Ecuador · Wildlife

Galapagos Island Hopping Santa Cruz and San Cristobal 5 Days

5 Days Round trip from Pickup service provided. Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights
  • 01 Visit Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal in one 5-day trip
  • 02 See giant tortoises in the highlands and conservation centres
  • 03 Explore Tortuga Bay’s white-sand beach and wildlife-rich waters
  • 04 Spot marine iguanas, sea lions, sharks, and sea turtles
  • 05 Visit the Charles Darwin Scientific Station
  • 06 Discover El Junco lagoon and La Galapaguera on San Cristóbal
  • 07 Optional day tour choices including Kicker Rock
  • 08 Breakfast, accommodation, transfers, and certified guide included

Discover two of the Galapagos Islands on a 5-day island-hopping adventure through Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal. This itinerary is designed for travellers who want to experience the archipelago’s remarkable wildlife up close, from giant tortoises and marine iguanas to sea lions, seabirds, and sea turtles.

Explore highlights including Tortuga Bay, the Charles Darwin Scientific Station, the Santa Cruz highlands, El Junco lagoon, and La Galapaguera. With accommodation, breakfast, airport transfers, inter-island travel, and a certified guide included, this tour offers a convenient way to experience the natural beauty and biodiversity of the Galapagos.

This itinerary is designed for travellers who want to experience the archipelago’s remarkable wildlife up close, from giant tortoises and marine iguanas to sea lions, seabirds, and sea turtles.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 5 Days
Tour type Shared
Activity level Easy
Accommodation Included
Transport Included
Wheelchair access No
Cities San Cristóbal Island, Santa Cruz Island
Languages English, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

1
Day 01

Transfer In + HighlandTransfer in: Our guide will be waiting for you at the airport wth a signal with your name in order to do the transfer to Santa Cruz island.High Land:.- Upper part Santa Cruz Island Entrance to the ranch, where the iconic tortoise are breeding.Charles Darwin Scientific Station: is an Interpretation Center open to the public and you can also learn about the breeding program for giant tortoises in captivity and their repatriationAccomodation in Santa Cruz

2
Day 02

Tortuga Bay + Bay Tour-Tortuga Bay: You will move towards the entrance of the road to Tortuga Bay, which we will do this by a walk of about 45 minutes to get to a beautiful beach nesting turtles. Tortuga Bay is known for being one of the longest beaches of white sand, where you can go swimming, snorkeling. You will see marine iguanas, sharks and sea turtles. -We head towards the "Loberia", a small island located two miles away, where the sea lions meet. They’re very kind and like to swim with people. Then, we will move to the "Shark Channel", a fissure or crevices formed by magmatic chamber, where they will be able to observe the sharks "ravine dyes" and are completely harmless.Accomodation in Santa Cruz

3
Day 03

Ferry + Highland in San Cristobal-Ferry from Santa Cruz to San Cristobal-The highlands of San Cristobal exhibit distinctly different biozones than the other inhabited islands. The first stop on this trans-island journey is at El Junco, a freshwater lagoon nested in the center of the islands. Here you can view Frigatebirds and other water fowl bathing in the lagoon. Unfortunately, you will not be able to join them in the inviting water. Moving on  you will stop at La Galapaguera, San Cristobal's Tortoise research and conservation center to see and learn about this island's growing Tortoise population in a natural setting. Accomodation in San Cristobal

4
Day 04

You will have the option to purchase one of the activities detailed below or take the day off- Option 1: At the agreed time, we will meet at the pier to begin our visit to the island wolves. In this place you will disembark to walk along a path with a beautiful landscape where you will find colonies of sea lions, pins with blue legs, marine iguanas and masked boobies.- Option 2: Kicker Rock is an uninhabited islet located 30 minutes from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno – San Cristóbal, Ecuador. It is a volcanic rock formation located outside the island of San Cristóbal. It is a refuge for many seabirds as boobies with blue legs, as well as for sea lions. The waters around the rock are home to numerous species of fish, sea turtles, rays and hammerhead sharksAccomodation in San Cristobal

5
Day 05

Transfer outAt the agreed time, after breakfast, we will meet in the lobby of the hotel to head to the airport to take the flight back.

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map
Round trip from Pickup service provided. 2 cities · 5 Days

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

  • Breakfast
  • Transfers Airport-Hotel-Airport
  • Accommodation in Santa Cruz
  • Accommodation in San Cristobal
  • Certified guide

What's Not Included

  • Transit Control Card Ingala
  • Entrance to the Galapagos National Park
  • Bus lobito
  • Santa Cruz dock fee and Isabela Island Dock Fee
  • Inter-Island water cabs

Know before you go

  • PASSPORT REQUIRED
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Not suitable for pets
  • No public transportation nearby
  • Infants must not sit on laps
  • Infant seats unavailable
  • Not recommended for people with back problems
  • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
  • Not recommended for people with heart conditions
  • Departure Point: Lobby of the hotel Dates: See Availability Return point: Returns to the dock

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point
Pickup service provided.
Tour start
Pickup service provided.
Tour ends at the same location as the start point.
End of the journey

Your 5 days finish where they began, in Pickup service provided..

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