Panama, Ecuador and Colombia with Galapagos Cruise

Landing in the capital of Panama at 19:50 on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul. Hotel accommodation Global Hotel Panama 5*. Overnight. (Airfare is outside the package price of the trip.)

Breakfast. Full day panoramic tour of the city. You'll see Old Panama, which dates back to the 16th century; the old Spanish colonial town of Casco Viejo (UNESCO), known to us from the James Bond movies; one of man's most impressive engineering creations, the Panama Canal at the Miraflores Locks, the Calzada de Amador with its magnificent panoramic view of modern Panama; photo stop at the colorful Frank Gehry Biomuseum building. Return to hotel and free time for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast and transfer to the airport for your flight to Guayaquil. Arrival in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city, main port and gateway to maritime trade for all countries in the region. Welcome and transfer to Grand Hotel Guayaquil 5*. Accommodation and free time. Overnight.  

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Guayaquil airport for flight to Galapagos. Land around noon on Baltra Island and transfer by bus and boats to the cruise ship. M/V Galapagos Legend, from where you will start your 4-day adventure to the Galapagos Islands. The island archipelago is located in the Pacific Ocean 965 km west of Ecuador and is a group of 13 volcanic islands and over 100 rock formations.

Accommodation in Junior Suite cabins and lunch on board.

Afternoon mooring at North Seymour Island. This island is an important place to observe the typical bird inhabitants of the island - up close you will see the large frigate birds with their attractive red breasts, courting females and the symbol of Galapogos - the blue-footed boobies and Nasca boobies, the endemic swallow-tailed gulls - the only night gulls in the world that nest on the edge of the cliffs. Breathtaking views of crashing waves and an amazing panorama of Daphne Island await you. Return to the ship, dinner and overnight.

This day you will have the unique opportunity to be one of the few tourists to visit Bartolomé Island. The view from the top of Bartolome Island is considered the most iconic landscape of the entire archipelago and the "calling card" of the Galapagos - the famous Pinnacle Rock and breathtaking volcanic landscapes. A climb up a wooden walkway (about 600 meters) leads to the top, where you can enjoy an iconic 360-degree view of Sullivan Bay and the neighboring island of Santiago. Next, snorkel to see the colourful fish, sea lions, sea iguanas and white tip reef sharks up close. An encounter with Galapagos penguins (the only penguin population living north of the equator) awaits.
In the afternoon we will stop at Santiago Island - Visitors are always fascinated by the incredible layers of basaltic lava pahoehoe left after the last volcanic eruption on the island. The shapes formed by the frozen lava flow are a dream for any professional photographer. Experienced guides will explain the significance of the first plants, such as the tiny molugo, as we walk above the lava. Optionally, you can board a transparent-bottomed boat or spend time on the island's sandy beach. Return to the ship, dinner and time for evening entertainment.

After breakfast visit the island San Cristobal. This is the only place on the islands where we will have the opportunity to see all three species of birds in the same place. The Red-legged will be perched on the yellow cordia bushes, the Nasca Owls nest right on the ground near the edge of the cliffs, while the Blue-footed Boobies inhabit the interior of the land. We will pass close to the stunning cliffs of the Hill of the Wizard with breathtaking views. In the afternoon, you will again have the opportunity to snorkel in the azure waters of the bay and take a ride on a boat with a transparent bottom. You can enjoy simply sharing the beach with a colony of sea lions or take a walk to a hidden lagoon where you'll observe a variety of rare birds - the black-crowned stilt, the red-breasted merganser, the little hooded merganser that migrated here all the way from northern Canada and white-breasted dowitchers.

Return to the ship, dinner and overnight.

After an early breakfast on the ship, it's time for one last excursion - a visit to the Cerro Colorado Preserve. In the humid mountains of San Cristobal, we will visit the La Galapagera giant tortoise breeding center to witness the archipelago's most iconic creature in its various life stages. The purpose of the reserve is to help restore populations of the endangered tortoise and return it back to the wild. We will also visit the local town of San Cristobal Island where you can purchase handicrafts and souvenirs.

Next, check out of the cabins and transfer by boat and coach to the airport on Baltra Island for departure from the Galapagos Islands.

Flight to Quito, welcome and hotel accommodation Dann Carlton Quito 5*.  

Overnight.

Breakfast. After breakfast, a panoramic tour of Quito, including a walking tour of the historic colonial center of the city with highlights: the Grand Plaza, the Presidential Palace and the Archbishop's Palace, converted into a colonnade of shops and restaurants. The tour continues with the La Compañia Church, a brilliant work of art, the San Francisco Monastery and a photo break against the backdrop of the Pichincha volcano, one of the most beautiful sights of the Ecuadorian capital, located in a 2,800 m high valley of the Andes.

Free time for lunch in a typical local restaurant.  

Tourist program in the area of Quito. The very name of the country means „Republic of the Equator” and in this sense a tour of Quito is incomplete without a visit to the Middle of the Earth complex. It was built in honour of the first geodesic mission led by the French Academy of Sciences and is a 30-metre monument with a huge globe on top, reminding us that this is where the equator passes, dividing the world in two. Although, after recalculations with modern GPS devices, the equator turns out to be about 240 m north of the current complex, this does not prevent the thousands of visitors from taking photos with one foot on each side of the equator. Next, a visit to the museum Intiñan Solar Museum dedicated to the Sun and its interpretations in local culture. Here we will take a peek into a typical house and farm of the local tribes and add more trivia to our knowledge of the Equator.

         Return to Quito and free time. Overnight.

Breakfast transfer to airport for flight to Medellin.

Colombia's second largest city will charm you with a mix of old colonial architecture and new modern solutions. You will immerse yourself in the "Land of Eternal Spring" with its historic squares filled with modern sculptures, parks, greenery and lots of flowers. It's no coincidence that they call Medellín the "Capital of Flowers".

 The sightseeing tour starts with a walking tour in the historic center of Medellín - Candelaria district: the Cathedral and the artistic Botero Square, named after Medellín's most famous artist - Fernando Botero.

On the square there are 23 sculptures in the artist's unique style called Botterism. His recognizable style in art is characterized by exaggerated proportions of animals, people and parts of the human body. This suggests that all his artwork is „fat“ and very humorous!

Next, visit the most famous neighborhood „Comuna 13“, which has preserved the atmosphere of an authentic ghetto, with its colorful and noisy street life, boiling with the rhythm of rap and beat-boxing. Enormous graffiti by local artists tell stories of the struggle of poor refugees against the tentacles of the drug cartel, their quest for a free and just life. Tourists are only allowed to enter the commune with an escort from their community, who will ensure the safety and friendliness of the locals and guide you through the maze of narrow streets, passageways and panoramic terraces. Traversing the neighborhood, you'll ascend the unique escalator streets to the top of the hill with spectacular views of the city. Hotel accommodation Dann Carlton Medellin 5*. Free time for dinner. Overnight.

Breakfast and free day in Medellín.

Optional full-day excursion to the „Green part of Colombia“ - Guatape. The route passes through the greenest part of the country with many „colorful“ villages, towns and pastoral landscapes. Included is a rickshaw tour of the town of Guatape with its many colorful pastel-hued houses and free time for lunch and a walk. More optional, climb the granite rock massif of El Piñol (entrance fee payable locally) or free time in the area of this unique natural phenomenon. Next, take a boat ride on the calm waters of Guatape Dam and visit Viejo Pinol, a life-size recreation of the central square of the old settlement that remained submerged under the waters of the dam. When the construction of the water reservoir and power plant began in 1970, the local people managed to save part of the old church and important buildings around it - they dismantled the buildings and moved them to the neighbouring hill, preserving the atmosphere and colour of their birthplace. Return to Medellín. Free time for dinner. Overnight.

After breakfast, transfer to Medellín airport for your flight to Cartagena. Arrive in the Caribbean capital of Colombia - on the shores of the warm Caribbean Sea. Welcome and transfer to the historic city centre.

Cartagena will enchant you with its romance and beauty, preserved behind a 13-kilometer colonial wall, still whispering legends of pirate raids and sea battles. It's no coincidence that Cartagena's historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its maze of cobbled alleys, colourful facades, flower-covered terraces and huge churches bearing the spirit of the colonial era. Accommodation Hotel Bantu By Faranda Boutique, a Member of Radisson Individuals, located in the historic centre of Cartagena. Free time for a private dinner in the picturesque restaurants around. Overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Panoramic tour of the city with a visit to San Felipe de Barajas - the largest fortress ever built by the Spaniards in their colony, which remains unconquered to this day.

The tour also includes a visit to the church of San Pedro Claver, named after the priest who dedicated his life to the slaves transported by ship from Africa, for which he is also known as the „Apostle of the Blacks”. We continue to the Clock Tower and the Palace of the Inquisition (outside), where pagans were once tortured in colonized Cartagena. Free time for lunch in the central parts of the old city and a self-guided tour.

In the evening, you can soak up the magical atmosphere of Cartagena at night in typical Colombian style - with a refreshing drink in hand and live music, ending the experience with a typical dinner in a Colombian restaurant.

Overnight.

Breakfast and free time in Cartagena. Afternoon transfer to the airport for your flight to Bogotá. As well as being in the centre of the country, Colombia's capital rises 2,640m in the Andes, making it the third highest city in South America after the capitals of La Paz and Quito.

Welcome, transfer from the airport to the city centre and check-in at the hotel  Estelar La Fontana Bogota 5* in the modern part of Bogotá with plenty of bars and nice restaurants. Free time to soak up the capital's vibrant nightlife. Overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today is dedicated to the beautiful capital of Colombia, also called the „Athens of South America“. 

Our full-day program begins about 50 km from Bogotá with a visit to the town of Sipakira and the unique Salt Cathedral, built 200m underground in the salt rock. Although the church is a strong attraction for tourists from all over the world, as well as for local pilgrims with over 3,000 visitors every Sunday, it does not actually have a bishop or even the official status of a cathedral in the Catholic world. The old cathedral was built in 1954, and some of its galleries were carved by the ancient Muis people. As the building was constructed in an active mine, for security reasons the church was closed in 1990. However, soon afterwards a competition was launched to build a new cathedral and after only 5 years the new structure was built 60 m below the old one.

Drive back to Bogotá and walking tour of the Old Town or the so-called „La Candelaria”, typical for its colonial architecture and cobbled streets: the Plaza Bolívar with the most important buildings around, the National Congress, the Capitol (outside), a visit to the Cathedral, the Palace of Justice and City Hall (outside), the Teatro Colón (outside), the Library of Luiz Ángel Arango (outside), etc.    

Included lunch at a local restaurant where you will taste the typical flavors of traditional Colombian cuisine.

Next is a visit to The Museum of Gold with more than 55,000 gold works and objects from before the Spanish invasion of the country. The museum itself is housed in a bank building and is extremely heavily guarded. Among the museum's most interesting exhibits is the golden raft depicting the Legend of El Dorado, according to which the indigenous Muisco tribe used to offer hundreds of precious gold objects as gifts to the gods by throwing them into Lake Guatavita. In this way they hoped to appease the deities and restore the disturbed balance. Visit the house of the famous Latin American revolutionary Simón Bolívar - House Quinta de Bolivar.

Return to the hotel and free time for dinner. Overnight.

Breakfast and transfer to the airport for a 15:10 Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul. End of the program.