Galapagos adventure vacation

From

US $5309

10 Days excluding flights

Countries:Ecuador, Galapagos Islands

More info:Includes 9 nights ensuite accommodation, meals as specified, experienced naturalist guide, Galapagos flights Extras: Xmas and New Year dates: +USD 250 / GBP 200pp surcharge Galapagos entrance fee USD 100, INGALA tourist card USD 20 (pay locally)

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“A top selling ten day, small group adventure, hiking, snorkelling, cycling and kayaking around the Galapagos, staying on land, in small locally owned accommodations. ”

Highlights

Travel Team

If you'd like to chat about this vacation or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.

Toll free 1-866-821-6866 Calling from outside the US? rosy@responsibletravel.com

Check dates

2021: 5 Apr, 16 Apr, 30 Apr, 14 May, 28 May, 11 Jun, 25 Jun, 9 Jul, 23 Jul, 6 Aug, 20 Aug, 3 Sep, 17 Sep, 1 Oct, 15 Oct, 29 Oct, 12 Nov, 26 Nov, 10 Dec, 17 Dec, 20 Dec, 24 Dec

Our top tip:

Travel light in terms of packing but heavy in terms of cash, with dollars welcome on all the islands.

Trip type:

Small group vacation.

Activity level:

Moderate with emphasis on fun not fitness. Min. age 10.

Accomm:

Small, standard 2* island hotels.

Included:

Accommodation, most meals, airport transfer on last day, transport, activity equipment, wetsuit, guide.

Multi generational:

This vacation is suitable for grandparents, parents and children.

Vouchers

Accepted

Vacation type

Small group vacations

Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modelled on independent travel – but with the advantage of a group leader to take care of the itinerary, accommodation and tickets, and dealing with the language. It’s easy to tick off the big sights independently – but finding those one-off experiences, local festivals, traveling markets and secret viewpoints is almost impossible for someone without the insider knowledge gained from years in the field. If you’re heading off on a gap year your, perhaps – but for those with a two-week vacation, a small group tour will save valuable planning time.

The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travelers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.

We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.

What are the main benefits?

Big experiences
Have big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.

Simplicity
Make the most of your vacation time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!

Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.

Who is it ideal for?

Travelers who are short of time
If you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your vacation.

Solo travelers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those traveling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.

Less confident travelers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.

Mythbuster

“I won’t get any privacy!”
Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travelers their own room.

“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.

“The accommodation will be basic”
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.

“I won’t like the other travelers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.

“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.

Meet a group leader

As well as taking care of all the day-to-day practicalities, your group leader is the one who will turn your trip into an adventure. Leaders are extraordinary characters – the kind of person who has spent 14 Christmas days on the slopes of Mount Everest, runs marathons wearing tiger suits to raise funds for their conservation and thinks nothing of leading an overland trip in Sudan or Afghanistan. Fearless and inspiring, group leaders are as important as the destination itself.

Meet a local guide

No matter how experienced your group leader, they can never make up for the knowledge gained from a lifetime in the destination. That’s why many of our trips work with local guides around the world – who invite you into their homeland with pleasure. As well as doing crazy things like climbing Kilimanjaro 100 times, they also donate their time to local projects supported by travelers – such as rebuilding Sri Lankan villages following the 2004 tsunami.

Responsible tourism

As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your vacation will help support conservation and local people.

The Galapagos was the first natural site to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site - 1979. It is also a Biosphere Reserve and Whale Sanctuary.

The Galapagos is a worldwide model for eco-tourism. Here you are able to visit an area of great natural beauty and encounter, at close quarters, animal species that have no fear of humans. Strict regulations govern all tourist activities and are rigidly enforced and tourist numbers are restricted.

For every visitor we take to the Galapagos we donate £25 to the Galapagos Conservation Trust www.gct.org who work to protect and conserve the Galapagos islands.

We are also an active member of IGTOA http://www.igtoa.org/, a non profit association of travel companies, conservation organizations, and other groups that seek a lasting protection of the Galapagos Islands. We lobby for conservation, fund projects, and promote and practice sustainable tourism.

The boats we use on our Galapagos adventure vacation are all locally owned and operated yachts, equipped to accommodate 10-16 passengers and accompanied by professional naturalist guides certified by the Darwin Research Station.

On our Galapagos adventure vacation give people free membership to the Conservation Trust, we have IGTOA membership who campaign to protect the islands, we employ local staff all the way one the trip, only use hotels owned by locals, all the food is sourced locally, we take people to locally-owned restaurants to help keep the money in the islands, we don’t use plastic bottled water, instead one huge cylinder is used to fill people’s own water containers so cutting down on use of plastics, lunches onboard served in tupperware containers which can be resused, no rubbish is left anywhere by us or guides. No wildlife is disturbed and we operate a strict policy leaving the animals and flora alone.

We are supporting two charities, the UK registered charity Amantani - which is very much in keeping with our ethos of small scale, targeted help that is educational & sustainable - and Huchuy Yachaq, a Cusco-based project which we support by paying a for a full time teacher. A percentage of our income goes to support those projects.

Environment

Community

Climate

17 Reviews of Galapagos adventure vacation

4.5 out of 5 stars

SHOW

Reviewed on 10 Dec 2018 by Barbara Gray

The most memorable part of our vacation was probably swimming with sea lions and turtles but this was closely followed by observing birds interact with each other. Read full review

Reviewed on 29 Jul 2018 by Helen Honeyball

Too many (highlights) to mention - maybe snorkelling beside Kicker Rock (Galapagos) seeing giant turtles; or zip lining 40 meters above the cloud forest floor (Ecuador) Read full review

Reviewed on 26 Feb 2018 by Sarah Daly

The highlight was the snorkelling with penguins sharks rays sea lions turtles cormorants pelicans and then of course the fish. Excellent. Completely incredible. The yacht was amazing and the crew were great. Our guide was so professional but fun he made the trip so interesting. Read full review

Reviewed on 10 Jan 2017 by Chris Goldthorp

So much to list! I think snorkelling with the turtles on Galapagos and having humming birds at my finger tools feeding from a nectar pot was the most memorable. Unbelievably fantastic! All enhanced by the fantastic guides we had in Quito, Galapagos and Bella Vista Cloud forest! Read full review

Reviewed on 07 Jul 2017 by Van Schwiebert

The opportunity to see so many varieties of flora and fauna in their native environment, the opportunity to swim with penguins and sea lions, and the wonderful array of settings in which to view all. Read full review

Reviewed on 25 Feb 2017 by Rachel Balen

I spent a week riding in the Andes and a week sailing round the Galapagos Islands. Both weeks were fantastic - well organised, knowledgeable and friendly guides , good accommodation, plentiful food etc Read full review

Reviewed on 31 Aug 2015 by Mei Yoke Chan

This has to be one of my best trips ever!! Highly recommended! The Galapagos has to be on everyone's bucket list! Read full review

Reviewed on 11 Jan 2014 by Robert Coifman

We feel we've had many 5-star vacations but this was certainly one of them. Read full review

Reviewed on 22 Apr 2014 by Sue Johnson

Very enjoyable....We hiked the Inca trail; catching sight of Machu Picchu through the cloud as we approached was spectacular! Read full review

Reviewed on 25 Mar 2013 by Camilla Reeve

Snorkelling with the wonderful under-sea creatures - as well as scores of beautiful fishes, I swam with marine iguanas and sea turtles. Plus the kayaking was a high point for me. Read full review

Reviewed on 31 Jul 2013 by Sarah Pajwani

An incredible experience and privilege like no other Read full review

Reviewed on 26 Jul 2012 by Sarah Inkpen

At first thought I would say the Bryde whale and her baby playing along side the boat but then well maybe swimming with the penguins!...This vacation was my gift to my daughter for her 21st birthday! I would say the best birthday ever!! Read full review

Reviewed on 29 May 2012 by Trish Dooley

Pretty much all of it - it was fantastic. Maybe snorkelling with sharks and meeting a great group of people. A wonderful, passionate guide...The Best Ever. Literally. Read full review

Reviewed on 29 Mar 2012 by Sandra Thomas

The most memorable parts of this vacation were sea lions nibbling your knees, boobies all over the place nothing disturbed by our presence, swimming with both sharks and sea lions the fantastic crew and the food on board. Read full review

Reviewed on 03 Oct 2012 by Pamela Krueger

For me, every day was a "highlight", not only because of daily changing activities and scenery, but also because of our daily discoveries of new endemic species (in both flora and fauna). The marine life however is definitely one of its kind! Read full review

Reviewed on 15 Apr 2012 by Gareth Newton

The most memorable part was having ample opportunity to see most of the wildlife the islands are famous for, and to be able to get some amazing photographs. Read full review

Reviewed on 10 Apr 2012 by Moira Butcher

The most memorable part was watching a pelican fishing from the black volcanic rocks next to the white sandy dunes of Isabella island, in the western part of the Galapagos. Read full review