Travel Galapagos Islands, information on Galapagos travel, Galapagos cruises, Galapagos tours, galapagos diving and island hopping.

All ships in our website are updated.  Ships that have announced changes on 2011 up to October 2010 are updated.  So far the ships that have anounced their new changed itineraries for 2011 are:  Nina, Athala, Mary Anne, Sagitta, Anahi (Journey I), Archipel I and Archipel II.

 

On 2010 Galapagos National Park authorities announced that during the next 2 years all ship itineraries will change so they do not visit the same locations on a 15 day basis.  This means that until January 2012 all ships have to change their itineraries in order to comply with this law.

 

Many things have been said about this changes, most of them are rumors since not even the operators know exactly how a lot of these changes will work.  Some people say that the best islands have been left out, this is incorrect.  Some other say that cruises will now only do 15 days itineraries, which is wrong as well.   In order to provide you with the most up to date information we are updating our itineraries constantly and checking with the Galapagos National Park on updates every day.

 

How it works:

It is true, a ship cannot visit the same island within a 15 day period on their itinerary.  This does not mean that islands have been left out or that ships can only make 15 days itineraries.  How it works is that ships have been assigned a 15 day itinerary which they can split into different ones on the days they make port on San Cristobal or Santa Cruz (because they have airports).  This means that most ships will offer something like:

- Two 8 day itineraries (week 1 Itinerary A, week 2 Itinerary B) (week 3 Itinerary A, week 4 Itinerary B)

- Depending in which days they make port they might offer something like:  Two six days and One five days itinerary as well, or any combination of itineraries as long as they abide to the 15 days regulation.

 

Because of navigational issues, most of the ships will visit Northern and Central Islands on the first 8 days, and Southern and East islands on the next 8 days. This is yet to be confirmed by the National park but seems to be the direction it is taken as we can see from the ships that already changed their itineraries.

 

Some ships are starting these changes from January 2011, others are changing them on the year's course.  The fact is that by 2012 all ships have to work on the new itineraries.  So if you are looking for ships on 2011 make sure to ask about itinerary changes on that specific ship. Buen viaje!

The type of tour you take basically depends on your budget and preferences,  Galapagos is by default an expensive destination, it is a place where the more islands you visit the more of the Galapagos experience you will have.  There are alternatives to cruising, like Island Hopping, where you sleep in different islands during your stay.  The last and most economic option are land tours where you stay in a single island and do trips to the nearby sights on such island.

 

Galapagos Cruises, Yachts, Sailboats and Catamarans: They are by far the best choice for your trip.  They provide the huge advantage of navigating to sites during your lunch time or at night, which provides the most complete itineraries as in amount of islands visited during your stay.  Because of their price, Galapagos cruises usually have the best guides (Type III naturalist) and offer the best service.   The disadvantages are that some passengers might be seasick and they allow a little less freedom to venture on your own than the other options.

 

Galapagos Island Hopping programs: This programs were designed for passengers who want to travel Galapagos but do not wish to be on a cruise during their stay.  On our first class option, we have arranged for you to sleep in three different islands with first class service and top guides.  The advantage of this option is that it provides more freedom (as you have the nights to explore on your own) and you avoid being in a boat during your sleep which can be problematic for some passengers.  The disadvantage is that because you are not in a cruise, visits to islands like Fernandina are impossible.

On our economy programs, (check FAQ: What is the difference between classes?) usually involve 2 islands on 3* hotels.   On this options you will usually have only land visits to the islands where you are staying and a maximum of 1 navigational visit.  Keep in mind that economy tours usually do not have the best guides or services, but do present an option when budget is constraining.

 

Land Tours: First class land tours are designed for you to take full advantage of a hotel facilities.  We only provide first class land tours with exclusive hotels that are able to provide Type III guides and good itineraries for our passengers.   Economy land tours on the other side, provide usually visits to the highlands and other places of interest and a couple of navigational visits depending on your selected tour.   The main disadvantage of this type of tour is that you are limited to nearby sites in the island you are staying, however our first class options do offer great navigational visits during your stay.

Bigger ships bring the advantage of bigger cabins, more services and the possibility of triple accommodation.  On the other hand smaller ships bring a more familiar environment and a bit more cozyness.

 

Cruises: Cruises usually range from 80 to 100+ passengers.  They usually provide bigger cabin size and more cabin options (balcony, master deluxe, exterior, interior) than smaller yachts. They also provide the big advantage of having triple cabins which smaller ships don't.  Despite the fact that they hold 100 passengers, these are divided into smaller groups for the different activities of the day (each group with a different schedule so everyone gets to do everything) so you will not feel overcrowded.  They also provide more services on board (gym, jacuzzi, etc).  The biggest disadvantage is of course, that the amount of people on board may give you a less familiar setting than smaller ships.  On board a cruise, motion sickness happens from a sturdy rocking motion, however they might be more stable on rough seas than smaller ships.

 

Yachts: Yachts usually range from 16 to 40 passengers.  Their main advantage is to provide a more familiar environment during your Galapagos experience.  Be careful when selecting an economic or standard yacht as they usually do not offer double bed but rather narrow cabins with bunk beds, other classes do not have this problem so make sure to select your yacht accordingly.

 

Catamarans: Catamarans have a maximum capacity of 16 passengers.  Their main advantage is balance.  They also offer a less vertical distribution than yachts and therefore most offer only one cabin type (some do offer suite and normal cabins).

 

Sailboats: For those with sailing blood in their veins, the sailboats allow you to be part of the sailing experience while on board.  They are usually also motor generated, but are by far the greener option :).

Make sure to check our FAQ The 2011, 2012 Galapagos National Park new itineraries confusion before reading this.

 

Your itinerary should match your budget and your preferences.  Galapagos is a wildlife adventure and all islands have something in particular:  All of them are full of wildlife!  Unless you have very specific interests in a particular site or specie, you are sure to have a great time with any itinerary.  There are however some important differences between.

 

Make sure to check our Galapagos information section, our Island information section and our Flora and Fauna section for island specific sightings, weather and other key aspects to consider for your itinerary.

Galapagos is a year around destination for diving as well, however it is said that June to September is the best season as sightings for Whale sharks and big schools of hammerheads are not uncommon.  On this season, water temperature drops so make sure to bring your 7mm wetsuit!

This fees have to be paid on cash at the airport.  The INGALA card is a mandatory migratory control card.  It costs $10 USD and should be paid in the airport in either Quito or Guayaquil PRIOR TO YOUR CHECK-IN.  The Galapagos National Park entrance fee has a cost of $100 USD for non-nationals and should be paid in cash at the Baltra or San Cristobal airport.

Depends on how flexible your dates and budget are.  Cruises are usually booked with over 90 days in advance for high season and even more for christmas and new year's, so if you are travelling during the season make sure to book with anticipation.

However, if you are flexible on your dates or season there is no need to book with more than 30 days (if you are not interested on a specific ship or itinerary). You might find good deals with short notice but not without the risk of not finding anything on your time in Ecuador.

This works both ways, some ships also have early bird specials that also give you a better rate for booking 120 days prior to your departure.

Travel Galapagos Islands is managed by EC Travel, a well established, well reputable company in Quito, Ecuador.  For the past years, EC Travel has turned into one of Ecuador's best known agencies for its personal attention and tour quality.  Make sure to check the downloads section for our permits of operation and our forum links for other users testimonials.

ABSOLUTELY NOT!  We at Travel Galapagos Islands are happy to provide this service at no additonal cost.  Unlike other Galapagos websites, we are commited to providing the best service and rates for our customers.

We have three options:

 

Paypal:  Just send your payment to Esta dirección electrónica esta protegida contra spambots. Es necesario activar Javascript para visualizarla (surcharge 3,9%)

US Bank account:  Request our Bank information from your agent for easy wire transfer to our US bank account.

Ecuador wire transfer:  Request our Bank information for transfers to our Ecuadorian bank account.

 

We are sorry to inform that in order to protect our customer's privacy and security we do not take credit cards with SOF (Signature on File) forms or any other form.

 

Payments should be made:

 

50% at the moment of booking to ensure availability and booking.

50% 30 days prior to your departure date.

Travel Galapagos Islands is a booking service and therefore has to abide to each ship's and service providers policies. Make sure to ask your agent for your ship specific policies when booking a service. In case of a dispute, Travel Galapagos Islands will abide by the service provider's refund and cancellation policies but will always put the customer's interest in front.

We are commited to total customer satisfaction.  If your agent has not responded swiftly, your service was not satisfactory or you have any kind of comment or inquiry feel free to contact our general manager at:  Esta dirección electrónica esta protegida contra spambots. Es necesario activar Javascript para visualizarla , he will contact you inmediately for support.

Getting to the Galapagos Islands can only be done by plane.  You can fly from either Quito or Guayaquil in mainland Ecuador.  There are daily departures from both cities. The flights only leave in the morning and arrive at noon to Galapagos and return on mid-morning to mainland for a mid-afternoon arrival.

If you require assistance with your Galapagos flight please contact us for a quote, we will be happy to help!