Galapagos Cruises

Our handpicked selection of the best yachts and itineraries created especially for you.

Galapagos Cruises

A Galapagos cruise offers one of the most outstanding wildlife experiences on Earth. Taking you to the most remote and pristine parts of the Galapagos archipelago, our hand-picked selection of the best naturalist led Galapagos cruises allow you to experience the very best wildlife and scenery that Galapagos has to offer.

Tailor-made Holidays created just for you with all the support and guidance you need

Book with confidence, expert advice and support for you throughout your trip

Responsible Travel, better trips for you, better for wildlife, better for local communities

ATOL Protected
Give Rachel a Call

Company founder and Galapagos expert, Rachel is on hand to help you plan your trip of a lifetime!

01482 887 453

Rachel

GALAPAGOS CRUISES

Our hand-picked selection of the very best Galapagos yachts and catamarans with top guides and exceptional wildlife encounters.

Why choose us?

We listen to you. We take the time to understand what you want your Galapagos trip of a lifetime to be. We then we use our decades of experience and unrivalled network of local contacts and team of top guides to make it happen.

ATOL Protected

Guest Reviews

Beyond what could be expected or described!
Micale Gillson
Read More
The ship was lovely, comfortable, luxurious, the food was amazing, the crew was courteous, attentive, competent, with obvious logistical expertise, and Jorge was mind-blowingly knowledgeable. Add the real reason we were there--to see the islands and all they offer--was beyond what could be expected or described.
Our best holiday
Louise Inward and Henry Tennant
Read More
Thanks for arranging our Ecuador and Galapagos trip. We absolutely loved it. Can’t speak highly enough of your service or the Galapagos. In fact we loved it so much I have described it as our best holiday - and we travel a lot!
Beyond our wildest expectations
Maureen and Robert Macpherson
Read More
We had an absolute ball, falling into our bunks by 9pm each night, exhausted but elated. The crew and naturalists were tireless in their efforts to ensure we had a great time and the wildlife viewings and close encounters were beyond our wildest expectations.
Too many highlights to mention
Judith and Michael Chalmers
Read More
So many memories and so many photos! There were too many highlights to mention but swimming with sea lions and turtles and getting so close to all the wildlife on the Galapagos are worth a special mention.
Experience of a lifetime
Emma & Paul Forster
Read More
The boat was the best bit for both of us - we were blown away by how nice it was, our guide (we had a guy called Carlos) was brilliant - he pitched the talks and hikes just right and we saw some amazing things… an experience of a lifetime!
One of the best trips we've done
Kennan Gillson
Read More
We loved the Galaxy Yacht, the food, the quality of service, and the amount of activity v. downtime. Our naturalist guide was incredibly knowledgeable and we appreciated that he ate dinners with us and was generally around and eager to mingle with the group. 10/10 recommend this trip.
Previous
Next

When is the best time to cruise in Galapagos?

Although the weather and temperatures in Galapagos don’t vary hugely, the islands do have two distinct seasons. These seasons are determined by the ocean currents around the Galapagos, principally the cool north-flowing Humbolt and the west-flowing Peruvian Ocean Currents both of which originate in Antartica.

Generally December to April are the warmest months with daily highs of between 26°C–31 °C (79°F –87°F) and the coolest from May through November with daily highs of between 24°C–26 °C (76°F –79°F) with August and September the coolest.

The islands only receive around 25 cm (10 inches) of rain per year, so it is rarely ‘rainy’ although you can expect some rain year round in the highlands of some of the islands.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Daily High
ºC (ºF)
29 (85)
29 (85)
31 (87)
31 (87)
27 (81)
26 (79)
25 (77)
24 (76)
24 (76)
25 (77)
26 (78)
26 (78)
Daily Low
ºC (ºF)
22 (71.6)
24 (76)
24 (76)
24 (76)
22 (71.6)
21 (69.8)
20 (68)
19 (66.2)
19 (66.2)
20 (68)
21 (69.8)
22 (71.6)
Sea Temp
ºC (ºF)
24 (75.2)
25 (77)
25 (77)
25 (77)
24 (75.2)
23 (73.4)
22 (71.6)
21 (69.8)
22 (71.6)
22 (71.6)
23 (73.4)
23 (73.4)
Rainfall
mm (inch)
68.6 (2.7)
91.4 (3.6)
94 (3.7)
71.1 (2.8)
33 (1.3)
22.9 (0.90)
15.2 (0.60)
5.1 (0.20)
5.1 (0.20)
5.1 (0.20)
7.6 (0.30)
30.5 (1.20)

The temperature of the air and water in Galapagos varies depending on the strength of the trade winds. December through March, the winds are at their weakest and the cooling currents subside and temperatures rise. The waters are warmest during this period (65-80F). In April, the trend begins towards stronger winds and cooler air and water temperatures with the strongest trade winds and coolest temperatures usually being in late September. In October the trend reverses and so the cycle begins again with the occasional appearance of the El Nino and La Nina phenomena.

The larger islands with volcanic peaks have a dramatic range of climactic zones (Isabela, Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana). Whilst the coastal areas are arid, and covered with plants adapted to desert conditions with very infrequent rain, the highland parts of these Islands receive moisture almost year-round in the form of garua (thick fog, mist or drizzle), which supports a lush forest area where all of the giant tortoises live.

tg blue banner

Galapagos Cruise Tour Ideas

These trips are purely for inspiration. Every Galapagos holiday we create at Think Galapagos is unique and tailored to match your interests, timescale and budget.

Request a video chat

Want to chat through your plans face to face? Fill in our form and request a video chat and we’ll be in touch with the details.

Galapagos Cruise Travel Guide

Be it a birding holiday, a multi-generational family holiday, a honeymoon or a special birthday trip we will use our decades of experience living and working in Ecuador and Galapagos, and unrivalled network of local contacts to create an exceptional holiday for you.

Each of the Galapagos cruises that we work with has been handpicked for their individual qualities – with top class naturalist guides, itineraries which include a great selection of the very best Galapagos Islands, professional friendly crews, good quality local operations with comfortable cabins and private bathrooms.

All are small yachts, for up to a maximum of 20 guests, which is the best way for you to experience the Galapagos Islands. Sailing gently between the islands, they bring you closer to nature, providing a much more authentic and intimate experience.

The best way to start planning your Galapagos cruise is to give us a call or contact us by email. We are always genuinely delighted to answer any questions and help get you started planning your trip. But in case it is helpful, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about travel to the Galapagos Islands.

IS A CRUISE THE BEST WAY TO SEE GALAPAGOS?

A resounding yes! A cruise is the ultimate way to experience Galapagos. Cruising mostly at night between the islands Galapagos cruises ensure you maximise your wildlife viewing during the day and take you to the best and most pristine islands in the archipelago.

The next decision is which Galapagos cruise is the right one. There is a huge amount of choice out there and it can be quite overwhelming. Some Galapagos cruises are very slick at marketing (though not always so good at delivering!), other Galapagos cruises don’t have such slick marketing, but are exceptionally good and conservation minded locally run operations that offer outstanding wildlife experiences.

HOW DO I CHOOSE THE BEST GALAPAGOS CRUISE?

Just looking online it is often hard to decipher what actually is the best option for you. This is where Think Galapagos can help. Decades of living and working in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands means using our local knowledge we have handpicked the very best Galapagos cruises across a range of budgets.

All our cruises are on small yachts, for 20 guests or less, they work with very good Galapagos National Park guides, have very good itineraries offering a fantastic mix of Galapagos wildlife and scenery and are locally owned operations where possible. We listen to what you want out of your Galapagos tour and then advise on which Galapagos cruises will be best for what you are looking for and find who has spaces around the time you want to travel.

WHICH GALAPAGOS CRUISE ITINERARY IS BEST?

There is no right answer to this question. Both the Eastern and Western parts of Galapagos are equally wonderful in their own way. Usually it comes down to personal preference as to which itinerary appeals most to you or if you have any particular wildlife you want to see one itinerary maybe better for you than another. Again we can help give advice on which itineraries will best suit what you are looking for in your Galapagos trip.

HOW DO I GET TO THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS?

The Galapagos Islands lie 600 miles (1000 km) off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. Every Galapagos holiday starts and ends in mainland Ecuador. There are no direct international flights to Galapagos, so you need to take a domestic flight either from Quito, Ecuador’s capital city nestled high in the Andes, or Guayaquil, Ecuador’s steamy commercial capital on its coastal planes. There are now several flights each day to Galapagos which take around two and a half hours.

Galapagos has two airports that receive flights from mainland Ecuador, either Baltra islet which is close to Santa Cruz Island in the centre of the archipelago or San Cristobal in the Eastern part of the Galapagos. Once you arrive here and have passed through the Galapagos National Park controls and collected your luggage, your guide and the crew from your cruise will be there to greet you and take you to your yacht, and your Galapagos adventure will begin!

Pre-Trip Information

This downloadable pre-trip information document will help you plan for your Galapagos wildlife holiday as well as answering some key questions you may have. Despite being quite long it is by no means exhaustive, so please do get in touch with any questions you may have and we would be delighted to help.