Galapagos on a Shoestring: Self-Launched Island Hopping

Fly into Quito and take the Aeroservicios airport bus or an authorised taxi (~$8–10) into the Centro Histórico. Settle into a hostel in the old town and spend the afternoon acclimatising to 2,850 m. Walk Calle La Ronda in the early evening for graffiti, balconies and street snacks, then loop past Parque de la Alameda and Plaza San Francisco. Entry to La Compañía de Jesús is about $4 if you want the gilded interior.

🚌Arrival transfer by airport bus ~£7

🛏Hostel dorm in Quito Centro Histórico (e.g. Community Hostel or similar) — ~£15

• →Calle La Ronda walk (free)
• →Plaza San Francisco (free)
• →Parque de la Alameda (free)
• →Optional: La Compañía de Jesús entry ~£3

Morning flight Quito to Baltra (about $450–520 return if booked as a round trip Quito–GPS–SCY–Quito; buy well in advance). Pay the Galapagos TCT transit card ($20) at the Quito airport and the national park entry ($200, cash USD) on arrival. Take the free airline shuttle to the Itabaca Channel, the public ferry across (~$1), then a $5 shared pickup to Puerto Ayora. Once checked in, grab a shared taxi or the 30-minute walk to the highlands for giant tortoise sightings at one of the roadside ranches or the El Chato reserve (~$5–10 entry), then walk the 2.5 km trail to Tortuga Bay in the late afternoon.

🚌Baltra ferry ~£1, shared pickup to Puerto Ayora ~£4, shared taxi highlands ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Puerto Ayora — ~£25

• →Highlands giant tortoise ranch ~£6
• →Tortuga Bay walk (free)
• →Optional kayak rental ~£40

Public speedboat Puerto Ayora to Puerto Villamil takes about 2–2.5 hours and costs roughly $30–35 one way; buy tickets the day before from the kiosks on the main street. Afternoon walking tour of Puerto Villamil: the Flamingo Lagoon on the edge of town is free, and the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre at the end of the boardwalk is free to enter. Sunbathe or swim at Playa Grande, then eat cheap at one of the family-run comedores.

🚌Public speedboat to Isabela ~£27

🛏Budget guesthouse in Puerto Villamil — ~£22

• →Flamingo Lagoon (free)
• →Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre (free)
• →Town walk (free)

Do the Sierra Negra hike independently but on a registered guide — national park rules require a guide on the trail. Book at the park office or any tour office in town the day before; the tour usually runs $40–55 and the 17 km round trip to the Volcán Chico crater field takes 6–7 hours on lava rock. Alternative half-day: take a boat to Las Tintoreras ($45–50) for penguins, whitetip sharks and sea lions. In the afternoon, walk to Concha y Perla and snorkel for free, or rent gear ($5) and a wetsuit ($15) in town.

🚌On foot / local boat

🛏Budget guesthouse in Puerto Villamil — ~£22

• →Sierra Negra guided day hike ~£35
• →Concha y Perla snorkelling (free)
• →Snorkel gear rental ~£4

Morning speedboat back to Puerto Ayora (~$30). Check into accommodation, then walk the 20 minutes along Avenida Charles Darwin to the Charles Darwin Research Station. Entry is free and the tortoise-breeding corrals and Lonesome George's enclosure take about an hour. Spend the afternoon at the Pelican Bay fish market watching sea lions and pelicans fight over scraps, or rent a bike and ride to Playa Ratonera. Note: Traveller Bay and other Santa Cruz beaches are free but beaches on the north of the island need boat access.

🚌Speedboat Isabela–Santa Cruz ~£27

🛏Hostel dorm in Puerto Ayora — ~£25

• →Charles Darwin Research Station (free)
• →Pelican Bay / fish market (free)

Early morning public speedboat Puerto Ayora to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (about 2–2.5 hours, $35–40). Pick up your island tickets from the office when you arrive. Afternoon: walk the promenade with its sea lion colony, visit the free Galapagos Interpretation Centre (45 minutes), then hike up to Cerro Tijeretas on the signed trail — about 20 minutes — and snorkel at the Darwin statue/Playa Mann for free with rented gear ($5).

🚌Speedboat Santa Cruz–San Cristóbal ~£30

🛏Budget guesthouse in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno — ~£20

• →Interpretation Centre (free)
• →Playa Mann walk (free)
• →Snorkel gear rental ~£4

Book the Kicker Rock snorkel day directly with one of the dive shops on the main street the day before — the day trip runs about $100–130 including guide, gear, lunch and the boat, versus the tour-operator markup. Usually a 7–8 am departure, snorkel through the channel with hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, rays and sea lions, and spot frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies. You're back around 2 pm. Evening options: walk to Frigate Bird Hill for sunset (free) or a cheap dinner of encebollado at the market.

🚌Boat trip included in activity cost

🛏Budget guesthouse in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno — ~£20

• →Kicker Rock snorkel day ~£85
• →Frigate Bird Hill sunset walk (free)

Short taxi to San Cristóbal airport (~$1–2) and fly back to Quito (plan a Quito–Baltras flight in and a San Cristóbal–Quito flight out so you don't need to backtrack). Afternoon free in Quito: riding the Teleférico cable car ($10) or visiting the Basílica del Voto Nacional ($5). Cheap eats in La Mariscal or a set almuerzo in the old town for $5–6.

🚌Taxi to airport ~£2, flight back to Quito (in round-trip total)

🛏Hostel dorm in Quito — ~£15

• →Optional Teleférico ~£8
• →Optional Basílica climb ~£4

Morning at the local Mercado Central for fruit and a plate of breakfast, or a last coffee in the Centro Histórico. Airport bus or taxi out for your flight. If you have a late flight, a half-day trip to the Papallacta hot springs (~$25 by local bus plus entry ~$9) is doable but tight — better to add an extra night rather than rush.

🚌Airport bus ~£7

🛏—

• →Mercado Central visit (free)