Galapagos Islands Tours from Quito
4.6 stars on(9,392 reviews)- Choose from 100+ Quito tours
- 450+ verified reviews from TourRadar travelers
- 24/7 customer support
10 best Galapagos Islands tours from Quito
Compiled by
MelissaQuito travel expert at TourRadar
- 10 Days Galapagos Highlights Small Group Tour
- Galapagos Outdoor 9 Days Tour
- 7-Day Unforgettable Galapagos Island Hopping
- Galapagos Islands a Dream for Naturalists & Local Encounters
- Galapagos Multisport
- Galapagos Blue-Footed Booby Adventure
- 7 Days Galapagos Express Adventure
- Galápagos Island Hopping (6 destinations)
- Luxury Galapagos 8 Days Tour
- Galapagos Discovery
10 Days Galapagos Highlights Small Group Tour
1 Review by TourRadar travelers“The canoe rides and sightseeing were unforgettable. The food and restaurant service was great.”
Andrew, traveled in August
Landing at Baltra Island airport, connect to Santa Cruz highlands for tortoise viewing. The route includes San Cristóbal's interpretation center and Isabela's volcanic terrain before returning to Baltra. Speed boats link island destinations throughout the Galápagos adventure.
Duration 10 days Destinations Quito, Santa Cruz Island, San Cristóbal Island, Isabela Island Age Range All Ages Welcome Operated in English, Spanish Operator Responsible Travel South America From
- NZ$4,908
Galapagos Outdoor 9 Days Tour
6 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“Great communication throughout; new impressions every day; much wildlife; never a dull moment.”
Marion, traveled in December
Your trip launches in Quito with UNESCO Old Town visits before flying to San Cristóbal Island. Pass through Kicker Rock, Santa Cruz, and Isabela via speedboat, concluding at Baltra Airport for return to Quito. Total islands covered: 6 in 9 days.
Duration 9 days Destinations Quito, San Cristóbal Island, Santa Cruz Island, Isabela Island, Bartolomé Island, Baltra Island Age Range Ages 10+ Operated in English, Spanish Operator GUIDEcuador Travel From
- NZ$5,809+$1,215 local payments
7-Day Unforgettable Galapagos Island Hopping
1 Review by TourRadar travelers“We had wonderful time in Galapagos, enjoyed seeing the sea lions, giant turtles, blue feet boobies, iguanas and all the different birds!”
Vicki, traveled in October
Baltra Airport welcomes visitors crossing Itabaca Channel to Santa Cruz's highlands. Three distinct Galapagos locations including Los Túneles on Isabela Island and Las Tintoreras Islets lead to the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz.
Duration 7 days Destinations Quito, Santa Cruz Island, Isabela Island Age Range Ages 6+ Operated in English, Spanish Operator Authentic Ecuador From $3,388
6% Off- NZ$3,168You save $220
Galapagos Islands a Dream for Naturalists & Local Encounters
4 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“Galapagos is an amazing destination, we have really enjoyed the unique landscapes, the fauna, and all the activities.”
WENDYNARVAEZ, traveled in November
Your adventure unfolds in Quito with a UNESCO colonial district tour before flying to San Cristóbal Island. Take in Española's Punta Suarez, Santa Cruz's Tortuga Bay, and Floreana's historic sites before returning to Quito. All inter-island transfers and boat rides included.
Duration 9 days Destinations Quito, San Cristóbal Island, Santa Cruz Island, Floreana Island, Baltra Island Age Range All Ages Welcome Operated in English, Spanish Operator Signature DMC From
6% Off- NZ$8,784
Galapagos Multisport
5 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“The TourRadar website is very easy to navigate and there are many options for tours anywhere you might want to go.”
Darlene, traveled in March
A flight takes you from Quito to San Cristóbal, then to Isabela and Santa Cruz before departing from Baltra. The route covers Galápagos' highlights with strategic flights between islands, minimizing boat travel. Return to Quito's Sheraton for your final night.
Duration 10 days Destinations Quito, San Cristóbal Island, Leon Dormido, Lobos Island, Isabela Island, Santa Cruz Island, Baltra Island Age Range Ages 8+ Operator Adventure Journeys From
6% Off- NZ$7,018
Duration 7 days Destinations Quito, Baltra Island, Santa Cruz Island, Puerto Ayora, San Cristóbal Island, Española Island Age Range Ages 8+ Operated in English, Spanish Operator Authentic Ecuador From
6% Off- NZ$6,337
Flying from Quito's Mariscal Sucre Airport to Baltra Island gateway, you'll discover Santa Cruz Island's treasures including Las Grietas cliffs, Tortuga Bay, and Canal del Amor from Puerto Ayora base before departing via Itabaca Channel to Baltra.
Duration 7 days Destinations Quito, Baltra Island, Santa Cruz Island Age Range Ages 12+ Operated in English, Spanish Operator Responsible Travel South America From
6% Off- NZ$2,280
Galápagos Island Hopping (6 destinations)
41 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“This is a fantastic way to experience the beautiful Galapagos! Local flavor, active and exciting!”
Caren, traveled in June
Starting and ending in Quito, fly to Baltra Island. Visit Santa Cruz's Charles Darwin Station, Floreana's black-sand beaches, and Isabela's Sierra Negra Volcano. Return via speedboat transfers between islands, covering major Galápagos highlights.
Duration 9 days Destinations Quito, Santa Cruz Island, Floreana Island, Isabela Island Age Range Ages 12+ Operator G Adventures From $5,399
25% Off- NZ$4,049You save $1,350
Luxury Galapagos 8 Days Tour
1 Review by TourRadar travelers“Weather was awesome, the hotels were nice, thank you for everything!”
Amida, traveled in February
Arrival at Baltra Airport leads to Isabela Island's Puerto Villamil and Casa Marita. Los Tuneles, San Cristobal's Kicker Rock, and Santa Cruz's Charles Darwin Station highlight the trip. Inter-island flights and yacht tours provide transportation.
Duration 8 days Destinations Quito, Baltra Island, Isabela Island, San Cristóbal Island, Santa Cruz Island, Bartolomé Island Age Range All Ages Welcome Operated in English, Spanish Operator GUIDEcuador Travel From
25% Off- NZ$13,906
Galapagos Discovery
19 Reviews by TourRadar travelers“Great experience, I would recommend this tour.”
Markus, traveled in November
Your flight departs Quito for San Cristóbal Island. Travel by speedboat between Isabela and Santa Cruz Islands. 17km Sierra Negra Volcano hike included. Return flight stops in Guayaquil before landing in Quito.
Duration 9 days Destinations Quito, San Cristóbal Island, Santa Cruz Island, Isabela Island Age Range Ages 15+ Operator Intrepid Travel From $3,210
15% Off- NZ$2,729+$405 local paymentsYou save $482
What people love about Galapagos Islands Tours from Quito
- Galapagos Outdoor 9 Days Tour
It was a wonderful tour of the Galapagos Islands , Quito and Otavalo while in Ecuador mainland all the arrangement plus the guide Alejandro were fantastic enough to make our trip memorable one
- Galápagos Adventure: Snorkelling & Sea Lions
The tour was very well organised. there was plenty of time to do all the additional activities and the guide made sure we did what we wanted.
- Galapagos Multisport
Adventure Journeys is a very professional tour operator. All of our guides were excellent and did there best to please us. The hotel in Quito is definitely five star. Make sure that you ask to be placed in the second tower as the rooms are of nicer quality and they have air conditioning (on the chance that Quito is not cool). The accomodations on the islands are nice but your experiences can vary depending on the rooms you are assigned. They vary in size and views. Most are small hotels so there aren’t a lot of choices to go around if you are in a large group. We stayed on San Cristobal, Isabela, and Santa Cruz. Arianna was our tour guide on San Cristobal. Knowledgeable and very helpful. I especially enjoyed the Kicker Rock excursion. They take you to a beautiful beach that you get to explore for about an hour an a half and then you go snorkeling around Kicker Rock for a couple of times for a total of about 1 1/2 hr. The snorkeling was amazing as you see much wildlife (sharks, turtles, sea lions, rays, lots of fish and one side of the rock is beautiful). My favorite snorkeling experience on Galapagos. It was nice to take the inter island flight to Isabela and save us a 4 hr boat ride. Los Túneles was snorkeling was fun as we saw sharks, lots of turtles and sea horses. Definitely was enjoyable swimming with the turtles. Water could have been clearer. The highlight was walking on the islands and getting up close and personal with the blue footed boobies! Guess it should be mentioned that we went in mid April as conditions change as do the animals. Wetsuits were provided but nowhere was the water overly cool. We also saw some penguins on this excursion. The walk through the marsh was great for the flamingos and other birds. Also, enjoyed the bike ride on Isabela to the Wall of Tears. Nice little hike for a 360 view to a lookout point and later a short walk through the mangroves. It was cool running into the tortoises in the wild as well. We had a rainy and cloudy walk to the crater. It would have been cool to see it without the clouds, but this was the only weather problem we encountered. The kayaking at Las Tintoreras was more swimming with turtles and penguins. We literally were swimming with the penguins here. It is nice as all the animals on the Galapagos aren’t afraid of people, so you’re pics and experiences are all magnified. There is a two hour boat ride from Isabela to Santa Cruz. Sit up top with the captain and miss out on the vomit fest downstairs with everyone else. On Santa Cruz, the highlights were the Charles Darwin Center and the Tortoise Reserve. Once again at the reserve, you can see the giant tortoises up close in the wild. Very cool. Not to be left out was kudos for our guide on Isabela and Santa Cruz, Maritza. She was great the whole time and a treasure trove of information. AJ has great guides! Christian, one of the owners (I think) took us and picked us up at the airport in Quito. On the way back, we asked about street food and he asked us if we’d like to go to La Floresta and try the local street food. Great idea and great experience! Super experience and great tour company!
What our customers ask about Galapagos Islands Tours from Quito
What's the best time of year for tours starting in Quito to visit the Galapagos?
Tours from Quito are most popular from June through August when temperatures are mild and rainfall is minimal in both locations. The period from December through May brings warmer weather and occasional showers to the Galapagos but offers better underwater visibility for activities at locations like Tortuga Bay and Las Grietas. A TourRadar traveler mentioned: "We went in July and had perfect weather for hiking Sierra Negra Volcano on Isabela Island and snorkeling with sea turtles at Puerto Egas."
How many islands can I expect to visit on a typical tour starting in Quito?
Most itineraries cover 3-4 principal islands using Santa Cruz as the central point with excursions to Isabela Island San Cristobal and uninhabited locations such as Santa Fe or Bartolomé. Tour boats for island hopping leave from Puerto Ayora's harbor on Santa Cruz. One TourRadar traveler noted: "Starting from our arrival from Quito we managed to explore Santa Cruz, Isabela and San Cristobal islands which gave us a great overview of the diverse Galapagos ecosystems."
What type of accommodation can I expect throughout the tour?
The journey begins in Quito at tourist-class properties like Embassy Hotel followed by nature-oriented lodging in the Galapagos such as Hotel Ninfa or Galapagos Dreams in Puerto Ayora. A TourRadar traveler shared: "The hotels were well-located - from our base in Quito to the waterfront property in Puerto Ayora which made daily excursions convenient."
What's included in the flight arrangements from Quito to Galapagos?
Tour packages typically cover internal flights between Quito and the Galapagos Islands with morning departures between 6:40-9:40am including a fuel stop in Guayaquil. Travelers need to budget for the $100 USD National Park entrance fee and $20 USD Transit Control Card payable in cash upon arrival at Baltra or San Cristobal airports. A TourRadar traveler mentioned: "The flight arrangements were smooth - our guide met us at the Quito airport and helped facilitate all the necessary paperwork and payments."
How do I get from Quito to the Galapagos Islands?
The journey starts with a 3-hour flight from Quito to Baltra Island with a short layover in Guayaquil. A naturalist guide meets visitors at Baltra airport followed by a ferry transfer to Santa Cruz Island where Hotel Galapagos Dreams in Puerto Ayora serves as a base. According to a TourRadar traveler: "The transitions were seamless - from hotel pickup in Quito to the flight connections and meetup with our Galapagos guide at Baltra."
What's the recommended physical fitness level for these tours?
These tours need moderate physical ability for activities such as the Sierra Negra Volcano hike on Isabela Island (5-6 hours) the walk to Tortuga Bay (45 minutes) and snorkeling sessions at locations like Las Grietas. Properties such as Hotel Ninfa in Santa Cruz offer comfortable rest between activities. As noted by a TourRadar traveler: "While some hikes were challenging like Sierra Negra our guide paced the group well and there were plenty of breaks to rest and photograph wildlife."
More about Quito