Treasures of Galapagos: Western & Central Islands (Grand Queen Beatriz)

Intrepid Travel · 13 days

4.9

5 Reviews

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Duration

13 days

Tour Type

Group Tour

Accommodations

Comfortable

Physical Rating

Average

Guide Language

English

Experience Overview

Embark on an immersive 13-day adventure cruise through the Galapagos Islands and experience the natural world, both on land and sea.

Highlights

Encounter nature at its finest as you follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin, spotting some of the strangest and most beautiful creatures on Earth in their natural habitats.
Watch Galapagos tortoises at all stages of life and development in breeding centres, then search for these ancient creatures in the wild highlands of Isla Santa Cruz.
Swim with the sea lions of the Galapagos – the puppies of the sea, these creatures are naturally friendly and inquisitive.
Hike, snorkel, sail and enjoy plenty of free time to unwind on the deck of your motor yacht, with a beer or wine in hand as you birdwatch.
Island-hop in the most comfortable way aboard the Grand Queen Beatriz – this is unlike other cruises, as this trip is built for small-group adventure!

Trip Details

Duration

13 days

Transportation

Minibus,Boat,Plane,Zodiac

Tour Type

Group Tour

Guide Language

English

Starts

Quito, Ecuador

Finishes

Quito, Ecuador

Accommodations

Comfortable

Travel Style

Physical Rating

Average

Itinerary

Day 1: Quito

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Ecuador. Your adventure begins in Quito – Ecuador’s sprawling capital city. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 5 or 6 pm tonight to meet your local leader and small group of fellow travellers. If you arrive early, maybe check out the city at your own pace – head to the Old Town and pick one (or more) of the 30 churches to explore. After your meeting, you’ll head to a small, local restaurant for dinner with your group. Take in the aromas and fresh flavours of the traditional Ecuadorian cuisine – think locroc (traditional potato soup) or quinoa, pork and vegetable dishes cooked with herbs, lemongrass and rich sauces, all sourced from local farms.

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 2: Isla Baltra/Punta Carrion

You have a very early start this morning (maybe as early as 4 am, depending on flight times) as you head into the Galapagos. Transfer to Mariscal Sucre International Airport (Quito Airport), with a boxed breakfast on the way. When you arrive, you’ll meet your naturalist guide in the arrival hall. Transfer a short distance away to Isla Baltra, where you’ll board your home for the adventure – M/Y Queen Beatriz. Once on board, settle in and then have lunch with your group. After, you’ll sail to Punta Carrion – on the eastern side of the Itabaca Channel that separates the islands of Baltra and Santa Cruz. This is a shallow and protected cove, ideal for your first snorkel and swim in the Galapagos! From the vantage point of your boat, wildlife is plentiful, so keep your eyes peeled for occasional sights of blue-footed boobies, Galapagos herons and great blue herons, while under the surface swim rays and white-tipped reef sharks. Tonight, you’ll have a welcome cocktail during the crew’s onboard presentation.

Included Activities:

Isla Santa Cruz - Punta Carrion - Snorkelling (1 hour)

Accommodation:

M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 3: Isla Isabela/Las Tintoreras/Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre

Wake up on the south Coast of Isla Isabela – the largest island of the Galapagos archipelago. Isabela was formed by five giant volcanic craters, all still considered active. The island is located in one of the youngest geological areas in the world, having been formed less than 1 million years ago and the southern coast has the largest area of beaches in the Galapagos. You’ll visit Las Tintoreras, heading to a viewing walkway where you can see a colony of white-tipped reef sharks swimming and sleeping. Take a long walk through lava flows and see the resident blue-footed boobies, penguins, marine iguanas and crabs. In the afternoon, take another walk through a coastal lagoon, where you might see some flamingos. This mangrove-lined path leads to Isabela’s Giant Tortoise Breeding Center (Arnoldo Tupiza) where you'll observe giant tortoises in all stages of development. You’ll then have the choice to go swimming at the beach or head out for some shopping in Puerto Villamil.

Included Activities:

Isla Isabela - Las Tintoreras visit (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing
Isla Isabela - Arnolda Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Center including Flamingo Lagoon (2 hours) - Dry Landing

Accommodation:

M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 4: Isla Floreana/Post Office Bay/Devil's Crown/Punta Cormorant

Isla Floreana is a highlight of any Galapagos cruise, rich in natural wonders and wildlife. Today you’ll take a panga ride around the bay to see marine iguanas, sea lions and crabs before taking a leisurely walk to Post Office Bay, where 18th century whalers used a barrel as an unofficial mail drop. This custom continues today with visitors to the Galapagos – post one of your own or see if there are any you could deliver back home! You’ll also have the chance to go snorkelling with sea turtles. Today you might also be lucky enough to see pink flamingos and other water birds wading in the lagoons, including pintails and stilts. Just offshore, the Devil’s Crown is an old eroded volcanic cone and a popular roosting site for seabirds like boobies, pelicans and frigates. Go snorkelling in the cone, full of sea lions and colourful fish, for maybe the best underwater experience of the adventure! Later, you’ll head to Punta Cormorant, where the sand is made up of olivine crystals (a glassy volcanic mineral), giving the beach an olive-green colour.

Included Activities:

Isla Floreana - Post Office Bay - Walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing
Isla Floreana - Punta Cormorant walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing
Isla Floreana - Devil's Crown snorkelling (1 hour)
Isla Floreana - Post Office Bay snorkelling (45 mins)

Accommodation:

M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 5: Isla Santa Cruz/Charles Darwin Station/Santa Cruz Highlands

Wake up in Isla Santa Cruz – the second-largest island in the Galapagos. The small town of Puerto Ayora is the economic centre of the archipelago, and home to the Charles Darwin Research Station – as well as undertaking vital conservation work, the station also makes for interesting exploration and offers an opportunity to see giant tortoises. You may also be able to observe the baby tortoises and land iguanas! After your visit, head up into the highlands for a change of scenery. Beginning at the coast, you'll travel across Santa Cruz through the agricultural region and into the misty forests. This is a lush, humid zone containing miconia bushes, scalesia and inactive volcanic cones. Santa Cruz has more endemic plants than any of the other islands and you’re likely to see Galapagos giant tortoises in their natural habitat, and maybe even the bright red feathers of a vermillion flycatcher!

Included Activities:

Isla Santa Cruz - Highlands Visit (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing
Isla Santa Cruz - Charles Darwin Research Station (1 hour) - Dry Landing

Accommodation:

M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 6: Isla Santa Fe/Isla Plaza Sur

Isla Santa Fe is home to many sea lions and is a fantastic place to go snorkelling. This morning, expect to see Galapagos hawks, land iguanas, a variety of finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, marine turtles, frigatebirds, Galapagos doves and lava lizards, too. After your snorkel, head out for a hike on a trail along the coast, heading into the opuntia forest. Walk under the largest trees in the Galapagos to a forest of prickly pears and look out for the unique sub-species of land iguana that live here. Later, sail to Plaza Sur, where you’ll get close to sea lions and follow a trail past one of the Galapagos’ largest land iguana populations. Walk through cacti and volcanic landscapes, coloured bright red and green by sesuvium. The island’s rugged southern cliffs are an excellent place to spot tropicbirds and swallow-tailed gulls, as well as the 'Gentlemen’s Club’ – a gathering of male sea lions.

Included Activities:

Isla Plaza Sur - Walk (2 hours) - Dry Landing
Isla Santa Fe - Panga ride (45 mins)
Isla Santa Fe - Walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing

Accommodation:

M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 7: Isla Espanola/Bahia Gardner/Punta Suarez

Wake up on the island of Espanola – the southernmost island of the Galapagos. Because of its remote location, this island has a large population of endemic fauna and is the breeding site for nearly all the 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses on Earth. Take a trail to where sea lions bathe and marine iguanas make their way towards the water, walking right through booby colonies. Then, visit Punta Suarez. Walk along a trail that takes you to a clifftop viewpoint, where you'll see the boobies line the rocky shoreline beneath, while frigate birds soar overhead. Nearby, male sea lions can be seen lounging. Watch the albatross use the cliffs as their ‘runway’, helped into the air by the southeast winds that blow across this part of the island. If you’re lucky, you’ll also see the elaborate courtship rituals before the female chooses her lifelong mate! End the day on a white sandy beach at Bahia Gardner. The rocks off the coast provide excellent snorkelling opportunities, with reef sharks, turtles, sea lions and many species of tropical fish – including surgeon and angelfish – often seen. White-tipped reef sharks are also commonly spotted resting under the rocks.

Included Activities:

Isla Espanola - Punta Suarez - Walk (3 hours) - Dry Landing
Isla Espanola - Bahia Gardener - Snorkel (1 hour)
Isla Espanola - Bahia Gardener - Walk (1 hours) - Wet Landing

Accommodation:

M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 8: Isla San Cristobal/Leon Dormido/Isla Lobos/Punta Pitt

Visit Punta Pitt on the eastern end of Isla San Cristobal this morning. Walk to the top of the volcanic hill for expansive views of the sparsely vegetated area. A variety of seabirds nest here, including blue-footed boobies and frigates. Then, sail to Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock) – the basalt remains of a crater in the middle of the sea, resembling a sleeping lion. The rock rises 150 m above the surface and is divided into two parts by a narrow channel. Although there are no landing areas, you’ll circumnavigation the Rock to see tropicbirds, marine iguanas and sea lions. Later, visit Isla Lobos – a tiny island off the coast of San Cristobal. This is the perfect time to watch as the sea lions play in the shallow waters. Blue-footed boobies, frigate birds and marine iguanas can also be seen.

Included Activities:

Isla San Cristobal - Punta Pitt - Walk (2 hours) - Wet Landing
Isla San Cristobal - Isla Lobos - Walk (1 hour) - Dry Landing
San Cristobal - Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock)

Accommodation:

M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 9: Isla San Cristobal

Visit San Cristobal Interpretation Center – this information hub brings the history and geography of the archipelago to life, from its volcanic origins to the present day. The human history exhibit offers an insight into the discovery and colonisation of the Galapagos, and the reality of the problems the islands face today. Then, you’ll have some free time for shopping before lunch with the new travellers joining you today. This afternoon, travel to the highlands site of Galapaguera of Cerro Colorado (Red Hill) by bus. This is where the national park has established a breeding program and information centre for tortoises. Here, you can see giant tortoises and learn all about their origin, evolution and their threatened future.

Included Activities:

Isla San Cristobal - Interpretation Center Visit (1 hour) - Dry Landing
Isla San Cristobal - Highlands Walk (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing

Accommodation:

M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 10: Bartolome/Bahia Sullivan

Bartolome is one of the most spectacular volcanic landscapes in the Galapagos, full of parasitic spatter cones, lava flows, Galapagos penguins and lava lizards. It’s a relatively new island in the archipelago and traces of its volcanic past can be seen everywhere across the lunar-like landscape. Visit Pinnacle Rock – one of the most photographed sites in the Galapagos, this abrupt jag of rock protrudes from the earth like a tooth, close to two golden bays that back onto each other. You can hike to the top of a once-active volcano here (360 wooden steps) for views across to Sullivan Bay, on nearby Santiago Island. If you’re in luck, you might catch a glance of the Galapagos hawk. You also have the option to go snorkelling with plenty of tropical fish, starfish, white-tipped reef sharks, rays and, hopefully, penguins. This afternoon, sail to Bahia Sullivan (also known as James Island). Walk on Pahoe-Hoe lava from an eruption that occurred in 1897 and listen as your guide explains the geological history of the islands. Look out for marine iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs, sea lions, finches, turtles, sharks and penguins.

Included Activities:

Isla Santiago - Sullivan Bay - Walk (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing
Isla Bartolome - Walk (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing
Isla Bartolome - Snorkelling (1.5 hours)
Isla Bartolome - Panga ride (30 mins)

Accommodation:

M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 11: Isla Santiago/Espumilla Beach/Buccaneer Cove/Puerto Egas

Espumilla Beach, on the northern coast of Isla Santiago, is an important nesting site for marine turtles. With large waves, it’s also often a favourite among beach lovers. Here, you might see Galapagos hawks up close as well as ghost crabs, blue-footed boobies (often plunging for fish) and brown pelicans. The area is also well known for its Palo Santo forest and lava formations. Visit Caleta Bucanero (Buccaneer Cove) – a natural monument of rocks caused by sea erosion. This cove was used by pirates to careen their ships and is a place of local legends and stories! It’s also where Darwin camped for nine days while making his study of the islands and their wildlife. If conditions are favourable, you can go snorkelling here. Later, sail to Puerto Egas – the black-sand beach on the west side of the bay near Sugarloaf Volcano. This site is named after Hector Egas who last attempted to mine salt here. The walk along the beach offers hundreds of marine iguanas and Galapagos sea lions. You’ll also see amazing tidal pools formed from ancient lava flow, home to sponges, snails, hermit crabs, barnacles and fish.

Included Activities:

Isla Santiago - Puerto Egas - Walk (1.45 hours) - Wet Landing
Isla Santiago - Puerto Egas - Snorkelling (1 hour)
Isla Sanitago - Espumilla Beach - Panga ride or Snorkelling (45 mins)
Isla Sanitago - Buccaneer's Cove - Panga Ride (45 mins)

Accommodation:

M/Y Grand Queen Beatriz (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 12: Isla Santa Cruz/Puerto Ayora

Flights to the mainland depart mid-morning, so an early start is necessary today to make the most of your last day on the islands. You’ll visit the Charles Darwin Research Station before heading to the airport for your flight back to Quito. Tonight, you may like to head out with your group for a farewell dinner and toast to an excellent adventure.

Included Activities:

Isla Santa Cruz - Charles Darwin Research Station (1 hour) - Dry Landing

Accommodation:

Hotel (Number of Nights: 1)

Day 13: Quito

There are no activities planned for today, and your adventure finishes after breakfast this morning. Of course, that doesn’t mean your adventure has to end! Why not stay on in Quito for a few days and discover the charms of the city. If you need help booking extra accommodation, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.

Exclusions

Flights to and from origin and destinations
Airport transfers (arrival and departure)
Anything else not explicitly listed in tour inclusions
Recommended gratuities/tipping
Optional activities/tours
Personal expenses
Travel insurance
Visas, meals and beverages not stated in the list of inclusions.

Important Information

Meals

When meals are not included, your tour leader (where available) will be happy to help with restaurant recommendations, bookings, and directions. Please let us know if you have any dietary needs or preferences. We willdo our best to accommodate these, though we cannot guarantee that every request can be met.

Luggage

You are responsible for your personal belongings throughout the tour. You will need to carry your own bags between the vehicle and your hotel room. Drivers will assist with loading and unloading luggage from the vehicle.

Mobility

Travellers requiring wheelchair access should contact our sales and service team, who can make enquiries on your behalf.

Fitness Level

This tour requires an Average level of fitness. Activities are paced gently and include leisure time. You may be expected to join guided walks of up to one hour, navigate short stairways and mild inclines, and manage your own luggage. You should also be able to board and exit all transport without assistance.

Travellers are expected to be self-sufficient and capable of handling all aspects of their journey. Please discuss your circumstances and support needs with your booking agent to confirm this trip is suitable.

If you are unsure, we recommend consulting your doctor before booking or travelling. (Note: I assume each tour has a different description depending on level of fitness required).

Sightseeing

If a planned site visit is unavailable due to changes in operating hours or holiday closures, the itinerary may be altered, or a comparable activity will be substituted where possible and subject to availability.

Visas

Visa conditions can change. Once you receive your travel documents, check with the relevant embassy, consulate, or immigration office of your destination for the latest information.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct and valid travel documents and to comply with all entry requirements.
Non-Australian citizens must also confirm visa and identification requirements with the appropriate consulate or visa agency.
Certain occupations (for example, journalists, government officials, or those working in charities) may face additional restrictions when applying for visas, which could affect the type of application required.

Departure Dates & Surcharges: See checkout for live dates and availability.

AUD $13,995

(Tour only)

Per Person Twin Share

Duration: 13 days

Trip Type: Group Tour

Activity Level: Average

Embark on an immersive 13-day adventure cruise through the Galapagos Islands and experience the natural world, both on land and sea.

Check Availability Brochure

Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 04 Oct 2025

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Customer Reviews

Overall Rating

Excellent

4.5

Guide

Excellent

4.5

Itinerary

Excellent

4.5

Accommodations

Excellent

4.5

Transportation

Excellent

4.5

Tour Operator

Excellent

4.5

Food

Excellent

4.5

5.0

Sara

Traveled, December 2023

01/03/2024

Brilliant itinerary, you get to see the best of the islands and appreciate the variety of wildlife. Roberto was an excellent guide, so knowledgeable- you really get to learn at lot of this trip. Maybe cliche, but it really is the trip of a lifetime.

4.5

Elizabeth

Traveled, November 2023

12/04/2023

These trips might be extremely expensive but it was well and truly worth every cent. Don't make the mistake of going for only a few days - having done a longer trip and stayed as people came and went on shorter trips we watched as they all missed out on so many things

Tour Operator

Intrepid Travel is a global adventure travel company, dedicated to providing sustainable, experience-rich travel opportunities. They’ve been the leader in ethical, small-group travel since 1989 - taking people around the world for more than 30 years. They’re the world’s largest travel B Corporation - dedicated to being the best travel company for the world. In 2002, they established The Intrepid Foundation so their travellers could make a lasting impact on the communities they had visited. Although Intrepid Travel absorbs all administrative costs of The Intrepid Foundation, they are separate legal entities, allowing The Intrepid Foundation to grow independently. Intrepid Travel is made up of a collection of tour operator brands and 28 destination management companies all united by one vision: To change the way we all see the world.

In Business Since 1989

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