If you are booking your Galapagos flights separately from a tour and need to travel on specific dates, then it is usually a good idea to make reservations well in advance since flights often fill up with cruise passengers. Last minute spots sometimes open up on the day prior to or on the day of a flight, as tour agencies release unsold seats, but this requires that you have more flexibility in your travel plans.

Since all passengers to the Galapagos must undergo a specialized check-in and baggage revision procedure, it is advised that you arrive to the airport at least two hours ahead of time to avoid problems and delays.

Island hopping as a way of travelling in the Galapagos is really easy. The price for flights between islands is almost 50 USD for one way trip or 100 USD return. The most efficient route is to fly between Baltra airport and Isabella airport near Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, and from Baltra to San Cristobal. Flights between Isabela and San Cristobal are also available.

• BALTRA (headquarters)- ISABELA 12:30 PM
• ISABELA - BALTRA 8:30 AM
• CRISTOBAL - ISABELA 7:30 AM
• ISABELA - CRISTOBAL 1:30 PM
• BALTRA - CRISTOBAL 11:00 AM
• CRISTOBAL - BALTRA 7:30 AM

Baggage restrictions on flights are: Max. 20 pounds (9 Kgs) per person, each extra Kg US. 1,00 / overweight under request / It's forbidden to transport flammable products./ (1kg = 2,2 pounds)

Contact EMETEBE at

• San Cristobal Island,Airport San Cristobal. Pto Baquerizo Moreno. Telephone 593 5 2520615.
• Isabela. Av. Antonio Gil, in front to National Police, Franciscan Missions. Telefono 593 5-2529255.
• Santa Cruz. Av. Charles Darwin, Alongside Peninsular Building . Pto Ayora. Phone 593 5-2526177
• Baltra, Baltra Airport. Phone 593 5-251193

The trips around and between Galapagos Islands are almost always done on cruises or yachts which are authorized and registered as tour operators with the Ecuador Ministry of Tourism and the Galapagos National Park administration.

Galapagos cruises take around five to seven or more days to travel around the different islands visiting a variety of interesting points and partaking in some fun activities. The budget for a Galapagos trip ranges from nearly 1000 Usd to almost 3000 Usd per passenger depending on the Galapagos cruise quality, trip length and itinerary.

The best option is to get your Galapagos Cruise directly. This guarantees that what you purchase is what you get. Sometimes tour operators have been known to oversell cruises and when the visitor arrives, they shift the vessel, causing inconveniences for the travellers. Check out our Galapagos cruises directory or search, because we list all the boats registered and operating legally in the Galapagos National Park and Ecuador Ministry of Tourism.

Back to "Galapagos Air Flights and Transportation, part 1"

Galapagos Air flights

Whether you plan to take a cruise or explore the islands on your own, an important part of planning any trip to the Galapagos Islands is arranging transportation. The Galapagos islands may be reached by flights leaving mainland Ecuador out of the Quito and Guayaquil. All flights depart Quito and make a stopover in Guayaquil before heading to one of two airports on the islands: Baltra or San Cristobal. There are currently three airlines with service to the islands, Tame, Aerogal and LAN. And all of their flights to the islands depart the mainland during the morning. The flight from Quito to Guayaquil takes approximately 40 minutes, while the flight from Guayaquil to the Galapagos is roughly two hours. It is important to note that there is a time difference of one hour between mainland Ecuador (GMT -5 hours) and the Galapagos (GMT -6 hours), meaning that the Galapagos are an hour ahead.

Prices for flights to the Galapagos are fixed and depend on the flight route and the season (high/low). It is important to remember that in addition to the cost of flights, all non-Ecuadorian visitors to the islands will need to pay $10 for an INGALA transit card in the airport and $100 National Park entrance fee upon arrival to the island. A flight discount – low season ticket prices during the high season – is available for travelers under age 25 with an international student ID card.

GALAPAGOS FLIGHT PRICES

(subject to change without notice)

Generally when you book on a Galapagos cruise, seats on the appropriate flights are booked automatically by the travel agency (which blocks seats for its passengers). This always happens if your flight is included in the price, meaning that you don’t need to worry about making separate flight reservations. However, since prices are fixed, flights dates and routes can be changed, availability depending, without incurring any penalties. This is especially useful should you decide you want to stay on the Galapagos islands a few days extra following a Galapagos cruise.

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