5 Day Luxury Galapagos

Highlights

Santa Cruz HighlandsYou will be surrounded by impressive flora and fauna including giant tortoises in their natural habitat and unique volcanic features.
Bay TourYou will visit the highlights around Puerto Ayora by boat, snorkel with seal lions and spot sharks and blue footed boobies.
Los TunelesSnorkel in the clear waters and swim with a lot of different unique animal species.
Day Tour Uninhabited IslandVisit one of the uninhabited islands of the Galapagos.

Map

Itinerary

DAY 1 BALTRA – SANTA CRUZ
This is the first day of your luxury Galapagos tour. At the Baltra Airport (GPS), you meet up with our English speaking guide who will take you to the highlands of Santa Cruz. If you arrive before 02:00 PM you have lunch in the highlands. If you arrive later you will only visit the highlands. In the highlands you visit a privately owned farm where you will find the giant tortoises. The Galapagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) is the largest living tortoise species, weighing up to 250 kg (550 lb). After this visit you will be dropped off at your hotel where you can rest.
- ActivityExploring, Hiking, Wildlife Watching.
- TransportBoat, Bus, Car.
- MealLunch.
- AccommodationsHotel Ikala or similar.
DAY 2 DAY TOUR TO UNINHABITED ISLAND (BARTOLOME, NORTH SEYMOUR, SOUTH PLAZA OR SANTA FE)
Today you will go by boat to one of the islands around Santa Cruz. Depending on the availability you go to either North Seymour, Bartolome, South Plazas or Santa Fe. After breakfast you leave the island with a beautiful small yacht. Depending on the islands it is 20 min – 2 hours navigating to get there. Lunch is served on board.

North Seymour was lifted from the ocean floor by a seismic event, and its origins as a seabed give the island its low, flat profile. Cliffs only a few meters high from the shoreline, where swallow-tailed gulls sit among the ledges and rocks. Usually, you find here the frigate birds. Sometimes you are even lucky to find a frigate bird with their beautifully colored inflated red sack.

Bartolome is famous for Pinnacle Rock, a towering spearheaded obelisk that rises from the ocean’s edge and is the best-known landmark in the islands. Galapagos penguins—the only species of penguin found north of the equator—walk precariously along narrow volcanic ledges at its base. There is a chance that you will see white-tip and black-tip sharks resting in the shallow waters around the beaches of Bartolome. Upon arrival at the island, you will climb up the stairs to go to the viewpoint where you have the best views of Bartolome.

South Plaza is a small island full of fascinating wildlife, both along its shore and along its dramatic, wind-swept cliffs: sea lions, land iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, opuntia cacti and vegetation that changes colors according to the season. South Plazas is one of Galapagos’ most impressive visiting sites.

Santa Fe offers one of the most beautiful and sheltered coves in the islands. Its turquoise lagoon is protected by a peninsula of tiny islets forming an ideal anchorage. The island lies to the southeast of Santa Cruz within sight of Puerto Ayora. Like North Seymour, Santa Fe has been uplifted seismically, and you can see underwater lava formations.
- ActivityExploring, Wildlife Watching.
- TransportBoat.
- MealBreakfast, Box-Lunch.
- AccommodationsHotel Ikala or similar.
DAY 3 BAY TOUR – ISABELA
In the morning you go on the Bay Tour, where you visit the highlights around Puerto Ayora by boat. The first destination will be La Loberia where you find sea lions. Next, you will navigate to Punta Caamaño Islet. Here you will snorkel with sea lions and a large variety of fish. Furthermore, you will go on a channel where you can spot tintorera sharks and blue footed boobies. Your next activity will be a visit to the Channel of Love. Finally, Playa de Los Perros. This is a 15-minute walk until you reach the beach where you will be able to observe lots of dog crabs colonies and lots of large marine iguanas. In the afternoon you take the public speedboat to Isabela.
- ActivityExploring, Hiking, Snorkeling, Wildlife Watching.
- TransportBoat.
- MealBreakfast.
- AccommodationsHotel Casita de la Playa or similar.
DAY 4 LOS TÚNELES
At 11:00 AM you will go by boat to Los Túneles. Los Túneles is considered the most beautiful place to do snorkeling activities in Isabela. Here you will find various marine species and beautiful flora vegetation. You will go on an exciting snorkeling activity inside an area with an extension of 800 meters and an average temperature of 20 °C. There are large quantities of seabirds such as the flamingos, blue-footed boobies and the magnificent frigatebird. Also, you can find species such as tortoises, sea lions, manta rays, Galapagos penguins, sea snakes and white-tipped sharks.
- ActivityExploring, Snorkeling, Wildlife Watching.
- TransportBoat.
- MealBreakfast, Snack.
- AccommodationsHotel Casita de la Playa or similar.
DAY 5 TRANSFER OUT TO BALTRA AIRPORT
This is the last day of your 5 Day Luxury Galapagos Tour. After breakfast you take a short transfer to Isabela Airport (5 min) from where you take a small airplane (capacity of 9 people) to Baltra Airport. The flight time is about 40 minutes. The tour will end upon arrival to Baltra Airport.
- TransportAirplane, Car.
- MealBreakfast.

Inclusions

Meals as described in the itinerary.
Accommodation in a single, double or triple room.
Airport pickup and drop off at Baltra Airport at your arrival/departure time.
Transportation between Baltra Airport – Itabaca Channel each way.
Transportation on and between the Islands as described in the itinerary.
Local naturalist guide (English & Spanish speaking).
All activities as described in the itinerary.
Snorkeling equipment: mask, snorkel, fins and life vest.
24/7 assistance in English, Dutch and Spanish.
Exclusions

+ Round trip flights between mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.
+ Food & drinks that are not mentioned in the itinerary.
+ Entrance fee for the Galapagos National Park: $ 100 p.p. (cash only).
+ Migratory Control Card / Ingala Transit Card: $ 20 p.p. (cash only).
+ Isabela dock fee: $ 10 p.p. (cash only).
+ Water Taxi each way (small boat that takes you from the speedboat to the harbor and back).
+ Personal travel & health insurance.
+ For rent: wetsuit (recommended between May – November).
+ Personal expenses.
+ Optional tips for the guide.

Additional information

TOUR SUMMARY

The Galapagos Deluxe Tours are designed for travelers who love comfort and service. The hotels are first class and the excursions all include an English-speaking guide. You have all transportation arranged (even a flight between San Cristobal and Isabela). In this 5 day Luxury Galapagos you will stay in the best hotels of Galapagos; Hotel Golden Bay in San Cristobal, Hotel Finch Bay in Puerto Ayora, and Hotel Casita de la Playa in Isabela. The excursions are also top-notch Luxury Galapagos with Kicker Rock, Isabela, and the highlands of Santa Cruz.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For children under the age of 12, there is a 10% discount.
It is recommended to book flights with an early arrival time to the Galapagos Islands and a late departure time from the Galapagos Islands to make sure you can enjoy all of the activities of the tour. Late arrivals and/or early departures mean you might miss some activities.
There are no guides on the transportation by public speedboat between islands.
Try to only bring small baggage/bags since public transportation on the Galapagos Islands is quite small.
Tap water on the Galapagos Islands might contain bacteria and should not be consumed, not even for brushing your teeth. Bottled or purified water is always recommended.
Inform yourself about food safety when traveling to tropical countries. Take the necessary precaution to avoid food poisoning (always wash your hands before eating, don’t eat ‘street food’, only eat peeled fruits, etc.).
It is important to have valid travel and medical insurance. Please inform us of any known medical conditions you have.
Rebecca Adventure Travel reserves the right to change the itinerary without previous notice due to weather conditions, availabilities, National Park regulations or notifications, and unforeseeable circumstances.
It is possible that pictures will be taken during your tour, so it is recommended to bring a USB.