Galapagos Islands Adventure
November 22 — December 1, 2024
Start Location — Quito, Ecuador.
Dates: November 22 — December 1, 2024
Price: $3700 per participant before 2/01/2024
$ 3950 per participant after 2/01/2024
Group Size: 10 participants + 2 guides).
Instructor: Alex Mironyuk, Elena Kukhareva
Deposit: $ 700 (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 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, Frigatebirds, 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.
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’s fees: There are many different fees to visit 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 $150 — 170.
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, November 22, Friday
Arriving in Quito
Self-transfer to hotel. We will stay at Hotel San Francisco de Quito — a nice Colonial hotel in Quito’s historic center.
Night in Quito
Day 2, November 23, 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, November 24, 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 particular individual $20 fee (in cash).
After arriving at San Cristobal airport, we had to go through the tourist checkpoint counter, where each participant had to pay an individual tourist $100 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, November 25, 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.
Close to sunset, 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, or enjoy the sunset view at the restaurant with a cocktail.
Night in San Cristobal
Day 5, November 26, Tuesday
In the morning, we will ride a ferry to Santa Cruz Island (about a 2-hour ride).
Check-in to our Hotel
After that, we will 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.
Later that day, we can visit Charles Darvin Research Station and surrounding beaches. There we can snorkel if we would like.
Night in Santa Cruz
Day 6, November 27, Wednesday
We will be picked up at our hotel in the morning for the fantastic all-day BARTOLOME ISLAND TOUR (lunch is included).
Bartolomé is a volcanic tuff islet on the east side of Santiago island, and it is the most photographed place in the Galápagos archipelago for an excellent reason! We will hike to the viewpoint at the top of the island to capture the most iconic image of the Galapagos Islands.
Night in Santa Cruz.
Day 7, November 28, Thursday
In the morning, we will ride a ferry to the most tranquil and peaceful Galapagos Island — Isabela Island. As soon as we arrived one more time, each participant had to pay an additional tourist fee of $10 to visit this island.
After checking in to our hotel, we will return to the port to snorkel at a calm bay full of marine life.
At sunset, we can walk (up to 5 miles) on peaceful, calm sand beaches full of sea iguanas.
Night in Isabela Island.
Day 8, November 29, Friday
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 expect encounters with sea turtles, sharks, and sea horses too!
In the afternoon, we will visit a turtle refugee and, like yesterday, can have a relaxing walk on the beach.
Night in Isabela Island.
Day 9, November 30, 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, December 1, 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 02/01/2024; after that date, the price is $3950.
A deposit of $ 700 is required to reserve a space in this workshop.
Cancellation Policy — If you decide to cancel this trip before 09/21/2024, we will refund your deposit. If you decide to cancel your trip after 09/21/2024, your deposit becomes non-refundable. So we suggest all participants buy separate travel insurance.
The final balance is due by September 21, 2024, 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, Bartolome Island, and Los Tuneles tours.
- Expert instructions and guidance to various locations in Quito and the Galapagos Islands.
- 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 is in Quito (taxi, Uber, cable car).
- 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.
