Quito and 5 Day Galapagos Sea Star Journey Cruise – Northern Islands
8 Days/7 Nights
From $5,359 per person
(Dbl. Occupancy, Not Incl. Airfare)
Overview
Set off on a five-day cruise aboard the Galapagos Sea Star Journey to the archipelago’s northern islands. Discover the unique character of each island visited and observe endemic and native species, including land iguanas, red-footed boobies, and sea lions. You will also learn about the volcanic origins of the islands. Highlights include the exploration of Genovesa Island, observing beautiful scenery from Bartolome Island, and getting up close to the giant tortoises of the Highlands of Santa Cruz Island.
Lodging and Meals: This tour includes accommodations for 7 nights (3 nights in Quito and 4 nights aboard the Galapagos Sea Star Journey), and 15 meals (7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 4 dinners).
Best Time to Go: Year-Round.
Destinations: South America, Ecuador, and Galapagos.
Interests: Adventure, Culture & History, Expedition Cruising, Sea Kayaking, Snorkeling, and Wildlife Viewing.
Places Visited: Quito, the Galapagos Islands, Baltra Island, Bartolomé Island, Chinese Hat Islet, Genovesa Island, Santa Cruz Island, and Santiago Island.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Note: The route and program may vary according to National Park policies and regulations, weather conditions, seasonal changes, safety reasons and wildlife encounters.
Dry Landing: Guests step from the dinghy directly onto rocks or a dock.
Wet Landing: As the dinghy edges onto a sandy beach, guests step into knee-deep water and wade ashore.
Day 1 (Fri): Quito.
Day 2 (Sat): City Tour of Quito-Middle of the World.
Following the city tour, you will be driven to the “Middle of the World City” complex, which is located 11 miles north of Quito. Here, you will see the monument of the equatorial line, a 98 foot high stone trapezoidal monument with a brass globe on top. The monument forms the focal point of a park and leisure area with gift shops and restaurants. Overnight in Quito. (B)
Day 3 (Sun): Quito-Baltra Airport-Dragon Hill (Santa Cruz).
The visitor site at Dragon Hill has been opened for visits since 1993. This site is located on northwestern Santa Cruz Island and consists of a trail that leads to a hyper-saline lagoon behind the beach, frequented by flamingos, pintail ducks and other species of birds. This site has been re populated with land iguanas from Seymour, Isabela and Santa Cruz islands. There is a short walk to the Hill, which offers a beautiful view of the bay. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)
Day 4 (Mon): Black Turtle Cove (Santa Cruz)-Chinese Hat.
Chinese Hat. This is a small islet (1 sq km) located just off the southeastern tip of Santiago Island. It is a recent volcanic cone, shaped like a Chinese hat when seen from north side. On the west lava formations can be seen, formed under the sea and raised upward, this is why coral heads are found on the lava. This is an excellent visit for interpretation of geological features such as lava tubes and lava flows. The landscape is covered by sea lion colonies, marine iguanas, and Galapagos penguins. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)
Day 5 (Tue): El Barranco-Darwin Bay (Genovesa).
One of its main predators is the short-eared owl. The red-footed booby nests only in the outer islands of the archipelago, Punta Pitt, Gardner (Floreana), Wolf, Darwin and Genovesa. Also present on this island is the masked booby. During the “panga rides” along the cliffs, fur sea lions and several species of seabirds can be seen.
Darwin Bay. This bay has its origin when the crater of this island collapsed below sea level. The wet landing is on a beautiful white coral sandy beach. This is a favorite island for birdwatchers that allows the following species to be seen: red footed-booby, masked boobies, wandering tattlers, lava gulls, whimbrels, yellow-crowned, and black-crowned lava herons, and yellow warblers.
Continuing on the trail, visitors climb gradually to the edge of the cliff seeing Red-Foots nesting in the Mangrove trees below. Bird watching includes sightings of sharp-beaked finches, large cactus and ground finches, Galapagos doves, and swallow-tailed gulls. Reaching the end of the trail, at the cliff’s edge an incredible view of the island and the many birds living there can be observed. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)
Day 6 (Wed): Bartolome-Sullivan Bay (Santiago).
Santiago, also called James, or San Salvador Island, is located in the west central part of the Galapagos archipelago. It is the fourth largest island in the archipelago (following Isabela, Fernandina and Santa Cruz). Along with some of the large western volcanoes of Isabela and Fernandina, Santiago is also volcanically active, with many young flows and cones to be seen, particularly along the south, west, and east coasts. These may even be seen from the summit of Darwin Volcano and from space. A number of historic eruptions have been reported over the last 2 centuries. Santiago actually consists of two coalesced volcanoes: a typical shield volcano on the northwest end and a low, linear fissure volcano on the southeast end. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)
Day 7 (Thu): Highlands (Santa Cruz)-Baltra Airport-Quito.
After the morning excursion, you will be taken to Baltra Airport for your flight to Quito. Overnight in Quito. (B)
Day 8 (Fri): Quito.
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
Itinerary Map
Prices & Dates
Price per Person
| Category | Single | Double | Triple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galapagos Suite (Upper Deck) | $10,689 | $5,359 | $4,969 |
| Galapagos Suite (Main Deck) | $11,589 | $5,809 | $5,389 |
| Sea Star Suite | $12,489 | $6,259 | $5,809 |
Notes:
- The above prices are valid until December 20, 2020.
- Triple rates are based on one child under 12 sharing a cabin with two adults paying full fare.
- There is a high season surcharge to be determined.
Departure Dates
Alternating Friday Departures Throughout the Year.
What's Included
Price Includes
- South American Vacations’ expert pre-departure planning services and documentation.
- Airport/hotel transfers including baggage handling.
- Three nights accommodations at Swissotel Quito (or similar).
- City tour of Quito/Middle of the World.
- Accommodations on board the M/Y Galapagos Sea Star Journey.
- All meals scheduled on board (including water, coffee, and tea) and others as indicated on the itinerary.
- Daily excursions to the islands conducted by English-speaking naturalist guides.
- Use of snorkeling equipment.
- Use of kayaks.
Price Does Not Include
- International airfare.
- Domestic airfare.
- Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee ($100).
- Transit control card ($20).
- Meals not indicated on the itinerary.
- Gratuities to ship crew and guides.
- Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
- Gifts and personal items.
- Use of wetsuits.
- Travel insurance.
We will be happy to quote the cost of airfare and travel insurance, and to make these arrangements for you.
Additional Details
Group Private: All services in Quito are private and all services in the Galapagos are operated on a group basis.
Elevations: Quito is 9,350 feet above sea level.
IGTOA’S Galapagos Traveler Conservation Fund: South American Vacations is an active member of IGTOA (International Galapagos Tour Operators Association). In support of IGTOA’s Galapagos Traveler Conservation Fund, we contribute $20 for each passenger that we send to the Galapagos Islands. You’ll travel knowing that you support the lasting protection of Galapagos Islands.
Sixty percent of the funding of this program goes directly to the Charles Darwin Foundation for science, conservation, and education. Their work, carried out through the Charles Darwin Research Station and Galapagos National Park, is vital to the preservation of the islands. You can visit their web site to learn more www.darwinfoundation.org. The remainder goes toward IGTOA’s mission of creating a model of responsible and sustainable tourism.
Passport/Visa: U.S., Australian, Canadian, and EU citizens require a passport valid for at least six months from date of entry and return ticket for stays of up to 90 days. Citizens of other countries are advised to contact the Ecuadorian embassy in their country before traveling.
Travel Insurance: In order to protect your travel investment from unforeseen circumstances that may arise before or during your trip, we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. We offer Allianz Global Assistance’s Classic Comprehensive and other plans. The Benefits and Coverage Limits are summarized on our Travel Insurance page. Call your travel counselor if you have any questions or to purchase a plan.
To Book This Trip: Call or email us to confirm the availability of this ship for your desired dates of travel. Once we have confirmed availability, you will need to pay a non-refundable deposit of $3,000 per person in Single Occupancy, $2,100 per person in Double Occupancy, and $2,000 per person in Triple Occupancy, plus the cost of the international airfare (if we arrange it for you). The balance of the trip cost is due 60 days prior to departure.
