Grand Daphne Yacht — Luxury Galapagos Cruise
Luxury cabins, four routes and all Galapagos transfers handled
- Difficulty: Easy
- Luxury-category yacht
- All Galapagos transfers included
- Snorkelling gear provided
- All meals, water, coffee and tea
- Four routes, 4 to 8 days
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Duration4 to 8 days
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DifficultyModerate
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DepartureBaltra Airport, Galapagos (4-day B itinerary)
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Departure daysWednesday for the 4-day B and both 8-day itineraries, Saturday for the 5-day B itinerary
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LanguagesEnglish and Spanish
Tour overview
The Grand Daphne is a Luxury-category yacht running four routes: 4 days, 5 days and two 8-day circuits. Cabins have private facilities, and all meals plus water, coffee and tea come on board. On top of that, the crew provides snorkelling gear.
One thing sets this yacht apart operationally: the cruise covers all transfers inside Galapagos, airport to yacht and back. However, this applies as long as you book your island flight with us on the scheduled cruise dates. Fly on your own schedule instead, and the shuttle drops out of the package. In short, that is exactly the kind of small print that ruins a first morning.
The routes reach the sites people come for. For example, Devil’s Crown and Post Office Bay on Floreana. Also Suarez Point and Gardner Bay on Española, plus Kicker Rock off San Cristobal. Meanwhile, the 8-day A route pushes west to Tagus Cove, Espinoza Point, Elizabeth Bay and the Isabela wetlands.
The 4-day B route appears in detail below. After that, ask us for the day-by-day of the 5-day or either 8-day programme.
Itinerary
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Day 1 · Wednesday: Baltra and the Santa Cruz Highlands
Arrival at Baltra and transfer to the yacht, then the Santa Cruz highlands, where giant tortoises move freely through the misty green interior.
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Day 2 · Thursday: Floreana: Post Office Bay, Cormorant Point and Devil's Crown
The two-century-old mail barrel at Post Office Bay, the flamingo lagoon and green-sand beach at Cormorant Point, then snorkelling at Devil's Crown, a sunken volcanic cone.
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Day 3 · Friday: Española: Suarez Point and Gardner Bay
Suarez Point for waved albatrosses, blue-footed boobies, red marine iguanas and the blowhole, then the white sand and sea lion colony of Gardner Bay.
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Day 4 · Saturday: San Cristobal: Kicker Rock and departure
Kicker Rock, the sheer cleft rock where sharks, rays and turtles patrol the channel, then transfer to San Cristobal airport.
What's included
Included
- Accommodation on board in a cabin with private facilities
- All meals, plus water, coffee and tea
- Every excursion listed in the itinerary (itinerary subject to change)
- All transfers within Galapagos: airport to yacht and yacht to airport, guaranteed when you book the island flight through Ecosportour on the scheduled cruise dates
- Snorkelling gear
Not included
- Galapagos National Park entrance fee: US$200
- Galapagos Transit Control Card: US$20 per person (subject to change)
- Isabela docking fee: US$15 per person, depending on the cruise
- Isabela Island arrival fee: US$10, paid on arrival, on voyages that visit Isabela
- Airport transfers within Galapagos if you do not book the island flight through Ecosportour on the scheduled cruise dates, or if your arrival or departure does not match the scheduled cruise flights
- Wetsuit rental: US$20 per person for 4 days, US$25 for 5 days, US$35 for 8 days
- Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks
- Travel insurance and items of a personal nature
- Gratuities for the guide and crew
- Any other personal expenses
What to bring
- Cash for the National Park entrance fee and the Transit Control Card
- Extra cash for the Isabela fees if your route visits the island
- Tips in cash for the guide and crew
- Sun hat, sunglasses and high-factor sunscreen
- Swimwear, a quick-dry towel and shoes you can get wet
- Closed walking shoes for lava and rocky trails
Good to know
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Are my transfers in Galapagos included?
Yes, airport to yacht and yacht to airport, as long as you book your Galapagos flight through Ecosportour on the scheduled cruise dates. However, if you arrive or leave on a different flight from the scheduled cruise flights, the shuttle service drops out.
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Which fees do I pay on top of the cruise rate?
The Galapagos National Park entrance fee of US$200 and the Transit Control Card of US$20 per person, which is subject to change. Also, if your route visits Isabela, you pay a US$10 fee on arrival at the island and a US$15 per person docking fee, depending on the cruise.
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Are wetsuits available?
Snorkelling gear comes with the cruise. Meanwhile, you can rent wetsuits on board at US$20 per person for a 4-day cruise, US$25 for 5 days and US$35 for 8 days.
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Is there a high-season surcharge?
Yes: 5% on departures between 27 March and 7 April, and also between 18 December and 5 January.
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What does a single traveller pay?
Sole use of a cabin carries a 100% single supplement. Instead, you can also ask us about pairing you with another traveller of the same sex.
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Which route reaches the western islands?
The 8-day A route, departing Wednesday. Specifically, it covers Tagus Cove and Moreno Point on Isabela, Espinoza Point on Fernandina, Elizabeth Bay and the Isabela wetlands and Tintoreras.
Book this tour
Tell us your dates and we will confirm availability within 24 hours.
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