Enjoy the Galapagos Islands on a private 8-day charter aboard the Galapagos Legend. Begin in Baltra and discover North Seymour, where frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies thrive. Hike Bartolome Island for views of Pinnacle Rock before snorkeling with penguins and reef sharks. Explore volcanic landscapes at Sullivan Bay, then encounter all three booby species at Punta Pitt and sea lions at Cerro Brujo. Visit San Cristobal’s tortoise breeding center and hike Frigatebird Hill for sweeping views. Walk the white sands of Gardner Bay and observe waved albatross at Punta Suarez on Española. On Floreana, visit Post Office Bay and snorkel at Devil’s Crown among corals. Encounter flamingos at Dragon Hill and marine iguanas on Mosquera Islet before heading to Santa Cruz Highlands, where giant tortoises roam freely.
Highlights
Spot flamingos feeding in Dragon Hill’s shallow brackish lagoon
Watch giant tortoises roaming freely in the Santa Cruz Highlands
Explore Devil’s Crown reef, a premier Galapagos snorkeling destination
Visit Española’s Punta Suarez for wave albatross viewing
Activity options vary depending on destination and operator. Activity level is determined by the range and intensity of activities you choose to participate in. Discuss with your Trip Planner which options are best for you.
Departing from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra for a 2:30-hour flight. Upon arrival, passengers are picked up at the airport by the naturalist guides and taken on a ten-minute bus drive to the pier to board the M/V Galapagos Legend.
This flat, uplifting, island is an important spot to see both magnificent and great frigatebird males courting the females, and you will also likely see courting blue-footed boobies too. Sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls, crashing surf and distant views of the Daphne Islands top off a great visit.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Rocky & Sandy
Duration: 1 hour 45 min hike, 1 hour glass-bottom or, 1 hour deep snorkeling
Landing: Dry
Considered the most iconic landscape of the entire archipelago, the view from the top of Bartolome Island, overlooking the famous Pinnacle Rock and the austere Santiago Island, the subsequent snorkel here might put us face to face with Galapagos penguins, white tipped reef sharks, and playful sea lions.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Wooden path of 372 stairs
Duration: 45 min hike, 45 min beach snorkeling, or 45 min glass-bottom boat
Landing: Dry
Visitors are always totally enthralled by the amazing beds of pahoehoe lava from the recent flow on the island. It is a landscape and macro photographer´s dream. The importance of pioneering plants such as the tiny Mollugo will be discussed as we hike over the lava.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Flat volcanic lava
Duration: 1 ½ hour walk, 1 hour snorkeling, 1 hour beach time, or glass-bottom boat
Landing: Dry
This is the only place on the islands where you will enjoy the chance to see all three of the booby species in the same place. The red-foots will be perched on the Cordia lutea and small trees, the Nazcas on the ground near the cliff edge, while the blue-foots will be a little further inland. Frigatebirds will be all around, and the views are breathtaking.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Rocky
Duration: 2-hour hike, 45-minute kayaking, 45-minute glass-bottom boat or 1 hour beach snorkeling
Landing: Wet
From your dinghy ride, as you head to shore, you are first humbled by the immensity of the stunning cliffs of the Sorcerer's Hill. You can enjoy simply sharing the beach with sea lions, snorkeling from shore, or taking a walk to a hidden lagoon where you might spot black-necked stilts, ruddy turnstones, whimbrels, and white-cheeked pintails.
Difficulty level: Low
Type of terrain: Sandy
Duration: 1 hour walk, 45 min glass-bottom boat or, 45 min kayaking, 1 ½ hour beach snorkeling
Day 4: Cerro Colorado | Interpretation Center & Frigatebird Hill, San Cristobal
In the moist highlands of San Cristobal, we will visit the giant tortoise breeding center “La Galapaguera” to witness the most iconic creature of the archipelago in its various life stages. The aim of the reserve is to help restore populations of the threatened San Cristobal tortoise back into the wild. In town, there are shops to purchase local handicrafts and souvenirs.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Sandy
Duration: 1 hour 15 min visit, 1 ½ hour bus ride round-trip
Landing: Dry
The interpretation center is full of interesting information and offers the perfect overview of the formation of the Galapagos. Following a hike to Frigatebird Hill (Cerro Tijeretas) you will have a great look at both species of frigatebirds, with the bonus of a beautiful view of the bay below.
Difficulty level: Low / High
Type of terrain: Flat path / Rocky
Duration: 1 hour hike, 1 hour walk
Landing: Dry
One of the most stunning beaches in all of the Galapagos. The long, white, sandy beach, lapped by turquoise waters, is home to a colony of Galapagos sea lions. Hood mockingbirds, endemic to this particular island. You can also snorkel here from the beach, in the shallows of the bay.
Difficulty level: Low
Type of terrain: Sandy
Duration: 1 hour hike, 30 min kayaking, 30 min Glass-bottom boat, 1 hour 45 min beach or deep snorkeling
Landing: Wet
Punta Suarez is a naturalist´s paradise. The oldest extant island in the archipelago is your only opportunity to commune with the endemic wave albatross during their breeding season between April and December. With luck, you can watch their complex courtship display.
Difficulty level: High
Type of terrain: Rocky
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes hike
Landing: Dry
Day 6: Post Office | Punta Cormorant & Devil's Crown, Floreana Island
The famous Post Office Barrel. Claimed to have been first set up in 1793 by Captain James Colnett. The system involved whalers and fur sealers who would leave addressed letters in the barrel to be picked up by homeward-bound colleagues. Actually, visitors often take letters and hand-deliver them to their home countries.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Rocky
Duration: 1 hour 15 min hike, 1 hour beach snorkeling
Landing: Wet
Your walk takes you to a large, shallow lagoon, often inhabited by a variable number of shockingly pink greater flamingos. Arrive at a powdery white beach, a nesting area for green turtles. Devil’s Crown is one of the favorite snorkeling sites on the islands..
Difficulty level: Low
Type of terrain: Sandy & flat
Duration: 1 hour 45 min hike, 45 min glass-bottom or, 45 min deep or beach snorkeling
Landing: Dry
Arriving at a small lava dock, our first encounter is with marine iguanas that blend in perfectly with the dark rock. As you walk past a large prickly pear cactus, you arrive at one end of a long, sickle-shaped beach with Dragon Hill standing in the distance. Your walk takes you on a circular path, past a shallow lake where flamingoes frequently come to feed.
Difficulty level: Medium
Type of terrain: Rocky
Duration: 45 min walk, 1 hour 15 min snorkeling
Landing: Dry
This tiny, low-lying islet, converted into coral sand, is set between the north and south Seymour Islands. It's home to a group of sea lions that come to laze on the soft white sand, it's an excellent spot to observe shorebirds, herons, lava gulls, and boobies. Snorkeling or diving here, one can often see sharks, rays, and barracudas.
Difficulty level: Low
Type of terrain: Sandy
Duration: 1 ½ hour walk 1 hour snorkeling or, 1 hour beach time
Landing: Wet
Day 8: Highlands Tortoise Reserve | Disembark | Baltra
1 Breakfast
In the Galapagos mountains, admire diverse bird species like finches, flycatchers, crakes, warblers, and egrets (often perched on tortoises' shells). The journey to the reserve showcases the island's contrasting ecosystems, from coastal areas to dense humid forests. Look out for Galapagos Giant tortoises wandering through pastures. This spot is a haven for birdwatchers, as it hosts a wide range of land birds that reside or migrate
Difficulty level: Low
Type of terrain: flat & muddy, depending on the season
Duration: 1 ½ hour walk, 45 min drive
Landing: Dry
After the visit, passengers will be transferred to the airport for their return flight to Guayaquil or Quito.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$243,275
or $4,866 per person based on 50 max passengers
Standard Plus
Averaging 118 sq. ft. Six cabins are located on the Sea and Earth Deck, with double or twin bed options, and portholes. Include reusable bottles and a crossbody bag as souvenirs.
Junior Suite
Averaging 161 sq. ft. Twenty-four suites are located on the Earth Deck with double or triple bed options. Include two panoramic windows on each cabin, reusable bottles, and a crossbody bag as souvenirs.
Legend Suite
Averaging 215 sq. ft. Four suites on the Earth Deck with double, triple, or quadruple bed options. Panoramic windows on each cabin, Interconnected rooms available and reusable bottles, and a crossbody bag as souvenirs.
Balcony Suite
Averaging 237 sq. ft. Four balcony suites on the Moon Deck and six balcony suites located on the Sky Deck, with double, and triple bed options. Include panoramic view windows, private balcony, and free champagne and premium amenities.
Balcony Suite Plus
Averaging 280 sq. ft. Five balcony suites on the Moon and two balcony suites on the Sky Deck, with double, and triple bed options. Include panoramic view windows, private balcony, and free champagne and premium amenities.
Legend Balcony Suite
Averaging 355 sq. ft. One suite located on the Moon Deck with double and triple bed options. Includes Panoramic windows, private balcony, elegant decorations with free champagne, and premium amenities.
Notes
Note: Standard interior cabins are available upon request.
Child Discount
Children under 12 years old receive a 50% discount (25% for holiday season) when sharing a cabin with two full-fare paying guests. 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.
Initial deposit is $1,000 per person + Internal Flight Cost, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 101 days prior to departure by Bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Wetsuits are not included but are available to rent on board - $25 for 4-day and 5-day tours, $50 for 8-day, 11-day, and 12 day tours, and $75 for 15-day tours.
To ensure the cruise operator can guarantee your wetsuit and fin sizes, please provide your t-shirt and shoe sizes and submit payment at least 30 days before departure.
Kayak available for $45/use
Klein Tours: Internet Fee
- Short cruise: $40 per device
- Double cruise: $65 per device
*This rate applies when prepayment is made, on board applies taxes
This was my first experience with Adventure Life - and I couldn't have been more pleased with the trip. The guides and local staff in both Buenos Aires and Uruguay were terrific - extremely helpful and accommodating. I really enjoyed meeting the friendly staff in Buenos Aires in person (I left my bags with them for the afternoon).