Short answer: from mainland Ecuador, a 7-day budget trip on land costs about $2,066 per person (park fee, transit card, flights to the islands, hotels, ferries, 3 day tours, food). A mid-range 8-day cruise is about $6,803 per person and a comfortable land trip with 5 tours about $4,307. Your flight to Ecuador is extra.
Price your trip
GALÁPAGOS TRIP
7 days · 2 adults · land-based · mid-range
| ENTRY | |
| National park fee: 2 adults | $400 |
| Transit control card (TCT) × 2 | $40 |
| GETTING THERE | |
| Return flight Quito ⇄ islands × 2 * | $1,036 |
| Night near the airport before the flight (1 room) | $65 |
| Baltra airport to Puerto Ayora (channel boat + taxi) × 2 | $22 |
| STAY | |
| Hotel, 6 nights × 1 room | $642 |
| MOVING | |
| Ferry, 1 leg × 2 | $110 |
| Water taxis at the piers (2 rides × 2) | $4 |
| Isabela dock fee × 2 | $20 |
| DOING | |
| Day tours: 3 × 2 | $1,566 |
| EATING | |
| Food, 7 days × 2 * | $630 |
| TOTAL | $4,535 |
| Per person | $2,268 |
| Per person per day | $324 |
* estimate. Excludes your flight to Ecuador, insurance and tips.
Where your money goes
- Park fee: $200 per foreign visitor aged 12 or over, $100 under 12, collected by park rangers when you land at Baltra or San Cristóbal (in force since 1 August 2024). Nationals of Andean Community and Mercosur countries pay less: see the fee table.
- Transit control card (TCT): $20 per person, bought at the Galápagos government counter at Quito or Guayaquil airport before check-in, or online.
- Flights from the mainland: expect roughly $490–$545 per adult; fares vary a lot by date, so check Avianca or LATAM.
- Hotels: typical double-room rates in Puerto Ayora, San Cristóbal and Isabela: budget $63, mid-range $107, comfort $224 a night. Which island to sleep on.
- Ferries: $30 to $55 one way; the calculator uses the higher fare. Add $1 water taxis at the piers and a $10 dock fee on Isabela. Ferry board.
- Day tours: GetYourGuide boat day trips and snorkel tours on 2026-11-06: cheapest quarter $220, median $261, top quarter $299 per person. Compare every tour.
- Cruise: per person per day: budget $561 (an 8-day budget yacht at $4,490), mid-range $750 (middle of the $600–899 band agencies use), luxury $1,239 (a 5-day Tribute suite). Cruise prices include cabin, meals and guided landings.
- Food: a planning estimate of $25, $45 or $80 per person per day.
Three example budgets (per person)
| Trip | Total per person | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days, budget, land-based, 2 islands, 3 tours, solo | $2,066 | $295 |
| 7 days, comfort, land-based, 2 islands, 5 tours, solo | $4,307 | $615 |
| 8-day mid-range cruise, solo traveller sharing a cabin | $6,803 | $850 |
Land or cruise? The cruise reaches outer islands (Genovesa, Fernandina, Española's albatross colony) that day trips mostly cannot. A land trip costs less and lets you choose your own days. Take the land-or-cruise quiz.
Save money without missing the animals
- Stay in Puerto Ayora and mix paid boat trips with the walk-in visitor sites near town, such as Tortuga Bay and the Fausto Llerena tortoise centre at the Charles Darwin Research Station.
- Fly into one airport and out of the other (Baltra and San Cristóbal) to save a ferry ride.
- Travel in September, the quietest month for visitors (Galápagos National Park 2025 report).
- Book a last-minute cruise in Puerto Ayora only if your dates are flexible; it is a gamble, not a plan.
Book the big items
Isabela Island & Tintorera Islet Day Tour
Santa Fe Island Snorkeling Day Tour
Los Túneles: Snorkel with Sharks, Seahorses & Sea Turtles
7-Day, 6-Night Island-Hopping Tour of 3 Islands
All Galápagos tours on GetYourGuide →
Prices and ratings as listed in November 2026; the price at checkout is what counts. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Disclosure
Booking.com rates for your dates.
Quito airport hotelsFor the night before the flight.
4-day island hopping (Viator)Hotels, boats and guides in one booking.
Cruises (TourRadar)Compare yachts and expedition ships by price per day.
Budget packages (TourRadar)Guided land trips that often cost less than booking it all yourself.
eSIM for Ecuador (Klook)South America plan that covers Ecuador.
Sources: Galápagos National Park and Governing Council, Charles Darwin Foundation. Every figure with its document: facts and figures.
Updated 2026-11-06. Fees, boat times and prices change, so confirm with the operator before you travel.