We are open to customizing this tour to your liking, even though the itinerary we recommend is rock solid. As our tour is currently advertised, you absolutely will not find another one out there as packed with activities and attractions. What’s more, you will not find another tour out there that offers it all "FIRST CLASS," yet for a relatively low price. We have thousands of travelers taking this specific tour every year, and that's because no competitor can beat us on quality, price & substance.

All participants are required to book travel insurance within 72 hours of booking this tour. At a minimum, such insurance must cover cancellations, medical expenses, evacuations, flight loss or delays and 24/7 assistance.

A 4-installment payment plan is available, often with 0 percent interest to those with at least decent credit. Ask us for details. Our luxury-oriented and itinerary-packed “Galapagos Islands & Mainland Ecuador in 12 Days” tour is available for $4,175.50 USD per person (based on 2 persons). This price includes all transportation, except flights. It also includes English-speaking tour guides, food, all activities and all entry fees except for the Galapagos ‘migration fee’ ($20 USD) and park entry fee ($100 USD). Those two fees need to be paid directly to the airport security in Quito and the Galapagos, respectively. Also, included are 4 nights of lodging while on the Galapagos cruise. If you would like lodging included for the remaining 7 nights while on land, then the combined (transportation, tour guides, food, activities, entry fees and lodging) total would be $4,858 USD per person. This price is based on 2 per room and is offered to those booking at least 6 weeks in advance. Note that there is a $30 USD fee if paying by bank transfer or a 4.6 percent surcharge for payments made by credit card. We accept both forms of payment. We do not accept checks. Moving forward, to better understand your specific circumstances and wishes, and for us to accurately quote you, please tell us:


1. How many persons in your party-including yourself-would be joining this tour? Solo travelers are welcomed, in case you were wondering.

2. What is your age and the age of your travel companion(s), if applicable? Travel insurance is required for this tour and we cannot quote you without knowing your age.

3. Would you be sharing the room with others in your group (e.g. a spouse, relative or friend) or do you want the room exclusive to you?

4. Where would you be flying from (and back to)?

5. On what date would you like to leave home?

6. Also, would you like to extend the duration of this tour so you have some free days just to relax? If you have 1 extra day, then we recommend Quito. If you have 2, then we recommend 1 in Quito and 1 in Puerto Ayora.

7. Not least, would you like on the Galapagos cruise a lower deck or an upper deck cabin? The upper deck cabin is almost always more expensive.

8. Lastly, would you like to directly purchase the round-trip domestic flights between the mainland and the Galapagos Islands (Quito-Guayaquil-Seymour Airport-Guayaquil) or would you like us to arrange this for you?

Any airfare, alcohol, travel insurance, any government-imposed visa fees, the Galapagos ‘migration fee’, the Galapagos park airport tax and anything not mentioned in the itinerary

Although airfare is not included in the price, we will find you the exact flights you need. Just ask.

Below are the domestic flights needed for this tour:

Day 5: Quito to Baltra Island

Day 11: Baltra Island to Quito or Guayaquil

After booking our tour package, we would send you screenshots of what you need to purchase (airlines, flight number and date) and you would then book directly with the carrier. You should almost never book airfare through a third party. The exception is when booking specifically international business class airfare from the United States. Sometimes this specific scenario provides a significant saving for the customer. Does CharlieTheTraveler book airfare on customers' behalf? Yes, both international and domestic. Ask us for details.

Note that CharlieTheTraveler cannot guarantee the airfare type it quotes you will be fully refundable. This is one of the reasons why we require customers to have travel insurance. Some airlines offer fully refundable airfare with a relatively low upcharge while others offer strictly non-refundable. Equally unsurprising, some airlines offer fully refundable airfare but with significant upcharges. If you are seeking airfare which guarantees cancellation without penalty, then please state this in writing when asking CharlieTheTraveler to book on your behalf.

Note that although some activities on this multi-day tour are sometimes shared with other travelers, we can make them completely private, per your request, at an additional cost. The sightseeing tour of Quito is always private. The 2 daytrips from Quito are sometimes private and other times, shared. It depends on several factors.

*Note that you are not with the same travelers and tour guides throughout your trip. Instead, you usually meet and engage with new people.

Your room is exclusive to you and whomever is in your party. Strangers (meaning customers who book on the same start date but do not know each other) do not share rooms on this tour. On a side note, please let us know if you and the other person(s) in your booking want separate rooms.

Although we get customers of all ages and from several countries, our statistics show most people who book are 30 to 65 years old and from USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

We welcome your kids specifically and only when the tour is exclusive to you and your group-meaning other customers are not joining you. We define kids as anyone under 18 years old. In order to make the tour exclusive to you and your group, your booking would need to be for 4 persons or more for any of our tours except Iceland. For our Iceland tour, your booking would need to be for 8 persons or more. Regarding the cost of bringing a non-adult, we do deduct from the total based on the amount of activities you request we remove from the tour. Note that reducing the total price of the tour by removing activities is something offered for non-adults only. Adults can opt out of activities but the total price does not change.

We do not expect you to be an Olympic champion. We know some of the tour members are more fit than others…and we are well prepared for this. However, we do hope you take into consideration this is a very active tour, just like every other tour we offer.

Please let us know about any disability you have. Some disabilities would not affect you taking this tour. Others would prevent you from joining altogether. Although we want all of our customers to have fun, your safety is our first priority.

Of course. Once each day’s tour is over, you have the rest of the evening to yourself. Because our tours tend to be very active, our customers typically want to simply relax once the sun sets.

Notify us as soon as possible and we will do our very best to arrange a meeting point. Please note that we do not refund for any days or activities that you miss.

Generally speaking, you can opt out as long as we are given adequate notice. Please note that opting out of certain activities does not reduce the price of this tour.

We would do our best to keep you safe and make you as comfortable as possible, as well as make special arrangements to address your situation. Partial refunds are not offered if you cannot continue with the tour. However, most travel insurances reimburse you for such situations. This is one of many reasons why we require our customers to purchase travel insurance before taking this tour.

To confirm your tour, full payment is needed at the time of your purchase. However, refunds are offered. You will receive a full refund if canceling at least 91 days in advance from the departure date. Cancelling between 90-60 days prior to departure entitles you to a 50 percent refund. Cancelling between 59-31 days prior to departure entitles you to a 25 percent refund. Canceling 30 days or less prior to departure is not eligible for a refund. Cancellation requests need to be made by email and become effective on the date received by CharlieTheTraveler.

In the unlikely event CharlieTheTraveler needs to cancel this trip, such as because of very poor weather conditions, we will give you a full refund for the tour within 14 business days of the cancellation.

You should receive an email from us within 24 hours of purchasing this tour as well as a week before departure. The first email gives details about what to bring, how to prepare yourself, etc. The second email gives details mostly about the hotels.

Bring a lockable waterproof backpack (to bring onto the boat), a waterproof case for your identification card and credit cards (when swimming) and water shoes. On a different note, bring portable oxygen cans, to reduce altitude sickness. Lastly, you may need to bring adapters for your electronic devices.

Our tour guides/drivers are licensed, speak English and know how to bring excitement to your day. What we deliver is the complete opposite of the cookie-cutting tours the big corporations offer, leaving you in complete boredom. Although our tour guides/drivers are attentive, accommodating and engaged, they also know when to give you your private space and free time. It's a perfect balance.

All of our tours are offered in English. If you prefer another language, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Absolutely not. We make the arrangements for you.

Yes! You have your own concierge for this tour who is at your disposal. You could reach this person when you need anything.

Please visit CharlieTheTraveler.com/Tours-Terms-and-Conditions