Heading east from Quito to the crest of the Andean mountain range, elevations tumble over 10,000ft in a distance of less than 30 miles into the warm, misty and mystical Amazon. Here lie the very headwaters of the vast Amazon River system which covers portions of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. From the birth of the first Amazonian tributaries on the slopes of the Andes (11,000 named tributaries and counting) until the edge of the South American continent, the Amazon River system and tropical rain forest is the largest in the world, covering about 3,179,700 square miles (10 times the size of Texas!). Much of the Amazon plant and animal life is unknown because of its hugely unexplored areas. The Amazon Basin includes an amazing diversity of traditional inhabitants as well as biodiversity in the spectacular flora and fauna. These peoples have resided in the rain forest for thousands of years and have adapted their lifestyles to this environment. Our extensions into the Amazon basin region will allow you to experience the uniqueness of this important region as an easy add-on to your Galapagos trip.

Itinerary at a Glance
Day 1: Quito to the Amazon • Days 2 & 3: Jungle Lodge • Day 4: Return to Coca, fly to Quito.