Sample plans for 5, 7 and 10 days
These plans are planning examples, not fixed packages. Each combines parts you can book separately: the ferries, a few day trips and the sights on land. The more islands you add, the more time goes into travel, so a longer trip adds islands rather than rushing the ones you already have.
On top of the trip you pay the national park fee of $200 per adult and the $20 transit card on arrival. Ferry fares are $50 to $65 per crossing as of 2026, and a crossing takes about 2 to 3 hours. Always leave a buffer around ferries and flights, because rough seas and delays happen.
Our picks: ready-made itineraries
Our take: five days add Isabela to Santa Cruz; four days suit a short trip on one island.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Five days on Isabela and Santa Cruz
- Baltra airport transfer
- Ferries between islands
- Four hotel nights
Four hotel nights, the ferries, a certified guide and set meals, with Tintoreras, Tortuga Bay and the Darwin Station; flights are extra.
Check availability →
Four days on Santa Cruz with full board
- Three hotel nights
- Full board
- Baltra transfers
Three nights in a hotel with a pool, full board, a naturalist guide and Las Grietas, the highlands and Tortuga Bay; flights and the national park fee are extra.
Check availability →Galápagos tours to build your itinerary
Day trips and boat tours from Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal and Isabela, with live prices and availability.
The three plans compared
How the number of islands changes the trip.
| Plan | Bases | Ferry crossings | Day trips to add |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days | Santa Cruz | None | One or two, such as North Seymour or Pinzón |
| 7 days | Santa Cruz, Isabela | Two, there and back | Tintoreras, Los Túneles, Sierra Negra |
| 10 days | Santa Cruz, Isabela, San Cristóbal | Three, with a change at Santa Cruz | Kicker Rock, Isla Lobos, Española |
For most first visits, the 7-day plan is a good balance: two islands, two contrasting landscapes and only one transfer day. Take 5 days if you have little time and 10 days if you want all three ports.
5 days on Santa Cruz
One base, no ferry.
Day 1: arrival
Fly to Baltra and move to Puerto Ayora. The airport bus to the Itabaca channel costs about $5, the crossing about $1 to $1.50, and the last leg by bus (about $2.50) or taxi (about $25) takes 45 to 60 minutes.
Getting there →Day 2: station and beach
The Charles Darwin Research Station exhibition is free and open from 08:00 to 18:00. Then walk to Tortuga Bay, about 2.5 km and 40 to 50 minutes, with registration at the entrance. Swim at Playa Mansa, not at Playa Brava.
Santa Cruz →Day 3: highlands
Visit El Chato for giant tortoises in the highlands, about $10 with a guide, and Los Gemelos, two collapsed volcanic chambers in the forest.
Day 4: an island day
North Seymour ($230 to $370) or Pinzón ($150 to $288), both by boat with a guide.
Day 5: departure
Return to Baltra with a buffer before your flight.
7 days with Santa Cruz and Isabela
Two bases and a ferry.
Days 1 to 3: Santa Cruz
Use the first part of the 5-day plan: the station, Tortuga Bay, the highlands and one island day.
Day 4: ferry to Isabela
Allow for 2 to 3 hours on the water at $50 to $65, plus time at the docks. Do not count on a tight connection.
Island hopping →Days 5 and 6: Isabela
Tintoreras ($60, 3 hours), Los Túneles ($140, 5 hours) and the Sierra Negra hike ($50, 5 hours, 15 km, starting at 07:00). Isabela also charges a municipal entry fee of about $10.
Isabela →Day 7: back to Baltra
The ferry to Santa Cruz and the transfer to the airport take most of the day. Do not book a flight home on the same day unless the timing leaves a wide buffer.
10 days with three islands
The longest land plan, with a travel day.
Days 1 to 3: Santa Cruz
As above, with the sights on land and one island day.
Days 4 to 6: Isabela
The volcano, Tintoreras and Los Túneles, as in the 7-day plan.
Day 7: Isabela to San Cristóbal
There is no direct regular speedboat. You change boats at Santa Cruz, so this is a full travel day.
Days 8 to 10: San Cristóbal
Kicker Rock snorkeling ($169, 6 to 7 hours), Isla Lobos ($138, 4 to 5 hours) and Española ($259, 8 to 9 hours). Albatrosses on Española are on land mostly from April to December. The airport is on San Cristóbal, so you can fly home from there if your ticket allows.
San Cristóbal →The boat alternative
The same time on a cruise.
A cruise replaces the changing of hotels with one boat. As of 2026 a 4-day cruise costs about $1,200 to $4,500 and an 8-day cruise about $4,200 to $6,700 per person, and programs go up to 15 days. Count the nights, because a 7-day plan is not automatically 7 nights. If you add diving, leave about 24 hours between repeated dives and a flight, and do not plan a dive tour and a flight on the same day.
If you also want the Ecuadorian rainforest, the Ecuadorian Amazon has its own guide, while this site stays with the islands.
Galápagos itinerary: frequently asked questions
How many days do I need in the Galápagos?
Five days on Santa Cruz is a workable minimum with a few day trips. Seven days lets you add Isabela, and ten days adds San Cristóbal. More days mean more islands, not a faster pace.
Should I choose a cruise or a land plan?
A cruise reaches more distant islands on a fixed program and sleeps you aboard. A land plan gives you free days and your own schedule, but not every cruise destination. Compare the cost of both in the sections above.
Can I see all three main islands in a week?
Not comfortably. Between Isabela and San Cristóbal you change boats at Santa Cruz, so that leg takes a full day. Two islands suit a week better.
How much time should I allow between a ferry and a flight?
Leave a wide buffer and avoid taking the ferry and the flight home on the same day. A ferry takes 2 to 3 hours, and rough seas or delays can add time.
Are these itineraries bookable packages?
No. They are sample plans made from parts you book yourself. Check availability and timetables for your dates before you rely on any of them.
Is galapagos-islands.org a tour operator or an official site?
No. This is an independent travel guide. It is not the website of the Galápagos National Park Directorate, the Government of Ecuador or any cruise line, and it is not connected to any tour operator or hotel.