Day 1: Wednesday
Santa Cruz Island

In the morning: 

Baltra Airport Arrival

Morning flight from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra, Galapagos Islands. After passing through immigration and baggage claim, you will be met by a Horizon staff member and brought into a private bus to start your adventure in Galapagos.

Please note: Your first excursion in the Galapagos will be after being picked up at the airport upon arrival to the islands, before boarding the cruise. It is essential for you to arrive in the Galapagos wearing comfortable clothes, good closed-toe shoes suitable for an excursion, a long-brimmed hat, sun lotion, sunglasses, and to ensure you have your camera handy.

In the afternoon: 

Twin Craters

You will visit the Twin Craters located opposite to each other on both sides of the road leading from Puerto Ayora to Baltra. The name is only figurative; not real craters, these formations were created by the collapse of surface material in underground fissures and chambers. The view is breathtaking.

Twin Craters, Santa Cruz Island
Highlights & Animals:	Pit craters, Scalesia Forest
Difficulty:	Easy
Type of Landing:	Dry Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking

Afterwards:  

Highlands

Accessible by bus from Puerto Ayora, the highlands of Santa Cruz are a deep green which contrast beautifully with the dry, lower part of the islands. The predominant vegetation in the highlands are Scalesia trees which create a lush green forest. The lava tunnels, over half a mile long, are underground and walking through them is a unique, surreal experience. At this place you’ll have lunch.

Highlands, Santa Cruz Island
Highlights & Animals:	Lava tunnels, Finches, wild tortoises, tortoise nesting site.
Difficulty:	Easy
Type of Landing:	Dry Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking

Day 2: Thursday
Floreana Island

In the morning: 

Post Office Bay

You will land on a beach and head to a spot where 18th century whalers placed a wooden barrel used as an unofficial mail box. The custom continues to this day with Galapagos visitors. So, don’t forget your postcards, and don’t be surprised if the post card arrives to its destination before you even get home!

Post Office Bay, Floreana Island
Highlights & Animals:	Post office barrel, nice sandy beach
Difficulty:	Easy
Type of Landing:	Wet Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking, snorkeling

Afterwards: 

Devil’s Crown

You will have a chance to snorkel around Devil’s Crown which is the rocky remains of an offshore volcano sticking out of the water. This is a great location to spot a wide range of marine creatures.

Devil’s Crown, Floreana Island
Highlights & Animals:	Large array or marine species
Difficulty:	Moderate/Difficult
Type of Landing:	No Landing
Possible Activities:	Snorkeling, dinghy ride

In the afternoon: 

Cormorant Point

Cormorant Point hosts a large flamingo lagoon where other birds such as common stilts and white-cheeked pintails can also be seen. The beaches on this island are distinct: The Green Beach is named so due to its green color, which comes from a high percentage of olivine crystals in the sand, and the Flour Sand Beach is composed of white coral.

Cormorant Point, Floreana Island
Highlights & Animals:	Flamingoes, green-colored beach
Difficulty:	Easy
Type of Landing:	Wet Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride

Day 3: Friday
Santa Fe and San Cristobal Islands

In the morning: 

Santa Fé Island

Santa Fe Island (Barrington) is home to the small picturesque bay and anchorage on the island’s northeast coast. The bay has two visitor trails: one leading to a scenic viewpoint atop a cliff, and the other spanning from a small beach to a tall prickly pear cactus forest.

Santa Fé Island, Santa Fe Island
Highlights & Animals:	Land iguanas, giant Opuntia cacti
Difficulty:	Moderate
Type of Landing:	Dry Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride, kayaking

In the afternoon: 

Lobos Island

You will take an excursion to Lobos Island which means “Sea Lion Island.” This appropriately named island is ripe with noisy, playful, jolly sea lions who will welcome you to their home with open, well, fins. This island also offers great snorkeling opportunities as well as the chance to see blue-footed and Nazca boobies.

Lobos Island, San Cristobal Island
Highlights & Animals:	Sea lions, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies
Difficulty:	Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing:	Dry Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride

Day 4: Saturday
San Cristobal Island

In the morning: 

Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center

This site is part of an environment project. The tour of this center will explore the natural history of the islands including human interaction and conservation efforts. The Museum of Natural History explains the volcanic origin of the archipelago, ocean currents, climate, and the arrival of endemic species. The Human History exhibit chronologically describes significant events such as discovery and colonization of the islands.

Gianni Arismendy Interpretation Center, San Cristobal Island
Highlights & Animals:	Great exhibits about the archipelago’s natural history
Difficulty:	Easy
Type of Landing:	Dry Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking

In the afternoon: 

David Rodriguez Breeding Center “La Galapaguera”

Breeding Center David Rodriguez - “La Galapaguera”, in Cerro Colorado, is a new visitor site in the southeast part of San Cristobal Island and can now be reached in roughly one hour by road from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. On the trees and shrubs surrounding the site, you may see land birds like warblers, finches and mockingbirds. Giant tortoises can be observed on the trails. They live there wild but in a protected area to ensure their survival by sealing them off from introduced predators like pigs and goats.

David Rodriguez Breeding Center “La Galapaguera”, San Cristobal Island
Highlights & Animals:	Giant tortoises, finches, warblers, mockingbirds
Difficulty:	Easy/Moderate
Type of Landing:	Dry Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking

Day 5: Sunday
San Cristobal Island

In the morning: 

Pitt Point

Pitt Point, situated on the north-eastern tip of the San Cristobal island, hosts frigate birds, storm petrels, and all three types of booby birds: the Nazca, blue-footed and red-footed boobies. A steep trail goes up a cliff and through a ravine leading visitors to an area with an abundance of birds.

Pitt Point, San Cristobal Island
Highlights & Animals:	Frigate birds, storm petrels, Nazca boobies, blue- and red-footed boobies
Difficulty:	Moderate/Difficult
Type of Landing:	Wet Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride, kayaking

In the afternoon: 

Witch Hill

Located on the northern coast, this eroded hill and its surroundings present one of the most picturesque beaches in the Galapagos with its white powdery sand and the abundance of animals. Wildlife includes sea turtles, rays, and various types of booby birds. The clear water provides an excellent opportunity for enjoying swimming and snorkeling.

Witch Hill, San Cristobal Island
Highlights & Animals:	Beautiful rock formations, sea lions, shore birds, finches and mockingbirds; Snorkeling: nice tropical fish, anemones, sponges, coral
Difficulty:	Easy
Type of Landing:	Wet Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride, kayaking

Afterwards: 

Kicker Rock

This striking rock formation is located a couple hours off the western shore of San Cristobal. Jutting out of the water, the rocks stand vertically at hundreds of feet above the ocean divided by a small channel. Although there are no landing areas, circumnavigation allow visitors to spot a variety of marine life.

Kicker Rock, San Cristobal Island
Highlights & Animals:	Sharks, tropical fish, turtles, manta rays (occ.), hammerhead sharks, spectacular rock formations; sea birds: blue- footed boobies, Nazca boobies & frigate birds.
Difficulty:	Easy
Type of Landing:	No Landing
Possible Activities:	Circumnavigation

Day 6: Monday
Española Island

In the morning: 

Suarez Point

On the trail to Suarez Point you will have the chance to spot blue-footed boobies, albatrosses, and Nazca boobies. This island is the breeding site of nearly all of the world’s 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses. You will also visit a beautiful site on the ocean front where there is a cliff that the large albatrosses use as a launching pad! You will have the chance to see the famous blowhole that spurts sea water into the air. The landscape is great for photography.

Suarez Point, Española Island
Highlights & Animals:	Hood mockingbirds, Nazca boobies, waved albatrosses (approximately from the last week of April until the last week of January), red-billed tropicbirds, lava lizards, Galapagos hawks, blowhole, amazing landscape and maybe blue-footed boobies.
Difficulty:	Difficult
Type of Landing:	Dry Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking

In the afternoon: 

Gardner Bay, Gardner Islet & Osborn Islet

This excursion takes you to the spectacular Gardner Bay. After landing, you can walk across a lovely white-sand beach amongst a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. You may also see curious mockingbirds on the beach.

Gardner Bay, Gardner Islet & Osborn Islet, Española Island
Highlights & Animals:	White sandy beach, sea lions, mockingbirds; snorkeling: colorful fish, sea lion nursery
Difficulty:	Easy
Type of Landing:	Wet Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking, snorkeling, dinghy ride, kayaking

Day 7: Tuesday
Santa Cruz Island

In the morning: 

Bachas Beach

Bachas Beach is located on the north shore of Santa Cruz and is a beach for swimming. One of the few remnants of the U.S. World War II presence in the Galapagos, a floating pier, can be seen here. You may see flamingos, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black-necked stilts, and whimbrels. Sea turtles also nest on the beach.

Bachas Beach, Santa Cruz Island
Highlights & Animals:	World War II remnants. Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black necked stilts, whimbrels, sea turtles.
Difficulty:	Easy
Type of Landing:	Wet Landing
Possible Activities:	Hiking, snorkeling

Afterwards: 

Baltra Airport Departure

After this final visit, you will be transferred to the Baltra airport in time for your flight back to the mainland.