Volcanic islands where sea lions, iguanas and boobies ignore you entirely, seen from a small ship with a naturalist guide.
The Galapagos lie about 1,000 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador, and almost all the land is national park. Visitors walk marked trails at set sites, always with a park-certified naturalist guide. The wildlife has no fear of people, which is the whole point.
We usually suggest a small ship. It sails between islands overnight, so each morning you land somewhere new, including the outer islands that day boats cannot reach. A lodge on Santa Cruz or Isabela suits families and poor sailors, at the cost of range.
The honest caveats are cost and choice. Ships fill a year ahead for the busiest weeks, and itineraries differ a great deal, so the route matters more than the vessel.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
The young western islands feel the wildest. Marine iguanas pile up on the lava at Punta Espinoza on Fernandina, flightless cormorants nest on Isabela's coast and penguins fish in the cold water. Only ships on western routes reach them.
Española, one of the oldest islands, in the south-east, is where waved albatross return in the cool season to court and nest. The trail at Punta Suárez passes Nazca and blue-footed boobies, red-tinged marine iguanas and a blowhole. Gardner Bay has a white beach full of sea lions.
Above Puerto Ayora, the misty highlands of Santa Cruz are where giant tortoises graze in the open, among ponds and scalesia forest. Walk through a lava tunnel, then visit the Charles Darwin Research Station on the edge of town.
From December to May the water is warmer and the seas calmer, which makes this the easiest time to snorkel. Swim with sea lions and turtles around Kicker Rock off San Cristóbal and at Devil's Crown off Floreana. A wetsuit is still worth having.
Isabela is the largest island, a chain of volcanoes around the small, sandy town of Puerto Villamil. Hike the rim of Sierra Negra for the view across its vast caldera, and snorkel the lava arches of Los Túneles. It suits a land-based stay of two or three nights.
Close to Baltra airport, North Seymour is often the first or last landing of a cruise. Male frigatebirds inflate red throat pouches, blue-footed boobies dance on the path and land iguanas shelter under the cactus. The trail is short and flat.
Decide first between a ship and a lodge. Cruises run from four days to 12, on ships carrying from 12 to about 110 passengers; smaller ships land fewer people at a time. Lodges on Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal and Isabela use day boats, which reach fewer islands but suit families and anyone prone to seasickness.
We match each trip in Galapagos to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsThe islands sit on the equator, so there is no bad month, only a trade-off. From December to May the water averages about 25°C, seas are calmer and short showers alternate with strong sun. It is the easier season for snorkelling.
From June to November the Humboldt Current brings colder water, about 22°C, full of nutrients that feed fish and seabirds. Skies are grey, garúa mist hangs over the highlands and seas are rougher, but albatross are back on Española and penguins are easier to find. Mid-June to early September and mid-December to mid-January are busiest.
A night in Quito, four nights on a small ship around the western or southern islands, then three nights in a highland lodge on Santa Cruz with day trips by boat. 8 nights.
Arrive from Europe in the evening. A night in Quito breaks the journey and gives a buffer for the morning flight.
Fly to Baltra, pass the park checks and join your ship. An afternoon landing on North Seymour among frigatebirds and boobies.
Sail overnight and land each morning and afternoon: Isabela and Fernandina on a western route, or Española and Floreana on a southern one, with snorkelling most days.
Disembark and drive up to a highland lodge. Wild tortoises, the Charles Darwin Research Station and a day boat to a nearby island.
Cross to Baltra for the flight back to Quito and your connection to Europe.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Galapagos (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
There are no direct flights from London. Fly via Amsterdam or Madrid to Quito, about 15 hours, and spend a night there. Flights from Quito to Baltra or San Cristóbal take just over two hours.
Some island flights call at Guayaquil. The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Guayas province except airside transit, so check your flight keeps you airside.
The FCDO covers the islands in a Galapagos section of its Ecuador page. The islands add their own steps before and after you land, including a transit control card and a national park entrance fee. Read the FCDO entry requirements (opens in a new tab) before you book.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Galapagos (opens in a new tab)
Medical facilities on the islands are limited, so make sure your insurance covers air evacuation. The equatorial sun is fierce, and seasickness tablets help on longer crossings.
Check TravelHealthPro (opens in a new tab) and the FCDO health page before you travel.
Ecuador, including the Galapagos, uses the US dollar. The national park entrance fee is paid in cash on arrival, so carry enough dollars. Larger hotels in Puerto Ayora take cards.
Expect to be offline much of the time. Ship Wi-Fi, where offered, is intermittent, and mobile signal mostly appears near the port towns. Island lodges have Wi-Fi, often slow.
Tipping is normal in Ecuador. On a ship, crew and naturalist guides are usually tipped at the end of the cruise, and operators give guidance on amounts. In restaurants, around 10% is usual unless service is already on the bill.
A cruise if you want the widest range of islands; ships sail overnight and reach outer islands that day boats cannot. A land-based stay suits young children and anyone who gets seasick, with fewer islands. Four nights on a ship plus a lodge gives you both.
There is no bad month. December to May brings warmer water, calmer seas and the easiest snorkelling. June to November is cooler with rougher seas, but brings richer marine life, albatross on Española and more penguins. For fewer people, avoid mid-June to early September and Christmas.
Seven nights on the islands works well, for example four on a ship and three in a lodge. Short cruises lose a larger share of time to airport days. Add a night in Quito each way to absorb delays on the long journey from Europe.
Yes, from about seven or eight, when children can manage wet landings, lava paths and snorkelling. Some ships run family departures in school holidays, and land-based stays on Santa Cruz or Isabela suit younger children. Guides keep everyone a set distance from the animals.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: March to May and November.
Andean volcanoes, cloud forest and Amazon rainforest within a day of each other, with Quito's colonial centre at the heart.
Inca stonework in the high Andes, Machu Picchu at dawn and Amazon rainforest, all within a short flight of Cusco.
Volcano, cloud forest, turtle beach and whale coast in one small country, with a lodge in each that puts you in the forest.
