Galapagos Islands Adventure
May 29 — June 7, 2026
Start Location — Quito, Ecuador.
Dates: May 29 — June 7, 2026
Price: $3700 per participant before 09/01/2025
$ 3950 per participant after 09/01/2025
Group Size: 10 participants + 2 guides).
Instructor: Alex Mironyuk, Elena Kukhareva
Deposit: $ 500 (payments accepted for the remainder of the balance)
Tour’s Highlights
We will start our trip by visiting Quito to experience its rich history and walk in the city’s historical center.
A visit to the Galápagos Islands offers a unique and unforgettable experience, with its diverse wildlife, stunning landscapes, and rich natural history.
Expect Unique Wildlife Encounters, including Giant Tortoises and Marine Iguanas:
Every day on the Islands, expect an A-class Snorkeling experience. You can swim with sea lions, turtles, and colorful fish.
We will have fantastic Bird Watching opportunities to spot unique Blue-footed Booby, Frigate birds, Albatrosses, and the Galápagos Penguin.
We will visit three significant islands of the Galapagos: San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, and Isabela. Each island in the archipelago has its distinct landscapes and wildlife. Island hopping allows us to explore a variety of environments, from volcanic craters to lush highlands.
Physical Difficulty: Easy to Moderate. This Tour involves 2 — 5 miles of beach walking daily and a few hours of snorkeling daily.
Weather: The weather in Galapagos is warm and wet and can be changed every 15 — 30 minutes. Participants must be prepared for a temperature range from 65°F to 80°F. Participants must be ready for rainy and windy weather conditions.
Water temperature: The average water temperature in June is 74 °F. If you do not tolerate that water temperature, a wetsuit is recommended.
Transportation: Transportation is not included in the Tour’s price except for the ferries between islands. Participants must buy airline tickets to Quito, from Quito to San Cristobal, and from Santa Cruz to home. Also, in Quito, participants will use a taxi (uber) to get to the hotel, the cable car station, and the airport.
Lodging: Hotels (2 persons per room) are included.
Meals are not included. We can find some restaurants in our hotels or nearby.
Tourist fees: There are many different fees for visiting the Galapagos Islands that every participant must pay on their own and in cash only. All these fees are collected in airports (Quito and Santa Cruz) and every port on all islands. These fees might be roughly estimated at $250 — 270.
Snorkeling Gear: Participants can rent (buy) basic snorkeling gear in any city during our tour, but we recommend bringing your own snorkeling full-face snorkeling masks (click on the link).
Itinerary
Day 1, May 29, Friday
Arriving in Quito
Self-transfer to hotel. We will stay in Quito’s historic center. The name of the hotel and its address will be provided at the beginning of 2026.
Night in Quito
Day 2, May 30, Saturday
All day we will spend in Quito
We will visit the Old Town (Centro Histórico). Quito’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Latin America’s best-preserved colonial centers. The area has narrow streets, colonial architecture, and numerous churches and plazas, including the impressive Independence Square.
We couldn’t miss the Basilica del Voto Nacional. This Neo-Gothic basilica is a stunning piece of architecture and offers panoramic views of the city from its towers.
We will walk in the Old Town on a charming, cobblestone street, La Ronda.
We will ride the Quito TelefériQo — a cable car system in Quito, Ecuador, that takes visitors on a breathtaking journey up the Pichincha Volcano, providing panoramic views of the city and surrounding landscapes.
Night in Quito
Day 3, May 31, Sunday
In the morning we are going to the Quito’s airport.
Here, we must proceed through different procedures to board a plane to the Galapagos. First, we need to schedule an inspection of our luggage (and pay a $20 fee per person (cash only).
After arriving at San Cristobal airport, we had to go through the tourist checkpoint counter, where each participant had to pay an individual tourist $200 fee (cash only).
After that, we will check in to our hotel, and in the afternoon, we can go to one “secret” beach for fantastic snorkeling with sea lions and turtles.
Night in San Cristobal
Day 4, June 1, Monday
In the morning, we will be picked up. Get on a yacht from our hotel with one of the most popular full-day tours at San Cristobal — Tour 360 San Cristobal with three fantastic snorkeling sites. Lunch provided.
Night in San Cristobal
Day 5, June 2, Tuesday
We will spend all day in San Cristobal. We will get one more chance to snorkel at a charming bay full of marine life, relax on the sandy beach full of sea lions, and enjoy the sunset view at the restaurant with a cocktail.
Night in San Cristobal
Day 6, June 3, Wednesday
In the morning, we will ride a ferry to Santa Cruz Island (about a 2-hour ride).
We will leave our luggage at the port and visit the Giant Tortoise Reserves of “El Chato.” This is the only place where we can see giant Galapagos turtles, not in cages, but in nature. And, yes, we can approach them at a distance of several feet.
We will get to another ferry to Isabela Island as soon as we return to the port. As soon as we arrived one more time, each participant had to pay an additional tourist fee of $10 (cash) to visit this island.
Night in Isabela Island.
Day 7, June 4, Thursday
Isabela Island is the most tranquil and peaceful Galapagos Island. Right after sunrise, before breakfast, we will walk on the wide sandy beach (optional) for about 3 miles to get to truly Galapagos wilderness with gigantic sea iguanas and various sea birds on the beach.
After breakfast, we will go to the port to snorkel at a calm bay full of marine life.
After lunch, we will visit Galapagos Turtle Refugee and Flamingo Pond.
Late afternoon, you can enjoy one more snorkeling session, walk on a peaceful, calm sand beach full of sea iguanas, or enjoy a sunset on the beach with a glass of champagne.
Night in Isabela Island.
Day 8, June 5, Friday
In the morning, we again well walk on the beach.
Half a day today we will spend on the Los Tuneles Tour. This is one of the most scenic snorkeling tours, with the possibility of seeing Galapagos penguins. We can also expect encounters with sea turtles, sharks, and sea horses!
Night in Isabela Island.
Day 9, June 6, Saturday
In the morning, we have a snorkeling session next to the Port, as we will have time to get a beach bath.
After lunch, we will hop on the ferry to Santa Cruz so that for another 2 hours, we can enjoy that fantastic marine scenery.
After checking in to our hotel, we will have time to buy souvenirs in local shops.
Night in Santa Cruz
Day 10, June 7, Sunday
In the morning, participants check-in-out from the hotel and self-transferred to the airport.
End of the tour
Payment schedule and cancellation policy:
The total price for the tour is $ 3700 if you booked this tour before 09/01/2025; after that date, the price is $3950.
A deposit of $ 500 is required to reserve a space in this workshop.
Cancellation Policy — If you decide to cancel this trip before 03/01/2026, we will refund your deposit. If you choose to cancel your trip after 03/01/2026, your deposit becomes non-refundable. So we suggest all participants buy separate travel insurance.
The final balance is due by March 1, 2026, and there will be no refunds on the total amount owed if you cancel after the final payment. However, if we find another client to fill your space, you will receive a full refund minus your deposit.
If we cancel this tour — you will get a full refund.
What is included:
- The hotel lodging (double or triple occupancy). If you want to upgrade your stay from double occupancy to single occupancy for an extra fee, let us know at least 120 days before the tour (subject to availability).
- Visiting the towers of Basilica del Voto Nacional in Quito.
- Ferry transportation between islands.
- Tour fees for 360 San Cristobal Tour, El Chato Ranch, and Los Tuneles tours.
- Expert instructions and guidance to various locations in Quito and the Galapagos Islands.
- Expert instructions and In-field instruction on capture technique (composition, compensating for high dynamic range, focus stacking, creating effective sun-stars, night photography, light painting, and much more)
- In-field recommendation on your photo gear
- An incredible, unforgettable experience, full of adventure with amazing people and loads of great photos!!!
What is NOT included:
- Meals, snacks, and water.
- Alcohol.
- All transportation in Quito (taxi, Uber, cable car).
- Taxi on Galapagos Island except for El Chato Tour in Canta Cruz.
- All tourist fees at airports and sea ports.
- Renting snorkeling gear except for the 360 San Cristobal, Bartolome Island, and Los Tuneles tours.
- Medical Insurance & Incidental Costs.
Recommended Personal Gear:
- Rain jacket.
- Flip-Flops.
- Reef Shoes or water sandals.
- Reusable water bottle.
- Snorkeling Gear with a full-face mask (link)
- Sunblock
- Sun Hat
- power extension cord
- Anti sea sickness medicine (Dramamine)
Questions? Please get in touch with me at (386) 627-1449 if you have any questions or message me.
A follow-up email will be sent to registered photographers with schedule details, recommended gear, and a liability release.
Send a request to participate in the “Galapagos Islands Adventure ” tour.
