Ecuador · 8 days · Moderate
8-Day Galápagos: San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz & Isabela
The full land-based archipelago. Eight days is where island hopping stops being a compromise: you get all three inhabited islands, both of the great snorkelling sites, and Sierra Negra, and you still sleep on land every night.
Highlights
- Kicker Rock (León Dormido) — a vertical tuff cone rising from open water, with hammerheads and Galápagos sharks in the channel
- Sierra Negra, one of the largest volcanic calderas on earth, on foot
- Both Las Tintoreras and Los Túneles, which most shorter trips make you choose between
- Arriving at San Cristóbal and leaving from Baltra — no backtracking
Where this 8-day trip goes
- 1 Quito
- 2 San Cristóbal Flight
- 3 Santa Cruz Boat
- 4 Isabela Boat
- 5 Baltra Boat
Real coordinates, drawn to scale. Pick a day and the map zooms in on that leg.
Day by day
- Day 1
Welcome to San Cristóbal
The easiest arrival in the islands: the airport is five minutes from town. Sea lions have taken the municipal beach, the benches and occasionally the boats, and nobody moves them.
Overnight: Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
- Day 2
Kicker Rock
A boat out to León Dormido, a split volcanic cone in open ocean. You snorkel the channel between the two walls — hammerheads, Galápagos sharks, turtles, rays. It is the single best snorkel from San Cristóbal and it is not a gentle one.
Overnight: Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
- Day 3
Crossing to Santa Cruz — highlands and Darwin Station
Two hours by speedboat, then straight into the highlands for wild giant tortoises and the lava tunnels, and the Charles Darwin Research Station in the afternoon.
Overnight: Puerto Ayora
- Day 4
Full-day navigable tour
A day boat to one of the uninhabited visitor sites — North Seymour, Pinzón, Santa Fe or Bartolomé depending on the park’s allocation. Landing, walk, snorkel.
Overnight: Puerto Ayora
- Day 5
To Isabela — Las Tintoreras
Crossing to Puerto Villamil, then the afternoon at Las Tintoreras with the reef sharks, marine iguanas and penguins.
Overnight: Puerto Villamil
- Day 6
Sierra Negra
The hike up to the caldera rim and along it. On a clear morning the crater floor runs to the horizon; in the garúa season you walk into cloud and see fifty metres. Both are worth it.
Overnight: Puerto Villamil
- Day 7
Los Túneles
The lava arches, the turtles, the seahorses, the nesting boobies. Most people put this day at the top of the trip.
Overnight: Puerto Villamil
- Day 8
Isabela to Baltra
Early speedboat to Santa Cruz, road crossing and the ferry to Baltra for your flight.
What is included
- All inter-island speedboat crossings and island transfers
- Seven nights’ hotel accommodation with breakfast
- A National Park–licensed naturalist guide on every excursion
- Snorkelling equipment
- Airport assistance on arrival and departure
What is not included
- Flights to and from the islands
- Galápagos National Park entrance fee — US$200 per adult, cash on arrival
- INGALA transit control card — US$20
- Lunches and dinners unless stated, travel insurance, tips
Per person in double occupancy. Final price depends on your dates, party size and hotel category — high season and single occupancy carry supplements. The Galápagos National Park entrance fee (US$200 per adult, US$100 per child under 12, cash on arrival) and the INGALA transit control card (US$20, bought online before your flight) are collected from you personally and cannot be included in any operator’s price. Budget US$220 per adult on top of the figure above. Full breakdown →
When to do this trip
Year-round. Kicker Rock visibility is best December–May; hammerhead numbers peak June–November.
Questions about this itinerary
How long is the 8-Day Galápagos: San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz & Isabela?
8 days and 7 nights, starting in San Cristóbal airport and ending in Baltra airport.
How difficult is it?
Moderate. Group size: Private, or shared groups of up to 12.
When is the best time to do this trip?
Year-round. Kicker Rock visibility is best December–May; hammerhead numbers peak June–November.
What extra costs should I budget for?
Per person in double occupancy. Final price depends on your dates, party size and hotel category — high season and single occupancy carry supplements. The Galápagos National Park entrance fee (US$200 per adult, US$100 per child under 12, cash on arrival) and the INGALA transit control card (US$20, bought online before your flight) are collected from you personally and cannot be included in any operator’s price. Budget US$220 per adult on top of the figure above.