8 Days Trip to Galapagos Island – Discover the wildlife

Isla San Cristobal

Bienvenidos! Welcome to San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands. After joining up with your fellow travellers and your local naturalist guide, head to La Loberia where you'll put on snorkelling gear for the first time and go for a swim among sea lions, perhaps spotting sea turtles too. Return to town for a free evening. Maybe head out with the group and enjoy some of the fresh seafood available. Special information As you start this trip on the Galapagos Islands you have two options for joining the group: SUNDAY DEPARTURES: You can meet the others at San Cristobal Airport at 11.30 am. Your guide will be waiting in the arrival hall with an Intrepid sign. FRIDAY & WEDNESDAY DEPARTURES: You can meet the others at San Cristobal Airport at 12.30 pm: Your guide will be waiting in the arrival hall with an Intrepid sign. Alternatively, you can meet them at the hotel (Casa de Nelly) when they arrive approximately 1 hour after the airport meeting time. Check in time for the hotel is 12 pm.

1 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Take a 45-minute boat ride to Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock) today. On the way, you might be able to spot nesting frigates and blue-footed boobies. You might even get the chance to swim among the sea lions again. At Leon Dormido, you can snorkel and look for sea turtles, manta rays and maybe the harmless Galapagos shark. Eat lunch on the boat, then head to the Interpretation Center. Learn about the history of the 'Enchanted Islands' and the conservation projects that seek to preserve them. Special information Currents can be quite strong, so to participate in snorkelling activities you should be a confident swimmer. If you have any concerns, please ensure you speak with your leader. If you’re unable to visit Leon Dormido, alternative plans will be made to visit Isla Lobos, where sea lions, marine birds and marine iguanas are plentiful.

3 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Cerro Tijeretas

Continue to Frigatebird Hill (Cerro Tijeretas) – it's quite a climb to the top, but well worth the amazing views of the bay. Return to town in the late afternoon for a free evening.

1 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Take an early morning boat ride towards Isla Floreana this morning. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, including dolphins and whales. Snorkel in the clear blue waters and then break for lunch. After, venture to a black-sand beach that belongs to the Witmers – decedents of some of the first settlers on the Galapagos. The town here, Puerto Velasco Ibarra, has about 150 residents and an intriguing history involving deaths, disappearances and murders.

3 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Later in the afternoon, wave goodbye to Floreana and continue to Isla Isabela, where you’ll spend the night. Special information Your travel time today will be approximately 4.5 hours. When you arrive at Isla Isabela, you'll need to pay a port fee of USD 10.

2 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Centro de Crianza Arnaldo Tupiza

Start your second day on Isla Isabela with a short bus ride to the Arnaldo Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Center, where you'll observe giant tortoises in all stages of development. The centre has almost a thousand giant tortoises preparing for life on their own. After, head to a brackish lagoon to observe flamingos.

1 Hours • Admission Ticket Included

Las Tintoreras

In the afternoon, you’ll board a small Zodiac boat and cruise to Las Tintoreras (Shark Alley), looking out for blue-footed boobies and the famous Galapagos penguin. Take a short walk on this isolated islet and popular iguana nesting site and then snorkel in a calm inlet with colourful fish and winding underground lava tubes. This area is frequented by green sea turtles that like to rest on the calm, sandy bottom. In the late afternoon, return to town in search of your own sandy resting spot and enjoy your first Isabela sunset – arguably the most beautiful of all the islands.

2 Hours • Admission Ticket Included

Start your last day on Isla Isabela by heading towards the Sierra Negra Volcano – one of the Galapagos’ most active volcanoes and the world's second-largest crater! Weather permitting, you’ll take a challenging hike of around 17 km up the rocky mountain, which takes 5 to 6 hours. After the hike, make your way back to town for some free time to curl up with a book or venture down to the water for a relaxing swim before dinner. Special information Your travel time today will be about 1.5 hours. Please ensure you wear comfortable walking shoes that offer good support for the hike today. During the rainy season, it can get quite muddy. There's an option to hire gumboots locally, should you wish to do so. During the hike, it can get quite hot and there isn't much shade along the way so be sure to come prepared with your hat, sunscreen and plenty of water (2 litres per person).

6 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Caballos de la Isla Isabela

Start the day with a kayak around Isabela.

1 Hours • Admission Ticket Included

Santa Cruz

transferring to Isla Santa Cruz by private speedboat. When you arrive in Santa Cruz, head to a restaurant that offers a typical Eduadorian lunch package, simply referred to as ‘Menu’. This usually this consists of fresh juice, a basic entree (usually a soup) and a main meal. These lunch deals are very popular throughout Ecuador, so it’s a great way to eat like a local. In the afternoon you’ll enjoy free time to further explore the town at your own pace or go on an optional excursion to the Charles Darwin Research Centre.

2 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Santa Cruz

This morning after breakfast is free to laze, sightsee or wander. In the afternoon you’ll visit the highland of Isla Santa Cruz to observe the giant tortoise roaming the wild. After, visit a locally owned sugar cane farm. Here, the farmers will show you the way sugar cane is processed and turned into alcohol. Along the way, keep an eye out for eagle rays, sea turtles and blue-footed boobies. Later, head back to Puerto Ayora for a free evening.

2 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Santa Cruz

Your trip comes to an end this morning after breakfast. If you need to book a connecting flight out of the Galapagos, or if you'd like to extend your stay, just speak to your booking agent. Special information This trip finishes in Santa Cruz, departure flights should be booked from Baltra airport. To get to Baltra airport you will need to take a taxi to the port and from there it is a USD 1 ferry across the channel and then USD 5 for the bus to the airport.

1 Hours • Admission Ticket Free