Transport

Le Grande Daphne is a motor yacht. She has a comfortable lounge and dining area, as well as a sun deck where you can view the wildlife or just kick back and relax. She has eight well-appointed, air-conditioned cabins each with en-suites. Cabins: 4x lower deck twin cabins 1x lower deck double cabin 1x main deck double suite 2x upper deck twin/double cabins Zodiacs (locally known as pangas) are modest-sized, open, outboard-powered boats which are very common throughout Galapagos. The boats are used to get you to and from the Daphne when you do activities. Depending on the type of activity, this could either be a wet or dry landing. The boat crew are there to assist you getting into and out of the zodiac. Boat , Plane , Bus , Zodiac (Panga)

Accommodation

Le Grande Daphne features en suite cabins all with air conditioning and a safety box. The airconditioning is a centrally controlled system for the lower deck cabins and the upper deck cabins have individually controlled systems. The upper deck cabins have large windows and the lower deck cabins have portholes. Due to the lower deck cabins being close to the water, the portholes cannot be opened. There are 4 lower deck twin cabins, 1 lower deck double cabin, 1 main deck double suite cabin and 2 upper deck twin/double cabins. Please note that single passengers cannot be booked/confirmed in the double cabin unless a single supplement is paid. Hotel (2 nights), Overnight boat (7 nights)

Others

Isla Santa Cruz - Bachas Beach Walk (1 hour) - Wet Landing Isla Santa Cruz - Bachas Beach Snorkel (1 hour) - Wet Landing Isla Rabida - Walk and Snorkel from the beach (2 hours) - Wet Landing Isla Isabela - Punta Albermarle - Snorkelling (1 hour)- Dry Landing Isla isabela - Punta Albermarle - Walk (2 hours) - Dry Landing Isla Isabela - Tagus Cove - Walk (1.45 hours) - Dry Landing Isla Isabela - Tagus Cove - Snorkel (1 hour) Isla Isabela - Urbina Bay - Snorkel (1 hour) Isla Isabela - Urbina Bay - Walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing Isla Fernandina - Punta Vicente Roca Snorkelling (1 hour) Dry Landing Isla Fernandina - Punta Vicente Roca - Panga Ray boat tour (30 mins) Isla Fernandina - Punta Espinosa - Snorkel (1 hour) Isla Fernandina - Punta Espinosa - Walk (2 hours) - Dry Landing Isla Santiago - Puerto Egas - Snorkelling (1 hour) Isla Santiago - Puerto Egas - Walk (1.45 hours) - Wet Landing Isla Santiago - Caleta Buccanero - Panga boat tour (1 hour) Isla Santiago - Caleta Buccanero - Snorkelling (1 hour) Isla Bartolome - Snorkelling (1.5 hours) Isla Bartolome - Walk (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing Isla Sombrero Chino - Snorkelling (1.5 hours) Wet Landing Isla Sombrero chino - Walk (1.5 hours) Wet Landing Isla North Seymour - Snorkelling (1 hours) Isla North Seymour - Walk (2 hours) - Dry Landing Isla Santa Cruz - Charles Darwin Research Station (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing Isla Santa Cruz - Highlands Visit (1 hour) - Dry Landing

Guide

Our local representative will meet you in the evening of day 1 of the trip and conduct the group briefing. They will then also transfer with you to the airport on day 2 for your flight to the Galapagos. On arrival in the Galapagos you will be met your Guide. Our Guides are registered and trained in conservation and natural sciences by the Charles Darwin Foundation and licensed by the Galapagos National Park Service. The Guide will be on board with you for the duration of the trip and will accompany you on all excursions. Our boats are also staffed by highly experienced shipboard staff and crew.

Meals

9 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 8 dinners

Not included:

Insurance

Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered. If you require travel insurance, TourRadar has partnered up with World Nomads to provide a hassle-free experience. More information can be found here (https://www.tourradar.com/travel-insurance).

Others

Other activities and services not included

Optional

Other activities and services not included

Flights

International flights not included.

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Quito
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Quito

Bienvenidos! Welcome to Ecuador. This country might be smaller than its heavyweight South American neighbours, but it stakes a legitimate claim as the continent’s most complete package, blessed with interesting cities, perfect beaches and the remarkable Galapagos Islands. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 5 pm or 6 pm tonight. You can arrive at any time during the day as there are no activities planned until this important meeting. If you can’t arrange a flight that will have you arrive at the hotel by early evening, you may wish to arrive a day early so you’re able to attend. We’ll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). After your welcome meeting, head out with your local leader and fellow travellers for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Try some traditional flavours and get to know you group as you settle into the coming adventure. If you arrive early, get out and explore Quito (2,850 m), one of South America’s most attractive cities. Stroll around the Old Town and be sure to visit the majestic Monastery of San Francisco if you have time. Alternatively, check out Cotopaxi volcano, the Cloud Forest, the local hot springs or the Equatorial Monument.
Day 2 Day 2: Quito - Isla Baltra - Las Bachas (Isla Santa Cruz)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Quito - Isla Baltra - Las Bachas (Isla Santa Cruz)

Transfer to Quito Airport for your early morning flight to the Galapagos Islands. Keep in mind that you may leave the hotel as early as 4:30 am (a boxed breakfast will be provided), as the airport is a one-hour drive away and you must allow for delays and check-in times. (Your tour leader will confirm this time with you at the Welcome Meeting on Day 1). When you arrive, you’ll be met in the arrivals hall by your naturalist guide and transferred to your boat, M/Y Le Grande Daphne, which will be moored close to Isla Baltra. Once on board, you’ll meet the crew, be assigned a cabin and enjoy a delicious lunch with your fellow travellers. Try on the snorkelling gear to ensure it fits, before your first snorkelling session. Wetsuits can also be hired at an additional cost. Sail from Baltra to Las Bachas, on the north shore of Isla Santa Cruz, which is a nesting site for the Pacific green turtle. You may also see some marine iguanas. The sand here, made of decomposed coral, is particularly white and soft, and the nearby rocks make for an excellent snorkelling spot, where you might see some of the many Sally Lightfoot crabs on the island. A saltwater lagoon just near the beach is home to flamingos, whimbrel and great blue herons.
Day 3 Day 3: Isla Rabida - Punta Albermarle (Isla Isabela)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Isla Rabida - Punta Albermarle (Isla Isabela)

Today you will sail from Las Bachas to Isla Rabida, known for its spectacular red sand beaches, caused by the high content of iron in the sand which rusts to form the unusual shade. Follow a trail from the shore along to a lagoon which is one of the best spots in the Galapagos to view flamingos. Keep an eye out for nesting pelicans, pintail ducks, marine iguanas and sea lions – all are commonly sighted on the island. Check out a vast opuntia cactus forest, hinting at the previous habitation of land iguanas, Galapagos hawks, mockingbirds, doves, finches and lava lizards. You may like to take the chance to go snorkelling and seek out sea stars, damsels, gobbies and surgeon fish. In the afternoon, head to Albemarle on the northeast side of Isabela Island. Covered in mangroves, the bay is home to sea turtles, sea lions, penguins and flightless cormorants who feed on the algae and fish here. Another fantastic location for snorkeling, you may like to have a look beneath the water’s surface in search of sea turtles and flightless cormorants.
Day 4 Day 4: Tagus Cove (Isla Isabela) - Bahia Urbina (Isla Isabela)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Tagus Cove (Isla Isabela) - Bahia Urbina (Isla Isabela)

Sail overnight from Punta Albermarle around to the western shores of Isla Isabela. Wake up near Tagus Cove, where pirates and whalers used to collect tortoises for their travels. Enjoy a short visit here (approximately 2 hours), perhaps snorkelling or checking out the graffiti on the walls (the oldest of which is from 1836). Witness flightless cormorants, blue-footed boobies, a variety of waterfowl and the most northerly penguins in the world. You will walk to a lookout point for a stunning view of the north of Isabela Island and Volcan Wolf (Wolf Volcano). Today you will also visit Bahia Urbina on the west of Isabela Island, Urbina Bay has a wide variety of plant life which changes depending on the season. You will be able to observe the beautiful color of the plants which attracts many different insects. The site also features a short trek inland, where giant tortoises can be spotted amongst the bushes in their natural habitat. You may also see land iguanas which often nest in the middle of the trail where their distinctive, textured and yellowish skin can be observed from up close. Flycatchers, Darwin’s finches and mockingbirds are common on the ground and in the trees.
Day 5 Day 5: Punta Espinosa (Isla Fernandina) - Punta Vicente Roca (Isla Isabela)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Punta Espinosa (Isla Fernandina) - Punta Vicente Roca (Isla Isabela)

Today we visit Punta Espinosa that is a narrow ledge of lava and sand extending from the base of La Cumbre volcano. Take a walk around the beautiful peninsula, which boasts such wildlife and plant life as lava cacti, marine iguanas, barking sea lions, tiny penguins and Sally Lightfoot crabs. Keep a lookout for that marvelous Galapagos predator hunting from the treetops: the Galapagos hawk. Top-notch snorkeling opportunities await in the clear waters, and turtles and sea lions can be seen swimming around and feeding on the shore. This is also a great spot to see flightless cormorants drying their atrophied wings on the rocks. In the afternoon head to Punta Vicente Roca, this site allowed for panga rides to observe the abundant wildlife and offers one of the best snorkeling spots of the Archipelago. The snorkeling “route” takes us along the cliffs and offers the not so common chance of exploring two shallow underwater caves. The primitive and unaggressive bullhead shark, known locally as the Port Jackson shark, is often seen here sharing its space with red-lipped batfish, frogfishes, Pacific seahorses, the endemic Camotillo, schools of barracuda and brown-stripped snappers. Sponges, corals, and other marine invertebrates are also abundant in the area.
Day 6 Day 6: Puerto Egas (Isla Santiago) - Caleta Bucanero (Isla Santiago)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Puerto Egas (Isla Santiago) - Caleta Bucanero (Isla Santiago)

Sail this morning to Puerto Egas, a black-sand beach on the west side of James Bay, northwest of Isla Santiago, home to incredible volcanic tuff formations. Take a stroll along the beach with the native marine iguanas, pelicans, finches, mockingbirds, oystercatchers, Galapagos sea lions and Galapagos fur seals. You can see the amazing tidal pools, formed from ancient lava flow, providing a home for sponges, snails, hermit crabs, barnacles and fish. You might also end up snorkelling with a Galapagos fur seal – they’re always looking for a friend! In the afternoon travel to the northwest side of Santiago Island where you’ll find Caleta Bucanero, named after the pirates and buccaneers who once found shelter in the bay. Here you’ll have the chance to go snorkelling and take a dinghy ride to look for blue-footed boobies, pelicans and nocturnal seagulls nesting in the cliffs.
Day 7 Day 7: Isla Bartolome - Isla Sombrero Chino
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Isla Bartolome - Isla Sombrero Chino

Wake up in Bartolome Island, a spectacular volcanic landscape full of spatter cones and lava flows, and home to Galapagos penguins and lava lizards. Put on your walking shoes and climb up 360 wooden steps to the summit, where an amazing view of Pinnacle Rock awaits. This is one of the most photographed sights in the Galapagos – an abrupt jag of rock protruding from the earth like a tooth, providing a focal point for two nearby bays. Hike to the top of a once-active volcano and enjoy superb views across to Bahia Sullivan on nearby Isla Santiago. If you’re in luck, you might catch a glimpse of the Galapagos hawk. There’s also the chance to go snorkelling among the colourful marine life. In the afternoon, travel to the small island of Sombrero Chino, found on the southeast side of Santiago Island. With lovely sandy beaches and a striking volcanic landscape, this is a fantastic place to take a hike and look out for the sea lions and penguins that rest here, and snorkel in search of reef sharks and sea turtles.
Day 8 Day 8: Isla North Seymour - Charles Darwin Research Station (Isla Santa Cruz)
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Isla North Seymour - Charles Darwin Research Station (Isla Santa Cruz)

Wake up this morning in North Seymour, one of the most visited islands of the Galapagos. First up is a walk around the island to spot some blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls. Boobies and frigates have an interesting relationship, sharing the same nesting area on North Seymour. Blue-footed boobies nest on the ground while the frigate birds nest just above them in the saltbushes. As you walk, look out for land iguanas, marine iguanas, Galapagos sea lions and the endemic incense tree. After the walk, cool off and go snorkelling and encounter a great variety of fish and perhaps some white-tipped reef sharks, rays and sea lions. Later in the day, travel to Isla Santa Cruz, the second largest island in the Galapagos. Pay a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station in the small town of Puerto Ayora. As well as undertaking vital conservation work, the station also makes for interesting exploration and offers the best opportunities for close encounters with giant tortoises. You may also see baby tortoises. Enjoy some free time to walk around the town where you can purchase a souvenir or two to take back home with you.
Day 9 Day 9: Puerto Ayora - Santa Cruz Highlands - Baltra - Quito
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Puerto Ayora - Santa Cruz Highlands - Baltra - Quito

Flights to the mainland from Galapagos depart mid-morning, so it’s an early start for your last morning on the islands. You will visit the Santa Cruz Highlands. Travel through the agricultural region and into the misty forests where you can see the unique scalesia cloud forest, dome-shaped giant tortoises in the wild, different species of Darwin finches and possibly the world-famous woodpecker and warbler finches. You might also glimpse a vermillion flycatcher. Then it’s time to bid farewell to the archipelago and head to the airport for your mid-morning flight back to Quito for the last night of the tour. This flight takes approximately 2.5 hours with a transit in Guayaquil. Upon arrival at Quito Airport, at about 4 pm, you’ll be transferred back to your hotel for an overnight stay. A local Intrepid representative might stop by the hotel this evening to get your feedback on the trip.
Day 10 Day 10: Quito
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Quito

There are no activities planned for the day so you can depart your accommodation at any time. If you have not spent time in Quito beforehand, we recommend you stay on a few days as there are many fascinating things to do, such as the Cotopaxi volcano, the Cloud Forest, hot springs, the Equatorial Monument or perhaps city tour of the fascinating Old Town. If you want to spend more time, just speak to your booking agent.

10 days tour

Ultimate Galapagos: Central Islands (Grand Daphne)

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Ultimate Galapagos: Central Islands (Grand Daphne)

Day 1: Quito

Day 2: Quito - Isla Baltra - Las Bachas (Isla Santa Cruz)

Day 3: Isla Rabida - Punta Albermarle (Isla Isabela)

Day 4: Tagus Cove (Isla Isabela) - Bahia Urbina (Isla Isabela)

Day 5: Punta Espinosa (Isla Fernandina) - Punta Vicente Roca (Isla Isabela)

Day 6: Puerto Egas (Isla Santiago) - Caleta Bucanero (Isla Santiago)

Day 7: Isla Bartolome - Isla Sombrero Chino

Day 8: Isla North Seymour - Charles Darwin Research Station (Isla Santa Cruz)

Day 9: Puerto Ayora - Santa Cruz Highlands - Baltra - Quito

Day 10: Quito

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