6 Day Private Galapagos Island Hopping Tour
This land-based six-day Galapagos Island Hopping Tour gives you the opportunity to see all the animal, bird and sea life that the archipelago is famous for from your bases at charming hotels on the islands. You’ll kayak in pursuit of stingrays, turtles and Pelicans, snorkel with penguins and sharks, and hike down subterranean lava tunnels, in the hands of expert tour guides who will answer your every question and take care of your every need.
This fully customizable, private tour can be crafted by a Destination Expert to match the vacation of your dreams. From the moment you contact us, until the day you return home, we cater to your every whim.
See our preferred hotels for this itinerary by destination:
1 night in Quito/Guayaquil | 4 nights on Galapagos Islands
Highlights:
- Stay in charming hotels on various islands in the Galapagos archipelago, with daily excursions and activities in the best sightseeing and wildlife watching destinations.
- Encounter giant tortoises in their natural habitat on the island of Baltra.
- Explore underground lava tunnels created by the eruption of volcanoes.
- Visit the beautiful white sands of Playa Brava, and enjoy swimming and snorkeling with marine iguanas.
- Kayak along the coast of Playa Los Alemanes looking for stingrays, turtles, Pelicans, Blue-Footed Boobies and Lava Gulls.
- Search for Flamingos and other birds at a semi-saltwater lagoon on Isabela Island.
- Visit the giant tortoise breeding center to learn about conservation efforts on the islands.
- Snorkel at a variety of gorgeous locations, encountering Penguins, stingrays, seahorses, sea lions, sea turtles and white-tipped sharks.
- Embark on a boat tour to visit tintorera sharks, and perhaps even snorkel among them.
Trip At A Glance
- Day 1 – Arrive and stay overnight in comfort in Quito, Ecuador.
- Day 2 – Transfer to Baltra in the Galapagos Islands. Meet giant tortoises and take a look at lava tunnels.
- Day 3 – Walk to the white sands of Playa Brava and snorkel with marine iguanas. Head to Playa Los Alemanes for an abundance of bird and animal life.
- Day 4 – Journey by boat to Isabela Island and view Flamingoes, visit the tortoise breeding center, snorkel among Penguins in Concha Perla, visit tintorera sharks.
- Day 5 – Visit lava tunnels, take a trail walk to look for Blue-Footed Boobies and sea lions, then snorkel with seahorses, Penguins, sting rays and sharks.
- Day 6 – Return to the airport on Baltra and travel back to mainland Ecuador.
-
Day 1 - Arrival in Ecuador
Welcome to Ecuador! One of our representatives will meet you at the airport in Quito and take you to your hotel to settle in before your flight to the Galapagos the following morning.
-
Day 2 - Galapagos Arrival & Tortoise Excursion
This morning you’ll be transferred to the airport for your flight to the islands for the start of your Galapagos adventure. Upon arrival in Baltra, 600 miles from the mainland, your guide will meet you and take you to the highlands where you will be welcomed by Galapagos Giant Tortoises in their natural habitat. You will also visit lava tunnels created by volcanic activity. Lunch is served at a local restaurant before heading to your comfortable hotel to settle in.
-
Day 3 - Tortuga Bay & Academy Bay Kayak
In the morning, enjoy a brisk 40-minute walk to Playa Brava, a long, beautiful white sand beach with incredible surf. Near the far end is a gorgeous bay with marine iguanas and amazing snorkeling and swimming. You’ll return to town for lunch by speed boat and then head out to Playa Los Alemanes to kayak along the coast near mangroves, while looking out for sting rays and turtles. Following the route to Punta Estrada, you will enter little inlets where you can observe Pelicans, Blue Footed Boobies and Lava Gulls. You can also snorkel near a small beach here to see colorful fish, stingrays, white tip sharks, sea lions and sea turtles.
-
Day 4 - Boat to Isabela Island, Concha Perla & Las Tintoreras
In the morning, head to the dock for a windy two-hour island crossing to Isabela Island by boat. On arrival you will enjoy an excursion (by car or bike) to the local semi-salty lagoon to search for Flamingos and endemic birds. From here, you will continue to see giant tortoises in the local breeding center before snorkeling in Concha Perla, a natural sea-water lagoon with Penguins, sting rays, sea lions, sea turtles and more. After lunch at a local restaurant you will embark on a shared boat tour (privately guided) to an islet to visit the tintorera sharks with an opportunity for more snorkeling.
-
Day 5 - Los Tuneles
Enjoy a 45-minute boat tour (privately guided) to naturally formed lava tunnels created by the eruption of the Cerro Azul Volcano. Enjoy a trail walk on the lookout for Blue-Footed Boobies and sea lions, and then have a chance to snorkel among seahorses, penguins, sting rays and white-tipped sharks. As you head back around the bay you may have the chance to snorkel and see sea turtles again. A packed lunch is served aboard your boat.
-
Day 6 - Return to Mainland Ecuador
After breakfast, you will return by boat to Santa Cruz Island and head to the airport on Baltra for your flight back to mainland Ecuador.
Pricing includes everything from your international arrival to your departure, with the exception of flights and a few lunches and dinners. Our specialty is private, customizable travel experiences.
6 Day Tour from $4,990 per person
Includes:
- 5 nights in our preferred properties hand selected for comfort, convenience and quality
- Privately guided tours with your own personal Naturalist guide
- All private airport transfers with English speaking assistance in mainland Ecuador
- All meals in the Galapagos Islands
- All required entrance fees
- All breakfasts
- 24hr support
- All taxes
See Related Tours
See All →8 Day Galapagos Islands & Quito Tour
3 nights in Quito, 4 nights on Galapagos cruise
Take in the cultural highlights of Quito, including a visit to the fantastic Otavalo Market, on this eight-day Quito to Galapagos Tour. Then head to the famous Galapagos Islands to spend four nights on a boat, cruising the natural and geological highlights of the archipelago. You’ll catch sight of land iguanas, walk among nesting Boobies and explore lava tunnels and crater-like sink holes, all in the care of experienced guides and crew.
10 Day Galapagos Islands & Amazon Tour
2 nights in Quito, 4 nights on Galapagos cruise, 3 nights in an Amazon jungle lodge
Explore not one but two natural paradises with this 10-day Galapagos Islands & Amazon Tour. Spend four nights on a captivating Galapagos cruise, learning about the geology, animals, birds and ocean life of these fascinating islands. Then head to the gorgeous Amazon jungle for three days of adventure as you seek out caimans, piranhas, jungle birds and even the elusive dusky titi monkey. You’ll stay and cruise in luxury, while being looked after by experienced guides who will cater to your every whim.
11 Day Galapagos & Machu Picchu Tour
1 night in Guayaquil or Quito, 4 nights on Galapagos cruise, 1 night in Lima, 3 nights in Cuzco, 1 night in Machu Picchu town
This 11-day Galapagos and Machu Picchu tour allows you to experience the two leading destinations of South America in one seamless and comfortable tour. Explore the wildlife-paradise of the Galapagos Islands in a private luxury boat, visiting natural and geographical wonders. Then immerse yourself in the incredible Incan heartland of Peru, visiting Cuzco, the Sacred Valley, and the awe-inspiring Machu Picchu citadel – the lost city of the Incas.
11 Day Ecuador & Galapagos Islands Tour
3 nights in Quito, 2 nights in Cuenca, 1 night in Guayaquil, 4 nights on a Galapagos cruise
Get the most out of Ecuador with this 11-Day Ecuador and Galapagos Islands Tour. You’ll wander Quito’s nearby Otavalo Market to shop for Andean Handicrafts, explore Cuenca, Ecuador’s most beautiful colonial gem and journey through the Cajas National Park on your way to Guayaquil. Then on to the Galapagos Islands where you’ll embark on a sublime four-night Galapagos cruise, taking in abundant land, bird and sea wildlife and learning about the fascinating geology of the archipelago.