South America

Located at the entrance to the Panama Canal, Colón’s Canal Expansion Observation Center has viewing platforms over the Atlantic locks and Gatún Lake. Embark MS Fram and spend the night aboard in port.

The marvel of the famous Panama Canal crossing.

Early in the morning, we depart Colón and enter the Panama Canal, a marvel of modern engineering. We experience the canal transit and the ingenuity of the lock's system firsthand as MS Fram is lifted over 26 metres above sea level, bringing us from the Atlantic side over to the Pacific Ocean.

Spend time relaxing in the serenity of the sea. Join lectures as our experienced lecturers share their extensive knowledge and meet our Expedition Team on deck to spot marine wildlife and sea birds. As we cross the Equator, it’s our tradition to hold a ceremony seeking King Neptune’s blessing. He may even make an appearance.

As we cross the Equator, it’s our tradition to hold a ceremony seeking King Neptune’s blessing. He may even make an appearance before we reach our first call in Ecuador. Manta is a bustling port with high-rise buildings and lovely beaches. You can visit the city museum which showcases artefacts from local pre-Colombian culture, a collection of Ecuadorian art, and weird and wonderful fishing paraphernalia. We recommend an excursion to nearby Montecristi where traditional Panamanian straw hats are hand woven.

Known as the banana capital of the world, this area is surrounded by banana plantations - approximately 80% of Ecuador’s bananas are shipped through Puerto Bolivar. Join an optional excursion to an organic plantation and learn about their unique process of growing their banana plants – by playing classical music for them. Further ashore you can explore the Buenaventura Reserve where you have the chance to observe hummingbirds, hawks and parakeets, or walk amongst fossilized trees, flowers, and plants in the Petrified Forest of Puyango on one of our optional excursions.

Our Expedition Team will continue the lecture programme to share their knowledge and experience, as well as summarise the voyage so far and let you know about plans for the exciting days to come. Our onboard Expedition Photographer will be available to help you with the basics of expedition photography.

Discover the ruins of the Chimu Kingdom.

Next is the port of Salaverry, the starting point for two optional excursions. Visit the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site of Chan Chan (`Sun Sun´) to see the mud-brick ruins of the ancient Chimú kingdom. Or tour the Mochican temples of the Sun and Moon, the former being the largest adobe pyramid in Peru.

Impressive architecture in Quito.

We dock in Callao and travel a short distance to Lima airport for your flight to Quito where you are picked up and transferred to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure and explore Quito, nestled at the foot of the volcano Pichincha and known for its eternally spring-like climate and beauty of its well preserved colonial quarter. Originally settled by the Quitu tribe in the first millennium, Quito was eventually integrated into the Inca Empire before being destroyed and re-established in 1534 by Spanish conquistador, Sebastian de Benalcázar. For nearly three centuries, the arts and intellectual societies flourished under Spanish colonial rule, a fact evident in the historic centre’s splendidly restored period buildings and churches lining narrow, cobbled streets.

The city’s diligent preservation of its culturally diverse past prompted UNESCO to declare Quito the first of its World Heritage sites in 1978. Beautifully situated in an Andean valley at 2,850 meters (9,350 ft), Quito is the second highest capital city in the world. Enjoy dinner at the hotel. Overnight.

After breakfast, we drive north to the equator and visit the Inti Ñan Museum. Afterwards, we ascend the Teleférico – one of Quito’s most popular attractions offering spectacular and easily accessible views of the city. The ride lasts only 10 minutes but takes you to an altitude of 4,050 m (13,300 ft). At the top, the lookout offers the visitor incredible views of Quito, the surrounding valleys and snow-covered volcanoes (along with coffee, snacks, and oxygen for the short-of-breath). Bring a sweater or light jacket - it can get chilly up there!

Return to the city to enjoy lunch in Quito´s charming colonial quarter.

The afternoon's sightseeing is a good example why Ecuador's capital earned the honour as UNESCO´s first World Heritage site. Dinner will be served at the hotel before your overnight.

The day begins with breakfast at your hotel. We drive to Quito Airport for the flight to the Galápagos Islands (via Guayaquil).

Upon arrival at Baltra´s airport, we meet the local representative and board a bus for the short transfer to Itabaca Channel, which separates Baltra Island from Santa Cruz Island. Here, we board a small ferry that crosses the azure waters of the channel to Santa Cruz, a journey that takes about five minutes.

On the other side, we travel through a rural agricultural area surrounded by wild landscapes and many different species of flora and fauna. We may well spot the finches that are famous for being the basis of Darwin’s theory of evolution.

See the famous Galápagos land tortoises in their natural environment and learn how private ranches help protect these special creatures and their habitat. Tortoises of all different ages and sizes gather here: small young ones with shining carapaces and older individuals with weathered and worn shells. Lunch will be served in the highlands.

Afterwards, we continue to our hotel in the town of Puerto Ayora. Once settled, we walk to the nearby Charles Darwin Research Station, which hosts educational museums on both the history and development of the Galápagos Islands, and protection of their natural heritage. Native giant land tortoises can also be observed. Many different tortoise species exist in the Galápagos and the station is the only place where most of the species reside at one site.

The afternoon is at your leisure to explore small yet picturesque Puerto Ayora and its many shops with local arts and crafts. We later enjoy dinner at the hotel´s restaurant.

Bartolome Island offers stunning views.

Breakfast at hotel. We have two full days to tour one of the nearby uninhabited islands by boat.

Please note that only one of the four islands listed below will be visited per day:

Bartolomé Island, famous for Pinnacle Rock and Galápagos penguins; or South Plaza Island, home to a colony of land iguanas; or Santa Fe Island, known for having the islands´ most sea beautiful coves; or North Seymour Island, considered a microcosm of the entire archipelago; or Floreana Island for a tour around the island to see tortoises and sea lions, and with some luck marine iguanas; or Isabela Island to visit a Tortoise Breading station, and a walk to see four species of mangroves and lagoons with flamingos and migratory birds.

The visits are regulated by the Galápagos National Park and we are notified of permission 30 days prior to the visit. Regardless of the islands we visit, lunch is served on board the vessel during the tour.

Later, we have dinner at the hotel and overnight.

After breakfast at hotel, we transfer to Baltra airport for the flight to mainland Ecuador. En route to the airport, we stop at 'The Twins' or 'Los Gemelos' - two impressive volcanic depressions in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island.

Next is our flight from Baltra Island to Guayaquil. Upon arrival in Guayaquil, a representative will assist with the international flight connection. A packed lunch will be provided.