Fascinating Galapagos Islands Cruise aboard the Beagle

Day 1 (Mon) - Quito

Welcome upon arrival in Quito and then transfer to your hotel. If time permits you may be able to arrange for a tour on your own of Quito’s neighborhoods and museums.

Day 2 (Tue) - Quito / Galapagos

Morning: Baltra Airport

On arrival at Baltra Airport all visitors pay their entrance fee to the Galapagos National Park. You will then be met by The Beagle’s naturalist guide who will assist you with your luggage collection and accompany you on a short bus ride to the harbor to board The Beagle.

Afternoon: Las Bachas

After a light lunch, The Beagle will navigate to Las Bachas. Located on the northern

shore of Santa Cruz Island. Las Bachas is a white sand beach that is a major nesting site for the green sea turtles. On the shore there are marine iguanas, and in the lagoon area flamingos are common. Visitors are welcome to swim from the beach. (B, L, D)

Day 3 (Wed) - Genovesa (Tower) Island

Morning: Prince Philip's Steps

A dry landing will be followed with a climb up the fairly steep Prince Philip’s Steps that take you onto a lava rock trail leading you through Palo Santo forest full of nesting birds. There’s a good chance of seeing the unique short-eared owl at this site.

Afternoon: Darwin Bay

After lunch and a snorkel along the amazing cliff sides, you visit the beach area of Darwin Bay. This is home to frigate birds, red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, flycatchers, lava gulls, storm petrels and Darwin finches. (B, L, D)

Day 4 (Thu) - Santiago (James) Island

Morning: James Bay

Followed by a wet landing at James Bay onto a black beach, an easy stroll takes you near the coast line to observe tidal pools, marine birds, iguanas and sea lions. This is also a good place to observe the Galapagos hawk. The trail ends at the fur sea lion grottos and, being nocturnal feeders, the fur seals sleep in and around the grottos during the day. On returning to the beach visitors may snorkel or swim.

Afternoon: Navigation

After lunch The Beagle will start navigating to the west side of Isabela Island. (B, L, D)

Day 5 (Fri) - Isabela Island / Fernandina Island

Morning: Punta Vicente Roca 

Punta Vicente Roca is excellent for marine life observation. You will take a dinghy ride, to a snorkel area where underwater wildlife take full advantage of the nutrient-rich Cromwell current that upswells in this area.

Afternoon: Punta Espinoza

Fernandina is the youngest island of the archipelago. As you disembark at Punta Espinoza, you must be careful not to step on the marine iguanas piled up together to retain body heat. This visiting site is rich in wildlife, sea lions, flightless cormorants, penguins, herons, Sally light-foot crabs and much more, all living side by side on this small point with its mangrove forest. (B, L, D)

Day 6 (Sat) - Isabela Island

Morning: Tagus Cove

The 30 minute hike at Tagus Cove takes you to the top of a cliff to view the volcanic landscapes of Darwin Volcano and Darwin Lake, the latter an uplifted ultrasaline lake saltier than the sea. Historically used as an anchorage site by pirates and whalers, this site is again an excellent place for marine and land birds.

Afternoon: Urbina Bay

Located to the south at the foot of the western side of Alcedo Volcano, Urbina Bay was uplifted in 1954 from the seabed leaving coral heads sitting out of the water. There is a large colony of land iguana, which has grown since the feral dogs and goats have been controlled through Project Isabela. It also affords an opportunity to see the Alcedo Volcano tortoise in its natural habitat. (B, L, D) 

Day 7 (Sun) - Isabela Island

Morning: Elizabeth Bay

Elizabeth Bay is a marine visitor site, so the excursion is made by dinghy to the Mariela Rocks where there is an important colony of Galapagos penguins. The dinghy ride takes you into a cove surrounded by red mangrove. Here in these quiet lagoons there may be green sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, golden rays, brown pelicans, small shark and flightless cormorants.

Afternoon: Punta Moreno

A lava walk takes you to a series of lagoons with plenty to see along the way. Still on Isabela, the largest island in Galapagos, you will explore Punta Moreno, a desolate and pristine landscape of impressive black lava flows affording good views of Alcedo and Sierra Azul volcanoes. (B, L, D)

Day 8 (Mon) - Isabela Island

Morning: Sierra Negra, Volcano Chico

After breakfast you will head off to Sierra Negra volcano, the world’s second largest volcanic crater. It's located in the southern part of Isabela Island. Transport will take you to within an hour of the crater rim, and for good walkers there is a hike to Volcano Chico to view active fumaroles! Otherwise a shorter walk can be done along the same trail.

Afternoon: Puerto Villamil, Tortoise Breeding Center

This afternoon enjoy Puerto Villamil with its long, white sandy, palm-lined beaches and several brackish water lagoons. The beaches and lagoons are home to the best migratory bird viewing in the Galapagos Islands. The afternoon also includes a visit to the Arnaldo Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Centre to see Isabela's giant tortoises. (B, L, D)

Day 9 (Tue) - Santa Cruz Island / Baltra Island / Quito 

Morning: Gemelos / Baltra Island

Disembark directly at Baltra Island and transfer by bus to the airport for your return to Quito. Departing passengers will be able to view the craters of the Gemelos, located in the highlands of Santa Cruz. These pit craters are just off the main road that crosses the island to the airport. Upon arrival in Quito, transfer to your hotel. (B)

Day 10 (Wed) - Quito

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home.

End of services. (B)

(B): Breakfast (L): Lunch (D): Dinner

Important Notice Actual day-by-day itineraries may vary from those shown in order to take advantage of local sightseeing options, trains or flight schedules changes, or other unforeseen events.

Day 1 (Mon) - Quito

Welcome upon arrival in Quito and then transfer to your hotel. If time permits you may be able to arrange for a tour on your own of Quito’s neighborhoods and museums.

Day 2 (Tue) - Quito / Galapagos

Morning - Baltra Airport

On arrival at Baltra Airport all visitors pay their entrance fee to the Galapagos National Park. You will then be met by The Beagle’s naturalist guide who will assist you with your luggage collection and accompany you on a short bus ride to the harbor to board The Beagle.

Afternoon: Charles Darwin Research Station

A series of walkways will take us through the captive breeding program where you will see juvenile and adult tortoises from different islands and famous Lonesome George, the very last of his sub-species. (B, L, D)

Day 3 (Wed) - Floreana Island

Morning: Puerto Velasco Ibarra

You will be driven up into the highlands on a dirt road in an open-sided bus known locally as a chiva. You'll pass thorough chacras (small land holdings) up to a small fresh-water spring called Asilo de la Paz and visit a tortoise corral.

Afternoon: Punta Cormorant

At Punta Cormorant you land on a beach with green olivine sand. Several trails allow you to explore a brackish water lagoon with a colony of flamingos who are there most of the year, and white-cheeked pintail ducks, stilts, and other shorebirds feeding alongside the flamingos. The trail then goes over a hill and dunes to a stunning white beach consisting of ground coral, where the green sea turtles nest. (B, L, D)

Day 4 (Thu) - Española (Hood) Island

Morning: Punta Suarez

At Punta Suarez you can see the waved albatross from April to December. Blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, Galapagos hawks, Darwin finches, swallow-tailed gulls, Espanola mockingbirds, shorebirds, sea lions, marine iguanas and lava lizards are just some of its residents, and an impressive blowhole can be observed from the high cliffs.

Afternoon: Gardner Bay

Located on the eastern end of the island, Gardner bay has a wonderful sandy beach for swimming and observing the Galapagos sea lions. (B, L, D)

Day 5 (Fri) - San Cristobal (Chatham) Island

Morning: Punta Pitt

Punta Pitt is on San Cristobal Island and affords impressive views after climbing up a steep narrow path onto a plateau surrounded by reddish hills. After the visit we will navigate to Kicker Rock where rocks rise 500 feet out of the ocean and resemble a sleeping lion, hence its name in Spanish,"Leon Dormido." While you go around it you'll be able to observe the narrow channel that separates these two rocks. 

Afternoon: Isla Lobos

The afternoon anchorage is at Isla Lobos and, as its name suggests, it has a sea lion colony and also an endemic lava lizard. It's a good site for swimming and snorkeling alongside the sea lion pups, and on the islet you can visit the sea lion colony. (B, L, D)

Day 6 (Sat) - Santa Fe Island / Plazas Island

Morning: Santa Fe

One of the most beautiful coves of all visitor sites in the Galapagos, Santa Fe has a turquoise cove sheltered by a peninsula extending from the shore by a row of rock covered in Opuntia cactus and sea lions. This island was formed by an uplift caused by tectonic activity and it's lovely to swim and snorkel in the clear turquoise blue sea. 

Afternoon: Plazas

South Plaza is one of the best spots in the archipelago to see land iguanas and swallow-tailed gulls, both indigenous to the Galapagos. There are iguana nests scattered all over the hill to look out for on our walk. (B, L, D)

Day 7 (Sun) - North Seymour Island / Bartolome Island

Morning: North Seymour

North Seymour is a low, flat island located north of Baltra that was uplifted from the sea by underground seismic activity. It is home to several species of marine birds, iguanas and sea lions.

Afternoon: Bartolomé , Sullivan Bay

Famous for its Pinnacle Rock, Bartolomé is home to a small rookery of Galapagos penguins. You can swim and snorkel around Pinnacle Rock or walk to the other side of the island to see sea turtles nesting (from January to March) and sharks swimming close to shore. You can also climb to the highest point of the island, which gives you a chance to see plants that live in lava and ash and many interesting lava formations. (B, L, D)

Day 8 (Mon) - Chinese Hat Island / Santa Cruz Island

Morning: Chinese Hat

Chinese Hat is a little island shaped as its name implies which sits off the southeastern tip of James Island. It's small white beaches have a sea lion colony. Snorkeling is usually very good, and with luck you might see the Galapagos penguins in the water.

Afternoon: Cerro Dragon 

The north shore of Santa Cruz hosts Cerro Dragón (Dragon Hill). Dry landing and a walk that includes a brackish water lagoon frequented by lagoon birds, including stilts, pintail ducks, sandpipers, sanderlings, and more. Further inland, the trail offers a beautiful view of the bay and the western area of the archipelago. (B, L, D)

Day 9 (Tue) - Santa Cruz Island / Baltra Island / Quito

Early Morning: Black Turtle Cove

Motoring through the mangrove inlets on a dinghy, these lagoons provide a refuge to rays, sharks, and sea turtles that are clearly visible alongside the boat. The engine is turned off and you slowly approach the different species that live in this peaceful place.

Late Morning: Baltra Island

Disembark directly at Baltra Island and transfer by bus to the airport for your return to Quito. Upon arrival in Quito, transfer to your hotel. (B)

Day 10 (Wed) - Quito

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home.

End of services. (B)

(B): Breakfast (L): Lunch (D): Dinner

Important Notice Actual day-by-day itineraries may vary from those shown in order to take advantage of local sightseeing options, trains or flight schedules changes, or other unforeseen events.

Price (per person based on double occupancy)

• 10 days from $3,390
• Child rate from $2,875 (restrictions apply)
• Price based on check payment (please add 3% if paying via credit card)

What is Included

• All hotel accommodations
• Meals as indicated in the itinerary - B: breakfast, L: lunch and D: dinner
• All sightseeing as shown as part of an open group (private tours available)
• Services of bilingual professional guides
• Airport transfers
• All gratuities except to guides
• Naturalists and lecture services
• Island sightseeing
• Snorkeling equipment

Additional Budget Considerations

• Domestic flights: from $420
• Airport taxes
• Peak Season (Mar 30-Apr 5 or Dec 21-Jan 3) surcharge of 10%

Items NOT included in the price

• International or Domestic flights unless stated in 'What is Included' section above. We will be happy to help you with your flight arrangements at your request.
• Personal expenses such as beverages; lunch or dinner (unless in the itinerary)
• Laundry services
• Travel insurance (strongly recommended - see our Travel Tips section for details)
• Excess baggage fees
• Communication charges
• Airport departure or arrival taxes
• Cost of obtaining passports or visas
• Gratuities to guides
• Any other expense not mentioned on what is included
• Galapagos National Park admission fee (US $100 subject to change without notice)
• Transit Control Card for Galapagos (US$ 10 per person)
• Bar consumption on board

Please do not hesitate to call 1-800-667-6134 for additional information.

Technical specifications

• Length: 105 feet / 32 meters 
• Beam: 22 feet / 6.71 meters 
• Speed: 9 knots average 
• Range:  3,000 miles
• Generators Twin 23 kW for 110V – 220 V (A/C) and 12V-24V (D/C)
• 1 dinghy/1 Zodiac with outboards
• 2 double kayaks
• Cell phone/fax and portable satellite phone.