Air Travel Arrangements

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.  We have access to specially negotiated airfares in both coach and business class and can offer you flights on a variety of airlines. 

If you are making your own travel arrangements from North America the most common airlines used is either American Airlines offering direct flights to Quito or Guayaquil from Miami or Continental Airlines offering direct flights from Houston, Texas. These flights arrive in Ecuador at night and the flights to the Galapagos leave early in the morning - making it necessary for you to spend a minimum of one night prior to your cruise in either Quito or Guayaquil.

If you are traveling from Europe there are a number of carriers to chose from, though not all offer daily service or service to both airports.  Carriers offering service from Europe to Ecuador include British Airways, KLM and Iberia.  Many passengers travelers arriving from Europe prefer to spend a couple of days relaxing after the long flights - a popular option for European traveler's is to fly directly out to the islands and relax and one of the Galapagos Hotels before joining their cruise.

Quito (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 frequently the first stop for visitors en-route to the islands. It is also the hub for Tours into the Andes located only a short distance from the Amazon Jungle Tours, Cotopaxi Volcano, and the Highlands Craft towns it is easy to see why many people select to travel via Quito.  Many travelers arriving in Quito prefer to arrive at least two days before their cruise so they can tour this beautiful city, as well as arrive in the Galapagos relaxed from the travel to Ecuador.

Guayaquil (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. 

From these two international airports connecting service is offered throughout the country. Passengers making connects must collect their baggage and clear immigration and customs then transfer to the domestic terminal located in the next building. 

Flying to the Galapagos Islands

The flights to the Galapagos depart from Quito with a stop-over in Guayaquil en-route before heading to one of the Galapagos' two airports on either Baltra or San Cristobal where passengers meet their guides and head off on their cruise of the islands. Those travelers seeking a land based Galapagos experience can also meet transportation at the airport for either Puerto Ayora from Baltra or Puerto Baquerizo from San Cristobal.

It is important to keep in mind many flights arrive at night and do not allow passengers to make same day connects to their final destination.  The airports offer few services and passengers advised to get a hotel for the night. Fortunately both airports are located within the city limits making a variety of hotels available within a short distance from the airport.

Domestic flights have more stringent baggage restrictions than international flights. International flights typically allow 2 bags at 70 lbs each whereas domestic flights limit baggage to 44 lbs (20 kilos). The airport does not offer baggage storage, but most hotels are happy to store baggage for guests at no additional cost.

Flying to the islands should be a fairly straightforward internal flight, but unfortunately it is more complicated than it ought to be. The islands are served by TAME a military owned airline.

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.