the preservation of the unique culture and nature of the Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos Biking 8-Day Itinerary offers a range of exciting activities:

  • Biking: Explore the islands on two wheels, riding on volcanic trails and through farmlands. This allows you to cover more ground and experience the diverse landscapes of the Galapagos Islands.

  • Swimming: Take a refreshing dip in the crystal-clear waters of the Galapagos. The islands are known for their pristine beaches and inviting waters, providing the perfect opportunity for a swim.

  • Snorkeling: Discover the underwater world and encounter marine life up close. The Galapagos Islands are home to a rich and diverse marine ecosystem, offering incredible snorkeling opportunities.

  • Culture: Interact with the local people and learn about their traditions and way of life. This itinerary includes cultural experiences that allow you to gain insights into the local culture and engage with the communities.

  • Wildlife: Observe the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, including giant tortoises, iguanas, and a variety of bird species. The islands are a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, offering unparalleled opportunities for wildlife encounters.

Moderate

The Galapagos Biking 8-Day Itinerary is designed for individuals with a moderate activity level. While biking is a key component of the trip, the routes are carefully selected to cater to a range of fitness levels. The itinerary allows for breaks and rest periods, ensuring that participants can enjoy the biking experience at their own pace.

  • Year around

The Galapagos Islands can be visited year-round, as they offer a unique and diverse experience regardless of the season. Each season brings different wildlife encounters and weather conditions, making the islands an exciting destination throughout the year.

  • 8 years old

To participate in the Galapagos Biking 8-Day Itinerary, the minimum age requirement is 8 years old. This ensures the safety and enjoyment of all participants, as well as the ability to participate in the activities included in the itinerary.

Full Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival in Quito

Upon arrival in Quito, our representative will wait for you at the airport to take you to the hotel, the drive is 45 minutes depending on traffic, at 18:00pm there will be a meeting at the hotel's lobby to introduce you to the rest of the group.

Overnight: Wyndham Garden Hotel or similar
Day 2

City Tour By Bike in Quito

In the morning at 09:00am we start riding the bikes on the Amazonas avenue, known as the business district of Quito, on Sundays there are exclusive streets that are for bicycles only, in our ride we will have some quick stops at El Ejido and La Alameda park, and later we continue to visit La Basilica Neo-gothic style church, here we will have the opportunity to climb to the towers and have an amazing view of the old town of Quito, later we continue riding down the Garcia Moreno street known as the Seven Crosses as there are Seven Churches on this street, we will have an stop at La Independecia Plaza and learn some history from our guide, later we continue and admire the very special old architecture of this Unesco site, our last stop is La Ronda street where we will enjoy some ice-cream before returning to the hotel.

Biking distance: 15 miles
Max elevation: 2850 m. (9350 ft.)

Overnight: Wyndham Garden Hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 3

Travel to the Galapagos

Today early in the morning (pick up - 3 hours before the flight time) the drive to the airport takes 45 minutes and then the flight from Quito to The Galapagos with take about 3 hours with 1 stop at Guayaquil airport, once on Blatra Island we will journey to Santa Cruz Island and have some time for lunch, in the afternoon we will board a boat for a two-hour journey to Isabela Island. This is the largest island in the Galapagos archipelago and offers a unique blend of volcanic landscapes, pristine beaches, and diverse wildlife.

This island is home of many iconic native and endemic species of this enchanted archipelago such us: blue footed boobies, penguins, frigate birds, flamingos, marine iguanas, giant tortoises among others.

Overnight: Cormorant Hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 4

Biking to the Wall of Tears

This morning at 09:00 we will embark on a biking adventure to the Wall of Tears, a historic site of Isabela Island, the ride will be on an exclusive dirt and sand road next to the coast. Along the way, you'll pass by the presence of Giant Tortoises in their natural habitat, we will have an stop at La Playa del Amor, where you can observe a big population of endemic marine iguanas.

Along the bike trails there are also optional stops for higher lookouts where you can observe more beautiful landscapes.

After visiting the Wall of Tears, we will explore the flamingo lagoon and the tortoise breeding center.

Biking distance: 15 miles
Max elevation: 150 m. (492 ft.)

Overnight: Cormorant Hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch
Day 5

Biking to the Sierra Negra Volcano and Farmlands

In the morning at 09:00am we will travel by car for 45 minutes from Puerto Villamil to Sierra Negra, this active volcano has one of the biggest calderas in the whole world, from there, we will start our journey walking to the sulfur mines, the visit to this place is out of this world because of the unique and spectacular landscape. Later we hop on our bikes and ride for 8 miles to the entrance of the reserve and enjoy a yummy lunch to recharge energies. After lunch, we will bike back to Puerto Villamil, passing by fruit farms and coffee plantations, we will end at the local Craft Beer Brewery to taste the original beer from this Island.

Biking distance: 24 miles
Max elevation: 1000 m. (3280 ft.)

Overnight: Cormorant Hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and beer tasting.
Day 6

Free Day

Enjoy a free day to relax and soak up the sun on the beach. You can also opt for optional snorkel tours at an extra cost to explore the vibrant underwater world of the Galapagos Islands.

Overnight: Cormorant Hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 7

Biking to Garrapatero Beach and Brewery

At 06:00am in the morning we will take a boat ride to Santa Cruz Island and then hop on your bikes to ride to the highlands of Santa Cruz, this will be a nice challenging uphill for about 1 hour on an exclusive bike lane, then we will descend to Garrapatero Beach, where you can enjoy some time snorkeling and relaxing on the beach.

Later, visit the Santa Cruz Brewery and taste their craft beers, especially their IPAs are considered some of the best ones in whole Ecuador.

Enjoy your final night on the Galapagos exploring the pubs in Puerto Ayora on Friday night.

Biking distance: 23 miles
Max elevation: 200 m. (656 ft.)

Overnight: Pelican Bay Hotel or similar
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch
Day 8

Return to Quito and International Connections

In the morning, 3 hours before your flight time transfer back to Baltra for your return flight to Quito, where you can catch your international connections.

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

LET'S DESIGN YOUR ADVENTURE

    • Top Experienced Certified English-Speaking Guide

    • Airport transfers

    • Land and water transport

    • Accommodation for seven nights

    • Meals according to the itinerary

    • Water and snacks at all times

    • Biking gear: Hybrid bikes, certified helmets, and gloves

    • Snorkeling gear: Mask and fins

    • International or domestic flights

    • Galapagos transit control card (INGALA)

    • Galapagos National Park fee

    • Isabela Island fee

    • Meals not mentioned in the itinerary

    • Tips for guides and drivers

    • Travel insurance (mandatory)

    • Optional activities

    • Itinerary Disclaimer: Even though we have a detailed itinerary, changes can be made by your guides, due to weather or safety reasons. Please also note that none of the wildlife sightings mentioned on the itinerary are guaranteed.

    • Visas and Passports: Make sure you check your visa and passport validity and requirements per country. It is important your passport is valid for at least 6 months before your travel.

    • Accommodation: We strive to use small and charming places that are unique and provide stellar service.

    • Single Supplement Costs: Generally this fee is not incurred as we match you with another person of the same gender in a twin room, but if you prefer not to share and have your own room, then there will be an associated fee

    • Transportation: We assure your comfort during transit no matter the size of the group, while in the Galapagos the speed boat from Santa Cruz to Isabela can be a bit challenging if you are not use to travel by boat, so we highly recommend to carry some seasickness medicine with you.

    • Level of Activity: This trip is considered as 3 out of 5. Participants need to have some experience for riding bikes on different kind of terrains like pavement, dirt, gravel and sand. However our guides will always provide assistance in any kind of situation.

    • Weather and Elevation: Although the islands are located on the equator, the Humboldt Current brings cold water to them, causing frequent drizzles during most of the year. The weather is periodically influenced by the El Niño events, which occur about every 3 to 7 years and are characterized by warm sea surface temperatures, a rise in sea level, greater wave action, and a depletion of nutrients in the water.During the season known as the garúa (June to November), the temperature by the sea is 22 °C (72 °F), a steady and cold wind blows from south and southeast, frequent drizzles (garúas) last most of the day, and dense fog conceals the islands. During the warm season (December to May), the average sea and air temperature rises to 25 °C (77 °F), there is no wind at all, there are sporadic, though strong, rains and the sun shines. Weather changes as altitude increases in the large islands. Temperature decreases gradually with altitude, while precipitation increases due to the condensation of moisture in clouds on the slopes. There is a large range in precipitation from one place to another, not only with altitude, but also depending on the location of the islands, and also with the seasons. The precipitation also depends on the geographical location. During March 1969, the precipitation over Charles Darwin Station, on the southern coast of Santa Cruz was 249.0 mm (9.80 in), while on Baltra Island, the precipitation during the same month was only 137.6 mm (5.42 in). This is because Baltra is located behind Santa Cruz with respect to the prevailing southerly winds, so most of the moisture gets precipitated in the Santa Cruz highlands. There are significant changes in precipitation from one year to another, too. At Charles Darwin Station, the precipitation during March 1969 was 249.0 mm (9.80 in), but during March 1970, it was only 1.2 mm (0.047 in). On the larger islands, the pattern of generally wet highlands and drier lowlands impacts the flora. The vegetation in the highlands tends to be green and lush, with tropical woodland in places. The lowland areas tend to have arid and semi-arid vegetation, with many thorny shrubs and cacti, and almost bare volcanic rock elsewhere.

    • Sustainability: We do our best to not produce any trash; we believe that recycling is not enough so we try to avoid using any plastic or materials that pollute our environment. Every day we work towards being a zero waste tour operator and our staff is well trained to leave the least impact possible in our service areas. We also work with local indigenous communities in the different regions. By doing so we are able to teach our guests about the rich culture Ecuador, all the while helping the people preserve their traditions and lands. By working directly with local peoples, we are able to create a sustainable touristic income for the community.

    • Guides: All our guides have a professional background from the Tourism University; this means they have a degree in guiding, so their knowledge and skills when leading a group are top-notch. Each guide has many years of experience and they all have taken additional courses for other outdoor activities as well as have International First-Aid certifications. On top of all of this, they are all extremely personable and strive to deliver travel experiences of a lifetime.

    • Heath advices: no vaccinations needed for this trip

    We do recommend travelling light for this expedition. A duffel bag of 50 litters for your luggage and a backpack of 20 litters for daily activities should be sufficient. In Ecuador and The Galapagos, the weather can change drastically so please be ready.

    • Passport

    • Credit card

    • Three pairs of shorts

    • Two bathing suit

    • Three biking jersey

    • Two non-cotton T-shirts

    • One cotton T-shirts

    • One water T-shirt

    • One fleece

    • One rain jacket

    • Two buffs

    • One pair of tennis shoes

    • Optional biking shoes and cleat pedals

    • Optional personal helmet

    • One pair of water sandals (chacos or keens)

    • One pair of flip flops

    • One- or two-night outfits

    • One cap or hat

    • Sunscreen

    • Sunglasses

    • Mosquito repellent

    • Camera (if posible gopro)

    • Head lamp

    • Optional binoculars

    NOTE: Laundry is available almost at every location and it is cheap, this helps traveling light too.

    REGULAR SEASON PRICE FOR SHARED DEPARTURES:

    DEPARTURES 2024 - 2025

    $2200/per person

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    Phone

    US & CANADA: +1 (919) 400-5824 EC: +593 (09) 5955-5556

    Email

    christian@activexpedition.com