Galápagos Island Hopping — Self-Launched

Land at Mariscal Sucre (UIO) and take a taxi or the Aeroservicios airport bus (~$8-10) into the historic centre or La Mariscal. Quito sits at 2,850m, so take it easy: short walk, coca tea, early night. Book your Galápagos flights online tonight if you haven't already — Avianca, LATAM and Equair all fly Quito–Baltra (GPS) with a mandatory stop in Guayaquil, roughly $300-380 return; book at least 3-4 weeks ahead. Also pay your $20 Transit Control Card online via the Galápagos government portal so you skip the queue at the airport.

🚌Airport bus or taxi (~£8); Quito–Baltra return internal flight booked online (~£280-310)

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Quito historic centre, dorm or private twin (~£15-20)

• →Settle in and acclimatise to altitude
• →Book Galápagos internal flights online
• →Buy Transit Control Card online ($20)

Early flight Quito → Baltra (via Guayquil). At Baltra airport pay the $200 Galápagos National Park entrance fee in cash (US dollars — no cards, no ATMs worth relying on) and the $5-10 bus transfer from the terminal to the Itabaca Channel. Cross on the public ferry/panga (~$1) and take the local bus or a shared pickup into Puerto Ayora (~$2-5, 45 min). Check into a guesthouse, then walk 20 minutes to the Charles Darwin Research Station and Fausto Llerena giant tortoise breeding centre — free, self-guided, signed in English and Spanish; go late afternoon when the tortoises are active and the cruise crowds have gone.

🚌Flight ~2.5h; airport bus $5; panga across Itabaca Channel $1; local bus/collectivo to Puerto Ayora $2-5

🛏Family-run guesthouse in Puerto Ayora (~£20-25)

• →Pay $200 National Park fee in cash at Baltra
• →Charles Darwin Research Station & Fausto Llerena Breeding Center (free entry)
• →Wander Puerto Ayora fish market and Malecón

Morning: walk or take a water taxi (~$1) to the trailhead and hike 20-25 minutes through cactus forest to Las Grietas, a clear brackish gorge between lava walls — bring snorkel and mask, entry is free. Back for lunch, then board the public speedboat from Santa Cruz to Floreana (Puerto Velasco Ibarra), about 2 hours, ~$60-80 one way; book through your guesthouse the day before (boats run roughly twice weekly plus charters — check the schedule first thing). On Floreana stay in one of the small family-run lodges in the highlands or by the beach; this is deliberately simple, with occasional power and hot-water wobbles — bring cash, there is no ATM.

🚌Water taxi $1; public speedboat Santa Cruz–Floreana ~2h, $60-80

🛏Simple family-run lodge or community guesthouse on Floreana (~£18-22)

• →Hike to Las Grietas and swim/snorkel
• →Speedboat crossing to Floreana
• →Sunset at the black-sand beach

Walk the black-sand beach trail to Lobería (~40 min each way) for sea lions, marine iguanas and good snorkelling straight off the rocks — bring your own gear, there's nothing to rent. Continue to the brackish lagoon behind town for flamingos (they're most reliable in the wetter months). In the afternoon, hire a local guide or arrange a pickup-truck ride into the highlands (~$20-30 shared) to see the Asilo de la Paz cave, wild giant tortoises and the old Wittmer homestead — ask your lodge to fix this up, it's the same arrangement the tour uses. Eat at the family kitchens in Puerto Velasco Ibarra; agree prices upfront.

🚌Walking; shared pickup truck to the highlands ~$20-30

🛏Simple family-run lodge on Floreana (~£18-22)

• →Lobería beach walk and snorkelling
• →Flamingo lagoon
• →Highlands wildlife walk with a local guide
• →Community meals in Puerto Velasco Ibarra

Morning speedboat Floreana → Isabela (Puerto Villamil), roughly 2 hours, ~$60-80 — the crossings are bumpy, so take motion-sickness tablets an hour before. Drop bags at your guesthouse and hike Sierra Negra in the afternoon with a licensed local guide (mandatory and required by the park; ~$40-50, 5-6 hours, 16km return, moderate). You walk to the rim of the largest volcanic crater in the archipelago, with Volcán Chico lava fields as an extension if legs allow. Book the guide through your hostel or the Isabela tour offices on arrival — you don't need to pre-book months ahead outside July-August and Christmas.

🚌Public speedboat Floreana–Isabela ~2h, $60-80

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Puerto Villamil (~£18-22)

• →Boat crossing to Isabela
• →Sierra Negra volcano hike with licensed guide (~$40-50)
• →Optional Volcán Chico extension

Pick your snorkel trip. Cheapest and excellent: a 2.5-hour boat to Islote Tintoreras (~$45-50) to see resting white-tip reef sharks, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies and Galápagos penguins in the channel. The big-ticket option is Los Túneles (~$140-150, 4-5 hours, 40-min boat ride) for sea turtles, seahorses, rays and lava arches — worth it if you can afford one splurge. Alternatively snorkel Concha de Perla for ~$5 in a taxi/entry or free if you walk. Late afternoon walk to the free Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre (Centro de Crianza), then flop on the long white beach.

🚌Walking; short taxi/pickup to Concha de Perla ~$2-5

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Puerto Villamil (~£18-22)

• →Islote Tintoreras snorkel trip (~$45-50) or Los Túneles (~$140-150)
• →Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre (free)
• →Concha de Perla snorkelling
• →Playa Grande beach time

Morning speedboat Isabela → Santa Cruz (~2 hours, ~$35-45) — the short, cheaper crossing. Check into a Puerto Ayora guesthouse, then walk 2.5km to Tortuga Bay (free, but you must register at the park entrance; the trail is exposed, so go early or late with water). The first beach has strong surf and marine iguanas; follow the mangrove path to Playa Mansa for calm swimming and a chance to hire a kayak (~$15) or join a surf lesson (~$120 if you want one). Dinner on the Malecón — ceviche and grilled fish for £8-12.

🚌Public speedboat Isabela–Santa Cruz ~2h, $35-45; walking in town

🛏Family-run guesthouse in Puerto Ayora (~£20-25)

• →Tortuga Bay walk and Playa Mansa swim (free)
• →Optional kayak hire (~$15) or surf lesson (~$120)
• →Malecón dinner

Local bus/pickup to the Itabaca Channel, panga across, bus to Baltra airport (~$7-10 total), then your booked flight to Quito. Remember luggage is screened for organic material on the way out — no shells, seeds, sand or fruit. Transfer into town, and if you have energy, spend the evening in La Ronda or Plaza Foch. Optional add-on: a Quito city tour plus the Equator line (Mitad del Mundo) runs around $50-60 booked through GetYourGuide or your hostel, or Teleférico cable car ~$9 independently.

🚌Bus and panga to Baltra airport ~$7-10; flight Baltra–Quito ~2.5h

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Quito (~£15-20)

• →Optional Quito city tour & Equator line (~$50-60)
• →Optional Teleférico cable car (~$9)
• →La Ronda evening stroll

Fly home or continue overland — Ecuador's Andes, Baños and the Amazon are easy bus hops from here. If you have a late flight, leave bags at the hostel and do a last market breakfast. Note that UIO closes for runway maintenance on selected 2026 dates (11 Apr; 9, 16 & 30 May; 6 Jun; 5, 12 & 26 Sep; 3 Oct 2am-2pm; 17 Oct 6am-6pm) — double-check your flight times if you're travelling then.

🚌Airport bus or taxi (~£8)

🛏—

• →Last breakfast and market browse
• →Onward connections