8 Day Galapagos Island Hopping Budget

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 Galapagos Islands Budget 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’ll 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 and you’ll visit the Flamingo Lagoon. After that, your driver will drop you 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’ll 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. The rest of the tour usually looks like this: Day 2: Santa Fe, Day 3 Tortuga Bay & Charles Darwin Station, Day 4 Santa Cruz highlands, Bahia bay tour, Day 5 morning boat to Isabela, Wetlands & Tintoreras, Day 6 Los Tuneles, Day 7 kayak in Puerto Villamil, visit Isabela highlands, Day 8 morning boat to Santa Cruz and transfer out.

• ActivitySightseeing, Wildlife Watching.
• TransportBoat, Bus, Car.
• MealLunch.
• AccommodationsHotel San Vicente or similar (option 1). Hotel Fernandina or similar (option 2).

After breakfast your guide will accompany you for a relaxing and beautiful kayak excursion in the bay of Puerto Villamil. Here you will be able to spot various endemic animals such as marine iguanas, sea lions, and penguins. After this, you will return to the hotel for lunch and a short rest. In the afternoon, you will make your way to the Highlands of Isabela and visit La Cueva de Sucre, The Mango viewpoint, and Campo Duro, which is another place of giant tortoises.

• ActivityKayaking, Sightseeing, Wildlife Watching.
• TransportCar.
• MealBreakfast, Lunch.
• AccommodationsHotel San Vicente or similar.

In the morning, you will have a tour to The Wetlands where you will visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center to spot small and giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The next activity is a visit to The Wall of Tears. Additionally, you will visit 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, where white-tip sharks known as Tintoreras come daily to rest at the bottom. 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.

• ActivityHiking, Sightseeing, Wildlife Watching.
• TransportBoat, Car.
• MealBreakfast, Lunch.
• AccommodationsHotel San Vicente or similar.

Early in the morning, on the fourth day of your Galapagos Islands Budget tour, you will go on boat ride from Puerto Villamil. You will explore the brilliant scenery in Los Tuneles which is considered the most beautiful place to snorkel in Isabela Island. Around the 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 feedings such as tortoises, swimming iguanas, sea lions, manta rays, Galapagos penguins, lobsters, and sea snakes. This exciting activity takes approximately about 6 hours including the boat rides and a snack before a short hike.

• ActivityExploring, Hiking, Snorkeling, Wildlife Watching.
• TransportBoat.
• MealBreakfast, Snack.
• AccommodationsHotel San Vicente or similar.

At 06:00 AM you will take the speedboat to Santa Cruz Island where you’ll have breakfast. Then you’ll 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: white sand, captivating blue water and observing marine iguanas, pelicans and flamingos. It is a 2.5 km (30-45 minutes) walk over a paved path from Puerto Ayora. You can swim here. It’s 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.

• ActivityHiking, Relaxing, Swimming, Wildlife Watching.
• TransportBoat, Car.
• MealBreakfast, Lunch.
• AccommodationsHotel Fernandina or similar.

After breakfast, and to continue your Galapagos Islands Budget tour, 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 such as 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, 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, where you will discover the beach.

* This day includes an activity called “Pesca Vivencial” which means that you might be able to experience a fishing demonstration depending to the weather and park regulations.

* Wet landing means that the boat gets 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.

• ActivitySnorkeling, Wildlife Watching.
• TransportBoat.
• MealBreakfast, Box Lunch.
• AccommodationsHotel Fernandina or similar.

With the Bay Tour you visit the highlights around Puerto Ayora by boat. The first destination will be La Loberia where you find sea lions. Next you will go to Punta Camaño Islet. Here you will snorkel with sea lions and a large variety of fish. Your next activity will be a visit to the Channel of Love. This is another formation by fissure that results in a beautiful sleepy water channel with excellent scenic beauty. Finally Playa de Los Perros, a 15-minute walk until you reach the beach. In the afternoon you visit the highlands of Santa Cruz with the giant tortoises. You will do a small hike on a privately owned ranch and you can see the big tortoises in their natural habitat.

• ActivityExploring, Hiking, Sightseeing, Snorkeling, Wildlife Watching.
• TransportBoat, Car.
• MealBreakfast, Lunch.
• AccommodationsHotel Fernandina or similar.

Today your Galapagos Islands Budget Tour comes to an end. 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.