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Baltra · Galapagos · Ecuador
7-Day Galapagos Island Hopping Tour: Tortuga Bay, Tintoreras, Wildlife
Starting From
From $2,344.14 per person
Current Project Expedition rate
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Project Expedition
The Experience
What your day looks like
This 7-day Galapagos Island Hopping Budget tour shows you the best of Santa Cruz & Isabela islands. You will have different (day) trips by boat or with the car. You will probably see blue-footed boobies, sea lions, flamingos, and tortoises. You stay in tourist-class hotels and all the activities are shared with other travelers. In these 7 days, you will be amazed by all the beauty the Galapagos Islands have to offer, making it a perfect Galapagos holiday.
Highlights
Why travelers choose this experience
- Experience 7 day Galapagos Island Hopping Budget tour
- Visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center
- Explore the brilliant scenery in Los Tuneles
- See tortoises, swimming iguanas, sea lions, manta rays
- Sail speedboat to Santa Cruz Island
- Stop at the Charles Darwin Research Station
- See Santa Fe Island which is a small island
Your Itinerary
Your day, step by step
Day 1
Baltra
Sightseeing. Baltra – Santa Cruz Island – Isabela Island – Flamingo Lagoon: It is recommended to book flights with an early arrival time to Baltra airport to make sure you can enjoy all of the activities of the tour.
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Baltra
Boating at Isabela Island (Galapagos). Option 1: Itinerary for flights arriving at Baltra before 12:00 PM. At Baltra airport, an English-speaking guide will pick you up to go to Puerto Ayora to enjoy your lunch. After lunch, you’ll take the speedboat to Isabela Island. This can be a bumpy ride so provide yourself a waterproof jacket and motion sickness medication if necessary. Upon arrival on Isabela Island, a driver will pick you up and you’ll visit the Flamingo Lagoon. After that, your driver will drop you off at your hotel. Option 2: Itinerary for flights arriving at Baltra after 12:00 PM. If your flight is scheduled to arrive after noon, you’ll stay at Santa Cruz Island on the first day because the last speedboat to Isabela Island leaves around 03:00 PM. You won’t have lunch in this case. If you have time you have an activity, either Tortuga Bay or Charles Darwin Station. The rest of the tour usually looks like this: Day 2: Santa Fe, Day 3 Bahia half-day tour & Tortuga Bay / Charles Darwin Station, Day 4 Santa Cruz highlands, afternoon boat to Isabela, Day 5 Wetlands & Tintoreras, Day 6 Los Tuneles, Day 7 morning boat to Santa Cruz and transfer out. Lunch is not included. Accommodation in Hotel Fernandina or similar.
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Baltra
Accommodation in Hotel San Vicente or similar.
Day 2
Baltra
Sightseeing at Wall of Tears (Galápagos Islands). Tintoreras And Wetlands: In the morning, you will have a tour of The Wetlands where you will visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center to spot small and giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The next activity is a visit to The Wall of Tears. Additionally, you will visit a small lava tunnel. Above the tunnel, you can see the intertidal landscape that offers a tapestry of Galapagos Sesuvium between El Túnel del Estero and Love Beach. After lunch, you will have a little break and then you will visit Tintoreras Islet, where white-tip sharks known as Tintoreras come daily to rest at the bottom. You will go to the pier of Puerto Villamil, to board a boat to cross to the islet which is located across the bay. It will be necessary for passengers to use walking shoes or sneakers (closed shoes) to cross the volcanic rocks. Please keep in mind that the total length of the walk-in The Wetlands area is approximately 3 to 4 hours.
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Baltra
Breakfast and lunch are included.
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Baltra
Accommodation in Hotel San Vicente or similar.
Day 3
Baltra
Boating. Snorkeling In Los Tuneles: Early in the morning, you will go on a boat ride from Puerto Villamil. You will explore the brilliant scenery in Los Tuneles which is considered the most beautiful place to snorkel in Isabela Island.
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Baltra
Wildlife & Eco Tourism at Isabela Island (Galapagos). Around the Los Tuneles, you will find a highly contrasted color for snorkeling with clear, calm water. You will get the chance to spot large quantities of seabirds and species feeding such as tortoises, swimming iguanas, sea lions, manta rays, Galapagos penguins, lobsters, and sea snakes. This exciting activity takes approximately about 6 hours including the boat rides and a snack before a short hike.
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Baltra
Accommodation in Hotel San Vicente or similar.
Day 4
Baltra
Boating at Santa Cruz Island (Galapagos). Charles Darwin Research Station – Tortuga Bay: At 06:00 AM you will take the speedboat to Santa Cruz Island where you’ll have breakfast.
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Puerto Ayora
Sightseeing at Charles Darwin Research Station. Then you’ll go to the Charles Darwin Research Station where the guides will explain more about the famous giant tortoises.
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Baltra
Sightseeing at Tortuga Bay. After lunch at a local restaurant, you will visit Tortuga Bay. Think: white sand, captivating blue water and observing marine iguanas, pelicans and flamingos. It is a 2.5 km (30-45 minutes) walk over a paved path from Puerto Ayora. You can swim here. It’s possible to return from Tortuga Bay to Puerto Ayora by boat. This costs $ 10 p.p. + $ 10 for the boat ride of the guide. The departure time is at 05:30 PM.
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Baltra
Breakfast and lunch are included.
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Baltra
Accommodation in Hotel Fernandina or similar.
Day 5
Santa Fe Island
Boating at Santa Fe (Island). Santa Fe Island: After breakfast you will travel to Santa Fe Island which is a small island that lies in the center of the Galapagos archipelago. Among animals, Santa Fe is home to endemic species including the Barrington Land Iguana (Conolophus pallidus). After a 45 minute boat ride, you will arrive to the bay of Santa Fe.
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Baltra
Snorkeling at Santa Cruz Island (Galapagos). There you will have a very nice snorkeling activity, if you are lucky, you can spot some birds on the rocks. After snorkeling, you will go to Playa Escondida or Garrapatero in Santa Cruz island and have a wet landing there, where you will discover the beach.
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Baltra
Accommodation in Hotel Fernandina or similar. This tour is called 'Pesca Vivencial' which means that you might be able to experience a fishing demonstration according to weather and park regulations. Wet landing means that the boat gets close to the beach and from there you will disembark in the sea, it is recommended that you bring extra clothing, as you might get wet.
Day 6
Baltra
Boating. Bahia Half Day & Santa Cruz Highlands Half Day Tour: With the Bay Tour you visit the highlights around Puerto Ayora by boat. The first destination will be La Loberia where you find sea lions.
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Baltra
Snorkeling. Next you will go to Punta Camaño Islet. Here you will snorkel with sea lions and a large variety of fish. Your next activity will be a visit to the Channel of Love. This is another formation by fissure that results in a beautiful sleepy water channel with excellent scenic beauty. Finally Playa de Los Perros, a 15-minute walk until you reach the beach. In the afternoon you visit the highlands of Santa Cruz with the giant tortoises. You will do a small hike on a privately owned ranch and you can see the big tortoises in their natural habitat.
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Baltra
Breakfast and lunch included.
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Baltra
Accommodation in Hotel Fernandina or similar.
Day 7
Baltra
Transfer Out – Baltra: Your Galapagos Budget Island Hopping tour is coming to an end today. After breakfast, you will travel to Baltra Airport with a Spanish speaking driver, where you will depart to Quito or Guayaquil.
Planning Details
Before you go
Included
24/7 assistance in English, Dutch and Spanish Snorkeling equipment: mask, snorkel, fins and life vest Transportation on and between the Islands as described in the itinerary Transportation between Baltra Airport – and Itabaca Channel on each way Airport pickup and drop off at Baltra Airport Public transportation nearby
Not Included
Return flights from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands Migratory Control Card / Ingala Transit Card cash only Isabela dock fee cash only Water Taxi around For rent: wetsuit cash only. Entrance fee for the Galapagos National Park.
Restrictions
Not stroller accessible. Not suitable for pets. Infants must not sit on laps. Infant seats are unavailable. Not recommended for people with back problems. Not recommended for people with heart conditions.
Meeting & Pickup
Pick up at Baltra airport.
Planning Notes
Hotel pickup offered: Yes Confirmation: Automatic
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