Plan Your Trip
Galápagos Planning
There’s much to consider before setting off for the islands: weather and seasons, land-based tours versus cruises, picking an itinerary, and money-saving strategies. Independent travelers can visit the island on their own, taking inter-island boats and staying in hotels – though you won’t see as much wildlife or scenery.
Best Outdoor Adventures
Best Snorkeling
Devil’s Crown off Floreana
Los Túneles off Isabela
Best Bird-Watching
Punta Suárez on Española
Isla Genovesa
Best Diving
Isla Wolf
Isla Darwin
Gordon Rocks off Santa Cruz
Best Hiking
Volcán Alcedo and Volcán Sierra Negra on Isabela
Cerro Crocker on Santa Cruz
Best Mountain Biking
San Cristóbal highlands
Santa Cruz highlands
Best Sunbathing
Tortuga Bay outside Puerto Ayora
Cerro Brujo on San Cristóbal
Best Surfing
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
Isla Isabela
Best Scenery
Isla Bartolomé
Isla Rábida
Post Office Bay on Floreana
When to Go
There really isn’t a bad time to visit. However, there are several factors to keep in mind in determining when to go. The islands have two distinct seasons, though the tourism high season is generally December to April, and July to August.
Warm & Wet Season (January to May) Generally sunny and warm (average air temperature is 25°C) with strong but short periods of rain. Coincides with vacation periods in the USA such as Christmas and Easter, which means more boats and more groups. The hottest month is March (average 31°C) and water temperatures average 25°C from February to April. Flowers bloom, bringing more color to the landscape; sea turtles nest; and many bird species mate.
Cool & Dry Season (June to December) Often known as the garúa for the misty precipitation that affects the highlands. While the air temperature is pleasant (average 22°C), the water is colder (18°C to 20°C) as a result of the dominant Humboldt Current, and the seas can be rough during overnight passages between islands. There are somewhat fewer visitors; however, it’s also the season preferred by divers (6mm to 7mm wetsuits with hoods are worn). Penguin encounters are more common, waved albatrosses arrive on Española and blue-footed boobles mate.
Types of Tours
There are basically three kinds of tours in the Galápagos: the most common and most recommended are boat-based trips with nights spent aboard – this is because of their relatively low environmental impact and the exposure to a variety of wildlife and geography. There are also day trips returning to the same island each night, and hotel-based trips staying on different islands.
Boat Tours
Most visitors tour the Galápagos on boat tours, sleeping aboard the boat. Tours can last from three days to three weeks, although five- to eight-day tours are the most common. It’s difficult to do the Galápagos justice on a tour lasting less than a week, but five days is just acceptable. If you want to visit the outlying islands of Isabela and Fernandina, a cruise of eight days or more is recommended. On the first day of a tour, you arrive from the mainland by air before lunchtime, so this is really only half a day in the Galápagos, and on the last day, you have to be at the airport in the morning. Thus, a five-day tour gives only three full days in the islands.
Itineraries
You can find boats to go to almost any island, although it takes more time to reach the outlying ones. Boats have fixed itineraries, so think ahead if you want a tour that visits a specific island. Make sure the tour doesn’t include more than one night or half a day in either Puerto Ayora or Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, since you can always tack on a few days at the beginning or end on your own.
The daily itinerary on almost all boats includes taking a morning panga (small boat used to ferry passengers from a larger boat to shore) to a site on land to observe birds and other wildlife, followed by snorkeling nearby. Lunch and snacks are served while the boat motors to another island or site for a similar combination in the afternoon. There’s usually a few hours of time to rest or socialize before dinner, and there’s a pre- or post-meal briefing of the next day’s schedule. While the standardized routine may irk those accustomed to the flexibility of independent travel, it’s exceedingly comforting to have everything planned out – in the end, it’s a surprisingly tiring trip.
Boat Types
Tour boats range from small yachts to large cruise ships. By far the most common type is the motor sailer (a medium-sized motorboat), which carries between eight and 20 passengers.
Tipping
On cruises, it’s customary to tip the crew and guide at the end of the trip. Some tour operators advise a 50-50 split; others give more to the crew than to the guide. How much to tip is very much a personal decision, but here are some general guidelines:
For basic and superior class cruises, $14 to $20 per passenger per day is about the norm; on first-class and luxury boats, $18 to $28 per passenger per day is fairly standard. The total amount per passenger per day should be split between guide and crew.
DIY GALÁPAGOS
If you don’t have the funds for a cruise or simply don’t wish to go on an organized tour, you can still have a rewarding experience on the islands. There are four inhabited islands (Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela and Floreana) that offer lodging covering all price points. Inter-island boats travel daily between neighboring islands (though crossings can be rough). And from the main towns, you can head out on excursions on foot or by bike (aside from Floreana). You can also take day tours to sites for snorkeling, wildlife-watching and guided walks (prices range from $95 to $250, depending on the type of tour and distance traveled).
The downside to a DIY trip of this type is that you will only be able to visit limited sites; many of the most impressive parts of the Galápagos are simply unreachable by day trip from these towns. However, some travelers find that the sense of freedom (you set your own schedule and go where you want to go) – not to mention the more affordable price tag – amply makes up for the drawbacks.
Hotel-Based Tours
These tours go from island to island, and you sleep in hotels on three or four different islands: Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela and Floreana. Tours typically last five days and four nights and cost $600 to more than $1800 per person, plus airfare and park fee. Several of the travel agencies in Puerto Ayora and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno book these – Red Mangrove Aventura Lodge in Puerto Ayora; Tropiceo (
%in the US 1800-207-8615; www.destinationecuador.com), a tour agency based in Quito; and Galakiwi are recommended for these trips.
The problem with most tour companies is that they use a mix of boats, hotels and guides, so the quality of all three is difficult to guarantee and there’s little consistency from one trip to the next. The camaraderie between guests and guides that adds to the enjoyment of Galápagos boat trips is lost when there’s often a new guide for every stop.
Day Tours
Boat-based day trips depart from either Puerto Ayora or Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Several hours are spent sailing to and from the day’s visitor sites, so only a few central islands are feasible destinations. Some trips may involve visiting sites on other parts of Isla Santa Cruz or Isla San Cristóbal.
One of the downsides of this kind of tour is that there is no chance of visiting the islands early or late in the day. The cheapest boats may be slow and overcrowded; their visits may be too brief; the guides may be poorly informed; and the crew may be lacking an adequate conservationist attitude. Nevertheless, day trips are useful if your time and budget are extremely limited.
Companies in Puerto Ayora and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno charge $95 to $200 per person per day, depending on the destination on offer and the quality of the boat and guides.
Booking Your Trip
Most visitors arrange tours before arriving at the islands. You can do this in your home country (it tends to be more expensive, but it’s efficient), or you can arrange something in Quito, Guayaquil or Cuenca. Booking in Ecuador is generally cheaper, but you sometimes have to wait several days or weeks during the high season (which could eat into your traveling time). One other word of caution if planning a Galápagos trip while in Ecuador – the default security protocols of some banks and credit-card companies make it difficult to pay for such relatively large amounts without hassle while you’re abroad.
LIVE-ABOARD DIVING TOURS
Not surprisingly for a place with an underwater habitat resembling a well-stocked aquarium, scuba diving in the Galápagos is world class. The conditions aren’t suitable for beginners because of strong currents, sometimes cloudy visibility and cold temperatures. When the water is warm (January to March), there’s not much of a current, so it’s also a little murky; from July to October there’s better visibility, but the water is colder. Besides an array of tropical fish, there are plenty of whale sharks, hammerheads, manta rays and even sea horses to be seen.
Standard overnight boat tours are not allowed to offer scuba diving as an option. Only six boats are currently available for diving: Galápagos Sky, Galápagos Master, Galápagos Aggressor III, Nortada, Astrea and Humboldt Explorer. Because there are so few options, these boats are usually booked as far as six months in advance. The cost of one week on a live-aboard ranges from $4000 to $5900 and includes up to four or five dives a day, plus stops at some visitor sites on land.
Most live-aboard boats go to Wolf and Darwin, northwest of the major islands, where there’s a large number of different species of sharks. July is the best month to dive with whale sharks, but they’re around from May to October.
The majority of divers take day trips from either Puerto Ayora or Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.
Shopping for a Smooth Sail
There are six boats (Celebrity Xpedition, Explorer II, Endeavour, Galápagos Legend, Santa Cruz II and Silver Galapagos) that carry up to 98 passengers each, and six boats (Isabela II, Coral I & II, Celebrity Xperience, La Pinta and Islander) that carry up to 48 passengers each; all are considered luxury or first-class ships. The majority of the other 75 or so boats or yachts carry fewer than 20 people. There are also several catamarans. Groups that book far in advance are often able to negotiate prices that are just as good as last-minute rates. Almost every boat operator charges 15% to 20% less in the low season.
The airfare, $100 park fee and bottled drinks are not included in fare quotes. Boats are divided roughly into the following categories (prices per day except for live-aboards):
Tourist-class yachts (tourist superior or standard tourist) $450 to $520
First-class yachts $520 to $750
Luxury ships from $750
To avoid disappointment, the following questions should always be asked before booking:
Is the guide a freelancer? Guides affiliated with one company or boat are more likely to feel responsible for their passengers’ satisfaction and less likely to take a laissez faire approach to complaints.
What is the itinerary? Refer to the map and text of the Galápagos Islands chapter to understand the wildlife and activities common at each site. Joining boats that spend half-days in Puerto Ayora, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and/or Puerto Villamil might seem like too much civilization.
Is snorkeling equipment in my size guaranteed? Masks, snorkels and fins are generally supplied; however, some boats may lack enough fins and wetsuits in certain sizes for all passengers.
What’s the refund policy? Read the fine print and clarify how much money you can get back in case of a mechanical breakdown or other unforeseen circumstance that results in the cancellation or alteration of your trip.
How would you rate the food? This can be difficult to determine since chefs come and go and some agencies may be less than forthcoming in assessing their own product. Nevertheless, it’s worth asking ahead of time if this is an important issue for you.
One bed or two? Couples be warned: all the boats have a limited number of cabins with matrimonial beds. Unless you reserve early, you may be stuck with two narrow single beds.
It’s quite common for boats and companies to receive favorable reviews from some people and unfavorable reviews from others. Expectations and standards differ and sometimes things go wrong on one trip but smoothly on another. The quality of your sailing experience will depend on a few things, including the chemistry between you and your fellow passengers; the smaller the boat, the more important it is that you get along. However, the larger boats with more passengers can feel impersonal, and the trip and islands may lose some of their unique aura.
There are a number of boats and companies that are worth checking out.
Adventure Life (%800-344-6118 in the US; www.adventure-life.com) Books a wide selection of boats in all categories.
Columbus Travel (%02-255-7699 in Quito, 877-436-7512 in the US; www.columbusecuador.com) Excellent customer service; can book a range of boats depending on budget and dates of travel.
Detour Destinations (%866-386-4168 in the US; www.detourdestinations.com) Multisport trips for active types, including stand-up paddle-board excursions in the islands.
Ecoventura (%02-283-9390, 800-633-7972 in the US; www.ecoventura.com) One of the pioneers in conservation and sustainable tourism. All of its four boats (five in 2019), including its diving live-aboards, are highly recommended.
Ecuador Adventure (% 888-234-3413 in the US & Canada; www.neotropicexpeditions.ec) Specializes in hotel-based and multisport tours including hiking, mountain biking and kayaking.
Galapagos Odyssey (%02-286-0355; www.yachtgalapagosodyssey.com) This luxurious 16-passenger yacht includes a Jacuzzi.
Happy Gringo Travel (%02-512-3486, in UK 800-051-7125, in the US & Canada 800-269-0216; www.happygringo.com) Excellent agency that books a wide range of boats, plus offers last-minute deals.
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic (%800-397-3348 in the US; www.expeditions.com) Offers National Geographic Islander (48 passenger) and Endeavour (96 passenger) yachts.
Metropolitan Touring (%02-298-8312, 888-572-0166 in the US; www.metropolitan-touring.com) Affiliated with the Finch Bay Hotel in Puerto Ayora; books the luxury yachts La Pinta and Isabela II.
Natural Habitat Adventures (%800-543-8917 in the US; www.nathab.com) Offers a 10-day tour, cruising long distances on a catamaran and then exploring the nooks and crannies by kayak – one of the only tours of its kind.
Row Adventures (%800-451-6034 in the US; www.rowadventures.com) Luxury camping and kayaking tours.
Zenith Travel (%02-252-9993; www.galapagosgay.com; cnr Juan Leon Mera N24-264 & Luis Cordero, Quito) Specializes in gay and lesbian tours.
WHAT TO TAKE
A binoculars
A good SLR or digital camera (the higher the zoom, the better)
A GoPro camera (for underwater shots)
A small backpack
A wide-brimmed hat
A sunglasses
A light cotton clothing
A sturdy hiking shoes or boots
A rain jacket
A light sweater
A flip-flops (thongs/jandals)
A swimming gear
A motion-sickness pills
A cash for park fee and cruise-staff tips
A refillable water bottle
Local Bookings
Most people arrive in the islands with a prearranged tour, although it’s usually cheaper to arrange a tour in Puerto Ayora or Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. As a general rule, the cheaper boats are more available for booking once you’re in the Galápagos. Don’t fly to the Galápagos counting on getting a really good boat for less money. Arranging a tour from the Galápagos can take several days – sometimes a week or more – and is therefore not a good option if you have limited time.
The most important thing is to find a good captain and an enthusiastic naturalist guide. You should be able to meet both and inspect the boat before booking. Agreeing on a quality itinerary is also paramount. For last-minute four-day and eight-day tours, expect to pay at least $800 and $1600.
Dangers & Annoyances
There are some common pitfalls and hassles with Galápagos boat tours. It’s sometimes the case that the cheaper the trip, the more likely you are to experience problems. That’s not to say that costlier boats are glitch-free, but the companies are often more attentive and quick to respond to complaints.
Some of the recurring complaints involve last-minute changes of boat (which the contractual small print allows), cancellations if there aren’t enough passengers, poor crew, lack of bottled drinks, changes in the itinerary, mechanical breakdowns, insufficient and poor-quality snorkeling gear, hidden charges ($5 to $10 per day for wet suits is common), bad smells, bug infestations and overbooking.
Passengers share cabins and are sometimes not guaranteed that their cabinmates will be of the same gender. Always ask to see a photograph or layout of the boat, including those of the cabins, before booking.
It’s frustrating but not uncommon to discover that shipmates have paid substantially less than you for the same services, especially if you’ve booked abroad and they’ve arranged things locally and at the last minute – there’s little recourse, so it’s best not to ask and to simply enjoy the trip.
When things go wrong, a refund is difficult to obtain. If you have a problem, report it to the capitanía (port captain) in Puerto Ayora and contact the agency where you booked the boat. You should also report problems (in person or by email) to the Cámara de Turismo (Tourist Information Office; MAP; Av Darwin near Av 12 de Febrero; 
h8am-12:30pm & 2:30-6pm) in Puerto Ayora, which keeps a database of complaints to share with agencies and tourists.
There are occasional reports of crew members of tourist boats (and, more commonly, small fishing boats) illegally fishing and killing wildlife. Complaints of this kind should be reported to the Natural Reserve office, a green building just to the left of the information booth at the entrance to the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora.
With all the boats cruising the islands, it’s easy to forget that these are remote, inhospitable and dangerous places to be marooned. Seventeen people have disappeared since 1990 – most were found alive, though a few have died after straying from the designated paths.