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Cruise the Galapagos on the Tip Top IV Ship

Private Charter - Islands Circumnavigation Aboard Tip Top IV

Example 15 Day Cruise aboard Tip Top IV
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Take a private cruise on this 15-day voyage that covers all the magnificent wonders the Galapagos has to offer. There will be a plethora of opportunities to snorkel, swim, and wander through the islands of this archipelago. Also enjoy several opportunities to encounter the incredible wildlife including Galapagos penguins, frigate birds, flightless cormorants, tortoises, and many more unique native species! Get to know this fascinating and unique world inside and out.
Snorkeling on a Sea Voyager cruiseSierra Negra volcanoGalapagos penguin by the water(Santa Cruz) IguanaCruise the Galapagos on the Tip Top IV Ship
Highlights
  • Snorkel and swim in North Seymour, surrounded by the stunning landscapes
  • Examine the environment of marine turtle on Espumilla
  • Hike to the Pitt Point with your private group of up to 16 guests
  • Visit Sullivan Bay and learn of the volcanic origin of the islands
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Baltra | Embark | Mosquera Islet

After arriving at the Baltra airport, a guide will conduct you to a bus, and after a short 5-kilometer ride to the pier; you board the Yacht immediately. As the crew weighs anchor, they greet you with your first orientation and offer a light snack.

After lunch, you make an early wet landing on Mosquera Islet, a reef of rocks and coral (the result of an uprising) and a great white sand beach and tide pools. You observe colonies of sea lions, brown pelicans, blue-footed boobies and sally light-foot crabs, the contrast between these bright red crabs on top and blue on the bottom and the black lava is stunning. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and snorkel. In the evening, you have an orientation about the Galapagos Islands in general: their origin and evolution. Welcome cocktail with the entire crew, and dinner.
Activities: Walking, Panga Ride, Snorkeling

Day 2: Sullivan Bay | Rabida

After breakfast, make a wet landing on Sullivan Bay, a perfect place to get a feel of the volcanic origin of the islands. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and snorkel. Return to the boat for a delicious lunch.
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

After this, you make a wet landing on Rabida, to walk and observe marine iguanas and sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, masked boobies, and brown pelicans. You make a little walk and you arrive at a small saltwater lagoon where you can see pink flamingos. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel or kayak. Return to the Yacht for dinner and nightly orientation.
Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga Ride, Snorkeling

Day 3: Espinoza Point | Elizabeth Bay

After breakfast, make a dry landing on Espinoza Point to observe and see a large colony of sea lions, marine iguanas, and the flightless cormorants and clumps of lava cactus. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and snorkel. You come aboard for lunch.
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

In the afternoon, you make a panga ride around the islets of Elizabeth Bay to see marine iguanas, penguins, marine turtles, seabirds and shorebirds, herons, and blue-footed boobies. Return to the Yacht for dinner and nightly orientation.
Activities: Panga Ride

Day 4: Urbina Bay | Tagus Cove

After breakfast, you make a wet landing on Urbina Bay to take a walk and observe a coral area, land iguanas, flightless cormorants, and giant tortoises. Optional: time for those who would like to swim or snorkel. Return to the Yacht for lunch.
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

In the afternoon, make a panga ride on Tagus Cove, a cove between the shoulders of two volcanic craters, which protect it from the open sea; observe penguins, marine iguanas, sea lions, and a variety of birds including flightless cormorants and blue-footed boobies. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel or kayak. Return to the Yacht for dinner and nightly orientation.
Activities: Walking, Panga Ride, Snorkeling

Day 5: Egas Port | Bartolome

After breakfast, you make a wet landing on James Bay (Puerto Egas), to walk and observe sponges, snails, hermit crabs, a variety of shore birds, barnacles and the endemic four-eyed blenny, marine iguanas and sea lions. Optional: time for those who would like to swim or snorkel. You return to the boat for a delicious lunch.
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

In the afternoon, you make a dry landing on Bartolome Island, to hike to the summit; during the hike, you observe colonies of marine iguanas and lava lizards. On the summit, you see an impressive view of the surrounding islands, including the eroded tuff cone of Pinnacle Rock. Optional: time for those who would like to swim or snorkel. You return to the yacht for a delicious dinner and nightly orientation.
Activities: Walking, Panga Ride, Snorkeling

Day 6: Chinese Hat | Dragon Hill

After breakfast, you make a wet landing on Chinese Hat (Sombrero Chino), a small island off the Coast of Santiago Island, you can observe on the rocky shoreline: Galapagos penguins, eagle rays, sea lions, and marine iguanas. This is an excellent snorkeling site. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel or kayak. You return to the boat for lunch.
Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga Ride, Snorkeling

Later in the afternoon, you make a dry landing on Dragon Hill, where you can see land iguanas; you walk to a hypersalinic lagoon (saltier than the ocean), where you can observe flamingos, common stilts, pintail ducks, and other species of birds. Optional: time for those who would like to swim or snorkel. You return to the Yacht for dinner and nightly orientation.
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

Day 7: Santa Cruz Highlands | Interpretation Center Fausto Llerena

After breakfast, you will disembark to take the bus to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island for a visit to the native forests, and Twin Craters, then, you will go to enjoy the giant tortoises in the wildlife on a farm. You will be delighted with the lunch on the farm.
Activities: Walking

After lunch, you will return to Puerto Ayora to start the visit to the Interpretation Center Fausto Llerena inside the Charles Darwin Research Station. You return to the Yacht for dinner and nightly orientation.

Day 8: North Seymour | Bachas Beach

After breakfast, you make an early dry landing for a walk along the coast and the interior of North Seymour Island, a low, flat island that was uplifted from the sea by underground seismic activity. You observe blue-footed boobies (they nest from May to November), marine iguanas, pelicans, frigate birds, shore birds, sea lions, and endemic Palo Santo. You return to the Yacht.
Activities: Walking, Panga Ride, Snorkeling

After lunch, disembark on Playa Las Bachas, a place where you can appreciate a Flamingos lagoon. During all walks, your guide will be explaining details about the lives of the birds and animals. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and snorkel, in the evening you have an orientation about the Galapagos Islands in general: their origin and evolution. Welcome cocktail with the entire crew, and dinner.
Activities: Walking, Snorkeling

Day 9: Prince Phillip’s Steps | Darwin Bay

After breakfast, you take a panga ride and you make a dry landing on Prince Phillips’s Steps (Barranco), you walk and observe the interesting lives of the birds here. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and snorkel or kayak. You come on board for a delicious lunch.
Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga Ride, Snorkeling

Later in the afternoon, you make a wet landing on Darwin Bay to walk and observe frigate birds, herons, mockingbirds, boobies, shorebirds, turtles, marine iguanas, etc. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel or kayak. Dinner on the Yacht, and then your orientation about conservation efforts made to protect the Islands.
Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga Ride, Snorkeling

Day 10: South Plaza | Santa Fe

After breakfast, you make a dry landing on the pier of the South Plaza, there you can enjoy the antics of the sea lions. A walk through a cactus forest allows you to observe land iguanas and many species of tropical birds. Return to the Yacht for lunch.
Activities: Walking

Then, you make a wet landing on Santa Fe Island to visit the cactus forest and a colony of land iguanas native to Santa Fe. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel or kayak. At the end of the afternoon, return to the Yacht for dinner and nightly orientation.
Activities: Walking, Kayaking, Panga Ride, Snorkeling

Day 11: Santa Cruz Highlands | Tortuga Bay Beach

After breakfast, you will disembark to take the bus to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island for a visit to the native forests, Cerro Mesa, then, you will go to enjoy the giant tortoises in the wildlife on a farm. You will be delighted with the lunch on the farm.
Activities: Walking

After lunch, you will return to Puerto Ayora to start the visit to El Garrapatero or Tortuga Bay Beaches. You return to the Yacht for dinner and nightly orientation.
Activities: Walking

Day 12: Baroness Point View | Post Office Bay | Cormorant Point | Champion Islet

After breakfast, you make a wet landing, you will continue to the Baroness Point view, named due to the presence of a particular character who lived on Floreana Island, it is the Baroness Eloisa von Wagner, you will enjoy the beautiful landscape and the ruins of her house; then, you'll stop at Post Office Bay, a historic site that recalls the days of the whalers, who presumably placed a wooden barrel in the 18th century to use it as a post office. Return to the Yacht for lunch.
Activities: Baroness Point View (Walking, Kayaking, Panga Ride), Post Office Bay (Walking, Snorkeling)

In the afternoon, you make a wet landing on Cormorant Point for a short walk to the Flamingo Lagoon of this island. You then continue the walk until we reach the beach called "La Picona" to see marine turtles and their spawning grounds. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and snorkel. Then, make a panga ride on Champion Islet, a small island off the Coast of Floreana Island. The principal attraction of Champion Islet is the nearly-extinct Charles (Floreana) Mockingbird. Visitors can also observe bird species such as Swallow-tailed Gulls, Nazca Boobies, or Brown Noddies. It is a great place for snorkeling; you will see sea turtles, reef fishes, Galapagos Penguins, and white-tipped reef sharks. Optional: time for those who would like to swim and/or snorkel. You return to the Yacht for dinner and nightly orientation.
Activities: Cormorant Point (Walking, Panga Ride, Snorkeling), Champion Islet (Snorkeling, Panga Ride)

Day 13: Suarez Point | Gardner Islet | Osborn Islet | Gardner Bay

After breakfast, you make an early dry landing on Punta Suarez to walk along lava beds where you will observe unique colonies of marine birds, including Albatross (May - December). Return to the Yacht for lunch.
Activities: Walking

In the afternoon, make a panga ride around the Osborn Islet and the islets of Gardner. Then, you make a wet landing in Gardner Bay for a walk on the beach and observe a colony of sea lions, which inhabit the beach in great quantity during the breeding season; this is also an important nesting area for sea turtles. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel or kayak. Return to the Yacht for dinner and nightly orientation.
Activities: Gardner Islet (Panga Ride), Osborn Islet (Panga Ride), Gardner Bay (Walking, Kayaking, Snorkeling)

Day 14: Cerro Brujo | Kicker Rock | Interpretation Center Gianni Arismendi

After breakfast, your experienced Captain sails easily around Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido), a massive tuff-rock that juts abruptly almost 500 feet straight from the ocean. Kicker Rock serves as a nesting place for many sea birds. Then, you make a wet landing on Cerro Brujo to walk on a white sand beach and observe sea lions, brown pelicans, marine iguanas, and blue-footed boobies. Optional: time for those who would like to swim, snorkel, or Kayak. You come aboard for a delicious lunch.
Activities: Cerro Brujo (Walking, Kayaking, Panga Ride, Snorkeling), Kicker Rock (Panga Ride)

In the afternoon, you make a dry landing at San Cristobal port and visit the Interpretation Center Gianni Arismendy at Port, where you learn about the origin and evolution of the Galapagos Islands, regarding the human, natural, and conservation aspects. Time in town to do your last shopping or to go to the ATM. You return to the Yacht for dinner, and nightly orientation.
Activities: Walking

Day 15: Black Turtle Cove | Baltra | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
After breakfast, you make a panga ride on Black Turtle Cove, a series of mangrove-surrounded coves and islets; here you can observe white-tipped sharks, marine turtles, spotted eagle rays, and, yellow cow-nosed rays.
Activities: Panga Ride

You return to the Yacht for disembarking on the pier at 09:00. Your guide accompanies you on the bus ride directly to the airport.

Ship/Hotel

Tip Top IV

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$157,605 2-3 travelers
Cruise the Galapagos on the Tip Top IV Ship
Lower Deck Cabin
6 lower deck with two twin beds that can be converted into king beds. Some rooms are interconnecting, which is a great option for families.
Cruise the Galapagos on the Tip Top IV Ship
Upper Deck Cabin
4 upper deck cabins with two twin beds that can be converted into king beds.

Notes

Please reserve your wetsuit in advance prior to trip.

Child Discount

50% discount for children under the age of 12 at time of Galapagos cruise. Child discounts are conditional and may not apply on certain departures. Please contact us for more information.

Children under 12 may receive discounts on Galapagos flight fares and entrance fees. Contact us for details.
Included
  • 14 Breakfasts, 14 Lunches, 14 Dinners
  • 14 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Bilingual Naturalist Guide 
  • Adventure Life Pre-departure Services and In-Country Assistance (Quito Representative)
  • Shore Excursions, Swimming and Snorkeling 
  • Transfers and Baggage Handling in the Galapagos
  • Use of all on-board water toys, such as snorkeling gear, kayaks, paddle boards, etc.
  • Internal Flights: Mainland Ecuador - Galapagos - Mainland Ecuador
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Galapagos Park Entrance Fee: $200 per adult, $100 per child under 12. Payable upon arrival to the Galapagos, only in cash dollars. Subject to increase by Galapagos Park Service.
  • Wetsuits are not included but are available to rent on board - $35 short and $40 long size for 4-day tours; $40 short and $45 long size for 5-day tours; $45 short and $55 long size for 8-day tours; $70 short and $80 long size for 11-day tours; and $80 short and $90 long size for 15-day tours.

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The trip might have been the absolute best of our lifetime (thus far). We particularly want to commend our guide Peter in the Guilin area-he was so incredibly attentive, energetic, enthusiastic-and absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our meals were 100% vegetarian.
Jack Charney

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