Enchanted Isles
Wonders of the Galapagos
Trip Details at-a-Glance
| Cost From: | $4695 see pricing |
|---|---|
| Length: | 11 days |
| Arrive: | Quito, Ecuador |
| Depart: | Quito, Ecuador |
| Lodging: | 8 days / 7 nights aboard the yacht, 3 hotel nights in Quito describe |
| Meals: | All meals included except 1 lunch, 2 dinners |
| Activity: | Small Boat & Yacht Cruising, Snorkeling, Wildlife & Natural History, Walking |
| Trip Level: |
Daily hikes, snorkeling
|
Highlights
- Active adventure with seven days cruising Darwin’s magical isles
- Swim with sea lions, snorkel in a kaleidoscopic underwater world
- Small deluxe yacht—the ultimate way to go!
This was the best trip I have ever been on! I have traveled to 38 countries and this trip was the highlight of them all.Lori Y.—Sewickly, PA
Choosing the Right Trip
We work hard to help you choose the right trip for you, paying attention to your individual interests, abilities, and needs. If you have questions about the level of comfort or any of the activities described in this itinerary, please contact us.
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References
We are proud to have an exceptionally high rate of repeat travelers. For more information, we would be happy to put you in touch with a client who has traveled with us.
Email Area ManagerDeparture Notes
Once you have signed up on the trip, we send a complete packing list, relevant health information, and required travel documents.
Resources
*Early Sign-up Discount!
All 2011 departures: $800 per cabin ($400 per person), limit first 6 sign-ups per departure. *New sign-ups only.
Last Chance to Join this Classic One-Week Galapagos Cruise!
New Galapagos National Park rules will change the length of all cruises in the islands. Wilderness Travel welcomes these changes, which will help protect this fragile environment. Our new program of cruises begins in June, 2012. This is your last chance to enjoy this wonderful itinerary—call or email for availability!
Snorkel with playful sea lions and equatorial penguins, hike past dancing blue-footed boobies, and savor one of our planet’s quintessential natural history experiences! Natural predators have never existed on the Galapagos Islands, so the wildlife shows no fear around humans—we walk right among basking iguanas and seabirds on their nests for incredible opportunities to observe and photograph. As we explore a new island each day, our fantastic naturalist guide brings this unique world to life. A Galapagos pilgrimage is the dream of every nature lover, and we’ve perfected this journey, set aboard a luxurious, air-conditioned 12- to 16-passenger yacht—it’s the only way to go!
Itinerary at a Glance
For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure
Days 1-2
Quito, Ecuador
Meet in Quito and explore on your own in the colonial center, with its grand plaza, mansions, and baroque churches.
Days 3-4
Galapagos Cruise / North Seymour / Santa Cruz
There’s a world of wonder in Darwin’s bewitching islands—on land as well as in the sea. We fly out to the islands and sail to North Seymour Island for a hike among prehistoric-looking marine iguanas, Darwin’s “imps of darkness.” On Santa Cruz, we visit the town of Puerto Ayora and the Darwin Research Station, with its museum and tortoise breeding facility, then head up to the lush highlands for a chance to see Galapagos tortoises in the wild.
Day 5
Espanola
At remote Espanola (Hood), we discover a jewel of an island known for its high number of endemic species. Marine iguanas are inky black on most Galapagos islands, but on Espanola, they are brightly colored, with a reddish tint. At Punta Suarez, we find spectacular cliffs inhabited by colorful lava lizards, the indigenous Hood mockingbird, and cactus and warbler finches. We enjoy great snorkeling on the northeast coast at Gardner Bay, where sea lions laze on long white beaches. Between April and November, Espanola is famed for its colonies of nesting waved albatross. These giant birds use the island’s steep cliffs as runways to take off for their oceanic feeding grounds.
Days 6-8
Floreana / Isabela / Fernandina
Rich flora abounds on Floreana, and the snorkeling is out of this world at Devil’s Crown, the remnant of a volcanic crater whose pinnacles rise up from the sandy bottom. Red-billed tropicbirds nest in the crater’s rocky crevices, while schools of king angelfish and beautiful marbled rays swim below. On Punta Cormorant, we watch elegant pink flamingos wade in the shallows, and on Isabela Island, we snorkel among tiny Galapagos penguins who seem to fly through the water. We look for flightless cormorants at Punta Espinosa and marine turtles at Urbina Bay. On pristine Fernandina, we hike Punta Espinosa to see the biggest colony of marine iguanas in the islands. We can often see them diving in the intertidal areas.
Days 9-11
Santiago / Bartolome / Quito
Santiago (James) Island has numerous shorebirds, including lava herons, Galapagos doves, and Galapagos hawks. Our hike up the volcanic cone called Pinnacle Rock on Bartolome Island offers top-of-the-world views. We explore by panga in Black Turtle Cove, a red mangrove lagoon that is a nursery for many sharks and rays. Fly to Quito and depart on Day 11, or extend your journey to Machu Picchu, Ecuador’s mountain highlands, or the Amazon.
For a more complete description, Download Full Trip Brochure
Optional Extensions
If you would like to continue your adventure, we offer the following extensions:
- Otavalo & Hacienda Zuleta Extension (3 days)
- Amazon Rainforest Extension: Napo Wildlife Center (4 days)
- Amazon Rainforest Extension: Sacha Lodge (4 days)
- Cusco Machu Picchu Extension (6 days)
What the Trip is Like
The trip is rated Level 1, Easiest. It is appropriate for anyone in good health who is physically active and enjoys moderate walks. There are daily shore excursions featuring walks on well-marked trails through wildlife colonies, rocky lava fields, and along beaches. Our shore landings are either “dry” (where there are rocks or wooden piers to step onto when you disembark from the panga) or “wet” (which involves stepping out of the panga into a foot or so of surf and wading to shore). Getting out of the panga for a dry landing is occasionally tricky because the panga is moving with the waves and the rocks you step onto may be slippery. The yacht staff will assist in these landings. While we travel aboard small sailing vessels, we normally motor from island to island because of the long distances between islands and the desire to maximize our time on shore.
Departures & Leaders
2010 Dates
Limited space remains for 2010 departures; please call us for prices and availability.
Nov 22-Dec 2, Mary Anne
Dec 20-30, Mary Anne
Dec 27, 2010-Jan 6, 2011, Sagitta
2011 Dates
Jan 3-13, 2011, Mary Anne
Jan 10-20, Sagitta
Jan 31-Feb 10, Mary Anne
Feb 14-24, Sagitta
Feb 28-Mar 10, Mary Anne
Mar 14-24, Mary Anne
Mar 21-31, Sagitta
Apr 4-14, Sagitta
Apr 11-21, Mary Anne
Apr 18-28, Mary Anne
May 2-12, Mary Anne
Tour Costs
Prices are for 2011
Aboard the Sagitta
$4695 (14-16 members)$5095 (10-13 members)
Aboard the Mary Anne
$4995 (14-20 members)$5395 (11-13 members)
Single supplement (hotel): $275
Single supplement (boat): 25% of trip cost (limited)
Internal airfare (subject to change): $410 (children 11 and under: $210)
Park fee: $100 (children 11 and under: $50)
Transit card: $10
December surcharge: $300
Child discount: $500 (15 and under, excludes private charters, December departures and selected departures with special discounts)
Extension Costs
Otavalo & Hacienda Zuleta Extension
from: $870
Amazon Rainforest Extension: Napo Wildlife Center
from: $795
Amazon Rainforest Extension: Sacha Lodge
from: $755
Cusco Machu Picchu Extension
from: $2150
more on pricing
Tour Cost Includes:
- expert leadership of a Wilderness Travel Trip Leader and local guides
- accommodations at the hotel in Quito and aboard the yacht
- meals as indicated in the full Trip Brochure
- sightseeing, tours, and airport transfers as indicated in the Full Trip Brochure
Tour Cost Does Not Include:
International airfare, internal flights, Galápagos park fee and transit control card, meals not specified in the Full Trip Brochure, airport departure taxes, optional gratuities, additional hotel nights (due to airline schedule changes or other factors), pre-trip expenses of medical immunizations (if any), travel insurance, or passports and visas; and other expenses of a personal nature (alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc.). Tipping your Trip Leader and the yacht crew is customary, but at your discretion.Hilton Colon
Days 1 to 2 (2 nights),
Day 10 (1 night),
Quito, Ecuador
Quito’s original luxury hotel has a fabulous location alongside a small park right at the juncture between old and new Quito. While the hotel ...
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The Sagitta
Days 3 to 9 (7 nights), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
The Sagitta is a is a majestic 120-foot sailing yacht that caters to 16 passengers. She has ten air-conditioned cabins with private facilities, a ...
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The Mary Anne
Days 3 to 9 (7 nights), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
The 216-foot Mary Anne is a stunningly beautiful 3-masted barquentine sailing ship that accommodates 16 passengers in double cabins with private ...
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The Beagle
Days 3 to 9 (7 nights), Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
The magnificent 105-foot steel hulled schooner Beagle (formerly named the Andando) has a teak deck, a luxurious interior, and six double cabins, ...
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Extension Accommodations
If you would like to view the accommodations offered with our extensions options:
- Otavalo & Hacienda Zuleta Extension (3 days)
- Amazon Rainforest Extension: Napo Wildlife Center (4 days)
- Amazon Rainforest Extension: Sacha Lodge (4 days)
- Cusco Machu Picchu Extension (6 days)
Note: Listed above are our signature accommodations for this trip. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
Our Trip Leaders
Here are the Trip Leaders scheduled for this journey (please note that leader assignments are subject to change).
Fausto Arellano has been a naturalist guide and dive master in the Galapagos for over 20 years. He took his first trip to the Galapagos Islands in 1982 as a graduation present from high school. Captivated by the beauty of the islands, innocence of the wildlife, and peacefulness of nature, Fausto ...
Click here for a full bio and list of all upcoming trips
Bitinia Espinoza has been guiding groups to the Galapagos and throughout Ecuador since 1991. She graduated from the University of Guayaquil with studies in natural history. Her travels on the lecture circuit on behalf of the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station have ...
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Daniel Jacome was raised in Quito, Ecuador, but spent all his summers in the Galápagos, where his grandfather first arrived in 1958 and where his father has lived and worked as a naturalist since the 1970s. Daniel has completed college studies in Anthropology, Environmental Interpretation, and ...
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Silvia Vargas has loved the Galapagos Islands since she visited them while a high school student in her hometown of Guayaquil, Ecuador. She majored in languages at the university in Guayaquil and later lived in England and Germany. Eventually, her love of nature led her to live in the Galapagos ...
Click here for a full bio and list of all upcoming trips
Client Comments
This was the best trip I have ever been on! I have traveled to 38 countries and this trip was the highlight of them all.Lori Y., Sewickly, PA
The perfect balance between hiking, snorkeling, and sharing of knowledge. What a marvelous trip, and the boat and crew were terrific.Laura and Roger Bohart, Boulder CO
Trip of a lifetime! The boat and crew were also great.Brian S., Sonoma, CA
We absolutely loved this trip and everything about it. The snorkeling was fantastic. The boat crew was exceedingly helpful and friendly—we felt pampered.Clair and Chuck L., Huntington, NY
Had a great time. Got to know new friends—the fellow passengers, the great crew, and the best Trip Leader. This was a vacation I will always remember.Tony W., Prescott, AZ
The trip worked for a number of reasons—our Trip Leader, the ambience of the boat, the sequences of activities—and the good coffee in the morning! The boat crew were always helpful.Laurel A., South Lake Tahoe, CA
A wonderful trip that lived fully up to expectations.Mark Z., Cambridge, MA
Perfection from beginning to end. Sailing aboard the yacht was a delight. I’ve been traveling with WT exclusively since 1981. Need I say more?Cynthia S., Portland, OR
I have taken two trips with WT to Galapagos and I can honestly say that they were the best experience of my life. The pageant of life there, its creativity, energy and beauty, is overwhelming.Mark T., San Anselmo, CA
Being aboard the yacht was a thrill, and eating on deck with the beauty of the islands in view was beyond spectacular. Our adventures with Wilderness Travel have made us believers—you do your job with excellence and pride.Kay M., Morrison, CO
Truly the trip of a lifetime! So many amazing experiences and encounters. We heard tortoises breathing! The Galapagos Islands are timeless, pristine, utterly thrilling wonders of the natural world.Linda W., New York, NY
We were catered to every moment of the trip. The time on the ship was very well planned and organized—plenty of activities and yet time to relax. Every encounter was friendly and professional.Cheryle W., Waukegan, IL.
The trip exceeded our expectations. Our guide’s leadership, professionalism, and love and respect for the fragile Galapagos ecosystem set the tone.Mike E. and Marlene G., Concord, NH
This was without question the best family vacation we’ve ever taken.Scott A., Pacific Palisades, CA
Fabulous. In addition to a great captain and wonderful crew, our Trip Leader had a perfect sense of timing, an excellent manner with people, and a love and passion for the Galapagos.Camille Z., Point Richmond, CA
Fantastic---the time of our lives. Everyone on the Mary Anne was great and so was the food. The crew was excelelnt.John M., Stuart, FL
The trip was amazing! The staff on the boat was wonderful, fun, and responsive.Sherrah S., Brooklyn, NY
We’ll never forget this trip! It was memorable in so many ways. The animals and birds were so accessible and we learned so much about them. The variety of terrain on each island made each day a unique experience.Linda L., San Antonio, TX
The best! Couldn’t have been better and the Trip Leader, more than anyone, influenced the journey. I loved this journey. I traveled with two grandsons and everything was a smooth as clockworkFran M., Stockton, CA
Wilderness Travel is excellence in practice. The attention to detail is impressive, and the responsiveness of the staff was friendly and professional. All in all, WT is a business icon!David W., Palo Alto, CA





