Galápagos cruise prices: dated fares and the full booking cost

What does a Galápagos cruise cost?

Two published operator examples show why a single average is misleading. Metropolitan Touring advertises Isabela II’s five-day Northeast Islands of Fire cruise from US$4,650 per guest in 2026 and US$4,700 in 2027. Ecoventura publishes a 2026 seven-night Deluxe Double rate of US$10,950 per person in double occupancy, rising to US$11,500 in 2027. These are different products and trip lengths, not the cheapest and most expensive cruises available.

Prices were checked on 25 October 2026. They are published reference fares, not live cabin offers or a market-wide price range. Availability, departure date, occupancy, supplements and the final written inclusions determine what you pay.

What the nightly comparison leaves out

Dividing by nights is useful for spotting a length mismatch, but it is not a value ranking. The first and last cruise days contain arrival and departure logistics, and programmes have different landings, guiding arrangements and onboard services. A four-night cruise is not five full excursion days.

The Isabela II Northeast page lists accommodation, all onboard meals, Park-certified naturalist excursions, snorkelling equipment including wetsuits, soft drinks and selected transfers. Its exclusions include international airfare, government entry charges, alcohol, personal expenses, gratuities, taxes and fuel surcharges. Mainland-to-island airfare is not established as included by that list: keep it as a separate quote line.

Ecoventura: included processing does not mean included fees

Ecoventura’s rate page includes an open bar with premium-brand exceptions, Wi-Fi, guided shore excursions, wetsuits and snorkelling equipment. Its airport meet-and-greet and transfer provisions are tied to AV1630 arrivals. The page includes processing and pre-payment of entry charges for those arrivals, yet explicitly lists the park entrance fee and Transit Control Card as excluded from the fare. Those are arrangements for collecting or paying your charges, not free admission.

International and island flights, mainland hotel nights, insurance and gratuities are also separate. Its US$400-per-guest weekly gratuity is the operator’s suggestion, not a compulsory government fee. Do not apply one operator’s tipping suggestion to every vessel.

Solo cabins, children and festive weeks change the total

Ecoventura’s 2026 table lists US$19,950 for single occupancy of the Deluxe Double, compared with US$10,950 per person for double occupancy. The single traveller’s fare is US$9,000 higher; it is not a second person’s ticket. A comparison based only on the double-occupancy headline can therefore be especially misleading for someone travelling alone.

Its published 2026 and 2027 festive-week supplement is US$500 per person, with different single-occupancy and discount conditions. Children aged 11 and under are accepted only on designated family departures, and under-sixes only on private charters. These are Ecoventura’s rules, not archipelago-wide age limits. Obtain the fare for your child’s age and actual departure rather than subtracting a generic family discount.

Build a complete quote in this order

First obtain the cruise fare for the named vessel, departure, itinerary, cabin and occupancy. Add every compulsory supplement or tax and establish the payment currency. Next add mainland-to-island flights, international flights, government charges, mainland hotel nights and transfers not already included. Add your own insurance, discretionary drinks, tips and hotel extension separately.

Do not enter zero for an unknown item. A useful comparison has a confirmed amount, an explicit inclusion or a clearly marked pending quote on every line. Keep cancellation deadlines, deposit conditions and the supplier responsible for each transfer beside the numbers. A lower fare with non-refundable flights or a different visitor-site route may not serve the same trip.

Sources and price scope

Reference fares and terms checked 25 October 2026 against the named operators. Ecoventura’s double, triple and single table headings were also checked in its original HTML. The per-night figures are arithmetic illustrations using the published fares, not bookable nightly rates. These examples do not establish a budget-market minimum, a discounted offer, affiliate eligibility or cabin availability.