How To Get To The Galapagos Islands
Step by step guide
Airline route & cruise route to the Galapagos Islands
STEP 1

TAKE AN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT TO ECUADOR

There are no direct international flights to the Galapagos. When flying into the country of Ecuador, you can choose to arrive either to the Andean capital city of Quito or to the costal city of Guayaquil.

Quito is Ecuador’s capital, a city of just over 2 million people located in the Andes Mountain Range at 2,800 meters / 9,180 ft. above sea level. Quito’s “old” town is one of the most beautiful colonial centers of any Latin American city and is nearby several Andean indeginous markets like Otavalo and Cotacachi. If you will be extending your trip to Galapagos with a trip in Mainland Ecuador, we recommend you arrive to Quito rather than Guayaquil.

Guayaquil is located in the coast of Ecuador at sea level and is the country’s largest city with a population of 2.5 million. It is a modern city and Ecuador’s largest port. For those who are sensitive to altitude, or who will not be doing any tours in Mainland Ecuador in addition to their Galapagos trip, we recommend to fly into the city of Guayaquil.

There are direct non-stop flights to Quito or Guayaquil from several US cities like Houston, New York and Miami, as well as from European cities like Madrid.

IMPORTANT

For anyone traveling to Galapagos we recommend you arrive at least 2 days before your scheduled Galapagos travel dates (especially for cruises) in case there are flight delays or cancellations. We have had several occasions where guests missed their cruise because of flight delays and they had to join several days later when the cruise was again close to port.

STEP 2

TAKE A DOMESTIC FLIGHT TO THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

There are domestic flights to the Galapagos originating from the cities of Quito or Guayaquil in Ecuador.

There are two airports in Galapagos: One on BALTRA Island and the other in in SAN CRISTOBAL Island. Which airport you fly to will depend on where your Galapagos cruise starts from (based on your chosen itinerary) or your hotel location.

Flights departing from Quito stop in Guayaquil before continuing to the Galapagos Islands. The flight time between Quito and Guayaquil is roughly 35 minutes and from Guayaquil to Galapagos is roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes.

BOOKING FLIGHTS TO/FROM GALAPAGOS

Air flights to the Galapagos are somewhat limited. There are three airlines that operate these routes: TAME, AEROGAL (AVIANCA) and LATAM.

Quasar Expeditions has corporate arrangements with these airlines to ensure our guests have spaces available for their travel dates. We strongly suggest you book your Galapagos flight through Quasar Expeditions to ensure you arrive with your group and on time for cruise departure. We charge the same cost as if booked directly with the airline.

FLIGHT PRICES ARE BASED ON ROUTE AND TRAVEL DATES

Air tickets prices will depend on your to/from cities and travel dates as follows:

HIGH SEASON (HS):
July, August & December
LOW SEASON (LS):
January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October & November
Adult Tickets:
Start at USD 453
Children tickets:
Start at USD 288

Travelers 11 years or younger are considered children and pay a lower price