You will be met on arrival in Ecuador, either in Quito, the capital city in the Andes, or in the coastal city of Guayaquil, for an included transfer to your convenient 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, you will stay at the Hotel del Parque, a 44-room Relais & Châteaux hotel set along the river in lush tropical gardens. In Quito, you have the choice of several hotels, including a convenient airport hotel. You may opt to reserve additional hotel nights and tours in Quito or Guayaquil.

Fly to Baltra in the center of Galápagos, a little world unto itself in the Tropical Pacific. We are welcomed by our naturalist staff and start exploring the islands.

Listed below is a sample of islands we may visit during our expedition. Our expeditions begin and end at Baltra, and include visits to Isla Santa Cruz and a careful selection of diverse islands. Each of our itineraries offers an optimal balance of wildlife, landscapes, and experiences. All ship itineraries are subject to Galápagos National Park regulations.

Santa Fe
Snorkel and kayak in the secluded cove at Barrington Bay. On shore, follow a trail through the largest cactus trees in Galápagos. The Santa Fe land iguana, found only on this island, thrives here along with the Galápagos hawks.

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

Santiago
Hike over the smooth pahoehoe lava and admire spatter cones, 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 in the crystalline waters surrounding Sombrero Chino, keeping an eye out for the Galápagos penguin, sometimes spotted along the coast.

Genovesa
Sail north across the Equator to the remote northern realm of the Galápagos, bathed in warmer tropical waters and home to 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 Galápagos 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 we 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.