Galapagos Escape

Arrive in Quito, Ecuador’s capital city in the Andes, and take an included transfer to your hotel for an overnight stay. Quito is served by major international airlines and is the gateway for flights to and from the Galapagos Islands. Choose from several hotel options, including a conveniently located airport hotel.

Operational Update: Beginning January 15, 2027, all voyage operations will be routed via Quito. Existing bookings via Guayaquil on or before this date, including charter and group departures, will be honored as confirmed. 

Fly to Baltra Island in the Galapagos and meet your naturalist guides upon arrival. From here, start discovering the islands and their distinctive wildlife, landscapes, and ecosystems.

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. 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.

Departure Time: Anytime on day 7, or after 7:00 p.m. local time on day 6.