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Sea Lion Galapagos

Galapagos Extension 9 days •

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About the Challenge

The Galapagos Islands, an isolated rocky archipelago lying roughly 1000km off the coast of Ecuador, are neither easy nor cheap to get to, but they are justifiably world-renowned for their unique wildlife and incredible biodiversity. They are also inextricably linked to Charles Darwin, whose later Theory of Evolution owed a great deal to his observations in these volcanic islands.

Known as one of the best places to view wildlife on the planet, many of the species here can be found nowhere else, and the marine habitat is fiercely protected. The creatures are largely unbothered by human presence, allowing for the unparalleled close-up encounters which make the Galapagos so special.

Our week’s exploration is active and packed with highlights, including snorkelling, kayaking, and walking as we discover these volcanic islands and see the famous giant tortoises, as well as penguins, turtles, sea lions, marine iguanas and a rich array of birdlife. We also visit the Charles Darwin Research Station on the small island of Santa Cruz.

This tour is not private to our group, which has the advantage not only of assuring guaranteed departures, but also making the costs of visiting this bucket-list destination more realistic for our customers.

 

Contact the office for pricing and availability.

Dates & Prices

Itinerary


Dates & Prices

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It’s advisable to book as early as possible to avoid any problems with availability.

Contact the office for pricing and availability.

 

What's included?

  • Flight from Quito to Galapagos Islands; any locally-paid internal flight tax
  • Transfer between Papallacta and Quito, and airport transfers
  • Transportation in Galapagos (by bus and speedboat)
  • Good standard hotel accommodation, twin-share basis: Quito (4*) and Galapagos (3*)
  • Meals and activities as indicated in itinerary

 

What's not included?

  • Galapagos National Park Fee: US$200 cash (payable on entry)
  • INGALA transit card: US$20 cash (payable at Quito airport)
  • Pier/port tax: US$10 cash
  • Optional activities (eg during free time in Quito)
  • Meals (lunches & dinners) as indicated
  • Personal spending, drinks, etc
  • Tip for guides

On the Trip

  • Your safety, and that of the rest of the group, is our highest priority. Our trips are designed and planned with safety in mind. Your crew will be equipped with communication devices (eg phones, radios and/or emergency satellite phones), medical kit and other safety apparatus appropriate to the destination. Our leaders always have access to our 24-hour emergency UK back-up. They are responsible for safety on the trip, and will make any changes to the itinerary they deem necessary, should local conditions dictate. Pre-trip administration - such as medical questionnaires and travel insurance as appropriate - is all done with your safety in mind.

Preparing for the Challenge

  • We plan our trips around the optimal weather conditions, but could still be exposed to bad weather at any time. It is vital you are prepared for all conditions. We provide you with a detailed packing kit-list on registration, with plenty of information, and we are always available if you need advice.

  • In the unfortunate circumstance that you need to cancel your booking, we would ask that you notify us in writing either by email or post.  Your cancellation will be considered effective from the date the notice is received. Registration, administration and amendment fees are non refundable and, depending on your payment option and how close it is to your challenge departure date, you may be liable for a cancellation charge.

    Full details of all cancellation charges may be found in the Terms and Conditions of booking.

  • We have a Passenger Portal which will give you more details of the challenge itself. It also enables you to see any outstanding information we need, the countdown to your challenge departure, see your outstanding balance, make payments and update your contact details. You can access this via the following link - Passenger Portal Log in.

The DA Ethos

  • We believe that travel is a force for good, and it should be safe and accessible for everyone to take on any of our adventures, regardless of sexuality, gender, race or religion. We are committed to ensuring our travellers face no discrimination on any part of the trip we control. However, we operate in some parts of the world that are less accepting. We encourage customers to be aware of local laws and customs in their destinations for their safety and comfort.
    We don’t tolerate any form of discrimination, violence or harassment, either between travellers or involving our leaders, partners or local people. Any behaviour that disrespects our customers, leaders or local communities, makes others feel unsafe or breaks local laws may result in removal from a trip or denying their booking.

  • We are committed to an ethos of responsible travel here at Discover Adventure; this means sustainable tourism, ethical travel, community engagement, cultural respect, wildlife protection, fair trade practices, carbon footprint reduction and more. We have been on a 30-year journey with this as one of our core principles, and it continues to evolve; you can keep up to date with what we are up to and what all of this translates into on a DA trip here.
    From 2024, we will offset our entire carbon footprint, including the flights, via a carbon credit scheme (see more here). We must do all we can to be on the right side of history. Our offsetting brings peace of mind to many of our customers, but we think it is essential that our customers are aware of their impact; with this in mind, we encourage our participants to donate to World Land Trust’s Buy an Acre project when they book an adventure.

  • Our brilliant group dynamic is fundamental to us. We have become synonymous with it over our 30 years of adventure: the supportive nature and group camaraderie are always listed as one of the trip highlights in our feedback. You’ll meet people of widely varying backgrounds, motivations and experiences. Under these unique circumstances, you are more likely to open up about your story and form lifelong friendships. You’ll likely find something that resonates with everyone in the group. This is a unique way of travelling, after all, and that’s what brings you all together.
    We have travellers from 18 – 80 across all of our challenges, with the average age of our participants being in the mid-40s.

  • Over the years, people with wide-ranging abilities have achieved personal goals on our adventures that they may have previously assumed were out of their reach.
    We must be aware of any circumstances that may affect your ability to take on the trip, whether you have concerns about fitness, health conditions or disability. This way, we can ensure we are providing the best advice and support. You will be asked to sign a medical declaration upon booking.

    Whilst we will always try our best for you, by the nature of adventure, not all of our challenges are accessible, and we are not an operator specifically offering adapted adventures. If you would like to have a confidential chat with the team about anything before booking, please give us a call or an email; we will be more than happy to help.

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