Tour Overview
| Duration | 10 Days / 9 Nights |
|---|---|
| Destination | Galapagos Islands — Santa Cruz, Isabela, San Cristóbal (Ecuador) |
| Price From | $3,295 per person (twin share, hotels) |
| Tour Style | Land-Based Island Hopping (more budget-friendly, same wildlife) |
| Data Source | Intrepid Travel / G Adventures 2026 verified pricing |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Quito to Santa Cruz
Fly from Quito to Baltra. Transfer to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz. Afternoon: stroll to Tortuga Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galapagos — 2.5km of white sand where marine iguanas, pelicans, and sally lightfoot crabs outnumber humans. Overnight in Puerto Ayora.
Day 2: Santa Cruz Highlands & Charles Darwin Station
Morning with wild giant tortoises in the highlands and walk through a lava tube. Afternoon: Charles Darwin Research Station to see the tortoise breeding program. Evening free in Puerto Ayora. Overnight in Puerto Ayora.
Day 3: Pinzón Island Snorkel & La Fé
Day trip by speedboat to Pinzón Island. Snorkel in crystal-clear waters with Galapagos sharks, sea turtles, sea lions, and giant schools of reef fish. Kayak along the volcanic coastline. Visit La Fé tortoise reserve. Overnight in Puerto Ayora.
Day 4: Santa Fe Island Day Trip
Speedboat to Santa Fe Island, home to the endemic Santa Fe land iguana (Conolophus pallidus), found nowhere else on Earth. Hike through a forest of towering Opuntia cactus past colonies of sea lions. Swim and snorkel in the turquoise bay. Overnight in Puerto Ayora.
Day 5: Speedboat to Isabela Island
Morning speedboat (2 hours) to Isabela, the largest island. Afternoon: visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center and the Flamingo Lagoon, where pink flamingos feed against a backdrop of volcanoes. Walk Puerto Villamil’s white sand beach, 3km of palm-fringed perfection. Overnight in Puerto Villamil.
Day 6: Sierra Negra Volcano
Hike to the rim of Sierra Negra Volcano, which has the second-largest caldera in the world (10km across) after Ngorongoro. The crater floor is a black lava desert with colorful fumarole deposits in sulfur yellow, iron red, and copper green. On clear days, the 14km hike extends to Volcán Chico for fresh lava flows and views of Fernandina Island smoking across the channel. 14km, 500m ascent, 5 hours.
Day 7: Los Tuneles Snorkeling
Morning boat trip to Los Tuneles (The Tunnels), an extraordinary snorkeling site where lava flows created arches, bridges, and tunnels above and below water. The clear, shallow water is a nursery for white-tip reef sharks and hosts giant sea turtles, seahorses, eagle rays, and penguins. The mangrove-fringed channels are visible from boardwalks above water. Overnight in Puerto Villamil.
Day 8: Isabela to San Cristóbal
Morning flight (45 minutes, small plane) or afternoon speedboat to San Cristóbal Island. Visit the Interpretation Center to learn the human history of the Galapagos — from the first accidental discovery by the Bishop of Panama in 1535 to the dark chapter of the “Galapagos Affair” (a 1930s mystery involving a self-proclaimed baroness, her two lovers, and a series of mysterious deaths). Overnight in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.
Day 9: Kicker Rock & La Lobería
Morning boat to Kicker Rock (León Dormido), a 148m volcanic tuff formation jutting from the ocean. The channel between the two rock walls is one of the world’s best snorkeling sites — hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, spotted eagle rays, and sea turtles patrol the deep channel. Snorkel the 200m passage. Afternoon: visit La Lobería, a sea lion colony where pups play in tidal pools and marine iguanas sunbathe on lava rocks. Farewell dinner in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.
Day 10: San Cristóbal & Fly to Quito
Morning at Mann Beach for a last swim with sea lions. Transfer to San Cristóbal Airport for the flight to Quito.
Inclusions
- 9 nights hotels (4 Santa Cruz + 3 Isabela + 2 San Cristóbal)
- Daily breakfast + 5 lunches
- All inter-island transfers (speedboat + 1 small plane flight)
- Pinzón + Santa Fe day trips incl. snorkeling
- Sierra Negra guided hike
- Los Tuneles boat + snorkel tour
- Kicker Rock snorkeling excursion
- Galapagos National Park fee + Transit Control Card
- Charles Darwin Station + Tortoise Centers
- English-speaking naturalist guide
