Galápagos day tours

Galápagos day tours — Dec 22 to Jan 2

The land-based chapter, kept separate from the cruises. Base: Puerto Ayora (Airbnb booked Dec 21–26). Two windows: the family days, Dec 22–26, with Mom in the group — gentle pace, she does not snorkel and stays aboard or on the beach during snorkel stops; and the couple days, Dec 27 – Jan 2, just Carlos + Maheva. Every tour here is a day boat from Puerto Ayora — Genovesa is cruise-only and lives on the Galápagos page, not here.

At a glance

Hot2 Bartolomé seats, Sun Dec 27, $400 pp — freed by cancellation, first-come, 100% non-refundable Replies7 in of 21 operators emailed · 1835 sent a priced quote · Best Option, Agora and Galápagos a la Carte add no Bartolomé/North Seymour seats WindowsFamily days Dec 22–26 (Mom, gentle) · couple days Dec 27 – Jan 2 BasePuerto Ayora — Airbnb booked Dec 21–26 Next stepYour call on the Bartolomé seats; WhatsApp drafts for Altamar + Windrose still ready below

✅ Available, with real prices 7 REPLIES IN

Bartolomé — 2 seats, Sun Dec 27 — Cruise In Galapagos (Richard Mariño, Mon Oct 26, 4:05 PM PDT): 2 spots freed by a cancellation on a first-class yacht (16 guests), $400 pp ($800 for 2). Pickup 6:40 AM, return 5:30 PM; hiking to the Pinnacle Rock viewpoint + snorkeling; includes snorkel equipment, snacks and onboard amenities — NOT breakfast, wetsuits or tips. First-come: 100% payment to confirm, no cancellations or refunds; he sends the booking link on request. The first confirmed Bartolomé seats from any operator — couple-window date (Dec 27), so it fits Carlos + Maheva.
Bay Tour incl. Las Grietas — 1835 Galapagos Inclusive: shared $80 pp ($240 for 3 / $320 for 4) or private $600 per boat, 3–3.5h. Easy pace, good Mom fit.
Charles Darwin Station, private — 1835: $30 pp with a 4-person minimum, so $120 total whether the group is 3 or 4, about 1h45.
Santa Fe — 1835 quotes $180–200 pp for 2 after Dec 26. Also listed by Galapagos Outdoors ($200 pp, reply pending). Agora Tours replied Oct 26: Santa Fe snorkelling tours are NO LONGER offered — snorkelling permission there is suspended by the national park; land-based tours on luxury boats still go (Wednesdays and Thursdays only, snorkelling only at La Encañada), with December prices possibly higher and no price given yet.
Pinzón — Cruise In Galapagos says it IS available, price still to come. 1835 quotes $200–230 pp for 2 after Dec 26. Snorkel-heavy, so a couple-window tour, not a Mom one.
Floreana — Cruise In Galapagos says available, in two versions: snorkeling/nature, or highlands/history (the Mom-friendly one). They asked which version Carlos prefers before pricing — that pick is still open.
Isabela day tour — 1835 quotes $250–350 pp for 2 after Dec 26.
Tortuga Bay / El Garrapatero — 1835 will quote after walking-pace info; the follow-up already sent gives Mom's details (65, stairs slowly, prefers shorter walks), so this is pending their requote.

Payment terms differ by operator: 1835 wants full payment at booking, with cancellation terms to be given in writing before payment; Galapagos Best Option takes a 50% deposit with the balance 30 days before.

⚠️ Complicated — the two big-boat tours

Bartolomé — the hardest seat in the set, and the first break came Mon Oct 26, 4:05 PM PDT: Cruise In Galapagos reports every boat fully booked EXCEPT 2 seats freed by a cancellation for Dec 27 at $400 pp (first-class yacht, 100% payment, non-refundable — details in the “available” list above). Otherwise the picture is unchanged: Best Option's yachts are FULLY BOOKED Dec 25 – Jan 2; 1835 lists $400–500 pp for 2 with no confirmed seats; Pristine is still checking boats; ChokoTours says everything is full — splitting the group makes seats easier to find, in their words. The follow-ups sent Oct 26 target the Dec 22–24 rotation days for 4, or Dec 27–30 for 2.

North Seymour — still no confirmed seats. Fully booked Dec 25 – Jan 2 at Best Option, $350–450 pp at 1835, everyone else still checking. Cruise In says it will keep an eye out for Seymour cancellations. Galápagos a la Carte (Oct 26) also reports Bartolomé and North Seymour fully booked throughout the window — its only availability is South Plaza on Dec 26, which the Tip Top V cruise already visits.

Holiday dates: Dec 25 — only 1835 will even try, subject to availability. Dec 31 and Jan 1 — Best Option runs no excursions at all on those days.

Best Option's multi-island package (Floreana Dec 22, Pinzón/Daphne Dec 23, Isabela overnight Dec 24–26 with Sierra Negra and Los Túneles, San Cristóbal Dec 27–29) arrived with NO prices and is an island-hopping shape, not Puerto Ayora-based — the follow-up declined it and asked only for a standalone Floreana day price. Sierra Negra is also a long hike, over Mom's limit.

Next step: decide fast on Cruise In's 2 Bartolomé seats for Dec 27 ($400 pp, 100% non-refundable, first-come) — they are the only confirmed Bartolomé seats anywhere. Seat checks stay live with 1835, Best Option (pre-Dec 25 dates) and Pristine for Dec 22–24 (for 4) and North Seymour.

📨 Replies so far — 7 of 21 operators

1835 Galapagos Inclusive Trip (Mirely García Monroy, Oct 26) — the priced quote behind the "available" list above; Dec 25 services requestable, subject to availability.
Galapagos Best Option (Juan Carlos G., Oct 26) — North Seymour + Bartolomé yachts fully booked Dec 25 – Jan 2; nothing runs Dec 31 / Jan 1; unpriced multi-island itinerary proposed instead (declined in the follow-up, Floreana day price still asked).
Cruise In Galapagos (Richard Mariño, Oct 26) — Pinzón + Floreana ARE available, no prices yet; waiting on Carlos's Floreana version pick. Second reply, Mon 4:05 PM PDT: all Bartolomé / North Seymour boats fully booked, but a cancellation freed 2 Bartolomé seats for Dec 27 at $400 pp (first-class yacht, pickup 6:40 AM, 100% payment, no refunds) — first-come, booking link on request; he will watch for North Seymour cancellations.
Pristine Galapagos (Oct 26) — Bartolomé + North Seymour: checking different boats, high demand and complicated, will update when spots appear. No prices or confirmation yet.
ChokoTours (Christian Echeverria, Oct 26) — everything is full; seats would need a careful search. Asked Carlos to pick tours on choko.tours/book-tours and note the dates and whether the group could split. No prices, no seats, no hold.
Agora Tours (Mara, Oct 26, 4:56 PM PDT) — Santa Fe snorkelling tours are no longer offered: the park has suspended snorkelling permission there. Land-based tours on luxury boats still run Wednesdays and Thursdays only, with snorkelling only at La Encañada; late-December prices may be higher, and she offered to check. No price or dates confirmed.
Galápagos a la Carte (Byron Rueda, Oct 26, 5:13 PM PDT) — Bartolomé and North Seymour fully booked throughout Dec 22 – Jan 2. Only availability: South Plaza on Dec 26 (already visited on Tip Top V). He gave a Santa Fe yacht link to self-check availability. No price, no hold.

Outreach is complete: Carlos emailed 18 operators Sun–Mon Oct 25–26 (Guiding Galapagos, Galapagos Trails, Get Travel Cia, Pristine, Nature Galapagos, Galapagos a la Carte, Galapagos Blue Sky, 1835 Inclusive, Galapagos Daily Tours, Galapagos Dreams Tours, GO Galapagos Tours, Tour in Galapagos, Galapagos Best Option, Coral Blanco, Nauti Diving, GPS Travel, Tours July Jo, Cruise in Galapagos), and the second wave went out Mon Oct 26: Galapagos Outdoors, Agora Tours, Galapagos Local Tours. Focused Bartolomé / North Seymour follow-ups also went to Best Option, 1835, Galapagos Daily Tours, TourInGalapagos, ChokoTrip, Pristine and Galapagos a la Carte. The other 14 operators are still silent — their replies decide whether the two hard tours exist anywhere.

Open items: the Dec 27 Bartolomé decision (above) comes first. Carlos's Floreana pick (highlands/history vs snorkeling/nature) still unblocks Cruise In's Floreana pricing; its Pinzón price is still to come.