Isla San Cristobal

Bienvenidos! Welcome to San Cristobal in the Galapagos Islands. After joining up with your fellow travellers and your local naturalist guide, head to La Loberia where you'll put on snorkelling gear for the first time and go for a swim among sea lions, perhaps spotting sea turtles too. Return to town for a free evening. Maybe head out with the group and enjoy some of the fresh seafood available. Special information As you start this trip on the Galapagos Islands you have two options for joining the group: SUNDAY DEPARTURES: You can meet the others at San Cristobal Airport at 11.30 am. Your guide will be waiting in the arrival hall with an Intrepid sign. FRIDAY & WEDNESDAY DEPARTURES: You can meet the others at San Cristobal Airport at 12.30 pm: Your guide will be waiting in the arrival hall with an Intrepid sign. Alternatively, you can meet them at the hotel (Casa de Nelly) when they arrive approximately 1 hour after the airport meeting time. Check in time for the hotel is 12 pm.

Take a 45-minute boat ride to Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock) today. On the way, you might be able to spot nesting frigates and blue-footed boobies. You might even get the chance to swim among the sea lions again. At Leon Dormido, you can snorkel and look for sea turtles, manta rays and maybe the harmless Galapagos shark. Eat lunch on the boat, then head to the Interpretation Center. Learn about the history of the 'Enchanted Islands' and the conservation projects that seek to preserve them. Special information Currents can be quite strong, so to participate in snorkelling activities you should be a confident swimmer. If you have any concerns, please ensure you speak with your leader. If you’re unable to visit Leon Dormido, alternative plans will be made to visit Isla Lobos, where sea lions, marine birds and marine iguanas are plentiful.

Cerro Tijeretas

Continue to Frigatebird Hill (Cerro Tijeretas) – it's quite a climb to the top, but well worth the amazing views of the bay. Return to town in the late afternoon for a free evening.

Take an early morning boat ride towards Isla Floreana this morning. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, including dolphins and whales. Snorkel in the clear blue waters and then break for lunch. After, venture to a black-sand beach that belongs to the Witmers – decedents of some of the first settlers on the Galapagos. The town here, Puerto Velasco Ibarra, has about 150 residents and an intriguing history involving deaths, disappearances and murders.

Later in the afternoon, wave goodbye to Floreana and continue to Isla Isabela, where you’ll spend the night. Special information Your travel time today will be approximately 4.5 hours. When you arrive at Isla Isabela, you'll need to pay a port fee of USD 10.

Las Tintoreras

This morning, you’ll hop on a small Zodiac boat and cruise to Las Tintoreras (Shark Alley), looking out for blue-footed boobies and the famous Galapagos penguin. Take a short walk on this isolated islet and popular iguana nesting site, then snorkel in a calm inlet with colourful fish and winding underground lava tubes. This area is also frequented by green sea turtles that like to rest on the calm, sandy bottom.

Return to Isla Isabela and visit the Arnaldo Tupiza Tortoise Breeding Center, where you'll observe giant tortoises in all stages of development. After learning about the thousand turtles that are preparing for life here, you’ll head to a brackish lagoon to observe flamingos. Later today, take a kayak around the island and spend your evening resting in the sand and soaking in your first Isabela sunset – arguably the most beautiful of all the islands!

Start your last day on Isla Isabela by heading towards the Sierra Negra Volcano – one of the Galapagos’ most active volcanoes and the world's second-largest crater! Weather permitting, you’ll take a challenging hike of around 17 km up the rocky mountain, which takes 5 to 6 hours. After the hike, make your way back to town for some free time to curl up with a book or venture down to the water for a relaxing swim before dinner. Special information Your travel time today will be about 1.5 hours. Please ensure you wear comfortable walking shoes that offer good support for the hike today. During the rainy season, it can get quite muddy. There's an option to hire gumboots locally, should you wish to do so. During the hike, it can get quite hot and there isn't much shade along the way so be sure to come prepared with your hat, sunscreen and plenty of water (2 litres per person).

Santa Cruz

Jump aboard a private speedboat this morning and head to Isla Santa Cruz. When you arrive, leave your bags at the hotel and head to the Santa Cruz Highlands. Your first stop is a local farm, where giant tortoises roam the grounds freely. Here, you’ll meet with an expert chef for a cooking class to make the famed encebollado – a local tuna soup that’s widely considered one of the best in the world! This hearty dish uses slow-cooked albacore tuna and a savoury broth made of onions, cilantro and spices. The dish is traditionally served with yuca (a starchy root vegetable) and garnished with lime and green onions. Enjoy the soups of your labour for lunch, then wander the grounds with the slow-paced residents. After lunch, you’ll visit an organic sugar cane farm run by a local family for a tour of their trapiche (a sugar cane mill used in artisanal sugar production). See how the family harvests and processes sugar cane and cacao and how they work with the local community.

Take a morning walk in Tortuga Bay after breakfast. Along the way, keep an eye out for eagle rays, sea turtles and blue-footed boobies. Later, you’ll head to the local fish market for a dose of local life on the way to The Galapagos Conservancy, who help protect the Galapagos' unique biodiversity. Learn how The Intrepid Foundation supports the Galapagos Conservancy Women in Sustainable Entrepreneurship (WISE) program, which provides critical capital for sustainability initiatives and builds the entrepreneurial capacity of Galapagos women.

After, head to the Charles Darwin Research Station – an international non-profit organisation that’s dedicated to the scientific research and conservation of the archipelago’s environment and biodiversity.

Santa Cruz

Your trip comes to an end this morning after breakfast. If you need to book a connecting flight out of the Galapagos, or if you'd like to extend your stay, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time. Special information Departure flights should be booked from Baltra Airport, which you can get to via taxi, ferry and bus. If you plan on departing from an alternative airport in the Galapagos, you’ll need to make your own way there. Your trip leader can assist with booking ferries and extra transport for your trip home. If you wish to take advantage of the included transfer to Baltra Airport it will be an early departure.