Ecuador Galapagos Expedition: 3 Weeks

Day	Activities	More details
Day 1	Arrive in Quito	Arrive into the buzzing city of Quito where you will be met at the airport by a member of our friendly Camps crew. We’ll transfer you to your accommodation in the city where you’ll spend your first night.
Day 2	Camp Donbiki	Today, you’ll transfer to Camp Donbiki, where you’ll stay for the first part of your expedition. On arrival, the Camp Manager will give you a tour of the camp and the community, and introduce you to the service-learning projects that you’ll be working on alongside the community members. In the evening, you’ll attend a goal setting workshop to set the group objectives and start your reflection on the adventure ahead.
Day 3	Camp Donbiki	Today, you’ll start on the service-learning project work. This may include forest and food regeneration initiatives, maintaining the local school, or working on rainforest conservation projects. After working for the morning, you’ll have lunch before an afternoon of cultural activities and workshops. The community members are proud of their heritage and traditions, and you will spend time learning about those traditions and their sustainable way of life in the Amazon rainforest. In the evening, you’ll rest up and reflect on your day’s experiences.
Day 4	Camp Donbiki	We will start the day continuing your project work alongside ‘maestros’ from the community. After lunch, you will test your blowpipe skills and prepare some local food with the cooks in the camp. Typically, the day will end with a soccer match with the children in the school or some ecuavolley with community members. In the evening, after our Reflection session, we will have a quiz.
Day 5	Camp Ceibo	Today, you’ll start heading deeper into your jungle adventure. After breakfast, you’ll prepare your supplies ready for spending the night in a jungle hammock. You’ll trek for a couple of hours to your resting camp, and along the way your guides will explain the various uses for the plants and trees and how they can be used for food and medicines. You’ll learn more about how their firefathers lived off the land, and used the trees and plants as construction materials and food supplies. After settling for the evening, you’ll learn about the folklore of the indigenous people and how their society was structured. You’ll spend tonight sleeping in your hammock strung between trees under the jungle canopy.
Day 6	Camp Donbiki	After packing up the satellite camp, we will trek back to Donbiki. You will have a new understanding of the landscape in which you are living and the local community you’re with, which will offer you a new perspective on life. You will be back in camp in time for lunch and then spend the afternoon relaxing and doing a little traditional face painting. In the evening, you will have a traditional dinner and a Reflection session.
Day 7	Camp Donbiki	After the break immersing yourself in the jungle, you will be glad to be back into the community and working towards your group objectives you set at the start of your expedition. Camps works with communities toward long-term project goals, and those are only reached through the efforts of our groups. In this community we have built a house for the primary school teacher, built a dining room for the same school after the previous one was destroyed in a storm, and worked towards improving elements of the school’s resources. We have also worked with the community reforestation and building greenhouses. The projects are identified through conversation with the community and worked on with the community directly.
Day 8	Camp Donbiki	It is time to make sure that the group’s project objectives are met. Depending on progress and aims, it may well be that today you work on into the afternoon to ensure everything is completed. The afternoon will end with a game of soccer or ecuavolley and an emotional chance to say goodbye to new friends. In the evening, you will have the chance to look back at what you’ve achieved and share stories of the adventure so far.
Day 9	Transfer to Camp Kuri Kucho	In the morning, you’ll set off for Kuri Kucho. It’s about a 7-hour trip, taking you across Ecuador’s incredible variety of landscapes. You’ll start the day in the Amazon jungle and end it beneath the glaciated peak of Cayambe, in a community just over 9,000 feet above sea level in the Andes. This is geography on a grand scale. Once you arrive, you’ll get a tour of the camp and community and receive a briefing on the projects ahead.
Day 10	Camp Kuri Kucho	Acclimatizing to this altitude is part of the adventure. You’ll ease into your projects and activities as your body adjusts to the new environment. The Camp Manager will explain more about the work being done in the community, and together your group will set its goals. Exploration and discovery are part of the process. After lunch in camp, take time to enjoy the scenery and the contrast from your surroundings the previous week. The people here are Kichwa, and they’ll share their heritage and traditions with you. By the evening, you’ll be ready for a good night’s rest.
Day 11	Camp Kuri Kucho	Now more accustomed to the altitude, you’ll be able to put more energy into the projects. The local diet is based on potatoes and choclo (a type of white corn), so with the community you’ll help build greenhouses to grow leafy vegetablesto support their nutrition. In the afternoon, enjoy soccer or Ecuavolley (a unique variation of volleyball that’s a national passion), or walk down to the village shop for a treat. In the evening, join community members for bingo in camp and reflect on the progress you’ve made so far.
Day 12	Camp Kuri Kucho	By your fourth day in Kuri Kucho, you’ll clearly see the progress of your projects. You’ll continue working toward goals in both nutrition and education. In the afternoon, you’ll learn more about the community’s beliefs, then dive into traditional music and dancing. Dinner will feature local food, which may include guinea pig if you’re feeling adventurous.
Day 13	Camp Kuri Kucho	Motivation runs high on your final day of project work. By now you’ll know the local maestros well, and they’ll work alongside you to make sure your group finishes what it set out to do. In the evening, under star-filled skies that shine especially bright at this altitude, gather around a campfire to roast marshmallows and share stories of your adventures.
Day 14	Otavalo	After breakfast, travel to Otavalo, home to the largest artisanal market in Latin America. You could spend hours exploring the colorful stalls. The Otavalo people are skilled traders, and haggling with them, no matter your Spanish level, is always fun. By the time you leave, you’ll have plenty of gifts and souvenirs for friends and family. Later in the day, head to Quito to prepare for your flight to the Galápagos.
Day 15	Galapagos	It’s time to visit one of the most extraordinary archipelagos and conservation sites in the world. The Galapagos gives you the opportunity to see animals that you wouldn’t see anywhere else in the world. After an early start and a short flight, you’ll land on San Cristóbal Island. In the afternoon, stroll through the main town to Playa Mann, where you’ll test your snorkeling gear and dive into the sea. Each night in the islands is spent in a small hotel in the main town.
Day 16	Galapagos	Today, you’ll head into the highlands to see Junco Lagoon, where you may spot frigate birds bathing in its clear waters. Later, you’ll visit the giant tortoises in their natural habitat and learn about local farming practices, including coffee growing.
Day 17	Galapagos	Change the pace with a boat trip to Punta Pitt, one of the only places where all three species of booby birds can be found. Snorkeling at Pitt Islet is unforgettable, with much of the islands’ wildlife visible beneath the water.
Day 18	Galapagos	Today is all about contributing to the islands’ conservation. You’ll help with a beach clean-up and study the issue of microplastics. Depending on current projects, you may also work to remove invasive species or plant endemic ones to support biodiversity.
Day 19	Galapagos	The Darwin Interpretation Center is one of the world’s most important conservation research stations, and visiting is a privilege. You’ll learn about studies on unique species, including giant tortoises. Later, hike to Tijeretas, the site of Charles Darwin’s landing, and continue along the cliffs to see marine iguanas and seabirds. This awe-inspiring walk is the perfect way to close your time in the islands.
Day 20	Galapagos	Spend the morning exploring town or shopping for souvenirs before flying back to the mainland. Tonight, enjoy a final expedition dinner, an awards ceremony, and one last reflection on your journey.
Day 21	Departure	Say your goodbyes to the Camp Ecuador team before heading to the airport for your flight home.

Day

Activities

More details

Day 1

Arrive in Quito

Arrive into the buzzing city of Quito where you will be met at the airport by a member of our friendly Camps crew. We’ll transfer you to your accommodation in the city where you’ll spend your first night.

Day 2

Camp Donbiki

Today, you’ll transfer to Camp Donbiki, where you’ll stay for the first part of your expedition. On arrival, the Camp Manager will give you a tour of the camp and the community, and introduce you to the service-learning projects that you’ll be working on alongside the community members. In the evening, you’ll attend a goal setting workshop to set the group objectives and start your reflection on the adventure ahead.

Day 3

Camp Donbiki

Today, you’ll start on the service-learning project work. This may include forest and food regeneration initiatives, maintaining the local school, or working on rainforest conservation projects. After working for the morning, you’ll have lunch before an afternoon of cultural activities and workshops. The community members are proud of their heritage and traditions, and you will spend time learning about those traditions and their sustainable way of life in the Amazon rainforest. In the evening, you’ll rest up and reflect on your day’s experiences.

Day 4

Camp Donbiki

We will start the day continuing your project work alongside ‘maestros’ from the community. After lunch, you will test your blowpipe skills and prepare some local food with the cooks in the camp. Typically, the day will end with a soccer match with the children in the school or some ecuavolley with community members. In the evening, after our Reflection session, we will have a quiz.

Day 5

Camp Ceibo

Today, you’ll start heading deeper into your jungle adventure. After breakfast, you’ll prepare your supplies ready for spending the night in a jungle hammock. You’ll trek for a couple of hours to your resting camp, and along the way your guides will explain the various uses for the plants and trees and how they can be used for food and medicines. You’ll learn more about how their firefathers lived off the land, and used the trees and plants as construction materials and food supplies. After settling for the evening, you’ll learn about the folklore of the indigenous people and how their society was structured. You’ll spend tonight sleeping in your hammock strung between trees under the jungle canopy.

Day 6

Camp Donbiki

After packing up the satellite camp, we will trek back to Donbiki. You will have a new understanding of the landscape in which you are living and the local community you’re with, which will offer you a new perspective on life. You will be back in camp in time for lunch and then spend the afternoon relaxing and doing a little traditional face painting. In the evening, you will have a traditional dinner and a Reflection session.

Day 7

Camp Donbiki

After the break immersing yourself in the jungle, you will be glad to be back into the community and working towards your group objectives you set at the start of your expedition. Camps works with communities toward long-term project goals, and those are only reached through the efforts of our groups. In this community we have built a house for the primary school teacher, built a dining room for the same school after the previous one was destroyed in a storm, and worked towards improving elements of the school’s resources. We have also worked with the community reforestation and building greenhouses. The projects are identified through conversation with the community and worked on with the community directly.

Day 8

Camp Donbiki

It is time to make sure that the group’s project objectives are met. Depending on progress and aims, it may well be that today you work on into the afternoon to ensure everything is completed. The afternoon will end with a game of soccer or ecuavolley and an emotional chance to say goodbye to new friends. In the evening, you will have the chance to look back at what you’ve achieved and share stories of the adventure so far.

Day 9

Transfer to Camp Kuri Kucho

In the morning, you’ll set off for Kuri Kucho. It’s about a 7-hour trip, taking you across Ecuador’s incredible variety of landscapes. You’ll start the day in the Amazon jungle and end it beneath the glaciated peak of Cayambe, in a community just over 9,000 feet above sea level in the Andes. This is geography on a grand scale. Once you arrive, you’ll get a tour of the camp and community and receive a briefing on the projects ahead.

Day 10

Camp Kuri Kucho

Acclimatizing to this altitude is part of the adventure. You’ll ease into your projects and activities as your body adjusts to the new environment. The Camp Manager will explain more about the work being done in the community, and together your group will set its goals. Exploration and discovery are part of the process. After lunch in camp, take time to enjoy the scenery and the contrast from your surroundings the previous week. The people here are Kichwa, and they’ll share their heritage and traditions with you. By the evening, you’ll be ready for a good night’s rest.

Day 11

Camp Kuri Kucho

Now more accustomed to the altitude, you’ll be able to put more energy into the projects. The local diet is based on potatoes and choclo (a type of white corn), so with the community you’ll help build greenhouses to grow leafy vegetablesto support their nutrition. In the afternoon, enjoy soccer or Ecuavolley (a unique variation of volleyball that’s a national passion), or walk down to the village shop for a treat. In the evening, join community members for bingo in camp and reflect on the progress you’ve made so far.

Day 12

Camp Kuri Kucho

By your fourth day in Kuri Kucho, you’ll clearly see the progress of your projects. You’ll continue working toward goals in both nutrition and education. In the afternoon, you’ll learn more about the community’s beliefs, then dive into traditional music and dancing. Dinner will feature local food, which may include guinea pig if you’re feeling adventurous.

Day 13

Camp Kuri Kucho

Motivation runs high on your final day of project work. By now you’ll know the local maestros well, and they’ll work alongside you to make sure your group finishes what it set out to do. In the evening, under star-filled skies that shine especially bright at this altitude, gather around a campfire to roast marshmallows and share stories of your adventures.

Day 14

Otavalo

After breakfast, travel to Otavalo, home to the largest artisanal market in Latin America. You could spend hours exploring the colorful stalls. The Otavalo people are skilled traders, and haggling with them, no matter your Spanish level, is always fun. By the time you leave, you’ll have plenty of gifts and souvenirs for friends and family. Later in the day, head to Quito to prepare for your flight to the Galápagos.

Day 15

Galapagos

It’s time to visit one of the most extraordinary archipelagos and conservation sites in the world. The Galapagos gives you the opportunity to see animals that you wouldn’t see anywhere else in the world. After an early start and a short flight, you’ll land on San Cristóbal Island. In the afternoon, stroll through the main town to Playa Mann, where you’ll test your snorkeling gear and dive into the sea. Each night in the islands is spent in a small hotel in the main town.

Day 16

Galapagos

Today, you’ll head into the highlands to see Junco Lagoon, where you may spot frigate birds bathing in its clear waters. Later, you’ll visit the giant tortoises in their natural habitat and learn about local farming practices, including coffee growing.

Day 17

Galapagos

Change the pace with a boat trip to Punta Pitt, one of the only places where all three species of booby birds can be found. Snorkeling at Pitt Islet is unforgettable, with much of the islands’ wildlife visible beneath the water.

Day 18

Galapagos

Today is all about contributing to the islands’ conservation. You’ll help with a beach clean-up and study the issue of microplastics. Depending on current projects, you may also work to remove invasive species or plant endemic ones to support biodiversity.

Day 19

Galapagos

The Darwin Interpretation Center is one of the world’s most important conservation research stations, and visiting is a privilege. You’ll learn about studies on unique species, including giant tortoises. Later, hike to Tijeretas, the site of Charles Darwin’s landing, and continue along the cliffs to see marine iguanas and seabirds. This awe-inspiring walk is the perfect way to close your time in the islands.

Day 20

Galapagos

Spend the morning exploring town or shopping for souvenirs before flying back to the mainland. Tonight, enjoy a final expedition dinner, an awards ceremony, and one last reflection on your journey.

Day 21

Departure

Say your goodbyes to the Camp Ecuador team before heading to the airport for your flight home.

Ecuador – Amazon rainforest regeneration

As the communities in the Amazon develop, deforestation of this important rainforest is increasing at an alarming rate. You’ll work alongside local people to understand the complex relationship between the environment and community development and you’ll assist with important environmental projects, collecting saplings and replanting trees in the jungle.

There are also some community infrastructure projects building toilets and sanitation for local houses in the village and a community centre as well as keeping up the maintenance of the local school.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Quality education

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Gender equality

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Clean water and sanitation

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Climate action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Life on land

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Ecuador – Food security

In the rural highlands of Ecuador, food security is a key focus. One of the biggest sources of income for the community at Kuri Kucho is the sale of milk from their cows. During the dry season, the milk truck can get around collecting produce with ease, but in the rainy season some of the dirt roads become impassable and many people can’t sell their milk as a result. You’ll get involved in projects such as improving road infrastructure to connect communities, creating organic gardens to increase local food production and constructing wood ovens for the community.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No poverty

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Zero hunger

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Explore Ecuador on this 3 week adventure from rainforest to coastline. Help build greenhouses and support schools in a Kichwa community, shop Otavalo’s famous market, and then fly to the Galápagos for snorkeling, wildlife, and hands-on conservation.

A fully supported expedition, from start to finish

Sample itinerary

Day

Activities

More details

Gallery

See what life is like on expedition

Your impact

How you’ll make a difference

Ecuador – Amazon rainforest regeneration

Ecuador – Food security

Our camps

Experience the local way of life in our authentic camps

Camp Kuri Kuchu

Camp Donbiki

Tried, Tested, Loved

Our crew

Our local camp legends

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