How to Travel The Galapagos Islands on a Budget

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The Galapagos Archipelago, also known as Darwin’s living laboratory, is home to an abundance of wildlife, both on land and underwater.

Thanks to their isolation from the mainland for millions of years, animals here evolved into their own species to come with their unique environment.

Galapagos has been one of the highlights of my round the world trip, and it is a place I would return every time I have the chance. These volcanic islands, while they are at the top of many bucket lists, they have the fame of being extremely expensive.

Many people see them as a dream destination, far away from reality, but the truth is that these islands can be visited on a budget and many backpackers like me visit them too.

Tortuga Bay in Santa Cruz

Here I want to share with you everything I know about traveling Galapagos with a small budget.

How to Get to the Galapagos Islands Cheaply

The best way to get to Galapagos is by flying from mainland Ecuador – from either Quito or Guayaquil, with the latter often being cheaper. Check LATAM Airlines and TAME as they often have cheap flights, going for as low as $250 round-trip.

Normal airfares range from $300 to $500 round-trip (I paid $324 with LAN from Guayaquil). I would recommend following LATAM Airlines’ newsletter for deals, as they often offer discounted airfares throughout all of South America.

I also recommend using WayAway to find these cheap flights to the Galapagos (either from Ecuador or your home country).

Not only WayAway offers cheap flights on their search engine, but if you’re part of their WayAway Plus membership, they also offer cashback on your bookings for flights, hotels, car rentals, tours, and more.

This cashback is sent to you via PayPal, ranging from 3% to 10% of your bookings. When you do the math, you can easily save hundreds of dollars on your trip. Additionally, they offer premium support to help you navigate your questions and plan your trip to the Galapagos.

Now, regarding the flight schedule to the Galapagos, there are several flights a day arriving both at San Cristobal Island and Baltra Island. The airport in Baltra is the one that will connect you to Santa Cruz Island, which is the most developed island in all Galapagos.

In Santa Cruz, you’ll find Puerto Ayora, which is the most populated town, and while it is big and most things happen there, it is still quite small in comparison to mainland cities. It is also the main port from where most cruises and day tours depart.

Puerto Ayora

San Cristobal Island, on the other hand, is less developed than Santa Cruz, yet it is the capital of the Galapagos and another departure point for cruises – located in the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

When flying to Galapagos, make sure to know from which island your cruise is departing – should you choose that option.

Entry Requirements to the Galápagos Islands

All national or foreign tourists must show the following documents prior to entering the province of Galapagos:

1. A Return airline ticket or bus ticket proving you’re departing Ecuador. (it is preferred you have a return ticket departing the Galápagos Islands)
2. Reservation in a hotel or cruise tour that matches the dates of your return airline ticket. If you’re only showing a bus ticket departing Ecuador, then you must also show a hotel reservation for any additional days in Ecuador until your bus departure. OR…
3. A letter of invitation to enter as a guest of a permanent or temporary resident in the Galapagos Islands for no more than 60 days per year (a limit outlined in the Special Law for Galapagos). The letter must come from the resident – not from the visitor.
4. A Transit Control Card (TCC), also known in Spanish as TCT Galapagos (“tarjeta de control de transito”). The TCC is issued by the Galapagos Governing Council and can be acquired at their INGALA booth at the airports in Quito or Guayaquil with your valid plane ticket to the Galapagos Islands. The current fee is $20, payable only in cash. Please make sure that the bills are not torn. At the end of your trip, you must turn in your TCC. If you’ve pre-booked your flights to Galapagos with your Galapagos cruise, it’s possible your tour company pre-booked the TCC too. Check with them.
5. Upon arriving in Galapagos, you will pay a $100 National Park entrance fee, payable only in cash. Again, please make sure that the bills are brand new, crisp, and not torn. This fee is to maintain the national park, help local communities, and support projects focusing on education, environment, health, and more.
6. Once in the Galapagos, your passport will be checked, as well as your luggage for organic goods (to avoid biohazards or infestations caused by fruit flies, bacteria, or similar). It is important you keep the receipt of the entrance fee, as you may need to show it before you go on board the ship.

For How Long Should You Stay in the Galápagos Islands?

It all depends on what you’re interested in doing and how much you want to see. But, in my opinion, you shouldn’t be there for less than five full days (not including travel days). I would suggest more like seven or eight full days.

Cruises range from 4-days, 5-days, 8-days, and more. But a thing you must know is that a 4-day cruise only has two full days in other islands because the 4-days includes the departure and arrival days too. So, I don’t recommend doing 4/5-days cruise.

Target for an 8-days tour (or longer) to enjoy a bigger variety of islands and some less visited, more pristine ones.

A giant tortoise in Santa Cruz Island.

When is the Best Time to Visit Galapagos Islands?

December to May – Warm and Semi-rainy Season (THE OPTIMAL SEASON)

The best time of the year to visit the Galápagos Islands is from December to May.

While the Galápagos is gorgeous year-round, these months offer the best temperature, ranging from the mid-70s to mid-80s Fahrenheit (23 to 30 Celsius).

It’s normal to have frequent yet short showers during these months, but still, the weather is perfect for hiking and wildlife spotting since the sun is out most days.

April and May are the best months to see the blooming wildflowers and enjoy the beautiful spring weather.

Ironically, while this is one of the best seasons to visit the Galapagos, it is one of the lowest, tourism wise. You could take advantage of last-minute discounts.

June to November – Cooler and Dry Season

The months of June and November offer cooler temperatures thanks to the Humboldt Current, a current that runs north-westward along South America’s west coast.

But, with that current also comes the nutrient-rich water that attracts rare fish and birds.

The average temperature ranges in the low to high 70s Fahrenheit (21 to 26 Celsius)

This means you’ll be able to spot albatrosses and penguins during this time of year. On the other hand, it is common to have longer rain showers and stronger winds, resulting in rougher seas.

The months of July to September have choppier waters, with September being the roughest.

Best Months to see Wildlife in the Galapagos

If you’re really into penguins, nesting takes place between May and January, so make sure to visit during those months.

While you can see sea lions year-round, if you want to see baby sea lions you must go between August and January. This is the period when most of them are born.

The pups stay with their mothers for up to three years, so it’s common seeing a mother with two pups at the same time.

The mating season for most land birds, sea lions, and sea turtles happens between December and May. You’ll notice a lot of newborn wildlife around March and April, with the sea lions extending to August forward.

Between June to November, you’ll see Blue-Footed Boobies and Frigate Birds getting busy with their excentric courtship displays and nesting.

Best time to go diving in the Galapagos Islands

For diving, you can do it year-round too, but what you see will vary depending on the season.

While January to May falls within the rainy season, this season has the calmest weather and seas. This is also the best time to see Hammerhead sharks and Manta Rays. The water temperature is usually between 68 to 77 Fahrenheit (20-25 Celsius).

On the other hand, July to December -the dry season, also known as “garua”- sees less rain but offers cooler water temperatures between 62 to 68 Fahrenheit (17-20 Celsius).

Visibility is usually poorer due to the increased nutrients in the water, but it’s usually a 50 feet+ visibility (15+ meters).

The months of June to November are the peak season to see the Whale Sharks.

When to Avoid visiting the Galapagos Islands

As I mentioned, you can go year-round and will have an amazing time there, having said that, there’s the peak tourism season and key dates you should skip if you want to avoid the crowds.

July to August are the peak tourism months in the Galapagos, as they coincide with the US’ school vacation. Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter are also peak dates in the Galapagos.

If you’re looking to visit during those months, I highly recommend booking everything at least 4 to 6 months in advance.

Now, you must know that the government limits the number of travelers permitted on the islands at any given time, so keep that in mind and book things ahead of time, even if you’re visiting outside the peak season.

We visited during May, which was perfect for us and without a lot of people.

Galapagos on a Budget: What Are The Cheapest Ways To Travel Galapagos?

Here I’ll go from the cheapest to the most expensive, but at the same time these go from the “most restricted” to the “most varied.”

Volunteering in the Galapagos

You can volunteer in Galapagos! If you’re looking to spend a decent time on the islands and help with conservation efforts, then this might be a good opportunity to be there without necessarily spending a lot of money.

Some programs might include your room and board while others might not. You must check directly with each program to see what they offer and for how much.

It will be expected of you to work a few hours a day, but then you’ll have some time off to explore around. Of course, this means that you will spend most of your time on one island and only visit the other islands when you have a day or two off.

You can check the Galapagos Conservancy site and Go Overseas to search for current and recommended volunteering programs.

While this can be the cheapest way possible, the price range can go from almost nothing (if you couchsurf or find a cheap program) to a couple of thousand dollars.

Full DIY (Do It Yourself) Trip

A full DIY trip is the cheapest way most tourists do Galapagos. I recommend you don’t book your accommodation in advance unless you feel like you must do it or are going to the peak of high season or holidays (like Christmas or Easter week).

We arrived in Puerto Ayora with no accommodation booked and simply walked a few streets to scout for options.

I recommend walking along Av. Charles Darwin, Thomas de Berlanga Street, and Isla Plaza Street, which were the ones where I saw most budget accommodation options.

We found several that ranged from $20 a night per person with A/C to $10 a night per person with a fan. This is cheap for Galapagos, but if you book online, you’ll find nothing lower than $25 per person.

Still, whether you book walk-in or online, I recommend at least checking and reading the reviews on Booking’s list of best-value hotels in Puerto Ayora.

Among the most popular hotels and hostels I can recommend are:

In addition to these previously mentioned Puerto Ayora hotels, I also recommend checking Booking.com’s best-value hotels in San Cristobal, Isabela, and Floreana.

While it is possible to find cheap accommodation, know that prices can go up to $500+ per room if you want to go fancy.

When searching around (both in person and online), make sure the room includes a fan or a/c and hot water in the price, as some of them don’t include hot water for the most budget rooms.

The same applies to San Cristobal, Isabela, and Floreana, which are the other three islands you can visit when you go full DIY. You can take speedboats between these islands, with Santa Cruz being the central connecting island.

The cost is $30 each way and the journey takes from two to three hours depending on the island, and sea conditions.

Usually, there are two scheduled speedboats to each island, with one in the morning around 7:00 am and one in the afternoon around 2:00 pm.

Eating Cheap in the Galapagos

Most sites say that you’re not allowed to take produce and fresh food into Galapagos. That’s not true for the most part.

There are certain restrictions on which kind of food you can bring, but, in general, you’re able to take most fruits, snacks, and other foods listed on this page.

Pay attention to the green list, which includes the items allowed into Galapagos. The yellow list is restricted, which means you can take them, as long as they comply with certain regulations. The red list is simply forbidden.

Chilling with my sea lion mate. He says he’s not food.

Dining out can be a bit expensive, but you can still find decently cheap eats at street markets and local restaurants.

In Santa Cruz, the street called Bordados El Alquimista is full of street-side restaurants with meals starting at $5.

I ate there a few times, and it was not only cheap but also delicious and they served good portions. Other restaurants might range from $10-$25 a meal.

There’s a supermarket by the port, and while it has moderate prices, it is not cheaper than bringing food from mainland Ecuador. Only buy there what you can’t bring yourself.

Doing Free or Very Cheap Stuff!

Contrary to popular belief, there is a lot of free and cheap stuff to do in Galapagos. Many of these can be reached walking, so your total cost will be $0 while others will require a taxi or ferry ride, but these are not too expensive.

Some activities, though, will require you to either hire a guide or pay for a tour, since they are located in protected areas. But, in some cases, guides can be avoided if you ask for permission in the national parks office on the island.

Las Grietas

Budget and Free Activities for your DIY Trip to the Galapagos

Santa Cruz Island

• Charles Darwin Station: Located a short hike from Puerto Ayora, it has a turtle breeding area and interesting information about the conservation of the unique biosphere of the Galapagos. Free.
• Tortuga Bay:

  You can enjoy a 2.5 kilometers long trail from Puerto Ayora to reach this beautiful beach. There are two beaches in Tortuga Bay. One is Playa Brava, which is beautiful to see but not good for swimming due to the strong current; and the other is Playa Mansa, which is calm and perfect for snorkeling with small white tip sharks, as well as spotting a few marine turtles, pelicans, marine iguanas, and Blue Heron. It is open from 6:00 am to 6:30 pm. Free.

• German Beach:

  A very small mangrove beach good for snorkeling or just lying in the sand. Take a water taxi ($0.80) from Puerto Ayora to cross the docks (just a 2 minutes ride). It will leave you at the trail entrance that leads to the beach and Las Grietas.

• Las Grietas:

  A very cool natural swimming pool in a canyon. People used to jump from the top of the walls into the deep water, but it is no longer allowed. BUT, if you swim far from the guards, you might “get away with it.” Or if you show up around 9:00 am, before the guards arrive, you might be able to jump from near the entrance (where people used to do it). Of course, do it with caution. Free.

• Lava Tunnels:

  There are several lava tunnels that you can visit. The longest (up to 3 kilometers) are located on private property off farms near Bellavista or Santa Rosa. It cost $5 to visit. There is a small one about 2.5 kilometers out of Puerto Ayora on the road to Baltra, which can be visited for free.

• Los Gemelos:

  These are two sunken volcanic craters located in a cloud forest. Should you not want to stop there, you can still see them briefly from the car/bus window on the way to/from the airport as they are close to the road. Free.

• El Chato Tortoise Reserve:

  This reserve area has a few gigantic tortoises in the wild, unlike the ones at the Charles Darwin Center, which are enclosed. You can get up close to the giant tortoises and even try out wearing a tortoise shell! There’s a $3 entrance fee.

• Garrapatero Beach:

  A 35-minute drive from Puerto Ayora, then a 20-minute trail leads to this beach consisting of black lava, white sand, and a turquoise sea. Very good for swimming and snorkeling. There you can see blue-footed boobies, pelicans, crabs, and marine iguanas, as well as Bahama ducks and pink flamingos in the small lagoon and mangroves behind the beach. Camping is possible with a pre-arranged permit from the National Park office in Puerto Ayora.

From Puerto Ayora, you can hire a taxi for $30 to $45 to take you to El Chato, Los Gemelos, and the Lava Tunnels. Same applies to Garrapatero Beach, but there you must arrange a price and return pickup time.

Isabela Island

• Concha de Perla: This is a natural pool good for snorkeling with manta rays, sea turtles, and playing with sea lions. You can even see penguins!
• Las Tintoreras:

  Las Tintoreras is a lagoon where white tip sharks come to rest. They can be seen from the trail, but it’s not allowed to go snorkeling in the lagoon. However, the snorkeling at the beach behind is excellent, and eagle rays and sea turtles can be seen here. It has also been declared part of the national park, so you need a guided tour to get there.

• Volcan Sierra Negra and Volcan Chico:

  Sierra Negra is one of five volcanoes on the island. It has the second largest crater in the world, and, when the weather is clear, the views of the crater rim are impressive. Tours can be arranged in Puerto Villamil for $75+ or if you want to camp or go without a guide, ask for permission at the park office in Puerto Villamil first.

• Los Tuneles:

  These are canals in the lava rocks with bridges and caves. Several big turtles, rays, and fish can be seen swimming in the canals and pools filled with seawater. Tours usually cost $70+ and include snorkeling at a similar nearby site where seahorses and sharks can be seen.

• Laguna Salinas:

  A pristine spot where you can view wildlife, including flamingos.

• Wall of Tears:

  A historical site created by prisoners who were forced to build this wall from 1945-1959. Thousands died during its construction, and their ghosts supposedly haunt the site.

• National Park Tortoise Reserve:

  Here, you’ll be able to see a species of tortoise that isn’t found anywhere else in the world.

San Cristobal Island

• Interpretation Center: An informational museum on the history and ecology of the Galapagos.
• Las Tijeretas:

  Located close to the Interpretation Center, it has an excellent lookout point at the top of the mountain and a cove below with great snorkeling spots to see turtles, sea lions, and various birds.

• Jacinto Gordillo Breeding Center of Giant Tortoises:

  A similar center to the Charles Darwin Center located in Santa Cruz.

• Playa Mann:

  One of the most popular beaches due to its central location and calm waters. There are many playful sea lions here.

• La Loberia:

  Located about a 30-minute walk from town, this beach has one of the largest colonies of sea lions in the Galapagos.

• El Junco:

  A freshwater lake inside an active volcano. You can hike around the rim of the volcano and explore some of the forest trails. A guide is required to visit it.

• Puerto Chino:

  A white sand beach with calm, clear waters and a lot of wildlife surrounded by unique rock formations. From the top of the big, black volcanic rock formation you’ll get aerial views of the clear water and marine life.

Floreana Island

There are barely 125 inhabitants in Floreana, so the highlight there is to feel surrounded by nature. As in the other islands, there are great hikes, excellent wildlife spotting, and unique flora.

But, also, Floreana counts with a rich history. Post Office Bay is a great example.

The post office barrel you see there today has been in use since 1793; originally by whalers, now by tourists. Tourists leave a handful of postcards and in turn, they collect postcards left by others to be delivered in person (not mailed!).

Travelers often pick postcards from people living in their city or cities they will visit during their trip.

TripAdvisor has a more extensive list of things you can do on all islands, both free and paid.

A full DIY can cost you from $35 to $70 per day on average depending on how many activities you do, but as you saw, there are many budget-friendly options on each island.

One of the lava tunnelsTrying a new “turtle suit” while visiting El Chato in Santa Cruz.

DIY with Day Tours in the Galapagos

This is the way I did it since I wanted to visit some islands I couldn’t do on my own. While this type of trip allows you to go to more islands, you still cannot visit the islands further from Santa Cruz, due to the lack of time to tour them in a day.

If you’re going during the low season, you can play it by ear and wait to get to Galapagos to book your day tours. Bargain with the tour operators, especially if you’re doing more than one tour. This is what I did.

Day tour prices range from $80 (if you’re excellent at bargaining) to $200+.

The only time I’d advise to book online is if you’re going during high season (mid-June to early-September and mid-December to mid-January) since the number of tours running is limited to minimize the potential damage to the ecosystem (more on that below).

In that case, I’d recommend checking Viator, which has a few day and multi-day tours available, but yes, they are slightly more expensive than if you bargain in person.

Why would you pay for a day tour?

As beautiful as Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana, and Isabela are, there are other islands that are even more beautiful or that provide other snorkeling/diving and wildlife spotting opportunities.

The unique marine iguana of the Galapagos.

I enjoyed my day tour to Bartolome, which has an iconic view that represents the volcanic nature of the Galapagos. It is not great for wildlife, but it is quite nice for snorkeling and diving.

I also visited North Seymour to see the Blue Footed Boobies, Frigate Birds, and other animals found there.

This tour, though, I wouldn’t recommend unless you want to see big colonies of such animals. I believe the price ($150+) is not worth it (unless you’re a naturalist).

A Blue Footed Booby with its little egg!

Other Islands you can visit with day tours are Isabela, Floreana, Santa Fe, Pinzon, and San Cristobal.

In my opinion, it is not worth doing day tours to the islands you can visit on your own since they are best experienced by staying there at least a day or two.

How Day Tours Work?

Something you must take into account when planning your trip is that companies have a restricted schedule.

The National Park allows only a limited number of visitors per island, so each tour company can visit X or Y island a few days a week. So, if one company is not going to Bartolome today, another one will.

Additionally, tours are strict on what you’re allowed to do according to the permits they got from the National Park. If it is a land tour (land permit), you’re not allowed to touch the water, and vice versa with a water permit.

For example, during my diving tours, we were not allowed to stand even on the rocks by the shore of one of the islands. And on my North Seymour tour, we were not allowed to swim in the water since we were walking on the island to spot the birds.

A snorkeling tour by the beach, of course, allows you to walk on the beach and surrounding areas.

Based on personal experience, if you want to go to Bartolome, book it first thing after you arrive, as this tour is very popular and fills up quickly (sometimes days in advance).

The “it” view of Galapagos as seen from the top of Bartolome Island.

A DIY with Day Tours kind of trip will cost you around $115 to $200 per day on average, depending on how many tours you do. I averaged $122.42 per day, including two dive tours and two land tours.

Best Tours in the Galapagos Islands

The following are some of the best Galapagos tours I did and I highly recommend doing if you’re booking things ahead:

There are a few budget multi-day tours available that while I didn’t do myself, seem to have pretty good reviews. These are some good options to see the Galapagos on a budget without having to plan everything yourself:

Don’t miss the diving tours…

Diving was the highlight of my trip to Galapagos. I did two dives in Gordon Rocks and two dives in Floreana. It is said that Gordon Rocks is one of the best, if not the best, dive you can do as a day trip.

There are better dives in Galapagos, of course, but these can only be reached with liveaboard cruises (which are awfully expensive).

On Gordon Rocks, you can see loads of marine life including marine turtles, manta rays, whitetip sharks, hammerhead sharks, and more. Close to it, you can also snorkel with sea lions (my favorite part of this particular dive trip).

In Floreana, I saw similar wildlife, except for the hammerhead sharks, and had a marvelous time diving with several playful sea lions.

Dive trips go for an average of $150 for two dives, and in the case of Gordon’s Rock, you must be an experienced diver (20+ dives) due to the strong currents there.

I did my dives with Albatros Tours, and I highly recommend them. Another company that I was recommended was Scuba Iguana.

The Gordon Rocks dive was one of my favorites and one that I highly recommend.

A Hammerhead Shark seen in Gordon Rocks.Diving in Gordon Rocks

Last-Minute Cruises in the Galapagos Islands

Cruises fall on the higher end of the cost scale, but should you do your proper research and outreach, you might find affordable last-minute cruises worth doing.

Cruises are also the best way to reach those further islands day-trippers can’t visit and to see some of the most beautiful and untouched sceneries in Galapagos.

Expedia has a really good selection of last-minute Galapagos cruises.

I originally intended to see Galapagos by cruise, but after contacting a few agencies, the itineraries I got did not fully fit my interest in places I wanted to see.

Still, I got some pretty good quotes from them. Also, cruises don’t include diving in their activities though they do a lot of snorkeling.

The friendliest sea lions you can ever encounter.

Through emails and calls, I managed to find 4-day cruises from $730, 5-day from $780, and 8-day from $1,300. These prices didn’t include the airfare nor the park’s entrance fee.

It is said that you can find the best last-minute deals between a month and three weeks before your departure date, so have that in mind when searching for deals.

If you’re flexible on time, it is recommended just to arrive in Puerto Ayora and search there for a cruise, as it will be much cheaper. I did my “test search” and I didn’t find them much cheaper than from what I found through emails and phone calls.

Relaxing on a day tour

These are the companies I called and emailed:

There’s also Galapagos Cruise Links, which is a site where you can contact the cruise owners directly, not an intermediary tour company. You can bargain with them for lower than what you see on the site. This site is a hit-n-miss depending on how willing the cruise owner is to discuss prices.

Also, Viator has a few last-minute cruises listed on their site. They may not be the cheapest, but they aren’t that expensive either.

Keep in mind that not all cruises are the same, and service varies depending on the category – from budget to luxury.

There are also other criteria you must have in mind when choosing a cruise, so to better understand them, check out the “Get Around” section of this Wikivoyage page.

Lastly, should you not want to fuss too much with planning and figuring things out with transport and cruises, then I highly recommend checking the excellent cruise tours offered by G Adventures and Intrepid Travel.

I’ve traveled with both companies several times (not to Galapagos, though), and both have an outstanding reputation all around the world and some of the best tours you can ask for.

A Few Extra Things You Must Know

• There’s a park entrance fee of $100 charged right at the airport in Galapagos.
• There’s an additional $20 “transit control” fee charged before checking in your flight in Guayaquil or Quito.
• Smoking is technically not allowed in the islands (since they are all a national park) though some people do discretely.
• It’s not possible to buy a one-way ticket without proof of transportation from the islands. While this is true, I spoke with travelers who managed to fly into Galapagos with only a one-way ticket (but maybe they were lucky). Buy a round-trip, and should you want to extend your time there, it is easy (and free if the price is the same) to change the date of your return ticket or to switch your departure to another island. This is true only if you bought your tickets directly at LATAM.com

  or

  Tame.com.ec

  (and not through an aggregator site like expedia.com and such).

Pink Flamingos!

Phew, this was a long post, but I shared here all my knowledge about Galapagos. And hey, it’s a once in a lifetime experience, so I want you to enjoy it just as much as I did!

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