GTEG-107 – GALAPAGOS ISLANDS CRUISE M/V SANTA CRUZ II – WESTERN ISLANDS ITINERARY FIVE DAYS/FOUR NIGHTS –THURSDAY TO MONDAY
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS FIRST CLASS CRUISE TOURS
GTEG-107 – GALAPAGOS ISLANDS CRUISE
M/V SANTA CRUZ II – WESTERN ISLANDS ITINERARY
FIVE DAYS/FOUR NIGHTS –THURSDAY TO MONDAY
HIGHLIGHTS
A snapshot of islands to be visited and the highlights and iconic fauna and flora species of each island.
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY:
Detailed information on activities and visits to each island and applicable cruise rates
CRUISE DATES:
A complete listing of all of the dates that the Eastern Islands cruise itinerary will be operating.
PRE-CRUISE TOURS:
A sample of tours offered in Quito and surroundings o be offered in combination with this cruise. In addition, we can tailor additional Pre and Post cruise tours to adjust to your clients’ interests
GTEG-107 – GALAPAGOS ISLANDS CRUISE
M/V SANTA CRUZ II – WESTERN ISLANDS ITINERARY
FIVE DAYS/FOUR NIGHTS –THURSDAY TO MONDAY
ICONIC SPECIES
Blue-Footed Boobies, Nazca Boobies, Flightless Cormorant, American Flamingos, Great & Magnificent Frigate birds, Galapagos Hawks, Land Iguanas, Marine Iguanas, Galapagos Penguins, Galapagos Sea Lion, Galapagos Fur Seal, Galapagos Giant Tortoises, Galapagos Doves, Darwin Finches, Brown Pelicans, Swallow-tailed Gulls, Lava Gulls, Lava (striated) Herons, Galapagos Mockingbirds, Floreana Mockingbirds.
ITINERARY
DAY 1: Thursday – Arrival Galapagos Islands
Baltra Island
We arrive by plane at Baltra Island and transfer to the dock to board the Santa Cruz II where we receive our welcome introductory briefing, boat drill and lunch.
Cerro Dragón (Dragon Hill) (Santa Cruz Island)
The north shore of Santa Cruz hosts the fascinating landscapes of Dragon Hill. The first part of our walk passes a brackish-water lagoon frequented by shorebirds, ducks and American flamingos and land iguanas.
Meals: Lunch, dinner
DAY 2: Friday – Galapagos Islands
Punta Vicente Roca (Isabela Island)
After breakfast, we explore the coast by panga, while our naturalist guide explains the dramatic geology of the area, a nesting place for flightless cormorants, Galapagos penguins, fur seals, boobies, etc.
Punta Espinoza (Fernandina Island)
The afternoon is dedicated to exploring the youngest island of the archipelago, Fernandina, which, having no introduced mammals, boasts a very unique environment with a very high density of marine iguanas, sea lions, hawks, penguins.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 3: Saturday – Galapagos Islands
Puerto Ayora and the Charles Darwin Research Station (Santa Cruz Island)
In the morning, we disembark (dry landing followed by a brief bus ride) for our visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station’s giant tortoise Breeding Centre within an impressive giant prickly-pear cactus forest, home to many land birds.
Santa Cruz Island
We have several options available for the afternoon, which can be discussed in advance with your Expedition Leader.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 4: Sunday – Galapagos Islands
Baroness Tower – Post Office Bay (Floreana Island)
After breakfast, panga ride along the maze of channels on Floreana’s north shore can be enjoyed. We follow this visit by continuing to Baroness Cove with its breathtaking views of Floreana and visit the historic Post Office.
Champion Islet – Punta Cormorant (Floreana Island)
Following lunch and a siesta, we take the pangas and glass-bottom boat to explore the underwater wonders around Champion Islet, an extinct shield volcano, regarded as one of the best snorkeling spots in the archipelago. From there, it’s on to Punta Cormorant to view American flamingos, pintail ducks, common stilts, herons, sandpipers.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 5: Monday – Depart Galapagos Islands
Baltra Island
We disembark at Baltra Island in order to transfer to the airport to take the flight back to Quito or Guayaquil or your next destination.
Meals: Breakfast
2019 GROSS RATES PER PERSON BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
VALID THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2019
| M/V SANTA CRUZ II | WESTERN ISLANDS THU-MON 5D/4N |
NORTHERN ISLANDS MON-FRI 5D/4N |
EASTERN ISLANDS FRI-THU 7D/6N |
| Horizon Deck Explorer Family Cabin (2 Cabins) |
$3,678 | $3,678 | $5,372 |
| Horizon Deck Explorer Cabin (23 Cabins) |
$3,910 | $3,910 | $5,714 |
| Horizon Deck Voyager Cabin (2 Cabins) |
$4,510 | $4,510 | $6,590 |
| Expedition Deck Explorer Cabin (17 Cabins) |
$4,070 | $4,070 | $5,942 |
| Panorama Deck Explorer Cabin (3 Cabins) |
$4,186 | $4,186 | $6,116 |
| Panorama Deck Darwin Suite (3 Cabins) |
$4,742 | $4,742 | $6,932 |
GTEG-107 – GALAPAGOS ISLANDS CRUISE
M/V SANTA CRUZ II – WESTERN ISLANDS ITINERARY
FIVE DAYS/FOUR NIGHTS –THURSDAY TO MONDAY
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1: Thursday – Arrival Galapagos Islands
Baltra Island
We arrive by plane at Baltra Island and transfer to the dock to board the Santa Cruz II where we receive our welcome introductory briefing, boat drill and lunch.
Cerro Dragón (Dragon Hill) (Santa Cruz Island)
The north shore of Santa Cruz hosts the fascinating landscapes of Cerro Dragón (Dragon Hill). The first part of our walk passes a brackish-water lagoon frequented by shorebirds, ducks and American flamingos, while further inland, the trail offers a beautiful view of the bay and the western islands of the archipelago, as well as the chance of observing land iguanas.
Meals: Lunch, dinner
DAY 2: Friday – Galapagos Islands
Punta Vicente Roca (Isabela Island)
After breakfast, we explore the coast by panga, while our naturalist guide explains the dramatic geology of the area, a nesting place for several Galapagos highlights: flightless cormorants, Galapagos penguins, fur seals, boobies, etc. Depending on weather conditions, we can snorkel along the cliffs of this area rich in marine life, seasonally-visited by green sea turtles and oceanic sun fish (Mola mola).
Punta Espinoza (Fernandina Island)
The afternoon is dedicated to exploring the youngest island of the archipelago, Fernandina, which, having no introduced mammals, boasts a very unique environment with a very high density of marine iguanas, who share their space with sea lions, Sally light-foot crabs, hawks, penguins and the flightless cormorants.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 3: Saturday – Galapagos Islands
Puerto Ayora and the Charles Darwin Research Station (Santa Cruz Island)
In the morning, we disembark (dry landing followed by a brief bus ride) for our visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station’s giant tortoise Breeding Centre within an impressive giant prickly-pear cactus forest, home to many land birds. These are the headquarters of scientific investigation, conservation and the National Park administration. Following our visit, we board our transport to enjoy lunch in the cooler highlands of Santa Cruz Island, a completely different ecosystem.
Santa Cruz Island
We have several options available for the afternoon, which can be discussed in advance with your Expedition Leader. Options include beach walks, kayaks, walks along the tortoise reserve, etc. At the end of the afternoon’s activities, we return to Puerto Ayora and embark on the Santa Cruz II.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 4: Sunday – Galapagos Islands
Baroness Tower – Post Office Bay (Floreana Island)
After breakfast, panga ride along the maze of channels on Floreana’s north shore can be enjoyed. We follow this visit by continuing to Baroness Cove with its breathtaking views of Floreana. We land at Post Office Bay to visit the historic barrel that has served as a post office in the archipelago for over two centuries and where postcards are traditionally left for guests from other vessels to hand-deliver to their destinations. Snorkelling off the beach. We then head back on board for lunch.
Champion Islet – Punta Cormorant (Floreana Island)
Following lunch and a siesta, we take the pangas and glass-bottom boat to explore the underwater wonders around Champion Islet, an extinct shield volcano, regarded as one of the best snorkelling spots in the archipelago. From there, it’s on to Punta Cormorant, beginning with a wet landing on the olivine-crystal beach for an easy walk that includes a brackish-water lagoon where bird species such as American flamingos, pintail ducks, common stilts, herons, sandpipers, and others gather. We continue our walk over to a white-sand beach, where sea turtles emerge from the sea at night to nest (from December to May).
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
DAY 5: Monday – Depart Galapagos Islands
Baltra Island
We disembark at Baltra Island in order to transfer to the airport to take the flight back to Quito or Guayaquil or your next destination.
Meals: Breakfast
2019 GROSS RATES PER PERSON BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
VALID THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2019
| M/V SANTA CRUZ II | WESTERN ISLANDS THU-MON 5D/4N |
NORTHERN ISLANDS MON-FRI 5D/4N |
EASTERN ISLANDS FRI-THU 7D/6N |
| Horizon Deck Explorer Family Cabin (2 Cabins) |
$3,678 | $3,678 | $5,372 |
| Horizon Deck Explorer Cabin (23 Cabins) |
$3,910 | $3,910 | $5,714 |
| Horizon Deck Voyager Cabin (2 Cabins) |
$4,510 | $4,510 | $6,590 |
| Expedition Deck Explorer Cabin (17 Cabins) |
$4,070 | $4,070 | $5,942 |
| Panorama Deck Explorer Cabin (3 Cabins) |
$4,186 | $4,186 | $6,116 |
| Panorama Deck Darwin Suite (3 Cabins) |
$4,742 | $4,742 | $6,932 |
| 2019 M/V SANTA CRUZ CRUISE DATES | 2020 M/V SANTA CRUZ CRUISE DATES | |||
| WESTERN ISLANDS ITINERARY | WESTERN ISLANDS ITINERARY | |||
| 5 DAYS / FOUR NIGHTS – THURSDAY TO MONDAY | 5 DAYS / FOUR NIGHTS – THURSDAY TO MONDAY | |||
| START | END | START | END | |
| BALTRA | BALTRA | BALTRA | BALTRA | |
| Thursday, January 17, 19 | Monday, January 21, 19 | Thursday, January 16, 20 | Monday, January 20, 20 | |
| Thursday, January 31, 19 | Monday, February 4, 19 | Thursday, January 30, 20 | Monday, February 3, 20 | |
| Thursday, February 14, 19 | Monday, February 18, 19 | Thursday, February 13, 20 | Monday, February 17, 20 | |
| Thursday, February 28, 19 | Monday, March 4, 19 | Thursday, February 27, 20 | Monday, March 2, 20 | |
| Thursday, March 14, 19 | Monday, March 18, 19 | Thursday, March 12, 20 | Monday, March 16, 20 | |
| Thursday, March 28, 19 | Monday, April 1, 19 | Thursday, March 26, 20 | Monday, March 30, 20 | |
| Thursday, April 11, 19 | Monday, April 15, 19 | Thursday, April 9, 20 | Monday, April 13, 20 | |
| Thursday, April 25, 19 | Monday, April 29, 19 | Thursday, April 23, 20 | Monday, April 27, 20 | |
| Thursday, May 9, 19 | Monday, May 13, 19 | Thursday, May 7, 20 | Monday, May 11, 20 | |
| Thursday, May 23, 19 | Monday, May 27, 19 | Thursday, May 21, 20 | Monday, May 25, 20 | |
| Thursday, June 6, 19 | Monday, June 10, 19 | Thursday, June 4, 20 | Monday, June 8, 20 | |
| Thursday, June 20, 19 | Monday, June 24, 19 | Thursday, June 18, 20 | Monday, June 22, 20 | |
| Thursday, July 4, 19 | Monday, July 8, 19 | Thursday, July 2, 20 | Monday, July 6, 20 | |
| Thursday, July 18, 19 | Monday, July 22, 19 | Thursday, July 16, 20 | Monday, July 20, 20 | |
| Thursday, August 1, 19 | Monday, August 5, 19 | Thursday, July 30, 20 | Monday, August 3, 20 | |
| Thursday, August 15, 19 | Monday, August 19, 19 | Thursday, August 13, 20 | Monday, August 17, 20 | |
| Thursday, August 29, 19 | Monday, September 2, 19 | Thursday, August 27, 20 | Monday, August 31, 20 | |
| Thursday, September 12, 19 | Monday, September 16, 19 | Thursday, September 10, 20 | Monday, September 14, 20 | |
| Thursday, September 26, 19 | Monday, September 30, 19 | Thursday, September 24, 20 | Monday, September 28, 20 | |
| Thursday, October 10, 19 | Monday, October 14, 19 | Thursday, October 8, 20 | Monday, October 12, 20 | |
| Thursday, October 24, 19 | Monday, October 28, 19 | Thursday, October 22, 20 | Monday, October 26, 20 | |
| Thursday, November 7, 19 | Monday, November 11, 19 | Thursday, November 5, 20 | Monday, November 9, 20 | |
| Thursday, November 21, 19 | Monday, November 25, 19 | |||
| Thursday, December 5, 19 | Monday, December 9, 19 | |||
| Thursday, December 19, 19 | Monday, December 23, 19 | Thursday, December 17, 20 | Monday, December 21, 20 | |
| Thursday, December 31, 20 | Monday, January 4, 21 | |||
2019 GROSS RATES PER PERSON BASED ON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY
VALID THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2019
| M/V SANTA CRUZ II | WESTERN ISLANDS THU-MON 5D/4N |
NORTHERN ISLANDS MON-FRI 5D/4N |
EASTERN ISLANDS FRI-THU 7D/6N |
| Horizon Deck Explorer Family Cabin (2 Cabins) |
$3,678 | $3,678 | $5,372 |
| Horizon Deck Explorer Cabin (23 Cabins) |
$3,910 | $3,910 | $5,714 |
| Horizon Deck Voyager Cabin (2 Cabins) |
$4,510 | $4,510 | $6,590 |
| Expedition Deck Explorer Cabin (17 Cabins) |
$4,070 | $4,070 | $5,942 |
| Panorama Deck Explorer Cabin (3 Cabins) |
$4,186 | $4,186 | $6,116 |
| Panorama Deck Darwin Suite (3 Cabins) |
$4,742 | $4,742 | $6,932 |
CRUISE RATE INCLUDES:
Daily island tours as per itinerary fully escorted by English speaking naturalists guides. Island sightseeing. Lecture services. All meals during the cruise. Transfers between airport and cruise. Snorkeling gear.
NOT INCLUDED:
Air tickets to/from Galapagos. Galapagos National Park admission fee (US $100 subject to change without notice), transit Control Card for Galapagos (US$ 20 per person), wet suits, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage, tips, gifts, internet* and additional items.
GT-05A – QUITO SERIES
Two Days / One Night
DAY 1: Arrival in Quito
Assistance and private transfer airport to hotel
Overnight accommodations at selected hotel
DAY 2: Transfer out
Private transfer hotel to airport for flight to Galapagos
Meals: Breakfast
GT-05B – QUITO SERIES
Three Days / Two Nights
DAY 1: Arrival in Quito
Assistance and private transfer airport to hotel
Overnight accommodations at selected hotel
DAY 2: Quito
Private fully escorted combined tour of city and Middle of the World
English speaking guide
Overnight accommodations at selected hotel
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 3: Transfer out
Private transfer hotel to airport for flight to Galapagos
Meals: Breakfast
GT-05C – QUITO SERIES
Four Days / Three Nights
DAY 1: Arrival in Quito
Assistance and private transfer airport to hotel
Overnight accommodations at selected hotel
DAY 2: Quito
Private fully escorted combined tour of city and Middle of the World
English speaking guide
Overnight accommodations at selected hotel
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 3: Otavalo and surroundings
Full day Otavalo tour based on private or semi-private basis with lunch
Overnight accommodations at selected hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
DAY 4: Transfer out
Private transfer hotel to airport for flight to Galapagos
Meals: Breakfast
