18-day Galapagos Islands tour: Naturalist guides, student groups

Santa Cruz to San Cristobal: 18 days crossing four islands with a naturalist guide

An 18-day Galapagos Islands tour led by naturalist guides, moving between Santa Cruz, Isabela, Floreana and San Cristobal with hotel stays on each island. The tour includes visits to the Charles Darwin Research Station, Sierra Negra Volcano, Tortuga Bay and Las Tintoreras, plus daily snorkeling, hiking and wildlife observation. Minimum age is 15. High physical fitness is required. The Galapagos National Park Fee ($200) is optional at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Baltra airport.

• Arrive at Baltra Airport
• Meet Galapagos National Park guide
• Transfer to hotel and relax

Day 2: Charles Darwin Research Station

• Visit Charles Darwin Research Station
• Learn about tortoise restoration projects
• Snorkel at German Beach

Day 3: Highland Tour

• Explore Santa Cruz highlands
• Visit Los Gemelos craters
• Observe giant tortoises
• Tour coffee plantation and taste coffee

Day 4: North Seymour Day Tour

• Transfer to northern Santa Cruz
• Board yacht to North Seymour Island
• Observe nesting frigates and land iguanas
• See blue-footed boobies and marine life
• Snorkel along North Seymour cliffs

Day 5: Bartolome Day Tour

• Visit Bartolome Island volcanic scenery
• Walk on Sullivan Bay lava flow
• Hike to Bartolome tuff cone summit
• Enjoy views of Pinnacle Rock

Day 6: South Plazas Day Tour

• Transfer to northern Santa Cruz
• Boat ride to South Plaza Island
• Observe land iguanas and sealion colony
• Recognize Darwin’s finches
• Snorkel at Punta Carrion

Day 7: Tortuga Bay Beach Tour

• Walk 2 miles to Tortuga Bay
• Explore arid zone vegetation
• Swim, snorkel, and surf at beach
• Spot marine iguanas, turtles, sharks, rays

Day 8: Hike to El Puntudo

• Hike 6 miles through vegetation zones
• Reach volcano summit with island views

Day 9: Volunteer Day

• Participate in restoration projects
• Assist endangered native plants
• Help at local schools

Day 10: Santa Cruz - Isabela

• Take launch to Puerto Villamil, Isabela
• Transfer to hotel and settle in
• Relax and enjoy new surroundings

Day 11: Sierra Negra Volcano

• Visit Sierra Negra Volcano caldera rim
• See recent lava flows and steam vents
• Visit giant tortoise breeding center
• Relax on nearby empty beaches

Day 12: Isabela Snorkeling Day

• Visit Las Tintoreras islet
• Spot white-tipped reef sharks and wildlife
• Snorkel in Puerto Villamil waters
• Afternoon snorkeling and flamingo spotting

Day 13: Isabela - Floreana

• Morning launch to Floreana Island
• Explore captive tortoise enclosure
• Walk to find medium-tree finch and pirate caves

Day 14: Floreana

• Swim and snorkel at black sand beach
• Observe sea lions and turtles
• Experience rustic island life

Day 15: Floreana - San Cristobal

• Morning launch to San Cristobal Island
• Arrive and transfer to Casa de Nelly
• Settle in and relax

Day 16: San Cristobal Day Cruise

• Take small launch around SW San Cristobal
• Snorkel at Kicker Rock
• Observe Nazca boobies and frigates
• Admire Kicker Rock geology

Day 17: San Cristobal Highlands

• Bus to San Cristobal highlands
• Visit El Junco and Galapaguera tortoise habitat
• Lunch in highlands
• Snorkel at La Loberia

Day 18: San Cristobal Airport

• Guide accompanies group to airport

The experience

Santa Cruz Island anchors the first half of the trip. You'll start at the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about giant tortoise restoration and the conservation work underway, then move into the highlands to walk through Los Gemelos craters and spot Darwin finches in the Scalesia forest. A coffee plantation visit lets you taste local growing and buy beans to take home. From there, day tours branch out by boat: North Seymour for frigates and blue-footed boobies, Bartolome for the famous Pinnacle Rock and views across Sullivan Bay's lava flows, South Plaza for land iguanas and a snorkel at Punta Carrion, and Tortuga Bay for a 2-mile walk along a brick path to a perfect sandy beach where you can swim or surf. A 6-mile highland hike to El Puntudo takes you through different vegetation zones and rewards you with island views from a small volcano.

The second week moves west by launch to Isabela Island, a two-hour crossing. Sierra Negra Volcano dominates the day: you'll ride to the rim of the second-largest active crater in the world at 6 miles across, walk past recent lava flows and steam vents, then visit the giant tortoise breeding center on the way back. Las Tintoreras, an islet minutes from Puerto Villamil, is known for white-tipped reef sharks sleeping in local pools. You'll spot penguins, sea turtles and marine iguanas on the walk, then snorkel in Villamil's waters. A volunteer day, organized close to departure, may involve restoration work in the highlands or assistance at a local school.

Floreana Island comes next by morning launch from Isabela, a crossing that takes a few hours. The highlands hold a captive tortoise enclosure and pirate caves. The black sand beach offers swimming and snorkeling with sealions and turtles. The island's population of 140 keeps it sparse and rustic. A final 3-hour launch ride takes you to San Cristobal, where you'll spend the last days exploring Kicker Rock by small boat, visiting the highlands and El Junco, and snorkeling at La Loberia with sealions and marine iguanas. Your guide accompanies the group to the airport on the final morning.

What’s included

• Hotel stays on Santa Cruz, Isabela, Floreana and San Cristobal islands.
• daily guided tours with naturalist guides.
• island-hopping by launch between islands.
• visits to the Charles Darwin Research Station, Sierra Negra Volcano, Tortuga Bay, Las Tintoreras and other named sites.
• snorkeling at multiple locations.
• highland hikes and volcano rim walks.
• a volunteer day.
• guide accompaniment to the airport on the final day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (15 to 60 years) · Under 15: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48h

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Demanding physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by GalapEx

Is this one for you?Book this 18-day shared cruise if you want a naturalist guide leading daily snorkeling and hiking across four islands. Choose it over land-based island-hopping when you prefer one continuous itinerary over coordinating separate stays.

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Top questions

What's the Charles Darwin Research Station like, and what will I see there?

The Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz is the scientific establishment where the giant tortoise restoration program operates. You'll learn about conservation challenges facing the islands and observe the extraordinarily shaped saddle-backed tortoises, including the species that lived there historically. The visit includes the National Park Tortoise Program and focuses on how the institution is addressing habitat problems.

Will I get to snorkel, and what marine life might I see?

Snorkeling happens on multiple days across the islands. At German Beach on Santa Cruz, you'll see fish, rays and sea turtles. Las Tintoreras near Isabela offers penguins, sea turtles, marine iguanas and white-tipped reef sharks in the pools. Punta Carrion at South Plaza may reveal manta rays, turtles and sharks. Villamil's waters around Isabela and La Loberia near San Cristobal are known for sealions and marine iguanas.

How physically demanding is this tour?

The tour requires a high level of physical fitness. Activities include a 6-mile hike to El Puntudo through different vegetation zones, walks to volcano rims and crater edges, a 2-mile brick path walk to Tortuga Bay, and daily snorkeling. Early pickups for boat transfers are common. The itinerary is not recommended for pregnant travelers or those with poor cardiovascular health.

What happens on the volunteer day, and when does it occur?

The volunteer day is organized close to your departure date, so the exact timing and location are confirmed nearer the time. Work may involve restoration projects in Santa Cruz's highlands, focusing on removing introduced plants and supporting native species, or basic assistance at a local school the operator partners with.

How do you move between the islands, and how long do the crossings take?

You travel between islands by launch (small boat). The crossing from Santa Cruz to Isabela takes about two hours. The journey from Isabela to Floreana takes a few hours, and Floreana to San Cristobal takes three hours. Day tours to nearby islets like North Seymour take about 30 minutes by boat from northern Santa Cruz.