Island Hopping in the Galapagos (2025)
Island Hopping in the Galapagos (2025)
Island Hopping in the Galapagos (2025)
9 Days Starting and ending in Quito
Visiting: Ecuador, Galapagos Islands
Tour Overview
Between shark and sea lion-patrolled waters, highlands of plodding giant tortoises, and a landscape forged in the belly of volcanoes, the Galapagos Islands has become the destination for nature lovers. Join this trip to discover four of the great islands: Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Floreana and Isabela. Along the way, there are plenty of chances to meet the extraordinary sealife on various snorkelling adventures, while also taking time to tread lava-forged plains and spectacular highlands – an unforgettable adventure in the Enchanted Islands.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Start Quito
Welcome to Ecuador! There’s plenty of adventure on your trip, but today’s all about settling into the hotel. There are free transfers available for all clients today – make sure to check the Joining Instructions for further details. A local guide will welcome you to Quito and explain the schedule for the next few days.
Classic accommodation: Hotel Wyndham (or similar)
Day 2 : Fly To San Cristóbal; Visit La LoberÃa
Transfer to Quito Airport and fly to San Cristóbal in the Galapagos Islands. Your Galapagos guide will be at the airport to take you to the hotel for check-in and our first briefing about our time in the Galapagos. We have time to explore the town and enjoy a restaurant lunch before our visit to La LoberÃa, a wonderful place surrounded by mangroves, volcanic rocks and sea lion colonies. It’s a perfect spot to snorkel, enjoy time on the beach, or have a short walk along the shore.
Classic accommodation:Â Hotel Paraiso Insular (or similar)
Day 3 : Morning Visit Isla Lobos; Afternoon Relax On Playa Ochoa
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Start your day with an exciting tour to Isla Lobos, a small island near the coast of Isabela. This excursion will take you by boat to one of the best spots for observing sea lions in their natural habitat. Isla Lobos is also an excellent location for birdwatching, including frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies. You’ll have the opportunity to snorkel in the clear waters around the island, swimming with marine turtles, rays, and occasionally, white-tip reef sharks.
After exploring Isla Lobos, return to Isabela for lunch. In the afternoon, head to Playa Ochoa, a beautiful white-sand beach with turquoise waters, ideal for relaxing and enjoying a breathtaking natural setting. Playa Ochoa is known for its tranquility and beauty, perfect for swimming, sunbathing, or simply taking in the scenery. The beach also offers excellent opportunities for birdwatching and snorkelling in the nearby waters. At the end of the day, return to your accommodation in Isabela, where you can relax and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the island.
Classic accommodation:Â Hotel Paraiso Insular (or similar)
Day 4 : Boat To Floreana Island; Visit The Highlands
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A three-hour navigation by motorboat takes us to Floreana Island, one of the first Galapagos islands to be inhabited. En route, we may see whales, dolphins and sea birds. After lunch, we visit the highlands, where one of the few sources of freshwater in the entire archipelago exists. We also visit lava caves once used by pirates and see a large enclosure of Galapagos giant tortoises.
In the afternoon, we'll transfer to Isabela Island by speedboat (approximately 2.5 or 3 hours).
Classic accommodation:Â San Vicente Hotel (or similar)
Day 5 : Morning Visit To Las Tintoreras Islet; Afternoon Exploration At The Wall Of Tears
Meals Included: Breakfast
We spend the morning sailing to the islets and lava channels of Las Tintoreras, one of the best places in the islands to see white-tipped reef sharks, penguins and sea lions, with time for snorkelling. On this morning’s excursion, we may be lucky enough to spot the endangered Chatham mockingbird.
This afternoon, we visit the Wall of Tears, a sad reminder of Isabela’s very different past when it was used as a penal colony. Between 1946 and 1959, convicts were forced to build this wall from huge blocks of lava as a form of punishment, which, combined with the harsh conditions, led to many deaths.
Classic accommodation: San Vicente Hotel (or similar)
Day 6 : Sail To Santa Cruz; Visit Tortuga Bay; Afternoon Optional Visit To Charles Darwin Research Station
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Navigate by motorboat to Santa Cruz very early this morning. Upon arrival in Santa Cruz we visit Tortuga Bay, a 3,280ft (1,000m) stretch of white sand regarded as one of the best beaches in the Galapagos. The trail leading to the beach is paved and takes between 45 minutes to one hour, with possibilities to observe Galapagos finches and lizards along the way. The beach is scattered with marine iguanas, who lay among the clusters of black rocks or stroll along the sand. In the water, turtles can sometimes be seen, though swimming is not recommended here due to the strong currents.
In the afternoon, we have the option of visiting the Charles Darwin Research Centre, home to the headquarters of the Charles Darwin Foundation. This is the main research centre on the islands and scientists come from all over the world to study the flora and fauna. There is also the chance to visit the lively fish market, where we can see the daily catch and sample some of the freshest seafood you’ve ever tasted.
Classic accommodation: Grand Hotel León Marino (or similar)
Day 7 : Full Day Boat Tour To An Uninhabited Island
Meals Included: Breakfast
Visit either Bartolomé Island, South Plaza Island, Santa Fe Island or North Seymour (depending on the national park restrictions). South Plaza Island has a remarkable vegetation of succulents and cacti that provide a unique habitat for land iguanas. The iguanas form small colonies at the base of the tall opuntia cacti, waiting for their flowers and dead pads to fall to the ground so they can feed on them. The island rocks are home to swallowtail gulls, shearwaters and sea lions. North Seymour is a flat, boulder-strewn island and a major nesting site for frigatebirds. It’s also a good place to see blue-footed boobies performing courtship rituals and sea lions playing in the powerful surf. Bartolomé is a spectacular scene of dramatic lava cones, clear seas and affords perhaps the most famous view of the Galapagos Islands, looking across the red cinder cones to the recent black lava fields on James Island. If possible, we snorkel today (usually around Bartolomé) where the water is calm.
Classic accommodation: Grand Hotel León Marino (or similar)
Day 8 : Transfer To Baltra Airport, Fly To Quito And Overnight
Meals Included: Breakfast
After a few days following the footsteps of Darwin, Cousteau and world-renowned scientists, it is time to say goodbye to the Enchanted Islands. After breakfast this morning, we drive to the airport at Baltra and fly to Quito where we have a final night.
Classic accommodation:Â Hotel Vieja Cuba (or similar)
Day 9 : End Quito
Meals Included: Breakfast
Our adventure ends after breakfast this morning.
What's Included
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All breakfasts and three lunches included
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All accommodation
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All transport and listed activities
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Tour leader throughout
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Arrival and departure transfers
What's Not Included
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Travel insurance
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Single accommodation (available on request)
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Visas or vaccinations
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Compulsory Galapagos taxes US$220Â paid locally
Accommodation
We spend seven nights in hotels and guesthouses. Hotels and guesthouses on the Galapagos Islands are generally small, family-run establishments. Below are the typical hotels we use.
Quito: Wyndham Quito Hotel  (night 1)
San Cristóbal: Hotel Paraiso Insular (nights 2 and 3)
In Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, this unfussy hotel is ideally located for our adventures around the island. Two minutes’ stroll away is the Malecon, a seaside walkway with restaurants and shops, while the hotel has a sundeck and bar for post-exploration relaxing.
Isabela: San Vicente Hotel (nights 4 to 5)
This bright and breezy three-star stay in Puerto Villamil is just two blocks from a white-sand, palm-lined beach. Back at the hotel, there’s a chillout deck for mixing with the group plus a hot tub with a view. Energy is provided through solar panels.
Santa Cruz: Grand Hotel Lobo de Mar (nights 6 and 7)
In Puerto Ayora, this three-star hotel is the perfect spot to complete our adventure, with modern bedrooms and a small indoor pool. There’s also a cheery restaurant with a bright Galapagos-themed wall mural, a ready-made background for an end-of-tour group photo.
Quito: Vieja Cuba Hotel (night 9)
Food
All breakfasts and three lunches are included on this trip.
Hotel breakfasts are normally buffets with toast, cereal, eggs, fruits and tea/coffee. For lunch and dinner, the tour leader will recommend various options in convenient locations, usually booking restaurants and eating with the group. For the included meals at restaurants, they are usually a set menu with two or three options. The choice of meals in some areas of the Galapagos can be limited but special dietary requirements can usually be catered for if we are advised at the time of booking. When flying to and from the Galapagos, snacks are usually included on the flights.
Check out our Q&As
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
If you wish to make any changes to your booking, particularly if you need to alter any flights booked through us, please let us know as soon as possible. There is a booking or flight amendment fee of £40 per change and flight amendments often incur extra airline costs depending on the changes to be made and if the ticket has been issued or not.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Exodus has been trading since 1974
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your final joining instructions and flight details, if booked with us, will then be sent out 2 to 3 weeks before departure. If you would like a hard copy posted, or if you require these any earlier, please contact the customer operations team. We advise that if you are booking connecting travel before receiving these, please ensure you leave plenty of time.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Travellers are welcome to opt to share a room with a tour member of the same gender for no additional charge. If you'd like your own room, we can request a single supplement so that you will have your own room throughout.
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
You are welcome to meet the group after the tour has departed however there is no reduction in rate for joining a tour after the departure date.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Exodus Adventure Travels allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform exodus adventure travels, 43 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Exodus Adventure Travels requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of exodus adventure travels charges.
Up to 70 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.