Arrive in Quito. Your first glimpse of South America

as your plane comes in to land will be of the city

of Quito, shrouded by volcanoes. Once you have

cleared immigration, look out for the World

Challenge sign in the arrivals hall, and your

transport will take you to the hostel where you will

be staying for your first night in Quito. Sprawled

across a valley surrounded by Andean

peaks, Quito is home to 1.5 million people.

Founded as the capital of the northern part of

the Incan Empire, modern Quito's two halves are

the perfect blend of old and new Latin America.

Rest up tonight and get ready to start your

Ecuadorian adventure tomorrow!

1 Fly to

Ecuador

Orientation Day in Quito. Wake up to the sights,

sounds and smells of a typical Latin American

capital. Jostle with the crowds in South America's

best preserved colonial "old" town,

a UNESCO Heritage Site, and explore the new

town which is affectionately known as "Gringoland"!

Take it easy today as Quito, at 2850m, is at mild

altitude and so you may start to feel the effects as

soon as you touch down. Whilst in Quito you will

have your first opportunity to try the local

cuisine and get used to the highland climate and

different culture visible around you. The In-Country

Agent, Gary Dent, will probably come to meet you

at breakfast today to give you a briefing; help with

any payments and answer any questions. Today,

you will have several tasks to complete in order to

get organised for the next few days. Your adventure

has just begun!

2 Quito

World Heritage Sites

3-5 Cloud Forest Phase in Puerto Quito. Over the next few

days you will trek with Gabriel in Puerto Quito.

Gabriel has lived in this region for his entire life and

knows almost everyone you will encounter enroute!

He lives next to the lodge with his six children who

are always keen to interact with teams. Travelling

with a knowledgeable guide is a great way to

discover the local way of life, meet local people and

learn about their culture and crafts, so make sure to

ask Gabriel any questions that you may have.

The trek takes place inside the Chocó bio-region, a

narrow zone of primary forest squeezed between the

Andes Mountains and the Pacific Coast, where you

will see many colourful orchids, butterflies and

hummingbirds. Trek through farm land and then

tropical forest to "La Cascada de Silencio" (Waterfall

of Silence). Camp at an ecological reserve called

"Shinshink" which means "Leaves of the Wind" in the

Shuar language, and walk down into a tropical

canyon to visit two spectacular waterfalls. Steven Haig , Challenger

La Jolla Country Day School

Acclimatization and Main Treks

14 Depart Quito. Time to go. Cram everything back into

your rucksack and set off for the airport. Check-in, sit

back and reflect. You’ve just experienced something

incredible. You’ll be bursting with stories and

cherished moments to share with your favourite

people back home – we’d love to hear them too!

@weareworldchallenge

Return Home

7-12 Rest and Relaxation: Galapagos Tour. Today you will

catch your pre-booked internal flight to

the Galapagos Islands. Once you touch down, you

will be collected by your tour provider and taken to

your first night's accommodation. The rest of this first

day is your own free time; you could visit El Junco,

the largest body of fresh water in the Galápagos or

perhaps take a taxi to La Galapaguera – San

Cristóbal's semi wild tortoise reserve. Now you have

settled in, it's time to experience the wonder of what

makes the Galápagos Islands so special, as you start

your tour with SharkSky Eco-Adventures. Your tour

will give you the amazing opportunity to visit

three of these special Islands and get to know the

friendly people and wildlife who inhabit them

including blue footed boobies, red billed tropic birds,

swallow-tailed gulls, turtles, reef sharks and iguanas.

Over the next few days you will be able to undertake

many activities within the Galapagos National Park,

including snorkeling off La Lobería beach which is

home to many turtles, sea lions and marine iguanas.

On Isabela Island, you will explore local lagoons as

well as hike volcanoes in the highlands. Whilst you

can visit the Charles Darwin Station on Santa Cruz to

learn all about the islands inhabitants and the

conservation efforts being made by the National Park

before flying back to the mainland.

13 Rest & Relaxation in Quito. Take the opportunity to

explore the highlights of Ecuador's capital city. You

could wander the streets of the historical

centre known as the "old town", a UNESCO World

Heritage Site since 1978. You may wish to get up

early and ride the telerificQo to marvel at the

breathtaking views of what was once a major Incan

city. You could organise a visit to the equator line, 'La

Mitad del Mundo', which is approximately 1 hour

north of Quito. Don't forget to visit the small Museo

Solar IntiÑan located a few hundred metres from the

neighboring official equator complex. Or you may

decide to do some souvenir shopping in the new

town of Mariscal Sucre. Quito is full of things for you

to see and do so make the most of your time here.

R&R Activities

R&R Activities

6 R&R Activities

Rest and Relaxation: Zip Wiring in Mindo. Today the

team have the opportunity to take part in an

exhilarating zip wiring canopy tour with Mindo

Canopy Adventure. Hold your breath as you whizz

along 3500m of cable high up in the tree tops with

fantastic views of the cloud forest below!