Galapagos at a Glance: Southern Islands (Grand Daphne)
Galapagos at a Glance: Southern Islands (Grand Daphne)
Galapagos at a Glance: Southern Islands (Grand Daphne)
6 Days Starting and ending in Quito
Visiting: Quito, Isla Baltra/Santa Cruz Highlands, Isla Floreana, Isla Espanola, Isla San Cristobal
Tour operator:
Tour code:
GMDB
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 16
Age range:
12-99 years
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Tour Overview
Welcome to the Galapagos Islands, guaranteed to fill even the most well-travelled adventurers with a sense of awe and wonder. Be enchanted by pink flamingos in the lagoons of Isla Floreana, sunbathe with sea lions along Gardner Beach, hike along the spectacular green shoreline of Punta Cormorant and snorkel, well, everywhere. This active 6-day tour is a short and sweet introduction to the famed archipelago, the perfect addition to any South American adventure.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Quito
Location: Quito
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: dinner
The adventure gets underway in Quito, Ecuador’s sprawling but refined capital city. A welcome meeting will be held this evening at either 5 pm or 6 pm so that you can meet your fellow travellers, but aside from that you are free to check out the city on your own today. After your welcome meeting, head to a small, local restaurant for dinner with your group. You can expect some pretty mouth-watering aromas from the fresh flavours of traditional Ecuadorian cuisine. Think quinoa, pork and vegetable dishes laced with local herbs, lemongrass and rich sauces all sourced from local farms. You might even get to try the traditional Locro (potato soup). If you arrive early today, perhaps head to Quito’s Old Town and pick one (or more) of the 30 churches to explore.
Day 2: Isla Baltra/Santa Cruz Highlands
Location: Isla Baltra/Santa Cruz Highlands
Accommodation: M/Y Grand Daphne
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Rise and shine! An early start is necessary this morning to make it to the Galapagos with time to play today. This could mean leaving as early as 4.30 am, and an Intrepid representative will confirm the exact departure time during the welcome meeting on day 1. Transfer to Mariscal Sucre International Airport (aka Quito Airport), enjoying a boxed breakfast en route. On arrival in the Galapagos, collect your luggage and meet your naturalist guide in the arrival hall. The action starts straight away with a journey into the highlands of Isla Santa Cruz, into the misty forests filled with unique scalesia. If you’re lucky, this could be your first sighting of giant tortoises in the wild, different species of Darwin finches and the world-famous woodpecker and warbler finches. Enjoy lunch in the highlands, then travel to Puerto Ayora and transfer to your boat – Grande Daphne. Settle into your assigned cabin, meet the crew and listen to a safety briefing. With the formalities out of the way, maybe head up to the deck with some of your fellow travellers and get to know each other over a drink or two.
Included Activities:
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Day 3: Isla Floreana
Location: Isla Floreana
Accommodation: M/Y Grand Daphne
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Discover the quirky maritime history of Post Office Bay, home of the oldest postal system in the Americas. There’s a post box here that was first built by 18th-century whalers and is still in use today. Perhaps leave a letter to be collected by another traveller, or have a look for one that you can deliver. Snorkelling and a Zodiac ride are also included in this outing. Afterwards, head ashore at Punta Cormorant where the sand is made up of fine olivine crystal, a glassy volcanic mineral that gives the beach an olive-green colour. Sea lions can usually be seen lounging and socialising along the shore. Explore a little more of the island on a 1-kilometre walk, passing waterbird-filled lagoons and finishing at an Eastern Pacific green turtle nesting site. Later you’ll have the opportunity to snorkel in famous Devil’s Crown. This eroded volcanic cone is a popular roosting site for seabirds such as boobies, pelicans and frigates. Red-billed tropicbirds can also be seen nesting in the rocky crevices. Those who snorkel here might see rays, sharks, sea lions and turtles.
Sail overnight to Isla Espanola.
Estimated travel time/distance:
Puerto Ayora to Isla Floreana: 4 hours (32 nautical miles)
Punta Comorant (Isla Floreana) to Punta Suarez: 6.5 hours (52 nautical miles)
Included Activities:
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Day 4: Isla Espanola
Location: Isla Espanola
Accommodation: M/Y Grand Daphne
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch, dinner
Land at Punta Suarez on Isla Espanola, one of the most attractive locations in the Galapagos, home to a large and varied wildlife population. A hike along rocky trails (approximately 3 km) takes you to a clifftop viewpoint that affords magical panoramas. Boobies line the rocky shoreline below, while frigate birds can be seen overhead. Enormous male sea lions lounge nearby, and albatross use the cliffs as their ‘runway’, getting airborne on the southeast winds. If you’re lucky you might spot the elaborate courtship rituals performed by albatrosses before the female chooses her lifelong mate. Next, head to Bahia Gardner, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galapagos Islands. It’s full of sea lions and hood mockingbirds. Enjoy a short walk (approximately 1 km) along the beach, then snorkel up and explore off shore. Reef sharks, turtles and many species of tropical fish (such as surgeon and angelfish) make their home along the islands shore. Small white-tipped reef sharks are also often spotted resting under the rocks.
Estimated travel time/distance:
Punta Suarez to Bahia Gardener: 45 minutes (5 nautical miles)
Bahia Gardener to Leon Dormido: 5 hours (8 nautical miles)
Included Activities:
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Day 5: Isla San Cristobal
Location: Isla San Cristobal
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: breaksfast
Shake off any early morning doziness with a trip to Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock). This basalt crater rises 150 metres above the water and is divided into two parts by a narrow channel. Cruise around kicker rock as nesting seabirds flank the boat, tropicbirds soar overhead and sea lions lounge by the water. Next, spend some time snorkelling at Cerro Brujo, providing opportunities to see Galapagos sharks and sea turtles. Or perhaps enjoy the beautiful beach with a leisurely walk to photograph the interesting sea lions who can often be seen at this location.
Head to the airport on Isla San Cristobal for your flight back to Quito. The flight will stop in Guayaquil to drop off and/or pick up passengers en route. Arrive at Quito Airport at approximately 4 pm and take a transfer to your hotel. An Intrepid local representative may stop by your hotel this evening to get some feedback on your Galapagos experience.
Included Activities:
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Day 6: Quito
Location: Quito
Meals Included: breaksfast
Buenos dias! There are no activities planned for today after breakfast. If you plan to stay on in Quito, why not join a local guide for an Urban Adventure? Discover the city’s stories through the streets, the markets or the bakeries. Find out more at urbanadventures.com/destination/Quito-tours.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotel (2 nights) Overnight boat (3 nights) -
Isla Santa Cruz - Highlands Visit (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing
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Isla Floreana - Post Office Bay - Walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing
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Isla Floreana - Post Office Bay snorkelling (45 mins)
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Isla Floreana - Punta Cormorant walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing
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Isla Floreana - Devil's Crown snorkelling (1 hour)
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Isla Espanola - Punta Suarez - Walk (3 hours) - Dry Landing
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Isla Espanola - Bahia Gardener - Snorkel (1 hour)
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Isla Espanola - Bahia Gardener - Walk (1 hours) - Wet Landing
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Isla San Cristobal - Cerro Brujo - snorkel or beach walk (1 hour)
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Isla San Cristobal - Kicker Rock - Boat ride
What's Not Included
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International Travel
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Tipping and Gratuities
Included Activities
- Isla Santa Cruz - Highlands Visit (3 hours) - Dry Landing
- Isla Floreana - Post Office Bay - Walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing
- Isla Floreana - Post Office Bay snorkelling (45 mins)
- Isla Floreana - Punta Cormorant walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing
- Isla Floreana - Devil's Crown snorkelling (1 hour)
- Isla Espanola - Bahia Gardener - Snorkel (1 hour)
- Isla Espanola - Bahia Gardener - Walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing
- Isla Espanola - Punta Suarez - Walk (3 hours) - Dry Landing
- Isla San Cristobal - Kicker Rock - Snorkelling (45 minutes)
Transport
- Le Grande Daphne is a motor yacht. She has a comfortable lounge and dining area, as well as a sun deck where you can view the wildlife or just kick back and relax. She has eight well-appointed, air-conditioned cabins each with en-suites.
- Cabins:
- 4x lower deck twin cabins
- 1x lower deck double cabin
- 1x main deck double suite
- 2x upper deck twin/double cabins
- Zodiacs (locally known as pangas) are modest-sized, open, outboard-powered boats which are very common throughout Galapagos. The boats are used to get you to and from the Daphne when you do activities. Depending on the type of activity, this could either be a wet or dry landing. The boat crew are there to assist you getting into and out of the zodiac.
Accommodation
- Le Grande Daphne features en suite cabins all with air conditioning and a safety box. The airconditioning is a centrally controlled system for the lower deck cabins and the upper deck cabins have individually controlled systems. The upper deck cabins have large windows and the lower deck cabins have portholes. Due to the lower deck cabins being close to the water, the portholes cannot be opened. There are 4 lower deck twin cabins, 1 lower deck double cabin, 1 main deck double suite cabin and 2 upper deck twin/double cabins.
- Please note that single passengers cannot be booked/confirmed in the double cabin unless a single supplement is paid.
Important Information
- GALAPAGOS PARK, TRANSIT CARD & ISABELA ISLANDS PORT FEES:
- Before checking in for the flight from Quito to the Galapagos, there is a US$20 transit fee that needs to be paid. On arrival in the islands you must pay the US$200 national park fee to enter Galapagos National Park. This applies to everyone aged 13 years and above. For children aged 12 the fee will be USD100.
- If your voyage visits Isabela Island, there is also a US$10 fee to be paid on arrival at the island.
- ARRIVAL TRANSFER:
- This tour includes a complimentary arrival transfer in Quito. Please advise flight details 30 days prior to travel so that the transfer can be organised.
- PASSPORT DETAILS:
- When booking, please make sure that your name is spelt correctly, and that you book using the name in your passport (particularly if you are recently married). If you are issued a new passport with a different number between the time that you book and the time you travel, please take both the old and new passports with you.
- DIETARY REQUIREMENTS:
- Should you have a special diet requirement (for example vegetarian, celiac, vegan, severe food allergies) it's essential that you inform Peregrine of the specific details at least 10 days prior to departure, in order to make sure the chef on board the boat or on the island can request the necessary food supplies.
- May and June departures 2024 UPDATE.
- On the 11th of May the Galapagos National Park authorities advised, the landing site of Punta Surez on Espanola Island and Genovesa Island will now reopen. These landing sites were temporary closed as part of the biosecurity measures activated to prevent the spread of the Avian flu. All trip departures will now revert to the original itinerary which includes a landing at Punta Suraz, Espanola Island and Genovesa Island.
Mode of Transport
- Le Grande Daphne is a motor yacht. She has a comfortable lounge and dining area, as well as a sun deck where you can view the wildlife or just kick back and relax. She has eight well-appointed, air-conditioned cabins each with en-suites.
- Cabins:
- 4x lower deck twin cabins
- 1x lower deck double cabin
- 1x main deck double suite
- 2x upper deck twin/double cabins
- Zodiacs (locally known as pangas) are modest-sized, open, outboard-powered boats which are very common throughout Galapagos. The boats are used to get you to and from the Daphne when you do activities. Depending on the type of activity, this could either be a wet or dry landing. The boat crew are there to assist you getting into and out of the zodiac.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
This trip involves lots of active adventure and we ask that you read through the itinerary carefully to ensure that this trip is right for you. You’ll need to feel comfortable with the included activities and with moving about the boat. The cabins and communal areas of the boat are spread over three decks and the steps between the decks are steep.
For getting to small islets, coves and prime snorkelling spots, it is sometimes necessary to use a Zodiac boat (panga). You will need to be comfortable climbing in and out of one during wet and dry landings.
The waters of the Galapagos are generally calm and serene. However, there is always the possibility of choppy water at sea. Steady sea legs (and a sturdy stomach) will be needed when walking around the boat during bad weather. Rain or shine, your trusty crew will always be on hand to assist you.
Things are never set in stone when you’re travelling on island time. A sense of humour and flexibility will ensure you have a fun, relaxing trip through this beautiful part of the world no matter what happens. While the crew will do their best to follow the itinerary, variations may occur due to weather or under direction from local authorities. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions