PENGUINS · LAVA · SNORKEL
Seaman Journey Galápagos Cruise with Flights from London
Six nights aboard a 16-guest catamaran through the volcanic western islands, with return flights from London, a Quito hotel night and every transfer included.
Your trip
Your 9 days aboard Seaman Journey
Seaman Journey carries just 16 guests, so the western islands feel like your own stretch of ocean rather than a shared cruise itinerary. Expect snorkelling with marine iguanas and Galápagos penguins, sea kayaks off the back deck, and a chef who runs an interactive cooking class most evenings. It suits families with older children and couples who want real wildlife encounters without a big-ship feel.
Return flights from London are included, along with a night in Quito before the cruise and every transfer between planes and pangas. The whole trip is ATOL protected, licence 10898, so your money is secure from the moment you book.
At a glance
9 days7 nights
Seaman Journey16 guests
2 cabin typesChoose yours below
Flights includedATOL protected
23 Oct 2026Next departure
Galapagos IslandsOur destination guide
What you’ll see
Wildlife & Nature
Espinoza Point, Fernandina
Marine iguana colonies covering the rocks, plus the flightless cormorant, Galápagos penguin and Galápagos hawk, one of the most remote corners of the whole archipelago
Urbina Bay, Isabela
Snorkel alongside Galápagos penguins, spot land iguanas and Darwin’s finches, with giant tortoises roaming the uplifted coastline
Vicente Roca Point, Isabela
Panga ride and snorkel for sea turtles, sea lions, blue-footed boobies and the occasional Mola-mola sunfish
Tagus Cove, Isabela
Sea kayak past a resident flightless cormorant colony, with finches and mockingbirds on the volcanic trail above
Espumilla Beach and Buccaneer Cove, Santiago
Sea lions, white-tip reef sharks and manta rays offshore, a flamingo colony and nesting sea turtles on the dunes
Puerto Egas, Santiago
A sea lion colony on the black volcanic beach, snorkelling among marine iguanas, and fur seals playing in a tidal-pool grotto
Rábida Island
Red-sand beach snorkelling with playful sea lions, moray eels and small sharks, and a lagoon flamingo colony behind the beach
Chinese Hat
Marine iguanas, lava lizards and Galápagos penguins on the lava fields, with white-tip reef sharks in the channel and, occasionally, a passing whale shark
Day by day
Your itinerary
Day 1London to Quito
Board your overnight flight from London to Quito and settle in for the night. You land in Ecuador the next morning.
Day 2Fly to Galápagos and board Seaman Journey
A short flight takes you from Quito to Baltra in the Galápagos, where your guide meets you at the airport, sorts your national park fees and walks you through the biosecurity check. You cross the Itabaca Channel and head up into the Santa Cruz highlands, visiting Ranch Manzanillo or a similar farm to see wild giant tortoises and walk through lava tubes and craters, before boarding Seaman Journey in time for dinner.
Day 3Isabela Island and Fernandina Island
In the morning you land at Moreno Point on Isabela’s west coast, walking a lava-flow trail past coastal lagoons where blue-footed boobies and flightless cormorants nest. In the afternoon, a panga ride through the mangroves at Mangle Point on Fernandina is one of the best snorkelling stops on the route, with sea lions, rays and pelicans all common.
Day 4Fernandina Island and Isabela Island
Espinoza Point on Fernandina is one of the most remote corners of the whole archipelago, with marine iguana colonies covering the rocks and a real chance of the flightless cormorant, Galápagos penguin and Galápagos hawk. In the afternoon, Vicente Roca Point on Isabela’s northwest coast is rich in marine life; panga rides and snorkelling here can turn up sea turtles, sea lions and the odd Mola-mola sunfish.
Day 5Isabela Island — Urbina Bay and Tagus Cove
Urbina Bay sits at the base of Alcedo Volcano, a stretch of coastline pushed up out of the sea in 1954. You snorkel alongside Galápagos penguins and walk a trail where land iguanas and giant tortoises are often seen. In the afternoon, Tagus Cove was once a haunt of pirates and whalers, whose graffiti still marks the rocks; the hike leads to a lookout over Darwin Lake, and the cove is a good spot for kayaking past a resident flightless cormorant colony.
Day 6Santiago Island
Espumilla Beach and Buccaneer Cove, on Santiago’s northern coast, mix mangroves, dunes and a lagoon where flamingos gather, with sea lions, marine turtles and reef sharks all part of the scene. In the afternoon at Puerto Egas, a black volcanic beach lined with red Sally lightfoot crabs, the trail passes a sea lion colony and a tidal-pool grotto where fur seals play.
Day 7Rábida Island and Chinese Hat
Rábida’s beach and cliffs are stained deep red by oxidised volcanic rock, with a short trail to a lagoon that often holds flamingos, and some of the best snorkelling on the route, with playful sea lions alongside you in the water. Chinese Hat, a small volcanic islet off Santiago, has sea lion colonies, marine iguanas and Galápagos penguins on its lava fields, and a deep, sheltered channel where white-tip reef sharks rest in the caves below.
Day 8Black Turtle Cove, disembark and fly to Quito
A dinghy ride with the engine off takes you into the mangrove-lined waters of Black Turtle Cove on Santa Cruz, where sea turtles, rays and reef sharks move through the calm water. After breakfast you disembark and transfer to Baltra Airport for your flight back to Quito, connecting on to your overnight flight home.
Day 9Arrive London
Land back in the UK with a phone full of photos and more wildlife stories than anyone at home will sit still for.
LIFE ON BOARD
Seaman Journey carries just 16 guests, so the indoor lounge and dining room never feel crowded, and there’s always a spot free on the shaded sun deck or the outdoor cocktail area at the stern. Sea kayaks and snorkel gear live on board for whenever the water looks too good to pass up, and organic toiletries from the Chankuap Foundation are in every cabin. The crew run an interactive cooking class most cruises, and the kitchen caters for vegetarian, vegan, kosher and gluten-free diets without fuss. It’s the kind of boat where families spread out across the lounge with binoculars and a wildlife guidebook, and couples find their own corner of the deck at sunset.
YOUR CABIN
Six of the eight cabins are Standard Suites on the main deck, each around 14 square metres with twin beds, a panoramic window and a private bathroom. The two Matrimonial Suites on the upper deck are a little larger, at 18 square metres, with a queen bed and a sofa bed that converts the cabin to a triple for a child travelling with two adults. Every cabin has its own air conditioning, a hairdryer and a safe for passports and valuables. Which one suits you comes down to bed configuration and deck level as much as size, and we’re happy to talk you through both before you book.
FOOD & GUIDES
Your naturalist guide holds the highest Galápagos National Park qualification, Level III, and leads every excursion in English. Groups stay small enough that you’re never queuing for a panga or crowding a trail. Much of what lands on your plate comes from Seaman Journey’s own hydroponic orchard on San Cristóbal, grown to cut down on food shipped in from the mainland. The yacht also runs within the lowest one percent of fuel consumption of any boat in the islands, dims its deck lighting at anchor to protect nocturnal wildlife, and filters its waste water to a potable standard before it goes back into the sea, so the islands you’re there to see stay the way you found them.
Your price covers
What's included
Flights
- Return flights from London (other UK airports on request)
- Return flights, Quito to Galápagos and back, with airport assistance
We can also book other airlines, including flights with one stop, to suit your dates and preferences.
Accommodation
- One night’s hotel in Quito before you fly out to the islands, bed and breakfast, with transfers (airport hotel, or upgrade to the Illa Experience Hotel in the old town on request)
- Six nights aboard Seaman Journey in your chosen cabin
Meals
All meals on board, plus unlimited purified water, coffee and tea
Guides and tours
A bilingual naturalist guide, Level III, and every excursion on the itinerary
Snorkelling
Snorkelling gear and sea kayaks
Entry fees
The Galápagos National Park entrance fee and INGALA transit control card
ATOL protection
ATOL protection, licence 10898
Not included: Travel insurance · Tips for your guide and the crew (we can tell you the usual amounts when you book) · Wetsuit hire, from USD 60 for this cruise · Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks · Personal spending money
Your next step
Dates and price
Choose Your Cabin
Departure Dates
Choose a date, then enquire.
No commitment, we respond within 24 hours
Before you book
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Return flights from London to Quito and on to the Galápagos are built into the price shown, along with a night in Quito before the cruise. The whole trip, flights and cruise together, is ATOL protected under licence 10898, so your money is secure from the moment you book. Christmas and New Year departures cost more than the price shown here, so ask us for the exact difference, and we can also put together five-day and longer combination itineraries on request.
Ready to talk about Seaman Journey?
Tell us your dates and how many are travelling, and we’ll check availability on Seaman Journey and put together a full quote, including your flights from London.
Other Expedition Cruises
Galaxy Diver II Galápagos Diving Liveaboard with Flights from London
Evolution Galápagos Cruise with Flights from London
Holidays in Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Island Hopping: Santa Cruz & Isabela
Galápagos & Machu Picchu Honeymoon: Luxury Twin-Centre
Galápagos & Machu Picchu: Andes Twin-Centre Holiday
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