History of the Galapagos Islands
Explore how millions of years of evolution shaped this World Heritage Site and inspired Darwin's Origin of Species.
Galapagos Islands Travel Guide
Giant tortoises lumber across ancient lava flows whilst marine iguanas bask on black sand beaches.
Welcome to the Galapagos Islands, nature’s greatest evolutionary showcase, where wildlife thrives across volcanic islands that reshaped how we see the natural world.
This Galapagos Islands travel guide will help you explore this living laboratory responsibly. From snorkelling with sea lions to observing blue-footed boobies, we’ll share how you can best witness evolution in action.
Whether you’re planning to dive with hammerhead sharks or walk amongst endemic species, you’ll find practical Galapagos Islands travel advice and insider tips throughout these pages.
Explore the islands
The Galapagos Archipelago Islands
The Galapagos archipelago is made up of 19 main islands, which includes the largest Isabela and most populated Santa Cruz, three small…
Wildlife on the Galapagos Islands
Explore natural selection in action on the Galapagos Islands. The wildlife both on land and in the water are unique highly-adapted species,…
Cruising in the Galapagos
A cruise is hard to beat if you want to make the most of every moment in the Galapagos. You get to experience the huge variety of terrain and the richness of flora and fauna on each of the islands, whilst enjoying the added advantage of sleeping whilst you travel. A typical cruise lasts for eight days, but we can always arrange for you to stay longer.
Why visit the Galapagos
Set nearly 1,000 kilometres off the mainland, this is the only place in the world where zoom lenses are definitely not required to capture stunning wildlife portraits.
Since both the land and marine creatures that inhabit the Galapagos Islands are utterly fearless, a journey around the landmasses brings voyagers face-to-face with their thousands-strong population of curious bubble-blowing sea lions, salt-spitting iguanas, clumsy blue-footed boobies, flightless cormorants, monogamous waved albatrosses and boisterous Galapagos penguins.
Family Galapagos Islands holidays
A supremely family-friendly destination, the Galapagos Islands is the perfect place to get the family up close to a host of creatures that have no fear of humans!
Island-based Galapagos holidays
Whilst our travel experts often recommend a cruise, a growing number of visitors never set foot on a live-aboard boat as the choice of lodges and camps in the Galapagos is now at an all-time high. To quote Spike Milligan, “a sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree” – so if you want to explore the Galapagos but don’t have the sea legs for a cruise, speak to our experts. They know the best ‘trees’ under which to sit in the Galapagos or, for the more active, can arrange walking tours on volcanic islands or birding excursions into the islands’ interiors.
Donation to Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT)
The Ecuadorian authorities updated the Galapagos National Park fee to $200 for a two-week trip in 2024, the first increase in almost three decades. We’re pleased to have supported the campaign to achieve this fairer price for nature, as tourism should always contribute appropriately to the protection of our fragile ecosystems. In addition to the new park fee, which is included in the cost of your holiday, we’ll continue to donate $100 to the Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) for every client who travels with us. This donation includes an annual GCT membership, helping to fund the vital research and fieldwork the Galapagos Islands urgently need.
Read our blog on the importance of paying a fair price for nature.
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