Discover, Plan & Go!

Charter your own private yacht in the Galapagos for a most memorable special occasion with family and friends!

The Sea Cloud is an 8-passenger motor yacht with crew of 4. She offers simple, comfortable cabins, delicious meals, a talented naturalist guide and a range of activities designed to bring you into intimate contact with the unique creatures and ecosystems of the Galápagos. Spend more time ashore hiking among booby & frigate birds, albatross, giant tortoise, iguana… snorkeling with turtles & sea lions… or perhaps just relaxing on a crescent beach.

Our 'All-Inclusive' cruise begins and ends in colonial Quito, Ecuador and include Quito hotel accommodations, airport/hotel transfers, a half day tour of the Quito's old town - a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site, round trip flights from mainland Ecuador to the Galápagos Islands, Galapagos National Park entrance fees & taxes, cruise, all meals while cruising and naturalist guide.

Join us and see why, quite simply, our small ship and yacht cruises to the Galápagos Islands are the vacation of a lifetime!

Day 1 - Saturday - Quito to Baltra, Galapagos Islands

This morning, we will depart on a three-hour flight to the island of Baltra in the Galapagos. We will be met by our Expedition Leader, transfer to the ship and continue on to Santa Cruz. The second largest island in the Galapagos, Santa Cruz offers the Charles Darwin Research Station, the lush greenery of the Santa Cruz Highlands, the famed lava tunnels and the Twin Craters.

Accommodations: Sea Cloud

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 2 - Sunday - Tower Island (Genovesa), Prince Philip's Steps & Darwin Bay

On our way to Tower Island, the most northeastern part of the archipelago, we may encounter dolphins, whales and immature red-footed boobies, which sometimes land on the boat's railings and lines to hitch a free ride home. The island of Tower is a collapsed volcano, and ships are able to sail directly into its large breached caldera to anchor at the foot of the steep crater walls. Tower attracts vast numbers of pelagic seabirds that come here to nest and breed. This morning we will explore a trail known as "Prince Philip's Steps", which leads us to an open area popular with frigate birds and red-footed and masked boobies. At the end of this trail are thousands of band-rumped storm petrels at the cliff's edge, where they nest in crevices. Short-eared owls can also sometimes be seen here, hunting the storm petrels during daylight hours. This afternoon, we will follow along another trail, which leads from a coral beach past tidal lagoons where lava gulls and yellow-crowned night herons are seen, then along the low shrubs populated by frigates and boobies, and eventually to a cliff where seabirds soar.

Accommodations: Sea Cloud

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3 - Monday – Bartolome

Most likely the first of the islands to rise from the sea, Bartolomé is a small island that has beautiful white sand beaches and luxuriant green mangroves. Here, penguins may join us at the white sand swimming beach, and a hike to the summit of a once-active volcano rewards us with beautiful panoramic views of the often-photographed Pinnacle Rock.

Accommodations: Sea Cloud

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4 - Tuesday - James Island (Santiago), Puerto Egas & James Bay

A highlight of our journey comes at Puerto Egas on the island of James. Puerto Egas, with its black sand beaches, was the site of a small salt mining industry in the 1960s, and a hike inland to the salt crater is an excellent opportunity to sight land birds such as finches, doves and hawks. A trail leads to the Fur Seal Grottos, one of the only places in the islands where Fur Seals can be seen. We may see sea lions basking on the rocks beneath a natural rock bridge, diving blue-footed boobies, Sally Lightfoot crabs and colorful lava lizards scurrying at our feet. Just north of James Bay is Buccaneer Cove, a particularly scenic area of steep cliffs and dark beaches.

Accommodations: Sea Cloud

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5 - Wednesday - Santa Cruz Island, Darwin Station & the Highlands

Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz's main population center, is home to about 10,000 people. It is on this island that we will have the best opportunity to see the famed giant tortoise while we visit the world-famous Charles Darwin Research Station. The research center aids the National Park Service in its efforts to save the Galapagos wildlife; the museum at the station has a facility for rearing tortoises, a project to increase the depleted population. After touring the station, we will journey by bus into the highlands to Los Gemelos - two deep pit craters situated in the Scalesia forest that host a variety of interesting birdlife. Here, we may go for a walk through the giant lava tubes and visit the Tortoise Reserve to search for giant tortoises in their natural surroundings. This afternoon, there may be some free time to explore the town of Puerto Ayora.

Accommodations: Sea Cloud

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6 - Thursday - Hood Island (Española), Punta Suarez & Gardner Bay

One of the oldest of the islands, Hood is small and flat with no visible volcanic crater or vent. Located on the western tip of the island, one of the world's densest and most diversified concentrations of wildlife is found at Punta Suarez. The area is famous for its marine iguanas with unique copper-red patches, swallow-tailed gulls, lava lizards, finches, long-billed mockingbirds, blue-footed and masked boobies and oystercatchers. When heavy swells are running, Punta Suarez is also the site of a spectacular blowhole, with thundering spray shooting thirty yards into the air. Gardner Bay, located on the eastern shore, hosts a magnificent beach frequented by a transient colony of sea lions and is a major nesting site for marine turtles. Around the small islets nearby, snorkelers will find many fish and possibly turtles and sharks. On a trail leading to the western tip of the island, you will pass the only nesting sites in the Galapagos of the waved albatross. These huge birds nest here from April to December and represent the majority of the world's population.

Accommodations: Sea Cloud

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 7 - Friday - Santa Fe Island (Barrington)

This island, according to the latest geological studies, shows the islands' oldest rocks. The small bay on Santa Fe's northern coast provides one of the most picturesque harbors within the archipelago. A large sea lion colony inhabits most of the surrounding landing site.

Accommodations: Sea Cloud

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 8 - Saturday - Santa Cruz, Baltra, Return to Quito

The ship anchors in the morning at the entrance to Black Turtle Cove. This is a great place to see large schools of Golden Rays, Green Sea Turtles (they are on the rare and endangered species list), White-tipped Sharks, Galapagos Sharks, Lava Herons, Yellow Warblers and a variety of other bird species. Then sail into Baltra Island this morning to board your flight back to the Ecuador mainland.

Accommodations: Hotel Patio Andaluz or similar

Included Meals: breakfast

Notes on Itinerary: We may occasionally alter itineraries slightly for safety, or to take advantage of weather, wildlife, and unplanned discoveries. Our ability to be flexible makes our style of cruising unique. Minimum age on this trip is 7 years old.

*All Inclusive Land Cost Includes: 2 nights hotel in Quito pre-cruise, Quito City tour, 1 night Quito hotel post-cruise, all transfers, RT Galapagos flights, National Park entrance fees & taxes, cruise, all meals during cruise, Naturalist guide.

*Charter Extras: Avoid the hassle of having to pay extras at the end of their cruise and purchase our premium upgrade. For $1600.00 prepay we'll include all gratuities, enjoy open bar throughout your sailing and have unlimited access to wet suits.

Not Included: Airfare from US to Quito; excess baggage charges; airport departure tax from Quito; wet-suit rental ($25); tips to local staff, and items of a personal nature such as alcoholic beverages and insurance of any kind.

Arrival and Departure: This trip begins and ends in Quito, Ecuador. Plan flights to arrive at any time on Day 1 and depart anytime on the last day. Airport transfers are included for travelers arriving and departing on scheduled arrival/departure days. This trip can also be arranged to begin and end in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Payment and Cancellation Policy: A non-refundable deposit amount of 10% will reserve your charter. Full payment is due via check 120 days prior to departure.

A special cancellation policy applies to this special Galapagos charter, which is stricter than the AdventureSmith Explorations policy. When a trip cancellation is received:

120 days or more, prior to departure: 20% cancellation fee applies.

120 - 61 days prior to departure: 70% cancellation fee applies.

60 days or less, prior to departure: all trip costs are 100% non-refundable. Please see AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. We highly recommend our travelers protect their investment with

Accommodations Aboard: The Sea Cloud can accommodate 8 guests in simple yet comfortable, appointed staterooms. There are four staterooms, each with private bath/shower. 2 Staterooms, have one large bed. And 2 staterooms have upper/lower berths. Life aboard a small boat requires some physical agility and a flexible and social nature. Accommodations are in double cabins, each with toilet and shower. The crew is comprised of the captain, multilingual naturalist guide, cook and mechanic. All meals are prepared and served by the crew on board. Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase on board.

Qualifications: This trip will be enjoyed by anyone who is in good health and leads an active life. Daily excursions from the boat to the islands will be made in pangas (dinghies). Trip members will hike from the landing point to specific areas for wildlife observation. Hiking time for most landings will be a couple of hours roundtrip with lots of time to stop to study, photograph and enjoy the flora and fauna. Some landings are dry but many are "wet", requiring cautious footing on slippery rocks. The boat staff will be on hand to assist. There are numerous opportunities to swim and snorkel.

To Extend Your Trip: This trip combines well with our Peru, Machu Picchu 6 Day Explorer. Call AdventureSmith Explorations about the possibilities of combining trips to Machu Picchu and the Galapagos. Machu Picchu, Explorer.

General Information: This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations 'Terms & Conditions'. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A packing list, extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation. We strongly recommend the purchase of Trip Insurance through AdventureSmith Explorations. If purchased within 14 days of sign-up, the pre-existing condition exclusion is waived.

We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! Call today.