7 Day Galapagos Island Hopping Budget

Highlights

Los TunelesSnorkel in the clear waters and swim with a lot of fish, sharks and more unique animal species.
Santa Cruz HighlandsBe surrounded by impressive flora and fauna including giant tortoises in their natural habitat and unique volcanic features.
Tintoreras IsletVisit a place where white-tip sharks, known as Tintoreras, come daily to rest at the bottom.
Bay TourExplore the highlights around Puerto Ayora by boat. You will ge the chance to snorkel with seal lions and spot sharks and blue footed boobies.
Tortuga BayRelax on a beach with subtle, soft white sand, captivating blue waters and the endemic marine iguanas.

Map

Itinerary

DAY 1 BALTRA – SANTA CRUZ ISLAND – ISABELA ISLAND – FLAMINGO LAGOON
It is recommended to book flights with an early arrival time to Baltra Airport to make sure you can enjoy all of the activities of the tour.

Option 1: Itinerary for flights arriving at Baltra before 12:00 PM
At Baltra Airport, an English speaking guide will pick you up to go to Puerto Ayora to enjoy your lunch. After lunch, you will take the speedboat to Isabela Island. This can be a bumpy ride, so provide yourself a waterproof jacket and motion sickness medication, if necessary. Upon arrival on Isabela Island, a driver will pick you up to go for a short visit to the Flamingo Lagoon. After that, you will be dropped off at your hotel.

Option 2: Itinerary for flights arriving at Baltra after 12:00 PM
If your flight is scheduled to arrive after 12:00 PM, you will stay at Santa Cruz Island on the first day because the last speedboat to Isabela Island leaves around 03:00 PM. *You won’t have lunch in this case. If you have time, you will have an activity, either a visit to Tortuga Bay or Charles Darwin Station. The rest of the tour usually looks like this: Day 2: Santa Fe; Day 3: Bahia half day tour & Tortuga Bay / Charles Darwin Station; Day 4: Santa Cruz highlands, afternoon boat to Isabela; Day 5: Wetlands & Tintoreras; Day 6: Los Tuneles; Day 7: morning boat to Santa Cruz and transfer out to airport.
- ActivitySightseeing, Wildlife Watching.
- TransportBoat, Bus, Car.
- Meal*Lunch.
- AccommodationsHotel San Vicente or similar (option 1). Hotel Deja Vu or similar (option 2).
DAY 2 TINTORERAS AND WETLANDS
In the morning, you will have a tour to The Wetlands. You will visit first the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, and spot small and giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The next activity will be a visit to The Wall of Tears, followed by a visit to a small lava tunnel. Above the tunnel, you can see the intertidal landscape that offers a tapestry of Galapagos Sesuvium between El Túnel del Estero and Love Beach. Please have in mind that the total length of the walk in The Wetlands area is approximately 3 to 4 hours.

After lunch, you will have a little break and then you will visit Tintoreras Islet. Here you will find white-tip sharks, known as Tintoreras, which come daily to rest at the bottom. To reach this place, you will go to the pier of Puerto Villamil, to board a boat to cross to the islet which is located across the bay. It will be necessary for passengers to use walking shoes or sneakers (closed shoes) to cross the volcanic rocks.
- ActivityExploring, Hiking, Sightseeing, Wildlife Watching.
- TransportBoat, Car.
- MealBreakfast, Lunch.
- AccommodationsHotel San Vicente or similar.
DAY 3 SNORKELING IN LOS TUNELES
Early in the morning, you will go on boat ride from Puerto Villamil. You will explore the brilliant scenery in Los Tuneles which is considered one of the most beautiful places to snorkel in Isabela Island. Around Los Tuneles, you will find a highly contrasted color for snorkeling with clear, calm water. You will get the chance to spot large quantities of seabirds and species feeding, such as tortoises, marine iguanas, sea lions, manta rays, Galapagos penguins, and more. This exciting activity takes approximately about 6 hours, including the boat rides and a snack before a short hike.
- ActivityExploring, Snorkeling, Wildlife Watching.
- TransportBoat.
- MealBreakfast, Snack.
- AccommodationsHotel San Vicente or similar.
DAY 4 CHARLES DARWIN RESEARCH STATION – TORTUGA BAY
At 06:00 AM, you will take the speedboat to Santa Cruz Island, where you will have breakfast. Then, you will go to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where the guides will explain more about the famous giant tortoises. After lunch at a local restaurant, you will visit Tortuga Bay. Think, enjoying the white sand, captivating blue water while observing marine iguanas, pelicans and flamingos. You can also swim here. To reach Tortuga Bay, there is a 2.5 km (30-45 minutes) walk over a paved path from Puerto Ayora. It is also possible to return from Tortuga Bay to Puerto Ayora by boat. This costs $ 10 p.p. + $ 10 for the boat ride of the guide. The departure time is at 05:30 PM.
- ActivityExploring, Sightseeing, Swimming, Wildlife Watching.
- TransportBoat.
- MealBreakfast, Lunch.
- AccommodationsHotel Deja Vu or similar.
DAY 5 SANTA FE ISLAND
After breakfast, you will travel to Santa Fe Island, which is a small island that lies in the center of the Galapagos archipelago. Among animals, Santa Fe is home to endemic species including the Barrington Land Iguana (Conolophus pallidus). After a 45 minute boat ride, you will arrive to the bay of Santa Fe. There, you will have a very nice snorkeling activity, and if you are lucky, you can spot some birds on the rocks. After snorkeling, you will go to Playa Escondida or Garrapatero in Santa Cruz Island, and have a wet landing there. Here, you will have some time to discover the beach.

* Today you will have an activity called ‘Pesca Vivencial’ which means that you might be able to experience a fishing demonstration according to weather and park regulations.

* Wet landing means that the boat will get close to the beach, and from there, you will disembark in the sea. It is recommended that you bring extra clothing, as you might get wet.
- ActivityHiking, Snorkeling, Wildlife Watching.
- TransportBoat.
- MealBreakfast, Box Lunch.
- AccommodationsHotel Deja Vu or similar.
DAY 6 BAY TOUR & SANTA CRUZ HIGHLANDS
With the Bay Tour, you will visit the highlights around Puerto Ayora by boat. The first destination you will visit is La Loberia, where you find many sea lions. Next, you will go to Punta Camaño Islet. Here you will snorkel with more sea lions and a large variety of fish. Your next activity will be a visit to the Channel of Love, a formation by fissure that results in a beautiful sleepy water channel with a scenic beauty. Finally, to end the Bay Tour, you will go to Playa de Los Perros.

In the afternoon, you will visit the highlands of Santa Cruz with its famous Galapagos giant tortoises. You will do a small hike on a privately owned ranch, and you can see the big tortoises in their natural habitat.
- ActivityHiking, Sightseeing, Snorkeling, Wildlife Watching.
- TransportBoat.
- MealBreakfast, Lunch.
- AccommodationsHotel Deja Vu or similar.
DAY 7 TRANSFER OUT – BALTRA
Your Galapagos Island Hopping Budget tour is coming to an end today. After breakfast, you will travel to Baltra Airport with a Spanish speaking driver, where you will depart to Quito or Guayaquil.
- TransportBoat, Bus, 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 on and between the Islands as described in the itinerary.
Transportation between Baltra Airport – Itabaca Channel.
Local naturalist guide (English & Spanish speaking).
Snorkeling equipment: mask, snorkel, fins and life vest.
All activities as described in the itinerary.
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 (small boat that takes you from the speedboat to the harbor and back).
+ Wetsuits for rent (recommended between May – November).
+ Personal travel & health insurance.
+ Optional tips for the guide.

Additional information

TOUR SUMMARY

This 7 day Galapagos Island Hopping Budget tour shows you the best of Santa Cruz & Isabela island. You will have different (day) on Galapagos Island Hopping Budget trips by boat, or by car. You will probably see blue-footed boobies, sea lions, flamingos, and tortoises. You stay in tourist class hotels and all the activities are shared with other travelers. In these 7 days, you will be amazed by all the beauty the Galapagos Islands have to offer, making it a perfect Galapagos holiday!

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.
Please note that the activity sequence will depend on your flight schedule and the availability of the different tours and transportation. The sequence of your complete tour might change but you won’t miss any tours if you have an afternoon flight back to Ecuador on the last day.
If your flight is delayed or canceled and you cannot make it to Puerto Ayora in time to take the last speedboat to Isabela Island, which departs around 14:00, the team assists you with finding accommodation on Santa Cruz Island but this will be on your own expense. You will miss the planned activities.
Try to only bring small baggage/bags since public transportation on the Galapagos Islands is quite small.
There are no guides on the transportation by public speedboat between islands.
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.