Black Darwin Finch, Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Cruises

Cruise the beautiful Galapagos Islands and discover the fascinating wildlife they have to offer by boat, your floating hotel.

Fly from Ecuador’s mainland to the famous Galapagos Islands. Your chosen yacht will be your floating home for the week – a place to sleep, eat, relax and learn about the archipelago during evening lectures.

In the day visit the different islands that offer an eclectic mix of landscapes, from the white sandy low lying island of Floreana to the stark, steep, volcanic black lava fields of Fernandina and Isabela – all brought to life by your specialist guide.

Galapagos Seaman Journey Boat, The Galapagos
Galapagos Seaman Journey

Sailing in the Galapagos

Choosing a boat for your Galapagos Islands cruise can be tricky with so many to choose from. At Steppes Travel we have done the hard work for you and chosen to work with a small portfolio of boats, all with a maximum of 20 berths, ensuring a more personal experience, as well as generating a far lighter footprint. Between our Galapagos specialist team, we have visited the islands over 15 times and been on all the boats. We can tell you which boats have more cabin space, which is more stable, which have private balconies and those that have interconnecting cabins.

sail the galapagos islands

TV presenter and wild animal biologist Liz Bonnin taking photographs from a beach in the Galapagos Islands
Liz Bonnin, Galapagos Islands

Expert-Led Cruises

For those looking to get even more out of a Galapagos holiday, our expert-led Galapagos cruises are a great option. These allow a perfect opportunity to explore the Islands with Galapagos National Park guides as well as an expert in their field. Steppes have previously offered Galapagos expert-led cruises with Richard Dawkins, Charles Clover, Liz Bonnin and Monty Halls. We have upcoming cruises with Jonathan Green and the Galapagos Conservation Trust.

Petrel, Golden Galapagos
Petrel boat, Galapagos

Private Charters

If you are looking for a really special holiday for a private group, charter your very own yacht for a week-long navigation around the Galapagos. It may not always be as expensive as you think and will make for a very memorable holiday. Read more about our handpicked portfolio of boats below, which include several that are perfect to charter for a private group of friends or family. Alternatively, talk to one of our experts to see which boat would best suit your needs.

About our boat selection

Natural Paradise Yacht, Galapagos

Natural Paradise

Infinity Boat, Galapagos Islands

Infinity

Galapagos Seaman Journey Boat, The Galapagos

Seaman Journey

Origin & Theory Boats, Off shore, Galapagos

Origin, Theory & Evolve

Ocean Spray Boat, View to boat with birds in foreground, Galapagos

Ocean Spray

Petrel, Guest cabin private balcony, Golden Galapagos

Petrel

Sea Star Journey, Galapagos Islands

Sea Star

Experiences in the Galapagos Islands

Tell us what you love doing and we’ll curate a journey that’s perfect for you.

Galapagos marine iguanas on a beach, Tortuga Bay, on Santa Cruz Island.
Galapagos Cruises

Snorkelling with sea lions and marine iguanas in the Galapagos

Blowing bubbles back and forth with Sea Lions whilst they gracefully showed me their underwater acrobatics, whilst Penguins darted past me with great speed. I swam a little further out to sea and came across the unusual sight of a Marine Iguana swimming with a unique upright technique, and a green turtle gracefully gliding past me.  Incredible – such unusual and amazing marine life encounters in just one snorkelling adventure

Charles Darwin Research Centre, Santa Cruz, GPS
Galapagos Cruises

Charles Darwin Research Centre

Visit the Charles Darwin Research Centre to learn about the biology, ecology and conservation of the archipelago.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Lunch on deck, Galapagos
Galapagos Cruises

Dine on Deck

Indulge in fresh and tasty meals served al fresco, perhaps washed down with a chilled glass of white wine, while the boat sails past dramatic coastlines.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Land Iguana, Galapagos, Ecuador
Galapagos Cruises

Wildlife Spotting

Travel around the islands, totting up the impressive list of species spotted during a single day, from land iguanas and sea lions to blue footed boobies and sunfish.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Galapagos Habitat, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands
Galapagos Cruises

Live the Island Life

Instead of (or in addition to) cruising, stay on one of the archipelago’s four inhabited islands for a slower paced experience and more interaction with the locals.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Origin exterior, Galapagos
Galapagos Cruises

Charter a Boat

In the company of an expert naturalist guide and a professional crew, privately charter a vessel to explore the islands with family or friends for a feeling of complete exclusivity.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Beach, Scalesia Lodge, Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands
Galapagos Cruises

Walk Barefoot on Sandy Beaches

Stroll down red or white sand beaches, stopping to sit next to slumbering sea lions and watch penguins frolic in the turquoise surf.

Galapagos Brown Pelican Eating, Galapagos Islands
Galapagos Cruises

Puerto Fish Market

Visit Puerto Ayora’s little fish market to watch as cheeky pelicans and sea lions wait for scraps.

Pinnacle Rock, Bartolome Island, Galapagos Islands
Galapagos Cruises

Kayak in the Ocean

Move around the bays, stopping to watch sea lions and turtles, while kayaking over the tranquil water.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Rays, Genovesa Island, Galapagos Islands
Galapagos Cruises

Snorkel with Marine Life

Don flippers and jump in the water to swim with playful sea lions, curious penguins and resting whitetip reef shark.

Suggested Holiday Idea

Meet our experts

A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.

John Faithfull

My love affair with travel began in a vintage Italian train carriage at sunset on a hot and sticky September evening in 1983. Sardined into a two-bench compartment, I’d spent five hours sharing sweaty thighs, broken-Italian pleasantries and furtive glances while rattling towards Turin, stopping at every wisteria-draped village along the way.

Talk with our experts
  • 01285 880 980

Roxy Dukes

I love to squeeze as much out of my day as possible. An outdoors fanatic, I love to delve into harsh environments having summited numerous mountains and trail running into the unknown whenever I get the chance – whether at home or overseas. Funnily enough, it didn’t start like that. It took a few years for the burning fire of adventure to truly take light with my eyes opened by the adventures travel could afford.

Talk with our experts
  • 01285 880 980

Paul Bird

It wasn’t part of the script, career plans were quite different but after four global trips visiting such exciting destinations, travel became a passion that eventually led to me entering the industry. The more I have travelled the greater the desire has been to see and do more.

Talk with our experts
  • 01285 880 980

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Why Choose Steppes?

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