Tropical Andes & Colonial Quito Pre-Voyage Extension

Featuring Mashpi Lodge, set in a 6,000-acre rainforest reserve.

Before your Galápagos adventure, discover one of the world’s top five biodiversity hotspots—only a three-hour drive from Quito. Nestled in the heart of the Ecuadorian Chocó, Mashpi Lodge is a strikingly contemporary retreat set within a 2,600-acre private reserve on the Pacific slope of the Andes. This extraordinary ecosystem teems with life, from iridescent hummingbirds and howler monkeys to rare orchids and glass frogs. With resident biologists, naturalist guides, and immersive experiences—including hiking trails, an open-air tram, and an ingenious aerial bicycle—Mashpi offers unmatched access to the wild rainforest.

Your journey begins in Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where you’ll settle into the elegant Casa Gangotena on Plaza San Francisco. Explore dazzling colonial churches and vibrant local markets before heading into the lush cloud forest. At 3,000 feet in the Equatorial tropics, Mashpi enjoys a mild, semi-tropical climate—perfect for an unforgettable immersion in one of the planet’s richest ecosystems.

Day 1 - Home/Quito, Ecuador

Fly to Quito, where we are met by our guide, and transfer to Casa Gangotena on Plaza San Francisco. Most flights arrive in the evening.

Day 2 - Quito

Tour the dazzling churches and monuments of old town—largest and best preserved colonial center in the Americas—and visit a revitalized traditional market with a local non-profit this morning on a walking tour. Take the afternoon at leisure to relax and explore. Elect to join an exclusive neighborhood visit for hotel guests. Gather for a welcome dinner at Restaurant Cedrón at Casa Gangotena, presenting Ecuadorian cuisine with modern flair. (B,D)

Day 3 - The Andes/Mashpi Lodge

After breakfast, journey 70 miles north across the Equator though dramatic Andean valleys to Mashpi Lodge, set in tropical forest at 3,000 feet.

After check-in and lunch, join resident naturalists on a nature walk. Search for the endemic Mashpi torrent frog and other nocturnal creatures after dinner tonight. (BLD)

Day 4 - Mashpi Lodge

We have the day to explore, where options and excursions arranged for us include a ride across the canopy in the aerial tram or innovative sky-bike, naturalist-led walks to waterfalls on well-constructed trails, a visit to the hummingbird feeders, and butterfly farm and the life center. Birds like endemic mountain tanagers, trogons, motmots, hummingbirds flock around the lodge verandas, and the surrounding forest is spectacular. Keep an eye open for the Chocó toucan, one of dozens of spectacular bird species endemic to this bio-region. The bird list tops 400 species. (B, L, D)

Day 5 - Mashpi Lodge/Quito

Return this morning with the guide to Casa Gangotena with a lunch stop en route. Dinner and the rest of the evening is at leisure to prepare for our upcoming adventures in Galápagos. (B,L)

Day 6 - Quito/Guayaquil/Galápagos

Early this morning, transfer to the airport for the flight to Guayaquil, continuing to Galápagos with the main group. (B)

Costs & What's Included

Occupancy

Cost per person 2025-26

Double Occupancy

$3,050

Single Occupancy

$5,560

Cost Includes:

Accommodations, meals as indicated, porterage, soft drinks and bottled water, private guide and transfers in Quito, transport to the lodge, tours, lectures and hikes with naturalist guides at Mashpi, waterproof ponchos and rubber boots, water bottle, gratuity to guides and naturalists.