The right number of like-minded travellers to make new friends.
Your dates. Your group. Our expertly-designed itinerary.
Tailored to your interests, a bespoke travel experience.
Combines the hallmarks of any B&R itinerary (excellent hotels and beautiful routes) with the freedom of pacing each day exactly the way you like.
Throughout the day, a knowledgeable local guide provides insider access and expert tips. At night, you can explore and dine on your own.
Our B&R guides are with you throughout, anticipating needs, translating languages, providing advice and—above all—facilitating fun.
Biking – 40-50 km (25-30 mi.) a day over relatively flat terrain with a few small hills—all very manageable for people trying their first biking trip.
Walking – 6-10 km (4-6 mi.) a day on country lanes, footpaths and coastal or forest trails, all on relatively flat terrain, perhaps with an occasional hill.
Biking – 40-50 km (25-30 mi.) a day over terrain that’s relatively flat but will include inclines and the occasional climb or two.
Walking – 8-12 km (5-7 mi.) a day over relatively flat terrain, with occasional steeper climbs.
Biking – 40-50 km (25-30 mi.) a day in gently rolling countryside, with occasional longer climbs to points that are well worth the effort.
Walking – 11-15 km (7-10 mi.) a day over rolling terrain on a variety of surfaces. Most days, one or two steeper climbs to spectacular viewpoints or places of interest.
Biking – Roughly 50 km (30 mi.) a day in consistently rolling countryside, with repeated climbs and longer options available.
Walking – 11-15 km (7-10 mi.) over terrain that varies between rolling and hilly, with a few steeper climbs.
Biking – 50-60 km (30-45 mi.) a day over both level and tougher, hillier terrain with multiple 100 km (62 mi.) options. The routes are designed for avid cyclists and include plenty of chances to push yourself.
Walking – 11-15 km (7-10 mi.) a day over fairly hilly terrain offering lots of challenges. Routes are along high meadow paths and/or well-maintained cliffside or alpine trails, with a few steep ascents to make you feel invigorated.
Beginning in Quito, Ecuador’s capital city, you’ll explore the many charms of this UNESCO World Heritage Site before journeying into the majestic Northern Andes, past the Cayambe volcano and through the historic market of Otavalo. You’ll then board a flight bound for the Galápagos Islands: a modern-day Eden with an unmatched abundance of exotic, endemic wildlife. Spot sea lions sharing the beach with marine iguanas, explore archaic volcanic tunnels, and, like Darwin before you, cross paths with giant tortoises. This inimitable adventure is sure to provide your family with memories they’ll treasure endlessly.
Please note that space in the Galápagos Islands is very limited and fills up quickly. To secure space, it’s best to book at least one year in advance.
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Ready-to-Book private tours are designed to be enjoyed off-the-rack, but there is room for minor adjustments to fit the trip to your needs. If the gap is too great, then we’d be happy to tailor-make you a Bespoke trip from scratch. Simply tell us a few details about your group and select your preferred date. One of our Trip Designers will spring into action, confirming the details or exploring alternatives, over the next 48 hours.
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Have a custom trip designed exactly to your interests. Like a tailor making a bespoke suit, it will fit you perfectly.
Our Bespoke trip designers are a talented bunch who can craft unforgettable experiences for your specific group—and working within your needs and budget.
Get in touch with a Trip Designer to begin planning your perfect vacation.
REQUEST A QUOTEAfter being picked up from the airport and checking into the kingly Casa Gangotena hotel, you will have the first night to explore vibrant Quito on your own.
Check out the Art Workshop School, peruse La Ronda Street (considered the oldest in the city) and visit the house and private art collection of painter Oswaldo Viteri.
Enter the Northern Andes, passing by the valleys of the Cayambe volcano and visiting the ancient Indian market of Otavalo, famed for its textiles and tapestries.
Spend the day enjoying the Hacienda Zuleta and its surroundings: from a condor rookery, cheese factory and organic garden to onsite embroidery workshops and horseback riding.
Fly from Quito to the Galapagos Islands, where you will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and unwind on Tortuga Bay's spectacular white sands.
Embark on a sweeping, full-day boat tour to the unforgettable islands of Bartolome, North Seymour and Bachas Beach, or South Plaza accompanied by your own certified naturalist guide.
Take a mid-morning tour of the Santa Cruz Highlands, explore the ancient lava tunnels beneath your feet, and and visit Garrapatero, a pristine beach offering buzzing wildlife.
Take in the local flora with a trip to a coffee plantation before boarding the ship to Las Palmas beach and La Fe to swim, snorkel, and play with the sea lions and iguanas.
Take a bike ride and explore the island and lava tunnels, or head out on the ship to another of the smaller outlaying islands. Tonight, celebrate your time spent in this magical land with a special festive event!
Fly from the Galapagos Islands back to Quito, Ecuador for a night on your own exploring the vibrant city.
Enjoy a farewell breakfast at the hotel, soak in the Plaza Independencia, and board your flight home.
Show them what Darwin saw.
Glimpse the heart of old Quito as it was meant to be enjoyed, amidst the generous comforts of this handsomely restored mansion. Sumptuously appointed rooms bask in the warmth of natural light as towering windows overlook the Plaza San Francisco. Stately and sophisticated, yet perfectly intimate thanks to the Ecuadorean hospitality. View hotel website »
Boasting antique gardens, the Hacienda is beautifully decorated and every bedroom has a fire place. Delicious Ecuadorian cuisine is offered daily, prepared with organic vegetables, trout and dairy products produced on the Hacienda. View hotel website »
This eco-luxury tented camp borders the National Park in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island’s "transition zone" and is close to the tortoise reserve. Located on 55 hectares with magnificent views over the Pacific Ocean and the famous Western & Northern islands of Isabela, Santiago, Pinzón, Baltra, Rabida, Guy Fawkes & Daphne. View hotel website »
There were too many moments on this trip to pick one that was the most memorable, honestly. Each day seemed to surpass the one before it. And being able to stay together as a family in Villa Escalesia in the Galapagos was absolutely the best thing for us!
— Gail Burke
Butterfield & Robinson offers a nine-day tour of the Galapagos Islands designed specifically for families, including kayaking, excursions on small panga boats in search of penguins, and snorkeling with sea lions, turtles and perhaps hammerhead sharks. The tour is conducted on the Isabela II, a 37-passenger vessel that takes you in comfort to and from eight islands. These include North Seymour with its dramatic volcanic landscape, Punta Suarez, inhabited by lava lizards and albatrosses, and beach-ringed Genovesa Island.
USA TODAY
This walking trip features plenty of uneven footing and dirt trails—but its focus is not on covering distance. Transportation to and from the day’s event is provided in most instances. The change in elevation (Quito is 2,800 metres above sea level) may interfere with the breathing of some travellers. The activities on this trip are geared for children 6 years old and up. If you will be travelling with smaller children, let us know and we can revise the itinerary to suit your group.
In a word: everything. In ninety words? Signature B&R guides; local experts; unique, unforgettable biking and walking routes; private tours; authentic local cuisine; lessons and demonstrations; local artisanal wines; wine tastings; all victuals and libations; all the endorphins you can handle; new insight; interesting, fun and like-minded travel companions; a feeling of total freedom. In short: an extraordinary, hassle-free journey of discovery.
Included with all walking trips are telescoping walking poles and custom-made 13L backpacks to comfortably conceal your essentials within lockable zippers. The walking poles get “recycled” for use by another B&R traveller. The backpack, however, is yours to keep at trip’s end and folds up for easy packing. See Equipment Details
Walking Poles
Backpack
Sometimes your B&R trip simply isn’t long enough! Extend your stay for the best vacation possible. If you wish to spend a few days in region either before or after your official B&R trip, and need assistance making those plans, your B&R Travel Advisor can help.
Call us to create an independent travel experience that fits your needs—we can also arrange for a local guide.
We craft extraordinary experiences, tailor made to meet
your every need, with every stitch of every day crafted
just the way you want it. Learn more about Bespoke
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