Discover, Plan & Go!

The 16-passenger Alta is one of the most elegant motor sailing ships in the Galapagos Islands. On this Galapagos cruise easy nature hikes, fun snorkeling and easy kayaking bring you into intimate contact with astounding birds and wildlife. Naturalist guide points out all of the Galapagos unique flora and fauna.

Our Galapagos cruises combine the finest small ships with the most talented naturalist guides and offer a range of activities designed to bring you into intimate contact with the unique creatures and ecosystems of the Galapagos. Spend more time ashore hiking among nesting frigate birds or albatross, more time snorkeling with sea lions, or perhaps just relaxing on a crescent beach. Our cruises begin and end in colonial Quito, Ecuador and include Quito hotel accommodations, airport/hotel transfers, round trip flights from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands and a half day tour of the Quito's old town, a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site. Join us and see why, quite simply, our small ship and yacht cruises to the Galapagos Islands are the vacation of a lifetime!

Day 1 - Arrive Quito Ecuador

Upon arrival at the Quito, Ecuador international airport you are met by our local representative and transferred to your hotel.

Accommodations: Hotel Patio Andaluz or similar

Included Meals: none

Day 2 - Colonial Quito

South America's oldest capitol city, Quito sits at 9,184-feet elevation. It has been amazingly preserved and is protected as a UNESCO world heritage site. Enjoy a three hour guided walking tour of Quito's colonial center including Independence Plaza, La Compania Church and San Francisco Cathedral. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy this lively city, rest or prepare for your Galapagos Cruise.

Accommodations: Hotel Patio Andaluz or similar

Included Meals: breakfast

Day 3 - Quito to San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands

This morning, we will depart on a three-hour flight to the island of San Cristobal in the Galapagos. San Cristobal is the easternmost and one of the oldest islands of the archipelago, and is comprised of ancient volcanic peaks in the north and lush vegetation in the south. We will drop anchor in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the second largest settlement area in the islands and the capital of the providence of Galapagos, where we will visit the impressive Interpretation Center, which opened in 1999. Here, we gain a more complete understanding of the natural and human history of the islands. You may have some free time today to spend at your leisure in town.

Accommodations: Alta

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4 - Tower (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: Alta

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5 - Fernandina: Punta Espinosa, Targus Cove

In the morning we will visit Punta Espinosa on Isla Fernandina. Fernandina is the youngest and most active volcano in the Galapagos, with eruptions taking place every few years. The flat lava of Punta Espinosa offers a stark and barren landscape, but here flightless cormorants build their nests on the point, sea lions sprawl on the beach or play in the tide pools and large numbers of marine iguanas dot the sand. We also will have the opportunity to compare the aa and pahoehoe lava types before departing for Isabela.

Accommodations: Alta

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 6 - Isabela: Punta Vicente Roca, Urvina Bay

Pass Punta Vicente Roca on Isabela Island. After a dry landing and hike to the top of Volcano Ecuador, where we will be rewarded by a striking view. We will also be able to observe boobies, gulls and sea lions. Snorkeling is possible here as well, although the water may be cold.

Accommodations: Alta

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 7 - James (Santiago): Puerto Egas & James Bay / Bartolome

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. This afternoon will be spent on Bartolome. Most likely the first of the islands to rise from the sea, Bartolome 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: Alta

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 8 - Santa Cruz: 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: Alta

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 9 - Hood (Espanola): 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: Alta

Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 10: Leon Dormindo / San Cristobal /Return to Quito

Cruise around Kicker Rock (known as "Leon Dormido" as it is shaped liked a sleeping lion) - a vertical tuff cone formation that abruptly juts up almost 500 feet out of the ocean. The rock is split in two with towering vertical walls on either side, forming a narrow channel through which small vessels can navigate. This afternoon we bid farewell to the Galapagos Islands and board our flight back to Quito. Upon arrival in Quito, you will be transferred to your hotel where you will spend the rest of the evening at your leisure.

Accommodations: Hotel Patio Andaluz or similar

Included Meals: breakfast

Day 11 - Depart Quito

Transportation will be provided to the airport for return flights home or for excursions into the Amazon Basin rainforest or Machu Picchu.

Accommodations: n/a

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.

Single Travelers: Single cabins are available for a 75% surcharge. If you are traveling alone and wish to share accommodations our Roommate Share Program guarantees double occupancy rates for boat cabins even if we are unable to match you with a roommate.

Land Cost Includes: Three nights Quito hotel accommodations with breakfast included, all airport/ hotel transfers, Galapagos flight, Galapagos National Park entrance fees & taxes, Galapagos cruise including all meals while aboard and an experienced Galapagos Islands naturalist guide.

Not Included: Airfare from US to Quito; excess baggage charges; airport departure tax from Quito; tips to local staff and items of a personal nature such as soft drinks or alcoholic beverages, laundry fees 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 special cancellation policy applies to all Galapagos trips, which is stricter than the AdventureSmith Explorations policy. When a trip cancellation is received inside of 70 days from 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 Alta accommodates 16 guests. 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, a multilingual naturalist guide, barman/waiter, cook, engineer and two deckhands. All meals are prepared and served by the crew on board. Soft drinks and beer 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. Easy-to-use, sit-on-top kayaks are also available.

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.

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