F.A.Q. - Galapagos travel planner, before you go
Where are the Galapagos Islands?
The Galapagos Islands (or Archipelago de Colon) is a Province of Ecuador located 500 miles (800 kilometers) west of the Ecuadorian coast in South America. They lie directly on the equator.
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What kind of weather can we find in the Galapagos Islands?
As the islands lie directly on the Equator, you can expect it to be warm for most of the year. The hottest season is generally from January to April with average temperatures ranging from a low of 70 to a high of 84 F (22 - 31 C). It is during this period that you may expect afternoon thundershowers. During a severe El Nino, you can expect rain or thundershowers at any time. From April to December is considered the "cool" (and dry) season with average temperatures ranging from a low of 68 to a high of 82 F (19 – 27 C). During this time of year you may encounter "garua" (misty rain) early in the morning and in the highlands of Santa Cruz and San Cristobal.
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When is the best time to travel to Galapagos?
Anytime is a good time! During the "hot" season with it's frequent afternoon rain showers the islands are generally much greener and the land birds most active. It is also during this period that the ocean temperature is warmer for swimming and snorkeling. During the "cool" season the land birds and sea mammals are most active. This is the best time for observing courtship displays in the sea birds. No matter what time of year you visit the islands, you will always find the wildlife activity to be absolutely amazing!
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How to get there?
Your international flights to Ecuador arrive at Quito or Guayaquil. It is normal to spend at least one night in a hotel, and then take a domestic flight in the morning with Tame or Aerogal to the Galapagos, landing at Baltra or San Cristobal. These domestic flights always start from Quito, stop at Guayaquil 30 minutes later, and then continue to the Galapagos after refuelling. The Galapagos Islands are about 600 miles west of the Ecuadorian mainland, and flying time is around 1 hour 40 minutes. The aircraft are either Boeing 727 or Airbus 310. Your return flight from Galapagos will arrive back in the afternoon.
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Should I organize the flights separately from the Galapagos trip?
Your international flights to Ecuador yes. Experience tells us that booking directly from the airlines website you can get the best rates. CONTINENTAL AIRLINES: www.continental.com, AMERICAN AIRLINES www.aa.com, KLM www.klm.com, LAN ECUADOR www.lan.com. Other airlines are available through www.expedia.com
Your local flights need to tie in with the itinerary of the selected cruise, so it is normal to book the flight and cruise at the same time. Note that these domestic flights cannot be purchased by travel agents using normal airline reservation systems such as Sabre.
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Apart from the Galapagos trip, what else should I consider?
At the minimum, you will need to stay in a Quito or Guayaquil hotel your first night in order to catch the morning flight to Galapagos. Unless your international departure time is in the evening, you will also need to stay another night in a hotel on your return. We recommend though that you take advantage of your visit and consider seeing the city and the Equator monument, Otavalo or other Indian markets, the snow-capped Cotopaxi volcano, Mindo cloud forest, Cuenca and surroundings, the Ecuadorian Amazon, or even combine with a trip to Machu Picchu and Cuzco in Peru. For a wide variety of tours in Ecuador, Peru and South America visit
www.latintrails.com
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What is the average cost of a trip to the Galapagos?
As a minimum, each person pays the return flight to the Galapagos, the Galapagos Park entry fee ($100), the cost of the cruise (from $400 to more than $2,000 depending on cruise length and quality), and a tip for the crew and guide. To this you add any other costs of hotels and tours on the mainland.
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When should I make my reservation?
Due to demand, Galapagos yachts historically have been reserved well in advance, particularly for the high seasons. Although shorter timetables are feasible, it is normal and recommended that you book your trip 3-6 months prior to your intended date of departure, and 6-12 months prior to the holiday seasons.
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Are all your prices in US dollars?
All of our rates are quoted in US dollars.
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When do we have to pay?
A 30% deposit is required at the time you decide to confirm your reservation and the balance is due 60 days before departure.
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What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept all credit cards via PayPal. Payment may also be made by wire transfer, bank draft or cashiers check.
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What is included in the rates for the boats?
The boat rates includes accommodations and all meals aboard the boat, island sightseeing, all guide and lecture services, transfers in the islands and between the airport and yacht in Galapagos.
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What is not included?
Galapagos flights, Galapagos Entrance Fee (includes the municipal tax, currently $100 US payable in cash to the national park authorities in Baltra), tips (it is customary to tip the guide, chef and crew) soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and any other extras not specifically mentioned. There is also a $25 US departure tax from Ecuador on all international flights.
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Can you make hotel and other tour reservations for us in Ecuador?
Yes! We are able to assist you with hotels and tours throughout Ecuador and into Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela and Costa Rica. We can also help you to plan an efficient itinerary that will make the most of the time you have available and at a price you can afford.
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How do we receive our vouchers and tickets for the Galapagos?
We will e-mail (and/or fax or mail if requested) a receipt and voucher that is valid for the ship or yacht and for the ticket to Galapagos. The ticket for the Galapagos flight is held by the ship or yacht owners and will be issued to you by us once you are in Ecuador, when we take you to the airport for your Galapagos Islands flight.
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How to pay the Galapagos Park tax?
Unless you are a resident of Ecuador, you need to pay $100 entry fee to visit Galapagos. With some cruises you can arrange to pay this in advance, along with the cruise payment. Otherwise it can only be paid in cash (not travellers check or credit card) in US dollars on arrival at the airport in Galapagos.
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What level of Naturalist Guide will be aboard the boat and do they speak English?
All of the boats we use employ highly experienced and qualified level II and III naturalist guides who are fluent in English (and often other languages as well).
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How much should we tip the guide and crew?
There is no clear rule on this, and you will always be told that it depends on you and the service you received. The following is just an indication for yachts and cruise ships: tip the guide around $6-9 per person per day, and give the captain $5-10 per person per day for the crew. Often these are put in envelopes, and in smaller yachts the passengers sometimes combine all the tips together.
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Will there be time for snorkeling?
There is plenty of time for snorkeling for those who are interested. Snorkeling gear is provided aboard most of the boats. For personal hygiene, we recommend that you bring your own gear.
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How important is the itinerary?
This should be a key part of your decision-making process. As Darwin discovered, each island differs in its flora and fauna, the western islands are more recent and volcanic, and what you see also varies during the year. Much depends on your interests. Itineraries do vary considerably between boats. Not many of the lower-priced yachts visit the popular western islands of Isabela and Fernandina, nor the northeast island of Genovesa, for example. And obviously shorter 4 or 5 day trips will be covering less ground. If you are taking an 8 day trip on a boat which also offer 4 and 5 day trips, check what you will be doing when the boat is picking up and dropping passengers for the shorter trips.
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What length of cruise is best?
The most frequent cruise lengths are 4, 5 and 8 days. There are occasional 10 and 14 day cruises, especially for dedicated diving. Your decision will be influenced by time available, interests and budget. As expected, the longer the cruise, the more islands are visited. This is an important consideration, as each island differs in appearance, history and flora and fauna. The short cruises (4 & 5 days) give a good and quick appreciation of the Galapagos through visiting some islands, whilst the 8 day tours visit more islands and give a more complete understanding of the uniqueness of the Galapagos. The 8 day itineraries also help reduce the impact and fixed costs of the long flight to reach Galapagos, and the $100 park entry fee.
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Which type of boat?
Your choice depends on personal preferences and interests. There is a wide range of boats in the Galapagos, ranging from 4 to 100 passengers, and from economy through to deluxe. The larger ships are motor cruisers, whilst a number of the smaller boats (below 20 passengers) are sailing yachts. Sailing yachts usually use motors most of the time, with the sails occasionally deployed to supplement speed. Guides are not allowed by the Park to handle more than 16 passengers at a time, so groups remain small regardless of boat size.
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Boat or hotel?
Instead of a cruise you can consider a hotel-based stay. Many people also combine a cruise with a hotel stay on Galapagos before or afterwards. Hotels, mainly on the island of Santa Cruz, can offer day trips to neighbouring islands although currently there are few good boats offering these (so a couple of the hotels are reluctant to offer for the moment). Cruises provide a more complete overview of the islands as they reach places too far away for day trips. A hotel can provide relaxation, tours on the island itself, scuba diving, kayaking and biking. Families with young children may prefer the greater freedom of staying on land.
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Should I charter?
Chartering is definitely worth considering if you can bring together a group or family of 6 or more. There are several advantages: it will be cheaper than a normal cruise (if you are close to filling the boat), you know everybody on the cruise, you have greater flexibility in the timing of the various activities and visits, and with sufficient planning you can modify the itinerary. As availability can reduce quickly for yachts, charters normally need to be reserved well in advance, particularly for peak periods.
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What are land visits like?
These vary. Most last 1 ½ - 3 hours, and the terrain varies. Visits from the yachts are in their small boats or pangas, and either are dry or wet landings (the latter means the panga pulls up on the beach and you take off your shoes before jumping out). For some there may be climbing up natural steps. You are always accompanied by the guide. As he frequently stops to explain or show things, the pace is gentle and never rushed.
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Can we make land visits anywhere?
To protect the unique nature of the Park, visitors are only allowed access to clearly-defined visiting points and trails, of which there are around 60 in total. Equally the number of visitors to each place is limited at any one time. If this appears restrictive, it is considered the only way to preserve the area. In any event the trails are carefully designed, and long enough, to exhibit the best the island has to show.
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Can I kayak?
Kayaking is also great fun in the Galapagos. Not all yachts have kayaks, so you should check in advance. The rule is that you must remain in the kayak and not touch land. The itineraries allow for kayaking in areas defined by the Park, but these are slightly fewer than snorkelling. Also the dictates of the sailing schedule often mean you have to choose between kayaking and snorkelling at some locations.
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What if I need to cancel?
Cancellation penalties for cruises are punitive, since bookings are normally made well in advance and operators find it difficult to fill last minute space. As departure date approaches, so does the cancellation penalty increase. According to normal cancellation clauses, the operators have the right to charge the penalty whatever the reason for cancellation. Sometimes operators may be more lenient, only charge a smaller amount, and provide a credit towards a future cruise, normally within a year. But refunds are rare. So you are strongly advised to take out at least trip cancellation insurance to reduce your risk.
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What restrictions are there for children?
Children with an interest in nature usually thoroughly enjoy a trip to the Galapagos, but bored or misbehaving children can at worst be the bane of a boat and, on smaller yachts, cause serious tensions with other passengers. Child restrictions depend on the boat, as also the facilities for looking after children. Although the Park recommends that children be over 7 years, there is no prohibition and mothers could even bring babies in their arms on land visits. Large cruise ships are better equipped for children, and may have nurseries and child-minders so that mothers can make land visits and leave their children onboard. Smaller yachts generally have no facilities, and some will not allow young children below 5-7 years. Those that do accept younger children usually make it clear that the parents have full responsibility to accompany and look after the child(ren) throughout the cruise, and require the signing of a waiver. Chartering a yacht has the advantage of enabling dedicated care to be organized. To note that recently some operators have been offering family departures on an occasional basis.
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What restrictions are there for senior people?
There are no formal restrictions, but most operators require people with handicaps or medical problems to indicate these well in advance and may indicate they cannot take responsibility. Plenty of people over 80 years visit Galapagos each year. Senior people who are mobile should have no difficulty, even with wet landings, except for a few land visits where the guide may indicate in advance that a certain part is tricky and offer an alternative (for example, a tour by panga while the rest of the group does the land visit). Some of the land visits have steep climbs at the start, or require walking over highly broken and uneven volcanic lava. Otherwise the pace of the land visits is slow, and should not present a problem.
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How can I avoid being seasick?
Remedies such as pills, patches and acupuncture wristbands work well, but not for everybody. June – November are the months when the sea has more swell. Obviously the smaller the vessel, the more the risk: on the large cruise ships the risk of seasickness is low. Between a sailing yacht and a motor cruiser of the same length, the more stable boat should be a sailing yacht due to its keel, but on the few occasions when it deploys its sails it may have more complex motions.
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What medical facilities are there?
Medical facilities in the Galapagos are basic and effectively handle first aid. Serious medical problems and emergencies usually involve flying back to public or private hospitals in Quito or Guayaquil for treatment, and given distances this may take time. Only the large cruise ships may have doctors on board, but they too cannot deal with serious problems and emergencies. So people with known medical conditions should consult their doctors before considering a visit. Pharmacies/drug stores are available on the large ships, and in Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz).
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Are any immunizations required?
At the time of publishing none are required for visitors to mainland Ecuador and Galapagos (excluding jungle areas).
To be on the safe side in general, you should check with your local health office several weeks prior to your departure. You may also wish to take a look at the US Center for Disease Control`s useful health recommendations for
South America.
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How can I pay for souvenirs?
Only when you stop at Puerto Ayora will there be an opportunity to buy anything apart from what may be available on the boat. Puerto Ayora is small, and likely to be more expensive than the mainland, but basics are available in the shops and pharmacies as well as souvenirs, t-shirts, films, sun lotion, etc.
Cash (US dollars) is the main medium, although a few places in Puerto Ayora may accept credit cards or travellers checks. Tips and bar bills on board can be paid by cash or travellers checks. For some of the larger cruise vessels, credit cards may be acceptable for bar bills and gift shops.
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Can I obtain cash during the trip?
There are a couple of banks at Puerto Ayora where you can change travellers checks or withdraw cash using Visa or Master Card.
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Are there any luggage Restrictions?
Lugage is restricted to 20 kg per passenger, excess luggage will be paid at the airport.
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Do I need a passport or visa to go to Galapagos?
A passport is required. We can advise you of any visa requirements when traveling to Ecuador depending on your nationality.
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What is the smoking policy on board the boats?
It is forbidden to smoke on the Islands, inside the yachts or cruise ships. Smoking is allowed
ONLY on the sun decks.
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What is the dress code for dinner?
Casual attire is the general rule on all boats. Some of the larger boats do not allow swimsuits and sandals for dinner.
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What is the electric current on board?
Most larger boats have 110/220 Outlets and the smaller yachts usually have only 110 outlets. Please confirm with your captain on board.
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