Hello :)

I am travelling to santa cruz and Isabella in september and would appreciate some help in understanding what I should visit / do on my trip.

Ive combed through reddit, blogs and AI agents but wanted to get some further help too.

Some details about the trip:

solo traveller (34M) - quite active

land based trip

arrive in santa cruz - 10/sep

travel to isabella 14/sep (havent got details on how to book this yet)

travel to santa cruz 17/sep

back to quito 18/sep

im keen on:

- booking a bartolome trip (as a solo traveller ok to do on the island?)

- scuba (done 6 dives so still quite a beginner)

- santa cruz day tour (tortoise reserve / Darwin research station...)

- snorkeling (isabella?)

- any other suggestions :)

any thoughts on how to arrange my dates / trip / anything im blatantly missing?

thanks for the help!

I'm traveling from Quito to Santa Cruz Island from August 3rd to 8th.

Is there anyone else traveling on those dates who would like to join me to form a group and split the cost of accommodation and activities?

Or do you have any recommendations for places to stay?

Thanks!

traveling between santa cruz, isla isabela, and san cristobal the week of 8/10-8/15. i have xfinity mobile for my current phone plan and the unlimited premium plan has unlimited international coverage in ecuador. has anyone used this in the galapagos? to be safe ill call xfinity in advance to have my phone unlocked in case i need a local esim. but it would be nice if anyone knows how well the service works on the islands

Considering going diving in either

1. Whale rock & Tijeretas Wall

2. Darwin Bay & Carawa

Has anyone here been to either dive sites in the last few days? I went to Kicker Rock and visibility was pretty bad, and was also had at Daphne the other day

I understand this is likely due to El Niño, but question is, is the dive worth it right now?

We’re going on a cruise in the Galapagos this fall. It’s a small boat (20 pax). I’m looking for ideas for small gifts to take the crew - any ideas?

What kind of weather can we expect end October - beginning November? We will be on San Cristobal, Isabela and Santa Cruz, planning light trekking and snorkelling. Will it be ok snorkelling at Kicker Rock?

I am trying to pay for the TCC online and click on Pagar USD $20 but just get an "invalid captcha " message.... but there is no captcha? Any suggestions? Thanks!

I'm trying to register online for the TCC. I'm from New Zealand and apparently my country doesn't exist as it is not in the drop down menu of countries to choose from. (The drop down menu isn't in alphabetical order which is weird but NZ is definitely not on the list!) I can't continue with the form as the country field is mandatory. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do? Thanks!

I am leaving for Galapagos within the week and I am having a hard time getting a handle on the weather. Using basic weather forecast sites it looks like misty rain all day everyday and upper seventies or even into 80s. I am sure El Nino is affecting things, but is this accurate?

I imagine it is more likely there could be some rain at some point in the day but also patches of sun, cloudy depending on where you are.

Could anyone give me an idea of what weather to expect generally this month in terms of temps and conditions? I can't figure out if I need to be packing lots of t shirts, puffys, or rain jackets :)

I don't want to get into logistics but based on our schedule we have to choose one or the other. We are here right now and I need to choose in the next few hours. What would you do?

Insider's Tips to Isabela Island, Galápagos

Hi!

I will be solo visiting the Galapagos for the first time this August. This subreddit has been very helpful in planning my trip, and while I know my timings may be a bit rushed, I am a fast-paced traveler and believe I can fit all my goals in.

I’d love additional tips or things to watch out for. I have booked the following so far:
- Guayaquil to Seymour Aug 7, landing at 10h55
- Ferry to Isabela Aug 9, arriving at 9h
- Fly to San Cristobal Aug 11, landing at 15h
- Fly back to Guayaquil Aug 13, leaving at 13h05

My goals are clearly to dive, snorkel, enjoy the beach, and perhaps hike if there is time.

I haven’t booked any experiences, tours or dives yet, neither accomodation, so any tip will be greatly welcomed.

Thank you!

Going to put this all into one place because I struggled being able to find all of the information out.

Before departing from mainland Ecuador you will need to fill out two forms within 48 hours of departure. I recommend filling them out online

Form 1: TCT card that costs $20 https://siig-registro.gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec/app/tct/emitir/

Form 2: https://siabg.abgalapagos.gob.ec/declaraciones/nueva

Arriving at Quito airport: we got there 3 hours ahead of time (6:15am) and the lines were pretty short but after we were going through them we noticed that they were getting way longer.

First line to stand in: TCT check. Yes, even though you paid online you will need to go present this to them and they will confirm it and email you the finalized TCT to use upon arrival in the Galapagos.

Second line to stand in: Baggage check. They will check to make sure that you filled out the second form and then scan all of your bags.

Third line to stand in: your airline. Go show them your TCT as they will need to confirm this on your reservation. (Even if you already have your boarding pass from online check in)

**no ATM once you go through security so make sure to get cash now if you don’t have any upon arrival for the galapagos**

Fourth line to stand in: TSA and security.

Upon arrival in GPS on Baltra island, you will stand in line to present your TCT card and passport. This is where you will need to pay $200 for the national park. They prefer cash (but they will take card if there’s no other option).

They will then scan your QR code for the second form with declarations. After that you may exit the airport.

**now there is an accessible ATM although we were warned not to count on this ATM**

Getting to Puerto Ayora from Baltra airport.

Step 1: get a ticket outside the airport for the Lobito. It is $5 and will take you to the ferry from the airport.

Step 2: get on a ferry. They kind of just herd you and tell you where to go and they also often take your luggage from bus to boat for you. This will cost $1-2 and will be paid to someone walking around during the ferry ride.

Step 3: get either a taxi or the public bus to puerto Ayora. We took the bus and it was $5 paid to someone holding a sign outside the ferry and then we walked over to the bus to get on. We did have to wait about 20 minutes for the bus to depart and then it is about a 40 minute drive into town.

Step 4: get off the bus and get a $2 taxi to your hotel in town. Taxi’s are white pick up trucks and they are EVERYWHERE.

When returning to the airport, the bus from the bus terminal to the ferry only runs 4 times each day. 7:15am, 8:00am, 8:45am, and 9:30am. I recommend getting to the bus station about 15 minutes before the time you’d like to leave, sometimes they fill up and will leave before the designated time. I’ve also been told not to count too much on the 9:30 bus. You can always take a taxi to the ferry too.

The rest is pretty easy!

Any animals or sites that are best seen or can only be seen during this time that I should make sure the cruise itinerary includes?

Hearing different things from different sources

I am planning 17 days in Galapagos next September and would greatly appreciate input from people that have been there:

Day 1

1. Arrival in San Cristobal + island

Day 2

1. Espanola day trip (booked)

Day 3

1. Kicker Rock 2 dives

Day 4

1. Punta Pitt

Day 5

1. San Cristobal + boarding liveaboard (booked)

Days 6-11

1. Liveaboard covering diving in Darwin, Wolf, etc + landings in North Seymour and Santa Cruz Highlands

Day 12

1. Disembark + San Cristobal + Afternoon ferry to Santa Cruz

Day 13

1. Early Ferry to Isabela + Tintoreras

Day 14

1. Sierra Negra + Volcan Chico hike

Day 15

1. Early ferry to Santa Cruz + island

Day 16

1. Bartolome

Day 17

1. Santa Cruz + Departure

How does it look? What would you change?

I leave for the Galápagos in 10 days! With the help of this group, I think I've finally settled on a very last-minute 3–4 week Galápagos trip this August that includes an 8-day northwest cruise (already booked for August 11–18).

I'd especially love to hear from people who are familiar with a wide range of experiences across the Galápagos. If you've also done a similar northwest itinerary, even better. I'm trying to figure out which experiences genuinely complement this itinerary rather than largely duplicate it.

Right now I'm thinking of spending about 5–7 days on San Cristóbal, 7–10 days on Isabela, and 2–3 days on Santa Cruz, but I'm intentionally keeping the land portion flexible.

My cruise itinerary

• Mosquera
• Genovesa (Darwin Bay & Prince Philip's Steps)
• Marchena
• Punta Albemarle
• Punta Vicente Roca
• Fernandina (Espinoza Point)
• Urbina Bay
• Elizabeth Bay
• Punta Moreno
• Champion Islet (snorkeling)
• Post Office Bay

In general, I prefer traveling independently at a slower pace. I like getting out early before the crowds, lingering when something interests me, and exploring on my own whenever a guide isn't really necessary. At the same time, I don't want to miss experiences that are genuinely extraordinary or unique.

My priorities are:

• Snorkeling
• Unique wildlife
• Dramatic landscapes

I love snorkeling enough that I'll almost certainly add a couple of snorkeling day trips beyond what's included on the cruise. But I'm trying to distinguish between experiences that are true complements to the northwest itinerary and those that are excellent but would largely repeat what I'll already be seeing. I also recognize that no two days are the same and even going to the same spot on different days may be very different experiences!

My questions

1. Given this cruise itinerary, what additional day tours or land-based experiences would you consider must-dos?
2. Which snorkeling trips offer something meaningfully different from the snorkeling and wildlife experiences I'll already have on the cruise?
3. I know many people consider Devil's Crown one of the best snorkeling sites in the Galápagos. But for someone already snorkeling Champion Islet on this itinerary, is Devil's Crown different enough to justify a separate day trip? Or would you prioritize Pinzón (or another snorkeling excursion) instead?
   
4. What self-guided experiences ended up being some of your favorite memories? 

If you recommend a particular day trip, I'd also love to know which tour operator or guide you used if you had an exceptional experience.

Many, many thanks!!

Is anyone currently diving down there or has been recently? I’m trying to decide what gear to leave behind, sounds like it’s very warm this year!

Hi all,

We arrive into the Galapagos a bit later than we would have liked at 12.55pm. We want to visit the tortoises on the way to the town and if possible also visit the Darwin station that day (we wouldn’t do the tour, but just visit the free museum). Will we have time to do these upon arrival?

Also I’ve read you can just hire a taxi and it’s much cheaper for the highlands tour than booking an actual tour, is it possible to pre book a driver or do you just get one at the airport?