Accommodation

Le Grande Daphne features en suite cabins all with air conditioning and a safety box. The airconditioning is a centrally controlled system for the lower deck cabins and the upper deck cabins have individually controlled systems. The upper deck cabins have large windows and the lower deck cabins have portholes. Due to the lower deck cabins being close to the water, the portholes cannot be opened. There are 4 lower deck twin cabins, 1 lower deck double cabin, 1 main deck double suite cabin and 2 upper deck twin/double cabins. Please note that single passengers cannot be booked/confirmed in the double cabin unless a single supplement is paid. Hotel (2 nights) Overnight boat (3 nights)

Guide

Our local representative will meet you in the evening of day 1 of the trip and conduct the group briefing. They will then also transfer with you to the airport on day 2 for your flight to the Galapagos. On arrival in the Galapagos you will be met your Guide. Our Guides are registered and trained in conservation and natural sciences by the Charles Darwin Foundation and licensed by the Galapagos National Park Service. The Guide will be on board with you for the duration of the trip and will accompany you on all excursions. Our boats are also staffed by highly experienced shipboard staff and crew.

Meals

5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 4 dinners

Transport

Le Grande Daphne is a motor yacht. She has a comfortable lounge and dining area, as well as a sun deck where you can view the wildlife or just kick back and relax. She has eight well-appointed, air-conditioned cabins each with en-suites. Cabins: 4x lower deck twin cabins 1x lower deck double cabin 1x main deck double suite 2x upper deck twin/double cabins Zodiacs (locally known as pangas) are modest-sized, open, outboard-powered boats which are very common throughout Galapagos. The boats are used to get you to and from the Daphne when you do activities. Depending on the type of activity, this could either be a wet or dry landing. The boat crew are there to assist you getting into and out of the zodiac. Boat , Plane , Bus , Zodiac (Panga)

Others

Isla Santa Cruz - Highlands Visit (1.5 hours) - Dry Landing Isla Floreana - Post Office Bay - Walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing Isla Floreana - Punta Cormorant walk (1.5 hours) - Wet Landing Isla Espanola - Bahia Gardener - Snorkel (1 hour) Isla Espanola - Punta Suarez - Walk (3 hours) - Dry Landing Isla San Cristobal - Cerro Brujo - snorkel or beach walk (1 hour) Isla San Cristobal - Interpretation Center Visit (1 hour) - Dry Landing

Not included:

Insurance

Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered. If you require travel insurance, TourRadar has partnered up with World Nomads to provide a hassle-free experience. More information can be found here (https://www.tourradar.com/travel-insurance).

Others

Other activities and services not included

Optional

Other activities and services not included

Flights

International flights not included.

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Quito
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Quito

The adventure gets underway in Quito, Ecuador’s sprawling but refined capital city. A welcome meeting will be held this evening at either 5 pm or 6 pm so that you can meet your fellow travellers, but aside from that you are free to check out the city on your own today. After your welcome meeting, head to a small, local restaurant for dinner with your group. You can expect some pretty mouth-watering aromas from the fresh flavours of traditional Ecuadorian cuisine. Think quinoa, pork and vegetable dishes laced with local herbs, lemongrass and rich sauces all sourced from local farms. You might even get to try the traditional Locro (potato soup). If you arrive early today, perhaps head to Quito’s Old Town and pick one (or more) of the 30 churches to explore.
Day 2 Day 2: Isla Baltra/Santa Cruz Highlands
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Isla Baltra/Santa Cruz Highlands

Rise and shine! An early start is necessary this morning to make it to the Galapagos with time to play today. This could mean leaving as early as 4.30 am, and an Intrepid representative will confirm the exact departure time during the welcome meeting on day 1. Transfer to Mariscal Sucre International Airport (aka Quito Airport), enjoying a boxed breakfast en route. On arrival in the Galapagos, collect your luggage and meet your naturalist guide in the arrival hall. The action starts straight away with a journey into the highlands of Isla Santa Cruz, into the misty forests filled with unique scalesia. If you’re lucky, this could be your first sighting of giant tortoises in the wild, different species of Darwin finches and the world-famous woodpecker and warbler finches. Enjoy lunch in the highlands, then travel to Puerto Ayora and transfer to your boat – Grande Daphne. Settle into your assigned cabin, meet the crew and listen to a safety briefing. With the formalities out of the way, maybe head up to the deck with some of your fellow travellers and get to know each other over a drink or two.
Day 3 Day 3: Isla Floreana
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Isla Floreana

Discover the quirky maritime history of Post Office Bay, home of the oldest postal system in the Americas. There’s a post box here that was first built by 18th-century whalers and is still in use today. Perhaps leave a letter to be collected by another traveller, or have a look for one that you can deliver. Snorkelling and a Zodiac ride are also included in this outing. Afterwards, head ashore at Punta Cormorant where the sand is made up of fine olivine crystal, a glassy volcanic mineral that gives the beach an olive-green colour. Sea lions can usually be seen lounging and socialising along the shore. Explore a little more of the island on a 1-kilometre walk, passing waterbird-filled lagoons and finishing at an Eastern Pacific green turtle nesting site. Later you’ll have the opportunity to snorkel in famous Devil’s Crown. This eroded volcanic cone is a popular roosting site for seabirds such as boobies, pelicans and frigates. Red-billed tropicbirds can also be seen nesting in the rocky crevices. Those who snorkel here might see rays, sharks, sea lions and turtles. Sail overnight to Isla Espanola. Estimated travel time/distance: Puerto Ayora to Isla Floreana: 4 hours (32 nautical miles) Punta Comorant (Isla Floreana) to Punta Suarez: 6.5 hours (52 nautical miles)
Day 4 Day 4: Isla Espanola
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Isla Espanola

Land at Punta Suarez on Isla Espanola, one of the most attractive locations in the Galapagos, home to a large and varied wildlife population. A hike along rocky trails (approximately 3 km) takes you to a clifftop viewpoint that affords magical panoramas. Boobies line the rocky shoreline below, while frigate birds can be seen overhead. Enormous male sea lions lounge nearby, and albatross use the cliffs as their ‘runway’, getting airborne on the southeast winds. If you’re lucky you might spot the elaborate courtship rituals performed by albatrosses before the female chooses her lifelong mate. Next, head to Bahia Gardner, one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galapagos Islands. It’s full of sea lions and hood mockingbirds. Enjoy a short walk (approximately 1 km) along the beach, then snorkel up and explore off shore. Reef sharks, turtles and many species of tropical fish (such as surgeon and angelfish) make their home along the islands shore. Small white-tipped reef sharks are also often spotted resting under the rocks. Estimated travel time/distance: Punta Suarez to Bahia Gardener: 45 minutes (5 nautical miles) Bahia Gardener to Leon Dormido: 5 hours (8 nautical miles)
Day 5 Day 5: Isla San Cristobal
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Isla San Cristobal

Shake off any early morning doziness with a trip to Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock). This basalt crater rises 150 metres above the water and is divided into two parts by a narrow channel. Cruise around kicker rock as nesting seabirds flank the boat, tropicbirds soar overhead and sea lions lounge by the water. Next, spend some time snorkelling at Cerro Brujo, providing opportunities to see Galapagos sharks and sea turtles. Or perhaps enjoy the beautiful beach with a leisurely walk to photograph the interesting sea lions who can often be seen at this location. Head to the airport on Isla San Cristobal for your flight back to Quito. The flight will stop in Guayaquil to drop off and/or pick up passengers en route. Arrive at Quito Airport at approximately 4 pm and take a transfer to your hotel. An Intrepid local representative may stop by your hotel this evening to get some feedback on your Galapagos experience.
Day 6 Day 6: Quito
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Quito

Buenos dias! There are no activities planned for today after breakfast. If you plan to stay on in Quito, why not join a local guide for an Urban Adventure? Discover the city’s stories through the streets, the markets or the bakeries. Find out more at urbanadventures.com/destination/Quito-tours.

6 days tour

Galapagos At A Glance: Southern Islands (Grand Daphne)

This tour includes:

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Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Galapagos At A Glance: Southern Islands (Grand Daphne)

Day 1: Quito

Day 2: Isla Baltra/Santa Cruz Highlands

Day 3: Isla Floreana

Day 4: Isla Espanola

Day 5: Isla San Cristobal

Day 6: Quito

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