4 Days FROM £ 1,490
Overview
The Galapagos Islands are unique and enchanting - few places on Earth allow for such close proximity to animals in the wild. Each island is the peak of an underwater volcano and the home of many endemic species found nowhere else in the world.
Our Galapagos Island Hopping Tours are a great alternative to a live-aboard cruise. Explore the archipelago’s wildlife and natural wonders by day, sleeping in boutique island hotels at night. This allows non-seagoing travellers the chance to enjoy the highlights of the Galapagos Islands without compromising their comfort and need to be on firm land. Speed boats or public transportation takes you from island to island and at the end of the day you stay in lovely hotels on the islands.
Snorkel with rays, sea lions and iguanas and experience the breath-taking beauty of the Galapagos Islands from the top of the Sierra Negra volcano. Enjoy the highlights of the four inhabited islands of the Galapagos (San Cristóbal, Isabela, Floreana and Santa Cruz) - amazing destinations, great activities and accommodation on the islands: the perfect combination!
Trip Code: ECTSGIH4
Location: Ecuador, Galapagos Islands
ITINERARY INSPIRATION
Flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra’s airport where a naturalist guide will transfer you to Puerto Ayora.
On the way, we will make a stop to visit the highlands and see the giant land tortoises. Here you will have time for lunch, and be able to enjoy the view.
Afterwards, you will continue with the transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon you will visit Tortuga Bay, which is a bay with sandy beaches. Later return to the hotel for dinner and accommodation.
After breakfast, the guide will meet you in the hotel lobby to take you to the dock, and start of the tour. Lunch will be included on board the small yacht. In the afternoon, you will return to the port.
Today you will have the option to choose one of the following tours (you will visit only one of these islands):
North Seymour Island is a spectacular place to hike, swim, and snorkel. The main attractions are the frigates, boobies, gulls, hawks, green sea turtles and the famous Galapagos Sharks.
Bartolome Island has the most attractive landscape of the archipelago. This island is undoubtedly the most photographed in all the Galapagos Islands. You can appreciate the spectacular view of two beautiful bays and observe the fascinating formations of lava and volcanic cones.
Two islands form Plazas. The turquoise waters of the channel contrast brilliantly with the white sand and black lava coast. It is a wonderful spot to observe marine life, including manta rays. The coast is the perfect spot for snorkelling.
Santa Fe Island (Spanish: Isla Santa Fe), also called Barrington Island after admiral Samuel Barrington, is a small island of 24 square kilometres (9.3 sq mi) which lies in the centre of the Galapagos archipelago, to the south east of Santa Cruz Island. Geologically it is one of the oldest, since volcanic rocks of about 4 million years old have been found. The vegetation of the island is characterized by brush, palo santo trees and stands of a large variety of the prickly pear cactus Opuntia echios.
Later you will return to the hotel for dinner and accommodation.
Island will be chosen according to available spaces.
Today you take a sailing tour to another island (only one island) that you have not yet visited (Bartolome, North Seymour, Plazas or Santa Fe).
After breakfast, the guide will meet you in the hotel lobby to take you to the dock for the start of the tour. Lunch will be included on board the small yacht. In the afternoon, you will return to the port. Then you will return to the hotel for dinner and accommodation.
Early in the morning you will visit the Charles Darwin Station. Here you will see a variety of species of Giant Tortoises and hear about the on going conservation efforts directed at preserving the Giant Tortoises, as well as the environment of the archipelago as a whole.
Afterwards, you and the guide will head to the airport, the journey lasting approximately 1 hour. At the airport, you will take your flight back to Quito or Guayaquil.
WHY TAILOR-MADE?
- Personalise your itinerary
- Access to great flight deals
- Choose your accomodation
- Tailored travel insurance options
- Choose your preferred dates
- Cater to your travel needs
Pricing & date
| Travel Style | Departing | Duration | PRICE FROM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Daily | 4 | £ 1,490 |
| Superior | Daily | 4 | £ 1,810 |
Important Information
Accommodation in double rooms
All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). First day: lunch and dinner. Last day: breakfast
Transportation
Bilingual naturalist guide (English, Spanish)
Scheduled Visits
Snorkeling equipment
All Transfers in Galápagos
Shared Sailing tours
Exclusions
Air Ticket
Galapagos National Park entrance fee (USD100 per person subject to change)
INGALA Migration Control Card (USD20 per person subject to change)
Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
Tips
- 2 (light adventure)
Available upon request
* To execute this itinerary, it is important to choose a late flight that departs not before 11am from Baltra
Contact us for more details
Season and availability
Accommodation
We believe that appropriate accommodation should add to the authentic travel experience, as well as providing utmost enjoyment. For that reason our accommodation is scrutinised by our staff on the ground frequently, ensuring the properties adhere to our high standards. This key will help you understand the levels of accommodation available on this tour.
SPEAK TO A SPECIALIST
Talk to one of our Destination Specialists to plan your South American adventure and turn your dream into a reality. With exceptional knowledge and first hand experience, our consultants will assist in every way possible to make your journey the most memorable it can be, matching not only the itinerary, but the accommodation and activities to suit your style of travel and budget.
Sustainability
Chimu Adventures undertakes a number of sustainability measures within its operations including:
1) Only using local guides and office staff to both maximise local employment opportunities and minimise carbon footprints. Local guides also ensure you benefit from the intimate knowledge, passion and culture of the country you’re visiting.
2) Where possible, using locally owned and operated boutique hotels to maximise the return to the local community.
3) Chimu’s “Pass it on” programme has provided funding to hundreds of local community projects in Latin America. Our aim is to empower local communities, helping them to develop their own infrastructure for the future. Since 2006, we have been working with Kiva (a well-known Non-Governmental Organisation), providing hundreds of loans to local businesses all over South America.
4) In our pre tour information we provide a range of tips and advice on how to minimise your impact on both local environments and communities.
5) Chimu Adventures’ offices also take a number of sustainability measures including carbon offsets for company vehicles and most staff travel. Chimu Adventure’s internal processes are also structures to create a paperless office and to reduce waste. There are also internal programmes to help staff minimise their carbon footprint such as our staff bike purchase assistance plan which encourages office staff to commute to work via bicycle. Currently almost half of our office based staff commute to work via bicycle.