Day 1 USA – Quito, Ecuador*
Today you will fly from Chicago to Quito, Ecuador via Miami. Your group leaders Dennis and Peggy Crull will meet you at Miami International Airport. Your flight from Miami to Quito is about 4 hours in length, during which dinner will be served. At Quito, complete arrival formalities and then take a short ride to the hotel for an overnight stay. Dinner aloft.

Day 2 Quito – Coca – Yasuní National Park
This morning return to the airport and take a short flight from Quito to Francisco de Orellana (Coca), then transfer to the Napo River port. A motorized canoe ride downstream will be approximately one and a half hours. During the trip you will learn important information about the region. Once onboard, the MANATEE AMAZON EXPLORER will start navigating down the Napo River for the entire afternoon. At dusk, your first live experience with the Ecuadorian Amazon basin will begin (night walk, visit to a native house or canoe ride, depending on the river level, climatic conditions, wildlife behavior and accessibility to the location). Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 3 Visiting the Pañacocha Biological Corridor
Continue our navigation downstream to arrive close to the mouth of the Pañayacu (Piranha River). After arrival, there will be a canoe trip through the Piranha River to see the sights of this interesting protected forest. There is a possibility to observe pink river dolphins, the agile common squirrel monkeys and much more. The Piranha Lake area is an ecosystem flooded by white waters. The rivers and lakes of this place are perfect habitat for the infamous piranha, the water monkey fish (Arawana) and white caimans. At night, there will be an optional excursion to explore the forest and riverbanks. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 4 Visiting the Observation Tower – Native House
Today we will explore the “observation tower” built around a tree to observe the different ecosystems of the forest and a wide variety of birds. After lunch at the MANATEE, you will stop at a native house of the Kichwas where a native guide will offer insights into their way of life and traditions. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 5 – Limoncocha Biological Reserve
Our excursion this morning will be to the Parrot’s lick, a great place to see many species of birds. Lunch aboard the MANATEE. In the afternoon, there will be a visit to the Limoncocha Biological Reserve, an incredible area to find even more birds, monkeys and at night looking for the black caiman. Return to the MANATEE after dark. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Day 6 – Flight to Quito – City Tour
This morning after breakfast, we will take our boat to Coca and then transfer to the Coca airport for our flight back to Quito. We will be arriving in Quito around noon, after which we check in to our hotel, enjoy a short rest, then embark on a tour of the city. We will see the old Quito which has not changed much since colonial times. We will see some of the nicest colonial churches of South America, convents, the traditional parks and the presidential palace and its park. Late afternoon we will go back to our hotel for a good rest. Today breakfast and dinner are included.

Day 7 – Otavalo Market – Quitzado – Cotacachi – Peguchi Waterfall
This morning after an early breakfast, we’ll take our private bus to the famous city of Otavalo, where we’ll see the famous Otavalo Indian Market. Here we’ll see the colorful clothes, like ponchos, blankets, shirts and handicrafts made by these well known artisans. This is a good place to shop for souvenirs and also a fun place for bargaining. Before we get to Otavalo we will stop at Quitzato monument or the middle of the earth, where you can put your feet on each side of the Equator line at the same time.

Today we’ll enjoy a nice Ecuadorian lunch at “La casa del Sol”, which is owned and run by Otavalo indigenous people. We’ll have a true Indian-style lunch at this colorful place, but before lunch we’ll walk a little to see the great “Peguche waterfall”. Another very interesting place to visit is “Cotacachi”, great place to find the best leather goods at a very good price. Today breakfast and lunch are included.

Day 8 – Homeward Bound
This morning after an early breakfast, we will transfer to the Simon Bolivar airport for our flight back home, carrying with us memories and great photographs of our adventure in the Amazon. Today breakfast is included.

*Note: The altitude at Quito is approximately 9,000 feet.