Perfect 2-week Galápagos itinerary for first-timers
The Galápagos Islands were high on our bucket list, so we put a lot of time and effort into researching the ideal season, the islands and the best tours in the archipelago. We did not want to waste a single day of our 12-day visit. At the same time, we did not want to spend unnecessarily on tours that offer similar things to see over and over again.
So, we carefully crafted a superb itinerary that allowed us (and now you too) to see most of the archipelago’s highlights without breaking the bank!
This itinerary assumes that you travel the Galápagos independently, booking and planning your stays & tours on your own. If you book a full-service cruise, all this will be taken care of for you.
For more practical tips about planning your trip (choosing the best season, how to get around, entry requirements and information about daily life on the islands), check out our comprehensive Galápagos Travel Guide, which serves as a nice companion to this itinerary!
An important note on booking tours: you can book almost all excursions on site at local travel agencies too, often for a slightly lower price and with some room for negotiation. Tours are heavily regulated, the main difference is usually only in the comfort level of the boats used. However, the popular ones sell out quickly, which we also fell victim to once – sadly, we didn’t book the North Seymour tour in advance and every boat was fully booked by the time we arrived on Santa Cruz. If you want to be sure to get a spot on a specific tour, then we recommend booking it in advance. Therefore, we provided links to tour providers that offer advance booking online for the same tours we did and recommend.
4-5 days on San Cristóbal
You will fly to San Cristóbal, one of the two islands with direct flight connections to mainland Ecuador. If you haven’t booked your tours in advance, make sure to head to the port are where the travel agencies are located to book the excursions as soon as possible.
- 1 full day: book the popular 360° boat tour to see the highlights of the island. We had a very nice time with the local tour operator Galápagos Xcursion tour agency. You can also book through GetYourGuide in advance here.
- 1 full day: visit Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado (location) on the island to see Galápagos giant tortoises, and continue to Puerto Chino beach (location) to relax, swim with sea lions, and spot some Darwin’s finches. This is also a great spot to surf, where sea lions might even join you riding the waves! The best way to visit these sites is to hire a taxi – either ask at your accommodation or flag one down on the street and negotiate the price.
- 1 full day: Española Island boat tour to hike through volcanic landscapes, see endemic seabirds and colourful marine life. You can book the tour in advance here (Viator).
- Optional for divers: 1 full day dive at Kicker Rock. This world-famous dive site offers incredible marine life and chances to spot hammerhead sharks.
The rest of your time can be allocated to checking out the following areas (half-day each):
- Playa Mann: relax and swim with sea lions at this beach close to the city centre, easily reached on foot. Location
- Playa Tijeretas: chances to spot marine iguanas swimming and diving underwater! Location
Where to eat
Make sure to try the local seafood and get an introduction to Ecuadorian cuisine. We had a nice ceviche at El Cangrejo Loco (Location) and a traditional tigrillo for breakfast at Restaurante “Las Acacias” (Location). Also keep an eye out for the Endémica local craft beer that you can only get on the Galápagos Islands.
Where to stay on San Cristóbal
- Irlanda Hospedaje ($): a nice and affordable family-run accommodation in a quiet area, a 10-minute walk from the port.
- Islas Galapagos ($): another affordable option a little closer to restaurants and the town centre.
- Galapagos Eco Friendly ($$): a colourfully decorated hotel with an outdoor hot tub to relax after your excursions.
- Casa Opuntia ($$): a hotel with pool and great views close to Playa de Oro.
- Casa Blanca ($$): beloved art-themed hotel in great location with restaurant.
- Hotel Indigo Galapagos by IHG ($$$): one of the nicest and most upscale hotels on the island if you want to treat yourself.
If you want to find out more about San Cristóbal, take a look at our dedicated article here!
Next stop: Santa Cruz. Take the afternoon ferry at 3 pm. Make sure to book it a couple of days in advance at one of the local tour offices. You can check the current schedule here.
5-6 days on Santa Cruz
- 1 full day: Bartolomé Island tour, one of the most popular tours on the Galápagos Islands due to the breathtaking landscapes. This tour sells out fast, so you can book it in advance through Viator here if you wish.
- 1 full day: North Seymour Island tour, especially popular with bird enthusiasts. Book the tour in advance here (Viator). If this tour is too expensive for you, another great alternative is the Plaza Island tour. You will walk through beautiful landscapes, spot many birds and land iguanas, and swim in crystal-clear waters to spot sharks, sea lions, turtles and more. The tour can be booked through Viator here.
- Half day: catch a taxi to visit El Chato Ranch (location) to see some of the biggest Galápagos tortoises up close ($10 entry that includes a guided tour and boots for the muddy terrain). It’s an ideal activity before catching the afternoon ferry to Isabela Island.
- Optional: 1 full day: Pinzón snorkelling tour, often praised by travellers as their favourite tour, as it brings you to great spots to snorkel with sharks, turtles, sea lions, rays and, if you are lucky, even penguins. You can book the tour online in advance here (Viator).
- Optional for divers: a full-day dive at Gordon Rocks.
The rest of your time can be allocated to checking out the following areas, depending on your interests (half-day each):
- Tortuga Bay Beach: a sandy beach where you can spot marine iguanas, pelicans and other birds. It can be reached on foot from the town centre in about 25 minutes, the path leading through an interesting, dense, bushy landscape. Make sure to walk all the way to the small bay on the far side of the beach too. Location
- Charles Darwin Research Station: also not too far from the centre, the station houses multiple exhibitions about the Galápagos flora and fauna. Location
- Twin Craters: a circular hiking trail that leads visitors along the rims of the craters and treats with amazing views of the dense forest area. Location
As Santa Cruz is the most populous and also the most frequented island by tourists, we found that it has the best souvenir shops with the best variety of items. So it’s the perfect spot to pick up some unique Galápagos trinkets – one of our favourite shops was Patas Azules (location on Google Maps), with high-quality clothing made in Ecuador.
Where to eat
Restaurants are abundant around Charles Darwin Avenue near the port. We ventured a bit farther from the touristy bustle and really liked Kyu FastFood, a small restaurant serving delicious burgers for just $7-$10 (location). For a quick breakfast, Panadería La Canasta is a great local bakery (location)!
There is also a fun brewpub, Santa Cruz Brewery, serving locally brewed craft beer and burgers. Location
Where to stay on Santa Cruz
- Hospedaje Germania ($): simple but affordable rooms, also great for larger groups. We stayed here and the owner was very kind – he even took us on land excursions for a friendly price.
- Flightless Cormorant ($): a newer hotel located right on Charles Darwin Avenue, where the action happens.
- Hostal Sir Francis Drake ($): a good budget-friendly option, especially for families or bigger groups.
- Zurisadai ($$): a more upscale option in a quiet area. A really good choice with a nice pool to wind down after a long tour.
- Semilla Verde Boutique Hotel ($$): This is one of the highest rated hotels on the islands where you might even encounter giant tortoises wandering the grounds!
- Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel ($$$): A luxurious beach front hotel with a spa and restaurant that can be accessed by water taxi.
If you want to read more details about Santa Cruz, make sure to check out our dedicated article here!
Next stop: Isabela. Take the afternoon ferry at 3 pm. Just like with the previous ferry, make sure to book this one a couple of days in advance at one of the local tour offices too. You can check the current schedule here.
3-4 days on Isabela Island
There is a $10 per person entrance fee to Isabela Island that needs to be paid in cash upon arrival.
- 1 full day: Los Túneles boat tour. This was our favourite tour on the islands! Do not miss the breathtaking volcanic landscapes and incredible marine life. You can book with one of the local tour operators on the island, or online in advance here (Viator).
- Half day: spot flamingos at Poza de los Flamingos (location) and relax & take a walk at Puerto Villamil Beach (location).
- Half day: snorkel at Concha de Perla (Pearl Shell), with good chances of spotting sea lions, turtles, colourful fish and marine iguanas. Location
- Optional: half-day boat tour to Tintoreras Island. The highlight of the tour is your chance to see penguins – make sure to ask around beforehand whether anyone has spotted them in the previous days. You can book tickets online in advance here (Viator).
- Optional: half-day hike to the Wall of Tears: a stone wall built by prisoners of the local penal colony between 1946 and 1959 as punishment. You can reach the wall after a 6 km hike from the town centre.
Where to eat
We found many restaurants to be simply closed during low season. Nevertheless, we discovered great food around Mercado Municipal, a local market with multiple restaurants, bakeries and people selling fresh produce. Location
For a proper restaurant experience, check out Albita Grill, specialising in grilled meat and seafood. Location
Where to stay on Isabela
- Hospedaje Jennifer ($): this is the hotel where we stayed. The building seemed quite new, modern and very clean, with spacious rooms.
- Paraiso de Isabela ($): a simple but more budget-conscious option, also with complimentary breakfast in a great location.
- Hotel Sula Sula ($$): a modern hotel offering complimentary breakfast. The location is just a block away from the local market in the town centre.
- Campo Duro Ecolodge ($$): a family-owned eco-lodge and campsite located directly in the lush greenery of Isabela.
- Scalesia Lodge ($$$): you can book through their website here. It’s a luxurious retreat resembling a resort-style hotel. One of only two accommodations in the forest.
Take a look at our dedicated article about the quiet island of Isabela here for more details!
Take the afternoon ferry back to Santa Cruz, as there is no airport on Isabela with direct connections to the mainland. You need to allocate enough time to get to the airport, which is actually located on Baltra Island, just off the northern tip of Santa Cruz. It will take at least one hour to reach the airport terminal: you need to take a taxi or a shuttle bus to the port, then take the airport ferry, then a shuttle bus again to the terminal.
Floreana
While we did not visit Floreana Island this time around, it is nevertheless a popular destination, especially for returning visitors. It is the smallest of the inhabited islands and hosts incredible wildlife – you can spot flamingos, Galápagos mockingbirds and hawks, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, red-billed tropicbirds, lava herons and Darwin’s finches.
There are some great snorkelling spots near the island too, such as Devil’s Crown, with chances of spotting reef sharks, Galápagos sea lions and, with some luck, even penguins.
You can get to the island from Santa Cruz; the ferry ride takes round 2 hours and costs $40 per person each way.
Our Cost Breakdown
As always, how much you spend will entirely depend on your travel style. Nevertheless, we share our breakdown based on our 12-day visit, so that you get a rough idea of the costs and prices.
Total cost per day per person: $120 (excluding flights)
Total cost for 12 days for two people: $2.840 (excluding flights)
Breakdown
| Category | Total spending for 2 people in USD | Breakdown per person per day in USD |
|---|---|---|
| Activities 4 boat tours, 1 diving tour, 2 tours on land | $1.382 | $58 |
| Food shopping Water, snacks, pastries, etc | $81 | $3 |
| Restaurant typically only dinner; lunch included on whole-day tours | $213 | $9 |
| Transportation incl. ferries and taxies, excl. flights | $237 | $10 |
| Galápagos conservation fees Entry to the archipelago, entry to Isabela | $420 | $18 |
| Hotels 11 nights | $450 | $20 |
| Other Souvenirs, medicine, necessities | $57 | $2 |
| Sum | $2.840 | $120 |
For more practical tips about preparing your trip to the archipelago, check out our comprehensive Galápagos Travel Guide!
In the detailed article, we discuss entry requirements, how to choose the best season, what items to pack, how transportation works, and things to consider regarding safety.
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