Does anyone have any advice for doing a budget trip to Galapagos Islands for 3-4 days regarding tours etc. once on the ground? Does this need to be booked ahead? I was planning on just rocking up early december?
Any advice for the Galapagos islands regarding cheapest possible tours, accommodation etc?
Reply to this I would suggest going to Quito and booking from there - you should be able to pick up a last-minute deal. Though it's possible to take day trips to some of the central islands from Puerto Ayora (the main town in the Galapagos), you won't get to spend much time on the islands themselves, so I think a cruise is the only sensible way to see them. I was there 3 years ago and no doubt prices have changed, but at that time you could pick up a 7/8 day cruise for from US$1,000 upwards (I didn't look at the 3/4 day ones but would imagine they were proportionally less). I used an agency called Happy Gringo - awful name but they were extremely helpful and their prices were competitive with the other agencies I looked at.
Bear in mind that whether you intend taking a cruise in the Galapagos or doing things independently, you can't avoid the cost of flying to/from the islands (~US$400 return from Quito) and the national park entry fee (US$100). Since you'll already be committing at least US$500 to it, and most people are unlikely to visit the Galapagos more than once in their life, to my mind this is one of those experiences it's worth spending extra on if possible rather than skimping.
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