Ecuador · 6 days · Easy to moderate
6-Day Luxury Galápagos
For travellers who want the Galápagos without a cabin on a moving boat. Top hotel category on each island, private guiding rather than a shared group, and a genuinely free day built in — because six days of scheduled excursions is a lot, and the best afternoon of most trips is the unplanned one.
Highlights
- The best available hotel on each of the three islands
- Private naturalist guiding — your pace, your questions, your photography stops
- Kicker Rock and Los Túneles, the two standout snorkelling sites in the archipelago
- A free day on Santa Cruz: Tortuga Bay, a dive, a boat charter, or nothing at all
Where this 6-day trip goes
- 1 Quito
- 2 San Cristóbal Flight
- 3 Isabela Boat
- 4 Santa Cruz Boat
- 5 Baltra Road
Real coordinates, drawn to scale. Pick a day and the map zooms in on that leg.
Day by day
- Day 1
Welcome to San Cristóbal
Private transfer from the airport. The sea lions on the municipal beach are the first thing everyone photographs and they are worth it.
Overnight: San Cristóbal
- Day 2
Kicker Rock
Snorkelling the channel at León Dormido, with hammerheads, Galápagos sharks and turtles in open water. Afternoon at the interpretation centre or Punta Carola.
Overnight: San Cristóbal
- Day 3
Isabela — Los Túneles
Crossing to Puerto Villamil and straight out to the lava arches: turtles, seahorses, reef sharks and nesting blue-footed boobies at close range.
Overnight: Isabela
- Day 4
Santa Cruz — tortoises, lava tunnels, Darwin Station
Across to Santa Cruz and into the highlands for wild giant tortoises and the underground lava tunnels, then the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Overnight: Santa Cruz
- Day 5
Your day
Nothing scheduled. Tortuga Bay is a forty-minute walk and one of the great beaches anywhere. Or a dive, or a private boat, or a long lunch. We will have options ready and no pressure to take them.
Overnight: Santa Cruz
- Day 6
Baltra airport
Private transfer across the island and the Itabaca ferry for your mainland flight.
What is included
- Five nights in the top hotel category available on each island, with breakfast
- Private National Park–licensed naturalist guiding throughout
- All private transfers and inter-island crossings
- Snorkelling equipment
- Airport assistance on arrival and departure
What is not included
- Flights to and from the islands
- Galápagos National Park entrance fee — US$200 per adult, cash on arrival
- INGALA transit control card — US$20
- Meals not stated, travel insurance, tips
Per person in double occupancy. Final price depends on your dates, party size and hotel category — high season and single occupancy carry supplements. The Galápagos National Park entrance fee (US$200 per adult, US$100 per child under 12, cash on arrival) and the INGALA transit control card (US$20, bought online before your flight) are collected from you personally and cannot be included in any operator’s price. Budget US$220 per adult on top of the figure above. Full breakdown →
When to do this trip
December–May for calm water and visibility; June–November for marine life.
Questions about this itinerary
How long is the 6-Day Luxury Galápagos?
6 days and 5 nights, starting in San Cristóbal airport and ending in Baltra airport.
How difficult is it?
Easy to moderate. Group size: Private.
When is the best time to do this trip?
December–May for calm water and visibility; June–November for marine life.
What extra costs should I budget for?
Per person in double occupancy. Final price depends on your dates, party size and hotel category — high season and single occupancy carry supplements. The Galápagos National Park entrance fee (US$200 per adult, US$100 per child under 12, cash on arrival) and the INGALA transit control card (US$20, bought online before your flight) are collected from you personally and cannot be included in any operator’s price. Budget US$220 per adult on top of the figure above.