Complete Galápagos — Self-Launched Island-Hopping Adventure

Land at Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO) and take an airport taxi or the Aeroservicios bus into the city (~£4–8). Base yourself in the La Mariscal or Centro Histórico area. Spend the afternoon acclimatising to 2,850 m, sorting a local SIM (Claro/Movistar, ~£8 for data) and confirming your Galápagos paperwork: your TCT transit card is bought online in advance via the Galápagos government portal (~£8/$10) and your park entry fee ($100) is paid on arrival at Baltra. Do a self-guided wander of the Plaza Grande and La Ronda at dusk.

🚌Airport taxi or Aeroservicios bus ~£4–8

🛏Hostel private or dorm in La Mariscal / Centro Histórico (~£10–15)

• →Self-guided Quito old town walk
• →Buy TCT transit control card online
• →SIM card & cash withdrawal

Fly Quito to Baltra (GPS) — book LATAM/Avianca early for the best fare (~£180–260 return if bought well ahead). Pay the $100 national park fee at Baltra and transfer by free airline bus + ferry to Santa Cruz, then a colectivo or bus to Puerto Ayora (~£5). Settle into a guesthouse, then walk to Tortuga Bay (free, unguided 2.5 km trail) for your first marine iguana and white-sand beach fix.

🚌Quito–Baltra flight ~£180–260 return (allocated across trip); ferry $1; bus/colectivo ~£5

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Ayora (~£15–22)

• →Flight to Baltra
• →Ferry crossing Itabaca Channel
• →Self-guided Tortuga Bay walk

Hire a bike or join a shared taxi to the highlands to see giant tortoises in the wild at El Chato / Rancho Primicias (~£5–8 entry plus shared taxi ~£8). In the afternoon walk to the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center and Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora (free with your park wristband) to meet Lonesome George's legacy and the saddleback tortoise breeding programme. Book your Genovesa day trip for tomorrow with a local agency on the pier (shop around, ~£110–150).

🚌Shared taxi/bike hire ~£10

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Ayora (~£15–22)

• →El Chato giant tortoise reserve
• →Charles Darwin Research Station
• →Book Genovesa day boat

A full-day authorised day boat from Puerto Ayora to Genovesa — the 'bird island'. Land at Darwin Bay for red-footed boobies and frigatebirds, snorkel the bay, then walk El Barranco's cliff stairs for storm petrels and short-eared owls. Includes lunch and a naturalist guide (park rules require one). Book locally a day or two ahead; spaces are limited and boats go only a few times a week.

🚌Day boat included in activity cost

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Ayora (~£15–22)

• →Genovesa day boat with naturalist guide
• →Snorkelling at Darwin Bay
• →El Barranco walk

Another authorised day boat from Santa Cruz — climb the wooden boardwalk to the iconic Pinnacle Rock viewpoint, snorkel with penguins and sea lions, then land at Sullivan Bay's black lava flows. Boats often combine Bartolomé with Santa Fe or Plazas; compare offers on the pier (~£120–160 including lunch and guide).

🚌Day boat included in activity cost

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Ayora (~£15–22)

• →Bartolomé boardwalk & Pinnacle Rock
• →Snorkelling with Galápagos penguins
• →Sullivan Bay lava walk

Take the public speedboat (ferry) from Puerto Ayora to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, ~2–2.5 hours (~£25–30, book a day ahead at the pier agency). Afternoon at the San Cristóbal Interpretation Centre (free) and a walk to Playa Mann and La Lobería for sea lions. Book an Española day trip and a Kicker Rock snorkel for the next days.

🚌Public speedboat ferry ~£27

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (~£12–20)

• →Public speedboat transfer
• →Interpretation Centre visit
• →La Lobería sea lion walk

Full-day authorised boat to Española, the oldest island and a wildlife highlight: waved albatross (Apr–Dec), blue-footed boobies doing their dance at Punta Suárez, and sea lion colonies plus snorkelling at Gardner Bay. Only a handful of operators run it — book on arrival (~£130–170 with lunch and guide).

🚌Day boat included in activity cost

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (~£12–20)

• →Punta Suárez wildlife walk
• →Gardner Bay snorkelling
• →Waved albatross colony

Half-day snorkel trip to León Dormido (Kicker Rock) — a dramatic tuff cone where hammerhead sharks, turtles and rays patrol — plus Isla Lobos for sea lions and frigatebirds (~£110–140). Spend the afternoon free in town or hike to Cerro Tijeretas for sunset views over the bay (free).

🚌Snorkel boat included in activity cost

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (~£12–20)

• →Kicker Rock snorkelling
• →Isla Lobos visit
• →Cerro Tijeretas sunset hike

Inter-island speedboat back to Santa Cruz then onward to Isabela (~£35–40 total, two legs), arriving in sleepy Puerto Villamil. Afternoon walk to the Flamingo Lagoon (free) and the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre (free), then a sunset on the long white beach. Hire a bike for the next few days (~£6/day).

🚌Two speedboat ferries ~£37

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Puerto Villamil (~£12–18)

• →Inter-island ferry transfers
• →Flamingo Lagoon
• →Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre

Self-book a shared tour or go with a guide taxi to the Sierra Negra trailhead — the hike to the vast black lava caldera (and optionally Volcán Chico) is ~£30–45 with shared transport, or hike independently after a colectivo if conditions allow. Bring water, sun protection and lunch. Evening back in Villamil for cheap seafood.

🚌Shared transport to trailhead ~£15

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Puerto Villamil (~£12–18)

• →Sierra Negra caldera hike
• →Volcán Chico lava fields (optional)

A half-day boat trip to Los Túneles lava tunnels — known for seahorses, turtles, sharks and rays — is the best-value Isabela water excursion (~£60–80 including snorkel gear). In the afternoon, swim and snorkel the free Concha de Perla boardwalk lagoon near the pier.

🚌Boat trip included in activity cost

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Puerto Villamil (~£12–18)

• →Los Túneles snorkel trip
• →Concha de Perla snorkelling

Morning ferry back to Santa Cruz (~£27). If schedules allow, take an afternoon or next-morning authorised boat to North Seymour for frigatebird colonies and blue-footed boobies (~£100–130) — the classic land-based alternative to the cruise's North Seymour visit. Otherwise, enjoy Tortuga Bay kayaking (~£12) or a coffee and ceviche afternoon in Puerto Ayora.

🚌Speedboat ferry ~£27

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Ayora (~£15–22)

• →Inter-island ferry
• →North Seymour day boat (or Tortuga Bay kayak)

A day boat combining Santa Fe (land iguana territory, sea lion beach, snorkelling) and South Plaza (cactus forest, swallow-tailed gulls, dramatic cliffs) mirrors the original itinerary's Santa Fe–Plaza day (~£120–150). Book via a pier agency the day before and confirm the marine section of the park is open.

🚌Day boat included in activity cost

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Ayora (~£15–22)

• →Santa Fe Island walk & snorkel
• →South Plaza cactus & seabird walk

Take an authorised day boat from Puerto Ayora to Floreana: snorkel at Corona del Diablo, visit the historic Post Office Bay barrel, and walk Punta Cormorant's flamingo lagoon (~£120–150 with lunch). This replaces the cruise's Floreana landing.

🚌Day boat included in activity cost

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Ayora (~£15–22)

• →Post Office Bay
• →Punta Cormorant flamingo lagoon
• →Corona del Diablo snorkel

A slower day to match the original's Puerto Ayora downtime: visit a highlands coffee farm or a local roasting spot for a tasting (~£8–12), return to Tortuga Bay for the kayak, and sort your final day trip. If you're chasing the remote western sites (Fernandina, Tagus Cove, Elizabeth Bay, Rábida), this is where you'd book a 1–2 night western liveaboard excursion (~£500–900) — the one big cost the land-based route can't fully replicate.

🚌Local taxi/bike ~£8

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Ayora (~£15–22)

• →Highlands coffee tasting
• →Tortuga Bay kayak
• →Optional western islands liveaboard add-on

Colectivo and ferry back to Baltra for the flight to Quito. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near the airport or centre. Evening wander through La Mariscal for a final Ecuadorian meal, or visit the Basílica del Voto Nacional if energy allows.

🚌Ferry + collectivo ~£6; Baltra–Quito flight (within return ticket)

🛏Hostel/budget hotel in Quito (~£12–20)

• →Baltra transfer & flight to Quito
• →Evening city stroll

Morning at leisure — a self-guided walk of the Centro Histórico or a trip to the Mitad del Mundo equator monument (bus ~£3, entry ~£4) if your flight is later. Then head to the airport for your onward flight home.

🚌Airport bus/taxi ~£4–8

🛏None (departure day)

• →Optional Equator monument visit
• →Departure