2 min summary When to go Map & highlights Things to do How to choose a cruise Land based tours Cruises Families Tips Climate change Responsible tourism All our Galapagos guides

Galapagos cruises

Galapagos Islands cruise holidays are an exciting way to explore one of the world’s great wildlife watching destinations. Thanks to strict protections, animals – including sea lions, penguins and giant tortoises – have no fear of humans. Read on to find out what to expect from a Galapagos cruise, along with how to choose your ship and the best time to depart.

Home\South America\Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands cruises

Our cruises in the Galapagos Islands can sometimes feel like exploring the land that time forgot. The wildlife here, which played a major role in Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection, thrives under strict environmental protections and has no fear of humans. This means you can get excitingly close, but the rules (and watchful guides) ensure you never get too close.

All of our Galapagos cruise ships have naturalist guides aboard who have been trained by the national park. However, if you want the best Galapagos cruise itinerary then look for those that are accompanied by experts in specific fields, from marine biology to conservation. They may facilitate discussions during treks or give talks in the evenings, and will be available to answer any questions.

On shore excursions, you’ll see penguins diving off the rocks, walk alongside lumbering giant tortoises, hear sea lions bark, and snorkel with rays and sharks. As our Galapagos cruise reviews prove, this is one of the planet’s greatest wildlife watching destinations.

See all our Galapagos Holidays

Give us a call

Why go on a cruise around the Galapagos Islands?

Holidays in the Galapagos Islands are either sea- or land-based, and there are advantages to both depending on your preferences or requirements. Cruise holidays tend to be popular for the following reasons:

Time-saving

Since you sail by night, you can disembark for your activities straight after breakfast every day, with no early morning speedboat transfers required. This also means that you can explore more remote islands that land-based tours rarely reach, such as Genovesa or Fernandina, and consequently you’re going to see more wildlife too.

Convenience

All meals and most activities are typically included in the price of our Galapagos Islands cruise packages, whereas land-based trips usually mean organising your own evening meals. Cruises also mean less time spent packing and unpacking since you’re in one cabin the whole time.

However, as well as generally being more expensive than land-based holidays, Galapagos cruise tours do mean that you need to be on board with boat life. Schedules tend to be more rigid, there’s less downtime to relax, and there’s limited space to enjoy that downtime in. For this reason, while cruises are a fantastic experience, families with younger children might prefer a land-based trip.

What does a Galapagos cruise involve?

Duration

Our Galapagos cruises vary in length and many will also include time on mainland Ecuador – perhaps a few days in Quito or even venturing further afield on a multi activity holiday. The optimal duration is probably around seven days, keeping in mind that the first and last days will be dominated by travel arrangements with perhaps a short activity too if there’s time. From Quito, it’s around a three-hour flight to the Galapagos Islands with a short stopover in Guayaquil.

The islands are enthralling, but let’s be honest – a week will be enough for all but the most wildlife-obsessed traveller. If you do want to stay longer than our recommendation would be a few days on land, perhaps near a beach, so you can do some independent exploring outside of the regimented cruise itinerary.

Passenger numbers

Since the Galapagos Islands are so carefully protected, cruise ship tourism has to be strictly regulated to prevent environmental damage. The maximum number of passengers on a ship is 100, so after a week you’ll recognise everyone, while on a smaller ship you’ll likely know all your fellow passengers by name within a few days. On our luxury Galapagos cruises, ‘luxury’ often translates to few other travellers and a very high standard of amenities aboard modern vessels.

Meals

Our Galapagos cruises are usually full board. As well as hiring their crew and guides on the islands, a lot of the food they serve will be locally sourced. The islands are a bit of a seafood paradise and you can also expect a lot ceviche and fish stew accompanied by cassava and plantain.

Itineraries

Cruise itineraries vary but you’ll be out on excursions every day, with lunch boxes provided. Activities are wildlife-focused, so you could observe albatross mating rituals on Espanola or green turtles nesting on Floreana, walk alongside giant turtles on Santa Cruz, or snorkel with manta rays, sharks, sea turtles and shoals of fish. A typical day might find you stepping into a glass-bottomed boat, kayak or pair of hiking boots, so it pays to spend at least a few hours reading about the different activities our holidays offer.

Contact Us

Call us for a chat about our holidays. We are happy to discuss your holiday and help in any way we can. No bots, queues or awful hold music.

01273 823 700 01273 823 700

Call us until 6pm

Calling from outside the UK

rosy@responsibletravel.com

Advice on choosing the best Galapagos cruise

We have a wide range of Galapagos cruise itineraries and vessels available to choose from – everything from 12-berth catamarans and yachts to larger ships. Generally speaking, the bigger the ship, the better equipped and more stable it is.

Other requirements you should consider when choosing a Galapagos cruise include whether you want to be on a family-friendly cruise ship or not, as well as your physical fitness when it comes to the itinerary and getting around the ship (steps between decks on larger vessels can be steep).

Read our comprehensive guide to choosing a Galapagos cruise to help you find the right trip for you

When to go

You can enjoy our Galapagos Islands cruises at any time of year. Weather-wise, June to November is the cool and dry season in the Galapagos Islands, while December to June is warmer and wetter, but the sea is typically calmer for cruise ships. The warmer weather also heralds mating season in the Galapagos, and the wildlife is at its most active.

There are only a few migratory species in the Galapagos Islands, so this is a rare year-round wildlife watching destination. That said, behaviours shift depending on the time of year. For instance, come early in the year to observe green turtles laying their eggs on the beaches, or in December for the best chance to see baby giant tortoises hatching from their eggs.

Blue-footed boobies perform their charming mating rituals in spring, while between June and November, divers braving the rougher and colder sea can be amazed by the sight of penguins and other seabirds rocketing in to feast on plankton.

Galapagos family cruises

The Galapagos Islands is one of the great family adventure destinations, and kids aged around 10 and up will have some amazing experiences here. On a Galapagos family cruise you’ll have a range of child-friendly optional activities such as kayaking, snorkelling and walks – not very physically demanding, so younger children should have little difficulty in keeping up.