The Galapagos Islands

Itinerary In-Brief

Day 1: U.S. / Guayaquil
Day 2: Guayaquil / San Cristobal
Day 3: North Seymour / Guy Fawkes / Santa Cruz
Day 4: Floreana
Day 5: Fernandina / Isabela
Day 6: Santa Cruz
Day 7: Bartolome / Rabida
Day 8: Española
Day 9: San Cristobal / Guayaquil
Day 10: Guayaquil / U.S.

Itinerary In-Depth

Day 1

U.S. / Guayaquil

After an evening arrival in Guayaquil, transfer to the Hilton Colon Guayaquil.

Day 2

Guayaquil / San Cristobal

In the morning, fly to the Galapagos Islands. Transfer to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno where you’ll visit the San Cristobal Interpretation Center before transferring to La Pinta for a welcome briefing and lunch. In the afternoon, take a zodiac ride along the rocky shoreline of Isla Lobos, where you may see Galapagos sea lions, marine iguanas, lava lizards, and a great variety of bird species. Join the Captain for a welcome cocktail and dinner this evening.

Day 3:

North Seymour / Guy Fawkes / Santa Cruz

Walk along the coast and the interior of North Seymour Island this morning, where you can observe colonies of blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, swallow tailed gulls, sea lions, and marine iguanas. In the afternoon, cruise to Guy Fawkes to spot Galapagos sharks, turtles, sea horses, and myriads of reef fish; then, on Santa Cruz, explore Cerro Dragon.

Day 4:

Floreana

Floreana is perhaps best known for its colorful history of buccaneers, whalers, convicts, and colonists, as well as for its long-established “Post Office Barrel”, where even today letters may be sent to far-flung destinations without stamps. After lunch, walk along Punta Cormorant to see the flamingos, stilts, and sandpipers that inhabit a brackish-water lagoon.

Day 5:

Fernandina / Isabela

The morning’s landing on Punta Moreno reveals a striking landscape of jet black lava punctuated by brackish lagoons, lush vegetation, and brightly-colored birds. After lunch, disembark on Fernandina Island for a walk to Punta Espinoza, where you can see amazingly dense populations of marine iguanas sharing their space with sea lions, sally lightfoot crabs, hawks, penguins, and cormorants

Day 6:

Santa Cruz

Today you’ll visit the Highlands and the famous pit craters known as Los Gemelos. After lunch at the Finch Bay Eco Hotel in Puerto Ayora, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, where tortoise celebrities like “Lonesome George” live in an impressive giant prickly-pear cactus forest.

Day 7:

Bartolome / Rabida

This morning, climb a wooden staircase to view one of the most iconic vistas in the islands - Pinnacle Rock, a partiallyeroded tuff cone towering over twin half-moon beaches. In the afternoon, sail to Rabida, where you can see swarms of reef fish, large rays, and sea lions.

Day 8:

Española

After breakfast, disembark at Gardner Bay onto a white coralline beach, where you can watch sea lions, Hood mockingbirds, and finches. In the afternoon, take a walk along the lava terrain of Punta Suarez to the famous blowhole, which shoots water 50 feet into the air.

Day 9:

San Cristobal / Guayaquil

Disembark the ship at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and then transfer to Guayaquil. You’ll have an evening on your own to explore and a night at the Hilton Colon.

Day 10:

Guayaquil / U.S.

In the morning, transfer to the airport to catch flights back home.