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 Galapagos 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 breakfasts, three lunches and one dinner
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Transit Control Card for the Galapagos
Arrival transfer for any flight, group departure transfer available

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 excursion to one of Bartolomé Island, South Plaza Island, Santa Fe Island or North Seymour

Itinerary

First Destination: Quito
Next Destination: Quito

Meals included:None

Meals included:Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

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.

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

Classic accommodation: Hotel Wyndham (or similar)
Upgrade to a junior suite today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Leave the hotel around 5am – taking a box breakfast with you – for our transfer (50 minutes) to Quito Airport, where we catch our flight to San Cristóbal in the Galapagos via Guayaquil.

Our Galapagos tour leader (an official naturalist guide) will be at the airport to take you to the hotel for check-in and our first briefing about our time in the archipelago.

We have time to explore the town and enjoy a restaurant lunch before our visit to La Lobería, a wonderful place surrounded by mangroves, volcanic rocks and sea lion colonies. It’s a perfect spot to snorkel, enjoy time on the beach, or have a short walk along the shore.

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

Accommodation: Hotel Paraiso Insular (or similar)

Meals included:Dinner

Start your day with an exciting tour to Isla Lobos, a small island near San Cristóbal. This excursion takes you by boat to one of the best spots for observing sea lions in their natural habitat.

Isla Lobos is also an excellent location for birdwatching, including frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies. Snorkel in the clear waters around the island, swimming with marine turtles, rays and, occasionally, whitetip reef sharks.

After, we head to Playa Ochoa, a white-sand beach with turquoise waters. It’s ideal for relaxing, while also offering excellent birdwatching and snorkelling opportunities.

Enjoy lunch on board the boat as we head back to town for a free afternoon.

Accommodation: Hotel Paraiso Insular (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

A three-hour navigation by motorboat takes us to Floreana Island, one of the first Galapagos islands to be inhabited. En route, we may see whales, dolphins and sea birds. After lunch at a local restaurant, we visit the highlands, where one of the few sources of freshwater in the entire archipelago exists. We also visit lava caves once used by pirates and see a large enclosure of Galapagos giant tortoises.

In the afternoon, we’ll transfer to Isabela Island by speedboat (approximately 2.5 or 3 hours).

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 Galapagos to see whitetip reef sharks, penguins and sea lions. A 40-minute walk takes us to an excellent place to snorkel!

This afternoon, we visit 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 to Santa Cruz very early this morning.

Upon arrival, we have the option of visiting the Charles Darwin Research Centre, home to the headquarters of the Charles Darwin Foundation. This is the main research centre on the islands and scientists come from all over the world to study the flora and fauna.

In the afternoon, we visit Tortuga Bay, a 3,280ft (1,000m) stretch of white sand regarded as one of the best beaches in the Galapagos. The trail leading to the beach is paved and takes between 45 minutes to one hour, with possibilities to observe Galapagos finches and lizards along the way. The beach is scattered with marine iguanas, who lay among the clusters of black rocks or stroll along the sand. In the water, turtles can sometimes be seen, though swimming is not recommended here due to the strong currents.

Accommodation: Grand Hotel León Marino (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast

Visit either Bartolomé Island, South Plaza Island, Santa Fe Island or North Seymour (depending on the national park restrictions).

South Plaza Island has a remarkable vegetation of succulents and cacti that 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 Galapagos Islands, looking across the red cinder cones to the recent black lava fields on James Island.

If possible, we snorkel today where the water is calm. 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 drive to Baltra Airport – bidding a fond farewell to our Galapagos tour leader – and fly to Quito via Guayaquil.

Our Quito 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.

Accommodation: Hotel Vieja Cuba (or similar)
Upgrade to a suite today – speak to your sales representative for more details

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

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, dates that suit you, 24-hour support, loyalty discounts, and peace of mind for delays or disruption.

Call us on 1 844 462 4317

Your Group, Your Adventure

Want to choose your travel companions? Gather your family and friends and let us create a Private Adventure just for you.

View Details

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 Galapagos-themed wall mural, a ready-made background for a group photo.

Worth knowing

Galapagos accommodation: Given the remote and isolated nature of the Galapagos, 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.

The detailed itinerary is here, or speak to your sales representative for more details.

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 is originally planned).

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

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

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 arrival transfer will be to the start (or pre-tour) hotel and will be 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 for those booked onto a chosen flight to London, UK. 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 Galapagos can be limited but special dietary requirements can usually be catered for if we are advised at the time of booking.

It is possible to visit the Galapagos 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 Galapagos 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 Galapagos, 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.

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Island Hopping in the Galapagos

Activity Level

Activity

Overview

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

Key Information

What's Included

Highlights

Itinerary

Dates & Prices

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, dates that suit you, 24-hour support, loyalty discounts, and peace of mind for delays or disruption.

Your Group, Your Adventure

Accommodation

Hotels and guesthouses

Post-trip Extensions

Sacha Lodge Add-on Tour

Essential Information

Key information

Getting to the start hotel

Catching your return flight

Reviews

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Island Hopping in the Galapagos

Island Hopping in the Galapagos

Activity Level

Activity

Overview

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

Key Information

What's Included

Highlights

Itinerary

Dates & Prices

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, dates that suit you, 24-hour support, loyalty discounts, and peace of mind for delays or disruption.

Your Group, Your Adventure

Accommodation

Hotels and guesthouses

Post-trip Extensions

Sacha Lodge Add-on Tour

Essential Information

Key information

Getting to the start hotel

Catching your return flight

Reviews

You may also like

Galapagos Escape - Solaris (Itinerary B)

Galapagos Walking Adventure

Island Hopping in the Galapagos

The Adventure Begins Here