per person, double occupancy, including airfare* based on Jun. 1, 2018 departure
$600 Early Bird Discount. Expires Nov. 16, 2017.* All prices reflect savings.
Overview
Featuring
Explore the flora, fauna & spectacular scenery of two biodiverse Galapagos Islands: Santa Cruz & Isabela
Style
Small Group TourTravel with a small, intimate group of 15-24 likeminded travelers escorted by an English speaking guide and/or tour manager for some or all of your journey. More of these packages 18 travelers max, dedicated tour escorts & guides throughout
Departures
Scheduled Dates; select from 16 open departures, February – November 2018
This fast-paced, locally hosted tour involves a significant amount of walking or hiking, often on uneven terrain, and reaches high altitudes requiring a good level of physical fitness to fully enjoy the trip.
The Galapagos Islands are among Ecuador’s jewels. More than 600 miles offshore in the Pacific, these islands are home to fascinating species of birds and animals such as marine iguanas, giant tortoises, blue and red-footed boobies, pelicans and even a few penguins. These are the legendary islands that inspired Charles Darwin to propose his theory of evolution. Stay on Santa Cruz and Isabela Islands for an incredible Galapagos experience, which includes flights, first-class hotels and most meals, as well as a truly fascinating program of exploration of the Galapagos. Don't wait a moment to book our new Galapagos Islands Adventure package. Space is truly very limited, and at these prices, you won't find a better value-for-money vacation anywhere.
Dates, Prices & Options
Departure Dates & Prices
Early Bird Discount: Save up to $600 per person if you book by Nov. 16, 2017!
Want to stay longer? We may be able to arrange for you to stay later than the scheduled dates. Contact us about prices and availability. (details)
Options & Fees
Galapagos Islands Adventure
Rooming Selection
Double Occupancy
included
Single Room Supplement
+$499
Taxes & Fees
Galapagos National Park Fee of $100
included
INGALA Tourist Control Card of $20
included
Isabela Port Fee of $10
included
Amazon Optional Extension1
Amazon Optional Extension
+$799
Rooming Selection
Double Occupancy
included
Single Room Supplement
+$199
1. This extension requires a minimum of 2 passengers to operate. Flights for the extension must be confirmed separately by the airline, which typically takes 3-5 business days after you place your booking. We will notify you immediately when confirmed.
Flights & Departure Cities
Departure Airports
Miami (MIA)
included
This package includes round-trip flights from the cities listed above. Please review the flight schedule, especially if you're booking connecting flights.
Coming from somewhere else?Ask us about availability and prices for flights from other cities (details). Additional charges for flights from other cities may be due within 24 hours of your reservation.
How to Make a Reservation
To make a reservation, simply select an available departure date and reserve online using our secure booking system. Or call one of our travel specialists at 800-555-5765. But first, check out our Before You Book section.
We only require a per-person deposit payment, which you can pay with your credit card or PayPal account. This deposit will be applied towards the cost of your package, and is generally non-refundable (details). The balance is due 75 days prior to departure (or within 72 hours, if you're booking less than 75 days prior to departure), and can be paid by credit card, PayPal, check or money order.
Today, make your way to Miami International Airport and check-in for your flight
Arrive in Quito this evening and transfer by hotel shuttle service to your hotel for check-in
Full Day Itinerary: Today, make your way to Miami International Airport and check-in for your flight. Later this evening, arrive in Quito (9,500 feet above sea level) and after customs formalities, you will be met and transferred by scheduled shuttle service to your hotel for check-in and overnight.
Day 2: Quito, Baltra Island & Santa Cruz Island
Accommodations: 1 night 2017 departures: Angermeyer Waterfront Inn or similar; 2018 departures: Hotel Solymar or similar, Puerto Ayora. Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Baltra Island
Take a short ferry ride to Santa Cruz Island
See Los Gemelos lava chambers
Explore a 600-acre private giant tortoise reserve
Continue to Puerto Ayora for check-in and welcome drink
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your flight to Baltra, gateway to the Galapagos Islands to begin your adventure. Next, take a short ferry ride across Itabaca Channel to Santa Cruz Island, then drive through the various micro climates on your way to the village of Puerto Ayora on the south side of the island.
Today you'll see Los Gemelos (The Twins), two enormous collapsed lava chambers - an awe-inspiring visual reminder of the power of nature. The path to the lava chambers a wonderful introduction to the great biodiversity of the Santa Cruz Highlands, teeming with endemic flora and fauna, including a Scalesia Forest draped in liverwort and mosses, as well as numerous birds such as Darwin Finches.
Afterward, drive to a 600-acre private reserve where giant Galapagos tortoises freely roam, graze and sleep. Feel free to mingle with these gentle giants. As prehistoric as these creatures look, wait until you hear what they sound like! Galapago is Spanish for tortoise, and the islands were named for these amazing creatures. There will be a selection of field boots for your use if conditions are muddy.
Next, you'll have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the remnants of an illuminated lava tunnel. Created by ancient lava flows, the tunnel is 1350 feet long with a ceiling nearly 20 feet high in most places, adorned with stalagmites & stalactites, mineral-colored walls, and a rippled lava floor.
Continue to Puerto Ayora to check into your hotel.
Day 3: Santa Cruz Island & Isabela Island
Accommodations: 1 night 2017 departures: Isamar Hotel or similar; 2018 departures: Iguana Crossing or similar, Puerto Villamil. Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Board a speedboat and set off for Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island
See Concha de Perla
Afternoon at leisure for optional activities
Full Day Itinerary: Early this morning, board a shared charter speedboat embarking at approx. 7:00am and set off for Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island. The trip takes approximately two hours, and you may see some marine life such as whales, dolphins and manta rays among others. Upon arrival at Puerto Villamil, check in at your hotel.
After breakfast at the lodge, set out to see Concha de Perla. Return to the lodge for lunch. The balance of the day is at leisure for optional activities.
Day 4: Isabela Island & Santa Cruz Island
Accommodations: 2 nights 2017 departures: Angermeyer Waterfront Inn or similar; 2018 departures: Hotel Solymar or similar, Puerto Ayora. Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Explore a small group of islands called Las Tintoreras
Take a walk through a lava field that is home to a colony of marine iguanas
Board a speedboat and return to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island
Full Day Itinerary: After an early breakfast at the lodge, board a small craft and head out to Las Tintoreras, a small group of islands located just off the coast of Puerto Villami. Here, you’ll take an intriguing walk through a jagged lava field, passing abundant colonies of nesting marine iguanas and sea lions, to see a small canal of shallow waters, full of resting white-tipped reef sharks. After the walk, you have the opportunity to snorkel in this warm, shallow bay surrounded by mangroves, for an opportunity to see white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, sea turtles, and, of course, the mystery of the mangrove below the surface.
This afternoon board a shared charter speedboat heading back to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. Upon arrival at the hotel, check in and enjoy some free time to explore the town of Puerto Ayora.
Day 5: Tortuga Bay & Santa Cruz Island
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Set out on tour of beautiful Tortuga Bay
See exotic native species on a walk through a cactus forest
Continue to a sandy beach to observe marine creatures in the shallow water
After a chance to swim, take a short hike to an iguana nesting site
Walk through a prickly pear forest then continue back to the lodge
Visit the Charles Darwin Research Center independently after lunch
Full Day Itinerary: Depart after breakfast for a tour of Tortuga Bay. A short hike down a path will take you through a cactus forest, home to numerous Darwin Finches, Mockingbirds, Yellow Warblers, Lava Lizards and many more of the Galapagos’ endemic and native species. From the white sandy beach, you will have a chance to observe different marine species, like sting rays and baby reef sharks in the shallow waters of the mangroves.
After an opportunity to swim, take a short hike to a marine iguana nesting site. The walk back is through a prickly pear forest carpeted in crimson sesuvium with black lava outcroppings. Continue on foot back to the hotel or if a water taxi is available, you can pay for a short boat ride back to the hotel (approx. $10 per person). Visit the Charles Darwin Research Center independently in the afternoon after lunch. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Transfer to the Baltra airport for your flight back to Quito
Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel for check-in
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, head north along the Santa Cruz highway through the various vegetation zones of the island. The highway ends at a small port where you will board the ferry to Baltra Island. Continue to the Seymour Airport by bus passing through the rocky terrain and the remains of a strategic U.S. Army Air Force base constructed during World War 2. If time permits, take advantage of the souvenir shops at Seymour Airport before boarding your flight to Quito. Upon arrival, transfer by scheduled shuttle service to your hotel for check-in.
Day 7: Depart Quito/Arrive Miami
Transfer by hotel shuttle to the airport for your return flight
Arrive in Miami later today
Inter-Island Transportation
The Galapagos Islands are connected by shared charter speedboats that take travelers from one island to another. Unfortunately, most of the boats tend to be small, and the trip from island to island can be choppy. Be patient with this means of transport, as it is not possible to enjoy the incredible experiences found only on these islands without being able to get from place to place. Generally the trips can last 2 hours. While the inter-island trips can be bumpy at times due to rough seas, you'll travel in the relative comfort of our boats, which are among the best in the islands.
Important Travelers Notes
Due to the fragile ecosystem on the islands, there are very few roads accessible by motorized vehicles. Some venues within the islands may be accessed by foot only. When touring the islands, you may expect considerable amount of walking, often on uneven terrain. If you are prone to motion sickness, we highly recommend that you bring medication to counter the effects of motion sickness. We strongly recommend that you consult with your physician regarding any concerns.
The hotels on this tour are the finest properties available on the Galapagos, These are small, intimate and unique hotels, with all the necessary amenities, but accommodations are more basic than lavish, as the delicate island ecosystems cannot support large luxury hotels. Click the hotel names above for more details.
Amazon Optional Extension
Why not take advantage of your already-included international airfare to visit the fascinating Ecuadorian Amazon. Passengers taking the post-tour extension will arrive in the U.S. 3 days later than the dates listed.
Day 7: Quito, Papallacta & Ecuadorian Amazon
Accommodations: 2 nights Casa del Suizo, Punta Ahuano. Included meals: Breakfast & dinner.
Drive to the Ecuadorian Amazon
Stop en route at Papallacta hot springs
Continue to Punta Ahuano for a canoe ride on the Napo River to the lodge
Welcome cocktail and dinner
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast today, set out along a scenic stretch of road overlooking lush green valleys and sparkling waterfalls. En route, stop at Papallacta, a small resort town known for its thermal springs tucked high away in an Andean valley (11,000 feet above sea level). You’ll have the option to bathe in the hot springs ($19 per person, includes hot springs entrance, towel, and locker) or independently explore the surrounding area by foot.
Continue by van/coach and arrive this afternoon at Punta Ahuano, a tiny port town on the north bank of the Napo River, where piraguas (canoes) await you for a short ride downstream to your lodge. After check-in, sip a refreshing welcome cocktail and dinner.
Day 8: Amazon
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Enjoy a full day of activities at the Amazon lodge
Full Day Itinerary: Enjoy a full day exploring the wonders of the Napo River Amazon region. After a short walk through the jungle, your guide will present you with the itinerary for the day. Some of the activities available include a visit to a Quechua family, a demonstration of indigenous animal trapping techniques, nature hikes and river rafting or tubing along the Napo River. The activities for the day will be determined at the discretion of the tour guide to best fit your group’s abilities and interests. Time permitting, other independent activities may be available at additional cost.
Day 9: Amazon & Quito
Accommodations: 1 night Wyndham Quito Airport. Included meals: 2017 departures: Breakfast; 2018 departures: Breakfast & lunch.
Today, return to Quito
Check-in at your airport hotel for overnight
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, set out on canoes again to return to Punta Ahuano. Continue by van/coach along the scenic Andes Mountain range back to Quito. Arrive at your airport hotel for check in. The balance of the day is at leisure to enjoy the amenities at the hotel and rest before your return flight home tomorrow.
Day 10: Depart Quito/Arrive Miami
Take the hotel shuttle to the airport for your return flight
What a great trip we just had in Ecuador! Patricio, our guide, did a terrific job informing us of facts about Ecuador and challenging us physically on a hike through the Amazon forest. It was so exciting to tube on an Amazon tributary. Each day we were clearly prepared for what was happening and contributed to the choice several times. The animal refuge was inspiring as our guide shared his experiences restoring abused and/or orphaned animals to good health and, hopefully, return to the wild. The quality and quantity of food was top notch, and hotels provided R&R as well as shelter. Bus trips were extensive because of winding, narrow and steep roads, but Patricio kept us involved with historic and cultural info of the areas we visited. Big bang for the buck again with Friendly Planet. They're hard to beat.
Find everything you need to know before you go, including how to pay your balance due, and information about passport & visa requirements, flights, packing & luggage, and more.
Full Day Itinerary: Today, make your way to Miami International Airport and check-in for your flight. Later this evening, arrive in Quito (9,500 feet above sea level) and after customs formalities, you will be met and transferred by scheduled shuttle service to your hotel for check-in and overnight.
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your flight to Baltra, gateway to the Galapagos Islands to begin your adventure. Next, take a short ferry ride across Itabaca Channel to Santa Cruz Island, then drive through the various micro climates on your way to the village of Puerto Ayora on the south side of the island.
Afterward, drive to a 600-acre private reserve where giant Galapagos tortoises freely roam, graze and sleep. Feel free to mingle with these gentle giants. As prehistoric as these creatures look, wait until you hear what they sound like! Galapago is Spanish for tortoise, and the islands were named for these amazing creatures. There will be a selection of field boots for your use if conditions are muddy.
Full Day Itinerary: Early this morning, board a shared charter speedboat embarking at approx. 7:00am and set off for Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island. The trip takes approximately two hours, and you may see some marine life such as whales, dolphins and manta rays among others. Upon arrival at Puerto Villamil, check in at your hotel.
Full Day Itinerary: After an early breakfast at the lodge, board a small craft and head out to Las Tintoreras, a small group of islands located just off the coast of Puerto Villami. Here, you’ll take an intriguing walk through a jagged lava field, passing abundant colonies of nesting marine iguanas and sea lions, to see a small canal of shallow waters, full of resting white-tipped reef sharks. After the walk, you have the opportunity to snorkel in this warm, shallow bay surrounded by mangroves, for an opportunity to see white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, sea turtles, and, of course, the mystery of the mangrove below the surface.
Full Day Itinerary: Depart after breakfast for a tour of Tortuga Bay. A short hike down a path will take you through a cactus forest, home to numerous Darwin Finches, Mockingbirds, Yellow Warblers, Lava Lizards and many more of the Galapagos’ endemic and native species. From the white sandy beach, you will have a chance to observe different marine species, like sting rays and baby reef sharks in the shallow waters of the mangroves.
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast today, set out along a scenic stretch of road overlooking lush green valleys and sparkling waterfalls. En route, stop at Papallacta, a small resort town known for its thermal springs tucked high away in an Andean valley (11,000 feet above sea level). You’ll have the option to bathe in the hot springs ($19 per person, includes hot springs entrance, towel, and locker) or independently explore the surrounding area by foot.
Full Day Itinerary: Enjoy a full day exploring the wonders of the Napo River Amazon region. After a short walk through the jungle, your guide will present you with the itinerary for the day. Some of the activities available include a visit to a Quechua family, a demonstration of indigenous animal trapping techniques, nature hikes and river rafting or tubing along the Napo River. The activities for the day will be determined at the discretion of the tour guide to best fit your group’s abilities and interests. Time permitting, other independent activities may be available at additional cost.
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, set out on canoes again to return to Punta Ahuano. Continue by van/coach along the scenic Andes Mountain range back to Quito. Arrive at your airport hotel for check in. The balance of the day is at leisure to enjoy the amenities at the hotel and rest before your return flight home tomorrow.
