Ultimate Galapagos Itinerary - 8 days

Day 1: Quito

Today you will be landing at Quito airport! Here you will be welcomed by an English guide, he will be taking you to your luxurious hotel in Quito. Today you are going to just relax and wander around leisurely. You are free to do whatever you want! If you want to get yourself free from the jetlag of traveling, you can relax in your hotel room or if you want there’s always room for independently exploring the area in the vicinity of your hotel room.

Day 2: Santa Cruz & Baltra Island

Today morning your guide will be taking you for a short flight to the Baltra Airport in the Galapagos from your hotel. And after reaching your destination, you will be transferred to the M/C Anahi catamaran. This is going to be your home for the coming 8 days. Take your time and settle down in your cabin. And, before you begin your wonderful odyssey of the Galapagos Islands, enjoy your lunch onboard.

This day, your first spot will be the Bachas Beaches! These two beaches are popularly known for being the most loved nesting site for sea turtles. These are located on the West of Turtle Cove on Santa Cruz Island. You will also get to see a small brackish water lagoon and here you can enjoy watching coastal birds like whimbrels, and flamingos. This area will particularly introduce you to the diverse flora and fauna of the Galapagos landscape.

Day 3: Genovesa Island

This day you are going to begin from Darwin Bay on Genovesa Island! This place has a bunch of volcanoes that will definitely be an inspiring thing for your wanderlust. The trail will take you through part lava and part coral sand. You will wonder to see the home (nests) of the red-footed booby. And, there is no dearth of the Great Frigate bird which is one of the popularly known attractions of the Island.

The same afternoon, your next destination is going to be El Barranco! It’s located in the South most part of the Darwin Bay located near Genovesa Island. And, the 1.5km trailing path is inclusive of cliffs and volcanic rocks which are created with very brittle and flimsy lava. The naturally eroding lava has made it an ideal place for Storm Petrels to create their nests. Here you will get to see two of these species of petrels. You will also be seeing fur seals while riding along the cliffs. At the end of the day, you will be enjoying your dinner at your hotel!

Day 4: Santa Fe & South Plazas

Today morning you will be taken to an excursion of the South Plaza Island! This magical island is home to around 1000 sea lions and a number of hybrid iguanas. You will be pleasantly surprised to see these unique iguanas and they can just be recognized at the first go looking at their quirky gray & black color.

In the afternoon, you will set yourself for an exploration of the Santa Fe Island where you’ll get to see more of unique species of iguanas. Apart from that, you’ll also get to see here six more varieties of endemic species of rats.

Day 5: San Cristobal Island

Today you’ll be exploring the Punta Pitt located in the Eastern part of the San Cristobal Island. The trailing path is going to take you through the olivine beach and then at the top of the volcanic tuff. In the Galapagos Islands, this is the only place where you can get to see three different varieties of boobies and also two different frigates species. In addition to that, the sea lion makes this place worth visiting.

In the afternoon after lunch, you’ll be stopping by the Leon Dormido Rocks. These rocks are actually the remains of a lava cone that has eroded from the Sea. Leon Dormido Rocks are two vertical rocks with a height around 500 feet. The surrounding is all ornamented with boobies and many of the tropical birds, that has made it a popular site for cruises. And, under the crystal clear waters is the wondrous scene of the vibrant invertebrates and beautiful tropical fish.

Then you are going to continue further to Lobos Island where you will get to find numerous blue-footed boobies and two other different species of Sea Lions. And, if you are opting for snorkeling, seeing juvenile sea lions, sea turtles, and manta rays are undeniably going to be exciting.

Day 6: Galapagos Tortoise Breeding Centre

The sixth day of the  Galapagos and today you will be visiting the Galapagos Tortoise Breeding Centre. It’s located in the Southern part of the San Cristobal Island. Here the Tortoise population has been threatened because of the animals like rats, wild goats, and cats. The Galapagos Islands is among one of the places, which is the 11 populations of Galapagos tortoises. You will get to know here about the history behind the giant population of tortoises in Galapagos.

The same day, after lunch you will be visiting the San Cristobal's Interpretation Centre. This place is going to take you through the vibrant history of the Galapagos Islands. At the end of the day, you’ll be touring around the Tijeretas Hill that gives you a spectacular view of the Island. You can also choose to snorkel here in the islet.

Day 7: Espanola Island

The seventh day of the Galapagos Islands Itinerary and you are going to visit today Espanola Island. This place dates back to 3.3 million years ago and it’s one of the oldest places of the Galapagos Islands. Since Espanola Island is separated from other Islands it is believed to have the highest percentage of endemism. Some of the Endemic species are lava lizards, a variety of mockingbird, the albatross, and Darwin's finches. In the morning you are going to explore the Punta Suarez, which is located on the Western Side of the Island.

Day 8: Quito

Today you will be transferred to Quito! You can relax and wander around the city before heading for the Airport. In the afternoon, you’ll be catching up your flight back home. We are sure that this 8 Days Galapagos Itinerary is going to be remembered forever!! Don’t forget capturing the last moments with your camera!!