Luxury Galapagos Cruises & Yachts

When you choose our luxury Galapagos cruises, you gain access to an unparalleled expedition tailored by authentic local experts. With over 30 years of experience, Surtrek pairs handpicked luxury yachts and mega-catamarans with elite-level naturalist guides, private balcony suites, and bespoke itineraries. We ensure every detail of your voyage seamlessly combines world-class comfort with deep, sustainable island exploration.

Luxury Galapagos cruises typically start at around US$3,000 per person, although prices vary depending on the yacht, itinerary, cruise length, cabin category, and travel dates. On our current selection, luxury cruises range from approximately US$3,045 for a 4-day itinerary to US$10,500 for an 8-day cruise. Private charters and premium suites may have higher rates.

The best luxury Galapagos cruise depends on your travel dates, preferred itinerary, cruise length, and the type of yacht you prefer. Surtrek offers a carefully selected collection of luxury yachts and small expedition ships, from elegant catamarans to exclusive vessels with spacious accommodations, gourmet dining, and expert naturalist guides. Popular options include the Elite, Endemic, Galapagos Sea Star, Aqua Mare, Origin, and other premium vessels featured above.

Most luxury Galapagos cruises last between 4 and 8 days. A 4-day cruise is a good choice for travelers looking for a shorter introduction to the islands, while 5-day itineraries provide more time for wildlife encounters and island excursions. For the most comprehensive experience, an 8-day cruise allows you to visit more islands and explore a wider variety of landscapes and wildlife habitats.

To protect the fragile Galapagos environment, the sizes of the 80+cruise ship are limited – ranging from 16 to 100 passengers. Among these smaller, more intimate vessels are less than 20 that Surtrek has identified as truly “luxury class.” These — the most outstanding Galapagos vessels — all possess cabins unmatched in terms of their spaciousness and appointments …think posh Pratesi linens, marble-accented baths, private ocean-view balconies, and pillow menus.Similarly, the onboard amenities are awesome, with work-out machines and weights in the fitness center, where you can also get a massage to die for before schmoozing it up in a six-person outdoor Jacuzzi. Alternatively, you can catch some rays on the sun deck or hit one of the ships’ bars before or after dinner.There, in the ships’ restaurants, sumptuous gourmet-class buffets are served at breakfast and lunch, while dinner is a delicious multicourse sit-down affair, served also alfresco.

Throughout your cruise, these ship’s high crew-to-passenger ratio helps ensure that you’ll receive the most pampering, as these expert attendants see to you every whim.Notwithstanding, the main goal of your travel is to experience the islands themselves, which is where luxury-class tours also excel. As a Galapagos guide is what drives the tour experience, luxury ships hire the most experienced, highest ranked, and knowledgeable one, particularly those who speak excellent English and can enthusiastically and compellingly share their knowledge.In short, these Galapagos yachts have been designed to meet the highest standards and cater to the most demanding tastes.

Passengers on a Galapagos cruise should know that the yachts and ships sailing the waters of the archipelago are operated by trained and experienced professionals. These are teams of highly-skilled crew members and guides with first-aid and CPR training; and, as you’ll see, each cruise begins with a comprehensive safety briefing to familiarize you with all of the ship’s safety equipment and protocols.The ships that Surtrek selects are all outfitted with the most up-to-date safety equipment, as well as satellite phones for emergency calls, life vests for all passengers, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, and lifeboats. In addition, all of our boats are regulated and checked in dry-dock for maintenance, with regular safety and performance assessments to ensure the boats are completely secure.

Therefore, when cruising through the Galapagos islands, safety should not be a major area of concern, as the vast majority of trips occur with no problems whatsoever.  In fact, most safety issues are those related to protection from sunburns, taking common-sense precautions around animals (e.g. male sea lions), safe swimming and diving practices, and perhaps overdoing it at the ship’s bar.Concerning crime, the few towns and villages in the Galapagos are known to be safer than those on mainland Ecuador. Still, to prevent opportunistic wrongdoing, levelheaded measures should be taken, such as keeping an eye on your belongings, not flaunting valuables, etc. – the same precautions that should be taken when traveling anywhere in the world.When passing through the big cities of mainland Ecuador en route to the islands, you’ll be accompanied by experienced local guides during any time spent here. In any case, travelers should avoid going out alone at night, take registered taxis, and walk in groups – just to be sure.All of this being said, Ecuador is a relatively safe country overall, especially its Galapagos Islands. Therefore, you shouldn’t let the slight potential for crime keep you from enjoying all that this amazing county has to offer.

Whenever you visit the Galapagos Islands, the adventure is sure to be unique and eye-opening, as there’s really no “bad” time to visit the islands.With that said, the sunny season extends from January through May, and is generally considered the best time to visit the Galapagos. This season has warmer air and water temperatures, though the period is also characterized by frequent but brief afternoon rains.From June to December, cold ocean currents from the south bring cooler weather and the “Garua,” an almost perpetual light mist and fog. The upside is that these cold currents bring in large quantities of plankton that attract hungry marine life, making this time especially great for snorkeling and diving experiences. Also, for land excursions, you won’t have to worry so much about rain during this drier season.

When packing for a cruise in the Galapagos Islands, keep in mind that you’ll be visiting not just those tropical and semi-arid islands, but also the South American continent. With no direct flights to the archipelago, you’ll touch down first on the cooler Ecuadorian mainland, where most travelers choose to spend at least a day or two in Quito to arrive in the Galapagos fresh and ready to hit the ground running.Dressing for the spring-like weather of the Andean city of Quito means you’ll need to wear and pack a few warm and water-resistant items (e.g. a jacket, long-sleeve fleece or sweater, and long pants, as well as bring along a travel umbrella).

Later, when landing in the Galapagos Islands, you’ll have to dress for warmer weather and geographies that range from sandy beaches to cactus-dotted deserts and volcanic-rock-strewn fields. In any case, for your daily land expeditions, pack a wide-brimmed sun hat or a cap with a strap, short-sleeve breathable T-shirts, long-sleeve expedition-style shirts, convertible cargo pants, comfortable walking shoes and open-toe sports sandals with non-slippery soles (which are great for “wet landings,” where you’ll have to step directly out of from your dingy into angle-deep water and sand on the beach). Don’t forget shorts, swimwear, and some reef-friendly sunscreen for your ship’s sundeck and the shore, and if you’re prone to motion sickness, bring some Dramamine.For the cool evenings on the water, some of the warmer items that you packed for the mainland will serve you well. Also, most yachts don’t have a formal dress code, so casual clothes are fine, even at dinner time.Since you’ll sometimes be traveling to uninhabited (meaning store-less) islands, be sure to pack plenty of memory cards or film, batteries, recharging cords, and personal toiletries. Then too, though most ships provide wetsuits and snorkeling gear, you may want to bring along your own equipment if these are special-sized items or simply preferable.Worried about leaving anything out? Don’t fret – after you book your tour, you’ll receive a detailed packing list from Surtrek as a part of your information packet.

There are no international flights directly to the Galapagos Islands. Most travelers first fly to mainland Ecuador, arriving in Quito or Guayaquil, and then take a domestic flight to either Baltra Island or San Cristobal Island.

Your arrival airport in the Galapagos will depend on your cruise itinerary and the island where your yacht begins its journey. Flight schedules and fares vary by travel date and availability.

If you travel with Surtrek, our team can coordinate your domestic flights, airport transfers, luggage assistance, hotel arrangements, and transportation to your cruise. From mainland Ecuador to the islands, we help make every step of your journey simple and well organized.

We here at Surtrek have over 30 years of experience helping travelers find the best upscale Galapagos cruise that suits their specific needs and preferences. We personally inspect the quality of each yacht, catamaran, and cruise ship that we recommend, in addition to confirming that each boat meets our exacting standards and our environmentally friendly Green Philosophy. In fact, before we give any boat the thumbs up, we have previously traveled on that ship – sleeping in its beds, rating the coffee, tasting the cuisine, getting to know the guides, and yes, even doing the “heavy lifting” of sampling the cocktails on board.For assistance in planning your once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Galapagos Islands, contact one of our expert Galapagos trip planners.