Self-Launched Galapagos Islands Adventure (Itinerary C)
6 days · Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Exodus charges £4,960
No-markup version: ~£1,850 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Skip the first-class motor yacht price tag and explore the Galapagos independently — same iconic islands, same jaw-dropping wildlife, a fraction of the cost. This self-launched version of the Exodus Solaris Itinerary C replaces the private yacht with budget-friendly island-hopper day tours and guesthouse accommodation on Santa Cruz, the main hub for independent Galapagos exploration. You'll visit Española, Floreana, Bartolomé, Santiago and Santa Cruz via shared day-tour boats and inter-island ferries — the standard way budget travellers experience the archipelago. Note: the Galapagos National Park entrance fee (US$220) and Galapagos Transit Control Card (US$20) are compulsory and paid on arrival. All costs below are approximate estimates per person.
Day-by-day
Arrive Quito
Quito, Ecuador
Arrive in Quito, one of the world's highest capital cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Make your own way from Quito International Airport (UIO) into the city — the Aeroservicios airport bus runs to the city centre for around £1, or a metered taxi costs roughly £8-12. Check into a well-reviewed hostel in the historic La Mariscal or Old Town neighbourhoods. Spend the evening exploring the colonial architecture, grab dinner at a local mercado, and get an early night — you're flying to the Galapagos tomorrow.
🚌Aeroservicios airport bus to city centre (~£1) or metered taxi (~£10)
🛏Hostal Sucre or Secret Garden Quito Hostel (dorm ~£12/night, private ~£25/night)
- →Explore Quito's UNESCO-listed historic centre on foot
- →Visit Plaza Grande and the Metropolitan Cathedral
- →Book your Galapagos day tours in advance via GetYourGuide or direct with local operators on Santa Cruz
Fly to San Cristóbal & Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve
San Cristóbal, Galapagos Islands
Take a morning flight from Quito (or Guayaquil) to San Cristóbal Airport (SCY). LATAM and Avianca both operate this route; book well in advance for the best fares (~£120-180 return from Quito). On arrival, pay the Galapagos National Park entrance fee (US$220, ~£175) and the Transit Control Card (US$20, ~£16) — these are compulsory for all visitors. Take the public bus or shared taxi to the Cerro Colorado Tortoise Breeding Centre (~£2 each way). The reserve is free to enter with your park pass and features giant tortoises roaming semi-wild, plus endemic birds including San Cristóbal mockingbirds and Darwin's finches. In the evening, walk along the San Cristóbal waterfront where sea lions lounge on the benches — no tour needed.
🚌Flight Quito–San Cristóbal with LATAM/Avianca (~£150 return est.); public bus to Cerro Colorado (~£2)
🛏Casa de Laura Guesthouse or Hostal Mar Azul, San Cristóbal (~£20-35/night)
- →Fly Quito to San Cristóbal with LATAM or Avianca (book ahead, ~£120-180 return)
- →Pay compulsory Galapagos National Park entrance fee (US$220) and Transit Control Card (US$20) on arrival
- →Visit Cerro Colorado Tortoise Breeding Reserve by public bus (~£2 each way)
- →Walk San Cristóbal waterfront to spot sea lions at sunset — free
Española Island Day Tour
Española Island, Galapagos
Book a shared day-tour boat from San Cristóbal to Española Island — this is the standard way independent travellers access the outer islands. Tours depart early morning and include a naturalist guide (required by Galapagos National Park rules), snorkel equipment, and lunch on board. At Gardner Bay, snorkel with sea lions and green sea turtles in the turquoise shallows and relax on the pristine white-sand beach. In the afternoon, visit Suarez Point, where colonies of waved albatrosses (seasonal), blue-footed and Nazca boobies, and red-billed tropicbirds nest mere metres from the walking trail. The dramatic blowhole and sea-cliff views are spectacular. Book via Puerto Baquerizo Moreno's agency strip or through GetYourGuide.
🚌Day-tour boat included in tour price
🛏Casa de Laura Guesthouse or Hostal Mar Azul, San Cristóbal (~£20-35/night)
- →Shared day-tour boat from San Cristóbal to Española Island (~£70-90pp including guide and snorkel gear)
- →Snorkel Gardner Bay with sea lions, turtles and reef fish
- →Wildlife walk at Suarez Point — waved albatrosses, blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, blowhole
Floreana Island Day Tour
Floreana Island, Galapagos
Another early start for a shared day-tour boat to Floreana Island, bookable through San Cristóbal agencies or GetYourGuide (~£70-90pp). At Cormorant Point, walk past a small sea lion colony to the famous green-sand olivine beach, then across to the 'flour sand' beach where stingrays hide in the shallows and green turtles nest (Jan-Apr). Snorkel Devil's Crown — one of the Galapagos' best snorkel sites — spotting penguins, sharks, sea turtles and a rainbow of fish. In the afternoon, visit the famous Post Office Bay barrel, where you can leave a postcard and hand-deliver one left by a previous visitor. Climb the small Baroness Lookout cone for panoramic coastal views before the return boat.
🚌Day-tour boat included in tour price
🛏Casa de Laura Guesthouse or Hostal Mar Azul, San Cristóbal (~£20-35/night)
- →Shared day-tour boat from San Cristóbal to Floreana (~£70-90pp)
- →Walk Cormorant Point — green-sand olivine beach, flour-sand turtle beach, stingrays
- →Snorkel Devil's Crown coral reef — penguins, sea turtles, sharks, colourful fish
- →Visit Post Office Bay historic barrel and leave/collect a postcard
- →Hike up Baroness Lookout for coastal panoramas
Santiago & Bartolomé Day Tour
Santiago & Bartolomé Islands, Galapagos
Take an inter-island ferry from San Cristóbal to Santa Cruz (roughly £25-30pp, ~2-2.5 hours), then book a day tour from Puerto Ayora to Bartolomé and Sullivan Bay on Santiago — one of the most popular and photogenic trips in the archipelago. At Sullivan Bay, walk across otherworldly hardened lava fields, spotting crabs, herons and oystercatchers at the shoreline. At Bartolomé, climb 114m via a wooden boardwalk stairway to the summit viewpoint for the iconic Pinnacle Rock panorama — one of the most photographed views in the Galapagos. Snorkel Bartolomé's bay for a chance to see Galapagos penguins, reef sharks and sea turtles. Tours from Puerto Ayora are easy to book on arrival via GetYourGuide or local agencies (~£65-85pp).
🚌Inter-island speedboat ferry San Cristóbal–Santa Cruz (~£27); day tour boat included in tour
🛏La Peregrina B&B or Hostal Flamingo, Santa Cruz/Puerto Ayora (~£20-35/night)
- →Inter-island speedboat ferry San Cristóbal to Santa Cruz (~£25-30pp)
- →Shared day tour to Sullivan Bay lava fields on Santiago Island
- →Climb Bartolomé Island boardwalk to Pinnacle Rock viewpoint (114m)
- →Snorkel Bartolomé Bay — Galapagos penguins, reef sharks, sea turtles (~£65-85pp tour)
Black Turtle Cove & Fly Baltra to Guayaquil
Santa Cruz / Baltra, Galapagos
Take an early morning kayak or dinghy tour of Black Turtle Cove on the north coast of Santa Cruz — a serene mangrove lagoon where whitetip reef sharks, spotted eagle rays and golden rays glide through crystal-clear shallows. Tours depart at dawn and finish by around 9am. From Puerto Ayora, take the local bus-ferry-bus connection to Baltra Airport (GPS): bus to the canal (£1), public ferry across (£1), then bus to the terminal (£1). Fly Baltra to Guayaquil with LATAM or Avianca (included in your return ticket). Guayaquil's international airport offers onward connections from early evening — grab a ceviche at the airport and reflect on an extraordinary week.
🚌Local bus-ferry-bus Puerto Ayora to Baltra Airport (~£3); Baltra–Guayaquil flight (included in return)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Early morning kayak or small-boat tour of Black Turtle Cove mangrove lagoon (~£20-30pp)
- →Spot whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays and golden rays in crystal-clear water
- →Local bus-ferry-bus transfer from Puerto Ayora to Baltra Airport (~£3 total)
- →Fly Baltra to Guayaquil (included in return ticket)
Self-launched vs. Exodus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Exodus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,850 | £4,960 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £3,110 per person (63%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Exodus-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,850
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 Self-Launched Galapagos Islands Adventure (Itinerary C) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,850 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 Exodus?+
Yes — Exodus charges around £4,960 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,850 — a saving of roughly £3,110 (63%) 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 wildlife, adventure, culture 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.