Visiting the Galapagos is a dream for most and I honestly didn’t think I would ever make it there as it is known to be extremely expensive. Due to it’s remote and isolated nature of the Galapagos, as well as its endemic animal species which aren’t found anywhere else in the world, it’s clear why this is such a sought after destination.

Visiting the Galapagos is a once-in-a-lifetime trip and one that people usually plan for years in advance. But I decided to go on a whim and got my plane tickets less than 3 weeks before. Because that’s how I roll.

In all honesty, I wanted to see if I could challenge myself to do this destination for under $1000, without a cruise, just on my own. And when I found out I could use miles to fly there, I was sold.

The entire trip ended up costing me $994 total, true story (I even surprised myself). But I was determined to prove that it CAN be affordable.

So here’s how I did it…

Galapagos On a Budget

Plane Tickets

I used airline miles for this trip and I thought it was a great deal for the amount of miles it required. It required 40,000 miles roundtrip (using Mileage Plus/Star Alliance) from Washington Dulles, to Baltra Island, Galapagos. The regular ticket price is around $750 and up. I picked multi destination and flew into Baltra island and out of San Cristobal island. This worked out well since I didn’t have to waste time  (and money) backtracking back to Baltra.

Total cost: 40k miles + $88.16 in taxes

Visas/National Park Fees

The Galapagos is one of the most protected areas on earth. 97% of the islands are protected to be exact. In order to enter, you must pay a few mandatory National Park fees and for a tourist card. There is no way around these fees so make sure to bring enough cash to cover them.

One of only 1,200 penguins on the Galapagos

Fees I paid to enter the Galapagos:

• $20 for a tourist card (upon departure in Guayaquil or Quito)-they don’t tell you this and I got all the way to the gate without it. I had to run back to the check in area to get one real quick and go all the way through security. The only reason I didn’t miss my flight is because it ended up being delayed. Make sure you get your visa card BEFORE boarding your flight to the Galapagos.
• $100 National Park fees upon entrance to the Galapagos
• $10 to enter Isabela island ($5 for locals)

Total: $130

Galapagos on a Budget | Accommodation

I always thought accommodation on the Galapagos would cost a fortune. But it’s the complete opposite. You can do it super cheap if you want. I saw hostels for $15/night. They also have some super fancy eco resorts that are very pricy as well. But overall, it was very affordable to stay on the islands.

I went on the cheap (ish) side and paid an average of $30 a night, including a mixture of hotels, a private room in a hostel, and an Airbnb. The standards are not as high as one might be used to, but overall it wasn’t a problem. The only problem I had was the presence of little tiny bugs (smaller than ants) that were in almost every place I stayed. I think they just have a problem with bugs being a tropical climate.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQmK6nxA6JN/?taken-by=crazytravelista

Oh and the wifi….the wifi. Wifi on the Galapagos was officially the worst wifi I had ever experienced. It hardly every worked in my room (although the hotels claimed wifi in all rooms) expect for Iguana Hotel on Isabela island. And when it did work, it was so slow you couldn’t even open anything if more than a few people were on the network. I couldn’t open any videos at all while I was there. It was kinda nice to disconnect, but at some points I really needed wifi to look stuff up so it was an annoyance for sure.

Where To stay in the Galapagos:

Puerto Villamil, Isabela island

Hotel Iguana ($40/night).

This was the cleanest and best place I stayed in the Galapagos. It was also the only place I didn’t see many bugs and the wifi actually worked (slowly) in my room. It was the most expensive accommodation on my trip, but well worth it. Check rates for Hotel Iguana on booking.com here. 

Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz

Hostal Vista al Mar ($30/night)

I got a private room here right near the port and good dining options. However, it wasn’t as clean as I would have liked, it had NO air conditioner (only a fan), the wifi was the worst I had experienced, and there were many bugs. I wouldn’t recommend this place honestly.  

Hotel España ($30/night)

A cute little hotel with a chill lobby filled with hammocks. When I alerted them of the many bugs in my room, they sprayed it while I was out and it got rid of the problem. The staff was super nice and helpful! Check rates on booking.com here. And if you’re new to booking.com, use my $20 off coupon here. 

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal

Airbnb San Cristobal ($18/night)

I rented a room in a huge house and was very large and spacious. It had 3 double beds and could have slept 6. It was an 8 minute walk from the main port in a quiet neighoborhood. The host gave me snorkel gear to wear to the beach, which was nice.  Oh, and it was a 5 minute walk to the airpot! The only problem was the huge black beetle bugs I found the first night. When I arrived, all the windows were open so I’m sure thats where they came from. I kept all the windows closed and only saw one more the next day. You can view the listing here. 

Total $206

Galapagos on a Budget | Tours

Tours in the Galapagos are highly regulated and not every tour company will operate every day. The reason is they limit the amount of people that can visit each island to a small number per day. This prevents damage to the environment from mass tourism. I wish more places would adopt this method because you can really see how clean and well preserved the environment is over there.

Tours in the Galapagos are not cheap and this is where you will spend a majority of your budget. BUT, the key is to book LAST MINUTE on arrival. DO NOT book tours online, as they are up to 3 times as much! I was quotes as much as $325 for a tour that I eventually went on for $160, by booking last minute.

It can be a little nerve wrecking getting there without any booked tours, especially ones you really want to do. But you will save a shit ton doing it this way. Don’t forget to bargain down about 20% of the asking price as well. They are more negotiable last minute.

Note: they were fully booked for my tour to Bartoleme when I inquired the day before. Apparently tho is one of the most popular tours and not every company will operate daily. I really wanted to do this tour, so I had to move my schedule around and change 2 hotel dates (which both hotels surprisingly let me do free of charge!).

Recommended Tours To Do in The Galapagos:

Bartoleme Island (day trip from Santa Cruz Island)

→(10-hour tour including pickup from hotel, breakfast, and lunch)

This tour takes you to the infamous Pinnacle Rock lookout and to snorkel on a nearby beach on Santiago island called Sullivan Bay. It requires light hiking up to the summit for the viewpoint, but it isn’t hard at all.

• Regular tour price in-person: $180-$200 (and up to $325 online in advance!)
• Price I received last-minute: $160 (I found one company that offered me as low as $150, but the day didn’t work out)

Los Tuneles (day trip from Isabela Island)

→(5-6 hour tour including lunch. Usually leaves twice a day at 7:30am and 11:30am)

This tour takes you to some great snorkelling spots where we saw sharks, turtles, and sea horses. It also takes you to the otherworldly Los Tuneles, underwater tunnels formed from volcanic lava. It’s like no other landscape you will ever see! We also saw blue-footed boobies here as this is a popular nesting site for this species.

• Regular tour price in-person: $120
• Price I received last-minute: $100

I went with the Pahoe Hoe tour company and I was really impressed! Our guide Juan Carlos was super friendly and showed us all the cool animals, including a sea horse! I would have never seen it on my own. He even went down into the caves to find sharks for us to see! Lunch was yummy chicken and yellow rice in an individual tupperware jar.

Kicker Rock (day trip from San Cristobal Island)

→(6 hours and leaves at 9am)

This tour takes you to the iconic Kicker Rock, a popular spot for viewing sea turtles, hammerhead sharks, white tip sharks, manta rays, and sea lions. We saw ALL these and it was incredible! From the second I jumped into the water and looked down, I saw 2 white tip sharks! If you only do one tour in the Galapagos, do the Kicker Rock. It was hands-down my favorite tour and a day I will never forget.

• Regular tour price in-person: $100-$120
• Price I received last-minute: $90

I went with Scuba Eden company and I highly recommended them! They have awesome/upbeat tour guides and very small group sizes. We only had 6 people in our group! They also take GoPro footage of you and give you the footage for free if you want it!

Total spent on tours: $350

Galapagos on a Budget | Rentals

For the days I didn’t do an organized tour, I rented a bike one day on Isabela island and snorkel gear on Santa Cruz.

Galapagos “traffic”

• Snorkel rental: $8/day in Puerto Ayora
• Bike rental: $15/day Isabela island

total: $23

Galapagos on a Budget | Transport

Ground transport on the islands is very cheap (although you can walk to lots of places as well). There are taxis readily available and I paid $1-$2 for each ride.

On Isabela and Santa Cruz, the boats can’t dock and you will need to take a water taxi to the boats. Each ride costs $.50-$1.

A word about ferries…

The so-called ferries are actually little speed boats they pile a bunch of people into. It wasn’t the most comfortable situation, especially when the boats are full. The sea can get choppy so make sure to take some Dramamine and sit at the back of the boat to avoid sea sickness.

Ferries between the islands cost $30 one-way. You can only travel to Santa Cruz, Isabela, and San Cristobal by ferry (the only 3 inhabited islands on the Galapagos). All other island require a day trip or cruise to get to.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQo1FaRAWVN/?taken-by=crazytravelista

Note: there is no ferry between Isabela and San Cristobal. If you want to travel between these islands, you must go back to Santa Cruz first and then buy another ticket. So essentially, it would cost $60 to go from Isabela to San Cristobal and vice versa.

Buy tickets as soon as you can because they can fill up, especially in the peak season.

What I spent on transportation in the Galapagos:

• Taxis: $10
• Water taxis: $4
• Ferries: $90

Total: $104

Galapagos on a Budget | Food

How much I spent on food:

• Dinners: $52
• Grocery store snacks/lunch/bottled waters: $37
• Coffee: $3.50

Total: $92.75

How I did it so cheap:

I brought 2 boxes of protein/granola bars from home which I ate for my breakfasts. I went to the local markets for lunch foods (I never sat down for lunch once, mostly due to no time…but I usually don’t eat a big lunch anyways because it makes me tired and lethargic).

I also inadvertently cut back on 2 of my usual (expensive) habits: coffee and wine. It was so hot and humid that I couldn’t drink much coffee and I was too dehydrated and hot to drink any alcohol. Being hot saved me a lot of money!

There was also one day when my awesome tour guide bought me dinner right after the tour at a local stand that only costed $2 for a fried plantain stuffed with salsa and tuna (sounds like an odd combo, but it was actually really good!)

Through my research, most online sources said that food will be your biggest expense in the Galapagos. Well, that might be true if you go to the super touristy places on the waterfront. I walked past menus where the average prices were $18-25 per dish. Oh hell no, that’s absurd!

Out of all my expenses, I spent the LEAST on food. And honestly, it’s one of the cheapest places I’ve ever eaten dinner.

The key to eating cheap in the Galapagos is to eat where the locals go. The 2 words you’re going to want to learn are ALMUERZOS and MERIENDAS.

• Almuerzos (what it’s called at lunch time)
• Meriendas-(what it’s called at dinner time)

This is a pre-set type of menu that the locals indulge in. It usually consists of soup, fresh juice, rice and main dish of seafood, beef, etc. One place even served dessert with it! And the greatest part is that you can have dinner or lunch for $4-$7. True story.

Where to Eat in The Galapagos:

Kiosco Voluntad de Dios (Santa Cruz): cheap eats from $4.50. I decided to order something off the more “expensive menu” and tried an awesome shrimp with coconut sauce dish (it was $9.50 and well worth it). It’s also a cool spot where you eat at big community tables.

I met some really cool Austrian traveler’s this way. They offered me a bite of fresh fish they had ordered, and it was one of the best fresh fish I ever tried! It was so meaty and huge so definitely try the fish here if you want to splurge on a great meal.

Encanto de la Pepa (Isabela island): it’s on the main strip but super cheap and had a cute little vibe. They offered a $7 set menu consisting of soup, papaya juice, choice of one main (fish, beef, calamari,etc) and one side (rice, salad, fries), plus banana cake. I ordered the calamari in coconut sauce and it was delicious.

Lucky’s (San Cristobal): the cheapest dinner I had in the Galapagos for $4. Included is juice, chicken and veggie soup, chicken or beef and rice, and salad. I couldn’t believe I had all that for dinner for only $4! Ecuador for the win!

Free (or cheap) things to do in the Galapagos:

For full details and elaboration of this list, I have put together a separate blog post and you can read it here: Best Free (or Cheap) Things to Do in The Galapagos. 

Santa Cruz Island

• Tortuga Bay (free)
• Charles Darwin Research Station (free)
• Las Grietas(free-ish)

Isabela Island

• Self-guided bike tour ($15/day)
• Wall of Tears (free)
• El Estero (free)
• Playa del Amor (free)

• Las Salinas (free) 
• Concha la Perla (free) 

San Cristobal Island (all free activities)

• Cerro Tijeretas Hill
• Punta Carola
• Playa Mann beach 
• La Liberia
• Interpretation Center

Summary of Costs in the Galapagos

• Airline tickets $88
• Visas/National Park Fees $130
• Accommodation $206
• Tours $350
• Food $93
• Rentals $23
• Transportation $104

Grand total of $994

Travel Insurance for The Galapagos

I never travel without travel insurance anymore, it’s just silly. Shit happens when you least expect it. You especially want to be covered when you’re visiting more report places like small islands. If something happens and you need to be air-lifted to the nearest hospital on the mainland, this would cost a fortune!

My go to travel insurance that I have been using for the past 4 years is World Nomads. I have made 3 claims and have been reimbursed without any hassle. I highly recommend them.

Other Things to Note About The Galapagos

• Ecuador uses the dollar
• Ecuador uses the same outlets and voltage as the U.S., meaning no need for a convertor/adaptor
• They charge an absurd amount of interest in credit card purchases so try to pay cash
• There are ATMs on Santa Cruz and San Cristobal but none on Isabela island (try to bring cash because sometimes the machines are empty)
• Wifi is virtually non-existent so expect to be “disconnected” during your time there. Some hotels have wifi but in my experience it never worked in the room and only in the lobby. If more than a few people were on at the same time or didn’t work. When it did work it was slower than dial up internet and I couldn’t watch any video of any type, couldn’t view Snapchat, etc. It was ok for sending WhatsApp messages
• It’s hot AF (the islands are located right around the equator after all) so re-apply sunscreen every few hours. I got burnt bad and I re-applied about 5 times a day
• Bring bug spray or repellent bracelets (I got eaten alive)
• Don’t feed or touch the animals…just don’t (please practice responsible tourism)
• They charge 22% credit card fees to book tours! Wtf

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Have you been to the Galapagos? Were you able to do it on a reasonable budget? If you can add any budget tips, please do!

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