Galapagos Experience

(20 reviews)

From:

CAD $1979

7 Days

Best Rate: Guarantee

Trip Type: Small Group

Activity Level: Average

Follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin on this wildlife-filled adventure through nature’s playground.

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Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 11 Jun 2027

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Experience Overview

Follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin on this seven-day adventure through nature’s playground. Discover the incredible evolutionary history of the Galapagos Islands under the guidance of an expert naturalist guide. With accommodation on Isla Santa Cruz, Isla Isabela and Isla San Cristobal, this trip is perfect for travellers who don’t want to tour the islands on a cruise. You’ll have an expert leader to guide you through the range of optional activities on offer – you can customise your adventure so that you’ll do more of what you love, whether you want to get active with some hiking, get to know the incredible local marine life a little better or relax on the beach.

Highlights

Opt to go snorkelling in Tijeretas – keep an eye out for eagle rays, Galapagos sea turtles, sea lions and plenty of colourful fish.
Take on the challenge of an optional, but highly rewarding volcano hike on Isla Isabela. This 17-km hike showcases some epic views across the island, plus the possibility of sighting the rare, red-feathered vermilion flycatcher.
Head to the highlands of Isla Santa Cruz to see giant tortoises munching grass, walking slowly and chilling in their natural habitat.
You have the option to tailor your experience with optional excursions like nature hikes and boat trips. Your local leader’s expert knowledge will help you create an unforgettable Galapagos experience.
Learn about Galapagos’ natural and exploratory history with a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station and learn about conservation efforts to preserve their ecosystems.

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Trip Details

Product Code: 1901

Tour Type: Small Group

Accommodation: Basic

Transport: Speed boat, Private Vehicle, Public bus

Guide Language: English

Travel Styles: Budget

Tour Operator: Intrepid Travel

Supplier Code: GGRX

Starts: Isla Santa Cruz, Ecuador

Finishes: Isla San Cristobal, Ecuador

Duration: 7 days

Departures: Not Guaranteed

Physical Rating: Average

Includes

Meals: Lunch (1),
Accommodation: Guesthouse (6 nights)

Price

Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $1979 ($283 /day)

Itinerary

Day 1: Isla Santa Cruz

Bienvenidos! Welcome to the Galapagos. You’ll meet your trip leader and the other travellers in your group at 11 am at the airport, then you’ll take a bus to Puerto Ayora. Head to the higher part of the islands to have close encounters with giant tortoises and observe these giants roaming in their natural habitat. Check into your hotel, then kick-start your adventure with a walking tour of Puerto Ayora with your leader. This afternoon, you’ll go on a walk to Tortuga Bay – an idyllic white sand beach where you can go kayaking, see marine iguanas or swim with harmless sharks.

Included Activities:

Isla Santa Cruz - Tortuga Bay walk
Isla Santa Cruz - Highlands Visit (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 2: Isla Isabela

Have an early start this morning and travel to Isla Isabela – the largest island in the Galapagos and one of the most volcanically active places on earth. When you arrive, join your leader for a walking tour to get your bearings, then visit a lagoon where you’ll see flamingos wading through the water – if it’s the right time of year, you might even see them nesting or doing their courtship dance. Head to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre for a close encounter with these placid giants. Here, you’ll see tortoises in different stages of development and learn about the preservation program for this fascinating species.

Included Activities:

Isla Isabela - Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 3: Isla Isabela

Today is free for you to choose your own adventure on Isla Isabela. Ask your leader about the optional activities on offer – you might like to do something active, you could take a bus to the highest part of Isabela, where Sierra Negra Volcano is located, and take on a challenging 17-km hike up to the crater to see the spectacular views. If you’re lucky, you might even see the rare vermillion flycatcher. A worthwhile optional activity today is an excursion to Las Tintoreras, where white-tipped sharks rest during the day and marine iguanas nest. Otherwise, you could relax on the beach with a book, go for a swim or even do some snorkelling to discover what hidden wonders lie in Isla Isabela’s waters – you might see tropical fish, sea turtles or marine iguanas.

Optional Activities:

Isla Isabela - wetsuit rental (15 USD)
Tintoreras -Isabela (60 USD)
Kayak rental (50 USD)
Tunneles -Isabela (140 USD)
Isabela Island - Snorkelling gear rental (5 USD)
Isla Isabela - Sierra Negra Volcano Hike (5-6 Hours) (58 USD)
Isla Isabela - Snorkeling in Concha y Perla - Free

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 4: Isla Santa Cruz

You’ll have an early start this morning, returning to Puerto Ayora via public speedboat. When you arrive, you’ll visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. The station's visitor centre showcases information about the islands and the conservation efforts being made to preserve the unique ecosystem here. It's also a great place to have close encounters with giant tortoises.

Included Activities:

Isla Santa Cruz - The Galapagos Conservancy (The Intrepid Foundation partner) visit
Isla Santa Cruz - Charles Darwin Research Centre (45 Minutes)

Optional Activities:

Santa Cruz Marine Reserves - Half Day Boat Tour (40 USD)

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 5: Isla San Cristobal

Travel to Isla San Cristobal this morning. The island is the largest in the Galapagos and one of the most volcanically active places on earth. Settle into your hotel, then go on a walking tour of San Cristobal with your leader. This afternoon, visit the Galapagos Interpretation Center, where you’ll learn about the human and natural history of this island cluster. Afterwards opt to hike to Tijeretas Hill or snorkel at Tijeretas where you may be joined on your swim by sea turtles, rays, fish and sea lions.

Included Activities:

Isla San Cristobal - Interpretation Center (45 minutes)
Isla San Cristobal - Snorkelling in Tijeretas Hill

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 6: Isla San Cristobal

Experience Isla San Cristobal’s incredible wildlife and abundant landscapes with a 45-minute boat ride to Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock) this morning. On the way, you might be able to spot nesting frigates and blue-footed boobies. You might even get the chance to swim among the sea lions again. At Leon Dormido, you can snorkel and look for sea turtles, manta rays and the harmless Galapagos shark. Eat lunch on the boat, then head back for an afternoon at your leisure. You may want to walk to Frigatebird Hill (Cerro Tijeretas) for stunning views of the bay. Ask your leader for recommendations to help you plan your afternoon.

Included Activities:

San Cristobal - Excursion to Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock) or Lobos Islands

Optional Activities:

Frigate Bird Hill - Free
Mann Beach - Free
Snorkelling gear rental (5 USD)

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 7: Isla San Cristobal

Today, you’ll be transferred to the airport by a local representative. With no further activities planned, your adventure comes to an end.

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Reviews

Dawn - Traveled, January 2024

The Galapagos is amazing, and it’s definitely a place where having a tour is advised. Intrepid made sure we got to experience multiple islands, and as each island is unique, it was so beneficial to the experience to have the whole itinerary (including travel between islands) planned.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/05/2024

Daniel - Traveled, January 2024

Galapagos Islands is, thus far, my favorite destination ever. Intrepid provided us with a wonderful tour guide named Genesis, who was a well-spring of knowledge on the islands, their history, and its fauna. I loved the activities, the scenery, the wildlife, the food, the people. 10/10.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/05/2024

Mo - Traveled, January 2024

Excellent choice to see the Great Galapagos in 9 days. Excellent leader and transportation was well organized.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 02/01/2024

Kristen - Traveled, November 2023

Our Galapagos adventure was even more amazing than I expected. The people, animals, and ecology of the Islands are magical and I am so grateful I got to experience them with our Intrepid group and local guide. Highly recommend!

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/05/2023

Kate - Traveled, October 2023

This trip is a great way to explore the Galapagos and all the incredible wildlife it has to offer. Being led by a certified Galapagos guide was invaluable to my experience and I learnt so much during my time there! I would 100% recommend taking this trip.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/30/2023

Valerie - Traveled, October 2023

The round trip is priced much lower than most other Galapagos tours. However, you have to keep in mind that there are some extra costs, because the most beautiful activities (Kicker Rock, Los Tunneles) and the food (except breakfast) are not included. Also not all the fees on Galapagos. I had about 500$ extra. Nevertheless, it is overall a nice tour on which I learned a lot about Galapagos and also saw som

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/15/2023

Madeleine - Traveled, August 2023

Great experience, will never forget this trip! Local leader in the Galapagos was amazing, hope to see her again. Hotels were all very nice, 2ppl per room with private bathrooms. Only 7 in our group, all included and optional tours were great with enough free time. Did Isla Lobos and Tintoreras per leader recommendation

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/04/2023

Ole - Traveled, August 2023

We saw more wildlife on land and in the sea than on any other trip we've been on. The Galapagos Islands are a special place on my bucket list and Intrepid Travel delivered a dream trip in large part because of Genesis Coronel, our tour coordinator.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/04/2023

Katherine - Traveled, August 2023

Great trip. Andres our guide was brilliant and very knowledgeable about the Galapagos and all its wildlife.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/18/2023

Arielle - Traveled, August 2023

Had a really good time travelling with Intrepid. The travel between the islands was straight-forward and well-organized. Our trip had a busy itinerary that allowed us to see a little bit of everything and had a good variety of activities, but also enough down time to do a bit of our own thing. Isabela was our guide and she did an amazing job!

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/03/2023

Maggi - Traveled, July 2023

I was a bit skeptical of this trip because I had heard the way to do the Galapagos is by cruise. However, I don't feel like we missed out on anything! We saw incredible wildlife, met great people, and had an overall fantastic adventure. I wish the itinerary were longer, but this is a great budget option. Our guide Isabela was truly incredible. Her knowledge, positive attitude, and ability to keep everything organized made our trip. We're so lucky she was our guide. This was my 3rd Intrepid trip, and I have been impressed with every single one.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/28/2023

Daren Glenn - Traveled, July 2023

Excellent tour. Highly recommended. Our leader: Genesis C. was amazing. Mother nature plays a role in travel destinations so be patient with the weather.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/14/2023

Mcevoy - Traveled, June 2023

This was a fantastic trip full of activities and a very knowledgeable guide. I couldn’t recommend this enough if you enjoy the water, wildlife and an active holiday.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/08/2024

Gemma - Traveled, May 2023

Incredible 7 day tour of the Galápagos Islands. Great variety of activities and itinerary balanced with good amount of optional free time! Our tour guide, Genesis, was incredibly welcoming and knowledgeable and made the trip even more special! Would highly recommend, great way to get the most out of our short trip. And we stayed on Santa Cruz for another couple of days after to relax!

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/28/2023

Alex - Traveled, May 2023

An awesome and unique trip with a full island-hopping itinerary. An opportunity to see and do things that are not possible elsewhere. Our highly experienced, enthusiastic and knowledgable guide really enhanced all aspects of this trip - we learned so much about the islands and their wildlife!

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/12/2023

Katherine - Traveled, May 2023

This trip is amazing - it is jam-packed with wonderful activities. Thank you to Genesis and other Intrepid guides for such a memorable experience

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/12/2023

Sam - Traveled, March 2023

Great tour with fun activities and lots of info about the Galapagos. Genesis was a great tour leader!

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/10/2023

Gemma - Traveled, May 2023

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 05/28/2023

Mary - Traveled, October 2022

One of my best ever experiences! I had never done anything this organised before and must confess to some trepidation (I like to be independent!) but yes I would do an Intrepid tour again. What you might lose in choice, you gain hugely in time efficiency, great guiding and a group dynamic. We were lucky to have an excellent guide in Priscilla and a fun cohesive group. I was part of a couple but would definitely recommend it to single friends too. It's a truly amazing destination and you're constantly active although noone will mind if you want to take a raincheck on occasion. My favourite island was Isabella. Go on the Tinteras tour even if you are scared of sharks. The sharks won't eat you but swimming in a channel with them feels amazing. The snorkelling in October was long enough to be interesting but not so long you got cold. Accommodation was not always luxurious but my rooms were clean and tidy and breakfast was always great. I only needed a light lunch.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/29/2022

Geoff - Traveled, September 2022

The sooner you see the Galapagos the better, sadly it's fighting the typical mankind scourges of feral animals & invasive weeds but it's a remarkable place. A must see.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/15/2022