Our Team 
Our Tour Experts 
Our favourite boats in the Galapagos Islands
Our Galapagos specialist team have first-hand experience of these vessels, having been aboard all of them during their travels around the archipelago. We can help you choose the right boat for you.
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Our Team Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
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Our Tour Experts We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
Galapagos Islands Holidays
Darwin’s playground; where a delicate collection of fearless wildlife and idyllic landscapes awaits. Choose from one of the many beautiful lodges or take to the sea with expert guides in tow.
From sitting on a beach face-to-face with non-flinching sea lion pups to wandering through lush fields of giant land tortoises, a trip to the Galapagos Islands is one of the most magical travel experiences no matter your age.
While sailing around the Galapagos archipelago is a unique experience in itself, there are a number of additional exclusive experiences that we can arrange for ocean-bound voyagers. Savour a private al fresco sunset dinner as the vessel navigates past silhouetted islands, partake in chocolate-tasting and ceviche-making classes with on-board chefs, or privately charter a romantic vessel to celebrate an anniversary.
Why visit the Galapagos
Set 600 miles off the mainland, this is the only place in the world where zoom lenses are definitely not required to capture stunning wildlife portraits, the archipelago is all at once awe-inspiring and other-worldly.
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, elusive red-lipped batfish, skulking hammerhead sharks, flightless cormorants, monogamous waved albatrosses and boisterous Galapagos penguins.
Explore the Galapagos Islands
- Isabela Island - Marine Life
- Santa Cruz - Giant Tortoises
- South Plaza
- Santa Fe
- Bartolome - Galapagos penguins
- San Salvador
- Fernandina - Marine Iguanas
- San Cristobal - Sea lions
- Espanola
- Floreana Island
Cruising in the Galapagos
A cruise is hard to beat if you want to see as much as possible on your Galapagos holiday. It is a great way for you to fully experience the huge variety of terrain and the richness of flora and fauna of the many different islands. There’s the added advantage that you travel whilst you sleep, making the most of every moment. The standard Galapagos cruise lasts for eight days, but there are options to stay longer.
Island-based Galapagos holidays
Whilst our Galapagos holiday 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.
Accommodation in the Galapagos
While we are advocates of cruising around the archipelago, we also know that many travellers are choosing to stay in lodges and camps in the Galapagos Islands. We can help you pick the perfect property, as we have visited or spent the night in all of them. Whether travelling with a young family or seeking a luxurious honeymoon, we have the perfect place for you.
Experiences
Observe giant tortoises grazing in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, marvel at comical blue-footed boobies during their courtship dances, photograph marine iguanas diving into the sea off Isabela Island and snorkel with playful sea lions from the beach on San Cristobal Island. We can also arrange an exclusive behind the scenes visit to the Galapagos Science Centre, where it is possible to interact with scientists and chat about their important projects and community awareness programmes.
Idea
Sail the Galapagos Islands
A transformative sailing voyage around the world’s most treasured archipelago, staying aboard anything from a whimsical sailboat to a state-of-the-art catamaran, an exploration of the Galapagos Islands is the quintessential adventure for wildlife-loving wayfarers.
Group tour
Cruise with Jo Ruxton & New Scientist
Join our special Galapagos Island charter in collaboration with New Scientist. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore the Galapagos Islands, with marine conservationist and producer of the documentary A Plastic Ocean, Jo Ruxton. Jo has…
The Steppes Fund for Change
Galapagos Conservation Trust
Preservation, conservation and research are imperative to the Galapagos Islands, so we consciously work closely with partners that safeguard the archipelago and conduct research projects that are geared towards its maintenance. We are a Gold Corporate Member of the Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT), the only UK charity that is focused solely on conservation in the archipelago.
We also recently donated to the development of a citizen’s science programme concerning single-use plastic pollution in the archipelago. When you book a trip to the Galapagos Islands with Steppes Travel, you will also benefit from a complimentary, six-month membership with GCT.
Galapagos Family 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!
History of the Galapagos Islands
Explore how millions of years of evolution shaped this World Heritage Site and inspired Darwin's Origin of Species.
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,…
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.
Roxy Dukes
Wildlife is Roxy’s passion, so where better to immerse than in Darwin’s land? Having stepped on all but one of the islands in the archipelago and having personally visited our hand-picked selection of hotels and boats, there is little she does not know about the Galapagos Islands. Talk with our experts
- 1 855 2037885
James Armitage
James first visited the Galapagos Islands in 1981 and has subsequently returned another four times. With every visit, the wildlife both above and below the water is enchanting. Talk with our experts
- 1 855 2037885
Paul Bird
The moment a blue footed booby makes its dive and plunges like a dart into the water is special, but to see hundreds do this at once was a breath-taking experience that Paul was not prepared for. Talk with our experts
- 1 855 2037885
John Faithfull
Half of the appeal of the Galapagos Islands is underwater, and a few minutes in the company of a five-metre manta ray off the coast of Isabela Island remains one of John’s most vivid memories of this incredible archipelago. Talk with our experts
- 1 855 2037885
Let’s chat
Speak to our experts
Our team is waiting to help you tailor a trip that will leave you with stories for a lifetime. Call us on
01285 601 784 How much is the Galapagos National Park fee?
The Galapagos National Park fee is USD$100 per adult and USD$50 per child, this can be paid in cash on arrival or you can pre-pay as part of your holiday. Please note there is also a Transit Control Card (INGALA) fee of USD$20 per person, this can also be pre-paid.
Can I walk anywhere on the Islands?
All walking trails are clearly signed at each visitor site and designated to avoid disturbing the wildlife or vegetation. You must be accompanied by a naturalist guide at all times.
How long should I spend in the Galapagos?
There are many islands to visit, which vary in terms of wildlife and terrain. An eight-day cruise is a good length of time to explore a variety of the islands. If time is not restricted, then stay as long as you can as there is plenty to see.
How many islands make up the Galapagos Islands?
The reserve consists of 19 large islands and has a land area of approximately 5,000 square miles and the marine reserve covers approximately 50,000 square miles.
How many of the Islands are inhabited?
A total of four islands are inhabited in the Galapagos National Park: Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Isla Isabela, Floreana with approximately 28,000 people living there.
Is it possible to visit the islands independently?
You can choose to visit four of the islands independently; however, you will require a guide to explore outside the towns and will miss out on wildlife inhabiting the smaller islands.
What are wet and dry landings?
Dry landings are when you disembark the panga straight onto dry land. Wet landings are when you get out into the surf on a beach – generally about ankle depth.
When is the peak season?
Peak season is during the festive period Christmas and New Year and school holidays with the low season being in the months of late August, September and October where the majority of the boats go into dry-dock for maintenance. Generally, the Galapagos is a year-round destination and the seasons are not defined by the weather.
Where are the Islands in relation to Ecuador?
The Islands are located on the equator approximately 600 miles from the coast of mainland Ecuador. It’s a three-hour flight from Quito or 2 hours from Guayaquil and all flights go via Guayaquil.
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Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge and expertise sets us apart. So too our curiosity. A curiosity of the world and of you, and your passions. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.
Are you ready to discover extraordinary?
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