Day 1 : Welcome to San Cristobal: Lobos Island and Kicker Rock

Sailing time: 30min.
Activities: Swimming, island walk.

Good morning from Ecuador!

Flights to the Galapagos depart early morning (7-9am), so a pre cruise night in Quito is almost always necessary. However you are also very welcome to meet us in San Cristobal if you plan to already be in the Galapagos beforehand.

If you book our pre-trip night in Quito with domestic flights, you will be taken to the airport in Quito on 5 December after breakfast, and meet your airport assistant who will guide you through the check in process.

Flights to San Cristobal usually stop in Guayaquil (though not always), but you won’t have to disembark.

When you land in San Cristobal, you will be met by the onboard naturalist and team who will help you with the transfers to the catamaran.

If you have not booked the pre-trip add-on through us but are on the same flight, you will also be met by the naturalist.

If you were already staying in San Cristobal pre-trip on your own, you will make your own way to the airport to meet with the team.

IMPORTANT: If you did not book your Quito – San Cristobal flights with us, the boat may not be able to wait for you should there be any delays with your arrival, so we recommend arriving to San Cristobal a day earlier.

A short zodiac ride will take you to the catamaran that will be your home for the week.

We will start the expedition with a briefing and introduction to the ship and the crew followed by a quick tour of the boat and your cabin.

You will then meet the rest of your cruise mates and introduce yourself.

Lunch will be served buffet style in the dining room and you will have the first opportunity to experience the Galapagos hospitality.

Our first excursion will be a dry landing at Lobos Island, aptly named after the many sea lions that reside here resting and playing along the rocky shores.

This is also home to many different birds like pelicans, frigate birds and their nests, yellow warblers and more.

Within the small channel the waters are very clear, making it easy to find sea turtles, sea lions, stingrays and perhaps even white-tipped sharks.

We will then continue with a zodiac tour of Kicker rock, one of the most extraordinary sites in the Galapagos Islands.

This site is made of two eroded volcanic cones that tower over the sea at about 104 meters in the middle of the open water.

It is a nesting place of sea birds and a nice spot to take pictures while the vessels circumnavigate around the rock.

The day will end with a briefing by the naturalist who will review the wildlife sightings of the day and the program for the following day.

Inclusions: Buffet lunch and gourmet dinner onboard. Airport greeting service if landing that day, and meet up and transfer to the boat from the airport for all. All activities listed. Unlimited water, snacks and hot drinks. One alcoholic drink per person.

Day 2 : Pitt Point & Witch Hill in San Cristobal

Sailing time: 30min.
Activities: Swimming, island walk.

Today we arrive at at Pitt Point, which will feel as if you’ve landed on an extraterrestrial planet.

You can see the many different developments over time of how volcanic activity formed this island.

A walk to the top beholds amazing views of the surrounding waters.

Watch out for blue-footed boobies nests on the ground and keep an eye out for the red-footed boobies nesting in the trees once you reach the top of the island.

We will enjoy a dry landing with hiking and a snorkeling session.

In the afternoon we will head to Witch hill, a spot with awesome crevices and eroding rocks along the shoreline where you will first pass in zodiac.

Afterwards be prepared to visit a powdery white sand beach with teal and turquoise waters for a swim or some chill time.

Inclusions: Breakfast, buffet lunch and gourmet dinner onboard. All activities listed. Unlimited water, snacks and hot drinks. One alcoholic drink per person.

Day 3 : Post Office Bay, Cormorant Point & Devil’s Crown in Floreana Island

Sailing time: 1 hour.
Activities: Swimming, island walk.

This morning we head to Post Office Bay, where you can ask the Cruise Manager for one of our complimentary postcards to write a message and address it home.

Leave it in the barrels which have been historically used by pirates and sailors.

While there, you’re welcome to see if there are any other postcards you can take home with you to send for fellow travelers who have already left their messages!

We will then proceed to Cormorant Point, which is an interesting visitor site with two beaches and a saltwater lagoon with flamingos.

One of the beaches looks green because of the olivine crystals, and the other is appropriately called Flour Beach because of the powdery white sand, made from fine, pulverized coral.

Watch your feet though if wading in the water; stingrays love to hang out here as well.

Devil’s Crown boasts one of the finest snorkeling opportunities later in the day. Below the surface are amazing volcanic structures that have submerged over time.

Hundreds of colorful fish species can be seen along the reef, along with sharks, rays, sea turtles, sea lions, and rays. It’s a beautiful underwater spectacle that cannot be missed.

Inclusions: Breakfast, buffet lunch and gourmet dinner onboard. All activities listed. Unlimited water, snacks and hot drinks. One alcoholic drink per person.

Day 4 : Black Turtle Cove in Santa Cruz Island & Bartolome Island

Sailing time: 1 – 2 hours.
Activities: Swimming, island walk.

Today is an exciting day where we will head to Black Turtle Cove in Santa Cruz Island and then to Bartolome Island.

Black Turtle Cove is a shallow inlet is surrounded by mangroves and provides a natural protection for a variety of marine life, attracting the vulnerable juveniles of many species.

Below the surface of the water, you can see both blacktip and white-tip reef sharks, sea turtles, golden cow-nose rays, and spotted eagle rays.

Pelicans and blue-footed boobies hunt here, diving gracefully into the water.

After lunch, we will get ready to explore Bartholome Island.

We will jump on the dinghy and go for our first snorkel of the trip around Pinnacle Rock, a volcanic cone formed by magma expelled by an underwater volcano.

The sea cooled the hot lava and as it exploded from contact, the pieces formed together this huge rock of many, many layers of basalt.

The huge rock also has a beach where a small population of green sea turtles will nest during breeding season.

Galapagos penguins gather here and swimming can offer beautiful sights of colorful schools of fish and curious sea lions, as well as penguins.

We will be in the water for about an hour looking for penguins (they are very quick swimmers!), as well as tropical fish, rays, sharks, star fish, mantas and sea lions.

We will get back on the boat, enjoy snacks and drinks, get our wet suits off with the help of the crew, and change into clothes to go for a dinghy ride along the shore looking for penguins chilling on land.

We will disembark on Bartholome, which offers one of the most impressive landscapes in the entire Galapagos Archipelago.

Our sunset hike up the hill on the elevated boardwalks will provide stunning 360 degree views over the volcanic landscapes and the islands and islets around.

We will walk all the way up, stopping to admire rare vegetation, volcanic formations and lava tunnels. Our naturalist guide will explain how the Galapagos were formed, and how they have and continue to evolve, as well as what inspired Darwin’s thesis.

We will return to the boat to enjoy the rooftop jacuzzi and sunset, freshen up and meet for a talk with the naturalist about the wildlife sightings of the day and the program for the following day.

We will end the day with a gourmet 3-course dinner in the air conditioned dining room followed by optional drinks at the bar or star gazing from the top deck.

Inclusions: Breakfast, buffet lunch and gourmet dinner onboard. All activities listed. Unlimited water, snacks and hot drinks. One alcoholic drink per person.

Day 5 : Genovesa Island

Sailing time: 7 hours overnight.
Activities: Kayaking, dinghy ride, snorkeling, island walks.

The boat will sail through the night to one of the least visited and most remote spots in The Galapagos, and we will wake up in front of El Barranco, Prince Philip’s Steps on Genovesa Island.

In the morning, we will go for a walk on the beach and mangrove area around Darwin Bay, a coral sandy beach that is much younger than those on the other islands.

Darwin Bay used to be a shield volcano, and now you can see where one of the sides of its caldera collapsed after hundreds of years of erosion.

This spot is known for the wide variety of birds that can be seen.

Over 20,000 red-footed boobies are estimated to call this island home within the trees and bushes of Genovesa Island and we will get the chance of getting pretty close to them as they seek shade in our own shadows.

We will also find blue-footed boobies, nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, finches, various shorebirds, rays, tropical fish species, marine iguanas, and sea lions who will be lazing on the beach, chilling in the shallow waters or even swimming with us in the sea.

During the low tide, we can observe the rarest gull in the world named the lava gull, there are approximately nine hundred individuals in all of the Galapagos Islands.

We will then have a bit of time to swim off the white sand beach and cool down, before returning to the boat to get changed into our wet suits for a dinghy ride and 1-hour of snorkeling before lunch.

In the water, we can spot sea lions, manta rays and hammerhead sharks, and tropical fish of all sorts.

Back on the boat, we will warm up with a hot towel and have a bit of time to enjoy the jacuzzi before lunch is served.

Lunch will be followed by a dry landing to climb up the natural stairway of Philip’s Steps, or El barranco in Spanish.

The rocky path up a cliff rewards guests with a remarkable view that is well worth the climb.

On land, the path passes through colonies of nazca and red-footed boobies, frigates birds, the famous Darwin finches, and Galapagos mockingbirds.

At the trail’s end, Wedgerumped storm petrels’ nest on the lava field where we look for well-camouflaged short-eared owls.

Back on the boat, you will have time to freshen up and enjoy the sunset before meeting the naturalist for the evening’s briefing and recap of wildlife sightings.

Dinner will be another gourmet feast in the air conditioned dining room followed by drinks at the bar or star gazing on the roof.

Inclusions: Onboard buffet breakfast and lunch, gourmet plated dinner. 1 alcoholic drink. Unlimited water, snacks and hot drinks. All activities listed. Overnight in your chosen cabin. Snorkeling and kayaking gear.

Day 6 : Santiago Island

Sailing time: 8 hours overnight.
Activities: Island walk, snorkeling, swimming.

Today we will wake up in Santiago Island.

In the morning, we will either enjoy an island walk at Espumilla Beach, an important breeding site for turtles, now that digging wild pigs are no longer an issue, or Buccaneer’s Cove, depending on the weather, the amount of mosquitoes and the wildlife sightings.

At Espumilla, the turtles return year after year to bury their eggs in the cinnamon-colored sand dunes and two months later (roughly from February to August) the eggs hatch.

The beach ridge hides a mangle with two lagoons on the backside.

A colony of American flamingos and aquatic birds used to be its main attraction, but after the climate phenomenon of El Niño, strong sedimentation altered the water environment, and now no longer provides their food.

Vegetation zones are very close by, providing great scenic contrasts.

During the climb up a hill, you will be rewarded with a beautiful view of the transitions from sea to beach and from mangrove to a dry palo santo forest.

At Buccaneers Cove, we will split the group into two and go for a dinghy or kayak ride along the calm waters, then swap.

From the water level we will spot birds nesting on the ridges of the volcanic rock formations, sharks, whales and mantas.

We will return to the boat to get our snorkeling gear on for a swim at Buccaneers Cove, once a refuge for passing sailors and pirates.

The underwater formations provide an amazing home for the many different tropical species of fish in large schools that can be found here.

You can swim with mantas, rays, sharks, sea lions and so much more.

We will return to the boat and be welcomed with warm towels, snacks and drinks. Freshen up or rest for a bit before our buffet lunch.

In the afternoon we will explore Egas Port, on the west side of Santiago, where fresh water can be found.

Upon entering the Bay we will have the opportunity to see Buccaneer Cove, the Sugarloaf Cone, and the maroon beach of Puerto Egas. The latter is the place where we will have to disembark to start the walking visit.

The trail on this spot will take us through some tide pools along the coast where we can see marine iguanas, and coastal birds like the oystercatcher and pelicans to finish in the beautiful Fur Seal Grottos, one of the few places where you will have the opportunity to observe Galapagos fur seals.

At the end of the trail, we can take a swim in the maroon beach before returning to the boat.

Before dinner, we will meet again with the naturalist to review the day’s sightings and discuss the program for the following day.

Dinner will again be a gourmet celebration at the dining room and you can enjoy after dinner drinks or star gazing before rest.

Inclusions: Onboard buffet breakfast and lunch, gourmet plated dinner. 1 alcoholic drink. Unlimited water, snacks and hot drinks. All activities listed. Overnight in your chosen cabin. Snorkeling gear.

Day 7 : North Seymour Island & Santa Cruz highlands

Sailing time: 1 hour.
Activities: Island walk, highland visit.

In the morning we will visit North Seymour Island on foot.

Named after English nobleman Lord Hugh Seymour, it was formed by uplifted submarine lava and it is home to a huge colony of about 2,500 land iguanas and large populations of sea lions, blue-footed boobies, common noddies, and the biggest colonies of frigate birds.

We will walk along the path in this dry island and easily spot birds and iguanas among the palo santo trees.

After the walk, we will return to the boat and get into our wet suits for a 1-hour snorkeling excursion.

Here, we can swim with large pods of dolphins that are often found in the area, as well as hammerhead sharks and white tip sharks.

In the afternoon, we will make friends with the giant tortoises that make Santa Cruz their home.

We will disembark from the boat and take a bus to the island’s highlands.

Unlike the rest of the Galapagos islands we have visited, Santa Cruz has a higher, wetter and greener core that is almost permanently covered in clouds, giving it a tropical rainforest feel, cooler temperatures, and the perfect environment for the giant Galapagos tortoises to thrive.

This is the best place in the Galapagos to see these gentle giants (reaching over 300 kg / 600 pounds!) casually grazing and resting in freshwater ponds.

This is because they abound in Santa Cruz and they have right of way. You can see them crossing the main roads, chilling in the fields and generally showing you who’s boss.

If you scare them, they’ll go inside their shells and not move, causing traffic to come to a stand still.

Santa Cruz’s central area is also home to a great diversity of birds rarely found in the lowlands, including finches (tree, woodpecker, and vegetarian finches), flycatchers, and several species of water birds.

Our exploration will begin in a lava tunnel, formed by the ancient volcanic explosions that created The Galapagos, which we will enter on foot.

We will then continue our visit of a large farm where Giant tortoises live happily.

Wander the property on foot and get up and close with these creatures for a selfie as you hear their stories and how they manage to survive so many years.

After the visit, we will return to the boat, freshen up and meet again for the naturalist’s debriefing.

Tonight will be our farewell dinner with the crew.

Inclusions: Breakfast, lunch and dinner onboard. Unlimited water, snacks and hot drinks. All activities listed. Overnight in your chosen cabin.

Day 8 : Mosquera Islet & departure from the Galapagos

Hours sailing: 30min.
Activities: Dinghy ride.

This is our last morning onboard but we will still have time for one last sunrise excursion and the opportunity to see pods of dolphins.

Tides permitting, we will disembark on the sand bank of Mosquera Islet, a small lava cliff and sandbank which has one of the largest populations of sea lions. You can also observe several species of shorebirds.

There have been occasional reports at this site of Orcas (Orcinus orca) feeding on sea lions.

If the tide is too high, we can enjoy the islet and the amazing sunrise hues from the zodiac. If we are lucky, large pods of dolphins could follow us and make our cruise farewell extra special.

We will return to the boat and enjoy breakfast before disembarking on the small zodiacs which will take us to Baltra Island for our bus and boat transfers back to the airport.

If you have booked your return flight and extension with us, you will be picked up from the airport in Quito to continue with the extension.

Inclusions: Breakfast onboard. Morning excursion, transfers from Baltra island to the airport.

This trip will be co-hosted by our Operations Manager and photographer Anastasia B, Ana S. during the extension and a local, female, naturalist guide in the Galapagos.

As our Operations Manager, Anastasia oversees logistics and planning of several of our tours and makes sure they meet SFT standards. You can also find her on our IG as she manages our Social Media content.

Anastasia has been the official Solo Female Travelers photographer since 2022 and has captured candid and beautiful moments on our tours to Barcelona, Scotland, Morocco, and the Swedish Arctic with more tours scheduled soon.

The cruise will be hosted by a local female naturalist guide, expert in the wildlife of the Galapagos, its behavior and characteristics.

Our extension will be hosted by our Ecuadorian guide, Ana, a graduate in Ecotourism Engineering and licensed National Tour Guide and host of our Ecuador & Galapagos tour.

Since her university years, she has been motivated by nature conservation, participating as a volunteer in various environmental programs, which enriched her vision of biodiversity and responsible tourism.

She has been working as a national tour guide since 2016, collaborating with various lodges in the Amazon and different travel agencies, which has allowed her to diversify her experience in both the natural and cultural spheres. This work has given her the opportunity to share her love of nature, educate, and connect visitors with the environmental and cultural richness of her country.