CLASSIC GALAPAGOS I 10 DAYS / 9 NIGHTS | FROM $3770
Duration
Tour Type
Explore Tours
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Reservations are subject to availability and may change without prior notice UNTIL YOUR RESERVATION IS CONFIRMED
- To make a reservation, 50% of the fare per passenger must be paid, NON-REFUNDABLE
- Rate applies with a minimum of 2 passengers
- Please inquire about the supplement when traveling alone
- Please inquire about rates for groups
- Itinerary subject to changes due to: weather problems, operational inconveniences, or situations that may endanger the passenger
- The operator is obliged to change to a hotel of the same category assigned to the client in case of emergencies.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
- The quotation is valid for 24 hours after the date of submission
- The price may vary after this date if there is no prior confirmation
- The total amount must be paid in full 30 days before the reservation entry date.
Included/Exclude
- Transfer for international flights AIRPORT – HOTEL – AIRPORT
- Air tickets: Quito – San Cristóbal – Santa Cruz – Quito
- Transfer for domestic flights HOTEL – AIRPORT – HOTEL
- One-way flight: San Cristóbal – Isabela.
- Shared maritime transportation
- Certified Galapagos National Park English/Spanish-speaking guide
- 9 nights of accommodation, 5-star Hotel in Quito, Superior Tourist Hotels in Galapagos.
- Meals according to the itinerary: 9 breakfasts, 2 set menu lunches.
- Visits according to the itinerary
- Snorkeling equipment for boat tours
- GALÁPAGOS NATIONAL PARK Fee: $200.00 USD per person, cash only.
- INGALA transit card: $20.00 USD per person, cash only.
- Isabela entry tax: $10.00 USD per passenger.
- Santa Cruz dock entry and exit tax: $1.00 USD per way, per person.
- Water taxis.
- International flights and airport taxes.
- Personal expenses and tips for guides, drivers and hotels (Estimated budget $250 USD).
- Any activity not detailed in the itinerary.
- Meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary (Estimated cost: $300.00 USD per person).
- Entrance fees to tourist attractions not specified in the itinerary.
- Alcoholic beverages
- Wetsuit and fins (Estimated cost: $30.00 USD per person).
- My own room supplement estimated budget: $750.00 USD.
- Medical and travel Insurance (MANDATORY)
This departure requires a minimum of 2 passengers.
Arrival in Quito.
Welcome to Quito! It is the most visited city in Ecuador due to its cultural richness and is considered the "Art Relic of America." It was also the first city to be declared by UNESCO as a "Cultural Heritage of Humanity." The city is surrounded by the volcanoes Pichincha, Antisana, Cotopaxi, and Cayambe that form the Andean contour. Depending on your arrival time, you can spend the day exploring Quito's old town and its surroundings. We can help organize a day tour (request in advance). In the evening, one of our guides will meet you in the hotel lobby for a welcome briefing at 6:00 PM.
This will be a time to discuss details and any questions you may have about the adventure. Our first day is for acclimatization and information.
Included: Accommodation at Swissotel Quito or similar in double occupancy.
Not included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Quito – San Cristobal – Transfer in – La Loberia Snorkel
Today we start exploring the most amazing archipelago on the Pacific coast and the place where Charles Darwin based his theory of species evolution. We will take a morning flight from Quito to San Cristobal Island. Once we arrive, we will transfer to the hotel in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and have a brief talk about the upcoming days before starting the adventure. In the afternoon, we will head to "La Lobería," a beach and nursery for large Galapagos sea lions. We can see them playing on the rocks or lazily dozing in the sand. We may also see yellow warblers, frigate birds, and various species of Darwin's finches along the beach. Among the rocks, we may find marine iguanas, which can only be seen in the Galapagos. There will also be time for a refreshing swim, exploring the waters with our snorkel equipment, and enjoying the beach.
Included: Accommodation at Hotel Blue Marlin or similar in double occupancy, breakfast.
Not included: lunch and dinner.
Leon Dormido – snorkeling – Cerro Brujo
In the morning, we will take a speedboat to Kicker Rock, also known as León Dormido due to its resemblance. This site is located off the coast of San Cristobal. The remnants of a lava cone eroded by the sea, two vertical rocks rising 500 feet above the ocean, form a small navigable channel for small boats. This natural monument of the Galapagos Islands has become a favorite spectacle due to the numerous tropical birds, frigates, and boobies that fill the sky in this area. Below the sea, the clear waters offer a brilliant display of colorful tropical fish, such as rainbow fish, and sharks, like hammerhead, reef, and white-tip sharks. After lunch, we visit Cerro Brujo, an island teeming with noisy, frolicking sea lions that welcome us to their home with open flippers. This island also offers excellent opportunities for snorkeling, as well as the possibility of seeing blue-footed and Nazca boobies.
Included: Accommodation at Hotel Blue Marlin or similar in double occupancy, breakfast, and lunch.
Not included: dinner.
Flight San Cristobal – Isabela – Turtle Breeding Center – Wall of Tears.
In the morning, we will take a short flight to Isabela Island, the largest island in the archipelago and the place with the most volcanic activity in the Galapagos. The island is formed by six shield volcanoes: Alcedo, Cerro Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra, and Wolf, five of which are still active, making the island one of the places with the most volcanic activity on the planet. In the afternoon, we explore the island's incredible ecosystem and wildlife, enjoying excellent views of flamingos and marine iguanas in the saltwater lagoons, white sand beaches, and mangrove forests. One of the highlights today is the Turtle Breeding Center, where we will see giant tortoises at various stages of development, from eggs to small hatchlings, juveniles, and subadults. We also visit the Wall of Tears, a huge wall built with lava rocks. This site dates back to the 1950s when Isabela was used as a penal colony, and prisoners were forced to build the wall to prevent them from going insane due to the isolation they lived in. After dinner, we can enjoy a stunning sunset on the beach at Puerto Villamil.
Included: Accommodation at Hotel Albemarle or similar in double occupancy, breakfast.
Not included: lunch and dinner.
Snorkeling at Tintoreras
Today we will visit Tintoreras Islet, located a short distance from Puerto Villamil and home to a variety of wildlife. We will have a fantastic snorkeling experience in its turquoise and crystal-clear waters, inhabited by white-tip reef sharks, Galapagos penguins, sea turtles, and sea lions. Then we will take a walk to explore the islets' beaches, surrounded by mangroves. This is one of the few sites where marine iguanas can successfully reproduce.
Included: Accommodation at Hotel Albemarle or similar in double occupancy, breakfast, and lunch.
Not included: dinner.
Tunnels of Cabo Rosa
Today we will explore the amazing lava formations created by the last eruptions of the volcanic island along the seashore. This magical place has been used by BBC/National Geographic staff for their documentaries. It is a labyrinth of lava arches within the breaking waves with crystal clear water filled with huge sea turtles, eagle rays, sea lions, fish, white-tip reef sharks, and more. The turtles navigate their own highway from the mangroves to the open sea through "Los Túneles." Here we will have the best opportunity to snorkel with all these beautiful animals, including the curious Galapagos penguin playing. After the trip, you can enjoy some optional activities such as snorkeling at “Concha de Perla” or simply relaxing on the exotic white sand beaches of Isabela Island.
Included: Accommodation at Hotel Albemarle or similar in double occupancy, breakfast.
Not included: lunch and dinner.
Transfer Isabela – Santa Cruz – Bay Tour – Playa de los perros.
Today you will be picked up and transferred to Santa Cruz and enjoy a half-day tour of Academy Bay. Make sure to pack everything you need for this trip. Optional snorkel equipment will be provided free of charge to anyone who wants to use it. During the tour, you will take a boat to Academy Bay where you can swim and snorkel with all kinds of exotic fish and marine life, including the famous sea lions; they are very curious animals and love to swim next to you underwater. You can also see the sought-after blue-footed boobies. Then, climb to a nearby viewpoint, and if you are lucky, you can see white-tip reef sharks swimming in the ocean. Then, take a walk along Playa de los Perros, where many marine iguanas can be seen basking in the sun. The huge cacti, the intense red color of the rocks, and the sparkling turquoise ocean provide excellent photo opportunities.
Included: Accommodation at Hotel Dejavu or similar in double occupancy, breakfast.
Not included: lunch and dinner.
Charles Darwin Research Station.
In the morning, after a delicious breakfast, we will visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn more about many of the endemic species seen in the wild, as well as ongoing conservation and management efforts in the Galapagos Islands.
Enjoy the rest of the afternoon free to relax and get to know this beautiful island.
Included: Accommodation at Hotel Dejavu or similar in double occupancy, breakfast.
Not included: lunch and dinner.
Santa Cruz - Transfer out – Quito
After our final breakfast on the Galapagos Islands and the last photos taken of the sea lions, we have a transfer to Baltra airport in time to catch the flight back to the mainland. Upon arrival in Quito, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for one more free night before saying goodbye.
Included: Accommodation at Swissotel Quito or similar in double occupancy, breakfast.
Not included: lunch and dinner.
Departure
Today our journey will end, and you will have your international departures. Take your memories and photographs with you and leave a piece of your heart, as you will soon want to return to Ecuador to experience more of this enchanted land. We wish you a “bon voyage”!
Included: breakfast.
Not included: lunch and dinner.
This departure requires a minimum of 2 passengers.
