FLIGHTS TO THE GALAPAGOS

Once you have decided on your cruise itinerary for the Galapagos Islands including an additional tours you may plan for the mainland of Ecuador or Peru, you will be ready to book your flights. We are happy to assist those clients making tour reservations with us - with flight arrangements also.

If you are making your own travel arrangements you will need to first fly to either Quito (UIO) or Guayaquil (GYE). The flights to Galapagos leave early in the morning and the flights returning from Galapagos arrive in the late afternoon. For this reason most travelers will need to plan a night in either Quito or Guayaquil both before and after their trip to the islands.

Flying to Ecuador

Upon arrival you will go through immigrations first and then customs. First you will be asked to present your passport and tourist card (usually handed out on board your flight prior to landing). Be sure your entrance papers are officially stamped showing the number of days you are allowed to stay in the country.

Next you will proceed to pick up your luggage. If you require assistance there are porters you can help you the stand gratuity is US $1.00 per bag. There are also baggage carts for rent the cost is between $1.00 and $2.00 for the cart depending on location. Once you have your bags you need to clear customs which includes an x-ray of your luggage.

Quito (airline city code is UIO) is the capital of Ecuador located high in the Andes. It is a beautiful city surrounded by snow-covered peaks. The old city, named a UNESCO world heritage site is known for its fabulous churches and museums. Quito is the tourist capital of continental Ecuador.

Guayaquil (airline city code is GYE) by contrast is the sultry economic center of Ecuador and the largest city. As the largest shipping port on the western coast of South America it is a more frequent stop for business travelers than those on vacation. Passengers arriving in Guayaquil typically arrive the night before their cruise and use Guayaquil as a connecting point rather than a stopover destination.

Galapagos Islands Airports and Flights

Most flights from Quito to Galapagos will have a stop-over in Guayaquil en-route. Arriving in the islands there are two airports. Baltra or San Cristobal you will need to check your itinerary or location of your hotel to determine which island you want to arrive. The Santa Cruz and San Cristobal are several hours apart making it difficult to go where you are planning if you arrive to the wrong airport.

Flying to the islands should be a fairly straightforward internal flight, but unfortunately it is typically more complicated than it ought to be.

TAME offers daily flights between Quito and Guayaquil and the Baltra airport in the Galapagos Islands. Flights to the Galapagos are heavily booked if you are interested in flying on days other than the first and last day of a cruise, please make reservations well in advance.

TAME serves the Baltra airport where the majority of the boats operate and from where overland service to Santa Cruz is available. Aerogal serves the San Cristobal and Baltra airport. Please note as due to the distance between the two airports it is not possible to transfer between airports on the same day.

Galapagos and Ecuador Flight Reservations

We make internal Ecuador flight arrangements for all clients purchasing cruises or tour packages with us. If you are not purchasing a cruise or tour with us it is possible to make your own reservations.

Purchasing a ticket is not the same as making a reservation on a specific flight. Just because a specific flight appears on your ticket does not necessarily mean that you have a reservation on that flight. Your reservations must be reconfirmed 24 hours prior to the flight departure - if you are purchasing your package through us we will take care of all reconfirmations. Those people traveling to the Galapagos on a cruise and traveling on the regular arrival and departure dates have their flights reconfirmed by the boat.

People traveling to the Galapagos on their own, or extending their trip may need to make their flights reservations themselves.

Should you need assistance with flight reservations and have not purchased your tour or cruise with us - our office in Galapagos can assist you with purchasing e-tickets - a service fee applies for this this service. Please use the secure Galapagos Flight Reservation Form or contact them directly at flights@galapagosonline.com to arrange your air reservations.

In January of 2012 the Ecuadorian Government stopped subsidizing the price of airline fuel. As a result the airlines are now charging a fuel surcharge for all routes within Ecuador.  The amount of the surcharge varies between airlines and the route

Ticket prices:
Quito - Galapagos - Quito $475 to $550 per adult including the service fee
Quito - Galapagos - Guayaquil $450 to $500 per adult including the service fee
Guayaquil - Galapagos - Guayaquil $430 - $475 per adult including the service fee

Checking in for your Galapagos Islands Flight

Check-in at the airport is required at least 1-hour before departure. The airlines cancel any unclaimed reservations 30-minutes before departure opening the unclaimed seats up for wait listed and standby passengers.

Passengers checking in for flights to or from the Galapagos Islands are required to show their passport. The passport information is verified against the ticket reservation information. The agent then issues a boarding pass for the flight. You will also need to show your INGALA entrance permit and your luggage inspection seal prior to being able to check in for your flight.

Baggage Allowance

Almost all the food and supplies for the various boats is flown to the islands on the scheduled flights. This creates a great demand for space in the baggage hold. The airline restricts and enforces the amount of luggage passengers may bring to the islands to 1-piece weighing no more than 44 lbs (20kg). Excess baggage is subject to a heavy tariff. Restriction is not as bad as it sounds, as you do not need many things in the islands. If you have a special need and know that you will accede the baggage limit it is better to make arrangements in advance to assure that your luggage travels with you. Most hotels in Quito and Guayaquil have bodegas (storerooms) available where guests can store additional luggage or shopping purchases. This service is almost always free of charge.

Customer Service

The one aspect of the trip to the islands that is the cause for the most complaints is the air service. These airlines are not run with much consideration for the passenger. Be prepared for some degree of inconvenience and it will make the process much easier.

Daily Galapagos Flight Schedules

Flights are subject to delays, time changes and the addition or subtraction of equipment. There is an (1) hour time change between the mainland of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands all times shown are local time - flight times do change.

Quito to Baltra

TAME flight 191 departs 8:30 am arrives 10:45 am
TAME flight 193 departs 10:15 am arrives 11:15 am*
LAN flight 1551 departs 9:15 am arrives 11:50 am**
AEROGAL flight 32 departs 7:45 am arrives 10 am Mon - Fri, Sun
AEROGAL flight 34 departs 9:45 am arrives 12:20 pm Sat
AEROGAL flight 38 departs 6:45 am arrives 9:20 am Sat - Sun
AEROGAL flight 938 departs 9:45 am arives 12:15 pm Thur - Fri

*TAME flight 193 departs 9:30 am arrives 11:40 am Sat
**LAN flight 1551 departs 8 am arrives 10:35 am Sat

Guayaquil to Baltra

TAME flight 191 departs 10:05 am arrives 10:45 am
TAME flight 193 departs 11 am arrives 11:40 am Sat
LAN flight 1551 departs 9:35 am arrives 10:35 am Sat
AEROGAL flight 34 departs 11:30 am arrives 12:20 pm Sat
AEROGAL flight 38 departs 8:30 am arrives 9:20 am Sat - Sun
AEROGAL flight 938 departs 11:30 am arrives 12:15 pm Thur - Fri

Quito to San Cristobal

TAME flight 195 departs 9:30 am arrives 11:30 am Mon, Wed, Fri
TAME flight 195 departs 7:30 am arrives 9:30 am Sat, Sun
AEROGAL flight 36 departs 9 am arrives 11:20 am Sat, Sun

Guayaquil to San Cristobal

TAME flight 195 departs 1 pm arrives 1:45 pm Sat
AEROGAL flight 30 departs 11:45 am arrives 12:40 pm Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri
AEROGAL flight 36 departs 10:30 am arrives 11:20 am Sat, Sun

Baltra to Quito

TAME flight 190 departs 11:25 am arrives 2:25 pm
TAME flight 192 departs 12 pm arrives 4 pm*
LAN flight 1550 departs 12:35 pm arrives 5:15 pm**
AEROGAL flight 33 departs 10:45 am arrives 3 pm Mon - Friday
AEROGAL flight 35 departs 1 pm arrives 5:15 pm Sat
AEROGAL flight 39 departs 10 am arrives 2:30 pm Sat, Sun
AEROGAL flight 939 departs 1 pm arrives 4 pm Thur, Fri

*TAME flight 192 departs at 12:30 pm arrives at 4:45 pm Sat
**LAN flight 1550 departs 11:15 am arrives 4:25 pm Sat

Baltra to Guayaquil

TAME flight 192 departs 12 pm arrives 2:40 pm*
LAN flight 1550 departs 12:35 pm arrives 3:40pm**
AEROGAL flight 35 departs 1 pm arrives 3:40 pm Sat
AEROGAL flight 39 departs 10 am arrives 12:50 pm Sat, Sun
*TAME flight 192 departs at 12:30 pm arrives at 3:10 pm Sat
**LAN flight 1550 departs 11:15 am arrives 2:20pm on Sat

San Cristobal to Quito

TAME flight 194 departs 12:15 pm arrives 4:30 pm Mon, Wed, Fri
TAME flight 194 departs 10:15 am arrives 2:45 pm Sat, Sun
AEROGAL flight 31 departs 1:15 pm arrives 5:30 pm Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri
AEROGAL flight 37 departs 12:05 pm arrives 4:25 pm Sat, Sun

San Cristobal to Guayaquil

TAME flight 194 departs 12:15 pm arrives 4:45 pm
AEROGAL flight 31 departs 1:15 pm arrives 4:10 pm Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri
AEROGAL flight 37 departs 12:05 pm arrives 2:55 pm Sat, Sun