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Galapagos Island Transfer: Airport-Hotel with Giant Tortoise Visit
4.8
22 Ratings
Seymour
Optimize your time in Galapagos with our airport-hotel transfer that includes a visit to the giant tortoise reserve and lava tunnels. Save a day and make the most of your stay!
Duration:
3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Galápagos Ecologic Airport - Upon arrival at the Galapagos airport on Baltra Island, you must present your documents and pay the entrance fee to the Galapagos National Park, after which you can take your luggage and upon your departure our guide will be waiting for you with a sign with your name.
From here our guide will assist you at all times and we continue in a transport (cost included in the rate) to the end of the Island to the so-called Itabaca Channel
- Canal de Itabaca - We leave the transport and go to the dock of the channel, we embark (the cost is included) and put the life jackets that will be provided once full, the ferry makes a short navigation to the island in front that is Santa Cruz.
- Santa Cruz - We get off the ferry and our transport will be waiting for you, (from here the transfer will be private since the previous segment is not possible all passengers share land transport and the ferry) and the first stop will be the Giant Tortoise Reserve.
- Rancho Primicias - We arrive at the Giant Tortoise Reserve where we can walk through its forests of small shrubs to observe the giant Galapagos tortoises in their natural state. Our guide will inform about the flora and fauna of the place. This is a great place to take pictures very close to these calm giants, then hike to observe the lava tunnels
- Puerto Ayora - Finally we will arrive in Puerto Ayora, the populated area of Santa Cruz, where our guide will drop you off at your hotel.
What's Included
- Entrance to the Lava Tunnels
- Guided tour with a bilingual Galapagos National Park-certified guide
- Private transportation from Itabaca Channel to the hotel
- Visit to see giant tortoises
- Transportation ticket from the Airport to Itabaca Channel
- Ferry ticket for Itabaca Channel crossing
What's Not Included
- Tips
- Feeding
Additional Information
Make the most of your Galapagos trip!
You can efficiently utilize your time by visiting the oversized tortoise reserve and lava tunnels immediately after you land. Generally, the transport taking you from the airport is direct and without halts, with a return trip the following day to the top of the island for the tortoise and tunnel tours, robbing you of a precious day in Galapagos.
With our approach, you gain a day by heading straight to these attractions as soon as you arrive.
Location
Galápagos Ecologic Airport
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(22 Ratings)
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Ethrivrav
Apr 12, 2024
A great Galapagos tour with a great guide - Taking this tour was the perfect way to start our trip to the Galapagos. The tour guide, Ricardo Loor, was excellent and was waiting right there at the Baltra airport to pick us up, even after our flight time was changed to arrive an hour earlier. They track your flight to make sure they are there when you arrive. The bus fee and ferry fee were included in the tour price. Ricardo was very helpful throughout the tour, giving us time to eat lunch and when one of our group forgot her gifts at the tortoise reserve, Ricardo called the place and had someone bring it back to us. Ricardo is also a fountain of knowledge and can answer any question you have about the Galapagos and was helpful in getting us the best photos of the tortoises. All in all, a great trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christina_j
Dec 30, 2023
Excellent tour with Jefferson! - We were picked up at the airport by our guide, Jefferson, and he helped us with the whole process of getting to our hotel. On the way, we stopped to see the giant tortoises and lava tunnels in the highlands. We really enjoyed the tour and it was made even better by Jefferson. He was super friendly and knowledgeable (and also very patient with our young daughter!). We highly recommend this tour and if you can, request Jefferson as your guide because you won’t be disappointed!
Review provided by Viator
Veronica_s
Dec 18, 2023
Great Introduction to Galapagos Hot Spots - My family of five really enjoyed our tour with Andres. He was extremely knowledgeable, kind, and had a wonderful personality. He made sure we were comfortable from the moment we met him at the airport, was able to accommodate all requests, and find the perfect pace/groove for a mixed ability group. Andres spoke great English and had an answer for every question we asked and was also very savvy and helpful with other recommendations and suggestions for activities and restaurants in town. We would highly recommended this tour and Andres to anyone visiting!
Review provided by Viator
691analiab
Sep 3, 2023
Excellent tour and a great time saver! - Great tour. After taking several planes to get to Baltra airport, it was nice not to be thinking about how to get to the hotel. We also appreciated the amount of time we saved by visiting the space where the giant tortoises live. The guide was amazing. The visit to the tunnel was also very interesting. We really enjoyed the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephanie_w
Aug 18, 2023
Wonderful day in Santa Cruz - We had a wonderful time with our tour guide, Ricardo, and our driver Carlos. Ricardo was very knowledgeable and went above and beyond when I misplaced my luggage. He found my missing luggage and waited with me while a currier brought my missing bag. Wonderful experience.
Review provided by Viator
David_r
Aug 2, 2023
Wonderful turtle tour - This was a great experience. Love the giant turtles! We also got to see a sink hole and a lava túnel.
Review provided by Viator
Laurie_p
Jul 28, 2023
Tortoise stop is a must-see - The tour driver met me just outside the baggage area; he coordinated the bus and ferry rides and the payments to each (going along with me); this was very appreciated as most folks spoke only Spanish. I thought this was a tour for a small group, but I was the only one. I kind of wanted to blend into the background of a group, but the tour guide was easy to be around. We first stopped at Los Gemelas which is basically two big holes in the ground; but the guide did a good job of explaining it. Next stop was great; the large outdoors area with tortoises all over the place. None of the animals were caged, they were just walking around. I loved this stop. The guide did a great job of offering photos. On to the hotel dropoff. Everything went smooth and this tour made for a very easy transition from the airport to the hotel.
Review provided by Viator
Hanna
Jul 5, 2023
Unreal! - Getting picked up at the airport by a guide was such a nice welcome to a new, magical place! Astrid was so knowledgeable, kind, and a wonderful guide at the tortoise and lava tunnel park. She and the driver drove us from the airport, to the park, and to our hotel. The tortoises were unreal and the whole place felt like straight out of Jurassic Park! We definitely recommend this especially if it’s your first time to the Galapagos!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Janine_s
Jun 24, 2023
An easy and entertaining airport transfer 🥰 - This was really worth doing! Our guide was waiting for us at the airport with a clearly marked sign with our names. It was then painless to get the bus and then the ferry to the mainland where a private vehicle and separate driver was waiting for us. Our guide knew all of the operators so our luggage was prioritized for the most expedient transfer. Once we were in our private vehicle, our guide shared lots of interesting facts about the Galapagos while we traveling to 2 different spots: a couple of volcano creators and then to ‘El Chato Ranch’ to see giant tortoises and the lava tunnel. This was a VERY entertaining and interesting experience.
Finally, we were dropped right outside our hotel so we could check in.
It was great not to have to think about getting from the airport to our hotel and we were also entertained along the way. So worth it!!
Review provided by Viator
Carljj4090sg
May 17, 2023
Great Adventure with Andres. An experience not to miss! - What an experience to get our Galapagos adventure off to a great start! Thank you Andres for a friendly, professional, and educational experience! I wasn't sure at first if my son and I were going to do this but are so glad we did! Andres was waiting for us at the airport, got us and our bags on the bus, got us on the ferry, and he and his driver took us away to start our adventure stopping at the big crater and off to see the tortoises and lava tunnels. Andres shared his detailed knowledge and love for this very special place. We spent a great time at the tortoise ranch where he showed us so much about these magnificent creatures. Definitely an experience I'm glad I didn't miss. Thanks Andres!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
