The Galapagos Islands is a bucket list trip for nature and wildlife lovers. But it is both expensive and difficult to get to so you need to be sure it is well planned. This is not a destination to go to and wing it. Check out my Galapagos travel tips below to help you make the most of this once in a lifetime trip.
Consider a land-based trip.
Lots of people will tell you that the only way to experience the Galapagos is by cruise ship. For a variety of reasons (cost, flexibility, experience for the kids), we thought a land-based trip would be better for our family. We have absolutely no regrets. We saw all the wildlife we had hoped for, enjoyed amazing scenery, and got a taste of local life on the Galapagos.
Visit at least two inhabited islands.
On a land-based trip (or even some add-on time before or after a cruise), you should visit at least 2 of the 4 inhabited islands (Santa Cruz, Isabela, San Cristobal, and Floreana). Each is so different and has its own unique attractions. We loved the contrast between quiet Isabela and bustling Santa Cruz. Each offered completely different experiences.
Visit at least one uninhabited island.
We did quite a few amazing day trips both on and around the islands of Santa Cruz and Isabela, but part of what makes the Galapagos so unique is that 15 of the 19 islands are home to scores of wildlife but no humans. If you go on a cruise, you will most likely stop at several different uninhabited islands. But you can reach some of them on day trips from the inhabited islands as well. Our day trip to North Seymour was one of the highlights of our trip. There is something so unique and special about a zodiac boat pulling up to the shore of an uninhabited islands to let you out to explore. Seeing all those birds and animals in the wild, completely untouched by civilization, was incredible.
Plan your tours and activities around the wildlife that you want to see.
We had a list of must-see wildlife and figured out all the places we might get to see them. Then I researched all the different tour options and ranked them by which would give us the best chances to see the wildlife we were most interested in. We were able to put together an itinerary that got us to see everything on our list.
But don’t underestimate the landscapes.
The focus of a Galapagos trip is inevitably going to be the wildlife, but we were blown away by the landscapes as well. Stunning beaches, enormous volcanos and calderas, lava tunnels, islands made of volcanic rock and lava bridges. It was such an unexpected surprise how varied and utterly amazing the scenery was on this trip.
Bring sea-sickness medication.
Trust me on this one. Even family members who have never had motion sickness issues before really struggled on the boat rides. The inter-island ferries are notorious for being rough rides, but we had some difficult rides out to snorkeling sites as well. I can tell you from experience that vomiting on boat rides is not fun and you should do everything you can to avoid it. (Note that over-the-counter stuff was not enough for me so you might want to consider getting a prescription if you have known sea-sickness issues.)
Make sure you go snorkeling.
Despite the potential for rough boat rides, do not miss out on snorkeling. The marine life of the Galapagos is even more abundant than the animal and bird life on land. The Galapagos Marine Reserve is 133,000 square kilometers and home to more than 2,900 marine species. Even though my youngest struggles a little with snorkeling gear and gets frustrated, he would undoubtedly say that swimming next to sea turtles and sea lions was one of the greatest experiences of his life.
Consider using a travel agency.
I am typically a book-it-yourself kind of person. I love researching and planning a trip almost as much as actually taking it. For this trip, after I laid out the itinerary and started researching individual guides and tours, I was quickly overwhelmed. I felt a little out of my element trying to pick which boats and guides would be the best. I wisely decided to entrust book-ec with the details and logistics of the trip. It was nice knowing that the trip was booked end to end by someone with local knowledge, and having a single point of contact for all my questions, potential issues, etc was invaluable.
Spend time on mainland Ecuador if possible.
While we were immensely lucky to be able to reschedule our trip after Covid-19 border closures in 2020 caused us to cancel, we did have to alter our itinerary slightly when we rebooked. We lost the two days in Quito that we had originally planned and I regret that we didn’t get to explore the city and surrounding area. The focus of the trip was obviously the Galapagos so if something had to be cut from the itinerary, there was never a question that it would be the mainland days. But it is a shame to go all the way to Ecuador and not get to see some other parts of the country. (Side note – my youngest was hit hard by altitude sickness in the less than 12 hours we spent in Quito so I don’t think he regrets not spending more time there.)
