Galapagos Tours
Book Galapagos tours with local experts. Unique experiences and instant, hassle free support.
Why visit the Galapagos?
From iconic wildlife to dramatic volcanic landscapes, the islands deliver once-in-a-lifetime moments. Our Galapagos tours let you walk beside sea lions, snorkel with turtles, and explore lava fields with expert guides. Easy connections and year-round seasons keep planning simple.
Pick your way to see Galapagos
The Best Cruises Galapagos
Discover the best cruises within our Galapagos tours. We select ships with high standards, comfortable cabins, and certified naturalist guides. We recommend the ideal route by season and budget, with small groups, clear inclusions, confirmed departures, and secure booking.
Why Choose a Cruise?
See more in less time on a live-aboard. A cruise wakes you beside new islands each morning, reaches remote sites by small tender boats, and times naturalist walks for the best hours. Comfortable cabins, meals included, and seamless logistics turn Galapagos tours into an unforgettable adventure.
The Best Land Based
Live the best land based experience with Tortuga Bay Travel Agency. Stay on Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, or Isabela and head out daily on small boats to bays, tunnels, and trails. Our team coordinates hotels, guides, and transfers so your Galapagos tours are comfortable, flexible, and unforgettable.
Is Land based Best?
Land based Galapagos tours let you sleep in island hotels and explore by day on small boat outings, scenic hikes, and guided wildlife encounters. Enjoy flexible pacing, local dining, and less time at sea, ideal for families or those prone to seasickness. Ferries and flights link islands easily.
The Best Hotels Galapagos
Discover a curated collection of island hotels across Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, and Isabela. Handpicked for location, comfort, and service, they place you steps from beaches and docks. Our team matches each itinerary with the perfect base so your Galapagos stay feels effortless and memorable.
A Galapagos hotel lets you wake up on Santa Cruz, San Cristobal or Isabela, walk to docks and restaurants, and set your own pace. Add day trips by small boat, guided hikes and beach time, then enjoy evenings in town and a comfortable base. Ideal for families and light sailors.
CHOOSE ACTIVITY
Top Galapagos Activities
Giant tortoises lumbering through highlands, blue footed boobies courting on lava, marine iguanas sunning on black rocks, playful sea lions on sheltered bays, and green sea turtles gliding over reefs. Depending on route and season, you may also see Galapagos penguins, frigatebirds with red pouches, rays, reef sharks and, at select sites, schools of hammerheads. Our Galapagos tours match islands and landing points with your dates, pairing small group outings and naturalist guides to maximize safe, respectful encounters.
The best places to snorkel in the Galapagos include Los Tuneles on Isabela with lava arches, turtles and seahorses; Kicker Rock off San Cristobal with schooling fish and reef sharks; Devil’s Crown near Floreana with coral and sea lions; Bartolome and Chinese Hat with penguins and calm coves; Tintoreras and Concha de Perla with easy entries for sea lions and turtles. Add Santa Fe for playful sea lions and Punta Vicente Roca for rich cold-water life. Conditions vary by season, tides and currents; some sites require a licensed guide and authorized boats.
Top hikes pair scenery and wildlife. Sierra Negra and Volcán Chico on Isabela cross fresh lava to vast caldera views. Bartolomé’s summit steps reveal the classic Pinnacle Rock lookout. The Tortuga Bay trail on Santa Cruz ends at a long white beach with marine iguanas. On guided landings, North Seymour’s loop shows frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies; Española’s Punta Suárez has blowholes and seasonal albatross; Genovesa’s Prince Philip’s Steps climb to seabird cliffs. Our Galapagos tours match routes to your dates and fitness under park rules.
Soft-sand classics include Tortuga Bay on Santa Cruz, El Garrapatero for calm family swims, and Playa de los Alemanes with a golden-hour walk to Las Grietas. On San Cristobal, locals favor Punta Carola and Playa Mann for west-facing sunsets; add the Tijeretas lookout for sweeping views. Isabela’s long Playa Puerto Villamil glows at dusk, with easy snorkel at Concha de Perla nearby. La Lobería offers sea lion colonies and dramatic surf. Our Galapagos tours time visits for safer tides, shade breaks, and unforgettable sunset light.
Why is Tortuga Bay the best option?
Unforgettable activities turn your Galapagos journey into a once in a lifetime experience, creating memories you will always keep.
Close up views of endemic wildlife
Watch blue footed boobies, marine iguanas and giant tortoises in their habitats with respectful, guided encounters.
Guided hiking on iconic island trails
Walk lava fields, beaches and highlands as guides reveal geology, endemic plants and wildlife behaviors at every stop.
Snorkeling in crystal clear waters
Swim with sea turtles, rays and reef fish; easy entry from the yacht and support from naturalist guides for all levels.
FAQs
Both options work, but they serve different travelers. Cruises maximize reach: you sleep onboard and wake beside a new landing, covering more islands and habitats in fewer days. Guided walks are timed for wildlife and light, and logistics are seamless. The tradeoff is more time at sea and boarding of small tender boats. Land based Galapagos tours fit travelers who prefer steady ground, lighter walks, or who don’t feel great on boats. You stay in hotels on Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, or Isabela, and join day trips to bays, tunnels, and trails. Pace is flexible, evenings are in town, and activities can be shorter. If you want the broadest diversity in one itinerary and you’re comfortable at sea, choose a cruise. If stability and time ashore matter most, choose land based. Either way, we match the route, guides, and timing to your dates so everything feels smooth, safe, and unforgettable.
Most travelers fly to Quito or Guayaquil, then connect to Baltra Airport (GPS) or San Cristobal (SCY). We book the domestic segment and time it with your Galapagos tours start. Before check-in you obtain the Transit Control Card at the government desk; we prefill details to speed this up. Luggage is screened for biosecurity—no fresh produce, seeds, or soil. On arrival you pay the National Park entry fee and pass a brief inspection. Your passport must be valid for the duration of stay and you should carry proof of onward travel and accommodation. Travel insurance that covers medical care and trip delays is strongly recommended. Some day trips and all cruise landings require licensed naturalist guides and authorized boats; we arrange permits and confirmations. If you travel with drones or professional gear, declare them in advance to avoid issues at screening.
The Galapagos are a year round destination, but the experience shifts by season. December to May brings warmer seas, clearer skies and gentler swells, great for snorkeling and families. June to November is cooler, with nutrient rich waters that boost marine activity and chances for penguins and schooling fish. Wildlife displays occur all year, so there is no bad month for Galapagos tours. For popular cruises, book 6 to 9 months ahead and even earlier for holiday weeks like late December, Easter and summer. Land based trips are more flexible, but 3 to 4 months helps secure top day boats and hotels. Photographers often prefer shoulder months for softer light and fewer crowds. If you are motion sensitive, aim for the warm season and larger ships. We help match dates to species highlights and sea conditions so your plan fits your priorities.
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