Galapagos Islands Self-Launched Island Hopper
6 days · Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Cami Adventures charges £1,575
No-markup version: ~£1,030 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Cami Adventures' 6-day Galapagos Adventure: island-hopping Santa Cruz and Isabela with public speedboats, locally owned guesthouses, and self-booked day tours and snorkel trips. You'll hit the same highlights — Los Gemelos craters, giant tortoises, Charles Darwin Research Station, Tortuga Bay, La Loberia, flamingos, Concha Perla, Sierra Negra volcano and North Seymour — but at backpacker prices, booking boats and guides directly as you go.
Day-by-day
Arrive Baltra → Santa Cruz: craters, tortoises and Darwin Station
Baltra Island / Santa Cruz
Land at Seymour (Baltra) airport, pay the $100 Galapagos National Park entry fee and $20 transit card (buy the TCT card in Guayaquil or Quito before departure), then take the free airport shuttle to the Itabaca Channel and the public ferry across to Santa Cruz (~£4). Catch a shared pickup truck to Puerto Ayora (~£3) and check into a guesthouse a couple of streets back from the waterfront. In the afternoon, hire a taxi driver for a half-day run to Los Gemelos sinkhole craters and the Rancho Primicias giant tortoise reserve (~£25-30 split if you team up with other travellers — ask at your guesthouse), then walk to the free Charles Darwin Research Station before it closes at 18:00. Dinner on Calle Charles Darwin.
🚌Airport shuttle, Itabaca Channel ferry, shared pickup to Puerto Ayora, taxi tour
🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Ayora (double or dorm), £15-20 pp
- →Los Gemelos twin craters
- →Rancho Primicias giant tortoise reserve
- →Charles Darwin Research Station
Tortuga Bay and La Loberia snorkelling
Santa Cruz Island
Walk 20 minutes along the paved trail from the edge of Puerto Ayora to Tortuga Bay — fine white sand, marine iguanas and a mangrove lagoon you can hire a kayak on (~£10). It's free to enter, just register at the trailhead. After lunch, walk or take a $2 pickup to La Loberia (10 minutes from town) for a self-launched snorkel with the resident sea lions — bring your own mask and fins or rent from a dive shop in town (~£8/day). Or book a bay tour with one of the boatmen on the muelle for around £35 including equipment and a boat ride to Playa Las Bachas.
🚌Walking, $2 local pickup truck
🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Ayora, £15-20 pp
- →Tortuga Bay beach walk and swim
- →Kayaking in Tortuga Bay lagoon (optional)
- →Snorkelling with sea lions at La Loberia
Public speedboat to Isabela: flamingos and Concha Perla
Isabela Island
Take the 07:00 public lancha from the Muelle Tiburón to Puerto Villamil, Isabela (about 2 hours, ~£30 one-way; buy tickets at the coastal-tour kiosks the day before and bring seasickness tablets for the chop). Check into a small guesthouse in Puerto Villamil, then walk the boardwalk to the flamingo lagoons at the outskirts of town. Visit the Arnaldo Tupiza tortoise breeding centre (small entry fee, ~£3), then walk the 1km wooden trail to Concha Perla where you can snorkel off the rocks with penguins, turtles and reef fish for free.
🚌Public lancha ferry Puerto Ayora–Puerto Villamil, walking
🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Villamil, £12-18 pp
- →Public speedboat crossing to Isabela
- →Flamingo lagoon boardwalk
- →Arnaldo Tupiza breeding centre
- →Concha Perla snorkelling
Sierra Negra volcano hike, then speedboat back to Santa Cruz
Isabela → Santa Cruz
Join a shared transport-and-guide trip up to the Sierra Negra volcano rim, the second-largest caldera in the world — 12km round trip, mostly flat but exposed, so start by 07:00 with sun protection and 2L of water (shared shuttle + guide, ~£35 booked the night before through your guesthouse or a Puerto Villamil tour kiosk). Check out the chico caldera viewpoint if the trail is open. Take the afternoon public speedboat back to Puerto Ayora (~£30) and settle in for sunset at Pelican Bay.
🚌Shared shuttle to trailhead, public lancha Isabela–Santa Cruz
🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Ayora, £15-20 pp
- →Sierra Negra caldera hike
- →Volcan Chico viewpoint (if open)
- →Speedboat back to Santa Cruz
North Seymour wildlife day trip
Santa Cruz → North Seymour
Book a morning North Seymour boat excursion (about £65-80 including park fee, guide, lunch and snorkel kit) from a Puerto Ayora agency — the same boat that the tour operator uses, just booked direct. Land on the island and walk the 2km trail past nesting frigatebirds with their red balloon pouches, blue-footed boobies and a big marine iguana colony, then snorkel with sea lions, turtles and reef fish on the way back. Afternoon free in Puerto Ayora for a swim at Las Ninfas or a beer on the malecón.
🚌Day-trip boat to North Seymour
🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Ayora, £15-20 pp
- →North Seymour wildlife walk
- →Snorkelling with sea lions and turtles
- →Free time in Puerto Ayora
Depart from Baltra
Santa Cruz → Baltra Island
Breakfast at the guesthouse, then shared pickup to the Itabaca Channel and the ferry across to Baltra, followed by the free shuttle to the airport. Allow at least 3 hours before an international connection in Guayaquil or Quito. Book flights back to the mainland in advance — Baltra routes sell out in high season.
🚌Shared pickup, ferry, airport shuttle
🛏—
- →Transfer to Baltra airport
Self-launched vs. Cami Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Cami Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,030 | £1,575 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £545 per person (35%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Cami Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,030
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Galapagos Islands Self-Launched Island Hopper cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,030 per person for 6 days in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Cami Adventures?+
Yes — Cami Adventures charges around £1,575 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,030 — a saving of roughly £545 (35%) per person.
How long is the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, wildlife, beaches trip through Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.