FAQs & Galapagos Island Travel Tips

Reservations & Payments
Requirements:

• Tours Require 100% payment at the moment of confirming the reservation.
• Reservations can be held up to 5 business days before they must be confirmed and paid in full.
• Reservations without payment are automatically cancelled after 5 business days.
• Tours are non refundable

Tour schedules
Galapagos National Park regulations:

• The Galapagos National Park regulates and manages tour schedules. Tours are not flexible.
• All tour departures or arrivals are dependent on weather conditions and National Park Advisory regulations.
• Logistics and traffic conditions may change schedules. Excursions cannot be 100 percent guaranteed.

Traveling by ferry
Schedules & safety:

• The Galapagos Pearl Tours has two Ferry boats: Mi Sol & La Perla.
• Tickets cost $35 per person each way.
• Mi Sol Ferry holds 25 passengers.
• La Perla Ferry holds 31 passengers.
• Each Ferry has life vests for all passengers to be worn during the trip.
• Daily tours to other islands are not recommended for children under 2 years of age due to rough ocean conditions.

All ferries run on a schedule

• Ferry between Islands takes two hours each way
• Water taxis to the ferry from the docks costs $1.50 per person.
• You must check-in 45 min prior departure at the main tourist pier


• Santa Cruz ⇢ Isabela: 7:00AM & 2:00PM
• Santa Cruz ⇢ San Cristobal: 7:00AM & 2:00PM
• Isabela ⇢ Santa Cruz: 6:00AM & 3:00PM
• San Cristobal ⇢ Santa Cruz: 7:00AM & 3:00PM

Travel Tips:

• Purchase travel insurance ~ recommended
• Ecuador & The Galapagos mainly use cash
• All rooms in the hotel have safety deposit box
• Galapagos National Park Fees:
  $100 Adults, $50 Children under 12yrs of age
• Tips: 10% Service Fee are recommended.

Credit Cards: include fees

• 12% Ecuadorian Bank Credit Card Service Fee
  + 12% Ecuadorian Tax (IVA)
• Paying Online with Credit cards:
  12% Ecuadorian Tax (IVA) + 2.9% Stripe Service Fee

ATM Debit Card: withdraw limits

• Two transactions per day
• Each transaction $200 USD
• When in Ecuador, the ATM fee per transaction is about $5 USD.
• Make sure to contact your bank in your country to waive extra transaction fees.

Before boarding your plane

• Galapagos Transit Card (TCT) $20 USD: Pay at Airport in Quito or Guayaquil at the CGREG counter
• Bio-security Standards (ABG): Baggage inspection is required before check-in with the airline company
• Check-In with airline company

Fights to Galapagos Island

• Can only be taken from the airport in Quito or Guayaquil.
• Most common flight route is from Quito with a stop in Guayaquil for 30 minutes.
• Airline companies to Galapagos: LATAM & AVIANCA

Airplane tickets

• Quito ⇢ Galapagos ⇢ Quito $350-500 per person.

Galapagos Airports

• Baltra Island: Seymour Airport ~ GPS
• San Cristobal Island: San Cristobal Airport ~ SCY
• Most common flight to Galapagos is to Baltra Islands
• From Baltra Island, you travel to Pt. Ayora, Santa Cruz Island.
• Santa Cruz Island is the hub for tourism and is centrally located in the archipelago

Airport Fees

• Galapagos Transit Card (TCT) $20 USD: Pay at Airport in Quito or Guayaquil at the CGREG counter
• Galapagos National Park Fees: $100 Adults & $50 Children from 2-12yrs of age (0-2 yrs of age do not pay).
• Pay Park Fees in cash at Baltra Airport upon arrival.
• Credit or debit cards are not allowed.
• You will be required to leave your passport at the airport until you pay in cash. When you pay, you can retrieve your passport from the National Park Offices in Puerto Ayora.

Inter island flights

• There are four habitable islands that you can stay on: Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Isabela & Floreana.
• Domestic flights and schedules between islands are not very reliable and depend on gasoline availability and fulfilling passenger quotas.
• Always check your flight status once you confirm your flight.
• There are two domestic airline companies in Galapagos: Emetebe & Fly Galapagos

Yes
Park Fees

• Galapagos National Park Fees: $100 Adults & $50 Children from 2-12yrs of age (0-2 yrs of age do not pay).
• Pay Park Fees in cash at Baltra Airport upon arrival.
• Credit or debit cards are not allowed.
• You will be required to leave your passport at the airport until pay in cash. When you pay you can retrieve your passport from the National Park Offices in Puerto Ayora.

Yes
we help get you here

As part of the package we help you arrive to the hotel, settle in, have lunch, then whisk you off for your first tour.

Hiking tips
Most of the hikes are on level ground and are family friendly. The El Puntido hike is more challenging. We recomment an appreciation for activities on that 4 mile hike.