Galapagos at a Glance: Southern Islands — Self-Launched
6 days · Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Intrepid Travel charges £2,790
No-markup version: ~£863 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, land-based take on Intrepid's 6-day southern Galapagos cruise. Instead of a liveaboard cabin on the Daphne, you fly into Baltra and island-hop by public speedboat (ferry) between Santa Cruz, Floreana and San Cristóbal, staying in cheap guesthouses and joining shared local day trips to the exact same wildlife sites: Los Gemelos, Post Office Bay, Punta Cormorant, Devil's Crown, Punta Suárez, Bahía Gardner and Kicker Rock. You still get wet landings, snorkelling with sea lions and marine iguanas, and giant tortoises in the highlands — but on a backpacker budget. Note: you must book a Galapagos National Park-approved guide for any visit inside the park and pre-arrange your TCT/transit control card, so factor that in. All costs are rough per-person estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Quito — Old Town & welcome dinner
Quito, Ecuador
Land at Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) and take a licensed taxi or the Aeroservicios bus into the city (£6-9). Check into a hostel in the historic centre — Community Hostel or Casa CarpeDM are popular budget picks with dorm beds (£8-14). Spend the afternoon walking Old Town on your own: Plaza Grande, the Basílica del Voto Nacional tower, and wander into a couple of the ~30 colonial churches (entry to most is free or £1-3; the Compañía de Jesús is worth its small fee). In the evening eat a traditional Ecuadorian dinner — locro de papa (potato soup), hornado pork and quinoa dishes — at a small local restaurant in La Ronda (£6-10). Sort your gear tonight: closed-toe shoes, reef-safe sunscreen, snorkel mask (cheaper to buy/rent here than on the islands), and a dry bag.
🚌Airport taxi ~£6-9; all Quito Old Town walks on foot
🛏Budget hostel in Quito Old Town (dorm £8-14 / private £20-30)
- →Self-launched exploration of Old Town Quito
- →Plaza Grande & colonial churches
- →Basílica del Voto Nacional viewpoint
- →Traditional Ecuadorian dinner on La Ronda
Fly to Baltra → Santa Cruz Highlands → Puerto Ayora
Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos
Fly Quito (UIO/UIO via Guayaquil) to Baltra (GPS) — book early, return fares are typically £230-320 and this is the single biggest cost; note the original tour bundles this flight while DIY travellers book it separately. On arrival at Baltra pay the Galapagos National Park entry fee in cash (US$200 / ~£160, includes the transit control — this is unavoidable and matches the +$220 the operator lists). Take the free airport shuttle to the Itabaca Channel, cross by the public ferry (£1), then the public bus or a shared taxi to Puerto Ayora (£2-4). Detour at the highlands: the Los Gemelos twin craters are on the main road, and a rancho (e.g. El Chato / Rancho Primicias) charges ~£3-5 entry to see giant tortoises in the wild and serves a set lunch (~£6-9). Continue to Puerto Ayora, check into a guesthouse (Hostal Gardner, Hostal España — dorm £12-18 / private £25-40), and walk the Charles Darwin Research Station (free) in the late afternoon to see the tortoise breeding programme.
🚌Flight to Baltra (~£230-320 return), free airport shuttle, public ferry across Itabaca Channel (~£1), public bus to Puerto Ayora (~£2-4)
🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz (£12-18 dorm)
- →Galapagos National Park fee & transit control card
- →Los Gemelos (twin craters)
- →Giant tortoise rancho visit with set lunch
- →Charles Darwin Research Station
- →Puerto Ayora waterfront & fish market (sea lions & pelicans)
Speedboat to Floreana — Post Office Bay & Devil's Crown
Isla Floreana, Galapagos
Early public speedboat from Puerto Ayora to Puerto Velasco Ibarra, Floreana (~2 hours, US$50-70 / £40-55 each way). On Floreana the classic southern-island sites are done by water taxi / shared panga with a resident guide (roughly £35-50 per person, arranged through your guesthouse): Post Office Bay, where you still drop a postcard in the historic barrel and hand-carry mail for other travellers; the bay's snorkelling with sea turtles and rays; Punta Cormorant, a wet landing with flamingos on the lagoon and a green-sand beach; and the dramatic Devil's Crown, a submerged volcanic cone with some of the best snorkelling on the archipelago (reef sharks, parrotfish). Sleep at a basic Floreana guesthouse (very limited stock — book ahead; £18-28) or, if fully booked, speedboat back to Santa Cruz the same evening and re-run tomorrow.
🚌Public speedboat Puerto Ayora ↔ Floreana (~£40-55 each way), local water taxi/panga for site landings
🛏Simple guesthouse on Floreana (£18-28) or return to Puerto Ayora hostel
- →Post Office Bay postcard barrel & walk
- →Post Office Bay snorkel
- →Punta Cormorant walk (wet landing)
- →Devil's Crown snorkelling
- →Floreana lagoon flamingos
To San Cristóbal via Santa Cruz
Isla San Cristóbal, Galapagos
Travel day between islands: if you stayed on Floreana, speedboat back to Puerto Ayora, then take the afternoon public speedboat to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristóbal (~2.5-3 hours, US$60-75 / £48-60). Check into a guesthouse near the malecón (Hostal Nathaly, Casa de Laura — dorm £10-16 / private £22-35). There is no public speedboat directly Floreana→San Cristóbal, so build in this transfer. Spend the late afternoon at Playa Mann or La Lobería swimming with sea lions for free, watching marine iguanas and frigatebirds, then dinner on the malecón of ceviche and encebollado (£5-9).
🚌Public speedboat Floreana → Santa Cruz (~£40-55), public speedboat Santa Cruz → San Cristóbal (~£48-60)
🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (£10-16 dorm)
- →Playa Mann sea-lion snorkelling
- →La Lobería walk & marine iguana spotting
- →Malecón evening & seafood dinner
Kicker Rock (León Dormido) & Cerro Brujo
Isla San Cristóbal, Galapagos
Join a shared day boat to Kicker Rock (León Dormido) — book locally or via GetYourGuide the day before, roughly £70-110 including gear, park-guide fee, snorkelling and lunch. You snorkel the channel around the volcanic tuff cone among Galapagos and hammerhead sharks, sea turtles and eagle rays, then continue to Cerro Brujo, a white-sand beach (used as the landing/dry walk in the original itinerary) where sea lions haul out and blue-footed boobies nest. Some operators also stop at Isla Lobos for more snorkelling. Back in port by mid-afternoon; you can self-book a cheap flight San Cristóbal (SCY) → Quito for the next morning or catch the same-day afternoon flight if timing allows and you've pre-booked.
🚌Shared Kicker Rock day boat (guide, gear & lunch included ~£70-110); optional early flight San Cristóbal → Quito (~£90-140)
🛏Guesthouse in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (£10-16 dorm) or night flight/Quito hostel
- →Kicker Rock / León Dormido snorkelling
- →Cerro Brujo beach walk & sea lions
- →Isla Lobos snorkel (if included)
- →Sea turtle & shark workshops with resident guide
Fly San Cristóbal → Quito & depart (or extend)
San Cristóbal → Quito, Ecuador
Fly from San Cristóbal (SCY) to Quito (UIO), typically routed via Guayaquil, roughly 3.5-5 hours total (~£90-140 if not already booked on the return). On arrival, take a taxi or the bus back into the city; store bags at your hostel if your onward flight is late. If you want more time, extend your Quito stay — a night in the Old Town hostel is £8-14 — and use the free day for the Teleférico cable car up Pichincha, a day trip to the Otavalo market, or Mitad del Mundo on the equator. Don't forget your last-minute Ecuadorian coffee and cacao shopping before heading to the airport.
🚌Flight San Cristóbal → Quito (~£90-140), taxi/bus into Quito city centre (~£6-9)
🛏Budget hostel in Quito Old Town (£8-14) if extending
- →Fly to Quito
- →Optional Quito extension: Teleférico cable car
- →Optional day trip: Otavalo market or Mitad del Mundo
Self-launched vs. Intrepid Travel
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Intrepid Travel | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£863 | £2,790 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,927 per person (69%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Intrepid Travel-style trips? Check them out here.~£863
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 Galapagos at a Glance: Southern Islands — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £863 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 Intrepid Travel?+
Yes — Intrepid Travel charges around £2,790 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £863 — a saving of roughly £1,927 (69%) 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 adventure, wildlife, beaches 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.