Day tours from santa cruz galapagos

Our Galapagos Day Tours are specially designed day visits to uninhabited islands and islets in the archipelago leaving from Santa Cruz Island. These tours provide a wide range of activities such as swimming, snorkeling, hiking and observation of flora and fauna. The tours and the activities will be developed under the supervision of a Galapagos naturalist guide. 

The most populous town in the Galapagos Islands is Puerto Ayora, located in Santa Cruz island. Because of its geographic position, it has turned it into the most popular springboard among all the islands. It is small enough to explore it walking and the best place on the islands to arrange a boat trip to meet the other ones.One the most exciting of the activities involve day trips that depart from Puerto Ayora to the uninhabited islands in the archipelago. 

What you need to know about the Galapagos Days Tours

The Galapagos day trips are one of the most popular ways for the free traveler, to explore the unique Galapagos islands, some of the islands that can be reached with Galapagos day tours are: North Seymour, Bartolome, South Plazas, Bartolome, Isabela and Santa Fe. These tours offer a great flexibility and allow visitors to customize their itinerary as desired, the great majority of the Galapagos Day Tours will begin early in the morning in Puerto Ayora when you will be picked up by your tourist guide from your hotel. Prepare yourself to be onboard a speed boat between 2 and 2 and a half hours per way which is the average time taken by the boats to arrive to the island you will visit.

Even though, you could share the boat ride with up to 20 travelers, upon arrival you will be part of a group with no more than 16 people as this is a Galapagos National park regulation. The Galapagos day tours have a morning and an afternoon activity where you will always be accompanied by a naturalist guide, these activities can either be hiking or snorkel, be sure to follow all the guide’s instructions as the Galapagos ecosystem is very fragile and the regulations are enforced firmly.

All the tours will include lunch on a local restaurant or lunch on-board, when the island visited is not an inhabited one (Bartolome, North Seymour and South Plaza islands). The afternoon activity will end up around 15h30, which will allow your speed boat to get back to Puerto Ayora before the sunset. 97% of the Galapagos archipelago is a protected national park and therefore strict rules are to be followed. The authorities of the Galapagos National Park can establish the maximum number of groups that can be at the same time in each of the 70 places authorized for visits. One very important rule is that you cannot move without the assistance of a guide; You always have to go with an official guide (one guide is assigned to every 16 travelers on the Galapagos day tours).

NOTE: If you are looking for a multi-day tour in Galapagos which includes daily activities to these spots plus hotel, accommodation, transfers, meals, etc, take a look at our Galapagos Island  Hopping Tourshere.

Day tours from santa cruz galapagos

NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND DAY TOUR

From$260

Full Day Tour

Availability : January 2022 - December 2023

Puerto Ayora - Santa Cruz Island

Max People : 16

Take a full-day trip to one of the most beautiful uninhabited islands in Galapagos. The ideal spot to observe native Galapagos birds, the island is home to colonies of Blue Footed Boobies and Frigate Birds. This place is the chosen spot for birds mating rituals and nesting depending on the time of the year. North Seymour also hosts a colony of sea lions. Activities during the day-tour include hiking, wild life viewing and snorkeling in Bachas beach.

Day tours from santa cruz galapagos

BARTOLOME ISLAND DAY TOUR

From$260

Full Day Tour

Availability : January 2022 - December 2023

Puerto Ayora - Santa Cruz Island

Max People : 16

Explore Bartolome Island with a full-day tour from Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz Island). Navigate to one of the most iconic spots in Galapagos. The volcanic islet just off the east coast of Santiago Island holds one of the most beautiful landscapes in the archipelago. Hike to the breathtaking viewpoint on the top of the island and cool-off afterwards snorkeling in the water around Bartolome. Swim with penguins, sea lions, marine Iguanas, Galapagos Sharks.

Day tours from santa cruz galapagos

ISABELA ISLAND DAY TOUR

From$190

Full Day Tour

Availability : January 2022 - December 2023

Puerto Ayora - Santa Cruz Island

Max People : 16

Full Day Tour to Isabela Island and Tintoreras Islet from Puerto Ayora – Santa Cruz Island. Experience some of the most popular interest points this island has to offer. A great day tour exploring the highlights of this wonderful island, you will visit the Wet Lands and see flamingos, the Breeding Center of Giant Tortoises, will enjoy a tasty lunch in our restaurant. At the Tintoreras Islet you will swim and snorkel with penguins, sea lions, sea turtles, sharks. All this escorted by a Naturalist Guide.

Day tours from santa cruz galapagos

SOUTH PLAZA ISLAND DAY TOUR

From$250

Full Day Tour

Availability : January 2022 - December 2023

Puerto Ayora - Santa Cruz Island

Max People : 16

Our South Plaza Island Day Tour puts you face to face with Sea Lion pups, Land Iguanas, Sally Lightfoot Crabs, and various nesting sea birds. Plazas Island consists of 2 small islands just off the east coast of Santa Cruz, though visitors only visit the South Island. The channel between the two islands (South and North Plaza) provides the perfect haven for California Sea Lion pups. A dry landing to a jetty brings you to an opuntia cactus forest.

Day tours from santa cruz galapagos

FLOREANA ISLAND DAY TOUR

From$190

Full Day Tour

Availability : January 2022 - December 2023

Puerto Ayora - Santa Cruz Island

Max People : 16

Our Floreana Island Day Tour is a journey to Floreana Island’s more historical sites such as the Scalecias Forest and Galapagos National Park area for reintroduction of giant tortoises to the island, as well as activity areas such as the Black Beach where you can swim and snorkel. This 8-hour guided tour includes complimentary hotel pickup, and drop-off at the dock of Puerto Ayora.

Can you do day trips to Galapagos Islands?

Our Galapagos Day Tours are specially designed day visits to uninhabited islands and islets in the archipelago leaving from Santa Cruz, Isabela Island and San Cristobal. These tours provide a wide range of activities such as swimming, snorkeling, hiking and observation of flora and fauna.

Can you visit South Plaza island from Santa Cruz?

Of the two uninhabited Plaza Islands, South Plaza Island accepts visitors. Located (+ two hours by boat) off the east coast of Santa Cruz Island, it is one of the smallest islands in the archipelago covering an area of 0.13 sq km with a maximum elevation of 23 Meters.

How do you get around the Galapagos Islands?

Getting around the Galapagos Islands is easy to do — bicycles, cargo boats, airplanes, buses, taxis, and other public transportation is available. If you are staying on one island, backpacking or diy-Galapagos is definitely possible, but before you go anywhere, make sure you don't need a Naturalist Guide with you.

How do you get from Galapagos to Quito?

There are no direct international flights to the Galapagos Islands. Daily flights to the Galapagos Islands depart from the cities of Quito and Guayaquil on mainland Ecuador. The Galapagos flight will take you around two and a half hours. Most flights from Quito make a stopover in Guayaquil.