Galapagos cruise & island hopping holiday

Planet

Planet

This itinerary lets you experience the extraordinary wildlife of the Galapagos while following the rules that protect it. Park entry fees are included, which help fund the running of the Galapagos National Park, and every island visit follows the park's visitor regulations.

The cruise is on a small yacht carrying only a small number of guests, rather than a large cruise ship. Naturalist guides lead every landing and snorkel, and briefings on board explain the wildlife, the ecosystems and how to behave around them. On land, that means staying on marked trails, taking all rubbish out and keeping at least two metres from wildlife.

On the island-hopping part of the trip, you'll explore by bike, kayak and on foot, and one of the hotels lends guests bikes for getting around town. All tours, on the cruise and on land, are led by local guides, and you'll visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and a tortoise breeding centre to learn about the work being done on the islands.

People

People

The boat is owned by an Ecuadorian family who work closely with our local partners, and most of the crew are from the islands, trained as naturalist guides, cooks and captains. Where possible, food for each cruise comes from regulated fisheries, small farms on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal, and local family-owned food businesses.

Each month, the boat's owners contribute to two local non-profits, Fundación Jonathan and Fundación Ecos, which support vulnerable families and run environmental education on the islands.

On the land-based days, your money goes to local businesses for food, guides, crafts and services, rather than to operators from outside the islands.