6-Day Galapagos Island Hopping Tour: Explore Santa Fe, Santa Cruz and Los Tuneles

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Embark on a thrilling 6-day Galapagos Island Hopping tour and discover the wonders of Santa Fe, Santa Cruz, and Los Tuneles. Snorkel with diverse marine life, visit the Charles Darwin Station, and explore the enchanting Santa Fe island. Book your perfect Galapagos holiday now!

Duration: 6 days

Cancellation: 6 days

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Highlights

BALTRA – SANTA CRUZ ISLAND – ISABELA ISLAND

Isabela Island - Option 1: Itinerary for flights arriving at Baltra before 12:00 PM
Upon arrival to Baltra Airport, you will be picked up by an English-speaking guide and transferred to Puerto Ayora for lunch. After lunch, you will take the speedboat to Isabela (approx. 2.5hrs). Upon arrival, you will…

BALTRA – SANTA CRUZ ISLAND – ISABELA ISLAND

Isabela Island - Option 1: Itinerary for flights arriving at Baltra before 12:00 PM

Upon arrival to Baltra Airport, you will be picked up by an English-speaking guide and transferred to Puerto Ayora for lunch. After lunch, you will take the speedboat to Isabela (approx. 2.5hrs). Upon arrival, you will be dropped off at your hotel in Isabela.

Santa Cruz Island - Option 2: Itinerary for flights arriving at Baltra after 12:00 PM

If you flight arrives after 12:00 pm you will stay in Santa Cruz on your first day. If you arrive before 3:00 pm you will receive lunch either. The order for the tour will be changed, but rest assured that you will do all the activities included in the tour.

TINTORERAS AND WETLANDS

El Tunel del Estero - Your Wetlands tour starts early in the morning.
First visiting the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center and then the Wall of Tears, a historic site.
After this visit you will head to Tunel del Estero where you will experience a Lava Tunnel and take in glorious sites.

Please keep in mind that the total length of the walk in The Wetlands area is approximately 3 to 4 hours.

Las Tintoreras - After lunch you will have a short break before your visit to Tintoreras Islet. Named for the white-tip sharks known as Tintoreras which rest at the bottom of the site.

Transfer to Puerto Villamil for a trek on volcanic rocks where you can spot a variety of wildlife. Snorkeling and beach time after the trek.

SNORKELING IN LOS TUNELES

Los Tuneles - Early in the morning, you will go on a 30 to 40 minute boat ride from Puerto Villamil. Max group size is 10 pax. The unique lava formations and calm water make Los Tuneles the best site to snorkel in Isabela Island. You will get the chance to spot a wide array of sea birds, marine wildlife, penguins, and the ever playful sea lions. The activity takes about 6 hours. You can also choose to explore Concha Perla by yourself before or after snorkeling

CHARLES DARWIN RESEARCH STATION – BAY TOUR

Charles Darwin Research Station - At 06:00 AM you will take the public speedboat to Santa Cruz Island where you’ll have breakfast. Then you’ll visit the renowned Charles Darwin Research Station. After lunch, you will go on a Bay Tour. With this tour you visit the highlights around Puerto Ayora by boat. Including; La Loberia, Punta Camaño Islet, two channel crossings, and finally Playa de Los Perros.

SANTA FE ISLAND

Santa Fe Island - Brace yourself for an encounter unlike any other. Today you will either visit Santa Fe or Pinzon Islands. This will depend on the Galapagos National Park Regulations and will be decided on the day the tour operates.

If you visit Santa Fe, you will discover a pristine bay with crystal-clear waters for a thrilling snorkeling adventure. Following this, a wet landing awaits at Playa Escondida or the Garrapatero Beach on Santa Cruz Island, giving you ample time to explore this mesmerizing beach.

Alternatively, the Pinzon Island tour unveils an amazing display of marine iguanas and playful sea lions. La Fe, is a picturesque beach cradled by mangroves and rocky terrain, showcasing an array of captivating marine life from sea turtles to small sharks and colorful fish. During this specific day tour, you will also have the opportunity to experience “Pezca Vivencial” which is translated as “experiential fishing” focused on the enjoyment and personal connection, rather than just the catch.

TRANSFER OUT – BALTRA

Galápagos Ecologic Airport - After breakfast, you will travel to Baltra Airport with a Spanish speaking driver, where you will depart to Quito or Guayaquil.

What's Included

Snorkeling gear including mask, snorkel, fins, and life vest.
Inter-island transportation as detailed in the itinerary.
Complimentary airport pickup and drop-off at Baltra Airport.
Round-the-clock assistance in English, Dutch, and Spanish.
5 nights’ accommodation in various room configurations.
Daily breakfast.
Lunch included.

What's Not Included

Round trip flights from mainland Ecuador to Galapagos Islands.
Isabela dock fee: $ 10 p.p. (cash only)
Water Taxi around $ 1 p.p.
For rent: wetsuit $ 5 p.p. per day (cash only)
Optional tips for the guide.
Migratory Control Card / Ingala Transit Card: $ 20 p.p. (cash only)

Additional Information

The 6 day Galapagos Island Hopping budget tour takes you to some of the best places of the Galapagos Islands; Los Tuneles, Santa Fe, the Charles Darwin Station and Tintoreras. Everything is arranged; from transfers, tours up to the hotels and almost all activities are in groups with other travelers. It is the perfect Galapagos holiday!
Highlights:…

Highlights:

Los Tuneles: Snorkel in the clear waters and swim with a lot of different animal species.

Wetlands and Tintoreras: Visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, Wall of Tears and Tintoreras islet.

Charles Darwin Research Station: Known for its turtles, born from 3 inches to 4 feet long.

Bay Tour: You will visit the highlights around Puerto Ayora by boat.

Santa Fe: Explore one of the oldest uninhabited islands of the Galapagos.

It is recommended to book flights with an early arrival time to the Galapagos Islands and a late departure time from the Galapagos Islands to make sure you can enjoy all of the activities of the tour. Late arrivals and/or early departures mean you might miss some activities.
If your flight is delayed or canceled and you cannot make it to Puerto Ayora in time to take the last speedboat to Isabela Island, which departs around 14:00, the team assist you with finding accommodation on Santa Cruz Island but this will be on your own expense. You will miss the planned activities.
There are no guides on the transportation by public speedboat between islands.
Please try to bring small bags and luggage, The Galapagos public transportation is on average small and it takes more time and space when you bring large baggage.
Tap water on the Galapagos Islands might contain bacteria and should not be consumed, not even for brushing your teeth. Bottled or purified water is always recommended.
Inform yourself about food safety when traveling to tropical countries. Take the necessary precaution to avoid food poisoning (always wash your hands before eating, don’t eat ‘street food’, only eat peeled fruits, etc.).
It is important to have valid travel and medical insurance. Please inform us of any known medical conditions you have.
It is possible that pictures will be taken during your tour, so it is recommended to bring a USB.
The operator reserves the right to change the itinerary without previous notice due to weather, National Park regulations or notifications and unforeseeable circumstances.
Operated by multilingual guides, certified by the Galapagos National Park.
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking (vegetarian options available)
The exact amount for the fees mentioned in the ‘What’s excluded’ section will be detailed in the voucher. If you want to know this information beforehand, please contact us through the platform.
Accommodation is based on number of travelers, if you are traveling with a group, you will be sharing rooms (single rooms require an extra fee).

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings

4.7

(26 Ratings)

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Profbam

Apr 30, 2023

Lindblad for the Galapagos - Used the Lindblad National Geographic Endeavor II. Package included airfare from Miami to Guayaquil, hotel, flight to Galapagos to board our ship and return. The travel to and from was very well organized. They do have an efficient system. Ship had 100 passengers and 63 crew. Typical day was a landing on an island for a walk of a mile or so with a naturalist. Since I was solo, I would go back to the disembark area and wait in line to hop onto a Zodiac. Each Zodiac had a driver, room for 8 on each side and then the guide/naturalist would hop on last. Random who you got, but I found that all of them were very knowledgeable down to the Latin names of things. Back to the ship for lunch and then back into the Zodiacs for snorkeling. And a couple of times there was a pretty good hike. One day was spent at the Darwin Research Station and then up to the highlands for a lunch and walk about the giant tortoises. I had a BLAST every day. The trip checked all of my boxes. All of the crew were great, food was great, service was great and even the Captain serenaded us one night with Latin songs. Pricey, but I had been wanting to do this for decades. Notes: They have good gear for snorkeling. A couple of people had Go cameras and got good underwater shots of sea turtles and sea lions that swam with us. I downloaded from Apple Books a naturalists guide to the Galapagos and read during my flights down. Good preparation. Guides were impressed that I had done my homework. Don't eat all of the food that they put in front of you. I put on only one pound.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Patricia

Sep 18, 2022

Excellent tour with great service - Well organized from start to finish. Good service during orientation and booking (in Dutch, Spanish and English). When we arrived at the airport, the guide was already waiting for us. All guides were friendly and knew a lot about the Galapagos Islands. Hotels were fine. Rebecca Adventures Travel was also easily accessible during the tour. We will definitely book our next holiday through Rebecca!

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Lindseybienvenu

Jul 28, 2021

Kick Butt Tour Company - Rebecca Travel was an absolutely amazing company to go through. They had everything scheduled and ready to go from start to finish and the tours were amazing. My fiance and I were living in Quito at the time we visited the Galapagos. My parents came down to Ecuador to visit us and experience this once in a lifetime trip. If you are on a budget (and get motion sick and want to stay on land at night like we did) this is the trip for you! The food was amazing and the experiences are some that we will cherish forever. **The ferry can be VERY ROUGH so it is worth arriving early to get a good seat in the back as well as taking LOTS of dramamine. The ferry ride is worth it though.

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C_hebden77

Jul 9, 2021

You won’t regret booking this experience - What an amazing experience!!! I rarely book full tours and instead, prefer to customize my own itinerary, but originally booked my trip with relatively short notice so took a chance on the 6 day tour around the Galapagos. Then it had to be rescheduled due to covid. The staff at Rebecca’s was great to work with through all of the uncertainty. Very responsive and knowledgeable as we worked through the date changes and requirements for travel. Once we arrived, we were met by the BEST tour guide in all of the Galapagos, Cesar. From the get go, he gave us great information about the history, the animals and various plants found on the island. If you research the trip in advance, believe the hype about the boat ride to Isabella from Santa Cruz. It is ROUGH. Take Dramamine, sit toward the back..say a prayer or 2..and just get through it. Once that’s over, the next couple days are filled with absolutely amazing experiences. The snorkeling is unbelievable. The water is so clear to see all of the oceanic wildlife. Swimming with the sea turtles is incredible. The sea lions are completely adorable and so playful, they really make the trip! The food is fantastic with a ton of variety. At some point, you sadly have to get back on the boat to head back to Santa Cruz. Still a rough ride. Oy But the snorkeling experience off of Santa Fe, one of the excursions from Santa Cruz, will be worth any seasickness you may experience. It’s beyond gorgeous. So so so clear. Swimming with sea lions, turtles, rays…incredible. The bay tour was the only excursion that if you felt like skipping, you wouldn’t be missing much. Way too crowded for what you get…but everything else was absolutely phenomenal. Not having to worry about transportation, finding guides, deciding and the best tours…if you’re considering this tour through Rebecca’s…DO IT! You won’t regret it.

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Rosalinr

Mar 2, 2020

Ecuador Adventure - Angelica at Rebecca Travels planned the perfect Ecuadorean adventure for us. She listened to what we like to do and incorporated all of our wishes. We got to ride horses around Cotopaxi, take a cooking class in Quito, explore the Napo River on a wonderful cruise and spend time in the Galapagos on another wonderful cruise. All came off without a hitch and we would definitely recommend Angelica!!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Laurajohanna_w

Nov 24, 2019

Great experience and well organized - This trip was just amazing. I am a single traveller and this programm was great for me. They took so good care of me and i had to think of nothing. Really enjoyed it!

Review provided by Viator

Fei

Nov 12, 2019

Best Experience Ever - It was the best traveling experience so far in my life. Big thanks to Rebecca's team, everything has been perfectly arranged, the guides, hotels, and the staff are all so kind and professional. I will definitely recommend everyone to take the tour from Rebecca since it's totally worth it.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Csullivan077

Nov 1, 2022

Great Vacation in the Galapagos - We used Rebecca Adventure Travel company for our Galapagos vacation (6-Day Island Hopping Budget Tour). We enjoyed staying on the islands (as opposed to doing a cruise-style vacation), to stay at local hotels and eat at local restaurants. We opted for a budget-friendly vacation. We did a speed-boat transfer between islands twice. One of the boats we had was an extremely rough ride for about 2.5 hours (a couple of passengers got sick. Although the other transfer we did was with a different boat and was quite smooth (people were sleeping comfortably during the trip). So, if you are someone who gets seasick, we would recommend to be prepared for the possibility of a rough boat trip and to be prepared with motion-sickness tablets. Another thing you could do is to mention to the company that you would prefer a smoother boat transfer if possible (not entirely sure how the schedules work). We were prepared and it all worked out fine for us! We stayed a few nights on Isabela Island, and a few on Santa Cruz. The hotels were very nice and the activities were great! We saw so much wildlife! We highly recommend using Rebecca Adventure Travel! The company was highly responsive to our questions prior to our trip and during the trip as well!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Tiffany

Aug 1, 2022

Amazing Trip, Good Excursions - Our group of seven took the 6 day Budget trip and had a great time. We added an additional day so we could visit the Highlands and see the tortoises. Rebecca’s travel provided great communication from beginning to end. This trip was originally planned for July 2020 and we had to postpone twice. Email with the company was easy and they provided quick responses. Fast forward to July 2022 and now half the group is in the Galapagos and half still in the US due to flight cancellations. Rebecca’s Travel came to the rescue and made sure the half arriving late were still taken care of, picked up at the airport and transported to meet up with the rest of the group. During the trip, we were able to keep in contact with the company via What’s App. They texted daily see how everything was going and to let us know the plan for the next day. They even texted when they learned one in our group was sick. I will recommend Rebecca’s Travel again. They are a great company to work with and provide a great service.

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Alec

May 23, 2022

Unorganized And Not Very Varied For A Solo Traveler - Kind of unorganized for a solo traveler with dates that don’t align along their schedule? Maybe they cater better to couples or groups? Pick up was strange (I was told I would have a sign with my name on it…this guy was wandering the arrival area whispering my name for a good 10 mins…then claimed no paper was used on the islands…your argument doesn’t hold much weight when everyone else was holding dry-erase boards…), the process of getting to the main nexus of Puerto Ayora/Santa Cruz is as follows: plane-bus-boat-car (about an hour ten minutes), rarely was anyone friendly or ever a bona-fide “you’re with me or us and it’s nice to meet you!” guide; they were all from various agencies per wherever you landed as you’re scattered to the winds of third parties, and for the activities it was literally every single day snorkeling with not a lot of variety - a HIKE to a volcano would’ve been appreciated, something! Even give us a list to cater to our preferences. To boot an older man was put on some of these treks and he was borderline handicapped….send out a survey, a questionnaire, something because he not only inconvenienced people in the tour but it was hard to watch him struggle. Breakfast and lunch were also extremely bland and, say, one meal being bland, ok fine, but to return to the SAME restaurant, TWICE, when there are tons of interesting fusion takes around..? You’re not getting what they’re charging to be honest and you can show up to Puerto Ayura/Santa Cruz for a week or two and do everything (Isabela, Santa Fe, etc etc) for about $1,000 or under consulting with the pop-up shops along the main drag of Darwin Street.

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