Galapagos Escape

Arrive in Ecuador via Quito, the capital in the Andes, or Guayaquil, a coastal city. A transfer takes you to your hotel for an overnight stay. Both cities are well-served by international carriers, and Galapagos flights start and end in Quito with a stop in Guayaquil. In Guayaquil, guests stay at Hotel del Parque, a 44-room hotel in a garden setting by the river. Quito offers several hotel options, including one near the airport for convenience.

Fly to Baltra in the center of the Galapagos, a little world unto itself in the Tropical Pacific, where you are welcomed by your naturalist staff as you begin exploring the islands.

Listed below is a sample of islands you may visit during your expedition. Expeditions begin and end at Isla Santa Cruz and include a careful selection of diverse islands. No two days are alike. Each itinerary offers an optimal balance of wildlife, landscapes, and experiences. All ship itineraries are subject to Galapagos National Park regulations.

Santa Fe: Snorkel and kayak in the secluded cove at Barrington Bay. On shore, a trail leads you through the largest cactus trees in Galapagos. The Santa Fe land iguana is found only on this island, where Galapagos hawks are also thriving once again.

Plaza Sur: Sea lions greet you at South Plaza, an uplifted block carpeted in salt-loving succulents and teeming with wildlife, including a noisy group of bachelor sea lions and a population of land iguanas. 

Santiago: Hike over the smooth pahoehoe lava and admire spatter cones, little miniature hornitos, and the wild riot of black lava at Sullivan Bay, the result of an eruption recorded by passing buccaneers in 1897. Snorkel and explore by kayak and Zodiac the crystalline water surrounding Sombrero Chino. Keep a keen eye for the Galapagos penguin, sometimes spotted along the coast.

Genovesa: Sail north across the Equator to the remote northern realm of the Galapagos, bathed in warmer tropical waters and home to the red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, great frigate birds, and other nesting seabirds. Paddle and kayak along the cliffs of this flooded caldera, where Galápagos fur seals and sea lions haul out to rest. 

Santa Cruz: Journey to the lush, green highlands, where you can see giant Galapagos tortoises roaming wild at a local ranch. Continue to Baltra for a flight back to the mainland. 

Disembark this morning for a return flight to the mainland, where you transfer to Hotel del Parque in Guayaquil. In Quito, there are several hotel options. The afternoon and evening are at your leisure. You may be able to take advantage of overnight flights home. Ask your expedition specialist about joining a culturally rich post-voyage extension to Quito and Otavalo, a celebrated market town.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and board flights home, unless you have arranged for additional nights or an extension.