4 Days / 3 Nights Tour Galapagos Islands

4 Days / 3 Nights Tour

Day 01                                                                            Guayaquil/Quito – Galapagos Islands

• Meals: Lunch, Dinner
• Flight Guayaquil/Quito – Galapagos Islands (not included)
• Transfer airport – hotel
• Visit of Charles Darwin Research Station

Galapagos - the Enchanted Islands - doubtlessly are the highlight of every Ecuador trip and you also should not miss a visit, as it is the most unique living museum of evolutionary changes and a place where you get to know a variety of exotic endemic species! Galapagos is the perfect setting to experience the evolutionary changes, which have led to a new understanding of, life on earth. Animals unafraid of man and so different from any others found elsewhere, make visitors wonder about their existence on our planet. Among the animals found, are the different species of giant “Galapagos” tortoises that gave the islands their name, a variety of birds and marine mammals such as iguanas, sea lions, dolphins, whales as well as a great number of fish. Among the flora, the most distinctive are mangroves and endemic cacti -to mention only some of them!

Upon arrival in Baltra you will go by bus to the small canal where a little ferry takes you to Santa Cruz. On this island a bus brings you to the harbor Puerto Ayora. Afterwards you are brought to your accommodation Hotel Silberstein (including full board, starting with Lunch on day of arrival).

In the afternoon you have the possibility to visit the Charles Darwin Research Center in Puerto Ayora. It was inaugurated in 1964 and a few years later the breading centre, in cooperation with the Galapagos National Park Service. Here you will get to know the conservation efforts promoted by this institution, and stroll among an impressive giant prickly-pear cactus forest where endemic land birds can be seen. You will see giant tortoises from different islands. The tiny turtle babies are affectionately being cared for and as soon as they are old and strong enough for their repatriation they are set free.

**Remark: Charles Darwin Station is being renovated; therefore some areas are currently closed.

Dinner and overnight at Hotel Silberstein 3* (standard rooms)

Day 02                                                                                                             Galapagos Islands

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day tour to one of the described island
• ​After breakfast you are picked up at the hotel and brought to your day excursion boat in the north of the island.
• You will visit one of the four islands: North Seymour, South Plazas, Bartholomew or Santa Fe.
• Lunch on board.

North Seymour

The day trip starts with an approximately 42km bus ride from Puerto Ayora to the Itabaca canal, next you get on a boat for another 9km until you reach the island of North Seymour.

North Seymour is a small flat island surrounded by low cliffs, barely separated from Baltra Island by a small narrow stretch of water.

You will be landing near a long sandy beach, where sea lions and marine iguanas hang out between the rocks. The interior has a Palo Santo and opuntia cactus forest with blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigate bird colonies. The male of the frigate birds blow up their red throat pouch during their mating rituals. In addition, there are lots of sally light foot crabs and black marine iguanas. Part of the trip is snorkeling on the beach of Bachas (aprox. 1h)

OR

South Plaza

To reach South Plaza Island you drive 42km by bus from Puerto Ayora to the Itabaca canal, after that you get on board and drive from Itabaca canal about 15km to South Plaza Island.

The island is uplifted sea floor, rather than a volcanic island like nearby Santa Cruz. The island rises from a flat northern edge and tilt gently up to steep 25m cliffs on the southern side. Although South Plaza is barely 1km long and 100m wide it is home to an amazing variety of wildlife. The today´s trail (aprox. 1h) will show you the most characteristic plant of the island the ground cover sesuvium. During the rainy season its color is a green to yellowish tone, in the dry season (end of June till January) a bright red. It contrasts very well with the yellow land iguana that you find here. You have the possibility to swim and snorkel at Punta Carrión (aprox. 1h).

OR

Bartholomew

Bartholomew Island will be reached by bus and boat. First you drive around 42km by bus from Puerto Ayora to Itabaca canal. After that you take a boat and drive about 30km until you reach the Island of Bartholomew.

The volcanic island of Bartholomew, characterized by a 114m high volcanic crater, is 1.2km in size and located close to the east coast of Santiago Island. The landscape of the island is breathtaking. The black lava fields and gray-brown cinder cone are contrasting with the young green vegetation of the island and the sand beaches. Your route will take you up on wooden stairs to the summit of the volcano crater. You have an impressive view of the surrounded islands, including the eroded tuff cone of Pinnacle Rock. On boardwalks, you will hike (aprox. 45min) through the breathtaking landscape which seems extraterrestrial. During the hike to the summit, you may see marine iguanas, lava lizards and various cacti, one of the first signs of plants on the relatively young lava ground. Pinnacle Rock – the remains of an eroded tuff cone – leans into Bartholomew’s northern bay and provides one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Galapagos Islands. You can relax on the long beach of Sullivan Bay or enjoy the marine life while snorkeling (aprox. 1h).

OR

Santa Fe

Santa Fe Island can be reached two different ways. The selection of the route depends on the national park regulations and the navigation permits. Either you go to the pier San Francisco in Puerto Ayora approximately 28km to Santa Fe Island, or drive around 42km by bus from Puerto Ayora to Itabaca canal and then 45km by boat from the canal to the Island of Santa Fe.

This island is one of the oldest islands of the archipelago. Its age and isolation have allowed several endemic animals to evolve, including species of land iguana, rice rat and gecko.

On the northern coast, you will visit (aprox. 1h) Barrington Bay, a small quiet bay, where you may observe green sea turtles and spotted eagle rays cruise over the sandy bottom, brown pelicans and blue-footed boobies rest on the rocks. You may also see Nazca boobies and magnificent frigate birds. Sea lions are the most common sight on Santa Fe Island, with 2 large colonies on the beaches and pups playing eagerly with snorkelers in the bay. You can go snorkeling or swimming on a smaller island, near the island of Santa Fe (aprox. 1h).

Dinner and overnight at Hotel Silberstein 3* (standard rooms)

Day 03                                                                                                             Galapagos Islands

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day tour to one of the described island 
• Today you visit one of the four islands mentioned above.
• Lunch on board.

​Dinner and overnight at Hotel Silberstein 3* (standard rooms)

Day 04                                                                            Galapagos Islands – Guayaquil/Quito

• Meals: Breakfast
• Transfer hotel – airport
• Flight Galapagos Islands – Guayaquil/Quito (not included)
• ​Transfer to Baltra airport. From Baltra your take your return flight to the mainland.

End of Services

**Remark: The itinerary is subject to change. It depends on the availability of the boats and the National Park Regulations for the day tours. The excursions to the Islands are operated with small boats, always shared with other passengers from different nationalities. The boats for day tours have a capacity from 10 to 20 passengers.

Daily excursions are guaranteed, however there might be other islands or visitor sites than mentioned visited: Cerro Dragon and Venecia, Daphne, Caleta Tortuga, the Islands of Floreana, Isabela and/or the Highlands of the Island Santa Cruz.

The transfer to the airport on the last day is not accompanied by a tour guide and is together with other passengers; passengers will be taken to the airport by hotel staff.