Galápagos Islands Travel Answers

We went last May. So I understand your dilemma and the uncertainties. We purchased economy boat tour tickets for1599 and airfare from Guayaqil to Santa Cruz and then back to Quito for something less than400 including taxes. (Visitor and park fees extra.) prior to our trip. It turned out that the earlier purchase did get us the better above deck cabins on our small boat. We loved the trip. We did have some airline difficulty, so let me remind you to be sure to schedule enough connection time in Guayaquil or Quito. One thing about the air ticket prices -- When we traveled there was a three tiered pricing. Islanders paid half the price of tourists and mainlanders paid 67%. If you can get really your tickets for199 including taxes, this is a great deal. In May 2010, I saw last minute boat tour tickets for sale in Guayaquil for200-$300 less on the same tour we were taking. By the time of sailing our boat was full for the tour. Of course, the problem you face if you buy your air tickets prior to knowing the date of your tour is the uncertainty of finding a ticket that reasonably matches your flights to the islands. You might find that the discounted tours available are of a significantly higher price than the economy tickets you found ahead of your trip. (The higher price you pay might or might not be worth the expected higher level of service.) I think flying to Santa Cruz without reserved berths on a tour is problematic. Although you can make your visit to the sights of Santa Cruz and there are some local island "ferries", I feel that in the Galapagos one really wants to island hop to where there are no resident people. You could spend a lot of time waiting for an open place on a tour; time better spent exploring the mainland. One last suggestion, if you plan to snorkle and the tour you are taking does not include free mask, breathing tube and fins, you can probably buy new ones at your local discount store for the price of rental on the boat. We just took the mask and tube, and exchanged them at the end of the trip for use of the fins. This was a good deal for both us and the boat owner. (The price of mask and fins on the islands was 5 times the price at our local store in Florida.) Good luck, bob

Wow199.99 .That is an incredible price. You don't say when you are going...is it off season?? We booked our boat trip well in advance as many of the boats book up. We went in Oct.

I work for a tourism company in the Galapagos (I won´t say which to avoid advertising problems), and just so you know you can easily get a last minute cruise within two weeks in the Galapagos. I had a passenger contact me from Santa Cruz asking for a last minute cruise leaving that same day. I was able to get her on a first class catamaran for900 in less than 2 hours, which typically costs2,300 per person. So two weeks is plenty of time. Keep in mind that a lot of boats leave from San Cristobal and also Baltra. Don´t rule these cruises out! If you find a good cruise that leaves from a different island, it is easy to catch a speedboat for40. My suggestion is have a list of agencies ready to call or e-mail once you are there. That way you can ask around for the best prices, and search comfortably from your hotel without having to scramble around. Hope this helps!

We are travelling in mid to late May this year. Thank you for all your suggestions