6 Best Day Tours in the Galapagos

If you’re planning a visit to the Galapagos Islands and opted for an island-hopping tour instead of a cruise, you might want to take a few day tours to explore some of the most beautiful and pristine places that can only be accessed with a guide. No matter if you’re on Santa Cruz, Isabela or San Cristobal, there are various day trips that will perfectly complement your main islands adventures. To help you choose between all the options, here are the 6 very best day tours in the Galapagos Islands!

North Seymour

Located north of Baltra Island, also known as South Seymour, the small island is the ideal wildlife watching day tour. A two-kilometer trail will take you around the island, giving you the opportunity to spot land and marine iguanas, magnificent frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies and many sea lions! The island is also a nesting site for frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies so if you’re lucky, you may witness their mating dance.

Bartolomé Island

If you’ve ever seen pictures of the Galapagos Islands, chances are at least one of them was taken from Bartolomé island’s viewpoint. Overlooking Pinnacle Rock and Santiago island, its colorful volcanic formations make the view absolutely stunning. Day tours to Bartolomé Island are usually combined with snorkeling at Sullivan Bay.

(Read more: 10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Galápagos)

South Plaza

One of the smallest and most colorful islands in the Galapagos, South Plaza is known for its flora, golden land iguanas, and rare hybrid iguanas. A day tour to the tiny island off the east coast of Santa Cruz, and you’ll fall in love with its tall prickly pear cacti and golden inhabitants. Oh, and upon arrival, you may have to share the dock with sunbathing sea lions.

Kicker Rock

A quick one-hour boat ride away from San Cristobal, Kicker Rock is one of the best snorkeling and diving spots in the Galapagos Islands. Marine life such as sea turtles, eagle rays, hammerhead sharks, sea lions, and white-tipped sharks gather around the eroded tuff cone. Prepare to be amazed! Alternatively, you can also take the 360° San Cristobal tour which takes you all around the island in just one day.

(Read more: A Guide to Visiting San Cristobal Galapagos)

Sierra Negra

In the Galapagos Islands, day tours usually focus on wildlife and snorkeling. However, overlooking the volcanic landscapes would be a mistake. With no less than six volcanoes (of which 5 are still active), Isabela is a great island to get familiar with the islands’ volcanic origin. Sierra Negra is the most active and boasts the second-largest crater in the world! If you’re into hiking, this one is for you.

Los Tuneles

Last but not least, one of my favorite tours, which is actually a half-day snorkeling trip. Los Tuneles are interesting lava formations that you guessed it, look like tunnels. Providing shelter for marine life, it is the perfect snorkeling spot with shallow and crystal clear (albeit cold) water. Blue-footed boobies, manta rays, penguins, white-tipped sharks, seahorses, golden stingrays, Galapagos sharks… Snorkeling at Los Tuneles is like diving into an aquarium.

I hope this article will help you choose your day tours and organize your Galapagos visit. If you’ve taken any of those tours, let me know what you thought of them! As always, if you have any doubts, ask away in the comments section!

Safe travels,
Céline

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