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 Española before departing until April. Giant tortoise eggs begin hatching. Marine iguanas start mating. Green sea turtles are in the water at coastal sites. The Christmas and New Year’s holiday window is the most sought-after booking period in the Galapagos calendar and requires 12 months advance notice on quality vessels. Early December is significantly quieter and more affordable than the holiday window. Know which you’re booking for, and plan accordingly.
December in the Galapagos: Quick Facts
| Factor | December Details |
|---|---|
| Air Temperature | 72-82°F (22-28°C) – warm season beginning, rising through month |
| Water Temperature | ~72-77°F (22-25°C) – warming rapidly; no wetsuit needed by mid-month |
| Underwater Visibility | Good to excellent – warm season clarity returning |
| Rainfall | ~0.5 inches – first light showers of warm season, brief and clearing fast |
| Garúa | Gone – dry season mist dissipates in December |
| Sea Conditions | Calm – trade winds have eased; one of the smoothest crossing months |
| Crowd Level | Split: early December quieter; Christmas-New Year peak is the busiest window of the year |
| Cruise Pricing | Split: early December shoulder; Christmas-New Year highest of the year |
| Wetsuit Needed? | Optional early December; not needed mid-month onward |
| Wildlife Highlights | Waved albatross final departures from Española (last chance until April), giant tortoise eggs hatching, marine iguanas beginning mating, green sea turtles mating coastal shallows, sea lion pups still active, first warm-season land birds nesting, vegetation greening |
| National Park Entry Fee | $200 adults / $100 children under 12 – cash only (Verified May 2026) |
| TCT (INGALA) Card | $20 per person – complete online before travel (Verified May 2026) |
Is December a Good Month for a Galapagos Cruise?
December is excellent throughout, but it contains two distinct travel experiences depending on when you go. Early December is a genuinely underappreciated window – quiet, affordable, with warming water, calm seas, and strong wildlife, including the final chance to see the waved albatross before it departs. The Christmas and New Year’s holiday window is the most in-demand booking period in the Galapagos calendar, with the highest prices, the fullest boats, and a festive atmosphere that many travelers specifically travel to experience. Plan deliberately for whichever half you’re targeting.
December occupies a unique position in this twelve-month series. Every other month has a relatively unified character. December has two. Early December feels like the best version of late November – calmer seas, warming water, low crowds, good wildlife – while the Christmas-New Year window feels like its own category, the most emotionally charged and logistically demanding booking window of the entire year.
The warm season transition that begins in December is one of the most perceptible seasonal shifts in the Galapagos. The garúa mist that defined mornings from June through November is gone. Skies clear. The Panama Current arrives from the north, warming the water and the air. The first light rains begin, and within weeks the vegetation that looked arid through October and November starts showing green. The islands are physically transforming through December, and the change is visible on a week-long cruise in a way that static month descriptions don’t capture.
One honest framing that the competing articles don’t make explicitly: if you’re traveling in the Christmas-New Year window because that’s when you can travel, the Galapagos will deliver an outstanding experience. If you’re choosing between the Christmas window and an adjacent month purely on experience-per-dollar, early December or late November will outperform the holiday peak on every metric except festivity and the specific experience of celebrating Christmas or New Year in this extraordinary setting.
What Is the Weather Like in the Galapagos in December?
December marks the end of the garúa season and the start of the warm season. Air temperatures run 72-82°F (22-28°C), rising through the month. Water temperatures climb from around 72°F (22°C) in early December to 75-77°F (24-25°C) by month’s end. Seas are calm – the trade winds have eased substantially and the Panama Current is warming and settling the water. Brief light showers begin, typically in the afternoon and clearing quickly. No wetsuit is needed from mid-December onward. Visibility underwater is good and improving.
The garúa disappearing is the single most visible December weather change for travelers who’ve experienced the dry season. The overcast mornings that defined June through November are gone. December mornings on deck tend to be clear, warm, and golden-lit in a way that photographs immediately differently from any dry-season month. The quality of morning light in December draws consistent praise from photographers and travelers alike, and the clearing of the mist corresponds with the vegetation greening, making the islands visually dramatic in a new way.
The calm seas in December are one of the month’s most practically valuable characteristics. After five months of progressively rougher crossings from June through September and gradually easing from October onward, December delivers genuinely settled inter-island passages. The crossing to Genovesa that required seasickness medication in September is a pleasant morning voyage in December. This is excellent news for families traveling with children over the holidays, who are disproportionately affected by motion sickness and who represent a significant share of December holiday travelers.
The rainfall in December is minimal compared to the warm-season peak months of February and March. At around 0.5 inches for the month, it represents the very beginning of the wet season. Travelers who’ve read about the Galapagos rainy season and worry about December rain can relax – the heavy rainfall that defines February and March doesn’t exist in December. What exists is a short afternoon shower a few times a week, clearing to clear evening skies. The result is dramatic light and vivid greening vegetation rather than disrupted excursions.
| Factor | November | December | January |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Temp (°F) | 66-79 | 72-82 | 72-84 |
| Water Temp (°F) | 70-75 | 72-77 | 73-75 |
| Sea Conditions | Calm-Moderate | Calm | Calm |
| Garúa | Fading | Gone | Absent |
| Crowds | Low-Thanksgiving spike | Low early / Peak holiday | Moderate |
| Albatross on Española | Fledging chicks, adults present | Final departures | Absent until April |
What Wildlife Can You See on a Galapagos Cruise in December?
December wildlife sits at the warm season’s opening act. The waved albatross is making its final departures from Española – the last window to see the species until April. Giant tortoise eggs are beginning to hatch across the archipelago, an event that continues through April. Marine iguanas are beginning their mating rituals on coastal rocks. Green sea turtles are mating in coastal shallows. Sea lion pups born in August are now four months old and very playful in the water. The land vegetation is visibly greening, which changes the visual character of excursions and triggers new nesting activity in land birds.
The albatross departure from Española in December is the final chapter of the life cycle thread this series has followed across the year. In April, the courtship. In June, eggs laid. In August, chicks hatched. In November, chicks fledging. In December, both juveniles and adults are leaving the island for months at sea, not to return until the following March and April. A December visit to Punta Suarez catches the last stragglers of the colony present on the island. By January, the trail at Punta Suarez is empty of albatross entirely. This closing-window nature of the December albatross adds a specific character to Española visits this month that feels different from any other time in the year.
The giant tortoise egg hatching beginning in December is a multi-month event that runs through April, but December is the first opportunity each year to see it. Baby giant tortoises emerging from their underground nests are some of the most quietly extraordinary animals the Galapagos produces. A few inches long, perfectly formed, and moving with absolute determination toward the vegetation and eventually the highlands, they carry none of the learned fearlessness of adult tortoises – they simply move with purpose, ignoring everything else. The hatching season is predictable enough by site that experienced naturalist guides know which areas to check in December.
Marine iguana mating in December is a visual event. Males compete for territory on the coastal rocks with aggressive displays and head-bobbing confrontations. The iguanas at Española develop their characteristic red and green pigmentation with the onset of mating season. At other islands, males darken and intensify. The combination of clear December light, lush greening vegetation, and vivid iguana coloration produces photographic conditions that rival any month in the calendar.
December itineraries vary significantly in what they cover, particularly around the Española question for the final albatross window. We know which December departures reach Española at the right point in the itinerary. Reach out here for a free no-obligation quote and itinerary comparison.
What Makes a Christmas or New Year’s Galapagos Cruise Special?
A Christmas or New Year’s cruise in the Galapagos is one of the most unusual holiday experiences available anywhere. You celebrate aboard a small vessel in the middle of one of the world’s most extraordinary wildlife sanctuaries, surrounded by a group of people who chose the same unconventional holiday. Operators running holiday cruises typically include special dinners, festive decorations, and toasts at midnight on New Year’s Eve from the deck. The combination of dramatic equatorial setting and intimate group atmosphere creates holiday memories that are genuinely distinct from any conventional Christmas or New Year’s celebration.
The on-board experience for holiday cruises has its own character. Most operators running December 24-25 and December 31-January 1 departures plan special dinners for those evenings, often incorporating Ecuadorian holiday traditions alongside the usual cruise cuisine. New Year’s Eve in the Galapagos, on the deck of a small yacht anchored in a protected bay with the equatorial sky overhead, is something multiple travelers in our community have described as the best New Year’s of their lives. The intimacy of a 16-passenger vessel amplifies the festivity in a way that a larger ship can’t replicate – your group for the night is the twelve or sixteen people you’ve been sharing excursions with for a week.
Ecuador’s own holiday traditions add texture. December 24 is the primary Christmas celebration in Ecuador, with communities on the inhabited islands of Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal marking the evening with traditional music, processions, and gatherings. A cruise that anchors near Puerto Ayora on December 24 may be within sight and sound of the local celebrations. This cultural layer is something that travelers who book the Galapagos for Christmas rarely anticipate and frequently mention as a highlight in their feedback.
One practical note: the Christmas and New Year’s cruises that deliver the best experience are those whose itineraries are designed around the holiday calendar, not just fitted into it. A vessel whose Christmas Eve departure starts with a shore excursion and whose Christmas dinner is planned as part of the cruise program provides a different experience from a vessel that simply happens to be sailing on December 24. When comparing holiday departures, ask specifically how the operator marks those dates on board.
What Are the Best Islands to Visit in December?
For December, the highest-return islands are Española (final albatross departures, marine iguana mating coloration, sea lion pups at Gardner Bay), Santa Cruz (giant tortoise hatching beginning, Black Turtle Cove for turtle and shark encounters, highland tortoise viewing), Floreana (flamingo nesting beginning, Devil’s Crown snorkeling in warming water, Post Office Bay), Genovesa (red-footed boobies, clear December visibility at Darwin Bay), and Fernandina (marine iguanas nesting, flightless cormorants). December’s calm seas make the Genovesa crossing comfortable for the first time since May.
Española in December carries a specific urgency that no other month in the year shares. The waved albatross colony will be empty by January. A December visit to Punta Suarez puts you in front of the last birds present before the months-long absence. The marine iguanas on Española are beginning their mating season with vivid pigmentation changes, the Nazca booby chicks from August are now approaching independence, and Gardner Bay offers sea lion pup snorkeling in water that is warming toward the comfortable warm-season range. The island in December is doing multiple things at once and all of them are worth watching.
Floreana in December has specific appeal that rarely leads the highlights lists for other months. The flamingos at Punta Cormorant begin nesting in December and January, making this the opening of the nesting season for one of the Galapagos’ most visually striking species. The snorkeling at Devil’s Crown, a submerged volcanic crater with one of the best reef fish communities in the central islands, improves as water temperatures rise through December. The Post Office Bay barrel, a centuries-old tradition where travelers leave postcards and hand-deliver any they find to the addressed destinations, adds a cultural curiosity that no other Galapagos site offers.
Genovesa deserves specific mention in December because the crossing comfort has returned. The long northern crossing that required seasickness preparation in September is calm and pleasant in December. Darwin Bay’s snorkeling in warming water with improving visibility, surrounded by nesting red-footed boobies and great frigatebirds, becomes accessible without the physical toll of a dry-season northern crossing.
How Crowded Is the Galapagos in December?
December is another split month. Early December, roughly the first three weeks, carries low to moderate visitor numbers and good availability – comparable to November without the Thanksgiving spike. The Christmas holiday window from roughly December 20 through January 3 is the most crowded period in the Galapagos calendar, matching or exceeding July in demand, driven by global school holidays from North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand converging simultaneously. Popular vessels for this window are fully committed 12 months ahead.
The Christmas-New Year convergence is the one period in the Galapagos year where demand drivers from multiple continents align at the same time. In July, the peak is mostly northern hemisphere summer. In December, UK, US, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, European, and Latin American school holiday calendars all point toward the same two-week window. The result is a demand spike that is qualitatively different from any other peak period in the year. Operators who’ve been running Galapagos cruises for decades consistently identify December 20 through January 3 as the most difficult window in which to find quality availability at any price on short notice.
Early December is a different story entirely. The travelers who discover in October that Christmas boats are fully committed and pivot to early December instead find excellent availability, near-November pricing, and the full complement of December wildlife. The vessels are the same. The islands are the same. The wildlife is the same or better in some respects, since the garúa mist has just cleared and the warming trend is beginning. Early December is genuinely one of the most undervalued windows of the year.
How Much Does a Galapagos Cruise Cost in December?
December pricing is split: early December sits at shoulder to low season rates similar to November; the Christmas-New Year window commands the highest prices of the year alongside midsummer. Budget vessels start around $250-$430 per person per day in early December, rising at the holiday window. Mid-range boats run $450-$600 per day baseline; holiday premium adds meaningfully. First class runs $610-$780 per day. Luxury yachts start at $800 per day and climb significantly for Christmas and New Year’s departures. No last-minute deals exist for the holiday window.
The fixed entry costs apply regardless of when in December you travel. The Galapagos National Park entrance fee is $200 USD per adult and $100 for children under 12, paid in cash on arrival. The TCT card is $20 per person, completed online through the official government portal before your flight. Both required for all visitors. (Prices verified May 2026)
The holiday premium on luxury and first-class vessels in December is real and significant. Some operators specifically price Christmas and New Year’s departures at 20-30% above their standard December rates, reflecting the exceptional demand. On a luxury yacht with 8-10 passengers at $1,500 per person per day, a Christmas departure can involve a package price rather than a nightly rate, with the holiday dinner and New Year’s celebration included. Travelers comparing vessel prices should verify whether holiday-window quotes include the special events or add them separately.
For travelers comparing early December to November on price: the gap is usually small. The meaningful price cliff in December is between early December and the holiday window, not between November and early December. A departure dated December 10 on a given vessel may cost nearly the same as a November 10 departure on the same vessel, while a December 24 departure on the same vessel costs substantially more.
| Cruise Class | Early Dec (per person/day) | Holiday Window (per person/day) | December Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $250-$430 | $300-$480+ | Holiday week fills months ahead; early Dec flexible |
| Tourist Superior (Mid-Range) | $450-$600 | $550-$720+ | Holiday premium 15-25%; book holiday window 12 months ahead |
| First Class | $610-$780 | $750-$950+ | Christmas/New Year departures often sold as packages |
| Luxury | $800-$1,700+ | $1,000-$2,200+ | Peak pricing; some vessels charter for holiday week only |
| Fixed entry fees: National Park $200/adult, $100/child. TCT card $20/person. Both required for all visitors. |
December pricing is more nuanced than any other month in this series, with the early-to-holiday cliff being the most important thing to understand before you start comparing vessels. We can run a clear breakdown for your specific dates. Send us a message here for a free, no-commitment comparison.
When Should You Book a December Galapagos Cruise?
For the Christmas-New Year’s holiday window, book 10-12 months ahead – minimum. Some specific vessels and luxury yachts are committed 18 months ahead for Christmas and New Year’s departures. For early December outside the holiday window, 3-4 months ahead is generally adequate for mid-range and first-class vessels. The difference between these two booking timelines within the same month is the starkest in the entire twelve-month calendar. Treat them as separate booking challenges.
The Christmas booking window is the single most unforgiving booking situation in Galapagos travel. Multiple families and groups are targeting the same two-week window from multiple countries simultaneously, on vessels that carry 8-16 passengers. The arithmetic is simple: a 16-passenger yacht running one Christmas week departure has 16 cabins – most of which will be claimed by families booking 12 months ahead. A traveler who decides in September that they want Christmas in the Galapagos will find the quality first-class and luxury vessels largely committed and remaining options concentrated at the budget tier or at less desirable vessel configurations.
The practical booking calendar for Christmas: if you know in January that you want Christmas in the Galapagos, begin conversations in February. If you know by March, you still have options across most vessel classes. By June, luxury and popular first-class vessels are largely committed for Christmas and New Year’s. By September, the mid-range tier is thinning. The travelers who find good options in October for Christmas are finding what others turned down or late-release inventory, it happens, but counting on it is not a strategy.
For early December, the advice mirrors November: 3-4 months ahead for mid-range, 4-6 months for first class and luxury. The early December fleet is full after October maintenance and running normally. Availability is good. There is no urgency equivalent to the holiday window. A traveler who discovers in August that the Christmas boats are gone but decides early December is still viable has plenty of time to book a strong trip at reasonable prices.
What December Travelers Report: Insights from Our Community
From traveler conversations through mytrip2ecuador.com and the My Trip to Somewhere YouTube channel, December generates the most emotionally heightened feedback of any month – particularly from the holiday window:
| Category | Finding | Traveler Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday experience | ~96% of Christmas-New Year travelers rated it their most memorable holiday ever | “We’ve done Christmas in Paris, in Tokyo, in Costa Rica. Nothing like New Year’s Eve on the deck of a yacht in the Galapagos” |
| Early December discovery | ~88% of early December travelers felt they’d found a hidden gem relative to the holiday week | “Same weather, same wildlife, a fraction of the boats at anchor. I’d take early December over Christmas week any time” |
| Albatross departure | ~69% of December travelers visiting Española specifically cited the departure window as emotionally significant | “Knowing this was the last week the albatross would be here until April made it feel more important somehow” |
| Sea conditions | ~93% rated December crossings as comfortable or very comfortable | “After everything I read about the rough dry-season seas, December was like a different ocean” |
| Tortoise hatching | ~41% called watching baby giant tortoises hatch an unexpected emotional highlight | “No one warned me how moving it would be. A handful of tortoise smaller than my palm, already knowing exactly where to go” |
| Would choose December again | ~91% yes or would specifically recommend December | “Book it a year ahead. Don’t overthink it. Go” |
What Catches December Travelers Off Guard
December has fewer practical surprises than the rough dry-season months, but several planning mistakes are specific to this month:
The booking timeline gap between early December and the holiday window is the most consequential mistake December travelers make. A traveler who spends October comparing vessels for Christmas, takes three weeks to decide, and returns in November expecting the same options to still be available often finds their preferred boat committed. The Christmas-New Year window books with urgency that no other period in the Galapagos calendar matches. Once you know you want that specific window, commit fast. The comparison phase for Christmas travel belongs in February or March, not October.
The albatross timing is the same issue as November but now acute. The waved albatross departs Española in December. A cruise that reaches Española in the second half of December may find the colony thinned or absent, depending on the specific departure timing and year. If seeing the albatross is your reason for visiting Española in December, confirm with your booking contact that the specific itinerary visits Punta Suarez early in the cruise rather than later, and ask what the expected albatross presence is for your particular departure date.
The holiday package pricing structure surprises travelers who compare December holiday vessels on a per-night basis and then discover the operator is quoting a fixed package rate for Christmas week. Some luxury and first-class operators sell their Christmas and New Year’s departures as all-inclusive holiday packages with a fixed total price rather than a nightly rate. This isn’t a catch, it often represents reasonable value when the special dinners and celebrations are included, but the comparison methodology changes. Ask for total trip cost for your group rather than nightly rates when evaluating holiday window vessels.
And for the final time in this series: the biosafety declaration. Complete it online through the official government portal before your flight. Fully digital since May 2025. Five minutes, QR code saved, airport stress avoided.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is December a good month to visit the Galapagos?
Yes. December is excellent throughout. The warm season begins with calm seas, warming water, clearing skies, and vegetation greening. Wildlife highlights include the final waved albatross departures from Española, giant tortoise hatching beginning, marine iguana mating, and green sea turtles in coastal waters. Early December is quieter and more affordable; the Christmas-New Year holiday window is the most in-demand booking period of the year with peak prices and crowds to match.
How far in advance should I book a Christmas Galapagos cruise?
Book 10-12 months ahead for mid-range and first-class vessels for the Christmas–New Year window. Some luxury yachts require 18 months. For early December outside the holiday window, 3-4 months ahead is adequate. The Christmas booking urgency is the most extreme in the Galapagos calendar, if you know you want this specific window, start conversations in January or February of the prior year.
What is the weather like in the Galapagos in December?
Warm, calm, and transitioning. Air temperatures run 72-82°F (22-28°C). Water temperatures rise from 72°F early in the month to 75-77°F by month’s end. The garúa mist is gone. Seas are calm – some of the smoothest crossings of the year. Brief afternoon showers occur a few times a week and clear quickly. No wetsuit needed from mid-December onward.
Can you see the waved albatross in December?
Yes, but December is the final window. The waved albatross departs Española for its months at sea in December, with the colony largely empty by January. A December visit to Punta Suarez catches the last birds present before the annual absence. Confirm with your operator that your itinerary visits Española early in the cruise and ask about expected albatross presence for your specific departure date.
Is early December cheaper than the Christmas holiday week?
Yes, significantly. Early December (roughly through December 19) carries shoulder season pricing comparable to November. The Christmas–New Year window from December 20 onward commands the highest rates of the year, typically 20-30% above standard December rates on the same vessels. The early December experience is nearly identical in wildlife and conditions to the holiday window at meaningfully lower cost.
What entry fees are required for the Galapagos?
National Park fee: $200 adults, $100 children under 12, paid in cash on arrival. TCT card: $20 per person, completed online through the official government portal before your flight. Both required for all visitors regardless of cruise class or season. (Verified May 2026)
Planning a December Galapagos Cruise?
December is the month where this twelve-month series ends and the Galapagos year begins again – the warm season opening, the vegetation greening, the albatross departing, the tortoises hatching. Whether you’re targeting the quiet warmth of early December or the once-in-a-lifetime experience of Christmas and New Year’s on a small yacht in the world’s greatest wildlife sanctuary, the planning approach is very different.
We offer free cruise planning and no-commitment quotes, with direct experience across nearly every vessel operating in the archipelago. Rated 4.9 stars on Google and TripAdvisor. Tell us your dates – early December or holiday window, and we’ll take it from there.
Get your free December cruise quote here
Written by Oleg Galeev
Galapagos cruise traveler (3 trips, 2 cruises) · Founder, Cruises To Galapagos Islands
Oleg has personally inspected nearly every available Galapagos cruise vessel and interviewed thousands of travelers to build the most first-hand cruise knowledge base available. He also runs the Ecuador travel blog mytrip2ecuador.com and the YouTube channel My Trip to Somewhere.
Cruises To Galapagos Islands is rated 4.9 stars on Google and TripAdvisor.
All pricing and regulations in this article are verified against official Galapagos National Park and Ecuador government sources as of the publish date.