Galapagos Express: Self-Launched Island Hopping & Wildlife (6 Days)

Fly yourself from Quito (UIO) to Baltra (GPS) — book directly with Avianca or LATAM, roughly £260–£330 return if booked a few weeks out (the operator quoted ~$490–$550, so booking direct is a real saving). On arrival pay the $20 TCT transit card and $100 Galápagos National Park fee in cash (USD only, no notes above $50 — these are now $200 for non-Ecuadorian visitors in recent years, so check current rates; budget accordingly). Take the free airline shuttle to the Itabaca Channel, cross on the public ferry (~$1), then a shared pickup/colectivo or the public bus to Puerto Ayora (~$5, 45 min). In the afternoon hire a taxi driver for 3–4 hours (~$40–50 total, split with others) to visit Los Gemelos (Twin Craters) and a wild giant tortoise ranch such as El Chato or Rancho Primicias (~$5 entry). Check into a guesthouse or hostel dorm around Puerto Ayora.

🚌Quito–Baltra return flight (~£300 total), Itabaca ferry $1, colectivo/bus to Puerto Ayora $5, shared taxi for highlands $40–50 split

🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room in Puerto Ayora (e.g. Hostal España, Hostal El Pinzón or similar) — £18–25/night

• →Los Gemelos (Twin Craters) viewpoint
• →Giant tortoise ranch visit (El Chato / Primicias)
• →Puerto Ayora waterfront walk & fish market pelicans

Book a full-day yacht excursion to Bartolomé in advance via GetYourGuide/Klook or directly at a Puerto Ayora tour office on arrival (day trips fill up in high season). Standard rate is roughly $180–220 including guide, lunch, snorkel gear and wetsuit — the same product the operator bundles. Hike the wooden boardwalk to the summit for the classic Pinnacle Rock viewpoint, then snorkel at Pinnacle Rock beach (watch for penguins and reef sharks) and stop at Sullivan Bay or a nearby snorkel site. Return to Puerto Ayora late afternoon; eat at a local 'almuerzo' spot on Calle Charles Binford.

🚌Full-day yacht with hotel-area pickup included in tour price; no extra transport

🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Puerto Ayora — £20

• →Bartolomé summit boardwalk hike
• →Snorkelling at Pinnacle Rock
• →Optional Sullivan Bay lava walk

Another bookable day yacht trip (~$170–210 including lunch, guide and snorkel gear). South Plaza is small but packed: land iguanas feeding on cactus, a large sea lion colony, swallow-tailed gulls and Nazca boobies. Hike the loop trail with a certified naturalist guide (a guide is compulsory on all visitor sites — you'll get one on every day trip), then snorkel off the channel. Back in Puerto Ayora mid-afternoon — use the time for the free Charles Darwin Research Station (giant tortoise breeding centre, ~$10 donation/entry) and pick up supplies for the next days.

🚌Day yacht excursion with pickup, included

🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Puerto Ayora — £20

• →South Plaza guided hike
• →Snorkelling
• →Charles Darwin Research Station (giant tortoise breeding programme)

North Seymour is the best-value wildlife day on the itinerary — nesting magnificent frigatebirds with red throat pouches, blue-footed boobies, land iguanas and a big sea lion colony on a flat, easy 2 km loop. Book as a half- or full-day yacht trip from Puerto Ayora (~$150–190 including lunch and snorkel stop). It's often combined with a snorkel at Las Bachas beach. Alternate and cheaper option: the public speedboat to Santa Cruz's northern side won't reach the island, so a licensed yacht day trip is the realistic route — shop around tour offices on Calle Charles Binford for last-minute seats.

🚌Day yacht excursion with pickup, included

🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Puerto Ayora — £20

• →North Seymour guided wildlife walk
• →Frigatebird & blue-footed booby colonies
• →Snorkelling at Las Bachas or channel site

Santa Fe is the classic 'swim with playful sea lions' day — book a day yacht trip (~$170–200 with guide, lunch and snorkel gear). See the endemic Santa Fe land iguana (pale, large-headed), a huge opuntia cactus forest, Galápagos hawks and white-tipped reef sharks cruising the anchorage. Snorkelling here regularly brings sea turtles, rays and curious sea lion pups. Back in the afternoon, sort your onward travel: seats on the public Santa Cruz–Isabela/San Cristóbal speedboats run around $30–35 one way if you want to extend independently.

🚌Day yacht excursion with pickup, included; optional onward public speedboat $30–35

🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Puerto Ayora — £20

• →Santa Fe guided hike
• →Snorkelling with sea lions, turtles and rays
• →Wildlife photography on the cactus-lined trail

Take the public bus/colectivo and Itabaca ferry back to Baltra airport (~$6 total), then your pre-booked flight to Quito. If you want to stay on, the cheap extensions are a couple of nights in Puerto Villamil (Isabela) or Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (San Cristóbal) via public speedboat, or a night in Guayaquil en route home. Note: airline counters close fairly early on Baltra — get there 2 hours before departure.

🚌Colectivo/bus + Itabaca ferry to Baltra ~$6; return flight already counted Day 1

🛏None (or onward hostel if extending) — £0

• →Optional extension: public speedboat to Isabela (~$35) or San Cristóbal (~$35)
• →Optional extra night in Guayaquil