5-Day Galapagos Island Hopping Adventure

Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with our 5-day Galapagos Island Hopping Tour. This trip offers the perfect way to experience some of the best islands of the Galapagos in a limited time, along with an incredible opportunity to explore the stunning natural beauty, unique wildlife, and fascinating culture of the region.

Immerse yourself in the unparalleled beauty of the Galapagos Islands while enjoying personalized and comfortable accommodations tailored to your budget. Our vacation package is designed to cater to outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers of all kinds, with a wide range of options available from budget-friendly to deluxe class hotels. No matter your choice, you can experience the unique and unforgettable wonders of the Galapagos with us.

Day 1 – Welcome to the Enchanted Islands – Arrival at Baltra Airport

Your guide will be waiting for you at the arrivals hall, and as soon as you meet them your Galapagos adventure will start. You’ll take the bus shuttle from the airport to Itabaca Channel that separates the islands Baltra and Santa Cruz. Keep your eyes open, as you might already spot some Darwin’s finches. Next you’ll board a ferry for a swift transition from Baltra Island to Santa Cruz Island. During the crossing, which only takes a few minutes, you will have the opportunity to already spot iconic Galapagos wildlife, such as sea lions, marine iguanas and different sea birds. You’ll then continue in a car ride from the arid coastal region to the evergreen highlands of Santa Cruz Island.

Together with your English speaking naturalist guide, you’ll walk through a ranch in the highlands for your first sighting of the unique Galapagos giant tortoises. If you are lucky, you might see some of these gentle giants taking a relaxing mud bath. Besides the giant tortoises, you can also observe wading birds, Darwin finches and ducks. Another highlight in the highlands are the lava tunnels, through which you can walk. Your guide will explain how these formed. After lunch, you drive to Puerto Ayora, Galapagos’ largest town, where you check into your hotel.

Meals included: Lunch

Day 2 – Galapagos Wildlife: Unique and Abundant – North Seymour Island Boat Tour

Today you’ll join a boat tour to an uninhabited island. Below is the tour description for the boat tour to North Seymour Island, which we usually recommend, but it is possible to change it to Bartholomew Island (famous for its “Pinnacle Rock”, great for snorkeling, and penguin sightings) or South Plaza Island (marine and land iguanas, sea lions and coastal birds).

After an early breakfast, you will meet up with the tour group at the Puerto Ayora passenger pier, which is a short walk away from your hotel. From there, you will be driven to the northern coast of Santa Cruz Island where you’ll board the day tour yacht. The yacht will navigate north until you arrive at North Seymour Island after about 45 minutes. There you will disembark and hike from the rocky cliffs to the arid inland and then to a sandy area. On the way, you will observe different sea birds like the iconic blue-footed boobies and the endemic swallow-tailed gull. With some luck, you can even spot frigate birds with their red pouches inflated and land iguanas. At the end of the trail, you’ll meet curious sea lions before getting back on board the yacht.

While you enjoy lunch on board, the yacht will navigate to Bachas Beach at the northern shore of Santa Cruz Island. In the afternoon you’ll disembark at the beach where your guide will explain the odd origin of this visitor site’s name. During a walk along the sandy beach, you will observe different shore birds, as well as crabs such as Sally Lightfoot, and maybe some marine iguanas. Instead of a stroll along the beach, you can also choose to go swimming and snorkeling, to observe an array of fish, rays and even turtles.

Once this tour wraps up, you will board the yacht and return to Itabaca Channel. From there, you will be driven back to Puerto Ayora, returning to your hotel at around 4:30 PM.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 3 – Paradisiac Beaches and Natural History – Free day

Today you will have the opportunity to explore Santa Cruz Island on your own. We recommend a visit to the paradisiac beaches of Tortuga Bay during the morning. This is a great hiking opportunity as it lies approximately 45 minutes outside of Puerto Ayora, allowing you to explore native flora along the way. Once you arrive at the beach you can take a dip and swim in the calm bay surrounded by mangroves, where the water is shallow and crystal clear. For some extra fun you can rent kayaks at local stalls near the beach as well. Look out for marine iguanas, coastal birds, sea lions and even white-tip reef sharks that inhabit the area.

On your way back to Puerto Ayora, we recommend a stop at “Laguna de las Ninfas”. This brackish pond is surrounded by three species of mangroves and home to ducks and other birds. For the afternoon, we recommend a visit to Charles Darwin Station, which is located an easy 20-minute walk from most hotels. On the way, you can pass by the fish market, where not only vendors and buyers gather, but also hungry pelicans and sea lions. At Charles Darwin Station, you can explore the interpretation center and the breeding center for giant tortoises.

Meals included: Breakfast

Day 4 – Underwater Marvels – Snorkel Tour

Today you will join another group tour for a snorkel adventure at Pinzon Island. You’ll meet with the group and your guide at the passenger pier in Puerto Ayora after an early breakfast. You’ll embark on the day tour yacht and travel to Pinzon, a small island that lies off the western coast of Santa Cruz Island. It’s not possible to go on land, so this snorkeling adventure happens straight off the boat so you can take advantage of the island’s great snorkeling sites. You’ll have the opportunity to observe colorful fish, sea lions, sharks, turtles and rays. Depending on your travel dates, you may even spot Galapagos penguins that frequent a snorkeling site known as Penguin Bay during colder months.

After snorkeling you’ll enjoy lunch on board the yacht while you navigate a short distance to La Fe Bay at the western shore of Santa Cruz Island. Here you’ll disembark in the afternoon and go for a stroll on the beach. Before returning to Puerto Ayora, an optional activity you can do is fishing from the boat. Your return to the Puerto Ayora passenger pier will be at around 4 PM.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch

Day 5 – Return to the mainland

If you still have some time before your flight back to the mainland, we recommend you take a stroll along the port’s promenade, where you can often observe amusing scenes like sea lions sleeping on benches. At the agreed upon time (usually 3 hours before flight departure), your driver will pick you up from your hotel and take you to Baltra airport.

Meals included: Breakfast