Galapagos Superior Tourist Cruises

Galapagos cruise typical day

Read about a day aboard a Galapagos cruise ship in Tom's blog.

After breakfast aboard your vessels, you go ashore or for a snorkel with your naturalist guide in a small boat, called a "panga".

Well marked paths lead you to fascinating wildlife discoveries, including sea lions, iguanas and Galapagos penguins.

Snorkeling is encouraged, with opportunities most days to explore an incredible underwater world and enjoy close encounters with a host of colourful fish, sea lions and sea turtles.

You return to your vessel for lunch, followed perhaps by a short siesta while sailing to the next visitor's site. The rest of the afternoon is spent on shore or snorkelling, before returning to your boat to enjoy a spectacular sunset.

After dinner, your naturalist guide will usually offer a briefing on the next day's activities.

Since each island has its own unique landscape and diverse animal, bird and plant species, every day is a new adventure.

If you are worried about seasickness, read our blog about Galapagos and avoiding seasickness.

Itineraries

Read our guide to Galapagos itineraries.

Galapagos boats may change itineraries without notice if necessary.

This could be due to Galapagos National Park regulations, weather conditions, route availability or to allow the cruise to reach its desired visiting point.

Boat may also change itinerary to prevent the migration and protect the flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands, domestic flight alterations and acts of providence.

Passengers embarking

Please note that there may be changes of passengers on some days throughout the cruise, which may result in waiting times for remaining passengers.

Equally, if passengers are arriving and leaving on different flights there may be waiting times either on board or at the airport.

Food

Please remember the isolated location of the Galapagos - any food on board is flown in from the mainland.

This may mean limited meals choices on board, and while special dietary requirements (vegetarian/vegan/etc) are catered for, there will likely be a limited selection.

Galapagos boats, cruises, hotel-based trips

Read our blog about Cruise or Hotel? for more in depth information.

Boats

These cruise slowly around the islands, usually at night while you sleep aboard, and you launch in a small panga to visit the islands.

Boats range from Tourist motor boats to First Class yachts, and hotel-based trips from three star five stars, so there are plenty of options to suit your travel plans and budget.

First class boats will typically offer larger cabins with twin or double beds and private bathrooms, more deck space, faster cruising speeds and sometimes free extras such as a Jacuzzi, sea kayak or drinks. The boats could be sailors, yachts or catamarans and will be the most comfortable option.

Superior Tourist boats generally offer bunk beds in cabins with private bathrooms, and offer great comfort at great value. There are a huge variety of boats in this bracket.

Tourist standard boats will offer a standard service, ideal for those on a budget or backpacking. Cabins will be bunks, often with private bathroom, but may not have some extras such as air conditioning and hot water showers.

Hotels

Land-based trips use a combination of pangas and speedboats to move you around to the various sites and you spend your evenings relaxing on the islands. Some land-based trips move around various islands, some offer day trips from one hotel, such as Finch Bay.

We have hotel-based group trips departing most months of the year, or we can design a private trip, perfect for everyone from families to honeymooners.

Choose from standard accommodation upwards.

Galapagos park fees

Before you fly from Quito or Guayaquil airport, you need to pay USD 20pp for a transit control card. Some cruises pre-pay this and include it in your trip cost.

On arrival in the Galapagos, you will be asked by a representative of the Galapagos National Park to pay the Park fee in cash (currently US$ 100 per person, USD 50 per person for under 12s).

The dock tax is US$5 on Isabela Island, and the airport tax is US$15 for flights between islands.

All National Park fees subject to change without prior notice.

Fitness and experience

The Galapagos Islands are a suitable destination for most ages and fitness levels. Walks are generally short, although some volcano hikes are more challenging and may involve 2-3 hours of walking. Snorkelling is a real highlight on the Galapagos, so the ability to swim and snorkel is recommended. Snorkelling is suitable for those that have never tried before.

You need to be able to make some wet landings i.e. stepping out of a panga onto a sandy shore, and you may need to ascend or desend small ladders when getting on or off boats at docks or to snorkel.

The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy the Islands, but they really are accessible to all. You can choose to skip any activities you do not wish to partake in.

Read more in our blog about a typical day on Galapagos.

Introduction to Galapagos

These magical islands comprise of 50 volcanic islands of varying shapes and sizes, which lie 1,000 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador.

Here, unlike anywhere else on Earth, you can enjoy a thousand close encounters with a weird and wonderful variety of ‘friendly locals’, including giant tortoises, fur seals, sea iguanas, frigate birds and blue-footed boobies.

Read our Galapagos Islands Guide and more about diving.

In 1535, Tomás de Berlanga, Bishop of Panama, floated into this archipelago and named it Galapagos after the giant tortoises he encountered. Pirates used the islands for refuge and to bury their stolen treasure after that.

The islands’ most celebrated visitor was Charles Darwin, who arrived aboard the HMS Beagle in 1835. The rare life forms he encountered helped him formulate his theory of evolution, which he published in The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

It wasn't until 1959 when it became part of Ecuador’s national park system that this fragile ecosystem with its rare and endemic species came under protection.

In 1979 the Galapagos archipelago was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Suggested Trips

Bonita Yacht Galapagos Cruise

Available as:

a Group Tour

What's a group trip?

Join a small group of like-minded travellers on a guided trip.

a Tailor Made Tour

What's a tailor made trip?

We put together a bespoke tour to fit your requirements.

Prices From $2,700 / £2,195 per person

Duration: 5

Capacity: 16 people

Bonita Cruise, Galapagos Islands The Bonita’s carefully-crafted five and seven-day itineraries maximise wildlife encounters on land and in the sea. There are free-to-use paddleboards and kayaks, and wetsuits are also included for everyone. Galapagos is one of the best snorkel sites in the world, and Bonita visits the cream of…

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Testimonials

Alexandra and Daniel, Tailor-made Ecuador, Galapagos and Colombia, July 2024 Kat provided us with the most amazing holiday to Ecuador, the Galapagos and Colombia. She planned it to meet every single need and want we expressed as well as more! The time and effort she went to make the trip as smooth and easy was incredible! We felt totally looked after both by her before the trip as well as during the trip with all the guides and timings of everything that she had arranged. We chose Andean trails as they were the most accommodating, organized and efficient in their communication and coming up with an itinerary with matched 100 % with what we wanted. The tour guides/ drivers both in Ecuador and Colombia were exceptional and every tour arranged in all three destinations was perfect. The whole planning of the trip ran without a single flaw. The dream holiday! Thanks so much Kat!

Brian Sargent, Maquipucuna and Galapagos Cruise, Feb 2024. Andean Trails Ltd. for Ecuador and the Galapagos is absolutely 100% first class and excellent value. I strongly recommend that travellers use them. At over 80, l am not up to the impressive hiking of younger travellers in 2024. So, I researched broadly the Galapagos holiday I wanted, in addition to a trip around South America. Enter Tom at Andean Trails. I quickly realised his long personal experiences in Ecuador & Galapagos could improve on my broad plans. So handed them to him to provide the detailed 3week trip including hotel & transfers at Quito, 12 days on boat in Galapagos, 6days in island hotels, and some days in cloud forest with all transfers & documents. Oh yes, and when civil conflict broke out, he organised all the changes quickly & without fuss. Tom at Andean Trails listened, understood and sorted everything for me before, during and after my trip of a lifetime. Many thanks, Brian

>> Maquipucuna Cloud Forest Eco Lodge, Ecuador >>Galapagos Cruise

Brian Sargent, Maquipucuna and Galapagos Cruise, Feb 2024

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Galapagos Superior Tourist Cruises

Introduction to Galapagos Superior Tourist Cruises

Galapagos cruise typical day

Galapagos boats, cruises, hotel-based trips

Galapagos park fees

Fitness and experience

Introduction to Galapagos

Find Tours

Talk to our expert

Ask Kat Dougal

Enquire

Testimonials

Follow Us

Contact Us

Galapagos Superior Tourist Cruises

Introduction to Galapagos Superior Tourist Cruises

Galapagos cruise typical day

Galapagos boats, cruises, hotel-based trips

Galapagos park fees

Fitness and experience

Introduction to Galapagos

Suggested Trips

Aida Maria, Galapagos Cruise Boat

Bonita Yacht Galapagos Cruise

Galaxy Orion Galapagos Boat

Samba Galapagos Sailing Boat

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