Where to Book your Galapagos Cruise

Cruise, Cruise Info.

V!VA User‘s Description

From Abroad

Most visitors arrange their tours before arriving to the islands. Since the Galápagos are becoming ever more popular and high-season tours sometimes fill up over a year in advance, arranging your tour early is often the only guarantee that you will get what you want. You can do this through a travel agency in your home country, but understand that while the process may be more efficient, you will pay more (commission cost, package fees, national taxes, etc.) and have fewer options (only those boats partnered with your home agency—usually the top-end boats). Many of the first class and luxury boats focus promotion on pre-arranged tours with foreign groups, making them unavailable to independent (or budget) travelers. If you want a more luxurious tour, you may get the best information and service from a travel agency in your home country.

On the Mainland

You can also arrange tours (from luxury to economic) in Guayaquil or Quito, either through the boats’ city offices or through any number of travel agencies. During the low season, you may find a well-priced tour with openings leaving in only a few days, but expect to have to wait a month or more for availability during the high season. If you have a few extra travel days in one of the big cities, go to a number of different agencies to inquire about tour availability and prices. This methodology may result in one of a few fortuitous occurrences: you happen upon a cancellation; a tour looking to fill spaces on departures leaving right away may offer you a last-minute bargain (especially in the low season); or you find a travel agent who works directly with boat owners and offers you the at-cost (no commission) tour price.

On the Islands

During the low season, some visitors opt to organize their Galápagos tour from the main island town of Puerto Ayora. Tour agencies based in Puerto Ayora will sometimes offer last-minute deals on cruises, which can save you up to 50%. Flying to the Galápagos and arranging a tour is not uncommon, but it may take several days—sometimes a week or more—to plan. If you have substantial travel time and a limited budget, you may save some money by staying in a cheap hostel in Puerto Ayora—all the while visiting local attractions—and waiting for a good deal. Finding boats in the high season is exponentially more difficult, but with a little bit of patience and luck, savvy bargaining skills, and flexible expectations, you are bound to find a cruise tour in a reasonable amount of time.