Insider's Tips to Isabela Island, Galápagos

Hola! Voy a viajar a Galapagos a San Cristóbal desde Guayaquil. Tengo pasaje de salida, y residencia permanente en ecuador, pero hay unos puntos que quisiera preguntar:

-¿Realmente la TCT se puede hacer y pagarla todo el proceso online?

-¿Que tan estrictos son con la parte del alojamiento? Me voy a quedar con una señora alla en la isla, pero ella solo me quiere dar sus datos, no quiere hacerme la carta de invitacion porque dice que no es necesario. Esto me genera ansiedad, asi que decidi que voy a hacer reservas confirmadas pero cancelables sin pago adelantando, para presentar y luego cancelarlas. La pregunta es ¿Presentar reservas de booking aunque no estén pagas en hoteles esta bien? Y luego cancelarlas.

- A los que ya viajaron, si controlan mucho o a veces solo te miran la tct y tu documento de viaje y listo? Que tan pesados pueden ser o son relajados? Toda experiencia cuenta!

Hi!

I will be solo visiting the Galapagos for the first time this August. This subreddit has been very helpful in planning my trip, and while I know my timings may be a bit rushed, I am a fast-paced traveler and believe I can fit all my goals in.

I’d love additional tips or things to watch out for. I have booked the following so far:
- Guayaquil to Seymour Aug 7, landing at 10h55
- Ferry to Isabela Aug 9, arriving at 9h
- Fly to San Cristobal Aug 11, landing at 15h
- Fly back to Guayaquil Aug 13, leaving at 13h05

My goals are clearly to dive, snorkel, enjoy the beach, and perhaps hike if there is time.

I haven’t booked any experiences, tours or dives yet, neither accomodation, so any tip will be greatly welcomed.

Thank you!

Going to put this all into one place because I struggled being able to find all of the information out.

Before departing from mainland Ecuador you will need to fill out two forms within 48 hours of departure. I recommend filling them out online

Form 1: TCT card that costs $20 https://siig-registro.gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec/app/tct/emitir/

Form 2: https://siabg.abgalapagos.gob.ec/declaraciones/nueva

Arriving at Quito airport: we got there 3 hours ahead of time (6:15am) and the lines were pretty short but after we were going through them we noticed that they were getting way longer.

First line to stand in: TCT check. Yes, even though you paid online you will need to go present this to them and they will confirm it and email you the finalized TCT to use upon arrival in the Galapagos.

Second line to stand in: Baggage check. They will check to make sure that you filled out the second form and then scan all of your bags.

Third line to stand in: your airline. Go show them your TCT as they will need to confirm this on your reservation. (Even if you already have your boarding pass from online check in)

**no ATM once you go through security so make sure to get cash now if you don’t have any upon arrival for the galapagos**

Fourth line to stand in: TSA and security.

Upon arrival in GPS on Baltra island, you will stand in line to present your TCT card and passport. This is where you will need to pay $200 for the national park. They prefer cash (but they will take card if there’s no other option).

They will then scan your QR code for the second form with declarations. After that you may exit the airport.

**now there is an accessible ATM although we were warned not to count on this ATM**

Getting to Puerto Ayora from Baltra airport.

Step 1: get a ticket outside the airport for the Lobito. It is $5 and will take you to the ferry from the airport.

Step 2: get on a ferry. They kind of just herd you and tell you where to go and they also often take your luggage from bus to boat for you. This will cost $1-2 and will be paid to someone walking around during the ferry ride.

Step 3: get either a taxi or the public bus to puerto Ayora. We took the bus and it was $5 paid to someone holding a sign outside the ferry and then we walked over to the bus to get on. We did have to wait about 20 minutes for the bus to depart and then it is about a 40 minute drive into town.

Step 4: get off the bus and get a $2 taxi to your hotel in town. Taxi’s are white pick up trucks and they are EVERYWHERE.

When returning to the airport, the bus from the bus terminal to the ferry only runs 4 times each day. 7:15am, 8:00am, 8:45am, and 9:30am. I recommend getting to the bus station about 15 minutes before the time you’d like to leave, sometimes they fill up and will leave before the designated time. I’ve also been told not to count too much on the 9:30 bus. You can always take a taxi to the ferry too.

The rest is pretty easy!

Any animals or sites that are best seen or can only be seen during this time that I should make sure the cruise itinerary includes?

Hearing different things from different sources

I am planning 17 days in Galapagos next September and would greatly appreciate input from people that have been there:

Day 1

1. Arrival in San Cristobal + island

Day 2

1. Espanola day trip (booked)

Day 3

1. Kicker Rock 2 dives

Day 4

1. Punta Pitt

Day 5

1. San Cristobal + boarding liveaboard (booked)

Days 6-11

1. Liveaboard covering diving in Darwin, Wolf, etc + landings in North Seymour and Santa Cruz Highlands

Day 12

1. Disembark + San Cristobal + Afternoon ferry to Santa Cruz

Day 13

1. Early Ferry to Isabela + Tintoreras

Day 14

1. Sierra Negra + Volcan Chico hike

Day 15

1. Early ferry to Santa Cruz + island

Day 16

1. Bartolome

Day 17

1. Santa Cruz + Departure

How does it look? What would you change?

I leave for the Galápagos in 10 days! With the help of this group, I think I've finally settled on a very last-minute 3–4 week Galápagos trip this August that includes an 8-day northwest cruise (already booked for August 11–18).

I'd especially love to hear from people who are familiar with a wide range of experiences across the Galápagos. If you've also done a similar northwest itinerary, even better. I'm trying to figure out which experiences genuinely complement this itinerary rather than largely duplicate it.

Right now I'm thinking of spending about 5–7 days on San Cristóbal, 7–10 days on Isabela, and 2–3 days on Santa Cruz, but I'm intentionally keeping the land portion flexible.

My cruise itinerary

• Mosquera
• Genovesa (Darwin Bay & Prince Philip's Steps)
• Marchena
• Punta Albemarle
• Punta Vicente Roca
• Fernandina (Espinoza Point)
• Urbina Bay
• Elizabeth Bay
• Punta Moreno
• Champion Islet (snorkeling)
• Post Office Bay

In general, I prefer traveling independently at a slower pace. I like getting out early before the crowds, lingering when something interests me, and exploring on my own whenever a guide isn't really necessary. At the same time, I don't want to miss experiences that are genuinely extraordinary or unique.

My priorities are:

• Snorkeling
• Unique wildlife
• Dramatic landscapes

I love snorkeling enough that I'll almost certainly add a couple of snorkeling day trips beyond what's included on the cruise. But I'm trying to distinguish between experiences that are true complements to the northwest itinerary and those that are excellent but would largely repeat what I'll already be seeing. I also recognize that no two days are the same and even going to the same spot on different days may be very different experiences!

My questions

1. Given this cruise itinerary, what additional day tours or land-based experiences would you consider must-dos?
2. Which snorkeling trips offer something meaningfully different from the snorkeling and wildlife experiences I'll already have on the cruise?
3. I know many people consider Devil's Crown one of the best snorkeling sites in the Galápagos. But for someone already snorkeling Champion Islet on this itinerary, is Devil's Crown different enough to justify a separate day trip? Or would you prioritize Pinzón (or another snorkeling excursion) instead?
   
4. What self-guided experiences ended up being some of your favorite memories? 

If you recommend a particular day trip, I'd also love to know which tour operator or guide you used if you had an exceptional experience.

Many, many thanks!!

Is anyone currently diving down there or has been recently? I’m trying to decide what gear to leave behind, sounds like it’s very warm this year!

Hi all,

We arrive into the Galapagos a bit later than we would have liked at 12.55pm. We want to visit the tortoises on the way to the town and if possible also visit the Darwin station that day (we wouldn’t do the tour, but just visit the free museum). Will we have time to do these upon arrival?

Also I’ve read you can just hire a taxi and it’s much cheaper for the highlands tour than booking an actual tour, is it possible to pre book a driver or do you just get one at the airport?

Hello, my wife and I are going to the Galapagos at the end of the month and we’re trying to plan our budget. We’re going on a few different excursions and plan on eating most meals out. I’m curious what the tipping culture is like for these activities. We’re planning on tipping tour guides but should we also plan on tipping waiters? If so, is the US customary 20% standard?

Thanks!

I am headed to Isabela and Santa Cruz in a few days and would like to bring my large Sony Alpha camera on this trip to take high quality photos around the islands. I do not want to risk damaging my camera, so am looking for recommendations on where to take the best photographs.

I have booked Las Tintoreras by Kayak and Los Tuneles by boat tours, but understand that snorkeling will be involved for both tours, so was planning to leave my Sony Alpha camera at the hotel. Same with snorkeling Concha de Perla. Is this the right way to think? I could bring the camera and put it into a dry bag when not in use, but do not want to risk damaging it.

Hi all,

We're a couple heading to galapagos for just over a week in mid August and can't wait!

Looking to do a land based trip with day tours and a little island hopping, but seeing a few last minute cruise openings for the end of July at prices a little closer our budget has us tempted to wait a little longer to see the mid-August offers before booking anything.

Just wondering if there's a point at this time of the year that we'd need to decide one way or another, and pre-book day tours? Or if we can just wait it out until a few days before we arrive?

Thanks a lot for any insight!

Hello everyone! Being looking at some posts and I believe Fun Dive does discovery dives at Kicker Rock. Did anyone do that with them? Recommend this company? Thanks!

hey all! Short trip to the Galapagos in August.
I was originally planning on flying into SCY and doing day trips from there to try and maximize the experience. But, the more I read, the more I think I should check out San.

It looks like getting to Isabella from Baltra/GPS is a lot easier than from San Cristobal/SCY, but... get in and out of Baltra sounds like much more of a production.

Any thoughts here?
I'm not normally one to get analysis paralysis, but this trip is giving me some.

Hi All,
We are going to Galapagos in August for one week.
I have one question about tours and activities. How crowded is it there?
Do You think I have to prebook everything now? Or is it okay to buy it on spot . Also same with ferry, we are planning one overnight trip to
Another island, should I book ferry now? Or is everything pretty much available?

We are considering a trip to the 3 islands (SC, IS, SC) over Spring Break 2027 (late March/early April) for my son's 16th birthday. He's deciding between a fishing/wildlife trip to the Galapagos vs. a pure fishing trip to Guatemala or the Osa region of Costa Rica. I welcome all insight into fishing opportunities in the Galapagos in late March/early April. Has anyone incorporated fishing into their itineraries like we envision?

Last month we went to the Galapagos for 8 days (San cristobal, Isabela, Española, and Floreana) and we regret not staying longer! If you're going soon, invest in a good water camera for everyone in your party!

We are heading down to Quito then Galapagos for the first time, traveling with our preteen daughter. We have a cruise set on the Legend next week and all details set through SAExpeditions. Any last minute advice for folks that have recently been?

Hello all, I am planning to visit Galapagos from mid-November.
Since I am planning to stay there around 1.5 months, I planned to find last minute deal of scuba diving liveaboard there.

My question is, Is Last Minute Deal really exist?

Galapagos is popular destination and some posts in internet says it doesnt really exist. My budget is not that big so im really desperate finding it.

Can anybody give some advice to me about this situation? If you have experience about finding Last Minute deal or fail to find last minute deal, sharing those stories will really help me.