Island Hopping in the Galapagos

Activity Level

Easy & Moderate

Activity

Culture

Overview

Discover the magic of the Enchanted Islands, snorkelling and walking the world’s great nature-watching archipelago

Between shark- and sea lion-patrolled waters, highlands of plodding giant tortoises, and a landscape forged in the belly of volcanoes, the Galápagos has become the destination for nature lovers. Join this trip to discover four of the great islands: Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Floreana and Isabela. Along the way, there are plenty of chances to meet the extraordinary sea life on various snorkelling adventures, while also taking time to tread lava-forged plains and spectacular highlands – an unforgettable adventure in the Enchanted Islands.

Key Information

Trip Code: AGSB
Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Countries: Ecuador
Carbon Footprint: 86kg CO2e per person per day

What's Included

All accommodation: 8 Classic nights (hotels and guesthouses)
All breakfasts, three lunches and one dinner
Immersive itinerary with all transport (air-conditioned bus, boat and two internal flights) and listed activities
Expert tour leader to enhance your adventure
Arrival transfer for any flight, group departure transfer available
Transit Control Card for the Galapagos

Don't Forget To

Request a single room if required, purchase travel insurance and arrange any visas and vaccinations. On this trip, compulsory Galapagos taxes (approximately US$200) are not included and will be paid locally.

Highlights

Visit Isla Lobos to relax on white sands and, hopefully, swim with sharks
See pirate lava caves and giant tortoises in the highlands of Floreana
Snorkel the wildlife-rich islets of Las Tintoreras
Enjoy a full-day island excursion to one of Bartolomé, South Plaza, Santa Fe or North Seymour

Itinerary

First Destination: Quito
Next Destination: Quito

Accommodation:Hotel Wyndham (or similar)
Meals included:Dinner

Accommodation:Hotel Paraiso Insular (or similar)
Meals included:None

Accommodation:Hotel Paraiso Insular (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:San Vicente Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:San Vicente Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Accommodation:Grand Hotel León Marino (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Accommodation:Grand Hotel León Marino (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:Hotel Vieja Cuba (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Quito
Next Destination: Quito

Begin the adventure in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, high in the Andes. To make things easy, there are free transfers from the airport to the hotel for everyone today – check the Joining Instructions for further details.

Around 6pm, say hola to your Quito tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.

Your tour leader ensures a big Ecuadorian welcome by arranging a group dinner tonight.

Want more time in Quito? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Upgrade to a junior suite today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Accommodation:Hotel Wyndham (or similar)
Meals included:Dinner

Leave the hotel around 6.30am and transfer (five minutes) to Quito Airport, where we catch our flight to San Cristóbal in the Galápagos via Guayaquil.

Bid farewell to our mainland tour leader at the airport; our Galápagos tour leader (an official Galápagos National Park Naturalist Guide) then meets us at San Cristóbal Airport and takes us to the hotel for check-in and our first briefing about our time in the archipelago.

Once checked in, we have time to explore the town and enjoy a restaurant lunch before the afternoon activity with two options available, depending on your preference.

Option one: Snorkel from La Lobería beach, a wonderful stretch surrounded by mangroves, volcanic rocks and sea lion colonies. You’ll start by visiting a local store for an equipment fitting – this equipment is yours until the final day in the Galápagos, when our local team returns it for you. Then, guided by our Galápagos tour leader and assistant, we head into the water from the beach, ensuring everyone is paired up for safety.

Please inform your tour leader if you are not a confident swimmer, so they can provide you with additional swim aids. Sea conditions can change. At times, the waves can be strong, plus the shore is rocky.

Option two: Enjoy one of the coastal walks on San Cristóbal. A favourite is the Puerto Baquerizo Moreno walk, which takes you to Charles Darwin’s first landing spot.

Accommodation:Hotel Paraiso Insular (or similar)

Start with an exciting tour to Isla Lobos, a small, uninhabited island near San Cristóbal. This excursion takes us by boat to one of the best spots in the Galápagos for birdwatching, with a chance to see frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies. It is also a great place to see sea lions in their natural habitat.

This island is made of volcanic rock, so the terrain is uneven. Our team can provide you with wooden walking poles if needed.

After our slow walk around the small island, we have a second opportunity to snorkel. From the boat, we enter the clear waters around the island, guided by our tour leader and an assistant. We swim along the coastline hoping to see marine life such as turtles, rays and, occasionally, whitetip reef sharks.

Please let your tour leader know if you would like additional swim aids. You are also welcome to stay on the boat to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

After lunch on board, we head to Playa Ochoa, a white-sand beach with turquoise waters. It’s ideal for relaxing, while also offering excellent birdwatching and further snorkelling opportunities. Once back in town, the rest of the afternoon is free.

Accommodation:Hotel Paraiso Insular (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Bid farewell to San Cristóbal and take a three-hour navigation by motorboat to Floreana, one of the first Galápagos Islands to be inhabited. En route, we may see whales, dolphins and seabirds.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we take a short drive up to the highlands, where we spend an hour visiting lava caves once used by pirates and a large enclosure of Galápagos giant tortoises.

In the afternoon, we travel (2hr 30min to three hours) by speedboat to Isabela Island.

Accommodation:San Vicente Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Spend 15 minutes sailing to the islets and lava channels of Las Tintoreras, one of the best places in the Galápagos to see whitetip reef sharks, penguins and sea lions. We take a slow 40-minute walk over the uninhabited island, marvelling at the iguana nests and trying to spot endemic creatures, such as lava lizards.

After, we have another fantastic opportunity to snorkel. We enter the water from the boat, led by our tour leader and an assistant.

This afternoon, we have an optional walk (7.5mi/12km round-trip) to the Wall of Tears, a sad reminder of Isabela’s very different past when it was used as a penal colony. Between 1946 and 1959, convicts were forced to build this wall from huge blocks of lava as a form of punishment, which, combined with the harsh conditions, led to many deaths.

Accommodation:San Vicente Hotel (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Navigate by motorboat (two hours to 2hr 30min) to Santa Cruz early this morning.

Upon arrival, we leave our luggage at our hotel and head out to visit the Charles Darwin Research Centre’s breeding facility – the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center. Here, we are introduced to some of the important work that takes place on the island, such as rearing giant tortoises until they reach an age where they can be introduced to the wild. After, we visit the exhibition hall and gift shop, where we can get our passports stamped in commemoration.

In the afternoon, we walk to Tortuga Bay, a long stretch of white sand that’s regarded as one of the best beaches in the Galápagos. The trail leading to the beach is paved and takes 45 minutes to one hour each way (5.5mi/9km total). There are possibilities to observe Galápagos finches and lizards en route.

The beach is scattered with marine iguanas, which lie among the clusters of black rocks or stroll along the sand. Turtles can sometimes be seen in the water, though swimming is not recommended due to the strong currents.

Santa Cruz is the most inhabited of the Galápagos islands, meaning you can enjoy perusing the souvenir shops and restaurants.

Accommodation:Grand Hotel León Marino (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Visit either Bartolomé, South Plaza, Santa Fe or North Seymour. The island we visit depends on the Galápagos National Park Directorate (GNPD) regulations, who monitor tourism closely.

South Plaza has a remarkable vegetation of succulents and cacti, which provide a unique habitat for land iguanas. The iguanas form small colonies at the base of the tall opuntia cacti, waiting for their flowers and dead pads to fall to the ground so they can feed on them. The island rocks are home to swallowtail gulls, shearwaters and sea lions.
North Seymour is a flat, boulder-strewn island and a major nesting site for frigatebirds. It’s also a good place to see blue-footed boobies performing courtship rituals and sea lions playing in the powerful surf.
Bartolomé is a spectacular scene of dramatic lava cones, clear seas and affords perhaps the most famous view of the Galápagos Islands, looking across the red cinder cones to the recent black lava fields on James Island.

If weather permits, we snorkel today where the water is calm. Please ensure you inform your trip leader if you require a swim aid. Lunch is on board the boat.

Accommodation:Grand Hotel León Marino (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

After a few days following the footsteps of Darwin, Cousteau and world-renowned scientists, it is time to say goodbye to the Enchanted Islands.

After breakfast, we journey to Baltra Island Airport via minibus, boat, and airport shuttle bus – bidding a fond farewell to our Galápagos tour leader – and fly to Quito via Guayaquil.

Our mainland tour leader meets us upon arrival and our groups normally gather for a final dinner this evening, a chance to celebrate the adventures we’ve had together.

Upgrade to a suite today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Accommodation:Hotel Vieja Cuba (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Our adventure ends after breakfast this morning and we begin our return journeys home. If you’d prefer a little time to explore, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay in Quito.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

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Accommodation

Hotels and guesthouses

We aim to secure locally owned accommodation that is well located, offers good value for money, and plenty of comfort. To help you find your ideal adventure, each trip is given a Comfort Level rating, which indicates the overall standard of accommodation. For more on our ratings, see our Comfort Level guidelines.

The accommodation we generally use are on the daily itinerary; below is a selection of those.

Upgrade your room on Day 1 and Day 8 of the itinerary – speak to your sales representative for more details.

San Cristóbal: Hotel Paraiso Insular (nights 2 and 3)

Island Hopping in the Galapagos

In Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, this unfussy hotel is ideally located for our adventures around the island. Two minutes’ stroll away is the Malecon, a seaside walkway with restaurants and shops, while the hotel has a sundeck and bar for post-exploration relaxing.

Isabela: San Vicente Hotel (nights 4 to 5)

Island Hopping in the Galapagos

This bright and breezy three-star stay in Puerto Villamil is just two blocks from a white-sand, palm-lined beach. Back at the hotel, there’s a chillout deck for mixing with the group plus a hot tub with a view. Energy is provided through solar panels.

Santa Cruz: Grand Hotel Lobo de Mar (nights 6 and 7)

Island Hopping in the Galapagos

In Puerto Ayora, this three-star hotel has modern bedrooms and a small indoor pool. There’s also a cheery restaurant with a bright Galápagos-themed wall mural, a ready-made background for a group photo.

Worth knowing

Galápagos accommodation: Given the remote and isolated nature of the Galápagos, accommodation options are limited, and you may experience occasional hot water outages, blackouts and slow wifi. While the facilities may not match the comfort levels of the mainland, the unique opportunity to explore this extraordinary destination makes it a worthwhile experience.

Post-trip Extensions

Exclusive Add-ons

Sacha Lodge Add-on Tour

Travel into the untamed wilderness of the Ecuadorian Amazon, where the secluded Sacha Lodge sits immersed in its rainforest surroundings. From this tranquil spot overlooking Pilchicocha Lake, wildlife abounds. Blue-morph butterflies flit through the air, giant otters glide underneath the water and eight species of monkey grace the forest canopy. This expedition lets you experience the variety of the rainforest: take part in forest walks, explore by dug-out canoe, join a night-time exploration or tower above the trees on the Canopy Walk.

Have a look at the detailed itinerary, or speak to your sales representative for more details.

Ecuador

Sacha Lodge Add-on Tour

Wildlife Holidays

Essential Information

This trip is rated Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

It’s ideal if you are physically fit and don’t mind being in the sun. A sense of adventure will also enhance your experience; it is not always possible to follow a strict schedule due to weather and sea conditions – sometimes it is better to do the planned activities in a different order (but almost always on the same day as this activity was originally planned).

Boat transfers: Timings provided in the itinerary are approximations and depend on weather and sea conditions.

Flying to the Galápagos: Time spent at the airport (both on mainland Ecuador and the Galápagos) is currently taking longer than usual due to the implementation of a new system for declaring foods and goods to enter the Galápagos.

Snorkelling: Sea conditions in the Galápagos vary, with the possibility of large waves. If you are not a confident swimmer, it is essential you inform your tour leader so they can provide you with additional swimming aids. Please closely follow their guidance before getting in the water.

Key information

Start hotel: Hotel Wyndham Quito Airport, Parroquia Tababela SN Via A Yaruqui, Quito 170183, Ecuador
Phone: +593 2-395-8000
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing around 6pm this evening.
Airport: Mariscal Sucre Quito International Airport (UIO)

Getting to the start hotel

The start hotel is approximately less than five minutes’ drive from the airport. We provide free arrival transfers to the start hotel from the airport for all customers. If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.

Please note, unless specified otherwise, the transfers are to the start hotel and are on the date on which the tour starts; transfers to other hotels in the same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.

Catching your return flight

There’s a group departure transfer to the airport timed to coincide with a chosen flight. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.

Ecuador

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Ecuador. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/ecuador
Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/ecuador
United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ecuador/entry-requirements
USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Ecuador.html

Entering the Galapagos

There is a compulsory Galapagos Tax of US$200, which can only be paid locally in cash (US dollars) and will be collected by the National Park Service on arrival at San Cristóbal.
You also need a Transit Control Card. This is included in the cost of the tour and will be organised by your tour leader before entering the Galapagos.

For lunch and dinner, the tour leader will recommend various options in convenient locations, usually booking restaurants and eating with the group. For the included meals at restaurants, they are usually a set menu with two or three options.

Worth knowing

The choice of meals in some areas of the Galápagos can be limited but special dietary requirements can usually be catered for if we are advised at the time of booking.
Breakfasts are a mix of continental and boxed breakfasts, depending on the hotel. They are generally simple in the Galápagos, but sufficient to fuel you for a day of adventure.

It is possible to visit the Galápagos at any time of year, but seasonal variations do affect what you see and there are climatic changes to note. The weather is controlled by the two main ocean currents of the region, the Humboldt, bringing cold water from the Antarctic, and El Nino, which brings tropical water from the Gulf of Panama. How close to the Galápagos they converge (which varies from year to year) is the key to the weather.

Dry season: Generally speaking, late May to early December is the cooler ‘dry’ season. In this period, it is not necessarily dry, as there is a persistent light mist (garua) and often light drizzle, and the higher mountain slopes are covered in cloud and fog or rain. At this time, the winds are in the southeast and are higher than at other times, so seas can sometimes be choppy (anyone worried about seasickness might prefer to avoid this time). Daytime maximum temperatures are 27C-31C (81F-88F), the cooler months being July to November. In July and August, the fairly strong winds introduce a chill factor, and it can feel quite cold at nights, though throughout the year the official night temperatures are 19C-24C (66F-75F).

Wet season: Depending on how close the convergence of the two currents comes to Galápagos, there may or may not be a wet season from January to April or May. Approximately every seven years, the El Nino current actually hits the islands and there are heavy rains in these months. In other years, rain usually falls sporadically from otherwise clear skies. The ocean temperatures are higher, with generally calm seas and strong sunshine: pleasant, but potentially very hot. Apart from an El Nino year, the weather is usually better from December/January to April/May than at other times even if there is some rain, and most people would regard these months as the best time to go.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.