Ecuador Travel

Galapagos Travel by Cruise or Land Tour with hotel

By chance the low travel season for the Galapagos, matches the transition weather months in the islands. Based on arrivals and departures of foreigners, the low Galapagos travel season starts on May 1 and ends on June 14 and also runs from September 15 to October 31, Additional to that, due to the impact of the global crisis, from February to May the number of passengers has not increased due to the high price comparative with cheaper cruise destinations. This means that you can book a really good deal with excellent prices direct with Galapagos cruise operators.

Book in these seasons to increase your opportunity to enjoy the best Galapagos climate and the low season prices. Galapagos visitors on a budget (with the freedom of extra time) can get excellent deals that are offered by tour operators and/or Cruise operators with last-minute, discounted Galapagos tours during the low seasons.

During the high Galapagos travel season months, you won’t get a lot of Galapagos deals. Travel behavior is changing in the Northern Hemisphere. We strongly recommend that travelers book Galapagos summer travel in advance, no later than during February to May. This improves the visitor’s chances of finding spaces. Leaving planning a trip to the last minute means that travelers need to accept the risk that there will not be anything available, because the demand for cruises is so high. Attempting to book at the last minute will most likely result in waiting lists, and paying a rack price, draining the visitor’s budget significantly. Logically Galapagos Cruises and Galapagos land tours are more expensive in the high season.

Finally, if you are a novice naturalist, keep in mind that migration of bird and sea mammals
coincides with the changing seasons. If you are desperate to see the albatross or humpback whales, for example, plan to visit while these animals make their stops in the Galápagos (April-December for the albatross, June-September for the whales).

Those who choose to travel on a cruise are likely to visit more islands and sites than those who do not. Whereas Galapagos cruise tours almost always come as package deals with transportation, accommodation, meals and guides included, the case is not always the case for land-based tours.

Nearly all Galapagos cruise tours can be booked in advance over the internet. Here we have listed all the Galapagos Islands cruise tour operators that are registered and controlled by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism. It is possible to book through a travel agency on the internet or in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca. All of these companies are resellers of the main cruise companies and the only advantage of booking with them is that there is a chance of a 10 or 20% discount off the list price of a Galapagos cruise. Also, the Galapagos cruise operators can offer the same prices for the air ticket and extra benefits so if you do the math you realize that in the end you will pay the same price if you book with the Galapagos cruises direct operator or through an agency.

If organized tours aren’t your thing, you can also make arrangements to hop between island hotels and go on day excursions—hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, camping etc.—through smaller, locally-based tour agencies. Do know, however, that many of the best sites are only accessible to guided tours.

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