Galapagos Expedition: Wildlife and Islands

Embark on a 7-day cruise through the Galapagos’ Southeastern Islands and encounter endemic wildlife. Explore magnificent islands, encounter giant tortoises, booby species, and colorful marine iguanas.

Duration: 7 days
Cancellation: 6 days
Highlights

Baltra - Baltra Airport and Santa Cruz Island
We land at Baltra Island by plane in the morning and transfer to the nearby dock to board Yacht Isabela II, where we receive a welcome introductory briefing, boat drill, and lunch.

What's Included
  • Air-conditioned throughout
  • Safety boxes
  • Hairdryers
  • Bar – Lounge
  • Hot Tub
  • Boutique – Gift Shop
  • Island Sightseeing with certified Naturalist Guides
  • Radio / Telephone / E-mail / PA System / Fax communications
  • Doctor onboard 24/7
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Breakfast
  • Stargazing Program
  • Sea Kayaks
  • Snorkeling Equipment
  • Glass Bottom boat
  • Paddle boards
  • Reading Room
  • Natural History Library
What's Not Included
  • Airport transportation to/from Galapagos and airport taxes (A destination expert will contact you).
  • Galapagos National Park Entrance (A destination expert will contact you).
  • Ingala Transit Control Card (A destination expert will contact you).
  • Gift Pack, tips and gratuities.
  • Soft & Alcoholic beverages, available at an extra cost ( Over 18 years…
Additional Information

Our journey through Galapagos’ Southeastern Islands will be teeming with magnificent islands and endemic wildlife! During our first day, we’ll encounter giant tortoises at Cerro Colorado. After that, a fascinating array of different booby species wait for us at Punta Pitt. During the third day of our Galapagos expedition, a visit to Española Island will…

Location
Galápagos Ecologic Airport
After you have processed the Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee, you will see our staff holding signs with Isabela II Yacht logo. They will assist you to transfer you to the ship.
Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(23 Ratings)
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1 star
Kevin
Sep 11, 2025
Vacation of a lifetime! - We really adored this trip. Just a top notch organization who took care of us from start to finish. Size: We found the 20 cabin / 40 person capacity to be the perfect Goldilocks between the 16 person catamarans (too small and prone to seasickness) and 100 person mega yachts (too large and chaotic). Itinerary: we enjoyed getting to see so many islands. We wanted to get away from the human development on Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. Fernandina, Isabella, etc were perfect for this. We had 2-3 activities per day that were multi sport in nature (kayaking, hiking, snorkeling) with breaks in between. Note that the water is COLD in the dry season (one day it was 59F/15C) but the wetsuits helped a lot. We saw 14 of the Big 15, as advertised. On board experience: the boat is lovely. We really enjoyed the jacuzzi after a cold snorkeling outing. The food was generally quite good. Savory dishes were better than desserts and Ecuadorian food was better than the French / Italian entrees. Bartenders made amazing cocktails. Cabins were perfectly adequate for sleeping and showering. Water was hot. Rooms were cleaned multiple times a day. Employees: kind, knowledgeable, organized. Everything you could hope for in an experience like this. We are leaving with full camera rolls and happy hearts. Highly recommend!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
149corinnap
Sep 10, 2025
Choose Metropolitan! They are awesome! - Melissa was SO helpful and amazing with organizing all aspects of our trip to Quito and the Galapagos. Metropolitan Touring has been doing the tours of the Galapagos since the park was opened. They have years of knowledge and expertise that are evident in all parts of the experience. Couldn't recommend more highly.
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Johncd2018
Sep 4, 2025
Great Time in the Galapagos on the Isabella II - We had a great time! We saw so many different species and took many hikes and snorkeled where we saw sea lions, giant turtles and sharks. The Isabella II was wonderful and the naturalists and guides were really knowledgeable and helpful. The food was excellent. Carolina did our tour planning and was so helpful with even the smallest questions.
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Chuckleswa
Aug 31, 2025
This company made it very easy and very worthwhile to come to the Galapagos. - Outstanding Experience. Great boat, great crew, incredible naturalists, and great assistance from Metropolitan's scheduling staff. We knew we had one chance to come see the Galapagos, and spent 60% of our trip on this cruise. It went perfectly. This company is obviously very seasoned at making everything work as perfectly as it can. The boat is the perfect size. It is just big enough to minimize your risk of significant seasickness if the weather is rough, yet still small enough to be intimate, so that you don't get lost and you have great access to the naturalists for your questions.
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Companion10414
Aug 19, 2025
Best of the Best - We highly recommend this wonderful journey. The guides were well informed and generous in their time and question answering. Since Metropolitan Touring is an Ecuador based company, there is no one better for guidance, support, education and reliability.
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Katefl3509py
Jun 16, 2025
AH-MAZE-INGGGGG! - I don’t know where to start. The entire experience was PEREFCT. Once in a lifetime trip, hands-down best vacation I’ve ever taken. The entire process, from arriving at the Quito airport in prep for our flight to Baltra Island to boarding the plane to leave Baltra (which we didn’t want to do!) was seamless, organized, efficient, and flawless. The Metropolitan crew was there with our visas, took care of our luggage, answered every question, gave us explicit directions, and were professional, friendly, and entertaining all at the same time. The yacht was a perfect size, everyone on board ended up getting to know each other a bit. The cabins were so comfortable and super clean. My bed was awesome. The food was absolutely incredible. Fresh, gourmet, local, delicious, and prepared with expertise. Awesome presentation. The cocktails at the bar were top-notch. The deck spaces were ample and the deck loungers and chairs were amazing. But honestly, the staff and crew of Isabela II were truly the best part of the entire trip. Emilia - the manager - literally “runs a tight ship”. Organized, efficient, superb. Able to answer every question, was personable, very accessible, visually present and always around of we needed anything. The captain was charming and also visible and made us all feel completely safe. Dr. Luis made sure he was ready for any medical mishap (we didn’t have any). The kitchen staff, chefs, bartenders, and waitstaff were AWESOME - especially Carlos from the waitstaff and Gabriel the bartender - they really took care of us. The deckhands that helped us on and off the ship and on and off the rafts for the island expeditions were super helpful and made sure we were all safely aboard and always accounted for (shout out to J.J.). The raft (panga) drivers delivered us safely to each island and were experts in knowing where the best places were to see all 15 of the Galapagos Big 15 species. The housekeeping staff were amazing. We had a new folded towel animal to surprise us on our beds every morning! But our three naturalist guides were the most impressive part. Alexis, Nancy, and Fabo - WOW. So professional, so personable, so knowledgeable about every aspect of the islands - the plants, the animals, the topography, the geography, the history, the geology - all of it. They also made sure we stayed safe and engaged during our hikes and water activities; to quote Alexis: “Please always take the time to notice the small stuff in nature and in life.” I was beyond impressed. I feel like I got a free 3 credit college course about the Galápagos Islands. They were also all hilarious! All three of them are locals to the islands and are wonderful representatives and ambassadors. This company’s commitment to low impact eco-tourism, a small carbon footprint, and keeping the islands pristine (which they are!) is apparent in all they do. We had an “Eco Moment” presentation every day before dinner; this isn’t your average “cruise”. I swam, I hiked, I explored, I snorkeled, I marveled at the pristine beauty of the islands, I got dirty, I sweated, I took 5 million pictures (that don’t even look real, they’re so lovely), and I collapsed in my cozy bed every night pleasantly exhausted from a full day of playing outside. I felt like a kid at a (very bougie) boating summer camp. What a trip. Spend your time in the Galapagos aboard the Isabela II - you wont regret it. It was worth every penny I spent.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W5421gdpaulaf
Jun 13, 2025
Galapagos, best trip of a lifetime! - This Metro journeys tour was the best trip I have ever taken in my entire life! Every single step along the way was handled for us by a wonderful tour specialist, Melissa, and it felt like she was holding our hands, making sure that everything was exactly perfect for us. Once we landed my friend, and I had an easy trip to our hotel, a wonderful half-day tour the next day, and then the following day transport to the airport in order to get to the islands to start our fantastic trip. The Isabella II is a fantastic yacht with every comfort that you could possibly need. The other tour passengers were a delight to be around, and the staff was incredibly attentive. The adventure guides were experts all along the way and I loved that in the evening we had meetings with further education about the environments that we would be visiting. This was 100% wonderful tour. I have already recommended it to friends and would go back in a split second. Thanks for such a great adventure. I want to just add on that I have a little bit of a disability and coming into this trip I wasn’t sure about my capabilities. I was helped along the way by friends I met, but most importantly, every crew member, including the specialists and doctor was always willing to lend a hand to help me when I needed it most. This was a comfort and should make anyone feel comfortable to travel with this outfit.
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O6122emdianef
Jun 9, 2025
Touring The Galapagos with Metro Touring was magical and amazing! - We had a wonderful Quito/Galapagos adventure! Our guide in Quito, Giovanny, was great. Really knew his city and its history. Loved the Middle of the Earth and the beautiful churches. Wish we could have met his father, a renowned local artist. Melissa Altamirano, our Metropolitan agent, was terrific. She answered our many questions very promptly and all our connects worked out perfectly. The Isabela II is a beautiful ship, perfect size, with such a gracious crew. Roomy cabins, plenty of fresh towels. We felt entirely safe and very pampered. Our three Naturalist Guides were simply amazing, top-notch. Nancy, Fabo, and Alexi made every excursion great fun while we learned so much about the animals and islands. They were warm, friendly, enthusiastic, energetic, and fun! So knowledgeable. Safety was a priority. And care for the fragile ecosystems was paramount. On-board lectures—a must-do. Very well done. Sunset toast, farewell video—enjoyed every minute. The food on the Isabela II was delicious and beautifully served. Great staff too. Enjoyed the hot tub. Grateful for the use of two clothes dryers! And the shorty 3mm wetsuits (we wore an under-layer of long 2mm suits)and the water temp was 72-74–cool but not frigid. I wish i had taken one collapsable hiking pole but the bamboo one provided was adequate for the first most challenging hike, on San Cristobal’s Punta Pitt (as I recall) . Swimming with sea lions and with sea turtles—-pure joy and wonder! Take an underwater camera—even just a simple Fuji XP—-great fun. The waters are different from the Caribbean—lots of colorful fish but little coral, lots of gray rock and lava. Saw so many rare birds! And lizards! And marine iguanas! Post Office Bay stop was fun too. Just a magical trip!
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Lovetotravel349
Jun 9, 2025
Exceeded my hopes and expectations! - I can't recommend this tour enough. From the first time I communicated with Melissa, everything was taken care of. The naturalists were amazing- so knowledgeable and fun. This yacht is the perfect size for this kind of adventure. Options for excursions to meet your individual physical abilities. Great food- fresh fish daily. Everyone on the boat was only interested in making sure we got the most out of this trip. We saw 13 of the Big 15.
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Cherylfl5317qu
Apr 7, 2025
Great Experience Overall - Overall, great trip! Great naturalists, crew and food. Saw wonderful wildlife. Cabins a bit cramped. Next time will choose smaller vessel and catamaran.
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