Budget Galapagos Trips 2025

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Visit Galapagos Islands Ecuador can be a truly Eden, among the most extraordinary animals on the planet is found over the Galapagos Islands. A trip to the Galapagos could be the adventure of their existence for almost all tourists. The wild animals in Galapagos that you’re going to encounter can’t be found any place else, but here ocean and land wildlife and wild birds are more approachable.

You’ll find Boobies, giant tortoises, iguanas and many others, will probably be noticed close on your adventures. If you want kayaking or diving, sea lions will be trying to play with you and also underneath them, turtles and may be found.

When is the perfect time to see the Galapagos?

The Galapagos Islands, found in the Pacific Ocean, about a thousand kilometers west of Ecuador, have a very particular climate, tropical and semi-arid, which has an incredibly hot and comparatively stormy season through January to May, and a dry and cool season, as well as foggy and misty, from July to November.

The landscapes of the Galapagos are barren, except in the bigger islands, that obtain more considerable rain fall. As was already observed by Charles Darwin, who as we know analyzed the peculiarities of the species located in the islands, their climate is cooler than an individual would likely assume from a location positioned at the Equator, due to the Humboldt Current, which usually reaches the region after circulating in the water west of South America. Anyway, here the climate is variable from one year to another, since there are diverse sea currents that meet or alternate in the region (there’s also a warm current from Central America, which runs at a little distance and is much more active on the periods El Niño), therefore, the weather conditions are challenging to anticipate.

As stated, in these island destinations there’s two seasons: a hot season from January to May, having highest temperatures about 29/30 °C (84/86 °F), as well as a relatively cool season coming from July to November, called Garua, with daytime temperature ranges around 24/25 °C (75/77 °F). In the latter, evening temperatures stay suitable, close to 18/19 °C (64/66 °F), but you will find frequently mists, which result in the condensation of tiny drops (called garua from which the season takes its title), and the sky is typically covered by very low clouds (due to the thermal inversion created by the low-temperature ocean current). This period of time is the least stormy of the entire year in coasts and plains (considering that the Garua does not produce substantial rain accumulations), while inland hills and mountains, there may be some tremendous rains. The highest peak is the Vulcan Lobo, 1,707 meters (5,600 feet) high, positioned on Isabela Island.

On the shorelines, the rainfall comes down to less than 500 millimeters (20 inches) every year, so it’s in no way considerable. This is actually the average precipitation in Puerto Baquerizo; we are able to see the fact that within the dry season, few millimeters (a few tenths of ) per month accumulate, due mostly to drizzle and dew development.

Interestingly, people head to the beach locations during the rainy period, simply because in addition to being the sunniest, it’s the one in which the water is the warmest.

It should be stated that rainfall is irregular, and can be rich in the years of El Niño. During the more strong El Niño years, for example 1982-83 and 1997-98, the weather of Galapagos turns into entirely tropical, with higher temperature conditions and also copious rainfall. In the periods of La Niña, alternatively, the rains are more scarce, and there’s a decline in both air and water temperature.

When you should go In general, the Galapagos can be traveled to throughout every season. However, the best time to travel to the islands, in case you also want to swim and also take sunbathes, runs from February to May, because it is the hottest and sunniest, although there could be a few rains or severe storms in the morning.

The low-temperature period, from July to November, is often suggested to explore nature, since it very rarely rains on the flatlands and the climate is enjoyable, even if you have to take into consideration mists, haze and foggy air. From September to November the sea could be a little tough, and this situation can affect those that are afflicted by motion sickness, during boat journeys from one island to another.

What clothes you should bring

From December to May (warm season): light clothing, a light sweatshirt for the evening hours, light raincoat or umbrella for rainfall showers; sun hat (in the end, we are at the Equator). For hiking in inland hills and the Vulcan Wolf, a bit more comfortable sweatshirt and raincoat, trekking shoes.

From June to November (cool season): light clothes, sweatshirt and lightweight jacket for the night.

For the ocean, gear for scuba diving, water shoes or rubberized soled shoes.

The Galapagos were discovered by chance in 1535 by Father Tomas Berlanga, Bishop of Panama.

Because of the long distances involved, the only practical approach to explore the Galapagos is by live-aboard boats, which travel between islands, mostly at night, and create different stops every day. Over 80 vessels are licensed to operate in the archipelago and there are countless combinations of stops and routes. Most cruises go ashore two times a day: 10 total days on the boat typically means 20 coast landings, 10-20 snorkels, and many panga rides (pangas are little, open outboard-powered boats) to approximately 10 different islands.

Exploring on your own is considerably harder. Getting around independently is tricky and all visitors must be accompanied by a licensed naturalist guide at all landing sites. However four islands (Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana and Isabela) do have hotels of varying sizes and standards and a couple of vessel operators provide day-trips.

Following in Darwin’s footsteps involves a flight from Quito or Guayaquil, on the mainland, to Baltra or San Cristobal. Some cruises leave from Baltra (the pier is a five-minute drive in the air terminal). Others move from Puerto Ayora, the tourist hub on Santa Cruz and a relatively crowded city, with a bank, ATM machine, taxis, pubs and even a cinema.

GalapagosInformation.com provides a variety of tailor-made live-aboard tours on many different vessels carrying from 4 to 16 passengers.

Wildlife actions differ greatly, and each month has its own highlights. By way of instance, green turtles begin their own egg-laying in January; penguins socialize with swimmers on Bartolome largely from May until the end of September; humpback whales begin to arrive in June; July through the end of September is the best period for most seabird action; peak pupping for sea lions is around August, while their pups play aqua-aerobics with snorkelers at November; and December is the month to get hatching giant tortoise eggs. So, always there is something happening.

The hot, humid, somewhat rainy season (with occasional tropical showers) is from December to May (March and April are usually hottest and wettest). The seas are usually calmer and clearer now of year (with 60ft-80ft visibility average) and the water temperature averages 79° F (26°C), therefore this period is ideal for snorkeling.

The trendy, drier, windier year (with occasional drizzle or mist) is from June to November. Sea temperatures in this time of year drop to as much as 66F (19C) and visibility frequently goes down to 30ft-50ft, while sea swells can make some landings catchy.

Plan ahead if you wish to visit during the high season. Visiting out of those periods will still offer plenty of experiences and wildlife encounters, but prices might be lower with fewer other tourists around.

With little variation in air and water temperatures throughout the entire year, and numerous species which are not migratory, an Isabela Island cruise is a fantastic adventure at any moment. Ordinarily, but the waters are better between January and March, making this a perfect time for avid snorkeling fans. The driest months are typically between August and December, ideal for beach lovers.

Visit the Galapagos in January to observe green sea turtles arriving and laying eggs on the beaches, also in April to see the eggs hatching. July is the prime month for seeing whales off the western coast of Isabela Island. Bird spotters will likely prefer to visit Isabela Island between August and March, when the range of migratory birds is at its summit. October is the breeding period for fur seals, although brown nodes are active in November. December is the best month if you want to witness the hatching of giant tortoises.

Before joining any Galapagos cruises, you will first need to create your way to mainland Ecuador. International flights usually arrive in the nation’s capital city of Quito, though it’s also possible to take an overseas trip to Guayaquil. Flights to the Galapagos Islands leave every day from the Quito and Guayaquil.

Are there some immunizations recommended?

For the Galapagos Islands there are no required immunizations. If you, however, intend to spend more time in Ecuador, particularly in the jungle, immunization is suggested. As this varies from time to time please consult the local health office (or even the Institute for Tropical Diseases) a couple weeks ahead of your trip.

Can we need to swap some money before we journey to Ecuador or after in the country?

Not if you have US dollars. In 2000, Ecuador adopted the US dollar as its official currency. Just be sure that you bring money bills in good condition with you. Should they have tears in them, they are likely to be refused.

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