Galapagos Islands Cruise

B - Breakfast | L - Lunch | D - Dinner

Day 1 Arrive Quito

Arrive in Quito at any time. There are no planned activities, so check in and enjoy your surroundings. There are several excellent museums scattered throughout the city. The Casa de la Cultura Ecuadoriana has an interesting display of traditional musical instruments and Ecuadorian traditional dress, a large art collection, and a small natural history museum. For archeology, the best museum to visit is the Museo del Banco Central with its well displayed pottery, gold ornaments, skulls showing deformities and early surgical methods, a mummy and many other objects of interest. The small, rounded hill dominating the old town is El Panecillo or 'the Little Bread Loaf,' a major Quito landmark. From here there are marvelous panoramic views of the entire city and surrounding volcanoes. You can easily take a trolley (streetcar) or a cab between the Old Town and New Town.

Day 2 Baltra/ Black turtle cove (B,L,D)

We will rise early to catch our flight to Baltra, in the Galapagos Islands. Upon arrival the group will be met by our expert naturalist guide who will assist with the transfer to our catamaran. After lunch and a briefing from our naturalist, we will embark on our first excursion to visit Black Turtle Cove, an area of small mangrove surrounded inlets where we will view various bird and marine life such as: herons, pelicans, mustard rays, white tipped sharks and marine turtles.

Day 3 Floreana (B,L,D)

This morning we will explore Post Office Bay, on Floreana Island. The history of Floreana Island (also called Charles) has evolved to reach near mythic proportions. On Post Office Bay we will take a short walk to an interesting lava cave. With the aid of a flashlight, will descend about 80 m (262 ft) to the point where the sea enters the cave. In the afternoon we will continue to Punta Cormorant on the northern part of Floreana. The landing is on a beach of green sand, colored by olivine crystals, volcanic-derived silicates of magnesium and iron. From the beach we will take a short hike to a lake inhabited by flamingos and other shore birds. We will continue to a beach of fine white sand particles known as “Flour Beach”, an important nesting site for turtles. Around the point is Devil's Crown, which derives its name from the broken remains of a partially submerged volcanic cone. This is a perfect spot to go snorkeling from the boat, as the waters are home to a multitude of colorful fish and sea lions.

Day 4 Española (B,L,D)

Early this morning we will arrive at Española Island, the southernmost island of the archipelago. We will explore Garner Bay, an excellent swimming and snorkeling site where we may find ourselves swimming with sea lions or even reef sharks. In the afternoon we will continue to Punta Suarez on the western side of Española Island, where views are spectacular: gargantuan waves break on jagged cliffs complemented by large bird colonies. During our hike, we will follow the trail through a rookery and learn the geological history of the island from our naturalist, including its dramatic volcanic features, climate, flora and fauna.

Day 5 Santa Cruz/Quito (B)

In the morning we will arrive back to port in Puerta Ayora, on Santa Cruz Island where we will visit the renowned Charles Darwin Research Station. Santa Cruz is the second largest in the island group, and boasts the most varied of the islands’ vegetation zones: coastal, transition, scalesia, miconia and pampa. The Charles Darwin Research Station is a 10 minute walk from the center of the town. Here, an exhibition displays photos of recent volcanic eruptions, charts outlining geological formations and drawings of the evolutionary development of endemic species. A corral houses adult Galapagos Tortoises, and a nursery cares for young tortoises until they are about three years old. Following this we will transfer to the airport on Baltra Island for our flight to Quito. Transfer to our hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Enjoy one last night in historic Quito.

Day 6 Depart Quito (B)

After choosing your desired tour, you will need to select a departure date that works for you. You can view all of our dates and prices on any tour page. You may also want to consider the need for a private room during the tour. Please remember to ask for an air quote. It is important however that you do not purchase tickets that carry cancellations penalties until your trip is guaranteed to run.

Availability Options

• Available – Trips marked as available means there are at least 4 spots left on your tour.
• On Request– Less than 4 spaces are left, or we need to contact a local supplier, especially in the case of independent tours.
• Waitlist – There is currently no space available, but you can ask to be contacted if anything opens up.

Guaranteed - We guarantee our tours 60 days before departure. Some popular tours are guaranteed before this date. If your tour indicates it is guaranteed, you can proceed to book your international airfare once you receive your booking confirmation.

Inca Trail Status - For Peru trips that involve hiking the Inca Trail permits often sell out many months in advance. Permits can either be available, on request or sold out. If sold out, then you can either take a different hiking route to Machu Picchu or extend your stay in Cuzco and visit Machu Picchu by train. We recommend the sooner you book your trip the better.

Book your Tour Online

When you decide to “book now” you will proceed to our secure, online booking pages that are encrypted for online purchases. The processing steps are explained below. Essential information comes first. Let us know who you are and whom you are traveling with.

• Add your personal information for our “passenger” section, such as name (as it appears on your passport), email, date of birth and save that information.
• Please advise us of any medical or meal requirements at this time.
• If you are travelling with anyone else, enter their personal information next, and continue doing this for any passengers you are booking and paying for.
• Review our insurance section so that you’re aware of our requirements.

Note: Discovery Adventures can book your insurance for you.

Proceed to the checkout...

• Please refer to your invoice for a recap of the total cost of services and tours you have requested. Once you have confirmed that your booking details are correct, it is time to book.
• “Hold an option,” means you will have 48 hours to decide, without being charged on your credit card. If you do not confirm, we will release your space for someone else.
• On most tours you can “hold an option” with a credit card or “confirm a booking”.
• Confirming a booking means your credit card will be charged the deposit amount of your tour. The following are the amounts: CAD 250, AUD 250, NZD 250, USD 250, GBP 100, EUR 250.
• Note that you will be charged the full tour amount if your booking request is within 60 days of departure.
• Enter your credit card information as requested and submit the booking to complete your transaction!
• It is a good idea to record your Booking Number and ID for future reference.

We'll be in touch!

Upon receipt of your request, our reservations team will prepare your invoices and documents, and review any special requirements for the tour(s) and services you have requested. You will hear from us within 24 hours of your request by email.

• Please note, even if your online booking went through and you’ve received your booking number, a quality control check is required for all bookings before we can advise to book airfare or extra services.
• We will answer any questions you may have, and provide competitive quotes on both insurance and airfare over the phone.

Any other questions you may have before then can probably be answered by visiting our FAQs and links to our Terms and Conditions.

Good things to know before you go on your Discovery Adventures trip.

Our Discovery Adventures Specialists will take care of all the details of your trip, however some travelers enjoy doing a little research on their own to be ahead of the game. Here are some tips and links to get you started.

• Passport: Make sure your passport is valid up to 6 months from your return date.
• Travel Visas - Requirements change frequently and are dependent upon your nationality and your destination. You are responsible for obtaining your own Visas. Check the Plan Your Trip page to determine if a Visa is required for your specific trip.
• Travel Reports: Most governments have websites dedicated to providing the most up-to-date travel information including recent news and background information on every country. Please visit the US State site for information about your destination and international travel
• Arrival and Departure taxes/fees: Check your tour confirmation documents and speak with a Discovery Adventure Specialist if you have any questions.
• Immunizations and travel health issues: Be sure to get the most accurate and up-to-date health information for the region you will be visiting. Check with your general physician or a specialist from your local travel health clinic.
• Good Health Practices: Adjusting to new climates and cultural conditions can cause some minor complications. This guide will help you stay healthy while you travel.
• Travel Insurance: Be sure to acquire the necessary travel insurance before your trip. You will not be allowed to participate without showing proof of adequate coverage.
• Packing Tips: Create your own packing list based on your destination, accommodations, weather and tour activities. Leave jewelery at home and keep makeup to a minimum. Travel size toiletries stored in a waterproof kit are recommended. Pack once…divide it in half and pack again. (Please verify weight and carry on restrictions with your airline carrier.)