Cruise Ecuador's Galapagos Islands and encounter rare and beautiful wildlife. Swim with sea lions, stand next to a Blue-footed Booby feeding its young, and float eye-to-eye with a penguin.

There is no better synonym for Ecuador than diversity. This small country has a cultural and biological richness that is difficult to find anywhere else in the world. The Galapagos Islands live up to our dreams of a sheltered place far removed from the usual concerns. The skies are almost always sunny, and the sea breezes create that perfect air temperature, instantly relaxing the body. The ocean is an ever inviting turquoise blue, matched by long sandy beaches of crystal white, pink, and volcanic black. There are quiet coves and mangrove lagoons, and that's just for starters. What will make your exploration of the Galapagos Islands truly exceptional are the many opportunities for close-up encounters with wildlife. The islands and surrounding waters are quite literally teeming with exotic and colorful creatures that have never learned to fear humans. Our naturalist-led cruise introduces us to many wonders that are unique to the Galapagos Islands. We visit blue-footed boobies, land iguanas basking in the sun, lively sea lions, and families of penguins, among many other diverse species. Our active adventure allows us to discover the Galapagos from many different perspectives. We enjoy snorkeling with sea lions, walking on volcanic islands, paddling kayaks through peaceful mangrove lagoons, strolling bare-footed along sun drenched beaches, or simply lying back and relaxing in the equatorial sun.

Days 1-2: Arrive in Quito or Guayaquil, Ecuador and transfer to our hotel. Optional guided tours on day 2, or feel free to explore these fascinating cities on your own.

Days 3-9: Fly to the Galapagos Islands and board our yacht. The next seven days are sure to be among the most memorable of your life as we cruise the Galapagos, visiting many of the same places Charles Darwin did over 150 years ago. Each day provides one-of-a-kind experiences. With a naturalist guide, discover the wonders of the islands. Visit several islands, each with its own special highlights: beautiful beaches, great snorkeling, volcanoes, marine iguanas, penguins, giant tortoises, and other delights. Cruise the islands in style on our comfortable yacht, with private bathrooms, hot showers and air conditioning.

Day 10: Return to Quito or Guayaquil for departure, or to further explore mainland Ecuador.

Create your own unique and memorable cruise for family and friends by chartering a deluxe yacht for just your group. We can customize your tour by offering longer cruises, or tailor an itinerary to your specific interests, such as birding, snorkeling, photography, or hiking. Why wait? Call today! 1-800-941-8010.

PROUD MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL GALAPAGOS TOUR OPERATORS ASSOCIATION:

A non-profit association dedicated to the complete and lasting protection of the Galapagos Islands. Their mission is to preserve the Galapagos Islands as a unique and priceless world heritage site, that will provide enjoyment, education, adventure, and inspiration to present and future generations of travelers. If you travel to the Galapagos the most important decision you make is the choice of a responsible travel company. By choosing an IGTOA member you will travel with a knowledgeable and responsible tour operator that supports sustainable ecotourism.

Most Convenient Airport:
Quito International Airport (Airport code UIO) or Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport, Guayauquil (Airport code GYE)

Meeting Time and Place:
You will be met at the Quito or Guayaquil airport by a Boundless Journeys representative upon the arrival of your international flight on the first day of the trip (Day 1). Please look for a sign with your name on it, or that of Boundless Journeys. Most flights from the U.S. arrive into Ecuador in the late afternoon or evening. You will be transferred to our first hotel where you will be met in the lobby by your Boundless Journeys guide(s) at 9:00 a.m. on the following morning (Day 2).

Departure Time and Place:
1:30pm-3:30 p.m. (upon the arrival of our flights from the Galapagos; may be subject to change), Quito International Airport or Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport. Our tour concludes with our return flight from the Galapagos to Quito or Guayaquil. You may choose to connect with flights home that evening, or to spend an additional night in Ecuador. If you choose to fly home on the last day of your trip, please allow at least three hours between the arrival of our flight from the Galapagos and your international departure. For those spending an additional night in Quito or Guayaquil a drop-off will be provided at the Swissôtel or the Oro Verde Hotel.

Overview:  A conveniently located first-class city hotel in your choice of Quito or Guayaquil, and a deluxe yacht to cruise the Galapagos Islands. All private baths.

Nights 1 & 2:  Hilton Colon
Quito, Ecuador

The Hilton Colon hotel enjoys spectacular views of the city. Choose from 5 dining experiences, enjoy the fitness center, an outdoor heated pool, and spa treatments. 

OR
Nights 1 & 2:  Oro Verde Hotel
Guayaquil, Ecuador

A modern downtown hotel close to restaurants, the river front, and 10 minutes from the airport.

 
Nights 3-9: Cruise
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Boundless Journeys'  yachts are all rated first class, or luxury yachts, in the Galapagos. They boast the most spacious accommodations, top level cuisine, private baths, air conditioned cabins, and superior service onboard to ensure an unforgettable Galapagos experience.

The Alta

16 guests in 8 cabins, plus 8 crew members and 1 naturalist guide.

Named "Yacht of the Month" by Yachting Magazine, the Alta is one of the most beautiful ships on the Islands, ideal for travelers seeking exclusivity, style and uniqueness. The ship is exceptionally stylish, with gorgeous detailing and furnishings and carries that grandeur and special charm proper to sailing ships. It provides much more outside space than other sailing ships of its kind in Galapagos and when conditions are appropriate, the sails are hoisted, engines turned off, and Alta becomes one of the most striking ships in the Islands. Amenities include a comfortable salon for lectures and presentations, a TV/Video system, inside and al fresco dining areas, a sundeck with lounge chairs, and a resting area at the stern of the ship. Click here for the Alta Deck Plan.

 
 
The Grace

16 guests in 8 cabins plus 10 crew members, 2 naturalist guides and 1 cruise director.

The Grace's stellar past includes ownership by tycoons like Sir George Tilley and Aristotle Onassis, a brief stint in the British navy, and the vacation home of guests recognized worldwide, including Winston Churchill. This Camper & Nicholson yacht has traversed the waters of the world under many names, but has been rechristened with a name that takes her back into her history; to the very best of her times. Named after her late owner, Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco, the name is a representation of her elegance, beauty and prestige. Grace is the ideal yacht for the traveler who seeks a true explorer experience, complemented with excellent service, superb accommodations and excellent dining. All who travel aboard this yacht will be part of a unique mission: to bring to life the natural living legacy of the islands through an experience unlike any other in Galapagos. Special features include a jacuzzi on deck, a main salon equipped with a bar, TV/Video system, stereo system, and indoor and outdoor dining areas. Click here for the Grace Deck Plan.

The Evolution

32 guests in 16 cabins, plus 18 crew members, 2 naturalist guides, 1
cruise director and 1 doctor.

The vision behind this yacht is to offer guests the feeling of going aboard a ship that brings back memories of travels to faraway and exotic lands. The Evolution has the classic and graceful lines of the 1920’s with the comfort and safety of today. It is a charming expedition vessel large enough to provide spacious staterooms with various and ample social areas - including inside and outside dining - yet small enough to experience nature in an up-close and personal way. This artful combination results in a ship which offers excellent service, accommodations and attention to detail, while causing minimal impact on the environment. The Evolution features a lounge with a bar and facilities for lectures, slide shows and films, a library with a wide range of books, a sundeck with beautiful rattan furniture, a small hot tub on the bow with sun chairs, and ample outside deck space. Click here for the Evolution Deck Plan.

The Eclipse

48 guests in 26 cabins, plus 31 crew members, 4 naturalist guides, 1 cruise director and 1 doctor.

The Eclipse accommodates half the number of passengers of vessels her size in the Galapagos. This vessel preserves a smaller boat atmosphere and attention to detail. Features aboard the Eclipse include an alfresco dining area for all 48 passengers, a naturalist guide for every 12 passengers, two single passenger cabins, and a library/video room. The Eclipse is equipped with such amenities as air conditioning, a jacuzzi, observation deck, and an entertainment center with library, stereo, VCR & TV, and on-board shop for anything thing you might have forgotten. Click here for the Eclipse Deck Plan.

DAY 1  
Arrival in Ecuador

Upon arrival of your flight into Quito or Guayaquil, you will be met by a Boundless Journeys representative and transferred to your hotel.
Hotel Swissôtel, Quito or
Oro Verde Hotel, Guayaquil

DAY 2  
Explore the Mainland

Today’s activities are entirely up to you. Perhaps you will decide to join a Boundless Journeys guide for a city tour of Quito or Guayaquil, or a drive into the highlands and the famous market town of Otavalo, or you may choose to explore on your own.

Quito is nestled in a long, narrow valley in the Andes, between the Volcano Pichincha to the west and the Machángara River Canyon to the east. The historical center – or ‘old town,’ as it’s called – is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a maze of colonial splendor. Guayaquil, located further south on the Pacific coast, offers a multitude of archaeological and colonial sites, monuments, museums, and parks. Main attractions of Guayaquil include a newly restored boardwalk, Malecon 2000, with an incredible view of River Guayas, the famous Iguana Park (Parque Bolívar), and colonial churches such as The Cathedral, La Merced and Santo Domingo.

If you prefer to explore the volcanic highlands of Ecuador, you may opt to take a 2 ½ hour drive north to Otavalo, Ecuador’s famed market town. Here you will find all types of indigenous handcrafts, from woven wall-hangings to skillfully embroidered blouses and dresses, and from hand-knitted alpaca sweaters to rustic ceramics and Panama hats. Besides the crafts market, Otavalo has a farmers’ market where you will find colorful and interesting Andean produce such as quinoa, tree tomatoes, and babaco.

Others may wish to relax today, and enjoy the hotel pool, as you prepare for your unforgettable week in the Galapagos Islands.
Hotel Swissôtel, Quito or
Oro Verde Hotel, Guayaquil

DAY 3  
Morning: Fly to the Galapagos Islands

Following an early breakfast, we transfer to the airport for our flight to the Galapagos Islands. As we approach the islands, the inviting turquoise-blue water surrounding the coast comes into view. We arrive in San Cristóbal, or in Baltra, depending on your expedition vessel. Your naturalist Galapagos guide will meet us after passing through park inspection, and soon we are departing from shore aboard a zodiac to reach our yacht. The captain and crew are there to greet us and show us to our cabins as well as give us a tour of the boat.

The next eight days are sure to be memorable as you cruise the Galapagos Islands, visiting many of the same places Charles Darwin did over 150 years ago. Our active itinerary from our yacht features walks and hikes during shore excursions, and plenty of opportunities for snorkeling and sea kayaking in tranquil coves and lagoons.
The Alta, the Eclipse, the Evolution or the Grace, Galapagos Islands

DAY 3 (afternoon) – DAY 10
Galapagos Islands Cruise

The cruise itinerary varies according to weather and local events, new Galapagos regulations, and to allow serendipity to play a hand in your experience, but most trips will visit a combination of the following islands. (For a detailed list of the islands you will visit on each yacht, please see the links below.)

On Santa Cruz Island, we will look for giant tortoises, woodpecker finches and other diverse species in the highlands. We will also visit the Charles Darwin Research Center in Puerto Ayora. On the north side of the island, we may enjoy flamingos and other coastal birds on the beautiful white sands of Las Bachas Beach, or perhaps we will visit the iguana nesting site at Cerro Dragon. From the Eclipse and the Alta, we will take a panga ride to Black Turtle Cove, one of the most beautiful marine sites in the Galapagos. This complex maze of salt-water inlets surrounded by three different species of mangrove, is a resting site for sea turtles, rays and sharks.

At James Bay on Santiago Island, we will land on a black sand beach. Our trail crosses a remaining salt mine and tidal pools, home to a variety of starfish and other invertebrate organisms, and concludes at the Fur Seal Grottos, one of the only places in the islands where fur seals can be seen. We will have time to swim and snorkel off the beach, where you may visit with sea lions, fish, turtles and reef sharks.

Enjoy a visit to North Seymour Island aboard the Evolution. The rocky shore displays white sand and large flocks of pelicans. Along our trail we will encounter blue-footed boobies and the largest nesting site in the Galapagos of the magnificent frigate bird.

Bartolomé Island has two visitor sites.  At the first site, we can swim and snorkel around Pinnacle Rock, where penguins are usually seen. A short panga ride takes us to a dry landing for a climb to the highest point on the islands.  The route is not difficult and presents remnants of the last volcanic eruption: tuff cones and lava tubes in various stages of erosion. From the summit you will have a spectacular view of Santiago Island, James Bay, and Pinnacle Rock.

Espanola (Hood Island) is the southernmost island on the archipelago, and is one of the most popular due to the breathtaking variety and sheer number of endemic fauna. At Punta Suarez, sea lions surf the waves, marine iguanas bask in the sun, Nazca and Blue-footed Boobies nest alongside the trail, and Galapagos Doves, Cactus Finch and mockingbirds forage by. Our trail continues to a shelf of black lava where a blowhole shoots a geyser of water into the air.  Further east along the cliffs is the “Albatross Airport” where waved albatrosses line up to launch their great bodies from the cliffs.

On the northeastern shore of Espanola, Gardner Bay offers a magnificent, long, white sand beach, where colonies of sea lions laze in the sun, sea turtles swim offshore, and mockingbirds boldly investigate new arrivals. We may have time to snorkel or kayak by Tortuga Rock and Gardner Island where we will encounter sea lions and large schools of tropical fish.

Genovesa Island (also called Tower) is alive with an active year-round colony of frigatebird, the males inflating their red pouches to attract the females overhead. We’ll also view Red-footed and Nazca Boobies and thousands of Storm Petrels. We’ll have the opportunity to snorkel along the cliffs of Tower’s submerged caldera where anglefish, parrotfish and perhaps manta rays can be seen. We will also walk up Prince Philips Steps to a narrow stretch of land that opens onto the plateau surrounding Darwin Bay, where we may encounter Red-footed Boobies, “masked boobies”, and the Short-eared Owl.

Isabela Island, the largest island, is made up of a series of volcanoes. Tagus Cove makes for an ideal panga ride beneath its sheltered cliffs, where Blue-footed Boobies, Brown Noddies, pelicans and Noddy Terns make their nests, and Flightless Cormorants and penguins inhabit the lava ledges. We continue along the southwestern coast of Isabela to visit the mangrove lagoons of Elizabeth Bay and Urbina Bay, where land iguanas and giant tortoises roam.  On the northern part of this diverse island, we will visit Punta Vicente Roca, where the remnants of Volcano Ecuador, along with the upwelling of coldwater currents, create an abundance of marine life in sheltered turquoise coves.

At Punta Espinosa on Fernandina Island, penguins show off by throwing themselves from the rocks, red and turquoise-blue zayapas crabs disperse across the shoreline, while herons and egrets forage through the mangrove roots. A short walk leads to a large colony of marine iguanas resting atop one another in friendly heaps along the shore. Nearby, sea lions frolic in a sheltered lagoon, and farther down the shore visit with the world’s only species of flightless cormorants.

Rábida Island, visited by the Eclipse, is one of the most volcanically varied islands in the chain. A visit begins with a wet landing on the deep maroon colored northern beach. Marine iguanas and sea lions are often seen resting in the shade of the caves nearby.  Behind the beach is the salt brush home where the Brown Pelicans make their nests. Rabida may be the only opportunity visitors have to see pelicans nesting up close. On the cliffs above the pelicans, Blue-footed and Masked Boobies can be seen. Following the path, visitors arrive at a small saltwater lagoon where Pink Flamingos, Bahama Pintail Ducks and Common Stilts are frequently seen feeding. Rabida offers the best lagoons in the islands for viewing flamingos.

We begin and end our journey aboard the Grace, the Evolution, or the Alta on San Cristobal Island. Here we pay a visit to Leon Dormido, also known as Kicker Rock.  This spectacular formation rises 500 feet out of the Pacific.  Heading northeast along the coast of San Cristobal, we land on the inviting powdery beach of Playa Ochoa, home to a small colony of sea lions. A tidal lagoon sitting behind the beach is frequented by flamingos, Darwin Finches, and the endemic San Cristobal Mockingbird.  We may also have time to visit the Galapagos National Park Visitor Center, presenting a comprehensive exhibit of the islands’ natural history, human interaction, ecosystems, flora and fauna.

DAY 10
End Cruise and Return to Quito or Guayaquil

This morning, we motor back to port followed by a transfer to the airport in Baltra or San Cristobal, and our flight to Quito or Guayaquil in the afternoon.  Upon arrival at the airport you may choose to connect with flights home, extend your trip with our Highlands North, Highlands South, or Amazon extensions, or spend an additional night on mainland Ecuador. 

Alta Daily Itinerary
Eclipse Daily Itinerary
Evolution Daily Itinerary
Grace Daily Itinerary

From $4650 per person

Alta
Cabins 1 & 2: $5,050 per person
Cabins 3-8: $4,850 per person

Additional notes:

• Single Supplement: 75% surcharge.
• Children under 12 will benefit from a 15% discount on all departures except Easter, Christmas, and New Years cruises.
• Easter, Christmas and New Years week will have a surcharge of $400 per person. 
• Fuel Surcharge: $300 per person.
• Inquire for charter rates.
  

Eclipse      
Deluxe Stateroom: $5,900 per person
Superior Stateroom: $5,500 per person
Stateroom: $5,000 per person
Single Stateroom: $5,200

Additional notes:

• Single Supplement: 1.5 x the twin rate for Staterooms, 2x the twin rate for Deluxe and Superior Rooms.
• For triple occupancy, 3rd person in Deluxe Stateroom is assessed at the Single Stateroom rate.
• Children under 12 will benefit from a 25% discount on all departures except Easter, Christmas, and New Years cruises.
• Fuel Surcharge: $180 per person
  

Evolution
Master Suite: $5,850 per person
Suite: $5,450 per person
Premium Stateroom: $5,050 per person
Deluxe Stateroom: $4,650 per person

Additional notes:

• Single Supplement: 75% surcharge.
• Children under 12 will benefit from a 15% discount on all departures except Easter, Christmas, and New Years cruises.
• Fuel Surcharge: $300 per person.
• Inquire for charter rates.
  

Grace
Master Suite: $6050 per person
Suite: $5600 per person
Premium Stateroom: $5150 per person

Additional notes:

• Single Supplement: 75% surcharge.
• Children under 12 will benefit from a 15% discount on all departures except Easter, Christmas, and New Years cruises.
• Fuel Surcharge: $300 per person.
• Inquire for charter rates.

Fees include Galapagos National Park Fees and Transit Card, and 2 nights lodging in Quito or Guayaquil (including breakfast).

Optional add on:
City tour in Quito or Guayaquil, or day trip to Otavalo Market from Quito, includes lunch:
$250 per person; $370 for single travelers

Additional nights in Quito or Guayaquil:
$175 per room per night

Inquire about 2010 rates.

• Bilingual naturalist guide
• Two nights in a first-class hotel (Quito or Guayaquil); seven nights on a deluxe yacht
• All meals on cruise; breakfast on mainland
• All land and boat transportation during the tour
• Galapagos park fees and transit card
• All activities as noted in the itinerary