Experience the highlights of the Galapagos' northern islands on this 5-day adventure! Travel from beautiful Santa Cruz Island, to wildlife-rich Genovesa, to fascinating Santiago, exploring many destinations in between. Snorkel, kayak, and become acquainted with the archipelago's friendly and fearless endemic wildlife species during your cruise on the Galapagos Odyssey.
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Begin your Galapagos adventure with a visit to Dragon Hill. Located in northwestern Santa Cruz, a walk up the hill affords breathtaking views of the bay and surrounding islands below. Along the way, stop at a hyper-saline lagoon, home to a variety of bird species including flamingos and pintail ducks.
Travel to Rabida Island, known for the striking red color of its rocks and beaches. Take a short walk leading to a coastal lagoon. Here you can observe a myriad of entertaining birds, including finches, doves, yellow warblers, mocking birds, and flamingos.
In the afternoon, head to Chinese Hat. This small islet is named for its conical shape. It features many interesting lava tubes and flows, in addition to other evidence of its recent volcanic formation. The island is also home to sea lion colonies, marine iguanas, and Galapagos penguins.
In the morning, head to Darwin Bay. The island of Genovesa is a birdwatcher's paradise, home to an array of species. Enjoy the beautiful white coral beach and wander along a trail through nesting sites and mangrove forests. The trail's terminus is at cliff's edge, rewarding visitors with an incredible view of the island below.
The southern portion of Darwin Bay features El Barranco, a trail leading hikers up to a gorgeous plateau, perfect for admiring the picturesque beach.
Enjoy the morning on Bartolomé Island, touted as one of the most scenic in the archipelago. Reaching an altitude of 114 meters, Bartolomé offers stunning views of the Galapagos' volcanic features, including cones, lunar-like craters, lava fields, and the famous Toba pinnacle.
In the afternoon, travel on to Santiago, a volcanically active island located in the west-central area of the archipelago. Explore Santiago's lava flows, which can still be seen threading across the island, and are even visible from the far reaches of outerspace!
Day 5: Santa Cruz Island - Highlands - Baltra
1 Breakfast
Explore the highlands of Santa Cruz. Take a trail through the island, enjoying its distinctive vegetation zones, rolling hills, and extinct volcanic cones.
Before your departure, visit Baltra, an uplifted island rich in wildlife and unique in terrain. Enjoy the antics of the marine birds and the beauty of the rocky shoreline as you traverse the island.
This itinerary is no longer available. For other trip ideas, please visit Galapagos Cruises & Tours.
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.
Lower Deck
One cabin on the Lower Deck with a queen size bed, which can be used for single occupancy. Private bath facilities, individual A/C, mini-bar, desk, closet & phone.
Main Deck
2 convertible twin cabins and 2 matrimonial cabins on the main deck and 2 convertible twin cabins on the upper deck. Private bath facilities, individual A/C, mini-bar, desk, closet & phone.
Upper Deck
2 convertible twin cabins and 2 suite cabins on the Upper Deck. Private bath facilities, individual A/C, mini-bar, desk, closet & phone.
Child Discount
20% discount for children under age 12 at the time of Galapagos cruise. 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 35% ($400 minimum), and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 (10 weeks) 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 for rent on board- $30 for 5-day tours, $36 for 6-day tours, $60 for 10-day tours, $66 for 11-day tours, and $90 for 15-day tours.
This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
I just returned from a 10 day trip to Ecuador and The Galapagos Island. From the very first conversation with Adventure Life until my return, everything went smoothly. It was a great trip! Adventure Life excels at communication and organization. Every detail was considered, which made the preparation for my trip really easy. In country, my guides were outstanding...friendly, knowledgeable, on time, professional. I really can't say enough good things about how well I was taken care of during my trip. When flying to a new country it's comforting to be met by a friendly face at the airport who knows where you're going! All of my hotels were well-located and thoughtfully selected for comfort and historic interest. The yacht I sailed on through the islands exceeded my expectations in every way. My cabin was very comfortable, the food we were served was excellent and the crew was first-class. Our Park Guide found the perfect balance between fun and education. His passion for the Galápagos Islands was evident in every activity on every island. I look forward to planning my next trip with Adventure Life, and thank their entire team for making this adventure wonderful!
Tracy Heuermann
1 month ago
Kevin had first hand experience of Ecuador and The Galapagos which helped us plan time before and after our visit to the Galapagos by water. We always plan our travel independently, but since we needed a guide in the galapagos, this was a perfect blend of self plan and assistance.
Lori
1 month ago
Adventure Life helped guide us toward just the right trip for us and then made all the planning super easy. We absolutely loved our time at Hacienda Jimenita in Quito and on the Anahi in the Galapagos and would recommend both to anyone. Everything went so smoothly from start to finish because Adventure Life took care of all the arrangements.
Marla Zucker
1 month ago
Jane went out of her way to help accommodate my what's and needs.
Walt LIGHTFOOT
2 months ago
Adventure Life (with partner Adventure Journey) got us the real experience that we were hoping for. The food was definitely above what we expected, as were the accomodations. Gabriel S. (our Galapagos guide) was so very personable and tuned in that we felt we had the premium of experiences (food, activities, people to meet and interact with). Our experience in the Cloud Forest was an impressive "birding" experience with great accomodations and wonderful food.
