7 Days in the Galápagos Islands
This is the bucket-list wildlife destination: encounter species found nowhere else on Earth, from marine iguanas to giant tortoises. A live-aboard yacht or land-based island-hopping itinerary puts you face-to-face with Darwin's finches and boobies in their unguarded habitats. Go in the cool season for the best visibility and fewest crowds.
What to expect
- Snorkel with Galápagos penguins and fur seals in crystalline waters
- Walk among giant tortoises in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island
- Kayak past flightless cormorants and red-footed boobies at dusk
- Hike the cinder cones of Isabela Island's volcanic landscape
- Spot Galápagos hawks and marine iguanas on Española's eastern cliffs
Day by day
Fly from Ecuador mainland to Baltra, ferry to Santa Cruz. Check into Puerto Ayora hotel on Academy Bay.
Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to see giant tortoise breeding programmes and endemic plants.
Walk the waterfront promenade; dinner at a local seafood restaurant overlooking the bay.
Drive to El Chato Tortoise Reserve in the misty highlands; walk among roaming giant tortoises.
Snorkel at Bahía Tortuga on the north coast; encounter rays, reef sharks and tropical fish.
Return to Puerto Ayora; relax at Tortuga Bay's white-sand beach at sunset.
Take the speedboat to Isabela Island. Hike the Tintoreras loop through lava tunnels with sea lions.
Kayak along the Tagus Cove cliffs; spot flightless cormorants, herons and Darwin finches.
Explore Puerto Villamil's artisan market; stay overnight in Isabela.
Early boat trip to Fernandina Island's Punta Espinoza; walk through marine iguana colonies.
Snorkel in the cold Cromwell Current; see penguins, hammerhead sharks and reef life.
Return to Isabela; dinner and stargazing from a beach bar.
Speed boat to Española. Hike Punta Suárez's dramatic clifftop trail with nesting boobies and frigatebirds.
Snorkel Gardner Islet; encounter playful sea lions and tropical fish in shallow waters.
Return to Santa Cruz; sunset from Mirador de Media Luna.
Full-day guided excursion to remote Genovesa. Snorkel Darwin Bay's coral gardens and hammerhead sharks.
Hike Prince Philip's Steps through colonies of masked boobies and frigatebirds.
Return to Puerto Ayora; farewell dinner at a beachfront restaurant.
Last-minute shopping at Puerto Ayora's artisan markets or final snorkel at nearby Pelican Point.
Ferry to Baltra; flight back to mainland Ecuador.
Depart or overnight in Quito.
Palcation builds the whole plan in seconds: flights, stays, food and a day-by-day itinerary you can share and budget.
Plan this trip free