June 2018

Perfect 1 Week Itinerary for Galapagos Islands

Words fall short of describing what an incredible trip this was – it offers nature, wildlife, adventure, and relaxation. This is one of those places that if you were thinking about it, you should definitely plan a trip! I can say confidently that of all the travelers in Galapagos we encountered, we were definitely the ones with the shortest amount of time at 1 week. Many people were in Galapagos for at least two weeks and a large percentage of that group was spending one to three months or more in South America alone. Cursed with that American PTO, one week would have to do and I have to say, we were able to accomplish quite a bit.

For logistics, you have to fly from Ecuador into one of the islands. Then you have some decisions to make: explore from a boat or on land? Booking excursions day of or plan ahead? How much time to spend on each island? I have a very detailed post addressing these and many more questions on what to expect when visiting the Galapagos Islands. Unlike most of our trips, we did book everything ahead of time through an awesome company and I have those reasons here.

What is there to do?

There are three major islands to explore! Each one has it’s own personality and unique offerings so I think it is worth making a stop at as many as you are able.

Santa Cruz Island
- Visit Tortuga Bay for the marine ignuanas
- Sit at the dock and watch blue footed boobies dive for food
San Cristobal Island
- Plenty of sea lions where ever you go on this island
- Snorkel Kicker Rock
- Hike to the top of Frigate Hill
Isabela Island
- Snorkel around Concha de Perla
- Bike to the Wall of Tears
- Hike the active volcano Sierra Negra
- Change things up by paddleboarding Las Tintoreras
- Explore Cabo Rosa Los Tunnels

There is an endless supply of opportunities to see wildlife both on excursions and on the islands themselves.

Where is there to eat?

There are plenty of spots in the central town area to dine from traditional eats to more tourist palates. Often times, accommodations provide breakfast and the excursions provide lunch so you are not often wandering around to find food.

I wrote up a lot of posts around this trip so make sure to read Make sure to read what to expect and what to pack (including this packing video) as well as an overview of our trip.

Based on what we did, here is a great one week itinerary for exploring the Galapagos Islands!

		Activity	Food
Day 0	Evening	Travel to Baltra through Ecuador
Day 1	Morning	Arrival in Baltra Transfer to Santa Cruz Island
	Afternoon	“Twins” sinkholes Manzanillo Ranch El Garrapatero beach	Lunch at Manzanillo Ranch
	Evening	Hotel check in- Posada del Mar Walked around Puerto Ayora	Kiosks on Binford- Williams 1835 Coffee Lab Galapagos Grill- Ice Cream
Day 2	Morning	Tortuga Bay	Galapagos Grill
	Afternoon	Boat from Santa Cruz to San Cristobal	Kiosks on Binford- Sazon Manabita
	Evening	Hotel check in- Cabanas Pimampiro Puerto Baquerizo Moreno Playa Barrio Frio
Day 3	Morning	Excursion to Espanola Island	Breakfast with Cabanas Pimampiro
	Afternoon		Lunch provided on excursion
	Evening	Playa Mann, Interpretation Center	Calypso
Day 4	Morning	Kicker Rock excursion	Breakfast with Cabanas Pimampiro
	Afternoon		Lunch provided on excursion
	Evening	Frigate Hill	El Descanso Marinero
Day 5	Morning	Flight to Isabela Island	Breakfast with Cabanas Pimampiro
	Afternoon	Hotel check in- Hotel Cally Concha de Perla snorkel	Coco Surf
	Evening	Wall of Tears bike ride	Bar de Beto Maestro de Casa
Day 6	Morning	Sierra Negra hike	Breakfast with Hotel Cally
	Afternoon	Tintoreras paddle board and snorkel	Lunch provided on excursion
	Evening	Explored Puerto Villamil	Coco Surf
Day 7	Morning	Cabo Rosa Lava Tunnels	Breakfast with Hotel Cally
	Afternoon	Boat ride from Isabela to Santa Cruz	Lunch provided on excursion
	Evening	Hotel check in- Posada del Mar Walked around Puerto Ayora	The Rock
Day 8	Morning	Darwin Research Center	Galapagos Grill
	Afternoon	Depart