Ah, the Galapagos. A far-off island archipelago full of mysterious creatures and otherworldly scenery, the distant dream of many an intrepid traveller. But not anymore. These amazing islands, located hundreds of kilometres off the coast of Ecuador, are more accessible (and affordable) than ever. With relatively cheap hostels and regular flights, visiting the place where Darwin’s theory of evolution got its kickstart isn’t just for cruise-goers and luxury travellers anymore. And with so much to see and do, you don’t need travel companions to have a great time. Solo backpacking in the Galapagos Islands is a once-in-a-lifetime, dream-come-true, every-cliché-out-there experience.
Though it isn’t the most budget-friendly place in the world, this is one trip you don’t want to skimp on. I knew going in that unless I was extremely lucky, I would probably never be back in the Galapagos again, so I decided to spend the extra days and the extra bit of money to see as much as I could. Many people I met in the islands were there for just five days or so, and were all disappointed they couldn’t stay longer.
There are three main islands in the Galapagos: Santa Cruz, Isabela and San Cristóbal, and you need at least a week to visit all three, though that would definitely be rushing. I found nine nights and ten days to be the perfect amount of time, as I was able to fit everything I wanted to see, while still giving myself a little relaxing time. If you’re happy to squeeze more into fewer days, then you could probably do the following itinerary in eight days. I think I hit the perfect balance between free/cheap activities and organised tours (which are a must-do as there are many incredible places you can only visit with a tour).
Visiting the Galapagos was such a dream for me, and I loved every second of it. From the beautiful beaches to the constant wildlife sightings to the best snorkelling of my life, it was such a great feeling ticking the original UNESCO World Heritage Site off my bucket list. Not to mention the animals that got ticked off my wildlife bucket list too!
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Table of Contents
Day 1 – Arrive at Baltra Island/Santa Cruz
If possible, I recommend getting a morning flight from Quito/Guayaquil to the Galapagos so you can take advantage of a free afternoon. Getting from the airport on Baltra Island to Puerto Ayora, the main town on Santa Cruz, is a bit of a process but is really easy because everyone will be doing the same thing. First, take the bus from the terminal ($5) to the ferry boat ($1), cross the narrow Itaca Channel, then take either a taxi ($25) or the bus ($5) across the island. The whole thing takes about an hour.
After checking into your hostel, spend the afternoon at the Charles Darwin Research Centre, a 15-20 minute walk out of town. It takes about 20 minutes to walk around the centre and see the different conservation programs. Walk down onto the small beaches and see your first marine iguanas! If you want to see the tortoise breeding centre, you must be accompanied by a guide. This costs $10 and takes another hour or so.
Time needed: with guide – 2 hours, without guide – 1 hour. $10 or free/donation
Walk back and stop at the Fisherman’s Wharf to watch pelicans and herons angle for some pieces from the market, more iguanas snoozing on the path and some sea lions asleep on the warm concrete.
Dinner, then sleep – you’ll need it. I had not slept in almost 36 hours at this point (after four flights) so my head was on that pillow and asleep by 7.
Where I stayed: Hostal Vista al Mar. Amazing location three minutes from the pier on the main street, quiet, with a communal kitchen and hammocks to relax in.
Day 2 – Las Grietas and Tortuga Bay
Las Grietas
After breakfast, walk down to the main pier and jump in a water taxi across the bay. Tell them you’re going to Las Grietas and they’ll know where to drop you ($0.80). Walk along the path for about fifteen minutes, following the signs for Las Grietas until you reach the gate and guides. Taking a guide is now necessary – there’s no way to see Las Grietas without one ($10). The walk takes you past an old salt mine and through the typical Opuntia cactus landscape. Along the way, your guide will explain more about the Galapagos ecosystem, which is so unique and interesting.
I recommend going to Las Grietas as early as possible, as it can get quite busy. I left my hostel at 9, arriving there at about twenty past ten, and there was already quite a few people, so going even earlier would be better. Even with people Las Grietas is really cool and beautiful. Before descending down to the water, your guide will take you up steps to several viewpoints over the large crack in the earth. Black volcanic rock, green cactus, white trees and red soil all make for a very contrasting landscape. You’ll finish at a viewpoint looking out over the ocean and Puerto Ayora before heading back down for a swim.
In the water, there schools of brightly-coloured fish, a crevice reaching 9 metres deep and at the far end, a chance to see baby marine iguanas snacking on algae growing over the fallen boulders. You do have a time limit in the water now, and unlike before, they very heavily imply that you cannot go past those boulders into the second and third pools which you can see from above. It’s not forbidden, exactly, but you wouldn’t have enough time to go there anyway. When the whistle blows, you make your way back to the start.
I was a little nervous about leaving my backpack and all my camera gear on the rocks, but there are a couple of posts where you can hang your things and there are multiple guides and park staff around, so it felt really safe. Once dressed, it was back along the path and into a water taxi back to Puerto Ayora.
Time needed: 2.5-3 hours
Booking ferries and tours
After getting back to Puerto Ayora, book your ferries and any tours you have planned, if you haven’t already. Last minute tickets tend to be cheaper, but you do risk missing out if they’re fully booked. Haggling skills are necessary here, don’t settle for the first price offered, and don’t just buy from the first place you ask. I wanted to book a Bartolomé Island day trip for the next day, and the first agency said $180, the second $175 and the third $165 (including breakfast!). It was the last spot available (one boat they called was fully booked), so I felt pretty lucky. Booking ferry tickets in advance is also important, though many tour operators advertise last minute tickets. There’s no central ferry ticket office, just the tour companies. Keep in mind that the morning ferries go before they open, so you definitely need to buy those tickets the day before. All tour operators advertise the same price – $25 each way – and there’s no haggling here.
Tip: make sure you have either a local SIM card or WhatsApp, as this is how you will be contacted if there are any changes in time/boat for your tours.
Tortuga Bay
After lunch, walk out to Tortuga Bay. Briefly stop in at Laguna Las Ninfas on the way. You can’t swim here anymore, but it’s a pretty spot. Then continue on down the road until you reach steep stone steps. There’s no fee here, but you will be asked for your details by park staff at the start of the long path to the beach. It’s about a 20 minute walk, with little incline. Lizards and Darwin finches abound here.
At the far end, the white-sand beach opens out, waves crashing against black volcanic rock. It’s absolutely beautiful, but the strong waves and currents make it pretty dangerous to swim here, though there were a few people surfing to my left when I arrived. If you want to swim, walk the whole length of the beach (another 20 minutes) to the lagoon at the other end. You’ll pass mangroves and sunbathing marine iguanas (this is a great photo spot, just remember to keep at least 2 metres distance between you and any animal), just before the lagoon.
When researching my trip to the Galapagos, everyone recommended the lagoon as a great place to swim with iguanas, sea lions and rays, but I guess they were all extremely lucky. The day I went, the visibility in the water was awful, so I couldn’t see a thing. It’s still a lovely place for a swim and to relax for an hour or so, and I’m certain I saw something poking it’s head out of the water at one point, so the animals are there. Rain clouds threatened overhead and I got a bit wet walking back, but that definitely didn’t dampen my afternoon.
Time needed: 2-3 hours
Dinner, relax and prepare for tomorrow.
Day 3 – Bartolomé Island Day Trip
This day trip always has an early start. I was picked up outside my hostel at 6.20am and walked to a restaurant by the pier for my free breakfast (I was the only one there, not sure how I managed to swing that bonus). At 6.50am I walked across the road to the meeting point. Breakfast or no breakfast, each tour starts with a bus back along the same road as you came from the airport, to the Itaca Canal. It would take far too long by boat to get from the south of Santa Cruz to the north, so bus it is. A small Zodiac (inflatable motor boat) takes you from the dock to your boat for the day.
Tip: I highly recommend taking a seasickness tablet before the start of your tour. I get motion sickness, and the last hour or so of the journey gets pretty rough. But with the medication, I felt completely fine! Some boats may even have some on board you can take.
The boat took the fifteen of us on the tour past Daphne Island, an incredible volcanic cone rising out of the ocean. Here I saw my first blue-footed boobies snoozing on the rock with their heads buried in their feathers. Manta rays leaping from the water, dolphins and whales are all possible sightings on the way to Bartolomé. When you finally reach the island, the Zodiac will take you to shore. Your guide (ours was named Darwin, how awesome is that?), will take you along the narrow boardwalk and up many steps, pointing out the features of the volcanic landscape, until you reach the very top of the island overlooking that famous view. Groups keep to themselves, and you may have to wait your turn for a photo, but it’s worth it. The barren landscape really reminded me of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand. All that was missing was a few smoking craters.
After the land activity, it’s time to jump in the water. As I was getting ready, someone spotted a Galapagos penguin at the base of Pinnacle Rock. It was still there when we jumped in the water and swam over, though a couple of overeager swimmers chasing after it meant it quickly disappeared. The snorkelling here is incredible, with coral, huge schools of fish, black-tipped sharks, green turtles and, of course, penguins. Around the other side of Pinnacle Rock, I found four penguins sunbathing on a rock. Only two others from the group had also come that way, so for a few minutes we had them all to ourselves.
Back on the boat, it’s lunch time, then back to Santa Cruz and the waiting bus. You’ll get back to Puerto Ayora at around 5pm, so it’s a long, but incredible day.
Tip: if you have dietary requirements, mention it to the staff as soon as you get on board. I informed the tour agency that I was vegetarian, but they forgot to pass this on to the captain, and he wasn’t very happy about it. Thankfully, the crew were able to whip something up.
Time needed: all day
Day 4 – Travel to Isabela
Another early morning. The ferries to Isabela all leave at 7am, but you need to get there at least 30 minutes in advance because of the bag inspection, water taxi and long queues. When you buy your ticket you are given the name of a boat, and you will need to find the person with the list of passengers for that boat so they can give you a tag you wear around your neck. You will then have to pay $1 for using the pier (yes, really). Make sure to have 50 cents on hand to pay for the water taxi to the ferry as the boats don’t dock at the pier. Again, seasickness medication is key here, as the seas can get really rough between the islands and once on board, you’re asked not to leave your seat unless a crew member is helping you.
Unlike other places in the world, solo backpacking in the Galapagos won’t mean you need a bigger budget, as there is almost no difference in price for transport and activities depending on the number of people. I usually avoid taxis in order to stick to my budget, but even I couldn’t say no to just $1 to share a taxi from the ferry dock into the town.
But the early ferry does mean you have plenty of time left in the day to explore Isabela. After settling in at your hostel, walk along the beachfront of Puerto Villamil (very cute) to the boardwalk leading to the Arnaldo Tupiza Chamaidan Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre (Centro de Crianza Tortugas Gigantes). If you took the guided tour of the Charles Darwin Research Centre, there’s not much need to visit this one too (unless you’re interested in seeing different tortoise species), but the boardwalk is a really pretty walk and takes you past lagoons with more iguanas, several bird species and flamingos.
Concha de Perla
This was another place I heard rave reviews about for snorkelling with wildlife, but again I must have come at the wrong time, because there was little visibility and no wildlife in the water (though you do have to squeeze past iguanas and sea lions sleeping on the boardwalk there). I think it’s something to do with the tide, low tide being better, so check before going. It’s a very pretty spot, located right next to the ferry wharf, so it’s worth the 15 minutes walk even if the snorkelling isn’t great.
If you’re lucky, you might catch a bit of sunset at the nearby beach. When I was there, a large flock of pelicans, frigate birds and blue-footed boobies were all feasting on fish in the water, diving down and fighting over what they brought up.
Time needed: 1-2 hours
Where I stayed: Hostal Cerro Azul. The town is small, so everywhere is a good location, but the lady running this place is so lovely, the rooms are cute and the common area is really nice.
Day 5 – Los Tuneles
Los Tuneles is one of two very popular tours on Isabela, Tintoreras being the other. I chose Los Tuneles because the landscape looked otherworldly, and if you’re lucky you might get to see a seahorse or two.
Los Tuneles isn’t a full-day tour, and there are two departure times – around 7am and 11am. If you choose the 7am time, you’ll have another afternoon free to explore. I chose the 11am because I wanted a lazy morning (no regrets). It takes about an hour for the boat to get to Los Tuneles, and the waves can get pretty rough, so be prepared.
Words and photos just can’t do justice to this landscape. The collapsed lava tunnels make a labyrinth of sort through which the boat captains expertly and impressively navigate. There’s a chance to see more penguins, sea turtles and boobies here. We even saw some very fluffy booby babies when we stepped off the boat to walk around the top of the tunnels.
The snorkelling spot is in a different place, and we had a great day for it – at least 30 white-tipped reef sharks hiding in small caves and crevices, ten or more green turtles (some of the biggest I’ve ever seen), an eagle ray and one lonely seahorse clinging by its tail to a submerged branch.
Trust me, this is one day trip you won’t want to miss while solo backpacking in the Galapagos.
Time needed: 5 hours/all day
Day 6 – Wall of Tears
Today is going to be a very cheap day – it’s all free! Start by walking the entire length of the main beach in front of Puerto Villamil until you reach the start of the trail to the Wall of Tears. This track is cyclable too if you want to rent a bike from town, though I always prefer walking. There’s no entry fee, but like many places in the Galapagos, you need to give your name, country and hotel to park staff going in.
Hint: this is also the last bathroom you’ll see all day.
The trail goes past several lagoons (all empty of wildlife when I passed) and a couple of beaches. You don’t really need to visit everything, but I recommend stopping at the lava tunnel, which has some steps descending down through the collapsed roof. You can only go a few metres in because it’s full of water, but it’s cool to see. On top, you can walk the entire length of the tunnel as it snakes down to the ocean.
Continuing on, this is one of the best places to find wild giant tortoises roaming about, no guide needed. I spotted four along the side of the path, and a fifth at the Wall of Tears. This is why I prefer walking – I would have missed at least two of them if I’d been cycling.
It takes about an hour to walk to the first viewpoint – Mirador Cerro Orchilla. If, like me, you decide not to take a tour to the Sierra Negra volcano (which is often covered in clouds anyway), then this viewpoint is a nice substitute. You can see a lot of the south of the island, Puerto Villamil in the distance and other volcanos on the horizon.
Another 10-15 minutes and you’ll reach the Wall of Tears, an important part of the Galapagos’ surprisingly grim history. The only remains of a prison camp that existed here from 1946 to 1958, the wall was built by the prisoners as a punishment, serving no real purpose other than to keep them occupied. Men died in the process. It’s a sombre place, sobering after the excitement of the days before. There are more viewpoints up behind the wall, or you can start walking back.
Time needed: 3-5 hours, less if cycling
Spend the rest of the day how you like – sunbathing on the beach, chilling in a hammock in your accommodation, or getting a few drinks in a bar by the sand.
Day 7 – Travel to San Cristóbal
Annoyingly, there are no direct ferries between Isabela and San Cristóbal, so it takes the whole day to get from one to the other via Santa Cruz. The ferry from Isabela leaves at 6am, so you’ll need to be at the wharf by 5.30am. Back in Santa Cruz, you now have at least five hours to spare. If you haven’t already, this is a good opportunity to go up into the highlands to see more tortoises. Despite taking medication, I didn’t feel well after the boat ride, so I spent those hours lounging at Hostal Vista al Mar, who were kind enough to let me store my bag there and chill out on the patio.
Ferries to San Cristóbal leave at 3pm, getting to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (what a mouthful) just after 5 o’clock.
Where I stayed: Casa Arvakeni. This place is one of the cheapest in town, but it won’t suit everyone. Run by a local family, the room is attached to their home, and the common area is inside the house. It’s a bit of a walk to the main town area, but it’s good for those on a budget.
Day 8 – Day Hike to Tijeretas and/or La Lobería
Another free day. Start by walking out to the Interpretation Centre, a free museum that is surprisingly informative. I liked that this one focused on the human aspect and history of the islands, not just the natural side of them. The Galapagos have had some dark things happen on them… When you’re solo backpacking in a place like the Galapagos, I think it’s important to understand the history too.
The trail to Mirador Tijeretas starts from behind the Interpretation Centre, winding upwards to the viewpoint. It’s not far, about 25 minutes, and the views get better all the time. From here, you can see down into Tijeretas, also called Darwin’s Cove. The water is so clear I could see multiple sea turtles and sea lions swimming around the small bay, unnoticed by the snorkellers.
Make your way down to the cove and go for a snorkel. If you’re lucky, some sea lions will swim around you (I wasn’t lucky). The water is pretty cold, but it’s a nice break from the heat. After your swim, follow the path to Punta Carola beach. There are a lot of sea lions here, but the white sand disappears into a rocky shoreline, so it can be difficult to swim. There’s a small lighthouse, good for photos, but climbing the broken steps is definitely taking your life into your hands and not really worth the risk. Swim, snorkel or sunbathe, Punta Carola is quiet (except for the sea lions) and peaceful.
Playa Mann is one of the most popular beaches on the island because it’s right on the edge of town. Yet more sea lions abound here, and this is your best chance to get in the water with them. Just remember not to get too close, especially to the big males. If the younger frolicking ones come closer, just let them pass by, and like all wildlife, definitely don’t touch them!
Time need: 3-5 hours, more if you swim more than once
La Lobería
If you start early enough, or have a lot of energy, you can spend your afternoon hiking out to the other famous beach – La Lobería. Named because of its importance as a sea lion nursery, it’s known for usually having many of these animals on it. At 3km outside of town, it is a bit of a walk if you’ve already spent the morning hiking around the area north of town, but I’ve heard it’s beautiful for sunset, and you can always pay for a taxi too. By the time I got back to town from Punta Carola and Playa Mann, it was getting late in the day and I simply didn’t have the energy.
I would think of this more as an alternative to swimming at Tijeretas.
Time needed: 2-4 hours
Day 9 – 360 Tour
The 360 Tour is the most-advertised tour on San Cristóbal, and for good reason. This full day trip takes you on a complete loop around the island and brings you to beaches that have no road access and can only be reached by boat. The tours can go in either clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, but you won’t know unless you ask. But this is an absolute must-do and has the best snorkelling I’ve ever done (I said that about each snorkel trip I did while solo backpacking in the Galapagos until the next one came along!).
Tours start at around 7am and get back around 5pm, so it’s a full day. They also include lunch and snacks. On the clockwise loop, the first stop is Kicker Rock. If you decide not to do the full 360 tour, then you definitely need to get to Kicker Rock on a kayaking or shorter snorkel tour. This place is just incredible. I first saw Kicker Rock from the plane journey on day 1, then again from shore while hiking on day 8, so to see it up close was amazing. We were lucky and came across a pod of dolphins just before reaching the rock, and spent some time watching them surface around the boat.
Once you reach Kicker Rock, you’ll get ready to jump in the (cold) water. The biggest draw to Kicker Rock is the possibility of seeing hammerhead sharks. We didn’t, unfortunately, but we did see some juvenile Galapagos sharks, rays, turtles and sea lions. I finally got my wish of swimming properly with sea lions. Most of the larger adults ignored us, but there was one curious youngster that spun around us for a few minutes, flashing past me and a couple of times even coming right up to my face to check me out. It was truly amazing seeing them in their element. The rock itself is very impressive, its vertical walls disappearing straight down into the depths. It’s absolutely covered in colourful flora, with thousands of bright fish darting around. At one point, there was even a carpet of large, black fish floating right below us. As we swam around the rock, we went through two channels, where the waves pushed us up and down like a carnival ride – so fun!
I didn’t want to get back in the boat after that.
Though the rest of the day was amazing as well, it was a pity that the highlight happened right at the beginning. After Kicker Rock, you will continue around the island, stopping at Sardine Bay for some good photos of boobies and relaxing on the beach, passing by Punta Pitt at the very northern tip where you might be lucky enough to spot the rare red-footed and nazca boobies, get that ultimate photo of Kicker Rock through the sea arch at Cerro Brujo, and finally stop at Playa Rosa Blanca for another snorkel in a shallow lagoon full of sharks and mangrove.
Important: there is a small pool here that gets cut off from the lagoon at low tide. In it you will likely see reef sharks as it is an important nursery area for them. Before going to the Galapagos I read another blog post in which the writer told of her experience swimming in that small pool with the sharks. So I was surprised when we got there and our guide informed us that it’s actually illegal and against park regulations to swim in that pool. Some less ethical guides will not inform their guests of this and let them swim there in the hopes of increasing their tips. So if you go to this spot and the guide is about to let you swim, please please please say no and inform the other guests that if they do they will not only be breaking Galapagos rules, but also endangering the juvenile sharks.
Bear in mind that conditions on the eastern side of the island are rougher than on the western, so the final push back to town could have big waves.
Time needed: all day
Day 10 – Back to Ecuador
Sadly, it’s now time to leave the Galapagos Islands behind. Booking a flight for the afternoon will give you another morning to explore, relax or sleep, whatever you need. The best thing about the San Cristóbal airport? It’s within walking distance of the town! You can get a taxi too for pretty cheap, but it only takes about 10-15 minutes to walk. The airport is tiny, so you won’t need much time to check in and get through security to the one waiting area. I couldn’t believe my time solo backpacking in the Galapagos was over; I really didn’t want to leave, and you won’t either.
If you haven’t yet explored mainland Ecuador, check out my post that has two awesome two-week itineraries! Continue reading below for some tips and practical information, as well as overall costs for your backpacking trip to the Galapagos.
Practical Information and Tips
Money: like the rest of Ecuador, the Galapagos uses the US dollar. Cash is king in all but the fanciest of places, not even tour operators accept cards (usually, they advertise if they do), so make sure you always have plenty on you. There are multiple ATMs on each of the three main islands, which surprised me as every blog post I read while researching my trip said there were none on Isabela, but I walked past two in Puerto Villamil, so they must be new. Also, definitely keep a handful of coins on you as you will need them for the water taxis for each ferry between islands.
Safety: I never once felt anywhere close to unsafe while solo backpacking in the Galapagos. From walking around the towns in the evenings to hiking alone to the different sights around the islands, I always felt completely at ease. That doesn’t mean you should flash your wads of cash around, but with all normal common sense and travel precautions, there’s no reason everything won’t be fine. The only thing to remember is to keep your distance from all wildlife; sea lion bites are not uncommon.
Groceries & Meals: to keep that budget down, I highly recommend staying in accommodations that have communal kitchens. Eating out for every meal will soon add up, so cooking at least some of those is a good idea. Most of the produce in the supermarkets is imported, so the cost can be much higher than in mainland Ecuador. Keep meals simple and buy fresh fruit and vegetables in the small markets and fruiterías to stretch that budget as far as possible.
Sun protection: as the name suggests, Ecuador and the Galapagos are both on the equator, so the sun is intense. Even when it’s overcast it’s possible to get sunburnt, so make sure you’re fully stocked with sunscreen and reapply it regularly. I’m Irish, so obviously I burn easily, but you wouldn’t believe the amount of people I saw walking around the islands looking like lobsters! You have been warned.
Packing essentials: I’m not going to tell you exactly what to pack because I’m guessing you’ve done a bit of travel before, but I will let you know the things I was most glad I had with me: rain jacket, layers for those cold boat rides, seasickness medication, waterproof case for my phone (though I really wish I had an actual underwater camera), light scarf or shirt to cover my shoulders on those sunny (and not-so-sunny) days and a telephoto lens for photographing all the wildlife from a safe distance.
COVID-19: As of November 2021, the Galapagos Islands require both a complete vaccination certificate and a negative PCR test on arrival, unlike Ecuador which only asks for one or the other. Most people were pretty good about wearing masks that I saw, and hand sanitiser and temperature checks were very common going into businesses. You will be required to wear a mask on the inter-island ferries, but not on any boat tours you do. Most of your time you will be outside anyway, so it feels pretty safe.
Total Cost of Solo Backpacking in the Galapagos
Flights: $300-500. Buying your flights far in advance is probably better for getting a good deal, but if you’re anything like me, you may not want to restrict your travels to certain dates too early. I booked my flights two weeks before going and they cost me $400 for both. Also, booking the inbound flight to Baltra/Santa Cruz and the outbound flight from San Cristóbal was the best decision for me. Flights to/from each airport are very similarly priced and doing this means you won’t waste any of your precious time travelling back to Santa Cruz.
Park Fees: $120. Yes, it’s steep, but it’s worth it. You will pay $20 at the airport in either Quito or Guayaquil for a Transit Pass, then the official $100 park entry fee is paid on arrival in the Galapagos.
Accommodation: $150. Hostels cost between $10 and $15 per night for dorm rooms. Isabela has the fewest choices, and I decided to spend a little more for a private double room at $20 per night.
Food: $100. When backpacking on a budget, I generally stick to one meal out a day at most, and cook as much as possible. I also tend to snack instead of eating three meals a day (don’t tell my mother!), which helps with the budget (though not my overall health). Eating local food instead of at western-style restaurants will help too, though I would probably budget more than what I spent on food.
Attractions & Tours: $430. Apart from the flights, tours will by far be your biggest expense while solo backpacking in the Galapagos. Most of this came from the three day tours I did, so not doing those would push this part of your budget right down. However, this would mean missing out on some of the very best of the Galapagos, and you can’t come all this way just to miss out! Also, I definitely overpaid for the Los Tuneles tour because I worried about it being booked out and bought it from a tour operator on Santa Cruz instead of waiting until I got to Isabela, so I recommend waiting.
Solo backpacking in the Galapagos budget total: $1200 or $120/day. If you don’t include the flights and park fees, my actual daily average expense was $68. Definitely much more than a typical backpacking budget, but hey, it’s the Galapagos!
Whew, that was a long one. I hope this guide has helped you to plan your epic solo backpacking in the Galapagos adventure. I’d absolutely love it if you could tell me in the comments below what you’re most excited to see, or what your favourite activity was after you go! And feel free to reach out with any further questions you might have.
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