Things to do during your Galápagos Islands expedition cruise
With its unique ecology, rugged landscape, and wealth of wildlife, there are endless things to do while visiting the Galápagos Islands. With Hurtigruten Expeditions, it’s more than just a sightseeing experience—it’s an immersive journey of discovery.
Travel to the Galápagos Islands with Hurtigruten Expeditions
Our itinerary to the Galápagos Islands is crafted to ensure that you experience everything this amazing archipelago has to offer, from unforgettable wildlife and adventurous activities to science and conservation.
Aboard the compact MS Santa Cruz II, we’ll take you to some of the most remote locations to seek out many of the iconic ‘Big 15’ species of the Galápagos Islands. Our comfortable ship has capacity for only 90 guests and is fully equipped for adventure. Enjoy spacious cabins, hot tubs, a fitness area, and locally sourced culinary delights in our onboard restaurant. We also have a Science Corner and a library for you to delve deeper into the wonders of the Galápagos.
Our team of experts will accompany you and guide you on nature walks, shore landings, and snorkeling trips. With an emphasis on sustainability, the Expedition Team will teach you about the fragile ecosystems of the Galápagos Islands and how you can help with conservation efforts. And with an average of just 12 guests per guide, you’ll enjoy a more personalized experienced.
Here are some of the things you can do in the Galápagos Islands with Hurtigruten Expeditions:
Landings with small panga boats
On your trip to the Galápagos Islands, you’ll enjoy exclusive shore landings aboard our small panga boats. These small, agile boats can land at rugged, isolated beaches, taking our guests off the beaten track. From volcanic, rocky shores to white-sand beaches, we’ll visit a range of locations on our daily adventures.
With just one vessel permitted to dock at each location, you’ll enjoy an intimate wildlife-spotting experience. You’ll likely see iconic species such as the giant tortoise and marine iguana, right up close.
Our small panga boats are ideal for spotting marine life, from dolphins and sharks to sea turtles and whales. And if you’d like to see below the water’s surface, you can ride in our glass-bottomed boat to get underwater views of tropical fish—and more!—without getting wet.
Nature walks with qualified wildlife guides
The Expedition Team members are all local to Ecuador—or even the Galápagos Islands themselves—and specialists in Galápagos wildlife. With their experience and knowledge, they’ll lead you on fascinating nature walks and immerse you in the islands’ unique ecosystems. We always travel in small groups and can accommodate multiple interests, activity levels, needs, and languages.
Our qualified guides may lead you through the Palo Santo forests of North Seymour, where you can savor their sweet fragrance, and then take you to observe the Blue-footed Boobies of San Cristóbal Island, or watch the sea lions of Mosquera Islet as they bask in the sun.
One of our favorite nature walks is through the lush highlands of Santa Cruz, where giant tortoises lumber undisturbed. On a trip to the Galápagos Islands with Hurtigruten Expeditions, you’ll not only see these remarkable creatures, you’ll learn about how you can help preserve their habitat and help protect the species. You can even help collect important data to contribute to global scientific research projects.
Kayaking and stand-up paddle-boarding (SUP)
No tour of the Galápagos Islands would be complete without aquatic adventures. With Hurtigruten Expeditions, you can explore the protected Galápagos Marine Reserve and its array of volcanic islands by kayak or SUP.
The calm waters surrounding the white-sand beaches of Santa Fé are perfect for kayaking. Or, kayak around the stunning coral beach of Gardner Bay and across to Osborn Islet while visiting Española, and watch for sea lions, mockingbirds, and Darwin’s famous finches.
Stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) is great fun, too. If you’ve never tried it before, SUP boards are easy to master and maneuver, a wonderful way to bays and inlets. The calm, warm sea of the Galápagos Islands is the perfect place to practice this new skill. Whenever you need a break, you can simply sit down and relax.
All equipment is provided on board, so just bring along your sense of adventure.
Snorkeling
There’s no better way to see marine life in the Galápagos Islands than to get in the water. The tranquil waters of the archipelago are perfect for snorkeling, whether you’re a beginner or experienced. We have all the gear you need, and our Expedition Team is ready to take you around some of the best snorkeling spots of the islands.
While immersed in the warm, crystal-clear waters around the Galápagos Islands, you’ll see abundant sealife from an underwater perspective. Whether it’s shape-shifting clouds of vibrant fish or gently drifting sea turtles, there’s an exciting underwater world for you to discover. You may even meet a curious sea lion!
Our top snorkeling spots in the Galápagos Islands include Eden Islet, off the coast of Santa Cruz. The shallows around Eden are teeming with life, so on this sliver of volcanic rock among turquoise waters, keep your eyes peeled for rays and turtles. Playa Mansa is also a great place for snorkeling. The secluded mangrove cove creates a calm, sheltered bay that’s perfect for subaquatic exploration.
You can snorkel in the Galápagos Islands all year round, but one of the best times is from January to May, when the weather is at its warmest and the sea is calmer.
Wildlife photography in the Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are a photographer’s dream. You’ll encounter wildlife at every turn, on land and at sea. We even have an onboard professional photographer to offer you helpful tips and tricks.
From your small boat (RIB), you might see playful dolphins, drifting rays, and soaring albatross. And, from our glass-bottomed boat, you can take pictures and immortalize vibrant underwater scenes.
On land, you can right up close to the action. The isolation of the Galápagos Islands has allowed species to evolve without many predators, making them mostly indifferent to the presence of humans. This allows you admire the wildlife at a close—but always respectable—distance. From snow-white beaches to rocky shores and green forests, you can photograph iconic wildlife such as giant tortoises, lizards, and iguanas in their natural habitats.
Our itinerary is carefully designed to give you the best photo opportunities by visiting the best wildlife-viewing locations across the islands. Our itinerary includes visits to see the giant tortoises of Santa Cruz, the boobies of San Cristobal, the waved albatross of Española, and the sea lions of North Seymour Islands.
Birdwatching in the Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are a birder’s paradise with many endemic species living in the remote archipelago. During our cruise of the islands, we’ll stop at breeding grounds and thriving colonies, allowing you to see the iconic birdlife of the Galápagos firsthand.
You’ll see the finches that helped cement Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. The various species of finch and their distinctive beaks can be seen across the Galápagos Islands, and you can observe them up close at the Charles Darwin Research Station.
We also visit Española Island, the main breeding ground for waved albatross. Even though they live here in large numbers, they are classified as critically endangered, because this is essentially their only breeding ground. At Punto Pitt on San Cristóbal Island, you can see up to three different species of booby: the colorful blue-footed booby, the determined red-footed booby, and the large Nazca booby.
Other interesting birds to watch for while cruising the islands are Galapagos penguins (the only penguin species to live north of the Equator), the formidable Galapagos hawk, and the Great frigatebird, with its characteristic red throat.
Science, conservation, and research
With a focus on science and conservation, a cruise to the Galápagos Islands with Hurtigruten Expeditions allows you to give back. Given the extraordinary ecology of the islands, it’s a hub for global conservation and research. During your expedition cruise, you’ll have the chance to visit some of the archipelago’s largest research and conservation projects, and even contribute to studies by gathering data.
We’ll stop at the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island, where over 200 scientists and volunteers are working to preserve the ecosystems and wildlife of the Galápagos Islands. This research facility is a breeding center for giant tortoises, where you can see their young in incubators. You can also observe Darwin’s famous finches and see how their varied beak shapes helped inspire Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection.
On San Cristóbal Island, we visit the Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve, where giant tortoises roam freely around 15 acres of open forest. At the reserve, you can also see other endemic species, such as the mockingbirds and lava lizards of San Cristóbal Island.
Throughout your trip, you’ll learn about the remarkable ecosystems of the Galápagos Islands. You can even participate in global research as part of Citizen Science projects and analyze samples in our onboard Science Center.