GALAPAGOS PRACTICAL

WHEN TO VISIT

As with most holiday destinations, the busiest season in Galapagos is also July, August and the Christmas period. During Easter week (Semana Santa) there is quite a bit of internal ecuatorial tourism. Many cruise ships charge different rates for high and low season. Also look at the climate of the Galapagos Islands.

CLIMATE

From January to May it is warm but usually rains more. Nevertheless, the number of rainy days in that period is still very limited. Moreover, the rain showers are usually short-lived.
From June through December it is drier but cooler.
The islands lie in a cold gulf stream that drifts westward from the southeastern Pacific Ocean at the height of the equator. Therefore, the water temperature sometimes drops between July and September.
Below is a climate table for the Galapagos Islands.

* Wind force (note: this is not the Beaufort scale)
1=windless
7=moderate breeze
10=possible damage

** Sea Wave:
1=silent
4=reasonable waves
10=imminent danger

GUIDES

During the cruise you will be permanently accompanied by an English-speaking guide who has a license to guide the Galapagos. The quality and expertise of the guides is permanently evaluated by the shipping companies. It can be said that the quality of the guide more or less parallels the quality of a cruise ship. Cruise ships with an excellent reputation pay their employees a higher salary, which means that you can expect a good guide. With budget boats you will generally also find budget guides.

NATIONAL PARK

Every foreign visitor to Galapagos pays USD 120 cash upon arrival at the airport. It concerns 100 USD entrance fee for the National Park and 20 USD Migration Card (locally called Ingala Card). This cost is usually not included in the price of cruises. The entrance to the National Park can only be paid on site. We can purchase the Ingala Migration Card for you in advance. This way you avoid (sometimes long) queues and waste of time. Keep your receipt with you during your entire stay in Galapagos.

FLIGHTS TO GALAPAGOS

All flights depart from Quito and fly via Guayaquil to Baltra or San Cristobal. There are 3 companies that provide the flights: Tame, Lan and Aerogal. A flight ticket to Galapagos is always booked together with the cruise. The owner of the ship that you book therefore determines which company you fly with. Flights Quito - Galapagos - Quito and Quito - Galapagos - Guayaquil cost around USD 550 per person. Guayaquil - Galapagos - Guayaquil flights cost around USD 525 per person. These prices include airport taxes and costs. There is a 30% discount for children under 12 years old.

THE LANGUAGE

Spanish is the main language on Galapagos. But all nature guides speak English. The higher the cruise ship's price range, the better the knowledge of English. On some larger ships you will find French and German speaking guides.

OTHER INFO

For information about money, telephone connections, security, languages, embassy of Ecuador, information about Ecuador, vaccines and other medical information see the page Practical info about Ecuador

How to book a cruise

It is best to book a cruise on Galapagos as long in advance as possible: some ships are in high demand and the best cabins on a ship leave first. If you want to book a cruise, send us the following information:

with how many people do you travel and how old are they
what are the planned dates (or period) of your trip
the desired duration of the cruise: how many days can your cruise last
do you have a preference for a certain type of ship; do you want a large or a small ship, a catamaran, a sailing ship
Take a look at our offer
do you want a ship from the luxury class, from the first class, the superior class or tourist class
do you have any special requirements regarding fauna and flora?
do you have special requirements in terms of activities (snorkeling, diving, …)
do you want to extend your stay with a few days hotel in Galapagos
You pair a visit to Galapagos with a visit to the mainland
We will then check the availability of the ship or ships of your choice and make a tailor-made program around it. A few days after your request, we will send you a fully detailed travel proposal.

AVOID THIS MISTAKE WHEN BOOKING A TRIP TO GALAPAGOS!

WHY TRAVEL WITH EXPLORE ECUADOR?

Tom - guide in EcuadorI’m Tom from Belgium and I’ll make sure your trip to Ecuador or cruise in Galapagos goes as smoothly and pleasantly as possible. I have been living in Ecuador for a decade and have been working in tourism for 8 years now. Before that, I obtained my guides diploma in Ecuador. Traveling and discovering new places is my passion.
Together with the local travel agency Descubre-Ecuador, we offer tailor-made tours in Galapagos and on the Ecuadorian mainland. Over the years, Descubre-Ecuador has built a reliable partnership with the best hotels and the best nature guides in Ecuador. Our small-scale way of working ensures easy accessibility and a lot of flexibility when traveling.
Customer satisfaction is the essence for us. And even in those rare moments of unforeseen difficult circumstances, we make sure that we are there to make sure your trip runs smoothly.
Explore Ecuador and Galapagos!

WHY TRAVEL TO ECUADOR?

Indian woman from SalasacasIn South America, Ecuador is one of the smaller countries, but the country is hugely diverse in terms of geography, climate and population. You can visit the Andes, the Amazon rainforest as well as the tropical coast without taking extremely long domestic flights or transfers. And then you have the Galapagos Islands, a once in a lifetime experience. The diversity of flora and fauna per square mile is enormous. Ecuador is South America in a nutshell. Moreover, the country is relatively safe and little visited. The national currency is the USD and you have a wide choice of direct flights to Quito and Guayaquil from Europe and the United States.

WAAROM REIZEN MET ONTDEK-ECUADOR?

Tom - guide in EcuadorIk ben Tom uit België en zorg ervoor dat jullie reis naar Ecuador of cruise in Galapagos zo vlot en aangenaam mogelijk kan verlopen. Ik woon al een tiental jaren in Ecuador en werk nu 8 jaren in toerisme. Daarvoor heb ik in Ecuador mijn gidsen-diploma behaald. Reizen en nieuwe plaatsen ontdekken is mijn passie. Samen met het lokale reiskantoor Descubre-Ecuador, bieden we reizen op maat in Galapagos en op het Ecuadoriaanse vasteland aan. Descubre-Ecuador heeft door de jaren heen een betrouwbare samenwerking opgebouwd met de beste hotels en de beste natuurgidsen van Ecuador. Onze kleinschalige manier van werken zorgt voor een vlotte bereikbaarheid en veel flexibiliteit bij het reizen. De tevredenheid van de klant is voor ons de essentie. En ook op die zeldzame momenten van onvoorziene moeilijke omstandigheden zorgen we dat we er zijn om jullie reis toch perfect te laten verlopen. Ontdek Ecuador en Galapagos!