Family Cabins
A spacious interconnecting cabin with a private balcony in each suite.
Ditch the textbooks and see the real-life landscapes and wildlife that inspired Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. A place where almost half the species are endemic, the Galapagos Islands offers a wildlife show like nowhere else on earth.
A family cruise to the Galapagos Islands combines exploration with engaging learning opportunities and freedom from the constraints of routine. Cruising onboard Infinity, a five-star yacht carrying a maximum of 20 passengers, offers spacious cabins with a separate bathroom for parents. Close encounters with wildlife are guaranteed, put into context by an expert guide who will explain animal behaviour, from chest-puffing red frigate birds and salt-snorting marine iguanas to barking sea lions and frolicking penguins.
Key Highlights of this Itinerary
Active itinerary
Keep ’em busy with at least two guided island excursions per day, by small boat (panga) or on foot.
Expert Guiding
Travel with engaging local naturalist guides, learning about the biodiversity and history of the islands.
Superb Snorkelling
Tot up the impressive list of species spotted in a single day, from iguanas and sea lions, to blue footed boobies and turtles.
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Day 1-2
Quito (La Casona de la Ronda)
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Day 3
Quito - Baltra Island (Infinity)
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Day 4
North Seymour & South Plaza Islands (Infinity)
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Day 5
Rabida & Bartolome Islands (Infinity)
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Day 6
Santiago & Santa Cruz Islands (Infinity)
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Day 7
Santa Cruz Island (Infinity)
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Day 8
Genovesa Island (Infinity)
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Day 9
Santiago Island (Infinity)
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Day 10
San Cristobal (Infinity) - Quito
Day 1-2
Quito (La Casona de la Ronda)
Arrive in Quito and transfer to your hotel. The following day, set out on a guided tour of the city.
Day 3
Quito - Baltra Island (Infinity)
Transfer to the airport in the morning and fly to Baltra Airport on the Galapagos Islands. Here, enter the national park and transfer by dinghy to the Infinity.
Day 4
North Seymour & South Plaza Islands (Infinity)
Morning stop on North Seymour Island where sea lions, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, pelicans and frigate birds can be found. In the afternoon, visit South Plaza Island. This small island features steep cliffs formed by rising lava and is home to of the largest sea lion colonies.
Day 5
Rabida & Bartolome Islands (Infinity)
Located off Santiago Island, visit Rabida Island, a colourful and volcanically varied island with wonderful snorkelling and some of the archipelagos rarest bird species. Stop at Bartolome, home to Galapagos penguins and sea lions and hike the 600-metre trail to Bartolome’s summit for spectacular views of Santiago Island and Sullivan Bay.
Day 6
Santiago & Santa Cruz Islands (Infinity)
In the morning, visit Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island. Walk across a recent lava flow that was only formed in the late 19th century. Later, explore Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz Island. One of the lengthier Galapagos walking trails will lead you along a beach and up a trail to the lagoon lookout where bright flamingos, pintail ducks and land iguanas can be spotted.
Day 7
Santa Cruz Island (Infinity)
In the morning, travel to the highlands of Santa Cruz and visit Los Gemelos. These formations were created by the collapse of surface material in underground fissures and chambers. In the afternoon, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to see the giant tortoise and land iguana breeding program.
Day 8
Genovesa Island (Infinity)
In the morning, visit El Barranco on Genovesa Island, where a steep, rocky path leads up to a high cliff face. Red-footed and Nazca boobies, short-eared lava owls, Galapagos swallows and Galapagos doves can all be seen here. After lunch, visit the white-sand coral beach of Darwin Bay, where sea lions swim playfully in tidal pools.
Day 9
Santiago Island (Infinity)
Explore Santiago Island – visit Espumilla Beach, a popular place for marine iguanas and Sally Lightfoot crabs. In the afternoon, stop at Puerto Egas, home to the curious Galapagos hawks and quick-footed lava lizards. Have the chance to snorkel and see reef sharks, turtles, rays and sea lions.
Day 10
San Cristobal (Infinity) - Quito
On your final morning, visit Bachas Beach, home to flamingos, Sally lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black-necked stilts and whimbrels. Afterwards, transfer to Baltra airport in time for your flight back to the mainland and onward travel.
Why Go on a Galapagos Family Cruise?
While ships like Infinity offer a high level of comfort and service, the emphasis is on getting off the ship to visit various islands and to see first-hand the remarkable wildlife. A small ship cruise is the most sustainable, varied and fulfilling way to visit the Galapagos. Ships’ schedules are carefully organised to avoid overrunning key sites and we vet all the ships we offer to ensure that, like the Infinity, the environmental impact of your family cruise is carefully managed. With a maximum of 20 passengers on board, excursions are low-impact and offer an uncrowded experience to the islands.
Snorkelling in the Galapagos
As the vessel anchors off the coast of dramatic islands, jump in to snorkel in deep blue waters where silhouetted sharks can appear in the distance and elusive sun fish may even make an appearance. In shallower turquoise waters with white sandy floors that are teeming with marine life, perhaps free dive to marvel at the starfish or dart out of the way of a fever of golden rays. Take a kayak out before lunch, watching green Pacific turtles glide by, or swim next to darting penguins.
Island Experiences
Choosing to sail the Galapagos Islands certainly does not mean being confined to the boat and waters – in fact, the opposite is true since the boat navigates through the night to different islands and coastlines. Trek to Los Gemelos craters, bypass 1.5-metre-long giant tortoises that roam freely through lush grasslands, walk (and crawl) through epic lava tunnels, explore pirate caves and bike the Wetlands Trail past colonies of iguanas to the historic Wall of Tears that once housed prisoners of World War II.
Floating Accommodation
Infinity
A 161-foot-long vessel that first set sail in 2018, Infinity is a contemporary 20-passenger vessel that was purpose-built to cruise around the Galapagos Islands. She is made up of two suites and eight cabins, each with a private balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows for heaps of marine life viewing. An interconnecting cabin creates a perfect space for a family holiday to these spectacular islands.
View our hand picked portfolio of boats for alternative accommodation options.
Donation to Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT)
The Ecuadorian authorities charge a national park fee of $200 for a two-week trip to the Galapagos. Tourism needs to pay a price that is commensurate with the demands it makes on infrastructure and natural resources; $100 doesn’t come close. Steppes Travel will continue to push the authorities for an increase in fees to be used to help combat the growing threats to the Galapagos Islands but in the interim, we will make a donation of $100 to GCT for every client that travels to the Galapagos islands. This will of course be in addition to the $200 Galapagos National Park fee included in the cost of your holiday and will give you an annual membership to GCT. Read our blog on the importance of paying a fair price for nature.
How does this holiday make a positive impact?
- Relevant SDGs
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Steppes Travel donates $100 to Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) for every client it books to travel to the Galapagos. GCT works with scientists, authorities, NGOs, and local communities, to restore biodiversity to the islands and build resilience to the growing threat from the climate crisis. The Floreana Island Restoration Project epitomises their method of working, sponsoring a local ecologist to conduct a Phd on the endangered Floreana mockingbird alongside the implementation of measures to eradicate invasive species to create an environment in which the mockingbird, and other endemic species, can be reintroduced to the island.
In 2022, the Ecuadorian government announced the creation of the Hermandad Reserve giving safe passageway to whale sharks, sea turtles and other marine life moving between the Galapagos and Cocos Islands. This means that 19% of the Galapagos oceans are now protected. For every booking we make to the Galapagos, we make a $100 donation to the Galapagos Conservation Trust which has prioritised the objective of creating marine protected areas to cover at least 30% of the oceans around the Galapagos.
Steppes has donated £3,000 to support the Galapagos Conservation Trust’s project, Gills Club on San Cristobal. The club aims to engage local girls in shark science, as part of a wider Galapagos Ocean Outreach goal to empower young people to generate and deliver conservation and sustainability projects. Girls at Gills Club are given opportunities to see wildlife that they would otherwise not encounter and gain scientific skills, self-confidence and passion for protecting the wildlife of their Islands, led by their female mentors.
Learn more about the UN's 17 sustainability goals
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Suggested Extension
Ecuador: Cloud Forest Experience
Journey three hours from Quito to the beautiful cloud forest hideaway, Mashpi Lodge. Spend two days hiking forest trails, exploring the canopies by sky bike and learning about the regions diverse ecosystem at the in house research centre. The birdlife is spectacular and as night falls the rainforest comes alive with the sights and sounds of its many smaller residents.
3 days. Price on request
A note on price
Prices will vary depending on the time of year you are travelling. Prices do not include international flights. Please ask one of our Travel Experts for an accurate quote. Flights purchased through Steppes Travel departing from the UK are ATOL protected.
Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge, curiosity and expertise set us apart, driving us to create remarkable holidays and Beautiful Adventures tailored perfectly to you, carefully curated to help protect and conserve our planet.
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