TL;DR The listed cruise price never covers six things: the $200 National Park entrance fee (cash only on arrival), the $20 INGALA Transit Control Card, international flights to Ecuador, domestic flights from Ecuador’s mainland to the islands, travel insurance, and…
TL;DR Every Galapagos cruise price covers the same core package regardless of class: your cabin, all meals, non-alcoholic beverages, twice-daily guided excursions with a certified naturalist, snorkel masks and fins, and inter-island transport aboard the vessel. What changes between cruise…
TL;DR For most travelers, 6 to 12 months in advance is the right window. Christmas, Easter, and summer departures (June through August) should be booked 12 to 18 months out, and group or charter bookings need even more lead time.…
TL;DR A Galapagos cruise runs anywhere from $1,500 per person on a basic 4-day itinerary to $14,000+ per person on an 8-day luxury yacht. Most first-time travelers land between $4,500 and $9,000 all-in, including international flights, mandatory fees, and extras.…
TL;DR A Galapagos cruise puts you on a small ship that moves between protected islands overnight, so you wake up at a new site every morning – something no land-based trip can match. Expect to budget $3,000-$8,000+ per person depending…
TL;DR The wet season (December-May) gives you warm water, calm seas, excellent snorkeling visibility, lush green islands, and the best conditions for families or anyone sensitive to motion sickness. The dry season (June-November) gives you cooler, nutrient-rich water with more…
TL;DR High season in the Galapagos means July, August, Christmas-New Year, and Easter week. Low season is September through November and much of April to June. The price gap runs 15-25% between them on most vessels. The wildlife gap is…
TL;DR December is the Galapagos at its most celebratory – seasonally and literally. The warm season begins, bringing calm seas, warming water, clearing skies, and the first signs of lush vegetation. The waved albatross chicks make their final flights from…
TL;DR November is one of the most rewarding months in the Galapagos calendar, and one of the least appreciated. It sits at the tail end of the dry season, which means calmer seas than September or October, rising water temperatures,…
TL;DR October is one of the best-kept secrets in the Galapagos calendar. Crowds are low, prices are at their annual minimum, and the wildlife is extraordinary. Whale sharks are still passing Darwin and Wolf Islands in the final weeks of…