Galápagos Islands Add-On$2,500 USD per person
Please note: price based on twin share
Celebrate your Ecuador Volcanoes expedition, tick off a bucket list must-do, and end your trip on a high note by exploring the Galápagos Islands. This custom-built trip extension for CTSS clients includes a four-day, three-night tour of the archipelago’s highlights. Walk in Darwin’s footsteps and experience one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet.
Day 1: Arrival Day – Twin Craters – Highlands of Santa Cruz
- Includes lunch
- Meet your naturalist guide from the Parque Nacional Galápagos at the airport
- Cross the Itacaba Channel by boat to Santa Cruz island, private transfer to Puerto Ayora
- Check in to the hotel and receive snorkeling gear before lunch at a local restaurant
- Walk with wild giant tortoises in the highlands of Santa Cruz
- Explore underground lava tunnels and visit Los Gemelos
- Overnight in Puerto Ayora
Day 2: Daily Tour Options: South Plaza, North Seymour, Isabela, Floreana, Santa Fe, Bartolome
- Includes breakfast and boxed lunch
- Departures depend on availability and authorization of the Parque Nacional Galápagos
- South Plaza Island (Isla Plaza Sur): The island is home to the enormous prickly pear cactus and the endemic succulent Sesuvium edmonstonei. It also has one of the largest populations of land iguanas in the Galápagos Islands.
- North Seymour Island (Isla Seymour Norte): In the north of Baltra is the small islet of North Seymour. A bird lover’s dream, the island with its rocky coast is perfect for visiting the colonies of blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds.
- Floreana Island (Isla Floreana): This island has long been a favorite for pirates, whalers, early settlers, and today’s travelers. Floreana’s volcano has long been extinct and is in the advanced stages of erosion which has created rich, fertile soil. This diversified landscape is flourishing with native and introduced flora.
- Santa Fé Island (Isla Santa Fé): Go hiking and snorkeling. Explore the giant Opuntia Cactus Forest and discover land iguanas that are unique to this island. These rare reptiles are easiest to find early in the morning or late in the afternoon. A two-hour trail boasts sensational views and the chance to see some endemic vegetation, including Scalesia, while the bay offers relaxing swimming and snorkeling opportunities.
- Bartolomé Island (Isla Bartolomé): This small island is famous for the photogenic pinnacle of rock that looks sheared away from the cliff. Embark on a trail that passes different lava formations and pioneer vegetation before reaching the summit, offering beautiful views of the surrounding islands. Penguins can sometimes be observed while swimming or snorkeling.
Day 3: Puerto Ayora Bay Tour – Charles Darwin Research Station – Tortuga Bay Beach
- Includes breakfast
- In the morning, enjoy a bay tour on the “Love Channel” and observe reef sharks. Continue the tour with a short walk to see the marine iguanas that inhabit the Playas de los Perros.
- In the afternoon, you have free time to explore. Some suggestions are to see the Charles Darwin Research Station, which also houses a giant tortoise breeding center, or visit Tortuga Bay Beach. Perhaps the most beautiful beach in the Galapagos, Tortuga Bay Beach, is the perfect spot to swim, snorkel, and observe colonies of marine iguanas, pelicans, Darwin’s finches, sharks, sea turtles, and more.
Day 4: Santa Cruz – Balta - Departure Day
- Includes breakfast
- After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Galápagos Ecologic Airport
Our expeditions are designed to be fully inclusive, except for some services/items of a personal nature like flights, gear, insurance. Here’s a detailed list so you know what to expect
Included in the Galápagos Islands Add-On
- Transfer to and from Galápagos Ecologic Airport
- Speedboat Santa Cruz – Isabela – Santa Cruz
- Accommodation in double occupancy room
- Naturalist guide
- All meals as per itinerary
- Daily excursions as per itinerary
Excluded from the Galápagos Islands Add-On
- Transfers to and from Quito or Guayaquil, Ecuador
- Air tickets to and from Guayaquil, Ecuador to Galápagos Island
- Parque Nacional Galápagos entrance ($100 USD per person, paid in cash at Balta’s airport)
- Transit Control card ($20 USD per person)
- Any additional meals and transportation outside the expedition
- Bar tabs, minibars, hotel internet bills, laundry, etc.
- Expenses while on the expedition that are above and beyond the normal scope of the trip, such as medical treatment, evacuation, trip interruption, rescues, snacks, flight changes, alcohol, gifts for friends and family, specialty coffees, and bottled water, among others.
- Expenses incurred due to events outside CTSS's control, such as delays or interruptions, political events, natural events, or disasters. These may include additional expenses, such as extra hotel nights, resulting from delays.
- Trip insurance policy that includes personal medical, rescue, evacuation, trip interruption, and trip cancellation insurance
- Single-room accommodations, if desired and pre-booked
- Guide tips (customary but optional)
All prices are in US Dollars.
CTSS requires clients to buy trip insurance for all expeditions. Please see our page on trip insurance and cancellation policy for more information.
All payments once submitted are non-refundable and non-transferable. If balances are not received by specified dates, the client forfeits their place on the program and any prior fees paid.
