The Alya Galapagos Cruise Tour
The Alya Galapagos Cruise invites you on a sublime exploration of the Galapagos Islands. The Alya combines elegant design, advanced navigation technology, and personalized service to deliver an exceptional experience in this extraordinary archipelago.
Built to the highest quality standards, the Alya catamaran offers you a serene and secure journey, blending luxurious indoor spaces with the panoramic beauty of the islands. With spacious twin and matrimonial cabins, each featuring private balconies, you will enjoy an exclusive retreat at sea.
Throughout your voyage, you will savor gourmet cuisine, relax in refined social areas, and experience expertly guided daily excursions led by certified bilingual naturalists. Designed for discovery, comfort, and golden moments, the Alya redefines luxury in the Enchanted Islands.
An excellent 6 day/5 night cruise on which we enjoyed varied and well-planned activities and saw amazing sights and wildlife. The boat was immaculate with spacious and comfortable rooms, the crew was attentive, helpful and kind, the naturalist guide was knowledgeable, personable and organized, and the food (meals as well as snacks) was delicious and plentiful. Overall, a relaxing yet active and informative vacation. Highly recommended!
- Sara
For: The Alya Galapagos CruiseThe Alya Galapagos Cruise Accommodation
The Alya Luxury Cruise offers you refined accommodation tailored for both couples and families, blending sophistication with comfort. Each cabin features a private balcony with panoramic ocean views, a private bathroom with modern amenities, and air-conditioning to ensure a relaxing experience between daily explorations.
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Cabin Options:
• Double matrimonial cabins with private balconies
• Twin cabins with private balconies -
All cabins feature:
• Private balconies with ocean views
• Private bathrooms
• Air-conditioning
• Elegant furnishings and modern design
The Alya Galapagos Cruise Tour Summary
Aboard the Alya, you will explore the Galapagos Islands on thoughtfully curated itineraries designed for discovery, comfort, and immersion.
Depending on your chosen itinerary, you will visit celebrated islands such as Española, Genovesa, Santa Cruz, Isabela, Fernandina, and Floreana. Each of these offers extraordinary wildlife encounters and dramatic, untouched landscapes.
Whether you select a 5-day or 6-day voyage, every day brings guided excursions led by certified Galapagos National Park naturalists, including opportunities for hiking volcanic trails, snorkeling vibrant reefs, kayaking along pristine shores, and observing iconic species like giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and blue-footed boobies. Blending adventure with luxury, the Alya ensures an unforgettable journey through one of the world’s most remarkable destinations.
Video Introduction
Tour Info
- Country: Ecuador
- Focus Area: Galapagos National Park
- Duration: 5 & 6 days
- Start Point: Baltra Island / San Cristobal
- End Point: Baltra Island / San Cristobal
The Alya Galapagos Cruise Itinerary
Choose your itinerary
Click a duration to see the day-by-day programme for this cruise.
Other itinerary lengths may be available — send a request to check options and pricing.
Day 1 · Thursday
Baltra Arrival & Black Turtle Cove
You'll land at Baltra Island Airport, where your National Park certified naturalist guide is waiting to welcome you aboard. In the afternoon you'll explore Black Turtle Cove by dinghy, a mangrove-lined sanctuary named for its resident green sea turtles. Reef sharks, rays and a wide range of birds, including herons, pelicans and boobies, are commonly seen gliding through the calm channels, and this cove also serves as a nursery for several shark species.
Day 2 · Friday
Darwin Bay & El Barranco
Darwin Bay, on Genovesa Island, is a birdwatcher's dream, frigatebirds, boobies and gulls fill the air the moment you step onto the sand. The trail passes sea lions, marine iguanas, night herons and several finch species, and the snorkelling here ranges from deep cliff-lined water to shallow beach coves, with fish, sharks, rays and sea lions all in the mix. In the afternoon, El Barranco's fractured lava cliffs are home to storm petrel colonies and a strong population of short-eared owls, with Galápagos fur seals often resting in the shade at the base of the cliffs. The water along the cliffs offers another good snorkel, with colourful fish, sharks, rays and sea lions.
Day 3 · Saturday
Sullivan Bay & Bartolome Island
Sullivan Bay is a walk across a well preserved pahoehoe lava field, its surface tells the story of the islands' volcanic origins, and a closer look reveals pioneer plants, lava lizards and small birds adapting to the terrain. The coral sand beach here is also a good snorkel spot, with fish schools, Galápagos penguins, reef sharks, turtles and rays. In the afternoon, Bartolome Island's summit delivers one of the most photographed views in the Galápagos, a lunar landscape of volcanic cones, Pinnacle Rock and Sullivan Bay below. The beach below is known for excellent snorkelling with penguins, sea lions, turtles, rays and reef sharks.
Day 4 · Sunday
Chinese Hat & Mosquera Islet
Chinese Hat is a small, near-perfectly symmetrical volcanic cone separated from Santiago Island by a narrow channel, with turquoise water, coral sand and a small sea lion colony along the shore trail. The snorkelling here is a highlight, expect colourful fish, reef sharks and sometimes penguins hunting through schools of anchovies. In the afternoon, Mosquera is a quiet sand bar where sea lion pups play in the surf and tide pools, and endemic lava gulls hunt overhead. Conditions permitting, there's another chance to snorkel at the island's northern tip.
Day 5 · Monday
Charles Darwin Station & Departure
At the Charles Darwin Station you'll learn about the conservation work protecting the islands' biodiversity, including breeding programs for giant tortoises and land iguanas, with a chance to see young tortoises up close. Afterward you'll be transferred to Baltra Airport for your flight back to mainland Ecuador.
Day 1 · Saturday
Baltra Arrival & Seymour Island
You'll land at Baltra Island Airport, where your National Park certified naturalist guide is waiting to welcome you aboard. In the afternoon you'll head to Seymour Island, where magnificent and great frigatebirds perform their courtship display and blue-footed boobies nest close to the trail. Land and marine iguanas are common here too, and sea lions are often seen playing in the surf. The waters just offshore are a strong snorkelling spot, with a good chance of sea lions, sharks, eels, turtles and rays.
Day 2 · Sunday
South Plaza Island & Santa Fe Island
On South Plaza Island, land iguanas feed on prickly pear cactus while sea lion pups play in the tide pools along the cliff trail, overhead you'll see frigatebirds, red-billed tropicbirds, boobies and pelicans. In the afternoon you'll reach Santa Fe, a landscape of cactus and lava rock where sea lions rest on the white sand beach. The sheltered bay is a good spot to swim, kayak or snorkel, with reef sharks, sea turtles and rays often nearby.
Day 3 · Monday
Interpretation Center, Kicker Rock & Lobos Island
Near Puerto Baquerizo, the Interpretation Center walks you through the human history of the islands, from early Spanish explorers through to Charles Darwin, and the hardships faced by the first settlers. In the afternoon you'll reach Lobos Island, home to large groups of sea lions along with frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies. The calm water here makes for easy snorkelling, swimming alongside sea lions or spotting turtles and rays resting on the sandy bottom.
Day 4 · Tuesday
Gardner Bay & Suarez Point
Gardner Bay, on Española Island, is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Galápagos, soft coral sand and clear water make it an easy place to relax. Along the shore you'll spot Española mockingbirds, marine iguanas and Galápagos hawks, and the water offshore is good for snorkelling with sea lions, reef sharks, rays and reef fish. In the afternoon, Suárez Point brings a walk past sea lions, marine iguanas and large seabird colonies, and from April to January there's a good chance of seeing the waved albatross, the largest bird in the islands.
Day 5 · Wednesday
Cormorant Point, Devil's Crown & Post Office Bay
Cormorant Point is known for its coastal lagoon, home to American flamingos, white-cheeked pintails and black-necked stilts. From there you'll snorkel at Devil's Crown, one of the richest sites in the islands for reef fish, reef sharks, sea turtles and rays. In the afternoon, Post Office Bay tells a different story, sailors set up a barrel-based mail system here in the 1700s that's still in use today. It was also a key stop for whalers seeking fresh water and tortoises, and the beach and surrounding waters are home to sea lions, green sea turtles and reef sharks, with the occasional Galápagos penguin.
Day 6 · Thursday
Highlands & Departure
A bus ride takes you into the lush highlands of Santa Cruz, home to Galápagos giant tortoises grazing and resting in freshwater ponds, along with bird species rarely seen at lower elevations. Depending on the day's route, you may also visit a lava tunnel and learn how volcanic activity shaped the islands. Afterward you'll be transferred to Baltra Airport for your flight back to mainland Ecuador.
Day 1 · Monday
Baltra Arrival & Highlands
You'll land at Baltra Island Airport, where your National Park certified naturalist guide is waiting to welcome you aboard. In the afternoon, a bus ride takes you into the lush highlands of Santa Cruz, home to giant tortoises grazing and resting in freshwater ponds, along with bird species rarely seen at lower elevations. Depending on the day's route, you may also visit a lava tunnel and learn how volcanic activity shaped the islands.
Day 2 · Tuesday
Moreno Point & Elizabeth Bay
Moreno Point's lava fields look barren at first, but hidden brackish lagoons hold flamingos, gallinules, ducks and herons, while the coastline draws penguins, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants and blue-footed boobies. The water here is a strong snorkel, with sea turtles, cormorants and a chance of spotting a seahorse tucked into the seaweed. Elizabeth Bay follows in the afternoon, a sheltered bay ringed by mangroves and lava fields explored entirely by dinghy, one of the best spots in the islands to see penguins, flightless cormorants, pelicans, rays and sea turtles.
Day 3 · Wednesday
Urbina Bay & Espinoza Point
Urbina Bay was thrust up from the seabed in the 1950s, and the trail still holds shells and coral as proof the ground was once underwater. Land iguanas and, in season, giant tortoises are often seen here, along with nesting Galápagos hawks. Snorkelling from the beach turns up sea turtles, flightless cormorants and penguins. Espinoza Point follows, set at the base of the most active volcano in the Galápagos and home to the largest colony of marine iguanas in the islands, alongside sea lions, cormorants, herons and sea turtles. The surrounding water is rich with fish, and it's common to see marine iguanas feeding underwater.
Day 4 · Thursday
Tagus Cove & Vicente Roca Point
Tagus Cove, once visited by Charles Darwin himself, is a dry Palo Santo forest home to finches and mockingbirds, with views over Darwin's Lake and the volcanoes of northern Isabela. A boat tour along the coast turns up penguins, cormorants, marine iguanas and the endangered Galápagos martin, while the water below is rich with sea turtles, fish and penguins feeding on schools of anchovies. In the afternoon, Vicente Roca Point sits beneath some of the tallest cliffs in the islands, with a dinghy tour bringing you close to pelicans, cormorants, sea turtles, boobies and Galápagos fur seals, and whales and dolphins are sometimes spotted passing through. The snorkelling here is excellent, with sea turtles, penguins, sea lions, rays and colourful reef walls.
Day 5 · Friday
Espumilla Beach & Egas Port
Espumilla Beach is a long stretch of rust coloured sand backed by mangroves and dry forest, home to hawks, finches, mockingbirds and doves, and during the rainy season the nearby salt pan fills with flamingos and ducks. In the afternoon, Egas Port blends history and wildlife, remnants of a 1960s settlement attempt still stand along
The Alya Galapagos Cruise Activities
Snorkelling
Wildlife walks
Kayaking
Paddleboarding
Dinghy and panga rides
Birdwatching
Lava field walks
Volcanic viewpoints
Beach relaxation
Conservation center visits
Cultural and historical stops
Rates & Inclusions
5 days / 4 nights
Cabin (Double Occupancy): $4,600
Charter rate: $69,920
6 days / 5 nights
Cabin (Double Occupancy): $5,700
Charter rate: $86,640
Notes
- Rates per person and based on double occupancy.
- Single supplement 50%
- Discount for children 10% (between 6 and 11 years old)
- Christmas and New Year surcharge 50%
- Round trip flight to Galapagos at US$ 450 per person
- Handling fee for not issuing flight tickets with cruise US$ 60 per person
Included
- Airport assistance on the cruise departure dates
- Transportation and fuel surcharge in the Marine reserve of Galapagos
- Bilingual naturalist guide (English-Spanish)
- Personalized crew service
- All meals during the cruise, from lunch on the first day to breakfast on the last day
- One snack after each activity (except last day)
- Welcome cocktail
- Unlimited purified water, coffee and tea
- All visits, excursions & activities according to the itinerary
- Transportation Airport-Channel/Channel-Airport (Lobitos Bus)
- Private Transportation Airport-Channel/Channel-Airport only M/C Galaxy Sirius
- Docks use and ferries
- Snorkeling gear (Mask, tube, and fins)
- Use of kayaks and paddle boards in authorized places
Not Included
- International flights to/from Ecuador
- Galapagos Islands airfare from/to mainland (Quito or Guayaquil)
- Galapagos National Park entrance fee ($200 per person)
- Transit Control Card ($20 per person)
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance (Highly recommended)
- Additional services not indicated
Operated By Galaxy Expeditions
About Galaxy Expeditions
Galaxy Expeditions operate a fleet of premium vessels in the Galapagos Islands, including the boutique Galaxy Sirius, elegant Alya Catamaran, eco-friendly EcoGalaxy, and the family-oriented Bonita Yacht. Their cruises range from luxury multi-day cruises to flexible day trips with Galaxy Daily, each offering comfort, exclusivity, and deep connection with nature.
With over 15 years of experience, Galaxy Expeditions creates personalized and immersive journeys across the Galapagos, Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. Their vessels carry a maximum of 16 passengers, allowing for attentive service and minimal environmental impact.
Galaxy Expeditions promote sustainable travel through eco-conscious design, responsible operations, and respectful engagement with local communities. Their team ensures a seamless experience from planning to return, combining adventure, cultural connection, and environmental stewardship.
Galaxy Expeditions Details
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