Regardless of the specific ship or island, all Galapagos itineraries will follow a very similar format. In order to preserve the Galapagos and protect the wildlife, the Galapagos National Park Directorate helps to orchestrate tourism of the islands. All travelers are allowed one land and one water activity per day, but often you’ll experience more! Regardless of which islands you visit, you’re sure to see something amazing and get some wonderful photos.
An example cruise day would look like the following:
Typically, in the Galapagos, your day begins by 7-8:00 AM with a warm buffet breakfast. Within another hour you’ll be off and running on the first activity of the day, whether it be by land or by sea. Your guide will instruct you of any necessary items to bring to ensure you’re comfortable and prepared. Often these items will include the correct footwear, water bottle, camera, sunscreen, and bug spray if necessary.
The land activities involve 90-120 minutes of leisurely walking through trails and among islands spotting wildlife and learning about the various islands. When possible, the naturalist guide will take pauses to teach you about the surroundings. They’ll also be sure to point out the best photo ops! After working an appetite, you’ll return to the ship for lunch and to prepare for the afternoon’s excursion.
Well-fed and prepared, you’ll head to your afternoon excursion and continue the exploration of the islands!
For water excursions, plan to snorkel for approximately an hour spotting various wildlife from tropical to fish, to sea lions, and maybe even a penguin! For those who are a bit uneasy in the water or need a break from the activity, the pangas are ready to pick you up at the wave of a hand. On certain days, kayaking may even be available as a wonderful addition to snorkeling.
Back on-board again, the afternoon is typically free to spend at your leisure napping, journaling, or spending time on the sun deck attempting to see more wildlife while sailing to the next destination. Personally, I always opted for the latter! Majority of days, a third land or water activity ensued in the late afternoon. Sunset on the islands was a wonderful way to end the daily excursions.
After a delicious dinner and a decadent dessert, every evening consisted of a briefing by our naturalist guide. Each briefing would advise us of the scheduled activities and timings for the following day, the recommended clothing, and a general Q&A session. Evenings were spent leisurely among the other wonderful guests on-board.
My travel consultant went out of her way to make sure everything went smoothly, everything from the flight reservations to the final booking.
johnw
4 months ago
We have told everyone we know about Adventure Life. What a great company to work with and no detail is missed. Call them for your next adventure!!
Paul Rupert
4 months ago
Clara was great to work with. She presented lots of options and always responded promptly. And she found excellent options within our price range.
Colorado Traveler
7 months ago
Erin C. was incredibly helpful and thorough. I had answers immediately or within the same day.
Marilyn Snook
8 months ago
The staff at Adventure Life made planning my family's trip to the Galapagos Islands as easy as possible. They listened to what we were hoping to experience and made thoughtful suggestions about how to accomplish our vacation goals while meeting the needs of travelers ages 17-76! They patiently answered questions and follow up questions in the months leading up to the trip. They helped us trouble shoot and customize the trip in every way possible. The logistics involved in traveling from Boston to the Galapagos are innumerable. The Adventure Life staff helped us arrange every detail and the team they assembled in the Galapagos was tremendous. I have never done a trip this big before and after working with Adventure Life this time--would not hesitate one second in working with them again.