+1 (323) 800 6001Galápagos Cruise Packages
Planned and booked by phone — call +1 (323) 800 6001, 24/7, or send the form for a call back.
2,500+ Google reviewsAnswered 24/7US agency since 2017 · Woodbridge, VA
Photo: Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Talk to a travel expert — call +1 (323) 800 6001, 24/7. Tell us your departure city, dates and who is traveling; we price flights, hotel and transfers together and book it for you. Prefer to start online? Use Plan My Vacation and we call you back.
A Galápagos cruise package from Fond Travels includes an expedition cruise through the islands, international flights from the US to Ecuador, the domestic flight to the islands, and a hotel night in Quito or Guayaquil before you fly out to the ship. Call +1 (323) 800 6001 24/7 and a real travel expert will price every piece together on your dates.
Nowhere else do wild animals ignore you so completely. Sea lions nap on the landing beach, blue-footed boobies dance a few feet away, and giant tortoises graze as they have for centuries. A small-ship cruise is the classic way to see it.
Why a Galápagos cruise
The Galápagos are a national park spread across roughly a dozen main islands, and the wildlife highlights are scattered among them. Land-based trips reach only a few sites by day boat; a cruise moves overnight and lands you at protected visitor sites early, before the heat, with a licensed naturalist guide leading every excursion. Days follow a rhythm: a morning walk among nesting birds or lava fields, snorkeling with sea turtles and penguins before lunch, a panga ride along the cliffs, then an afternoon landing and a briefing on tomorrow. Because vessel numbers and visitor sites are strictly regulated, the islands feel empty even in high season.
What's included in a Galápagos cruise package
- Your expedition cruise in the cabin category you select, with all meals, guided landings, snorkeling gear and naturalist guides.
- International flights on major airlines from your US city to Quito or Guayaquil.
- The domestic flight from the mainland to Baltra or San Cristóbal, timed to the ship's embarkation.
- A pre-cruise hotel night in Quito or Guayaquil, with transfers between airport, hotel and the ship.
- Optional Quito city touring, Amazon or Andes extensions, wetsuit rental and travel insurance on request.
National park entry fees and the transit control card are usually paid separately; your expert will confirm exactly what your cruise operator includes. Call for current pricing on your dates.
Best time to sail
The Galápagos are a year-round destination with two distinct seasons. From December through May the warm, wet season brings calmer seas, water temperatures in the mid 70s Fahrenheit, brief afternoon showers, green highlands and the breeding season for many land birds and marine iguanas. From June through November the cool, dry season is driven by the Humboldt Current: seas are choppier and the water cooler, but nutrients draw more marine life, including whales, and it is the peak period for albatross courtship on Española and penguin activity. Temperatures on land stay in the 70s to low 80s all year. Christmas, Easter and July to August are the busiest booking periods.
Ships, cabins and itineraries
Galápagos vessels are small by regulation, from 16-passenger yachts and catamarans to expedition ships carrying about 100 guests. Cruises run from 4 to 8 nights, with 7 nights the most popular, following eastern or western loops that visit different islands; some travelers combine two loops for a full circuit. Larger expedition ships offer stabilizers, more space and lecture programs; yachts feel intimate and reach anchorages quickly.
Cabin categories are simpler than on ocean ships. Most cabins are outside cabins with windows or portholes; balcony cabins exist on a few of the larger vessels, and suites add space on the upper decks. Interior cabins are rare. Because you spend most daylight hours ashore or in the water, cabin size matters less than the ship's guide-to-guest ratio and stability.
Ports and shore days
- Santa Cruz: the Darwin Research Station, giant tortoises in the highlands and Puerto Ayora.
- Española: waved albatross (April to December), blowholes and sea lion beaches.
- Isabela and Fernandina: flightless cormorants, penguins and vast lava fields on the western loop.
- Genovesa: red-footed boobies, frigatebirds and short-eared owls.
- Bartolomé: the famous Pinnacle Rock viewpoint and snorkeling with penguins.
- San Cristóbal and Floreana: sea lion colonies, the post office barrel and green-sand beaches.
Ecuador uses the US dollar, both on the mainland and in the islands, and onboard accounts are settled in US dollars. The islands keep Galápagos time, one hour behind Quito and equivalent to US Central Standard Time.
Departure ports and getting to the ship
There is no cruise pier in the usual sense: ships embark at Baltra or San Cristóbal airports, and guests are met on arrival and taken straight aboard. To get there you fly from the US to Quito or Guayaquil, overnight in the included hotel, then take the morning flight to the islands. We book the international flight to land the day before, because the island flights are scheduled around embarkation and cannot be rebooked casually. Return flights leave the islands mid-morning on disembarkation day and connect to evening flights home; a post-cruise night on the mainland is a comfortable option.
Who this cruise suits
- Wildlife and photography enthusiasts: the top reason people go.
- Families: children who can handle short hikes and snorkeling, usually age six and up; some ships run family departures. See group travel flights for multi-family trips.
- Couples and honeymooners: a bucket-list trip with a private-yacht feel on smaller vessels.
- Seniors: active travelers who can board an inflatable boat and walk on uneven ground. See senior travel reservations.
- First-timers: guides handle everything ashore; no expedition experience is needed.
How booking by phone works
- Call +1 (323) 800 6001 with your month, home airport, ship size preference and any mainland extensions you want.
- Your expert checks vessel availability, international and island flights, and quotes the complete package.
- Confirm names as they appear on your passport, add insurance or extensions, and pay securely by card.
- Receive cruise, flight and hotel confirmations by email with a packing list and document checklist.
Plan it online
Start with our vacation request form and an expert will call you back with options. You can also browse flights and hotels for extra days in Quito, Guayaquil or the Andes.
Why book by phone with Fond Travels
Fond Travels is an independent US travel agency in Woodbridge, Virginia. Real travel experts answer 24/7, coordinate the three flights and one hotel that make a Galápagos trip work, and stay reachable throughout. We are rated 4.8 of 5 with 2,200+ Google reviews, and we work with leading expedition operators and major airlines so one call covers the entire journey.
