Arrive in Quito, Ecuador, where you will transfer to your local airport hotel by shuttle. Quito is located in a huge valley of the Andes Mountains at an altitude of 9,455 feet – the highest capital city in the world. It’s a great place to explore and learn about mainland Ecuador’s culture. You may also choose to extend here to visit the surrounding volcanic mountain range. Alternatively, if you are concerned about altitude, you may arrive via Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, located at low elevation on the coast.

Fly from Quito to the Galapagos via Guayaquil, a trip that takes approximately 2 ½ hours. Upon landing at Baltra Island’s airport and clearing customs, your local guide will meet you and take you on to Santa Cruz Island.  Then, the adventure really begins, with your first wildlife stop at Los Gemelos sinkholes and the Tortoise Reserve. Walk the trails and observe the giant tortoises in their natural habitat. Also have lunch at the reserve.

After lunch, drive to Enchanted Galapagos Lodge in the beautiful highlands area. The rest of the day is yours at leisure to enjoy the pool, explore the nature trails, or tour the on-site cheese factory.

Join a semi-private group from the lodge today to head down to the coast and board a motor yacht for a day trip to a nearby island. Depending on the day and the conditions, you may visit North Seymour, South Plazas, Santa Fe, or Bartolome Island. Along the way, your naturalist guide will help you spot marine life such as leaping rays or playful sea lions. Once there, your guide will explain the distinct geologic history of this particular island, and you’ll see the species that have adapted to inhabit it – likely including blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and land iguanas, although populations vary by island. After exploring on foot, you can enjoy a swim or a snorkel before enjoying the vastness of the Pacific on your ride back to the dock. Choose to spend your evening relaxing at the lodge or exploring the charming shops, galleries, and local cuisine of Puerto Ayora.

Following breakfast, venture with your guide into the town of Puerto Ayora, where you will have the opportunity to enjoy Tortuga Bay Beach, a scenic setting to observe sunbathing iguanas and maybe even spot sharks in the water nearby. After partaking of a packed lunch, a speedboat will take you down the coast to visit Charles Darwin Research Station, home to the Charles Darwin Foundation and the hub for conservation work in the islands. While here, you can see giant tortoises that are part of the Center’s breeding program and learn about their conservation work and research with other species.

Afterwards, your guide will leave you in town to have dinner on your own and return to the lodge by taxi.

You’ll be transferred to the dock in Puerto Ayora early this morning to catch your speedboat transfer to Isabela Island at 7 am (shared basis). Upon arrival in Isabela, you will be picked up from the dock and taken to your hotel for check-in.

After lunch on your own, you’ll be picked up at your hotel for a snorkeling excursion to Tintoreras, a group of small islands off the coast of Isabela. The islands are named after the white-tipped Tintoreras reef sharks that swim in these calm waters. The outing also includes an easy, one-hour walk on a sandy path to observe marine iguanas, sea birds, sea lions, and white-tipped reef sharks in shallow areas visible from shore. Also enjoy a boat ride likely to show you penguins, sea birds, and other marine life. Snorkel at either La Calera or Loberia Chica, depending on the tides. Keep your eyes open for marine turtles, rays, starfish, an abundance of colorful reef fish, and even octopus! And don’t be surprised if some of the penguins or sea lions come to play alongside you in the water.

Return to your hotel for the rest of the day at leisure.

Today is free to enjoy Isabela on your own. You may want to venture to the beach for some leisurely people-watching. If you want a more active day, you can visit the Tortoise Breeding Station or the “Wall of Tears”, a historical site built by prisoners during the 1940s and 1950s as a form of punishment and hard labor.

Volcanic eruptions created all of the islands in the Galapagos, and you will get to see this geologic process first-hand as we explore Isabela, one of the youngest and most volcanically active islands of the archipelago. Spend the whole day in the Isabela highlands, beginning with a hike up to the crater of the massive Sierra Negra volcano, and then onward to the rim of the Volcán Chico.

This fascinating walk usually begins with some morning fog and drizzle, which sometimes persists in the shadow of the volcano, adding to its mysterious character. Despite the drizzle, you might see Galapagos hawks, finches, flycatchers, and short-eared owls en route. On reaching the rim of the Sierra Negra crater, the second largest in the world after the Ngorongoro in Tanzania, you will see the real reward for your effort. The crater is so large, and the views so expansive, photos can’t do it justice, but bring your camera anyway!

Later, as you head towards Volcán Chico, you may get the feeling you are walking on Mars because of the desolate landscape. While it may appear to be utterly barren, a closer look will reveal small lizards scurrying among the rocks. From the crater’s rim, enjoy more amazing views of lava formations. Then later, relax under the shade of a lovely jaboncillo tree to enjoy your box lunch while taking in the spectacular and expansive views over the central and northern parts of Isabela Island. In the distance, we will be able to see Fernandina, Pinzon, and Santa Cruz Islands.

We then head back down to complete our day of hiking (16 km in total) and relax on the beaches of Puerto Villamil for the rest of the day.

You will have some free time in the morning before you are taken to the airport to board your small flight to San Cristobal Island. Upon arrival, you will be met by your driver who will take you to the hotel.

In the afternoon, you can do some independent exploring. The town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno sits next to a very active sea lion colony with hundreds of resident sea lions. At night, the animals pack in together tightly on the sand, and watching them jostle for space can be a full evening of entertainment.

After breakfast today, your private guide will meet you at your hotel for a full-day excursion to visit some of the most interesting highlights in the highlands of San Cristobal:

El Junco lagoon:  Located 19 kilometers from the port, inside a large, now extinct volcano, its name comes from a type of plant common in the surrounding area, called “junco.” The lagoon is also surrounded by Miconia, a species of flora endemic to the Galapagos. It is also a favorite spot for frigate birds, which fly and skim its freshwater waters. Its diameter is 270 meters, and its maximum depth is 6 meters. It is fed solely by rainwater; during dry periods, it decreases to 1 meter, and during heavy rains, its level rises until it overflows, forming a stream. El Junco Lagoon has a surface area of ​​60,000 square meters and a volume of 360,000 cubic meters, equivalent to 9 million gallons of water.

Galapaguera:  It is located in the southeast of San Cristóbal, 22.4 km from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Access is by land; the trip takes approximately 40 minutes. It is located near Cerro Colorado, one of the few places where you can observe Calandrinia galapagosa, a plant endemic to San Cristóbal. This Galapagos turtle sanctuary was built to improve the health of the island’s tortoise population, Geochelone chatamensis, in an environment with conditions similar to their natural state and thus promote the development of tourism in San Cristóbal. San Cristóbal tortoises constitute one of the 11 populations of tortoises in the Galapagos. They mate once a year, and females lay between 12 and 16 eggs. The visitor center explains the natural history of this island’s giant tortoise (Geochelone chatamensis) population, as well as the relationships and differences between San Cristóbal tortoises and other tortoises in the archipelago, in terms of origin and evolution. The current threat to the San Cristóbal giant tortoise is also explained, along with why this area is necessary to ensure its survival.

Puerto Chino: It is located 24.5 km from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and a few kilometers from the Breeding Center next to Cerro Colorado. Access is by land to a gravel mine; from there, you must walk a path of approximately 1,475 meters to reach the coral sand beach. It is very important to bring drinking water, a hat, and sunscreen. The sun’s reflection on the white sand is very strong. The beach is an excellent place for recreation and relaxation. It is also an ideal place to observe seabirds feeding.

Interpretation Center: Located on the northern edge of the city, it was built in 1998 by the Galapagos National Park Directorate and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (AECID).  It consists of three autonomous buildings connected by walkways and trails. It features exhibition and conference rooms, a natural history room explaining the origin of the islands, a human history room describing the human presence since the discovery of the Galapagos, and a conservation room showcasing the interest in protecting and conserving the environment. It also has trails, an open-air auditorium, scale models of ships, and a high-relief geographical map of the islands. (Galapagos National Park visitor site.).

Tijeretas Hill (Frigate Hill):  The trail begins below the Interpretation Center and leads to Tijeretas Hill, located 2 km southwest of San Cristóbal Island. Named for the local frigate birds, whose tails end in the shape of scissors, it was one of the first places where the English biologist Charles Robert Darwin landed. It is the ideal place to enjoy a spectacular view of the white sand beaches on one side (Punta Carola). Tijeretas Hill is located a short distance from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. The hill is frequently visited by frigate birds, hence its name. Here, it is possible to see the magnificent and great frigate birds on the same hill. This is the perfect place to compare and learn to distinguish them. The flora of Tijeretas Hill is considered an extraordinary example of biological evolution. Among the native plants that can be observed are cacti and red mangroves, with their typical aerial roots. The flora is very diverse in this area. It is an ideal place for surfing and snorkeling.

Today, get up early to catch your shared boat tour departing at 7:00 am to fully circumnavigate the island. (Transportation to/from the meeting point not included, but the pier is within walking distance of hotels.) Your day will include interesting landing sites, snorkeling, and even some fishing if you’re interested!

First, stop at Rosa Blanca, famous for its picturesque beaches. You can snorkel from shore, and you are likely to encounter the turtles, sharks, and rays that frequent this stretch of coastline.

Continue to Punta Pitt, where you can see abundant birdlife from the boat as you cruise by slowly. This is one of the only two locations in the entire Galapagos Islands where you can see all three species of boobies cohabiting. You will also see two different types of frigate birds nesting here.

Moving on, head to Sardine Bay, where you can again jump in the water to see some amazing sea life. This area is known for its many sea turtles and rays roaming the crystal-clear waters. You may even get a chance to swim with playful sea lions!

Then, disembark at Punta Pucuna for a 45-minute hike with views of Cerro Brujo and Kicker Rock.
 Then, return to the boat to approach the rock forms more closely. Circle Cerro Brujo, then anchor at the famous Kicker Rock, also known as ‘The Sleeping Lion’ (El León Dormido) because of its shape. It is a magnificent small islet located off the coast of the island of San Cristobal, standing up to 500 feet above the ocean. The formation is a favorite place for diverse species of marine birds. The deep channel between Kicker Rock and San Cristobal is also home to black tip reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, Galapagos sharks, hammerhead sharks, eagle rays, marine turtles, and sea lions, and you will have an hour to snorkel among them before returning to your boat and finishing your full circle tour of San Cristobal.

Return to your hotel and enjoy a final night of tropical relaxation or exploration in the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

This sample itinerary comes to an end today. You’ll be picked up at the hotel at the appropriate time and driven to the airport for your flight to the mainland and home (unless you add on time to explore Ecuador’s other incredible sights, perhaps the Amazon or the Andes?!).