8-Day Galapagos Island Hopping Multisport
In this 8-day itinerary, you will visit 3 islands: San Cristobal, Isabela, and Santa Cruz Islands.
Island hopping allows visitors to experience much of the best areas of the islands while sleeping in well-appointed lodges and transferring between islands during the day on a smaller boat. You can also customize the itinerary.
You can start on any day of the year, and you can buy your own Galapagos flights. We offer itineraries for any length of time. Island hopping itineraries are also great choices for visitors who wish to combine diving days with classic wildlife tours.
NOTES:
- Dinner is on your own during your tour. There are a number of restaurants in town, and they are all within walking distance of the hotels.
- For your free time, you can explore town, most hotels have bicycles to rent, there may be kayaks in town to rent, and there are beaches to visit within walking distance.
- You will need an afternoon flight out of the Baltra Airport.
- In general, winter is rougher/rainy, summer is calmer.
- You will have a separate guide on each island. Some tours are private and some are in a small group.
Full Itinerary
DETAILED ITINERARY >>
ITINERARY IN BRIEF >>
Day 1: 8-DAY GALAPAGOS ISLAND-HOPPING MULTI-SPORT / Arrive Galapagos (San Cristobal Airport), afternoon Kayaking (Kayaking) (L)
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You will be picked-up at the San Cristobal Airport by your private certified guide, who will take you to the hotel and take you to lunch. After you collect your luggage at the airport, look for someone with a sign with your name on it. It is a 5 minute drive to the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.
Afterwards, you will meet your guide and have an introductory talk about kayaking and the area you will paddle. Then, you will go for a fun tour of the bay, a good way to get introduced to the "locals" aka the playful and curious sea lions. The tour will last approx 2 hours.
For dinner, you have several options in town to choose as the Descanso Marinero for delicious seafood, the Midori famous for its sushis, the Guiseppe's for pizzas and the Rincon de Sebas for its excellent empanadas and local meals.
NOTE: Private Tour
Meals included: Lunch
Budget Accommodations: Hosteria Pimampiro
Mid-Range Accommodations: Casa Playa Mann
Luxury Accommodations: Golden Bay Hotel & Spa
Day 2: San Cristobal: Snorkeling at Kicker Rock (Snorkeling, Beach) (BL)
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In the morning, you will go to the famous Kicker Rock, a volcanic formation in the middle of the ocean, where you will snorkel along with sharks, rays, and if lucky, hammerhead sharks! Afterwards, you will reach a beautiful beach and enjoy lunch on board. Then, you will be able to relax for approx. 1 hour. You will be back to port around 3PM. The rest of the afternoon is free so you can enjoy the hotel facilities or the nearby beaches.
The rest of the day is free at your leisure. You can visit the Interpretation Center and/or watch the sunset on Playa Mann and have a casual dinner on the beach.
NOTE: Shared Tour with maximum 12 people/boat
NOTE: Scuba diving is available today for qualified divers as an alternative to this tour.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Budget Accommodations: Hosteria Pimampiro
Mid-Range Accommodations: Casa Playa Mann
Luxury Accommodations: Golden Bay Hotel & Spa
Day 3: San Cristobal, dive discovery and bike ride / hike at Loberia (Diving, Biking, Hiking) (BL)
In the morning, you will have a briefing about diving with an experienced dive master. Then you will go to Tijeretas bay to experience the incredible sensation of breathing underwater. If you are already certified, you can upgrade to a scuba dive.
After a great lunch, you will go biking to Loberia. The bike ride is not difficult. Once at Loberia, you will begin a hike up to a cliff. You can expect to see marine iguanas on the way. Once at the cliff, you will spot swallow-tailed gulls, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, tropical birds, and petrels. You can just relax and enjoy it!
Back to the beach, those who want can go for a snorkel session in the bay. This is a famous place to spot Pacific green turtles.
NOTE: Private Tour
NOTE: Scuba diving is available today for qualified divers at an extra charge.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Budget Accommodations: Hotel Iguana Isabela
Mid-Range Accommodations: Isabela Beach House
Luxury Accommodations: Iguana Crossing
Day 4: Fly to Isabela, Tintoreras (SUP) (BL)
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In the morning we will pick you up at the hotel and accompany you to the airport, where you will do your check-in for the flight to Isabela (ETD 7:15am, ETA 8:00am, estimated flight time: 45 minutes). NOTE: There is a luggage weight limit on this flight of 25 pounds including hand luggage, so let us know if you have overweight luggage so that we can make arrangements.
Our staff will welcome you on Isabela and accompanies you to your hotel for check-in. You are free until lunch. We recommend a visit of the Flamingo Lagoon or Galapaguera, a breeding center for the Galapagos Tortoises. Flamingo Lagoon ("Poza de los Flamingo") is a principal breeding ground for the Flamingos. This is a 10-minute walk from town.
You will have Lunch and in the afternoon departure for a stand up paddle tour in the bay of Villamil. You will surely be able to see small Galapagos penguins, sea lions, and with luck you will spot turtles and rays.
The evening is at your free disposal. You can have a drink at the beach-front bar de Beto, for sunset. For dinner, we recommend Coco Surf, Endemic Turtle or Isabela Grill, but you have other several options in town to choose.
NOTE: Shared Tour with maximum 16 people
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Budget Accommodations: Hotel Iguana Isabela
Mid-Range Accommodations: Isabela Beach House
Luxury Accommodations: Iguana Crossing
Day 5: Isabela Island: Sierra Negra Volcano (Hiking) (BL)
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Today the Sierra Negra Volcano is on the agenda. This is the 2nd largest and most active volcano in the world (last eruption on October 22, 2005). You will also see steam rising from nearby Volcan Chico. You walk through spectacular lava landscapes and have views of the northern volcanoes of Isabela and Fernandina. The hike to the Sierra Negra Volcano and the Chico Volcano is about 16km long (2-3 hour hike up), but worth the effort. You see the second largest volcanic crater in the world and discover different vegetation zones. You get a lunchbox for the hike. It is a 40-minute drive to the base of the volcano hike. You can also rent a horse ($10) if you prefer not to hike.
The rest of the day is at leisure. You can enjoy the beautiful beach in Isabela or you can snorkel in the Concha de Perla lagoon (snorkel equipment is not included in the free time, but can be hired locally).
NOTE: Shared Tour with maximum 16 people
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Budget Accommodations: Hotel Iguana Isabela
Mid-Range Accommodations: Isabela Beach House
Luxury Accommodations: Iguana Crossing
Day 6: Isabela: Los Tuneles/Cabo Rosa (Snorkeling) (BL)
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After breakfast at your hotel, you will leave at 7:30am with your guide to go by boat to Los Tuneles/Cabo Rosa (45 minutes) where lava has flowed into the ocean and formed beautiful lava tubes. There you may see penguins, blue-footed boobies and sea turtles. However, the highlight is snorkeling. You have the chance to see white-tip sharks which rest daily on the bottom, sea turtles, sea lions, rays, seahorses, and many tropical fish. The tour takes about 5 hours.
The rest of the day is free time. You can do a bike ride to the Wall of Tears (bikes are not included, but can be hired locally).
NOTE: Shared Tour with maximum 16 people
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Budget Accommodations: Hotel Deja Vu
Mid-Range Accommodations: Villa Laguna
Luxury Accommodations: Angermeyer Waterfront Inn
Day 7: Transfer Isabela to Santa Cruz: Highlands, Garrapatero Beach (Biking, Swimming) (BL)
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At 5:30am, your guide will pick you up at the hotel and accompany you to the harbor, where you will take the 6:00am speed boat to Santa Cruz (2.5-3.5 hours).
At the pier, our staff welcomes you and accompanies you for breakfast. Afterwards you will go to the hotel for check-in and to meet your private local guide.
Your guide will drive you to a ranch in the Santa Cruz Highlands to see the giant tortoises in their native environment. You will also see a lava tunnel. Lunch is provided in the highlands and then you will enjoy a bike ride to the Garrapatero beach. Once there, you will be able to Rest on this beautiful beach, before back to port. Enjoy in the evening a walk at the pier where by night you can spot lots of baby sharks!
The evening is at your leisure. You can choose among a lot of restaurants in town for dinner. The "Kiosks" are a great option -- every night one street in the center of Puerto Ayora is closed to traffic and restaurants put tables and chairs in the street where you can enjoy a typical meal among locals.
NOTE: Private Tour
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Budget Accommodations: Hotel Deja Vu
Mid-Range Accommodations: Villa Laguna
Luxury Accommodations: Angermeyer Waterfront Inn
Day 8: Transfer to Baltra Airport for flight to Quito or Guayaquil (B)
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The time until the airport transport is at your leisure. You can visit the Charles Darwin Station (free entrance) or do some souvenir shopping.
Your driver will accompany you for the transfer to the Baltra Airport. The transfer includes private vehicle across the island to the dock for Baltra Island (40-60 minutes), taking a boat across the Itabaca Channel, and the public bus to the Baltra airport (5 minutes). Your driver will accompany you until the check-in where your program ends with your return flight to the mainland.
Meals included: Breakfast
Pricing
8-Day Galapagos Island Hopping Multisport
from $3495 USD
*** Contact Us for other itinerary and lodging options! ***
NOTE: Prices are per person in U.S. dollars based on double/triple occupancy. All quotations are based on the current rates of park fees, VAT, other government taxes, and current exchange rates. Should any of these be increased or a new tax introduced, these increases will be added on even if your trip has already been paid for.
INCLUDES:
- All accommodations per itinerary
- All meals per itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
- All tours and entrance fees per itinerary (unless listed as excluded)
- All transportation and transfers per itinerary
- Boat transfers
- Bi-lingual Galapagos naturalist guide
- Isabela tax
- Snorkel equipment and wetsuit (short 2.5mm) during excursions
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EXCLUDES:
- International and domestic flights
- Meals not listed
- Beverages and alcohol
- Tips for guides, drivers, hotel staff
- Optional tours
- Single room supplement
- Personal expenses (visas, airport taxes, Internet, etc.)
- Tips for guides ($5-10/person/day)
- Flights to the Galapagos ($500-600/person round-trip estimate)
- Entrance fee to the Galapagos National Park ($200/person)
- INGALA Migration card ($20/person)
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Discount for children 11 years old and under
- Christmas/New Years holiday supplement
- NOTE: There is a luggage weight limit on the internal flight of 10 kg (25 lbs). If you have overweight luggage for the internal flight, we can transport extra luggage to Santa Cruz. This means you need one bag with everything you need for Isabela Island, and then a second bag with extra items, which you will get on Santa Cruz. It may be possible to pay for extra weight ($2/lb), but this may not be allowed if the airplane is full.
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