10-Day Galapagos Islands Tour Packages
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Insider tips: Recommended 10-day Galapagos Islands tour itineraries
Compiled by
MelissaGalapagos Islands travel expert at TourRadar
10 Days in Galapagos Islands, incl. Santa Cruz and Isabela
Santa Cruz and Isabela islands anchor this 10-day adventure. The itinerary combines Charles Darwin Station visits, Tortuga Bay kayaking, Las Tintoreras snorkeling, and Sierra Negra Volcano crater hikes, balanced with independent exploration time.
- Day 1
Arrive in Quito, Ecuador.
A driver will take you on the 30-minute trip to the Tumbaco neighborhood. Get some rest for your upcoming adventure.
- Days 2-4
Santa Cruz Island Base
Land at Baltra Airport and head to Santa Cruz's highlands to watch giant tortoises in their natural habitat. Visit the Charles Darwin Station that afternoon. The next morning starts early with a day trip to one of the uninhabited islands like South Plazas, Bartolomé or North Seymour based on park permits. Day 4 takes you kayaking at Tortuga Bay after a 45-minute walk. Wear good shoes since the path has uneven cobblestones.
- Days 5-7
Isabela Island Adventures
Take a 2-hour speedboat to Isabela Island. Explore Las Tintoreras Islet where you can spot penguins and marine iguanas. Day 6 features the Sierra Negra Volcano hike, a challenging 6-hour round trip to see the world's second-largest volcanic crater. One hiker shared: "The Sierra Negra hike was demanding but worth every step for those incredible crater views."
- Day 8
Back to Santa Cruz for bay exploration.
Visit La Lobería to see sea lions, Shark Channel for white-tip sharks and Las Grietas for a unique swim in mixed fresh and saltwater.
- Days 9-10
Return Journey
Take the Itabaca Channel crossing and airport transfer. Spend your final day in Quito before heading home. A helpful tip from a traveler: "Bring more sunscreen than you think you'll need. You can buy it there but it's much more expensive."
10 Day Galapagos Islands Itinerary, incl. Santa Cruz and Isabela
Five distinct Galapagos destinations reveal their charms through multisport activities. Charles Darwin Station tours, Tortuga Bay kayaking, Black Beach snorkeling, and Sierra Negra Volcano hikes complement stays at local hotels and guesthouses.
- Day 1
Quito
Land in Ecuador's capital at 9,350 feet. Take an afternoon city tour to adjust to the altitude. Stay near Plaza Foch where you'll find plenty of restaurants and easy access to the historic center.
- Day 2
Quito to Santa Cruz Island
Take an early morning flight (2.5 hours) to Baltra Airport. Visit the Santa Cruz highlands to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat before noon when they're most active. Head to Puerto Ayora where you'll spend two nights.
- Day 3
Santa Cruz Island
Start early with a 2.5km walk to Tortuga Bay for kayaking and snorkeling at the white sand beach. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station in the afternoon to learn about local conservation work. Remember water shoes the volcanic rocks are quite sharp.
- Days 4-5
Floreana Island
Take a two-hour speedboat to Floreana. The waters can be rough from July to December so bring motion sickness pills. You'll stay in simple but welcoming community guesthouses. Snorkel at Black Beach and Loberia in the morning when visibility is best. The highland hikes offer spectacular views.
- Days 6-7
Isabela Island
Travel by speedboat to the largest Galapagos island. Take on the Sierra Negra Volcano hike. It's a challenging 6-mile round trip but rewards you with views of the world's second-largest volcanic crater. Go kayaking and snorkeling at Las Tintoreras to spot penguins and white-tipped reef sharks.
- Day 8
Isabela to Santa Cruz
Start with the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center before taking the speedboat back to Santa Cruz. Spend your free afternoon exploring Puerto Ayora's waterfront restaurants and shops. If conditions are good try a surfing lesson.
- Days 9-10
Return to Quito
Take a morning transfer to Baltra for your mainland flight. Spend your final night in Quito. Many visitors suggest adding extra days to see more of Ecuador.
10 Day Galapagos Islands Itinerary, incl. San Cristobal and Isabela
Seven major Galápagos locations unfold over 10 action-packed days. Kicker Rock snorkeling, Sierra Negra volcano treks, and Charles Darwin Station visits highlight the journey, with luxurious stays at Cormorant Beach House and Silberstein Hotel.
- Day 1
Quito Arrival & Acclimatization
Arrive in Quito and take time to adjust to the high altitude (9,350 ft). Stay in the historic UNESCO center. "Ask to be placed in the second tower of the Sheraton - the rooms have better views and air conditioning for Quito's warm afternoons."
- Days 2-3
San Cristobal Island & Kicker Rock
Fly to San Cristobal in the morning. Visit La Loberia beach where sea lions often swim with snorkelers. The next day, take a boat to Kicker Rock for excellent snorkeling. "The snorkeling at Kicker Rock was incredible - we saw hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, and rays. Do both snorkel sessions, as wildlife varies throughout the day."
- Days 4-6
Isabela Island Adventures
Take a quick flight to Isabela instead of the long boat ride. Bike to the Wall of Tears and watch for flamingos and marine iguanas along the way. Go snorkeling in the Lava Tunnels to spot penguins and sea turtles. Take an early morning hike up Sierra Negra volcano before the clouds roll in (6 miles round trip, 950 ft climb).
- Days 7-8
Santa Cruz Island Exploration
Take a two-hour boat ride to Santa Cruz. Sit on the top deck if you get seasick. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and see the tortoise breeding program. Head to the highlands to find giant tortoises in their natural habitat. Use your free day to walk to Tortuga Bay or take a day trip to nearby islands.
- Days 9-10
Return to Quito & Departure
Fly back to Quito from Baltra. Bring cash for your INGALA transit card ($20) and park fee ($200). You might want to spend an extra day exploring mainland Ecuador.
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What people love about 10-day Galapagos Islands tours
Excellent coordination! Good guides! Daniel was super! Was there for us whenever and wherever! Better hotels recommended in Isabella island! Will come back to Tour Radar after our first experience!
10 Days Galapagos Island Hopping in Santa Cruz and Isabela
It was an incredible week, well organised and lots of fun. Adriana has an amazing amount of knowledge of the islands, including historical and current and incredible knowledge of all the wildlife
Galápagos Multisport
- 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!
