How to Travel to the Galapagos Islands on a Budget
The Galapagos Islands are a bucket list item, a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and a place many only dream of. Unfortunately, these picturesque islands are also known as being an expensive destination, but visiting the Galapagos can actually be much less expensive than you may think. That’s right, traveling to the Galapagos Islands on a budget is possible!
While some costs and fees are unavoidable, you can visit the Galapagos Islands on the cheap. Let’s take a look at how to do it!
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The Key to a Budget Galapagos Trip
Touring the Galapagos Islands on a budget can be challenging, but there are many ways to make your trip amazing while keeping it from breaking the bank.
One of the first decisions you have to make is how you plan to get around the Galapagos Islands. Will you cruise the islands? Or will you do a land-based itinerary? This is the number one factor that can make or break your budget.
Affordable Galapagos Cruises vs. Traveling by Land
If you’re looking to do the Galapagos on a budget, it will be best to explore the Galapagos by land. Even last-minute cruises in the Galapagos tend to be on the pricey side costing hundreds of dollars per day that you’re on the boat. Because of that, base yourself on the islands to keep your Galapagos trip on budget.
Land based itineraries also give you far more control over your total cost as you can minimize your day-to-day expenses. For example, you can stay in affordable hotels or hostels, eat local foods, take ferries where you need to go, and more! Let’s take a look at these main cost buckets and how you can keep your costs down to visit the Galapagos on a budget.
Unavoidable Costs of the Galapagos Islands
It’s worth noting that all visitors to the Galapagos have to pay a few standard fees to access these remote islands. This is true whether you are taking a luxury cruise or backpacking the Galapagos Islands.
- Plane tickets from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands: These generally run around $400 round trip. Make sure to book plane tickets for non-Ecuadorian residents if you are a tourist! Some airlines offer lower cost flights to the Galapagos for locals, but if you book these as a tourist, you will be charged the difference at the airport.
- $100 Galapagos National Park entrance fee: Everyone has to pay this entrance fee to enter the Galapagos Islands as it is a protected area.
- $20 INGALA Transit Control Card: Good for up to 90 day visits, this administrative fee is required for all travelers to the Galapagos Islands. You will need to keep this card with you for the duration of your stay in the Galapagos.
Outside of those fees, you can easily live on under $50 per day for a budget Galapagos trip.
Accommodation Costs in the Galapagos Islands
The main islands of the Galapagos have a wide variety of accommodation options. From affordable hotel, hostel, and guesthouse options to $500 per night villas, you’ll be able to select a place to stay to meet your budget.
For reference, if you’re looking to find your own double room with a private bathroom, you can find options for around $20-25 per night. They will be no frills, but you will be able to stay on budget in the Galapagos while having a comfortable and clean place to stay.
How to Save Money on Hotels in the Galapagos Islands
Budget hotels in the Galapagos are actually pretty easy to find. Whether you plan to book someplace in advance or once you land, I encourage you to take a look at the hotels in the Galapagos. This will provide you an idea of the Galapagos cheap hotels vs. “luxury” hotels and help you plan out your Galapagos budget. From there, you can hit the ground running to keep your Galapagos trip affordable.
Here are some additional options to save money in the Galapagos on your lodging:
- Don’t book in advance. Wait until you’re in the Galapagos to book accommodations. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to see reviews this way, but that brings us to our next point.
- Shop around for hotels, home stays, and hostels once you land in the Galapagos. Ask to see the rooms before you decide, and always negotiate!
- Consider staying in a hostel in the Galapagos Islands. A shared room and/or bathroom will always come up far less expensive, and it’s an easy way to take a cheap Galapagos trip.
Food around the Galapagos Islands
The islands offer fresh, delicious food – particularly seafood – with a wide variety of restaurants and cuisines. From touristy restaurants overlooking sunsets and the waterfront to rooftop finds and beautifully adorned restaurants, you can have some amazing meals in the Galapagos. However, they won’t always come cheap.
With most of the people eating out on the islands being visitors, food is a simple area for them to bring in additional revenue. Locals tend to eat at home more often.
How to Save Money on Food in the Galapagos Islands
Unfortunately, meals are not always cheap in the Galapagos. If you head to the touristy restaurants in the center of the islands, you’ll find meals can quickly add up. However, there are a few ways to get the best deals and delicious foods.
- Head to the local street markets. Here you can eat dinner like a king for just $10 – 15. Think fresh seafood, like tuna steaks, with 2 sides and a drink.
- Search out local cheap snacks and meal options, like mom and pop shops. These typically are no frills, think plastic table and chairs, no true decor, but truly delicious, local food.
- Similarly, avoid international cuisines and restaurants. These will always come at a nice markup. Embrace the fresh seafood!
- Try the empanadas! They run just $1-2, and if you get them from the right place they are delicious (and maybe a little addictive).
- Search out happy hours – particularly if you are a drinker. They are common and can help make drinking in the Galapagos affodable, even for the backpackers out there!
No matter what your budget for the Galapagos is, you will eat well!
Day Trip Costs in the Galapagos
There are a lot of things you can do on your own around the main inhabited islands, but there are also endless day trips in the Galapagos that you can take to explore the more remote parts.
Island tours, kayaking, scuba diving, hiking, snorkeling, the options are actually endless. However, the cost of each trip varies greatly. Here are some examples of the costs of day trips in the Galapagos Islands:
- Las Greitas (Santa Cruz): $1.60 – Just take a water taxi there and back
- Cabo Rosa Tunnels (Isabela Island): $120
- Sierra Negra Volcano Hike (Isabela Island): $40
- Tintorones (Isabela Island): $50
- Scuba Diving Gordon’s Rock + Punta Carrion (Off of Santa Cruz): $185
- Floreana Island Tour (From Santa Cruz): $140
- 360 Degree Tour (San Cristobal): $130
How to Save Money on Day Trips in the Galapagos Islands
When planning day trips or tours around the Galapagos Islands, it can be difficult to stay within a tight budget. That being said, there are a few tips to help you do the Galapagos on the cheap.
- Don’t take day trips or tours to activities you can do on your own. If you can walk there, bike there, take a bus or taxi, it’s worth making the adventure on your own to save some money.
- Another great way to keep your trip on budget is to prioritize your tours. You likely can’t fit in everything you want to do. Select the top one or two “can’t miss” activities or stick to affordable Galapagos tours.
- Shop around! There are a lot of tour providers in the Galapagos Islands. Visit more than one agency to understand what they offer, the associated costs, and if they can provide a discount if you book multiple tours through them. This will help you both narrow down the tours of interest and understand the true cost of each activity.
Getting around the Galapagos Islands on a Budget
Life on the islands can be very budget friendly, but moving around the islands and between islands can add up – particularly because there are limited options for island hopping.
While you can fly between the islands, the best option for affordable travel in the Galapagos is to take the ferry. Each inter-island ferry ride costs about $30 each way.
How to Save Money on Transportation in the Galapagos
There are very limited options for getting around the Galapagos Islands. This means even if you’re on a strict budget, your costs will remain similar. There are just a couple tips to help you save money on your transportation budget:
- Walk anywhere you can, rent a bike, or take shared transport, like buses, to avoid the higher costs associated with taxis or tours on the Galapagos Islands.
- Minimize your inter-island hopping and stay in one place for longer. The less you move, the more you save!
How much does it cost to travel the Galapagos Islands?
With all of these money saving tips for the Galapagos Islands, you’re likely wondering what budget you truly need to work with for a budget Galapagos trip. Look no further. I have detailed out my full Galapagos budget in the post The True Cost of Traveling the Galapagos Islands: A Budget Breakdown.
Here you’ll find the optional costs, such as the day trips, and the required expenses, like food, accommodation, and of course the travel and entrance fees to arrive at the Galapagos.
My 10 day trip to the Galapagos included all of the adventure I could pack in and it came in under $1700 with about ~$500 of that being the cost to simply get to the Galapagos Islands.
Budget Galapagos Tours
Alternatively, if you’re not looking to do-it-yourself, you can take a budget Galapagos tour. While these trips are considered the “affordable Galapagos tours”, you’ll quickly see the costs add up with the 4 day tour costing almost as much as a 10 day do-it-yourself itinerary. As a perk though, you don’t have to do any planning – just show up!
- 7 Day Galapagos on a Budget Experience: Includes Santa Cruz Island, Isabela Island, Flamingo Lagoon, Los Tuneles, Kayaking Puerto Villamil, the Isabela Highlands, Tintoreras, the Wetlands, the Charles Darwin Research Station, and more!
- 6 Day Galapagos Island Hopping Budget: Includes Santa Cruz Island, Isabela Island, Flamingo Lagoon, Tintoreras, Los Tuneles, the Charles Darwin Research Station, Santa Fe Island, and more!
- 5 Day Galapagos on a Budget Experience: Includes Santa Cruz Island, Isabela Island, Flamingo Lagoon, Los Tuneles, Tintoreras, Charles Darwin Research Station, Twin Craters, and more!
- 4 Day Galapagos Budget Tour: Includes Santa Cruz Island, Isabela Island, Flamingo Lagoon, Los Tuneles, Charles Darwin Research Station, and more!
View the full cost of traveling the Galapagos Islands.
Alternative: Visit the “Poor Man’s Galapagos”
Is even a budget trip to the Galapagos still too expensive? Consider visiting the Poor Man’s Galapagos in Ecuador instead!
The Poor Man’s Galapagos is actually Isla de la Plata or “Silver Island”, which is a small uninhabited island off of Ecuador’s central coast.
Located near the town of Montanita and Puerto Lopez, the Poor Man’s Galapagos is part of Machalilla National Park. It offers some of the same amazing wildlife you find in the Galapagos Islands, like the famous blue footed booby birds and Galapagos albatrosses, but it is not actually located in the Galapagos Islands at all.
To visit the Poor Man’s Galapagos, you’ll have to take a day trip from Montanita or Puerto Lopez as there are no accommodations on the La Plata island. It’s also worth noting that it can only be visited through a registered tour operator, so you’ll need to book a tour.
Here are two of the best tours to the Poor Man’s Galapagos:
Learn More about Visiting the Galapagos Islands on a Budget
The Galapagos Islands are one of my favorite South American destinations. They offer unique activities, wildlife, and culture that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. As a bucket list trip, make sure you plan it well to keep the costs inline with your Galapagos trip budget, while making it the trip of the lifetime that it should be.
Here are some additional posts to help in your planning:
- The True Cost of Traveling the Galapagos Islands: A Budget Breakdown
- 6 Critical Things To Know Before Going to the Galapagos Islands
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I have never visited in Galapagos. After reading this post I’ll definitely want to go there. Thanks, got many great tips 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it! The Galapagos Islands are amazing – and shockingly fairly affordable. Hope you are able to plan a trip soon!