DISCLAIMER: This page is still under construction and needs a lot more work. Comments/questions/criticisms always welcome. Just bop off an e-mail to: info@galapagos.to

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How to:

Choose an Itinerary

Since January, 2012, all Galápagos vessels follow a two-week itinerary, visiting selected sites only once during that period. In Galápagos, there's no such thing as a “best” island, so if you're planning your first visit, just decide on the number of nights you'd like to spend, and then choose a ship that offers a cruise of that length. Typical itineraries are:

3 nights,
4 nights,
7 nights,
7 nights (alternate version; 3, then 4 nights),
10 nights (7, then 3 nights),
11 nights (4, then 7 nights),
14 nights (3, 4 then 7 nights, or 4, 7 then 3 nights).

Choose Islands to Visit

If you'd like to visit a particular island that you've heard about, then simply select that island and see which itineraries visit it. (See Itinerary/Island Selector below.)

Choose a Ship

Two websites may help you to make the big decision:

Galapagos Adviser: a comprehensive, searchable database designed to help you identify the ship that best meets your interests based on its class, size, amenities, itineraries, etc. and then you can contact the ship owner directly.
Galapagos Cruise Links: a “last minute” platform on which ship owners post their availabilities directly — find your cruise, and contact the ship owner to book.

Choose Season to Visit

The Weather and Climate page at the Quasar Expeditions website displays a table of monthly air and water temperatures, hours of clear skies and average rainfall. NOTE: During cooler months, sea temperatures are sometimes almost 10° F. lower than shown in the table.

Itinerary/Island Selector

Our Galápagos Route Map illustrates just a few of the many available ship routes. The map shows the itinerary currently assigned to Metropolitan Touring's 48-passenger yacht La Pinta. The company's other ships, and those of other companies, offer many alternate choices, so it's important to select a ship and an itinerary that best suits your own interests.

There are two ways to use the map:

Note the buttons labelled 3, 4 and 7 nights. Hover over whichever one represents the desired duration for your cruise. When the ship's itinerary appears, click any button along the route for a brief description of that location.
Or, …
Scroll through the Islands and Placenames list to find a link to a place of interest. Click the link to show the itinerary that visits that location. If the route and location are already displayed, then the link (underline) does not appear. The Islands and Placenames list shifts between map corners so as not to obscure any part of the displayed route.

Notes:

The “?” icon near the top of the map displays a brief summary of options,
The camera icon at upper right displays a series of photos taken in Galápagos,
After multiple clicks on various links on the map, the “Return” button at the bottom offers a speedy return to this page.

More details

This pop-up window will eventually show additional cruise itineraries. Hover over any magnifying-glass icon to display an enlargement of the area of interest.

The maps shown are based on the Zagier & Urruty Isla Galápagos Historical Chart which is available at amazon.com and elsewhere.

Find a Visitor Site

A list of Galápagos Islands terrestrial and marine Visitor Sites has been prepared from data provided by the Galápagos National Park Service. The list may be sorted by site, island name, category or description. Hover mouse pointer over the “?” icon on the Visitor Sites page to display additional information about the list.

The Park Service has also published a table of Marine Visitor Sites, with latitude and longitude for each site.

Flight Information

Flights To, From & Within Galápagos. CAUTION: Use this information strictly as a “Rough Guide” to reality, especially the inter-island flights.

Any Questions?

The Galápagos Islands Travel Forum at tripadvisor.com is the place to ask questions or make comments about any aspect of planning a visit.

More info to follow