The Galápagos Islands Tour with Lindsey Puls of Have Clothes, Will Travel

Hi everyone! Today’s post is about my Galápagos trip in May 2025 and some improvements I have made to it.

I am excited to be working with the tour company Galakiwi for this trip. Check them out on TripAdvisor; their reviews are stellar!

Check out the updated itinerary below and a detailed table of exactly what is included and NOT included below. (Click the + sign to expand the details for each day.) Or if you are a fan of spreadsheets, please find all the tour details in this document.

HCWT Galápagos Itinerary

The biggest changes to this itinerary with Galakiwi versus the one I originally had with TrovaTrip are as follows:

• All Galápagos flights are now included; you will not have to book these separately on your own. The only flight you will need to book yourself is your roundtrip international airfare to Quito, Ecuador!
• There is now an included hotel stay in Quito for the first night + airport assistance. This was initially not included with Trovatrip, nor did they make it clear that everyone would have to do this on their own. It seemed much easier and safer to do this all together as a group vs. letting everyone fend for themselves their first night in Ecuador!
• We are chartering a small plane a couple of times instead of taking a boat. This will help save us some time and hassle of some rough waters, with a very minimal cost difference.
• If you like hiking, there is now an optional Sierra Negra Volcano hike, and Tuneles snorkel one day.
• We swapped a sea lion activity for visiting the famous Kicker Rock, as sea lions will be plentiful throughout the trip, and we didn’t really need a specific outing dedicated to them.
• The rest of the sites are essentially the same; we will experience the same animals and sites, it will be much more organized and time-efficient.
• Because there is more included now, Galápagos flights, extra hotel, etc. (vs having these as hidden costs you would have to deal with on your own) the total price has increased to $4,170.
• I am not earning a commission or anything for this trip, but Galakiwi was kind enough to waive my tour fee for being the tour leader.
• Please continue further down to see a detailed breakdown of the pricing.

Countdown to the HCWT Galápagos trip

You can also email me using the form below.

Pricing Details

Net Price 8d (Kicker Rock option)	$3,555
Galapagos Flight Price	$615 per person, subject to change (adding the above 2 numbers is how I reached the $4,170 mentioned above)
Minimum and Maximum Travelers	8 minimum and 12 maximum
Single Supplement	$785
Notes	All prices listed are USD

General Notes About the Trip

Highlights	See the famous giant tortoises and marine iguanas in their natural habitat Hike up an active volcano and one of the biggest calderas in the world Snorkel in the Galapagos, where every spot offers a variety of marine life, from sea turtles, playful sea lions, and sharks Sample some traditional Ecuadorian cuisine and meet the local Galapagueños
Included	7 nights Standard / Standard Plus Accommodation in Doubles All Land, Air, and Sea Transport in the Galapagos Private Naturalist Guide Authorized by the GNP in Galapagos (6 days) Equipment for included activities (i.e. wetsuits, SUP, etc.) All Meals daily as specified Service tips Water stations to refill reusable water bottles
Not Included	National Park Entrance Fee, $200 pp, cash only Ingala Fee, $20 pp, cash only Isabela Pier or airport tax, $10 pp Drinks other than water (Soda, beer, etc.) Tips for Tour Leader/Naturalist Guide
Accommodation Level	Standard Accommodation (subject to availability)
Optional Activities	N/A
FIT Policy	Some boat tour activities have a max number of passengers per boat. In instances where we are just over the max, the extra pax will have to go on another boat as FIT’s. Tintoreras boats have a max of 16 pax. Kicker Rock boats have a max of 12 pax. Tunneles boats have a max of 10 pax.
Tipping Guidelines	For your convenience, tips for ground crew are included in the price of your tour. Tips for your guide are not inlcuded and completely at your discretion. It is customary to tip guides during your tour. Approximately $8-10 per person per day for tipping purpose is our recommended amount.
Meals Not Included	Guides will always make restaurant suggestions for meals not included in the itinerary. They can help make a reservation, navigate menu options, etc. if needed. If guides are invited by the group/leaders to a meal that’s not included, please consider paying for their meal. (Lindsey will pay for these guide meals.)
Galapagos Flight	Click here to learn more about the flight to Galapagos.

General Overview of the Tour

Description	8-day tour in Galapagos, staying on 3 different islands,
Length	8 days / 7 nights
Tour Style	Private
Comfort Level	Standard/ standard plus
Service Level	All inclusive immersion
Contact Info	Lindsey Puls Have Clothes, Will Travel | Owner [email protected]
Created By	Karen
Expected Pax #’s	8-12 pax including 1 leader (Lindsey)
Confirmed Pax #’s
Rooming Request	Double occupancy
Start Date	May 3, 2025
Start Location	Quito
End Date	May 10, 2025
End Location	San Cristobal
Hotel Examples
Quito	EB hotel – this hotel is higher than a standard hotel more on the deluxe side
Santa Cruz	Hotel Silberstein or similar
Isabela	Albemarle Hotel – this hotel is higher than a standard hotel more on the deluxe side. Or similar
San Cristobal	Seaside Hotel or similar
International Transfers	Included, upon arrival in Quito
Galapagos Briefing	Our guide will host a welcoming briefing upon your arrival in Santa Cruz on the second day of the tour. Additionally, each evening during dinner, we’ll gather for informative briefings detailing the activities planned for the following day, ensuring everyone is well-prepared and excited for the adventures ahead.
Galapagos Flight	Galakiwi will organize at a cost $615pp (subject to change upon confirmation)
Galapagos Briefing	Galakiwi can organize a Briefing at EB hotel, on the first day of the tour at 6pm, for all guest to be in and explain the itinerary and what to expect on the first day in the Galapagos
Tours & Activities	— Tintoreras Chartered — Kicker Rock Chartered
Transport	Land Transport – Private Inter-Island Flight – FIT
Meals	7 Breakfasts from day 2-7, 6 lunches from day 1-7, and 5 dinners from day 1-6 included To ensure a seamless dining experience, we will pre-order both lunch and dinner in advance, allowing us to cater to your preferences and dietary requirements with precision. Prior to each meal, guests will be presented with a selection of 5-6 delicious options to choose from, ensuring a variety of flavors and dishes to suit every palate. By pre-ordering, we streamline the meal service, minimizing wait times and ensuring that your dining experience is both efficient and enjoyable.
Guide Notes	Private Galapagos National Park guide will be with you from day 1 until day 6
Tipping Policy	All service tips have been included for your convenience. The tipping of the guide is not included.
Fees & Taxes	Not included: — National Park Entrance Fee, $200 pp (cash only) — Ingala Fee, $20 pp (cash only) — Isabela airport Tax, $10 pp (cash only)
Optional Activities	All activities are included.
Notes
Timeline	“For full terms and conditions, see the Terms & Conditions sheet in this document. Here are some key highlights: Pax info/Last minute booking – Any pax booked 65 days or less before departure are considered last minute and will have to be confirmed by Galakiwi before added to the tour. Pax information needs to be sent no later than 65 days before departure. Provide monthly updates with sales numbers. Cancellation Policy – Cancellation 61-31 days before departure date: Loss of 50% of total tour price Cancellation 30 days or less before departure date: Loss of 100% of total tour price

Galápagos Photo Gallery!

Read next: My Honest TrovaTrip Review as a Host – Why I Backed Out of My Trip With Them

For starters, I am no longer hosting it via TrovaTrip. If you follow me on social media or subscribe to my newsletter, you have probably seen me promote this trip via TrovaTrip. I’ll get into all the gritty details of why I parted ways with TrovaTrip in this separate post, but the short version is that there were some major red flags regarding their customer service and inability to book basic things (such as hotel rooms a year in advance), and I didn’t trust them to have my or my followers’ best interests at heart for this trip.

However, the HCWT Galápagos trip in May 2025 is still a go! I am just cutting out the middle man and working directly with a highly-rated travel company based in the Galápagos. This company is called Galakiwi, and I am super excited they are working with me for this trip. Check them out on TripAdvisor; their reviews are stellar! It has been like night and day working with them vs. TrovaTrip.

This process was also good because I was able to work on creating an even better itinerary that will provide us with less stress and even cooler sites!