PENGUINS · LAVA · JACUZZI
Elite Galápagos Cruise with Flights from London
Eight days through the western islands on an intimate sixteen-guest catamaran, with a sky deck jacuzzi and private balcony suites.
Your trip
Your 11 days aboard Elite
The Elite carries just sixteen guests around the western Galápagos, so the islands feel close and the crossings feel calm. Every suite has its own outlook onto the water, and the sky deck jacuzzi is there for the evenings between excursions. It suits couples and small groups who want a proper expedition without giving up comfort.
Return flights from London are included, along with the internal flight to San Cristóbal and a hotel night in Quito either side of the cruise, which is why the full holiday runs to 11 days / 10 nights for 7 nights aboard. The whole trip is ATOL protected, so your money is secure from the moment you book.
At a glance
11 days10 nights
Elite16 guests
Flights includedATOL protected
Dates on requestTell us your month
Galapagos IslandsOur destination guide
Isabela & Fernandina
Wildlife & Nature
Flightless cormorants and Galápagos penguins around Fernandina and Isabela, a pairing found nowhere else on Earth
Land iguanas basking on the trail at Dragon Hill, Santa Cruz
Marine iguana colonies draped across the black lava at Punta Espinosa
Giant tortoises roaming wild at San Cristóbal's highland reserve
Blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls nesting on North Seymour
Galápagos penguins darting around Bartolomé's Pinnacle Rock
Sea lions and reef sharks in the water at Kicker Rock
Flamingos and pintail ducks in the wetlands by Isabela's tortoise breeding centre
Day by day
Your itinerary
Day 1Depart London
Your overnight flight leaves the UK for Quito, Ecuador's capital high in the Andes. Settle in, since it's a long flight, and tomorrow starts gently.
Day 2Quito
Land in Quito and transfer to your hotel for the night. There's time to rest after the flight, or to walk the colonial old town before an early start tomorrow for the Galápagos.
Day 3San Cristóbal, board the Elite
A short flight takes you from Quito to San Cristóbal, where the Elite is waiting. Board in the morning, then head up to El Junco Lagoon in the afternoon, a freshwater crater lake in the highlands where frigatebirds come to bathe.
Day 4North Seymour and Dragon Hill, Santa Cruz
North Seymour in the morning is one of the best islands for blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds nesting at close range. In the afternoon, Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz brings you to a lagoon where flamingos sometimes feed, and a trail where land iguanas bask in the open.
Day 5Tintoreras and Sierra Negra, Isabela
The morning explores Tintoreras, a channel where white-tipped reef sharks and marine iguanas share the shallows close to Isabela's Sierra Negra volcano. In the afternoon, call at the Arnaldo Tupiza breeding centre and the wetlands next door, good ground for flamingos and pintail ducks.
Day 6Moreno Point and Urbina Bay, Isabela
Moreno Point in the morning is a run of black lava pools where penguins and herons feed among the rocks. Urbina Bay in the afternoon is one of the best places on the whole cruise to see giant tortoises and land iguanas together in the wild, right down at the shoreline.
Day 7Punta Espinosa, Fernandina and Vicente Roca Point, Isabela
Punta Espinosa on Fernandina in the morning has some of the largest marine iguana colonies in the Galápagos, draped over black lava alongside flightless cormorants. In the afternoon, Vicente Roca Point on Isabela is a sheltered bay good for snorkelling among sea turtles.
Day 8Rabida and Bartolomé
Rabida's red sand beach in the morning is a sea lion colony at close range. In the afternoon, Bartolomé is the classic Galápagos view: a short climb to a lookout over Pinnacle Rock, with Galápagos penguins often swimming in the bay below.
Day 9Kicker Rock and the tortoise reserve, San Cristóbal
Kicker Rock, a split volcanic pinnacle rising straight out of the sea, is one of the best snorkelling sites in the archipelago, with reef sharks and rays in the channel between its two towers. Witch Hill's white sand beach nearby is a quieter stop with sea lions and turquoise water. In the afternoon, visit the giant tortoise reserve in San Cristóbal's highlands to see them roaming wild.
Day 10San Cristóbal Interpretation Centre and disembark
A last morning ashore at the San Cristóbal Interpretation Centre covers the human and natural history of the islands before you disembark. Fly back via Guayaquil or Quito to connect with your overnight flight home to London.
Day 11Arrive home
Land back in the UK with a week and a half of the Galápagos behind you.
LIFE ON BOARD
The Elite carries just sixteen guests across three decks, which keeps things unhurried. Meals are served in the indoor dining room, with a bar alongside for evening drinks before or after the day's excursions. The Main Deck also has a snack station and cosy seating for lounging between meals. Up on the sky deck there's open-air seating, sun loungers and a jacuzzi for the hours between islands, plus a covered lounge inside if the weather turns. Crossings between sites tend to happen overnight or over lunch, so most of the daylight hours are spent ashore or in the water rather than travelling.
YOUR CABIN
Eight suites are split evenly between the Main Deck and the Upper Deck. The four Main Deck suites are twin or double, two of them with front-facing panoramic windows over the bow. Upstairs, the four Golden Suites open onto the Elite's signature panoramic balconies, private space to watch the water without leaving your room, and each has a small desk for logging the day's sightings. Every suite has its own en-suite bathroom, so nobody is sharing. With only sixteen guests aboard in total, it never feels crowded, even when everyone is back on board at once.
HOW THE DAYS RUN
Each day on board follows the same easy rhythm: an excursion in the morning, back to the Elite for lunch, then a second excursion in the afternoon before dinner. Groups stay small, led by a certified naturalist guide who knows the wildlife calendar for wherever you're anchored that day. Most landings are by panga, the inflatable boats that get you onto beaches and lava rock the yacht itself can't reach, with a chance to snorkel straight off the panga too. Evenings are unstructured: a drink on the sky deck, dinner, then an early night before the next site.
Your price covers
What's included
Flights
Return flights from London (other UK airports on request)
We can also book other airlines, including flights with one stop, to suit your dates and preferences.
Internal flights
Internal flights between Quito and the Galápagos
Accommodation
One night's hotel in Quito before the cruise (upgrade to the Illa Experience Hotel in the old town on request)
Transport
Transfers throughout
Your cabin
Your cabin aboard the Elite
Meals
All meals on board
Guides and tours
Naturalist guide-led excursions
Snorkelling
Snorkelling equipment
Entry fees
The Galápagos National Park entrance fee and transit control card
ATOL protection
Your holiday is ATOL protected (ATOL 10898). You get an ATOL Certificate when you book.
Not included: Travel insurance · Tips for the crew and guides · Wetsuit hire · Drinks · Personal spending
Your next step
Dates and price
Tell us the month you have in mind and how many of you are travelling. We will come back with the sailing dates and a price for your cabin, flights from London included.
No commitment, we respond within 24 hours
Before you book
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Return flights from London, the internal flight to San Cristóbal and a hotel night in Quito are all included in the price, and the whole holiday is protected under our ATOL licence. If you'd rather fly from another UK airport, ask and we'll price it.
Ready to sail the western Galápagos?
Send us an enquiry and we'll get back to you with cabin availability, pricing and a plan built around your dates. Every Galápagos holiday we sell is flight-inclusive and ATOL protected.
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Interested in this expedition?
Our specialists can help you choose the right cabin and departure date.
Tailor-made · ATOL 10898
Combine this with another country
Most of our expedition clients add a few extra days exploring nearby, Peru's Sacred Valley before the Galápagos, Mexico's cenotes after the cruise. A specialist can shape the whole journey.
Combine this with another country