Tauck World DiscoveryDiscover Our JourneysWhy Travel With TauckPlanning Your Trip Ask and Share
Journey Finder

Search by Destination:

 
Search by Travel Type:
Galapagos: Wildlife Wonderland
2009 Itinerary featuring 8 days from $3,390      Family Travel  Small Ship Cruising  One Week  
Ask & Share


Visit the NEW www.tauckbridges.com for interactive maps, enhanced slideshows and more information about Tauck's Galápagos cruise and other family tours from Tauck Bridges.

Request a Brochure - Join our mailing list to receive our free full-color brochures by mail.

E-Newsletter - Register for our e-newsletter and get the latest news and offers from Tauck delivered by e-mail.


Share your favorite travel photos taken while traveling on a Tauck vacation, and enter them in our photo contest for a chance to win travel vouchers for Tauck World Discovery.

Discover a truly magical place like nowhere else on earth during this fascinating Galápagos tour for the entire family. Experience a unique group of islands that are still much as they were when Charles Darwin first encountered them. Share the thrill of encountering bird and animal species that don’t exist anywhere else in the world as you explore this wonderful living laboratory with expert naturalists. You and your family will always remember the wonder of wandering freely among amazing creatures that have little to no fear of tourists!

Click here for special 11-day holiday itinerary, December 19 and 26.
Need To KnowSimilar Journeys
Print friendly versionPrinter Icon

2009 Itinerary


• Indicates day of cruising

Day 1 – Arrive in Guayaquil, Ecuador
Tauck's Galápagos Tour begins: Hilton Colón Guayaquil. A transfer is included from Guayaquil International Airport to Hilton Colón Guayaquil. After your flight to Ecuador, get a good a night’s sleep so you’ll be rested and ready for your family's unforgettable Galápagos tour.
Lodging: Hilton Colón Guayaquil, Ecuador

Day 2 – Explore historic Guayaquil
Encounter the history and culture of Ecuador as you visit Guayaquil's Historical Park; walk through the Traditions Zone to learn about lifestyles, the Wildlife Zone to learn about Ecuador’s animals and plants, and the Urban-architectonic Zone to see ancient architecture.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Hilton Colón Guayaquil, Ecuador

Day 3 – Swimming dinosaurs as Tauck's Galápagos tour begins
Your family’s Galápagos tour begins today as you fly to the volcanic island of Baltra and board your expedition ship, the M/V Santa Cruz. Ride ashore on a panga on the island of Santa Cruz to look for marine iguanas, lizards that are only found in the Galápagos – they look like swimming dinosaurs.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard M/V Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands

Day 4 – Tropical penguins and a lava walk
At Bartolomé Island, view a panorama of life underwater from a glass-bottomed boat or snorkel in the warm, clear water. Look for tiny tropical Galápagos penguins, which are only found here. Roam the black lava landscape of San Salvador Island with your family and encounter friendly Galápagos fur seals. This Galápagos tour is a great way to see these friendly mammals up close.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard M/V Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands

Day 5 – Lots of birds and a giant tortoiseTake your picture with a giant tortoise
Meet Darwin's finches and other rare birds today on Rabida (Jervis) Island, with its red-colored beaches. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz Island to see and learn about the famous Galápagos tortoises. Have your picture taken with them – these gentle giants aren’t at all camera-shy. Say hello to Lonesome George, an elderly tortoise thought to be the very last of his sub-species; your encounter will be a fond memory of your Galápagos tour. Tonight you'll find out more about the Galápagos at an ECO (Explore, Conserve, Observe) Moment with our shipboard naturalists.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard M/V Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands

Day 6 – Iguanas and more on Santa Cruz and North Seymour
Travel into the highlands of Santa Cruz Island for a chance to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat. On North Seymour Island, you’ll walk among huge colonies of blue-footed boobies nesting on the ground and see how they live together and care for their young.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Cruising aboard M/V Santa Cruz, Galápagos Islands

Day 7 – Galápagos tour ends and you fly to Guayaquil
Your Galápagos tour comes to a conclusion when you disembark M/V Santa Cruz and fly back to Guayaquil on the mainland. Join us this evening for a poolside farewell party as Tauck's Galápagos tour and cruise comes to a close.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: Hilton Colon Guayaquil, Ecuador

Day 8 – Homeward bound
Galápagos tour ends: Guayaquil. A transfer from the Hilton Colón Guayaquil to Guayaquil International Airport is included. You should allow a minimum of 2½ hours for flight check-in.
Meals: Breakfast

Note: This is an active journey that includes a fair amount of walking, often on uneven terrain; Zodiac-style rafts are used for shore excursions. We may not visit each of the islands in the order here, but typically visit two different sites per day. Cruise itineraries are approved by the Galápagos National Park Service 30 to 60 days before departure and are subject to change. Inquire upon booking.

Share life-long memories of a Galápagos tour with
your entire family in 2009 – book early while space lasts!

Click here to  chat online with a member of  our Reservations Staff

Check Available Dates
2008 Prices
Tauck Value
Book This Journey
View full size map
View Itinerary Map

Overnight Accommodations
Image gallery
Discuss This Journey
Email A Friend
Print Version
View Deck Plan
Tour Options
Extend This Journey
TauckAir
View Reading List
Nature

Request A BrochureContact Us