Is it actually possible to travel the Galapagos on a budget?

Many assume a trip to the Galapagos will be a very expensive proposition. You wouldn’t be wrong to think so.

Even Googling “Galapagos Tour” may send could send someone into sticker shock. One of the first organic search results shows a National Geographic 10-day itinerary, with prices ranging from $7,000-$15,000 per person, plus flights to Ecuador! So realistically, that comes out to at least a $20,000 vacation proposition for a couple. Ouch.

Yet we’re here to let you know that it’s not necessary to take such a pricey Galapagos trip.

You can, in fact, tour the Galapagos on a budget and still maintain a relative level of comfort. Independent travel in the Galapagos can actually be an affordable reality! With a little planning, it’s possible to formulate a cheap Galapagos island hopping budget trip on your own. We wrote this post to help other travelers experience the rich wonders of the Galapagos on the cheap.

Overall, an entire trip to the Galapagos may not be entirely cheap. The flight alone can bust budgets. Added travel expenses once in the Galapagos can quickly accumulate for those who aren’t careful.

Yet this post explores proven money-saving strategies and the Galapagos budget travel tips you need to know to maintain low expenses without sacrificing the quintessential experiences one would expect to have in these famed islands. A budget trip to the Galapagos can indeed become an awesome reality for those who do a bit of advanced planning and research.

So while there are some significant expenses that can be incurred on a trip to these famed islands, it is indeed possible to visit the Galapagos on a relatively modest budget. Such a trip will certainly cost far less than that aforementioned $10,000 Nat Geo tour!

Come take a peek at our actual Galapagos island hopping budget too. We meticulously tracked all travel costs and all the Galapagos tour prices during our visit, as there isn’t much pricing listed on the web. Hopefully, this will provide a realistic look at what may be spent on a Galapagos budget trip.

So read on to understand exactly how to travel the Galapagos on a budget by pursuing a DIY Galapagos island hopping trip, among other cost-cutting strategies.

Galapagos on a Budget: Table of Contents

Two Ways to Do Galapagos on a Budget:

There are two tried & true methods to travel to the Galapagos on a budget:

1) Do It Yourself (DIY) Land-Based Galapagos Island Hopping
2) Last-Minute Boat Tour / Budget Galapagos Cruise Deals

First, let’s dive into what each of these two different experiences entails.

DIY Independent Travel Island Hopping in the Galapagos on a Budget

Anyone can fly to the islands and explore them on your own, which makes for a great way to experience the Galapagos on a budget. There are three islands in the Galapagos that are connected by regular, twice-a-day ferries. These three islands are developed with loads of decent budget-friendly accommodation and restaurants serving reasonably priced meals. The three islands to go “island-hopping” on are:

• Isla Santa Cruz (Puerto Ayora)
• Isla Isabela (Puerto Villamil)
• Isla San Cristobal (Puerto Baquerizo Moreno)

Each of these islands has places to walk to, to enjoy hiking, museums, snorkeling areas, tortoise sanctuaries, and lots of wild sea lions & marine iguanas (among other wildlife), all for FREE. These three Galapagos islands also have plenty of tourism agencies to book day trips and excursions. During these day tours, even more islands can be accessed throughout the Galapagos archipelago.

There is also a fourth island to consider, Isla Floreana, which similarly has budget-friendly accommodation and restaurants. But ferry connections to Floreana change frequently and run irregularly (1-2 times per week). This can make it impossible to stay on Isla Floreana for just a night or two. But there are still plenty of sights to see and activities to do from the other three main Galapagos islands. Those three islands alone can easily keep a traveler busy for weeks!

Independent travel in the Galapagos is most definitely the most economical way to tour the islands, as it is realistically possible to get by on a budget of about $30 per person, per day, before factoring in the costs of optional day tours. More on that later.

This post dives into detail on how to travel independently in the Galapagos on a budget. But first, we’ll cover the possibility of scoring a last-minute Galapagos cruise deal.

Booking a Last-Minute Galapagos Boat Tour

There are many liveaboard Galapagos boat tours that ply multi-day routes throughout the Galapagos, where snorkeling, hiking, and wildlife viewing ensues.

During these liveaboard boat tours, at the end of each day passengers sleep in a cabin on the boat, while either anchored or moving to the next location. There’s a chef on board who cooks three meals a day. A naturalist guide accompanies passengers throughout the voyage.

These boats primarily range in size from about 12-24 passengers (some even larger) and vary from sailboats, to catamarans, to full-on yachts.  The boats also range in comfort, which tends to be categorized by four classes of boats:

• $ Tourist Class – Lowest standard possible, often not recommended. Cabins may or may not have A/C or private bathrooms.
• $$ Tourist Superior – No frills yet comfy. Some cabins may be bunk beds, but has A/C. Good option for lower budgets who want to maintain some level of comfort.
• $$$ First Class – High standards, very comfortable air-conditioned rooms, and great meals.
• $$$$ Luxury – Super high end. Expect large cabins, jacuzzis, gourmet meals, spas, and pampering.

If booking any of these trips in advance, prior to arriving in the Galapagos, you’ll likely spend well upwards of thousands of dollars per person. But if arriving in the Galapagos with a flexible schedule to book a last-minute Galapagos cruise deal within a few days of departure, it is possible to find budget Galapagos cruise prices around $700-$1,500 for a 4-8 day itinerary.

So where can you find cheap last-minute Galapagos cruise deals?

The best last-minute Galapagos cruise prices will be found on the ground, after arriving in Puerto Ayora in the Galapagos. Many tourism agencies in Puerto Ayora slash prices on last-minute Galapagos cruises departing within a week or less. Visiting these Puerto Ayora agencies in person will yield the best prices.

There are also a number of travel agencies that can be contacted to begin an email exchange, inquiring about what last-minute cruises may be available. One website that lists some of these deals is Galapagos Cruise Links.

That site will give you some idea of the going rates being offered for last-minute Galapagos cruise deals. But just realize that it is NOT an all-inclusive list. There are many additional boats to consider which aren’t listed on this website. Also, it’s possible to negotiate prices lower than what is listed there. So consider those prices as a starting point. Despite this, we still find this website to have the most up-to-date listings with actual prices posted anywhere else on the web today. So it can be a good place to begin searching to get a gauge on last-minute Galapagos cruise prices.

Still, the lowest prices will be found in Puerto Ayora in the days just before these cruises depart. Yet scoring those deals will entail some effort, luck, and taking a bit of a gamble. Last-minute Galapagos cruises do sell out.

Cheap last-minute Galapagos cruises are no longer a secret among travelers. There are many other travelers arriving to the Galapagos, who are also trying to score to cheap last-minute Galapagos cruise deal. They may beat you to a deal or be willing to pay more. We regularly saw last-minute Galapagos cruise deals that became sold out, several days before the boat was embarking.

Another burden of attempting to get a last-minute Galapagos cruise is that it can be a time-consuming process. Doing so requires travelers to go from agency to agency in search of these elusive last-minute deals. The time spent shopping around can pay off. Yet with limited time in the Galapagos, time can be much more enjoyable in nature than on the city streets visiting tourism agencies.

So although the cheapest and best deals do await travelers on the ground in the Galapagos, it can be worth paying a bit more to organize a sure-thing in advance. If not wanting to deal with the uncertainty of a last-minute Galapagos cruise, it’s best to either make advanced reservations or pursue a DIY island hopping trip that is further detailed in this guide.

Where To Book Less Expensive Galapagos Tours in Advance

Because of the uncertainty and effort involved to seek out last-minute cruise deals while in the Galapagos, it can make sense to book in advance. Sure, it may end up costing a few hundred dollars more, but that can often be worth the time and effort that’s forgone.

Booking a non-last-minute Galapagos cruise with set departure dates can be the best way to go to the Galapagos for those who have limited time and/or set dates. While not quite as cheap as the last-minute tours and certainly more than creating a DIY independent trip, there are some decent deals out there on Galapagos cruise tours that can be booked in advance.

When making advanced reservations, expect to pay at least around $2,000 for a tourist superior (or above) ship. But do note that most of those tours with a $2k+ price tag also include airfare from mainland Ecuador. So that’s a $500 value that can help to justify the cost.

Here are a few booking companies offering liveaboard Galapagos cruise tours around that price:

• Viator – This Galapagos Island Cruise starting at $1,250 the lowest price we’ve seen bookable online. Airfare is extra. (Note: sometimes it becomes unavailable/sold-out. Check back.)
• GAdventures – starts at $3,199 $2,144 for a 7-day cruise, including flights from Quito. It’s a great deal, considering airfare from Quito is included, receives high reviews, and put on by this leader in adventure tourism. They’ve been running sales lately too, so check current pricing and availability.
• Intrepid – starts at $2,290 for 6-day trip (4-day cruise on the Daphne) including flights from Quito.
• Tour Radar – starts at $3,400 for 5-day cruise on a first-class ship including flights from Quito.

Which Is Better: DIY Galapagos Island Hopping or Last-Minute Cruise Deal?

This depends on personal preferences and what is valued more. Anyone who has gone on a Galapagos cruise tour loves it. A cruise is certainly a more convenient option of the two. Meanwhile, we can personally vouch that we loved our DIY island hopping trip across the Galapagos, using independent travel techniques. We were satisfied that we experienced all of the Galapagos’s highlights without spending a fortune.

So which is better? There are pros and cons to each method. It’s highly debatable and most people who have traveled to the Galapagos carry strong opinions on both sides of the debate.

Which cost less? That has more of a clear-cut answer. Any way it’s sliced, a DIY island hopping itinerary always costs much less than even the lowest last-minute cruise deal. It is even possible to do a backpacking Galapagos trip on a shoestring, given all the free things to do in the Galapagos.

Weighing the Pros & Cons of a Last-Minute Galapagos Cruise:

Galapagos Cruise Pros:

• A liveaboard cruise tour is the most convenient way to experience the Galapagos. Everything is planned. No thought or energy needs to be expended searching for day tours and finding somewhere to eat. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy.

• It’s not necessary to return to town each day. Instead, a liveaboard allows passengers to remain in a natural environment of the islands and drift off to the sound of the ocean.

• A liveaboard cruise also has the exclusivity of exploring some Galapagos islands that are not accessible to day tours.

• Another perk of a liveaboard is building camaraderie and making friends with travelers you’re cruising around with, sharing these incredible experiences together.

Galapagos Cruise Cons:

• To get a last-minute deal, it can be necessary to spend time and effort in the Galapagos inquiring with multiple tourism agencies. This comes at the expense of your time otherwise enjoying all the Galapagos has to offer.

• Not knowing in advance whether or not there will be a deal awaiting that fits your time & budget will prevent your ability to further plan out a Galapagos itinerary in advance.

• For those who become easily seasick, the inability to return to land each night may be a negative point to consider.

• It’s pricey. Even the last-minute “deals” tend to be much more costly than traveling independently throughout the Galapagos.

Last-Minute Galapagos Cruise Prices

In the name of independent travel research, we ducked into dozens of Galapagos tour agencies in attempts to find the lowest last-minute Galapagos deals possible. The best deal we found during our last visit in 2017 was $750 for a 5-day itinerary on a tourist superior ship.

Having returned to Ecuador in 2019, we sought out the most recent pricing to keep this article up-to-date. Here are some examples of some of the cheapest last-minute Galapagos cruise prices that were found on the ground in the Galapagos in 2019:

• $1,100 for 6 days on a tourist class ship
• $1,100 for 5-days on a tourist superior ship
• $1,300 for 8-days on a tourist superior ship
• $1,400 for 4-days on a first-class ship
• $1,550 for 5-days on a first-class ship

Beware that travel guidebooks or other blogs may cite these last-minute Galapagos cruise prices to be much less than some of the examples listed above. While it is most definitely possible to find lower rates than these listed prices (particularly during low season), we caution that prices have risen dramatically during the past few years. Last-minute Galapagos cruise prices listed in 2016 and prior are outdated and don’t reflect a major price increase what occurred that year. One Galapagos travel agent showed us his budget Galapagos cruise prices from 2014. They were about half the costs of what they are today for the exact same boats and itineraries!

Help keep future Galapagos travelers stay up-to-date on latest prices & last-minute deals: If you travel to the Galapagos and find prices have changed wildly from what is listed here (whether higher or lower), please let us know in the comment section. We will continue to update this article to further help other travelers who are planning a budget-friendly trip here. Gracias!

Considerations When Deciding on a Last-Minute Galapagos Cruise Deal

Some of the last-minute cruise deals will seem very enticing on the surface, but it’s important to scrutinize the deal carefully to decide whether it’s worth it for you.

Our best offer for a last-minute Galapagos cruise – a 5-day cruise for $750 – is normally priced around $3,000. So we found $750 to be a great deal and we seriously considered booking it. But it’s important to take a closer look at such bargains to fully understand what is involved.

Consider Ship Class, Configuration, and Cabin Location

Having a nice cabin with a window could be worth splurging on, compared to a tiny interior room with some bunk beds. Be sure to ask lots of questions about the ship itself. Here are some questions to ask about a last-minute Galapagos cruise deal:

• What is the bed configuration (bunk beds)?
• Is there a private bathroom?
• Is there air conditioning?
• Is the cabin an upper or lower deck?
• Does the cabin have a window?
• What additional expenses can be expected?

Enquire About Galapagos Cruise Additional Expenses

It’s also important to factor in additional expenses. It’s customary to tip the crew $10 per person, per day. So add that into the total liveaboard cruise budget. Also, some cruises will charge extra for snorkeling equipment and wetsuits. This hidden fee can reach $30 per day for these rentals. So mask rentals would add $200 to a week-long cruise. Be sure to understand exactly what is included and what is not.

Look Closely at the Galapagos Cruise Itinerary

Boats must obtain permits for each of the locations they visit in the Galapagos and each of these permits will cost the operator a different amount. Some of the popular landing sites have more expensive permits. Hence some low-cost itineraries avoid the best landings to save money. As a result, the cost savings can be passed on to passengers. That’s good. However, such itineraries may also pass right by some of the best sites in the Galapagos. That’s not good.

For example, the 5-day itinerary we examined completely bypassed arguably the most famed and photographed site in the Galapagos, Isla Bartolome. Instead, the budget itinerary went to neighboring Albany Rocks, which is a much less notable site in the Galapagos.

Similarly, this 5-day Galapagos cruise itinerary completely skipped the notoriously awesome birding and snorkeling island of Seymour to instead snorkel just a few kilometers away, next to the airport. This itinerary was going to B-list sites in the Galapagos instead of A-list sites. While even B-list sites in the Galapagos can still be amazing, an itinerary that skips some of the best sites makes it all the more difficult to justify splurging on.

Understand that “5-Day Cruises” Are Actually 3-Day Tours

On most Galapagos cruises, there isn’t much happening on the first and last day of the itinerary.

Let’s continue to use that 5-day last-minute cruise deal ($750) as an example. For that itinerary, the first and last day is void of much activity. Day 1 is really just a half-day of transferring onto the boat, then going to a beach. Day 5 simply tours the tortoise sanctuary on the inhabited island of Santa Cruz, which can easily be pursued on your own for $3 per person and a cheap cab ride.

So during 5-day Galapagos cruises, passengers are really only spending three full days out in the Galapagos islands. Similar scenarios are realized with longer tours too. 8-day tours are really 6 days sailing in the Galapagos, with seven nights of accommodation covered on the boat. These can still be awesome cruises, but the reality of what occurs on the first and last days is something to understand if attempting to perform a fair price comparison.

Price Comparison:
Last Minute Galapagos Cruise Deal vs. DIY Island Hopping      

The agent who offered us the last-minute 5-day / 4-night cruise deal for $750 claimed: “it would cost more to stay on Santa Cruz and take day tours than it would to take his last-minute Galapagos cruise deal.”

So we decided to examine this claim more closely.

Let’s assume you stay in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz for four nights, five days, in a decent hotel room with air-conditioning. On Days 2, 3, and 4, you take expensive day tours on boats that return to Santa Cruz each night. This would be comparable to spending Days 2-4 snorkeling and touring islands during the 5-day liveaboard cruise tour. Meanwhile Days 1 and 5, you visit the tortoise sanctuary, go to a beach, tour the lava tunnels, check-out museums, free snorkeling, etc. (similar to Day 1 & 5 of the 5-day cruise itinerary).

Here’s what this 5-Day Galapagos independent travel budget looks like, as based in Puerto Ayora:

This would be an action-packed 5-day Galapagos itinerary based in Puerto Ayora all for less than $500 per person.

Now let’s compare that to the 5-day cruise itinerary, which was priced at $750. On the liveaboard cruises, it’s customary to tip the deserving crew $10 per day, so that adds another $50 to the $750 cruise. The last-minute cruise tour deal included snorkeling gear but not wetsuits. That would add even more to the total cruise tour price, but let’s assume we could get by without any wetsuits. This totals a price of $800 for the last-minute Galapagos cruise tour.

Compare that $800 to the $475 spent on a packed DIY-itinerary outlined above. For couple travelers, that’s an expense of $1,600 for the cruise compared to $950 while staying on the island to pursue day tours.

Traveling independently instead of a 5-day tour adds to a cost savings of $650 for a couple. For some, the $650 difference may be negligible. In which case, take the cruise! A last-minute Galapagos cruise can be a sweet deal and a great experience!

But, personally, we’d rather have that extra $650 in our pockets to further spend on more awesome travel adventures throughout South America, like all of these.

Can You Really Experience the Galapagos Without Taking a Cruise?

Opinions circulate in online travel forums of people claiming that it is not possible to really experience the Galapagos unless taking a cruise around the islands. That is simply not true.

Again, Galapagos cruises can be a fantastic option if you have the budget for it. We can’t argue that. But you should know that it is possible to have all of the following experiences without taking a liveaboard cruise tour:

Swim with sea lions
Gaze upon wild flamingos
Watch wild penguins frolicking in the ocean
Stumble across marine iguanas & land iguanas
Snorkel with loads of sharks
Glide past dozens of sea turtles
Hike up an active volcano
Visit with wild Galapagos tortoises
Be alone on a remote island with only a small group
Dive with rays
Climb through (and swim through) lava tunnels
Come face-to-face with blue-footed boobies
 Tour around deserted islands with a naturalist guide
Spot Galapagos hawks, finches, frigate birds, among other endemic species.

These quintessential Galapagos experiences can all be pursued without going on a liveaboard Galapagos cruise. We know this because we were fortunate to enjoy every single one of those above highlights without spending the extra cash on a liveaboard cruise tour. We saw and experienced all of this simply by independent travel in the Galapagos in addition to a few day tours. Later in this post, we’ll show you exactly where in the Galapagos you can experience each of these activities and wildlife encounters, even for free!

Further Advantages of Traveling Galapagos Independently

There are even a few additional benefits that come with forgoing a liveaboard cruise tour to travel the Galapagos independently:

• Price: This is the biggest advantage, as a DIY island hopping tour will always cost less than taking a liveaboard cruise.

• Flexibility: Independent travelers can do whatever they want, when they want. Sites are picked and chosen based on personal preference or how you’re feeling that day. There’s also no strict agenda to follow.

• Sites Visited: Day tours often visit some of the same amazing sites that cruises go to. Naysayers will mention that there are further flung islands liveaboard cruises can reach, in which day tours do not. That is true. But there are also some sites day tours visit that the liveaboard cruises do not go. Los Tuneles on Isabela Island is one example of that and it is an incredible place! Just take a look at our video below:

A DIY Island Hopping Example Galapagos Budget: Two Weeks

So what does a DIY Galapagos island hopping trip cost? Below shows sample prices that we incurred firsthand during our island hopping Galapagos trip in 2017. Update: costs in 2019 have mostly remained the same.

• Roundtrip flights to/from mainland Ecuador: $364 (including taxes & baggage)
• Mandatory fees to Galapagos: $120
• Breakfasts: $2-$5
• Lunches: $3-$6
• Dinners: $3-$10
• Day tours: $40-$135
• Scuba, 2 dives including equipment: $150
• Beer in a restaurant: $4
• Budget accommodation with A/C: $30 per night

Below shows our complete Galapagos island hopping budget for a 13-day trip. Note that prices listed here are per person and accommodation is based upon double occupancy.

Island Hopping Galapagos Budget Per Day

We were able to keep our daily expenses in the Galapagos less than $100 per person, per day ($1,129 spent ÷ 13 days = $86.85 per day). This included decent private accommodation, local seafood meals, splurging on a day tour about every other day, and even pursuing a full day of scuba diving.

Within this average, there were days that cost about $200 when we went scuba diving. On other days, we managed to spend less than $30 per person, going snorkeling from shore and relaxing on the beach. These two extremes averaged out to about $90 per person, per day.

Spending nearly $100 per day is certainly higher than typical travel expenses throughout South America and in most places around the world. Yet we are quite content at everything that a budget of $100 per day can attain in the Galapagos!

Do know that you can easily spend a lot more or less than this sample Galapagos budget outlines. This Galapagos island hopping budget is shared simply to offer some actual prices and guidance on what is possible. It’s achievable to maintain an even lower Galapagos budget than this for those who don’t splurge on as many day tours and scuba diving. Read on for more detail about that.

Island Hopping Galapagos Budget Breakdown: Day Tour Prices

The biggest expense with a DIY island hopping Galapagos trip is day tours. Including the scuba dives, we each spent about $700 on Galapagos day tours total. Ouch!

Day tours alone compose nearly half (43%) of our entire Galapagos budget. Accommodation and eating in the Galapagos can be cheap. But these pricey day tours really add up. Yet we found them to be largely worth the splurge.

Galapagos day tours tend to average about $100 per tour but do widely vary in price, higher and lower.

While Galapagos day tours can be expensive, they can prove to be extremely worthwhile experiences. We’d suggest budgeting to take a minimum of one day tour for each of the three main islands. For longer trips and bigger budgets, consider more, particularly so for the many day tours that depart Puerto Ayoro.

Finding the Best Deals on Galapagos Day Tour Prices

There are plenty of tour agencies all in each town in the Galapagos, particularly so in Puerto Ayora. This is where you go to inquire about day tours.

Similar to finding last-minute cruise deals, it’s worthwhile to price compare around a few different agencies before booking. Doing so can really help to stretch your Galapagos budget! Different agencies will offer the exact same day tour, often even on the same boat, at completely different prices. We found the price you’re offered can come down to how much commission the agent is willing to forgo to achieve the sale.

So how can you get the lowest prices on these Galapagos day tours?

Here are some tried and true methods we can recommend:

Book last minute day tours. We found the agencies tend to offer good prices the afternoon/evening before each tour began. Shop around from about 3:00-6:00 pm. Just be careful with this, because popular tours do fill up. So if there’s an in-demand tour that you’re really excited about, you may want to book further in advance. This holds particularly true during high season.

Ask for a deal. When entering a travel agency, be straightforward and ask if they have any promotions for tours tomorrow. This is a polite way to let the agent know immediately that you’re price-sensitive. Hopefully, they’ll offer you a good price.

Be flexible. Particularly with last-minute bookings, sometimes operators are anxious to fill particular boats, rather than do a tour with a few empty seats. As such, you’ll often find deals on a tour one day, but it may unavailable the next. So when a day tour deal comes up, jump on it even if it may alter what you had initially planned.

Book in numbers. Agencies tend to give bigger discounts to larger groups since they’re collecting multiple commissions. So if you make some friends who all want to take the same Galapagos day tour, visit an agency together and book as a group.

Book multiple tours. Some agencies are willing to cut you a deal if you book multiple tours together at once.

Book direct if possible. Most of the tour operators don’t have a way to book direct, which is why you rely on the tour agencies. But occasionally they do, particularly for scuba diving. Book your dives directly with the dive shop rather than through an agency.

Know the Galapagos day tour prices. It’s good to have some sort of idea how much each Galapagos day tour costs. We saw some Galapagos day tour prices to vary greatly between agencies. One agency quoted us a Bartolome day tour price of $200, while another offered it for $130. That’s quite the difference in price!

Galapagos Day Tour Prices & Best Tours To Take

Below are the most common day tours you’ll find offered on each of the main islands and the associated lowest price offered, updated for 2019 prices:

Isla Isabela Day Tour Prices & Advice

• Tintoreras half-day tour: $45
• Sierra Negra half-day volcano hike $35
• Tuneles (The Tunnels): $100

The Tunnels day tour is Isabela’s most expensive for a reason. It’s pretty incredible. The unique environment of the otherworldly sea tunnels is such an interesting sight to see. Yet standing on those rocks reveal blue-footed boobies atop the surface as sharks swim below. The nearby snorkeling spot further reveals some sharks, turtles, seahorses, and possibly penguins for those who are lucky. If only doing a single tour on Isabela, this is one to splash the cash.

See video below to get some idea of what the Tunnels day tour is like.

 Yet with Isabela’s other two main tours being less than $50, these are both worth pursuing too. The half-day snorkeling tour of Tintoreras boasts an environment with some of most turtles we encountered in the Galapagos. Trekking the Sierra Negra volcano can prove to be an invigorating diversion away from the many oceanic activities. And it’s a deal well-worth pursuing at $35.

Isla San Cristobal Day Tour Prices & Advice

• Kicker Rock snorkeling day tour: $90
• San Cristobal 360 Tour (includes snorkeling Kicker Rock): $135

Kicker Rock is a premier snorkeling and dive site in the Galapagos accessible by day tour. Some say it’s the best and we can’t argue. The famed rocks jutting out of the ocean are awe-inspiring on their own. Yet it’s the vast marine life that can be found while snorkeling though them that further amazes. Kicker Rock is one of the only day tour snorkeling trips where hammerhead sharks are known to frequent. We suggest a visit to Kicker Rock as a must-do. There are two different day tours to get there.

While on San Cristobal, choose either the Kicker Rock day tour or the San Cristobal 360 tour, not both. The San Cristobal 360 Tour is a boat trip that goes entirely around the island, with several interesting stops along the way, culminating with snorkeling at Kicker Rock for about 30 minutes. Yet the Kicker Rock tours allow much more time snorkeling at Kicker Rock, which may be preferred. So decide if you’d rather have more time at this awesome site or a more full day tour to see more of the island. You really can’t go wrong either way.

Isla Santa Cruz Day Tour Prices & Advice

• Isla Pinzon: $100
• Sante Fe day tour: $110
• Seymour day tour: $130
• Plazas day tour: $130
• Bartolome day tour: $130+
• Floreana day tour: $150
• Diving: Seymour/Daphne (2 dives) $150
• Diving: Gordon Rocks (2 dives) $180

Puerto Ayora on Isla Santa Cruz has, by far, the most day tours on offer. We’ve gone on most of them and they’re all great.