Our Galapagos Island Hopping programs cover the highlights in 5, 6 or 8 days time. We included the must do excursions to the most astonishing destinations as well as instructions for self-guided activities during your free time. They are designed to discover as much incredible Galapagos wildlife – both on land as under water at spectacular snorkeling sites – as possible, without having to worry about your accommodation and finding your way around.
With our island hopping tours you will be staying in hotels from where you will go on interesting group excursions to uninhabited islands and explore other interesting visitor sites nearby. Certified guides will accompany you on all of the excursions, but the group composition can vary from day to day, as everyone is following a personalized itinerary. If you haven’t quite gotten your sea legs, an island hopping program is the best option for you. Another great benefit of an island hopping tour is the fact that it can start any day that you would like and you can make it as long as you want.
Geert A27 October 2023Verified Well-organised, smooth 3-week trip through beautiful Ecuador Excellent service for our (= couple in their sixties) three-week trip through Ecuador: good preparation (several offers given and compared), very responsive when asked questions (about safety, local costs, etc.), instant support with (minor; there were no major) issues during the trip (delayed drivers, small misunderstandings at hotels that were reserved,...), overall good deal price/quality. Of course it also helped that we did not have a single issue with safety, crime (theft, harrassment),... even though we also visited the larger cities of Quito and Guayaquil (of course, taking into account all suggested precautions: don't go looking for trouble in dangerous areas, stay off the streets at night, don't walk around like a tourist with a sign on his forehead "please rob me",...). In conclusion, unforgettable trip in a country with a lot of variation within reasonable distances (rain forest, Andes, coast, cities,...), and organized very well by Adore Travel. Raymond v18 October 2023Verified Top travel agency ! Een must voor een bezoek aan Ecuador - Galapagos Geweldige service , goede hulp, snel en adequaat contact, absolute aanrader Reis op maat klopte van A tot Z , elke dag was een nieuw avontuur ! Nanja en Bas O15 September 2023Verified Fijn contact en deskundig reisbureau voor Ecuador Al vrij snel na ons eerste contact met Adore Ecuador (Margot) ontvingen we een volledig reisschema, in ons geval voor een Amazone-tour en een week op de Galápagos. Beide waren fantastisch. Het schema was goed doordacht en we hadden mooie overnachtingsplekken. Tijdens onze reis was Margot heel goed bereikbaar en reageerde ze snel op vragen van ons. We kunnen het iedereen aanbevelen om bij Adore Ecuador te boeken om het land op z'n best te beleven! wimweerd8 September 2023Verified Betrouwbaar en alles waarmaken wat ze beloven. Adore is een reisbureau in Ecuador die meeleven en meedenken met de mensen uit Ecuador met toch ook een Nederlands tintje. Ook die afspraken nakomen en alles goed regelen. Ed4 September 2023Verified Perfectly organized trip through Ecuador We asked Adore to put together a tailor-made trip. Very well helped by Jessica and always an immediate response to our questions and wishes. A trip perfectly organized according to our wishes. Nice, mostly small-scale, comfortable hotels. We traveled with private drivers, but public transport is also possible. We received an extensive travel plan per day with daily activities, but also enough space for free interpretation. Drivers were always present at the agreed time, with spacious comfortable minivans (we traveled with four). There was also room to plan the route in such a way that there was still plenty to see or do along the way. Although everything goes by email, you have personal contact and a fantastic and unique journey is ensured. Wendy B1 September 2023Verified Adore the Galapagos experience Highly recommended! I did some research about Travel Agencies and reached out to two, Adore Ecuador replied in a more personalized manner, inquiring more about my expectations and dive experience. Their response was way more engaging and showed a desire to understand what I wanted to see. Jessica was my main point of contact, she guided me through the entire process. We started with the 6 Day Galapagos Island Hopping Dive tour, adding more days and an additional Island: Isabela, for a chance to swim with Penguins. For each tour, they manage base packages with 3 levels of accommodations(Budget, Standard & Comfort) and the option to customize it even further. If you care about accommodations, take a look at their website, it gives you a good idea about what to expect. I had the chance to select my accommodations, and with an extra fee, I enjoyed their Panoramic View Suite in one of the hotels, which I absolutely loved! Jessica's answers were always timely and informative, giving me options and guidance. She was very patient and replied to all my questions. After we formalized the itinerary, she sent me a detailed travel proposal. I had the option to cover the Payment in electronic fashion; then she solidified the reservations and took care of all the details, all my transfers, stays, guides for the protected areas, dive tours, snorkel tours and more. The Travel itinerary that she sent me had clear instructions for each activity, specifying what was covered, and what additional fees/services were needed at my own expense (such the Galapagos National Park entrance fee, Transit Control Card, taxis) with an estimated price (which was very accurate). I had the time of my life in Galapagos, every island had its own magic. In Santa Cruz I dove with one of the best Dive agencies that I have been diving with!. Some were very challenging dives, but I felt safe with them. We saw sea lions underwater & many turtles. The vibe in the town is very chill and relaxed. While on that island I saw the giant tortoises, sea lions by the fisherman dock and the beaches, swimming iguanas and more. In Isabella, I had the best snorkeling experience, we did see penguins and swam around them! lots and lots of turtles(the highest number that I have seen snorkeling), rays, sea lions and more. interesting marine creatures, tortoises and birds! This island felt less urbanized…more pristine. In San Cristobal, the town felt more developed, but I had a great dive experience seeing an innumerable amount of Salema, and some sea lions and sharks swimming around, breaking their “formation”. San Cristobal has the largest colony of Sea Lions in the Galapagos, I enjoyed chilling and swimming with them a lot. Once you know how to move around Galapagos, it can be simple, but it was my first time and not enough time to do a lot of research, so I really appreciated all the guidance and help…especially with the transfers between islands. I witnessed very unfortunate circumstances, other tourists lost their transfer as their name was not in the boarding list and the boats were full. I felt bad for them, and also grateful that Jessica had a lot of attention to detail. I am very happy with the service and guidance provided by Jessica and the Adore Ecuador team. If you are thinking about Galapagos and don’t know where to start, they can offer some guidance and information about what to expect in each island. Galapagos is a destination that you will never forget and Adore Ecuador will help you to adore the experience! Sandra v25 August 2023Verified Roadtrip Ecuador Our roadtrip through Ecuador was amazing and very well organized by Adore Ecuador travel agency. We have done and seen so much. Visited some cities and learned a lot about the culture. Spend several days in nature: vulcano area, lakes, Tena Jungle and Galapagos. darlin v16 August 2023Verified Thanks Adore Ecuador Travel What a travel it was ! The organisation and program made by Margot and her team were perfect. A tailormade program, no worries and always reachable ! Lovely hotels, lovely places, lovely people. I recommend them all the way ! Lidwien B10 August 2023Verified Adoremos Ecauador Mijn dochter en ik hadden een geweldige reis in Ecuador. Adore Ecuador had alles tot in de puntjes geregeld: de hotels, de chauffeurs en de gidsen, de informatie over de plekken die we bezochten. Ecuador is een prachtig land. We hebben hoog op de Cotopaxi vulkaan gestaan, een wandeling in het nevelwoud bij Mindo gemaakt, gedobberd in het thermale bad in Banos, meegedanst bij een optreden voor de kathedraal in Cuena en onze ogen uitgekeken op de markt in Otavalo en Guamote. Heerlijk afwisselend gegeten (van sommige vruchten wist ik niet dat ze bestonden). We troffen overal vriendelijke mensen, we hebben ons geen moment onveilig gevoeld. Hartelijk dank aan Adore Ecuador voor deze geweldige reis. Ingrid10 August 2023Verified In een woord fantastisch! Wat hebben we genoten van deze mooie reis, en wat was alles goed geregeld door Adore Ecuador travel. Anouk en Margot zijn zeer goed bereikbaar en reageren snel. Een voordeel dat ze in Ecuador gevestigd zijn = geen tijdverschil :). Prima accommodaties, fijne privé chauffeurs.
All of our Galapagos tours can be booked with Budget, Standard, Comfort or Luxury hotels.
We have listed our preferred hotels in these categories on each island. In case a hotel is not available, we’ll book a similar accommodation for you.
To get to the Galapagos Islands, you will have to fly from either Quito (about 3,5 hours or 2 hours) or Guayaquil (about 2 hours). Round-trip tickets cost around $450-$500 per person. Most flights from Quito have a layover in Guayaquil, but there are some direct flights too. On the Galapagos itself you can fly into Baltra airport (GPS) which is connected to the Santa Cruz island and to San Cristobal airport (SCY).
There are a couple of airlines flying to the Galapagos, such as LATAM, Avianca and Equair. It’s not uncommon that flights are being suspended or cancelled, so it is recommendable to fly back to the mainland at least 1 day before your international flight back home to avoid any problems.
It is not possible to travel by boat from the mainland to the Galapagos.
Transit Control Card
To enter the Galapagos you need to buy a Transit Control Card ($20 p.p.) at the airport in Quito or Guayaquil before checking in for your flight.
Entrance fee Galapagos National Park
Once arrived at the airport on the Galapagos you will have to pay an additional entrance fee for the Galapagos National Park.
Both payments have to be done in cash, so don't forget to bring enough cash money with you on the day that you travel.
Transportation between the inhabited islands Isabela, Santa Cruz and San Cristobal takes places by speedboat (about 2,5 hours / $30 p.p. one way). There is no direct connection from Isabela to San Cristobal. There is also an interisland flight service offered by EMETEBE or Fly Galapagos airlines that operate between the three islands (about 25 minutes / $180 p.p. one way).
Galapagos has a wet and dry season. During dry season from June to November the temperatures are cooler and it can be windy with an average of 21 °C to 25 °C. The rainy season from December till May are the warmest months of the year with an average temperature of 25 °C to 28 °C. In this season the wind drops and seas are calmer. Also the higher water temperature (between 21°C and 26°C / 70°F to 79°C) and better visibility make it a great time for snorkeling at the Galapagos. Although the visibility is less and the water temperatures lower (between 18°C and 24°C / 64°C and 75°C), divers might prefer to go diving in dry season as there is a better possibility to see sharks, whales and dolphins.
The Galapagos Islands are located in time zone UTC−06:00, which is an hour earlier than Ecuador's mainland (UTC−05:00).
You can find some ATMs in Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz) and in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (San Cristobal). There is recently an ATMs available on Isabela island, but it doesn’t always work. So it’s recommended to bring enough cash with you if you are staying some time here. The maximum amount per withdrawal is usually $300-$500 depending the bank. Payments by credit card is accepted at some places, but definitely not everywhere. Paying small amounts with higher bills ($10, $20 or above) can be difficult. It’s best to always carry some change.
Outside the habited areas on Galapagos you will hardly find mobile phone signal. Most hotels on Galapagos offer free WiFi, but the speed is significantly lower than on the mainland. Except for a few luxury cruises, there is no internet connection available aboard Galapagos vessels.
Important note: We are not medical professionals and in this information we are sharing generally given health care advice regarding Ecuador. We strongly advise you to talk to a travel medicine specialist at least a month before departure to give you accurate and up to date information about required and recommended vaccinations and other health advice for your trip to Ecuador, specified to your travel itinerary and personal situation.
To visit the Galapagos, there are no extra vaccinations needed than those that are already recommended when visiting the mainland of Ecuador.
There is no Yellow Fever, Chikungunya, Zika and Malaria present on the Galapagos. Outbreaks of Dengue and – less common – Chikungunya tend to show up again every couple of years in Ecuador. In such cases the risk of someone transmitting these diseases to the Galapagos Islands is very low, but technically possible.
The government of Galapagos announced in 2018 that – in the future – it will require Galapagos tourists to take out a medical insurance that covers medical costs during their stay on the Galapagos. Currently there are no active checks being performed on tourists that are entering Galapagos.
However, we highly recommend to insure yourself for medical costs that are incurred during your stay in Ecuador. You can insure yourself with a travel insurance or sometimes through your regular health insurance. We always recommend to read the fine print of the insurance to make sure that medical costs made in Ecuador are covered. Also, some of our partner tour operators and/or Galapagos cruises may require a valid health insurance.
Both Santa Cruz and San Cristobal have a hospital and (private) clinics are also found on these islands, as well as on Isabela island. However, we recommend to fly back to the mainland is case you need medical treatment in more severe cases. Please contact us in case you are in need of medical assistance, so we can help you locate the nearest clinic.
Edificio Argentina Plaza – Office 802
Juan Severino E8-38 y Av. 6 de Diciembre
Quito – Ecuador
Office hours: Monday – Friday from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (GMT-5).
Tourism Registry Number: 1792773474001.001.9003713