FROM THE WORLD TO GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.
The first step to visit the Galapagos Islands is to book your flight to Ecuador in advance. Several airlines operate to Ecuador such as American Airlines, Delta, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa (not direct flight), Avianca, TACA, LAN, and Air Canada (with connections), select your airline and book your flight to Ecuador.
Ecuador has 2 international airports, 1 in Quito City (airport code UIO) Capital of Ecuador and one in Guayaquil City (airport code GYE). In any of these airports you can go to the Galapagos Islands.
FROM ECUADOR TO GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
The travel agency that organizes your trip to the Islands will help you to book flights to and from the Islands. It’s possible to combine the routes; you can leave from Quito to Galapagos and back to Guayaquil or vice versa, but you cannot buy a one way ticket.
The AIR FARES change according the route and season (see below) of flight, Prices may change without notice. Usually the travel agencies have already reserved the spaces on the plane for its passengers, it’s recommended that the agency make the booking and flights arranges for you.
The low season is from May 1st to June 14th and September 15 to October 31st. The rest of the year is high season; the prices are the same despite of flying to San Cristobal or Baltra.
In Galapagos Islands there are two airports with routes that that come from the continent to the Islands. There are no direct international flights to the Galapagos Islands. The most common airport to be used is usually the Baltra, which goes to Santa Cruz or Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal. These two islands are 96 km away from each other. There are three daily flights to Baltra and one fly to San Cristobal.
The flight time to the Galapagos Islands is approximately 1 and a half hours from Guayaquil and 2 and a half hour (including a 45 minutes stop in Guayaquil) from Quito. All flights from Quito pass through Guayaquil.
When you arrive at Baltra or San Cristobal airport please show your original passport at migrations officer, then you past to the Galapagos Islands National Park Desk in order to pay the Galapagos National Park entrance fee of $100 for adults and $50 for children under 12.
HOW TO CHOOSE A TOUR
You can book cruises and land tours to the Galapagos online, from their home country or from one of the many agencies that can be found in Ecuador. To make your trip pleasurable you must have the time necessary to find the best option. You can book your trip from home is more efficient and easy.
You can travel around the islands on a GALAPAGOS ISLANDS CRUISES traveling within or in a GALAPAGOS LAND TOUR where you choose the day to walk on the islands. By boat travels at night is coming the next day, stay longer in soil. When the tour is by land as long as they stay is less but can visit more distant islands.
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS CRUISES
Galapagos Islands National Park controls the itineraries for distribution through the islands for this reason each boat have a specific itinerary and start date (ask your sales agent for details). You can embark on certain days only.
All trips begin with a morning flight from the mainland on the first day and ends with a flight at noon. All boats must meet certain safety standards but boats that cost more are best equipped. Remember that the boat with more than 18 passengers are going to take longer in embarking and disembarking, while the smaller boat trips are more likely outdoors trips. This should be specially considered by people from who suffers from seasickness.
On Galapagos Islands the cruises are divided in 5 categories: Deluxe Class (more than 50 passengers), First Class (1 to 16 passengers), Tourists Superior Class (1 to 16 passengers), Tourist Class (1 to 16 passengers) and Economic Class (1 to 10 passengers).
From the Tourist Superior Class to Deluxe Class all of them provides: Double cabins (with lower beds or upper and lower beds), air conditioner, hot water, private bathrooms, solarium, rest areas, bilingual naturalist guide (level II or III) vegetarian food and special requirements.
From the Economic Class to Tourist Class the boats are smaller and some of them have cabins with shared bathrooms, don’t have hot water, but they are a good option for a people that travel on a budget. Notice that there might be some limitations for vegetarians especially in economic boats arrangements should be done before starting the trip.
Economic boats and Tourist ranging from: $150 to $ 200 per day.
Tourist superior class around: $200 to $300 per day.
First Class and Deluxe boats for: $350 and more per day.
You can get first class and deluxe commodities and more spacious cabins with a better quality attention and food. Be acknowledged that ships cannot sail without a trained guide.
GALAPAGOS LAND TOURS
Another option to travel is to go to the colonized islands even though these ones will be the cheaper option.
This type of trip in the Galapagos Islands, is one of the cheaper alternatives today and fits your time, these programs start every day, starting programs in Baltra (4-5-6 days) or San Cristobal (8 days) depending on the type of program you choose. These programs visit the inhabited islands of the Galapagos (San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Floreana, Isabela), thereby contributing to local tourism in the islands.
How it works, stay at a hotel in the category that you request, include meals, bilingual guides, visits to places of interest with much flora and fauna and can interact with people originally from the area. An experience highly valued by visitors. |
