From CAD 4664 Was CAD 5830
Guarantee
Group Tour
Average
Rating
(11 reviews)
Experience Overview
Explore the Galapagos and its native wildlife on a sailing trip around the central islands of the archipelago. Meet the green turtles that inhabit Isla Santa Cruz, watch blue-footed boobies dance the booby two-step and marvel in awe at the unfamiliar beauty that characterises these far-flung islands. Encounter the very same creatures that sparked Darwin’s imagination when he formulated his theories of evolution. There’s no spot on earth that is closer to the origins of the planet, where every step feels as though it’s through uncharted territory. Prepare to depart on the adventure of a lifetime and become a Galapagos explorer.
Highlights
- As you board your vessel, M.Y Grand Queen Beatriz, and follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin, you will encounter nature at its finest.
- Explore the islands from on deck, on foot and in the water, no doubt with your eyes open for your next unique sight.
- Walk through the agricultural region and into the misty forests of Santa Cruz and look out for Galapagos giant tortoises!
- Take an excursion to North Seymour, which is one of the most visited islands in the Galapagos, and see what all the hype is about.
- See Caleta Tortuga Negra (Black Turtle Cove), a red mangrove wetland on the north shore of Isla Santa Cruz. Paddle among the cove’s peaceful waters, looking out for green turtles, golden cow-nose rays, eagle rays and Galapagos sharks.
- By travelling on this trip, you’ll learn about our Intrepid Foundation partner, The Galapagos Conservancy. Donations support their Women in Sustainable Entrepreneurship (WISE) program, providing capital for sustainability initiatives and empowering female entrepreneurs in the Galapagos. Intrepid will double the impact by dollar-matching all post-trip donations made to The Intrepid Foundation.
Trip Details
Product Code: 2001
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Comfortable
Transport: Minibus,Boat,Plane,Zodiac
Guide Language: English
Supplier Code: GMQF
Starts: Quito, Ecuador
Finishes: Quito, Ecuador
Duration: 7 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical rating:
Average
Includes
Meals: Breakfasts (6), Lunch (4), Dinner (5)Accommodation: Hotel (2 nights),Overnight boat (4 nights)
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD 4664 (CAD 666 /day)
Itinerary
Bienvenidos! Welcome to South America. When you arrive, you'll will be met and transferred to your hotel. Your day is free until the welcome meeting at 5 pm or 6 pm, where you'll meet the other travellers on your cruise. After your welcome meeting, head out with your local leader and fellow travellers for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Try some traditional flavours and get to know you group as you settle into the coming adventure.
Quito sits at high altitude under the towering Pichincha volcano. It is a beautiful city, arguably one of the most beautiful in South America. The city stretches along the valley and is surrounded by the Andes. The Old Town of Quito is awash with history, with more than 30 churches to explore, and a number of fascinating museums. La Compania de Jesus is considered to be the most beautiful and ornate churches in the Americas. The city's oldest street, Calle La Ronda, is well worth exploring.
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
This morning you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos Islands. Please note the pick-up time will usually be as early as 4:30 am (a boxed breakfast will be provided), as you must allow for delays and check-in times.
When you arrive, you'll be met in the arrival hall of the airport (look out for 'Grand Queen Beatriz' signs) by a transfer guide and transferred to your catamaran - M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz, anchored on the other side of Santa Cruz Island. Your guide will take you on an airport public bus for a short distance to where you board a public ferry across the Itabaca Channel. Once you reach Isla Santa Cruz, you board a private bus to Puerto Ayora, the main port of the island. Here, there will be two zodiacs to transport you and your fellow travellers to the 'MY. Grand Queen Beatriz'. Once on board, cabins will be assigned and there will be a welcome briefing and safety drill. You will then get to meet our crew members and get to know your naturalist guide while enjoying a delicious lunch.
After lunch, head up into the highlands for a total change of scenery. Beginning at the coast you'll travel across Santa Cruz through the agricultural region and into the misty forests, with the walk taking about 45 minutes. This is a lush humid zone containing miconia bushes, scalesia and inactive volcanic cones. Santa Cruz has more endemic plants than any of the other islands, and you are likely to see Galapagos giant tortoises in their natural habitat and perhaps even the bright red feathers of a vermillion flycatcher!
Included Activities:
- Isla Santa Cruz - Highlands Visit (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing
Accommodation:
- M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)
Today you will take a morning excursion to North Seymour which is one of the most visited islands in the Galapagos. The trail on North Seymour crosses inland through the island and then explores the rocky coast. Along the way the trail passes colonies of blue footed boobies and frigate birds.
The magnificent frigate bird, a large black bird with a long wingspan, and a hooked beak, is extremely fast and has excellent vision. Frigate birds are known for the large red pouch on their necks. During mating season the males throw back their heads, inflate the pouch (sometimes to the size of a soccer ball), and shake trying to capture the attention of female frigates.
Boobies and frigates have an interesting relationship. Sharing the same nesting area on North Seymour, blue-footed boobies nest on the ground making their nests from the twigs of the palo santos trees, while the frigate birds nests just above them in the saltbushes. Your walk is followed by snorkelling where you will find a great variety of fish and possibly white-tipped reef sharks, rays and sea lions.
After lunch you will visit the small sandy island of Mosquera, a relaxing, picturesque stop situated between Baltra and North Seymour. Along the rocks and in the tide pool, Sally Lightfoot crabs (red lava crabs) scamper back and forth, skipping across small pools of water in search of food. These crabs with their bright red shell tops and blue under shells are stunning against the black lava. The island also has a very large colony of sea lions as well as a sizeable resident brown pelican population. Depending on the tides and visibility, you may have a chance to go snorkelling here.
Estimated travel time/distance:
North Seymour to Isla Baltra: 4 hours (35 nautical miles)
Isla Baltra to Caleta Tortuga: 1 hour (7 nautical miles)
Included Activities:
- Isla North Seymour - Walk (2 hours) - Dry Landing
- Isla North Seymour - Snorkelling (1 hours)
- Isla Mosquera - Snorkelling (1 hour)
- Isla Mosquera - Beach Walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing
Accommodation:
- M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)
Today you will take a morning excursion on a 'panga' to Caleta Tortuga Negra (Black Turtle Cove) - a red mangrove wetland on the north shore of Isla Santa Cruz. You will paddle among the cove’s peaceful waters, for your first taste of the underwater riches of this region – it’s a wonderful place to see green turtle and is a nursery for golden cow-nose rays, eagle rays and Galapagos sharks. There is also abundant birdlife, such as the yellow warbler and lava heron. This is also a breeding area for turtles, so it is not uncommon to see them mating.
In the afternoon, cruise over for a walk on Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill) this afternoon - one of the best places to see land iguanas in the islands. From our dry landing we walk to a brackish lagoon frequented by lagoon birds including stilts, pintail ducks, sandpipers, sanderlings and occasionally flamingos. Further inland, the trail offers a beautiful view of the bay and the western area of the archipelago. This area is a nesting site for land iguanas, which is constantly monitored and assisted by the Charles Darwin Research Station. The arid-zone vegetation makes for a rewarding location for birdwatching with Darwin's finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, the endemic Galapagos flycatcher and yellow warblers all regulars here. The path can be challenging but you will be well-rewarded with a spectacular view of the bay!
Estimated travel time/distance:
Caleta Tortuga Negra to Cerro Dragon: 2 hours (12 nautical miles)
Cerro Dragon to Sombrero Chino: 1.5 hours (9 nautical miles)
Included Activities:
- Isla Santa Cruz - Black Turtle Cove - Panga ride (1.5 hours)
- Isla Santa Cruz - Cerro Dragon - Walk (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing
- Isla Santa Cruz - Cerro Dragon - Snorkelling or swimming (1 hour)
Accommodation:
- M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)
Sombrero Chino is a small islet located near the south-east coast of Santiago. It's shaped like a Chinese hat (Sombrero Chino) when seen from afar, and is geologically fascinating, with many lava tubes leading from the cone to the coast. We approach Sombrero Chino via a beautiful crescent-shaped, sandy beach that is home to sea lions and Sally Lightfoot crabs. Opposite Sombrero Chino, on the rocky shoreline of nearby Santiago, Galapagos penguins are often seen. We follow a trail that circles the cove and passes through a sea lion colony and innumerable marine iguanas. The cove also offers some great snorkelling opportunities, hopefully with penguins and sharks.
Isla Rabida, also known as Jervis Island, is a tiny island sitting roughly five kilometres south of Santiago and is one of the most striking of the archipelago. Introduced species were eradicated in 1971, meaning that the indigenous wildlife has now been returned to a state of splendid isolation. Additionally, volcanic activity here has produced vivid, fantastical colours, not least the beaches of red sand and cliffs of scarlet.
From the shore, the trail leads through to what is one of the finest lagoons in the Galapagos for viewing flamingos. Rabida is also a wonderful place to spot nesting pelicans. Elsewhere, pintail ducks, marine iguanas and sea lions are all present. There is an opportunity for snorkelling in a place where sea stars, damsels, gobbies and surgeon fish are numerous.
Estimated travel time/distance:
Sombrero Chino to Isla Rabida: 1 hour (7 nautical miles)
Isla Rabida to Bachas Beach: 1 hour (7 nautical miles)
Included Activities:
- Isla Santiago - Sombrero Chino - Snorkelling (1 hour)
- Sombrero Chino - Walk and Panga ride (2 hours) - Wet Landing
- Isla Rabida - Snorkelling (1 hour)
- Isla Rabida - Walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing
Accommodation:
- M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)
As flights to the mainland from Galapagos depart mid morning, it is an early start this morning. Depending on the time ofther flight, your time spent on this final excursion could be limited.
Today you will take an early morning excursion to Las Bachas, which was so named after the barges abandoned by the American Navy here in the 1940s. The sandy, white beaches of Las Bachas on the north shore of Santa Cruz Island are a nesting site for the Pacific green turtle, and marine iguanas are also commonly seen. The sand here is particularly white and soft as it is made of decomposed coral.
The rocks provide great snorkelling and are the perfect habitat for the Sally Lightfoot crabs, which are plentiful on the island. A saltwater lagoon near the beach is home to flamingo and whimbrel, and look out too for great blue herons. This is your final excursion before you return to the airport in Baltra for your flight back to Quito. The flight will stopover in Guayaquil to drop off/pick up new passengers. When you arrive at the airport, take a transfer back to your hotel for an overnight stay.
Included Activities:
- Isla Santa Cruz - Bachas Beach Walk (1 hour) - Wet Landing
- Isla Santa Cruz - Bachas Beach Snorkel (1 hour) - Wet Landing
Accommodation:
- Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)
Your Galapagos adventure will come to an end today after breakfast. There are no activities planned for the final day so you are able to depart the accommodation at any time. There are many fascinating things to do in and around Quito, so please speak to our customer service representative about any optional activities that might be of interest. They can also assist you in booking a departure transfer to the airport.
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Tour Operator
Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company, dedicated to providing sustainable, experience-rich travel opportunities. They’ve been the leader in ethical, small-group travel since 1989 - taking people around the world for more than 30 years. They’re the world’s largest travel B Corporation - dedicated to being the best travel company for the world. In 2002, they established The Intrepid Foundation so their travellers could make a lasting impact on the communities they had visited. Although Intrepid Travel absorbs all administrative costs of The Intrepid Foundation, they are separate legal entities, allowing The Intrepid Foundation to grow independently. Intrepid Travel is made up of a collection of tour operator brands and 28 destination management companies all united by one vision: To change the way we all see the world.
In Business Since 1989
Reviews
Anthea - Traveled, December 2023
Excellent trip, great way to see the Galapogos by totally immersing yourself in it
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 01/02/2024
Lisa - Traveled, September 2023
The Galapagos trip has been a once in a lifetime experience. The staff were superb, as was the food and accommodation - but it was our guide, Roberto, who really made our trip so amazing. So informative and entertaining - we have learnt so much about this beautiful place and its inhabitants!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 09/19/2023
Susan - Traveled, July 2023
Loved everything about our small-boat trip. The boat is spacious and comfortable, the meals were excellent and generous, the staff were always smiling and helpful, our tour leader Wilson was a joy to be with. Even the weather and the animals co-operated.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/16/2023
Naomi - Traveled, June 2023
Highly recommend visiting the Galapagos on board Grand Queen Beatrix. Our tour guide Roberto was fantastic! Great mix of activities, walking the islands learning about the history and wildlife, and the snorkelling is incredible with chances to swim with penguins, turtles and reef sharks. Food on board was beyond expectations also.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/10/2023
Michelle - Traveled, March 2023
The Galápagos were AMAZING! Within seconds of my first snorkel session, I was beside a sea lion. I also saw sharks and all the wildlife expected except for penguins. The GQB is a beautiful yacht, with topnotch crew, five-star meals, and luxury treatment (although the hot tub was not available during my trip). The stars were unbelievable each night from the top deck!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/05/2023
Karen - Traveled, March 2023
The entire experience of the Galapagos Islands was fantastic! The Grand Queen Beatrice yacht we stayed on was top notch! The crew service was excellent. Our guide, Roberto was so knowledgeable about the islands, the animals, the history. He had a great sense of humor and made things very fun. Really made the trip very enjoyable. I've heard the Galapagos Islands is a trip of a lifetime and I do believe it's true. I love seeing all the animals in their natural environment, seems like there is great care taking to keep them thriving. There was one feedback a little while ago, from a younger person that this trip was not good for young people and catered to people over 50. This was very much a falsehood. We had two young ladies in their 20s on our trip and I asked them if they felt they were not getting a good trip because of the age group and they said absolutely not! I've been on three intrepid trips and really like them because they are very environmentally conscious, all of the organization as well done from someone picking you up at the airport, all transportation, most all food arranged, activities planned and downtime.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/19/2023
Marianne - Traveled, December 2022
A trip of a lifetime which will stay with me. I loved seeing the animals in their habitats and felt so humble that they allowed us to respectfully observe them with no fear.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 12/27/2022
Mary - Traveled, October 2022
This was our first time to book a tour group vacation. Intrepid was totally on top of all of the details so we could relax and enjoy the trip. Transportation, hotel, boat, and staff were all excellent. We felt completely taken care of and pampered. There's nothing like getting hot chocolate and a warm towel after snorkeling. Roberto, our guide, was fantastic. He was warm, funny, and extremely knowledgeable. It was a trip of a lifetime - the wildlife and excursions were amazing!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/04/2022
Susan - Traveled, October 2022
This was our first trip with intrepid and we were so happy to find it. Everything was wonderful. It exceeded our expectations. The boat, the tour, our guide Roberto and the crew. The food was wonderful! Really a wonderful experience.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/30/2022
Kim - Traveled, October 2022
This was a wonderful experience all round. The crew were very attentive and made sure you were comfortable at every turn. Our guide, Roberto, was very informative and fun. The boat itself was great. So much space and the cabins were very comfortable. Overall a fantastic experience. I would definitely recommend and would love to go again for longer. This cruise had the right balance of information, activities and time to relax.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 10/17/2022
Kathleen - Traveled, March 2022
Amazing trip, gorgeous boat Queen Beatrix with spacious cabins, excellent, educated guide, delicious food, wonderful wildlife - Intrepid conducts a really organized, environmentally aware, and relaxed first class experience.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 03/20/2022
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