Many of us have formative memories of the Galapagos islands, not as a place we visited but as an icon for environmentalism. These tropical islands are home to some of the most iconic endangered species, including the eponymous Galapagos tortoise, and were the center of environmentalist marketing and fundraising for many years.

These days, the islands are a declared marine reserve, a protected whale sanctuary, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 1985, they were labeled a biosphere reserve, though that designation was removed in 2010.

As is so often the case, native species on the Galapagos islands are threatened by invasive species brought in by humans, intentionally or unintentionally. Goats, cats, and even rats have decimated the islands. Sadly, the original natural biodiversity of the islands is long gone, likely never to be recovered.

That doesn’t mean they aren’t an incredible place to visit and see, even in their current state. They’re still tropical islands with an incredible range of biodiversity only seen on those islands and in the seas around them.

Tourism in Galapagos is more than flying in and staying on a resort, though. These are no Maldives, no Caribbean; they’re still protected, and the range of what you can do and where you can go is very limited and strictly monitored to protect the remaining biodiversity of the archipelago.

Does this mean you should re-think a visit to Galapagos? If human visitation is what caused the problems, shouldn’t humans be kept away from the region? Well, not quite. In fact, modern eco-tourism is a huge source of funding to support the islands and their conservancy. Without tourism, funding would be much more limited. In a sense, visiting Galapagos helps to save it.

Key Information About Galapagos

Before we get into the best times to visit the Galapagos islands, let’s first talk about some of the key facts you’ll want to know about it before you book your trip.

Where are the Galapagos islands? The island chain is located off the coast of Ecuador in the South Pacific. It’s almost like the opposite of the Caribbean; if you drew a line from the Dominican Republic to Panama and continued that line out the other side, it would bring you to the Galapagos islands about the same distance away. In that sense, they’re surprisingly close – a lot of people we’ve talked to would guess they’re somewhere much further away.

How do you get to the Galapagos islands? Generally speaking, you need to fly to the Galapagos islands from Ecuador. Ecuador maintains control over the islands and tightly limits who can visit and when. Only two airlines – LAN-Ecuador and Avianca – offer flights to the islands. You have to buy round-trip tickets, as only Ecuador residents are allowed one-way flights, and even then, generally only if they’re part of research teams or support teams on the islands.

There are also cruises that can take you to the Galapagos islands, though the cruise ships are limited and expensive. Before you think about huge supership cruises, imagine what kind of damage those kinds of floating cities could do; no, Galapagos cruises are generally handled on relatively small ships, more like luxury yachts, hence the expense.

Flights are around $400-500 for a ticket, while cruises can be upwards of $3,000 at the minimum. There’s also a cash-only entrance fee for the Galapagos National Park of $200 and a $20 tourist transit card. Generally, a boat is most cost-effective for large groups, while flights are best for individuals and smaller groups.

While we make it sound like cruises are a bad option, they have some benefits. The biggest is that they do their navigation at night, so when you wake up in the morning, you’re already near whatever the day’s destination will be. If you’re staying on land, you spend a lot more time traveling to and from destinations, so you have less time to actually see the sights.

Where do you stay on the Galapagos islands? If you take a cruise in, you often stay on your cruise ship. If you fly in, there are hotels and resorts on four of the islands. There are dozens of options to choose from, ranging from a mere $85 a night all the way to $600-700 a night, with all sorts of different amenities and arrangements.

What are the requirements to visit Galapagos? You must have a valid passport and visa for your visit to Ecuador, which encompasses the islands. Your luggage is strictly checked when you leave Ecuador for the islands and when you leave the islands back to Ecuador. They don’t want you bringing anything in that could harm the islands or smuggling anything back off of the islands. You may also have vaccination requirements, depending on where you’re coming from, including a COVID vaccination.

Are the Galapagos islands going to be crowded? This is a tricky question to answer. It can feel crowded, especially if you aren’t used to tropical island visits, but if you’ve visited places like Bali and other tropical destinations before, it can be very laid back. This is because the Galapagos National Park administration has a strict limit to the number of visitors that can be on the islands at any given time. It’s fairly exclusive to avoid overtourism and more ecological damage.

This does mean it can be harder to get a slot, especially if you aren’t booking your space in advance, but it’s worth it for the more relaxed atmosphere.

When to Visit the Galapagos Islands

When should you visit the Galapagos islands? The answer is “Whenever you get the chance!”

Located as it is pretty much on the equator, the climate in the Galapagos islands is very stable. Air and water temperatures are similar all year round, though there can be some variance in weather.

There are two times of year called peak seasons, which are the times when tourism is most active and the most people are visiting the islands. These are from about mid-June to September and from mid-December to mid-January. If you want to visit the islands during these weeks, make sure to book your trip well in advance, as spaces fill up very fast.

Season-wise, you generally have two main seasons. From December to May, the air and water are slightly warmer, around the mid-70s Fahrenheit. The water is calmer in general, and while it can rain for a little bit each day, it’s going to be sunny most of the time and very humid. This is the peak time for flowers and vegetating, birds, and sea turtles.

Inversely, from June to November, the islands are subject to the Humboldt Current. The water is a little cooler – highs in the low 70s and mid-60s – and the weather is a little worse. It’s more likely to be cloudy, and a thin, misty rain envelopes the islands. At the same time, this is when the most beautiful fish come by, when the albatross land, and when penguins are more common. The seas tend to be a bit rougher, though.

You can also think of timing your trip to see certain sights and wildlife.

• January: Songbirds are actively nesting, and the iguanas are their most vibrant and colorful.
• February: Penguins are more active, flamingos are nesting, and marine iguanas start their nesting.
• March: The mating season for the frigate birds and their vibrant red throat pouches they use as mating displays.
• April: The blue-footed boobies are dancing in courtship, and the tortoises hatch.
• May: Sea turtles hatch and make their way to the sea.
• June: Whale migration swings by the islands, and the tortoises are mating.
• July: Dolphins are most common, and the flightless cormorants are nesting.
• August: Penguins migrate to the central islands, and the sea lions have their pups.
• September: The sea lions are their most active, and the penguins are mating.
• October: The booby chicks are hatching, and the fur sea lions are mating.
• November: Sea lion pups and booby chicks are everywhere.
• December: Waved albatross chicks are learning to fly, and the sea turtles are mating.

Yes, this is all focused on the wildlife, but that’s the star of the show at the Galapagos islands. While pointing out breeding seasons might seem a little awkward, it’s when those animals are most active and when they have the most interesting displays, colors, and calls – so, the best times to actually see them.

For our part, we recommend some of the most iconic sights. Whale watching in June, dolphins in July, the sea turtle hatching in May, and the sea lion pups in August and November are all incredible.

If you’re the kind of person who loves snorkeling and simple diving but you aren’t super experienced, visiting during the calmer months is ideal for underwater adventures. If you’re a more experienced diver, the rewards are worth the choppier waters and murkier skies as the reefs come alive.

There really is no single best time to visit the Galapagos islands; just times that are better for certain kinds of adventures or wildlife. It really all depends on what you want to see and do.

What to Do On the Galapagos Islands

What can you do on a trip to the Galapagos islands? As you might expect from a wildlife conservancy and archipelago known for its biodiversity, a lot of it centers around watching the wildlife.

Keep in mind that pretty much every activity on the Galapagos Islands requires a tour guide or conservationist with you. You can’t just pick a trail and go hiking like you can in most other national parks around the world. This is for the protection of the islands and their wildlife, so don’t try to skirt the rules!

See the sights. While the wildlife is the main draw, there are plenty of stunning views from small rises and hills overlooking areas of the islands. Your tour guide can bring you to some of the best viewpoints on any given island, so make sure to ask.

Encounter the wildlife. From tortoises to albatross to tropical fish, there’s a ton of wildlife to see that you can’t see anywhere else outside of the occasional zoo. You can even get surprisingly close to a lot of wildlife, though you’re not allowed to touch them.

Snorkel and dive around the reefs. Galapagos is the world’s second-largest marine reserve after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, and there’s a ton to see all around the archipelago. If you’re comfortable under the waves, you’ll probably end up spending a lot of time there.

Expect to see dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles, rays, and even sharks under the waves, depending on when you’re doing your diving. Some are playful and curious, while others keep their distance, but they’re all incredible.

Hike the iconic trails. There are certain iconic destinations throughout the Galapagos islands that are worth the hike. In particular, hiking up to the Sierra Negra volcano is incredible – it’s a nearly six-hour hike, though, so make sure you know what you’re getting into. Don’t underestimate the heat, humidity, and scorching sunlight.

See history at the wall of tears. A place called the Wall of Tears might not sound exciting, and you’d be right to wonder. It’s a historically significant landmark and the site of a lot of unfortunate loss of life when the islands were used as a penal colony. It’s a piece of stark contrast to the rest of the islands and, while somber, is worth a look.

Enjoy a tropical beach. There are hundreds of beaches and coves, ranging from popular to secluded, all around the islands. Whether you want to lounge on the sand and soak up the sun or take a swim in crystal-clear waters, there’s definitely a place you can do so nearby.

So, are you ready to book your trip to the Galapagos islands? There’s so much iconic biodiversity and so many things to do that even a week won’t feel like enough time. Still, it’s worth a visit or two, and we highly encourage you to not only go but tell us all about it when you get back!