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Grand Odyssey - Northern Galapagos Islands 5 day/4 night

The Galapagos Grand Odyssey Northern Islands cruise is an exciting 5-day/4-night small ship cruise that takes you to the famous Genovesa, a prime nesting site of red-footed Booby. The Northern Islands cruise also visits places like Bartolomé Island featuring some of most beautiful scenery of the Galapagos. In Black Turtle Cove you may snorkel with rays and reef sharks. At Sullivan Bay you may swim with sea turtles and Galapagos penguins. Rábida Island offers opportunities to admire the interactions of a colony of flamingos in its beautiful lagoon.

The Grand Odyssey Northern Islands Cruise can be combined with the Central or Eastern Islands Cruise to create a 10-day/9-night or itinerary or both for a comprehensive 15-day/14-night cruise. View the Northern Islands Cruise details below or click on the following links to view details of the other Grand Odyssey Galapagos cruises.

Eastern Galapagos Islands 6 day/5 night

Central Galapagos Islands 6 day/5 night

Galapagos Grand Odyssey Main Page

Day 1 - SUN - Baltra to Dragon Hill

Upon arrival at Baltra Airport, pass through an airport inspection point to insure that no foreign plants or animals are introduced to the islands, as well as to pay the park entrance fee of $100 (unless it has been prepaid). A guide will meet you, help you collect your luggage, and escort you on a short bus ride to the harbor and then on board M/Y Galápagos Grand Odyssey. Begin the Northern Islands Galapagos Cruise.

After departure and lunch, the first island excursion is made at Dragon Hill for beautiful views of the bay. This site has been open for visits since 1993 and is located in northwestern Santa Cruz Island and consists of a trail that lead to a hyper-saline lagoon behind the beach, frequented by flamingos, pintail ducks and other species of birds. This site has been repopulated with land iguanas from Seymour, Isabela and Santa Cruz islands.

Accommodations: Grand Odyssey
Included Meals: lunch and dinner

Day 2 - MON - Black Turtle Cove & Chinese Hat

This lovely cove includes a red mangrove lagoon on Santa Cruz Island. There are no landing sites so most visitors travel via panga or kayak. The calm lagoon provides a nursery for many sharks and rays. Sightings of white-tipped reef sharks, hammerheads, golden rays, spotted eagle rays, and black-tipped reef sharks are relatively common. Pelicans and herons also frequent the area and sea turtles can sometimes be seen mating in the mangrove-lined waters.

After lunch, head to the small islet known as Chinese Hat. It is a recent volcanic cone, shaped like a Chinese hat when seen from north side. This is an excellent visit for interpretation of geological features such as lava tubes and lava flows. The landscape is covered by sea lions colonies, marine iguanas and Galapagos penguins.

Accommodations: Grand Odyssey
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3 - TUE - El Barranco & Darwin Bay, Genovesa

This morning's excursion takes place at El Barranco which is located in the southern part of Darwin Bay and it is also known as Prince Philip’s Steps. Climb to a plateau that is part of the stretch of land that surrounds Darwin Bay on its eastern side for wildlife viewing. There is a big population of Masked boobies and Red-Footed boobies in the tree; Storm petrels and Short-eared Owls have found in Genovesa lava flows the ideal place for nesting.

The afternoon excursion begins at Darwin Bay with a wet landing on a beautiful white coral sandy beach. This is a favorite island for birdwatchers: red footed-booby, masked boobies, wandering tattlers, lava gulls, whimbrels Yellow-crowned, black-crowned and lava herons, with and yellow warblers can be seen in the area. Following a trail, climb gradually to the edge of the cliff seeing Red-Foots nesting in the Mangrove trees below. Bird watching includes sightings of Sharp-Beaked Finches, Large Cactus and Ground Finches, Galapagos Doves and Swallow-Tailed Gulls. Reaching the end the trail at the cliff's edge offers an incredible view of the island and the many birds living there.

Accommodations: Grand Odyssey
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 4 - WED - Bartolomé Island & Sullivan Bay, Santiago

Bartolomé Island is situated across Sullivan Bay. It has an altitude of 114 meters, from where we can observe one of the most beautiful sceneries of the Galapagos Islands such as: Volcanic cones, lunar-like craters, lava fields, and the famous Toba formed pinnacle eroded by the sea. There is very little vegetation on this island, yet it has two breathtaking beaches where marine turtles exist and at the base of the pinnacle, as well as a very small colony of Galapagos penguins.

After lunch, cross over to Sullivan Bay for a tour of Santiago Island. Along with some of the large western volcanoes of Isabela and Fernandina, Santiago is also volcanically active, with many young flows and cones to be seen, particularly along the south, west, and east coasts. These may even be seen from the summit of Darwin Volcano and from space. A number of historic eruptions have been reported over the last 2 centuries. Santiago actually consists of two coalesced volcanoes: a typical shield volcano on the northwest end and a low, linear fissure volcano on the southeast end.

Accommodations: Grand Odyssey
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5 - THR - Santa Cruz Highlands to Baltra

Start the day with a hike up to Santa Cruz's highlands. The trail leaves from Bellavista and passes through the agricultural zone, near the National Park boundary, the Miconia Zone, and then goes to the Fern and Sedge zone. With clear weather (unpredictable) this area affords beautiful scenes of rolling hills and extinct volcanic cones covered with grass and lush greenery all year round. This is a great place to view giant Galapagos tortoises. After your highlands hike conclude the Galapagos Grand Odyssey Northern Islands Cruise with a transfer to the Baltra airport and fly back to Quito or Guayaquil.

Accommodations: n/a
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner

GALAPAGOS CRUISE INCLUSIVE PACKAGE: For your convenience we offer an Inclusive Package with three nights hotel accommodations in Quito, all airport/hotel transfers, Galapagos flights, Galapagos National Park entrance fees and taxes, Galapagos migration card and your Galapagos cruise. View details of our Galapagos Cruise Inclusive Package.

Travelers not interested in our inclusive package must purchase Galapagos flights in conjunction with their Galapagos cruise.

GALAPAGOS CRUISE CUSTOM PACKAGE: If you are booking a cruise-only program our experts can assist with hotels, transfers, flights and tours. Call AdventureSmith Explorations about customizing your tour or the possibilities of combining this trip with our Mainland Ecuador and Peru: Machu Picchu extensions. We are Galapagos cruise and Ecuador travel experts and our staff can help you customize the perfect Galapagos cruise or Ecuador tour package.

Itinerary Notes: Use the itinerary as a guide only. Itineraries may be altered due to weather, wildlife, National Park regulation or at the captain's discretion. The ability to be flexible makes this type of small ship cruising unique.

Included: Galapagos cruise including all meals and activities while aboard, matrimonial/twin accommodation with private facilities, all transfers in Galapagos, water, coffee, tea, an experienced English-speaking Galapagos Islands naturalist guide, snorkeling and kayak equipment.

Exclusions: International airfare; airfare from mainland Ecuador; Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee (US $100 per adult, $50 for children under 12 years old. This can be paid directly by passengers [cash only] or it is included in our INCLUSIVE PACKAGE TOURS); Galapagos National Institute Migration Control Card (US $10 per person); departure tax ($40.80); gratuities for guides, crew, drivers or local staff; alcoholic and soft drink beverages; wet suit rental; other personal expenses; medical services or insurance of any kind.

Room Configurations: All cabins on the Grand Odyssey can be made 'single' for a 100% supplement. All cabins can be converted to triples as well, with a rollaway bed. 3 travelers each pay the same price.

Families & Children: Children under 12 receive a discount; call AdventureSmith Explorations for details. Families traveling with children under 12 can be accommodated in cabins on the upper and main decks. These cabins have a sofa that can be converted into a comfortable bed. Minimum child age is 4 years old.

Arrival & Departure: Most flights to the Galapagos will depart Quito or Guayaquil between 7:00am-9:00am on day 1 and return between 2:00pm-5:00pm on the final day. We highly recommend travelers arrive Ecuador 2 days prior to their Galapagos cruise.

Payment & Cancellation: A cruise deposit of $700 per person is required at the time of booking. For land packages a deposit of $300 per person is required at the time of booking. A Reservation Form, which includes a release of liability, must be completed and signed by all travelers. Final payment is due 90 days prior to departure. Guests who must cancel their trip for any reason must do so in writing. Cancellations are subject to the following fees, based on number of days prior to departure:
Up to 121 days - $200
120 to 61 days - 20% of total trip cost
60 to 0 days - 100% of total trip cost

Terms & Conditions: This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A packing list and extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation.

Travel Insurance: We highly recommend our travelers protect their investment with travel insurance. Please note that you must purchase your travel insurance policy within 14 days of booking your trip for it to cover pre-existing medical conditions. Click the link below for a selection of policies from our partners at Travelex.



Activities: There are numerous opportunities to swim, kayak and snorkel. The underwater experience is an integral part of any Galapagos cruise, so we encourage all travelers to try snorkeling. Snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel, fins, floating vest and net bag) and kayaks are available for the duration of the cruise. Shortie wet suits are available for rent and are recommended from June to December.

Qualifications: This trip will be enjoyed by anyone who is in good health and leads an active life. Daily excursions from the boat to the islands will be made in pangas (dinghies). Trip members will hike from the landing point to specific areas for wildlife observation. Hiking time for most landings will be a couple of hours round trip with lots of time to stop to study, photograph and enjoy the flora and fauna. Some landings are dry but many are "wet," requiring cautious footing on slippery rocks. The boat staff will be on hand to assist.

For additional information and reservations, please contact us:

800-728-2875 | 530-583-1775 | fax 530-583-1711 | travel@AdventureSmithExplorations.com