Wake up early to catch your flight to the Galapagos, with a quick stop in Guayaquil. You'll land on Baltra Island, meet your guide, and take a short bus and ferry ride. Your first stop is Los Gemelos—two large sinkholes in a lush forest where you might see finches and the red vermillion flycatcher. Next, visit the Santa Cruz Highlands to see giant tortoises in the wild. Then board your yacht, Grace.
In the afternoon, visit Puerto Ayora and the Charles Darwin Research Station to see the tortoise breeding program. End the day with sunset drinks, a briefing, and dinner on the yacht before sailing to Floreana Island.
In the morning, you will visit Post Office Bay, where you can take part in a centuries-old mail tradition by leaving a postcard and picking one up to deliver. You’ll also explore a lava tube that leads to an underground grotto, perfect for a refreshing swim. Then, enjoy snorkeling or paddleboarding in the bay, where sea turtles and colorful fish often appear.
By midday, you’ll return to the Grace for lunch and a short rest. In the afternoon, you’ll cruise past Baroness Point and hear stories of Floreana’s mysterious past. Then, you’ll land at Punta Cormorant to walk between two unique beaches—one green with volcanic crystals, the other white and made of coral. Along the way, you may spot flamingoes, rays, and sea turtles.
In the early evening, you’ll snorkel at either Champion Islet, known for sea lions, penguins, and dolphins, or Devil’s Crown, a sunken volcanic crater full of marine life. After your adventure, you’ll return to the Grace to relax in the Jacuzzi, enjoy sunset drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and settle in for the night.
In the morning, you will visit Punta Suarez, where sea lions greet you at the shore and colorful marine iguanas rest on the rocks. You’ll walk along the cliffs to see masked boobies and blue-footed boobies nesting, as well as other birds like Galapagos doves and finches. You may watch a blowhole spray seawater and see waved albatross take flight from the nearby cliffs.
By midday, you will explore the nesting grounds of the waved albatross, where you might catch their unique courtship dances and see fluffy chicks. Afterwards, you’ll head to Gardner Bay on the northeastern shore, a beautiful white sandy beach where sea lions relax and sea turtles swim offshore.
In the afternoon, you’ll swim and snorkel in the clear turquoise waters, meeting playful young sea lions and colorful fish such as surgeonfish and parrotfish. You may also spot white-tipped reef sharks resting on the ocean floor. For those who like, kayaking or paddleboarding is a great way to explore the calm waters of Gardner Bay before returning to your yacht.
In the morning, you will visit Punta Pitt on the east end of San Cristóbal Island. You’ll walk a short trail that passes an olivine beach and climbs a volcanic hill with stunning views. Here, you can see three types of boobies—blue-footed, red-footed, and masked—and two types of frigatebirds nesting close by. Sea lions are also common in the area.
Afterwards, you’ll head to Isla Lobos, a small island just off San Cristóbal. You’ll walk a trail to watch baby sea lions and blue-footed boobies among the salt bushes. Then, you’ll snorkel with the playful sea lions, who love to swim around and even blow bubbles at you.
In the afternoon, you’ll warm up in the Grace’s Jacuzzi before cruising along the coast to visit Leon Dormido, also known as Kicker Rock. This dramatic volcanic formation rises 152 meters out of the ocean. You’ll circle the rock to look for seabirds and maybe even spot hammerhead sharks below the surface.
In the morning, you will land on Santa Fe Island, known for its beautiful sheltered cove and turquoise lagoon. You’ll walk a trail from the white sandy beach, passing lively sea lion colonies and Galapagos hawks perched in salt bushes. The trail climbs to cliffs with great ocean views and giant prickly pear cacti, the largest in the islands. At the top, you’ll look for the island’s big land iguanas, which look like small dinosaurs. You might also spot rice rats or harmless snakes. After the hike, enjoy snorkeling or paddleboarding in calm waters filled with sea lions, sea turtles, and tropical fish.
In the afternoon, you’ll visit South Plaza Island, a small but rich island formed by lava. You’ll land in the channel between North and South Plaza and follow a trail up the island’s tilted cliffs. Along the way, you’ll see bright yellow land iguanas waiting for prickly pear cactus fruit and swallow-tailed gulls nesting on the cliffs. You might also spot manta rays in the water and watch sea lions resting on the rocks. Look out for colorful sally lightfoot crabs and birds like red-billed tropic birds, Nazca boobies, and blue-footed boobies riding the wind.
In the morning, you will land on North Seymour Island, known for its low, flat terrain formed by seismic uplift. As you walk the trail, you’ll encounter bustling wildlife including sea lions, marine iguanas, and blue-footed boobies performing their famous courtship dance. Look out for fluffy white chicks tucked under their parents. Overhead, frigate birds with large red throat pouches will display their mating rituals. Along the way, you might spot yellow land iguanas, introduced decades ago and now thriving here. After the hike, enjoy snorkeling in waters teeming with rays, white-tipped reef sharks, sea lions, and colorful fish like king angelfish and parrotfish.
In the afternoon, you’ll visit Bartolomé Island, famous for Pinnacle Rock—a towering volcanic spire featured in films. Here, Galapagos penguins waddle along rocky ledges, and sea lions rest nearby, ready to swim with snorkelers. You’ll explore a crescent beach where sea turtles nest and possibly spot them swimming close to shore. Then, take a dry landing to hike up a volcanic crater trail to Bartolomé’s summit. The climb offers stunning views of nearby islands, the bay below, and Pinnacle Rock itself. After returning to the yacht, you can relax with a soak in the Jacuzzi while watching the sunset over the nearby Daphne Islands.
In the morning, you’ll visit the tiny Sombrero Chino (Chinese Hat) Island, named for its distinctive shape resembling a traditional Chinese coolie hat. This quiet, protected island is off-limits to large groups, making it one of the least visited spots in the central Galapagos. You’ll land on a crescent-shaped white sandy beach nestled between black lava rocks and calm turquoise waters. Sea lions lounge on the sand, while vibrant sally lightfoot crabs scuttle across the rocks. Marine iguanas bask in the sun after foraging in the nearby channel, and American oyster catchers probe the tide pools with their bright orange beaks. A short trail leads into the volcanic interior where you can admire rope-like pahoehoe lava flows, red sesuvium plants, and curious lava lizards. Back at the cove, snorkel with playful sea lions and watch Galapagos penguins dart past in the rocky coastal waters, or spot them during a panga ride. Kayaking and paddleboarding are also available in designated areas.
By early afternoon, you’ll head to Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz Island, famous for its bright yellow land iguanas—often called “dragons” because of their large spines. The lava flows along the shore create black reefs ideal for snorkeling at high tide. After a dry landing, you’ll hike up a trail from the beach to a seasonal hyper-saline lagoon, home to pink flamingos. Along the way, notice the transition from mangroves and coastal plants to dry zone vegetation like Palo Santo trees and cactus. Birdwatchers will delight in sightings of Darwin’s finches, including cactus and woodpecker finches, as well as the impressive Galapagos hawk. The hike through the Scalesia forest is a bit challenging but rewarding, culminating in sweeping views of the bay and close encounters with the endemic “dragons” in their natural habitat.
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On the last morning of your Galapagos voyage, you’ll explore Black Turtle Cove on the northern shore of Santa Cruz Island. This serene lagoon, shaped by four species of mangroves, creates a unique and vibrant habitat. As you drift quietly in the dinghy, keep an eye out for graceful spotted eagle rays and golden rays swimming in their characteristic diamond formation. Below the water, white-tipped reef sharks glide, while Pacific green sea turtles surface to breathe and mate. The cove is also a haven for birdlife, including brown pelicans, blue herons, and lava herons feeding along the mangrove fringes. This area has been officially designated a “Turtle Sanctuary,” highlighting its ecological importance.
After your peaceful cove visit, the journey home begins as the Grace sails north to Baltra Island. During World War II, Baltra served as a U.S. Air Force base, and remnants of its foundations can still be seen ashore. The yacht will navigate along Baltra’s western shore to the port, where your crew will handle your checked luggage, delivered to the airport. You’ll only need to bring your carry-on in the panga for the short trip to shore. From there, a brief bus ride takes you to the airport, where your guide will assist with check-in for your flight. This is your final opportunity to grab Galapagos-themed souvenirs, from caps and t-shirts to jewelry and animal figurines. After passing through the last checkpoint, you’ll board your flight—most routes stop in Guayaquil before continuing to Quito—so be sure you know where to disembark. As you say farewell to the Galapagos, your adventure continues either homeward or onward to other incredible Ecuadorian destinations like the highlands, Amazon, or Peru.
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