Compare Complete Galápagos - Yolita by G Adventures vs Photograph Galapagos by The Travel Society

Day 1 Quito

Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer included.

There are no planned activities, so check into the hotel and enjoy the city. A G Adventures representative will greet you at the hotel and brief the group on the various aspects of the tour.

Opt to pre-book the "Quito City Tour & Equator Line" activity on the checkout page ahead of time to include this optional on your tour.

Day 2 Mariscal Sucre International Airport/Seymour Airport

Take an early flight to the Galápagos Islands. Head to Bachas Beach to see Sally Lightfoot crabs, flamingos and marine iguanas.

Day 3 Genovesa Island

Visit Darwin Bay and marvel at the sheer number of birds along the many trails. Head to El Barranco in the afternoon to see the many types of boobies, including red-footed boobies.

Day 4 Bartolomé Island/Sullivan Bay

Visit Bartolomé for a guided tour to see the island's dramatic volcanic features. Continue to Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island to witness the giant lava formations contrasting the white-coral-sand beach.

Day 5 Isabela Island

Early landing in the small town of Puerto Villamil before beginning the hike to the Sierra Negra Volcano, which has the largest basaltic caldera in the Galápagos. In the afternoon, explore the tortoise breeding centre in the Puerto Villamil area.

Day 6 Elizabeth Bay/Urbina Bay

Pay a morning visit to Elizabeth Bay which offers amazing bird and marine life viewing opportunities. Head out on the pangas and explore the shallows and mangroves to look for sea turtles and penguins. Visit Urbina Bay, located at the base of the Alcedo Volcano. Hike the trail for a chance to see land tortoises in the wild, watching for land iguanas along the way.

Day 7 Tagus Cove/Punta Espinoza

Stop for a visit at Tagus Cove and hike to a lookout to get a stunning view of the bay. Spot old graffiti on the cliffs from whalers and pirates who once visited the the cove. Continue to Punta Espinoza on Fernandina, the youngest of the Galápagos Islands. Witness the large colony of marine iguanas and a variety of bird life.

Day 8 Rábida Island/Santiago Island

Enjoy a morning panga ride in Buccaneer Cove, watch for sea lions, shorebirds, and interesting lava formations. Take an afternoon excursion to the red sand beaches of Rábida to see a lagoon and sea lion colony. Enjoy snorkelling nearby with schools of tropical fish and sea lions.

Day 9 Islas Daphne/North Seymour

Sail around Daphne Island, a tiny conical island home to nesting blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, Darwin's finches, and other wonderful wildlife. In the afternoon, visit North Seymour Island to look out for Blue-footed Boobies.

Day 10 Cerro Brujo/Kicker Rock

Travel to the dramatic Kicker Rock in the morning to witness the steep vertical stone walls rising from the ocean. Continue to Cerro Brujo on San Cristóbal to observe sea lions, marine iguanas, and seabirds along the beach. In the afternoon, head to Isla Lobos known for its friendly sea lions.

Day 11 Bahía Gardner/Punta Suárez

Sail in to Gardner Bay, an excellent swimming and snorkelling site. Head to Punta Suarez on Española Island. The southernmost island in the Galápagos archipelago is home to several wildlife species, including nazca and blue-footed boobies. A hike to the top of the cliff makes for spectacular photo opportunities.

Punta Suarez on the western side of Española Island (also called Hood) is spectacular. Follow the trail through a rookery and learn the geological history of the island from the naturalist, including its dramatic volcanic features, climate, flora, and fauna.

Day 12 Santa Fé Island/South Plaza

Visit Santa Fe island for a chance to mingle with the iguanas. Continue to South Plaza for some great bird watching opportunities.

Day 13 Santa Cruz Island

Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to see the giant Galápagos tortoises and go on an excursion to the Santa Cruz Highlands. Free time for shopping or exploration of Puerto Ayora.

In the morning, arrive in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. Santa Cruz is the second biggest island in the Galápagos, and has the largest population. Puerto Ayora is its main town. In the afternoon, there may be the opportunity to visit the highlands and see giant land tortoises in the wild.

Day 14 Punta Cormorant/Floreana Island

This morning, snorkel at Devil's Crown, a coral reef surrounded by an eroded volcanic crater, the perfect home for marine life. Look out for small sharks, rays and schools of tropical fish. In the afternoon, make sure you have a postcard to leave behind on a visit to Post Office Bay.

Day 15 Chinese Hat/Cerro Dragón

Visit the white sand beach at Chinese Hat in the morning, before an afternoon at Cerro Dragón for an opportunity to break out the binoculars and do some excellent birdwatching.

Day 16 Black Turtle Cove/Quito

In the early morning, explore the mangrove lagoon at Black Turtle Cove before transferring to the airport for a flight back to Quito. Enjoy a final night out on the town.

Day 17 Quito

Depart at any time.

Day 1: U.S. / Guayaquil, Ecuador

Depart U.S. and arrive Guayaquil by late evening; it’s a short drive to the Hotel Hilton Colon, where we spend the night.

Day 2: Guayaquil/ Galápagos Islands/Embark National Geographic Endeavour II

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After the 1½ hour flight to Galápagos, we’ll board the ship. This afternoon we will begin to explore Galápagos with a landing at the beautiful Las Bachas beaches, lined with endemic coastal plants and protected saltwater lagoons.

Day 3: North Seymour Island and Rabida Island

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

North Seymour Island is an uplifted piece of seafloor, home to land iguanas, sea lion colonies, blue-footed booby and frigate bird nesting colonies. We will spend the morning observing and photographing the rich wildlife of this islet as we hike the rocky trail.

This afternoon will be the first of many great snorkeling opportunities. You can also opt to kayak along the picturesque volcanic coast. Later you’ll land on the bright red sand of a charming beach and take a hike into the island to search for hawks and other land birds to photograph.

Day 4: Fernandina Island

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Fernandina Island is the youngest and most pristine island in Galápagos. The stark black lava flows are home to some of the largest marine iguana colonies in the archipelago, and the peculiar-looking flightless cormorants nest along the coast. Bright red Sally Lightfoot crabs, fun to photograph, scamper among the black rocks, and sea lions play along the coast against the dramatic backdrop of volcanoes.

Later today, sail across the channel to Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela Island. Snorkel in a sea turtle feeding area and then take Zodiac rides along the coast to look for Galápagos fur seals and penguins. Late afternoon, gather on the outer decks to get a look inside the huge collapsed caldera of a Ecuador Volcano while crossing the Equator at sunset.

Day 5: Isabela Island

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

In 1954, over half a square mile of marine reef off the coast of Urbina Bay was uplifted almost instantaneously by as much as 15ft, and evidence of this event abounds in the area. You’ll land on a turtle nesting beach of black sand, and take a couple of hike options to look for the wildlife of the area, that includes a large land iguana nesting colony and occasional giant tortoise sightings.

In the afternoon the ship repositions to the historical Tagus Cove, a sheltered bay that has been a popular anchorage for centuries of visitors, including Charles Darwin on the HMS Beagle. Activities you can choose here include a scenic hike that looks over a volcanic crater with a lake inside, Zodiac rides and kayaking outings to look for penguins, flightless cormorants and shorebirds, and even some deep water snorkeling.

Day 6: Santiago

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Hike up into a coastal forest behind one of the largest turtle nesting beaches in Galápagos, you will explore the spectacular Buccaneer Cove by Zodiac and kayak, and enjoy snorkeling among the dense schools of reef fish that find refuge in the indented shoreline.

Afternoon hikes at Puerto Egas lead you through a fascinating geological landscape of mixed ash and lava flows, tidal pools and grottoes. Inhabiting the area you will find both Galápagos sea lions and fur seals, marine iguanas, land and shore birds, and brilliant Sally Lightfoot crabs.

Day 8-9: San Cristobal

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This important island is the easternmost island and the political capital of the province. We will be spending a total of two days visiting this special area. The first morning you’ll visit Punta Pitt with its fascinating geology, also the only site where all three booby species that occur in the Galápagos nest together. You will take hikes up to the plateau for wonderful views, and take Zodiac cruises along the base of the cliffs to look for red-footed, Nazca and blue-footed boobies, and possibly even snorkel and kayak among young sea lions.

This afternoon we land on the photogenic coral sand beach at Cerro Brujo, a good place to wander, swim and look for sea lions and shorebirds against a volcanic backdrop. This is also a good place to kayak, paddleboard and enjoy panga rides. Late afternoon you’ll join us on deck for sunset cocktails as we sail around one of the most impressive rocky outcrops in the archipelago, the famed Leon Dormido or “Kicker Rock.” 

This second morning we are in the capital, Baquerizo Moreno, where we exchange guests who opted for the one-week program. As an exclusive excursion, we drive up will drive up to the only important freshwater body in Galápagos—a 34000m² lake at 687 meters above sea level that is formed in an old volcanic crater. On the way down we will visit a semi-captive tortoise population, including the endemic Chatham tortoise. Later, take time to explore the sleepy town, with a large sea lion colony inhabiting the picturesque waterfront.

Day 10: Española

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The oldest and southeastern-most of the Galápagos Islands, this seabird paradise is home to Darwin’s finches, Galápagos hawks, and large blue-footed and Nazca booby colonies, as well as several species endemic to this island, such as the waved albatrosses, Hood mockingbirds, and Hood lava lizards. You’ll walk among colorful red and black marine iguanas and sea lions. The morning will be spent at the spectacular Gardner Bay, home to a pristine white sand beach inhabited by extensive sea lion colonies. Activities here include exploring the beach, deep-water snorkeling, and kayaking. The afternoon will be spent hiking among the sea bird colonies at Punta Suarez.

Day 11: Floreana

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

During an early morning hike at Punta Cormorant you’ll observe flamingos and shore birds, a turtle nesting beach and fascinating vegetation. Later, while at Champion Islet, you’ll spend time looking for the endangered Charles mockingbird from our Zodiacs, then don your gear to snorkel among sea lions in clear waters. During the afternoon, you’ll explore the historical Post Office Bay by Zodiac and kayak, then land on one of the same beaches Charles Darwin set foot on, and check the barrel originally set up by 18th century whalers for mail.

This morning for experienced divers we also offer a dive option with our local operator after the early morning visit to Punta Cormorant at additional cost.

Day 12: Santa Cruz

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

You’ll leave the ship early and head into the lush highlands where giant tortoises forage, to explore some very different ecosystems to those encountered in the lowlands and spend time observing and photographing these relics of another age. We’ll have lunch in the highlands, then drive to visit a charming sugar cane mill located in the highlands called El Trapiche, then continue to the coast to spend the rest of the afternoon at the picturesque El Garrapatero beach.

Today on this second visit for those on the full epic program, join an exclusive photo workshop aboard ship. Experienced Scuba divers can opt to join a two-tank dive at celebrated Gordon Rocks with our local dive operator (at additional cost, experienced divers only).

Day 13: Dragon Hill And Guy Fawkes/El Eden And Daphne Major

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today you will hike through giant cactus and incense tree forests to reach Dragon Hill, the habitat of the colorful Santa Cruz land iguanas that have been brought back from the brink of extinction.  Later you will have the opportunity to snorkel along the steep, invertebrate-coated walls of the islets of Guy Fawkes.

You will learn about the ground-breaking research of scientists Peter and Rosemary Grant into Natural Selection among the finches of Daphne Major as the ship circumnavigates the famous islet.

Day 14: Bartolome and Sombrero Chino

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This morning you will visit Bartolomé, an enchanting landscape where lava, mangroves and golden sand converge. You will have the opportunity for an early morning hike to the summit of the cone, with stunning views of the famous Pinnacle Rock and the surrounding volcanic landscape. Later in the morning, you will enjoy some wonderful snorkeling from the beach, where you might encounter sea lions, small reef sharks and even Galápagos penguins.

In the afternoon you will continue to explore some of the small islets just off the coast of Santiago Island, this time a small volcano called “Sombrero Chino”, due to its resemblance to a Chinese hat.  The stark lava flows form tubes and caves that are an important nesting area for Galápagos penguins, and the waters bathing the shore are rich in fish life.

Day 15: Genovesa

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The National Geographic Endeavour II sails into the caldera of Genovesa, known as “bird island”, where you’ll enjoy hikes among nesting colonies of swallow-tailed gulls, frigate birds, red-footed and Nazca boobies all while keeping a look out for hunting short-eared owls. You’ll ride Zodiacs and kayak along the base of the caldera wall, and snorkel among large schools of parrot fish and other tropical species.

Day 16: Galápagos / Disembark/Guayaquil

Meals: Breakfast

Disembark and fly to Guayaquil. The afternoon and evening are at your leisure at the Hotel Hilton Colon.

Day 17: Departure Day

Meals: Breakfast

Depart Guayaquil this morning.