Galapagos Islands Cruises

• 8-day Galapagos cruises (9 days with travel days) are offered throughout the year—contact us to check cruise availability and choose your dates.
• Enjoy unmatched wildlife viewing opportunities with the unique terrestrial and marine life of the Galapagos Islands.
• All Galapagos cruises include diverse daily activities such as hiking, bird watching, beach snorkeling, and kayaking.
• Comfortably island-hop to the best parts of the Galapagos on your choice of luxury or first-class yachts.
• Private cruise charters are available for groups of 12 or more.

The Galapagos Islands are one of the greatest nature destinations on Earth. This remote archipelago, 600 miles off Ecuador's coast, provided seeds for Darwin's theory of evolution. Galapagos plants and animals differ not only from their continental relatives, but many species vary from one island to another. Most of the reptiles, including the giant Galapagos tortoises, many of the birds, and a third of the shore fish are found here exclusively. The archipelago is considered a living laboratory, and the islands are under constant scientific study. Recognizing the uniqueness of the Galapagos Islands, the government of Ecuador has set aside most of the land as a national park, and tourism is strictly regulated.

The Galapagos offer intimate encounters with wildlife. On our Galapagos cruises you can snorkel with penguins, sea lions, marine iguanas, and sea turtles, and walk amid giant tortoises, iguanas, boobies, albatross, and many other species found nowhere else. Our Galapagos cruise partners have been carefully selected for their sustainability practices and quality of service, and all trips are family-friendly. Each expedition is guided by an experienced, Galapagos-trained guide. Our expedition is aboard one of two carefully chosen small Galapagos cruise ships, the luxurious Relais & Chateaux Origin, Theory & Evolve (from $9,450/person, max 20 passengers), or the first-class Cachalote Explorer (from $4,800/person, max 16 passengers). Both ships offers participants small group intimacy and expert trip leadership. While island hopping, our focus is on observing and photographing wildlife. Specialized family and SCUBA programs are also available on select dates.

Galapagos Cruise Wildlife Highlights

Galapagos cruises offer some of the most reliable, intimate, and unique wildlife encounters of any destination on Earth. After decades of protection, many Galapagos species are largely unafraid of people, allowing travelers to view their natural behaviors up-close. As we travel throughout the islands you will readily see how natural selection has shaped the unique species found in the unique habitats of each island. Wildlife highlights include endemic species such as Galapagos tortoises, marine and land iguanas, Darwin's famous finches, Flightless Cormorants, Galapagos Hawks, lava lizards, and Galapagos sea lions. Other unique species include Galapagos Penguins, green sea turtles, Great Frigatebirds in courtship, Waved Albatrosses, dolphins, whales, sharks, Blue-footed and Masked Boobies, Greater Flamingos, and many more. All trips yield excellent wildlife sightings, but certain species and behaviors occur seasonally; please inquire if you have a particular wildlife interest. For more information, see our guide: What is the Best Time to Visit Galapagos? An Expert Guide.

Notes on Trip Costs

These 8-day / 7-night cruises (9 day trip with travel days) are offered on many dates throughout the year, but tend to book well in advance. 8-day/7-night cruises aboard the luxurious Origin, Theory & Evolve start at $10,250/person (max 20 passengers with 2 naturalists), and trips aboard the first-class Cachalote Explorer start at $5,000/person (max 16 passengers with one naturalist). Please contact us to discuss your preferred departure dates, ship, and cabin selection. Prices do not include in-country flights from Quito or Guayaquil to the Galapagos, international airfare to/from Ecuador, nor Galapagos entry fee $200/ per adult, $100/ children under 12 and $20 tourist card/person.

Click here for our full expedition terms and conditions.