Coasts & Islands
Galápagos Island Crossing
Galápagos Archipelago
Marine iguanas crowd black lava while hammerheads cruise the channel. Each island resets the ecology; landings feel like stepping into deep time.
Inquire only
This one is not bookable. Access depends on permits, capacity caps, community consent, or compliance. Read the access notes below, then tell us what you have in mind and we will give you a straight answer.
- Days
- 10
- Effort
- Easy
- Window
- Year-round
- From
- On inquiry
The ground
The constraint that shapes every Galápagos trip is the permit. The national park assigns each vessel a fixed itinerary on a rotation, and you choose a boat and its route. You do not choose islands. Anyone offering to build you a custom island list is describing something that does not exist.
Which is why this is inquire-only. Matching what you want — hammerheads at Wolf and Darwin, waved albatross on Española, the western volcanoes and flightless cormorants of Fernandina and Isabela — to a vessel that actually holds that permit in your date range is the whole job.
The wildlife does not care about you, and that is the experience. Marine iguanas pile on black lava, sea lions sleep on the landing steps, and blue-footed boobies display a metre from the trail because nothing here evolved to run from a primate.
Shape of the days
A shape, not a script. Order and pacing move with weather, permits, and how the first days actually go.
Stage 1
Mainland and cards
Quito or Guayaquil night, INGALA transit control card at mainland check-in, and the flight to Baltra or San Cristóbal.
Stage 2
Permitted vessel itinerary
Your boat's park-assigned route — western, northern, or southern loop. We match vessel and permit to your wildlife priorities rather than the reverse.
Stage 3
Landings and water
Naturalist-led landings, panga rides, and snorkelling on the schedule the park sets. No off-trail movement.
Stage 4
Exit
Return flight from Baltra or San Cristóbal, with a mainland night before any international connection.
Conditions
Two seasons rather than wet and dry. December to May is warmer, calmer, and wetter, with water around 25 °C. June to November is the garúa season — cooler air, choppier crossings, richer water around 20–22 °C and the best big-animal activity. Both are good; they are different trips.
Fitness bar
Easy to moderate. Wet and dry landings from inflatables, uneven lava walking, and snorkelling in open water with some current. Swimming competence matters more than fitness.
Best months
Year-round. Choose by water: December to May for calm crossings and warm snorkelling, June to November for cool nutrient-rich water and peak marine activity.
Private or small group
Private charter where a suitable vessel and permit align; otherwise a cabin on a small expedition yacht. Full private charter of a good boat is a six-figure week and we say so up front.
What to bring
Reef-safe sunscreen, a rash vest, and a hat you can lose overboard without grief. Shoes you can soak for wet landings and closed shoes for lava walking. Wetsuits are supplied; the garúa season water wants one.
Access and permits
The constraints that actually decide whether a date is possible.
- Park entry rose to $200 for international adults on 1 August 2024, plus the $20 transit card. Both are collected on arrival, and cash is the reliable method.
- Visitor sites require a park-certified naturalist guide. Independent visits to protected sites are not allowed; only the four populated towns can be walked freely.
- Vessel itineraries are assigned by the park directorate on a fixed rotation. Availability, not preference, decides what you can see in a given week.
Included
- Galápagos National Park entrance fee — currently $200 per international adult
- INGALA transit control card — currently $20
- Park-certified naturalist guide and all permitted landings
- Vessel accommodation, all meals aboard, snorkel equipment and wetsuits
Not included
- Islands outside your vessel's assigned permit — not purchasable at any price
- Foreign-flag commercial charter, which is not permitted in the archipelago
- International and mainland-to-island flights unless bundled
- Diving at Wolf and Darwin, which requires a dedicated liveaboard
What the price reflects
From about $11,000 per person for ten days done properly, and higher for the best vessels or a private charter. For reference, a luxury eight-day cabin often runs $7,500–12,000 for the cruise alone before flights, park fees, and mainland nights — which is why our floor sits where it does rather than lower.
Bands are per person sharing and move with party size, season, and lodge choice. Nothing is confirmed until it is confirmed in writing. How we price.
Where this is
Galápagos Archipelago, Ecuador.
Elevation: Sea level; highland crater rims to about 600 m. Season as published: Year-round. Difficulty as assessed: Easy.
What we checked
Seasons, altitudes, permits, and caps on this page were checked against park authorities, monitoring agencies, and operators on the ground. Where a fact changes with the year, we say so rather than round it off.
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