Galápagos Expeditions

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September 27, 2022

North Seymour Island

-0.395° S -90.288° E

Jonathan Aguas, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor

We're a winner of Conde Nast Traveler's 2022 Readers Choice Awards

Best Cruise Line in the Galápagos (Expedition Category)

Sail the iconic archipelago with the pioneers of modern expedition travel

Lindblad Expeditions pioneered expedition travel to the remarkable Galápagos Islands more than 50 years ago. Today, we lead expeditions year-round to this magical archipelago famed for its vibrant wildlife. Encounter giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, playful penguins, and charismatic sea lions in their natural habitats, unfazed by your presence. Enjoy multiple adventures each day on land and undersea, including walks and hikes, kayaking, paddleboarding, and snorkeling, in the company of local expert guides.

In Galápagos, one thing is certain: expect the unexpected! Surrounded by wildlife on land and at sea, you never know what might happen. And that’s been the draw since Darwin landed in 1835.

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A new ship for the Galápagos

Lindblad Expeditions is delighted to welcome the newest member to our Galápagos fleet. National Geographic Islander II, a best-in-class expedition ship, is expertly refitted to facilitate the active exploration at the heart of the Lindblad experience. Guests will enjoy more space and amenities while exploring the Galápagos Islands.

Galápagos

Galápagos Aboard National Geographic Endeavour II

Special Offers

Duration

10 days

Year Round

From

$7,940

Prices are per person

Special Offers (2)

Highlights

Galápagos

Galápagos Aboard National Geographic Endeavour II

Duration

10 days

Year Round

From

$7,940

Top Highlights

Benefit from our 50+ years of experience in Galápagos and deep knowledge of the archipelago to see all you came for and more
See more of the archipelago’s varied islands and habitats
Have up-close encounters with incredible wildlife
Experience the Galápagos undersea, too

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Special Offers

FREE ROUND-TRIP AIR ON SELECT DATES
Book by April 30, 2023, for Free Air from Miami—or from $249 and $349 from popular home cities—on select 2022-23 departures. Business class upgrade starting at $750.

Offer on American Airlines only, economy class. Upgrade to Business Class flights starting at $750, subject to availability. Free air offer includes internal flights between mainland Ecuador and Galápagos. All offers are valid for new bookings only, must be ticketed by Lindblad Expeditions and are subject to availability at time of booking. In the case that offered Miami flights are no longer available, Lindblad reserves the right to issue a credit. Baggage fees may be additional.
KIDS SAVINGS

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Galápagos

Peru

Galápagos Aboard National Geographic Endeavour II + Peru's Land of the Inca

Special Offers

Duration

16 days

Year Round

From

$14,140

Prices are per person

Special Offers (1)

Highlights

Galápagos

Peru

Galápagos Aboard National Geographic Endeavour II + Peru's Land of the Inca

Duration

16 days

Year Round

From

$14,140

Top Highlights

Have up-close encounters with Galápagos wildlife and explore the undersea, too
Benefit from 50+ years of experience and relationships in Galápagos to see all you came for and more
Explore fabled Machu Picchu, royal sanctuary of Inca Pachacuti, over two days
Discover Cusco’s array of cultural influences and explore the Sacred Valley of the Inca
Explore the massive Inca stone fortress of Ollantaytambo

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Special Offers

FREE ROUND-TRIP AIR ON SELECT DATES

Book by April 30, 2023, for FREE ROUND-TRIP economy group airfare from Miami to Galápagos/Lima to Cusco on select 2023 departures. Upgrade to Business Class to Guayaquil starting at $750, subject to availability. All offers are valid for new bookings only, must be ticketed by Lindblad Expeditions and are subject to availability at time of booking. In the case that offered Miami flights are no longer available, Lindblad reserves the right to issue a credit. Baggage fees may be additional.

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Galápagos

Peru

Wild Galápagos & Peru Escape

Special Offers

Duration

11 days

Year Round

From

$10,790

Prices are per person

Special Offers (2)

Highlights

Galápagos

Peru

Wild Galápagos & Peru Escape

Duration

11 days

Year Round

From

$10,790

Top Highlights

Remain into the late afternoon at fabled Machu Picchu, introduced to the world by Hiram Bingham in the April 1913 issue of National Geographic magazine
Soak in the scenery and culture of the Sacred Valley of the Inca
Journey between Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu by Inca Rail
Voyage aboard the 48-guest National Geographic Islander II with a team of naturalists
Maximize your time in Galápagos with options to hike, Zodiac cruise, and snorkel every day

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Special Offers

FREE AIR IN 2023
FREE AIR IN 2024

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Galápagos

Wild Galápagos Escape

Special Offers

Duration

8 days

Year Round

From

$9,790

Prices are per person

Special Offers (2)

Highlights

Galápagos

Wild Galápagos Escape

Duration

8 days

Year Round

From

$9,790

Top Highlights

Experience all Galápagos offers in just over one week, with departures on Saturday and Thursday
Add a two-night post-expedition extension in Quito, Ecuador
Snorkel and kayak in rich waters among shimmering fish, sea turtles, penguins, and playful sea lions
Walk among colonies of wildlife and seabirds unfazed by your presence
Maximize your time in the islands with options for exploration every day including hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, and more

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Special Offers

FREE AIR IN 2023
FREE AIR IN 2024

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Expedition Highlights

Dive in and experience Galápagos with all your senses. Choose how you want to explore—hike, paddleboard, kayak, snorkel, or arrange to dive (on select departures). Take a long hike or just relax on the beach. Our generous staff-to-guest ratio means you can always find a naturalist whose interests and approach you share whether you want to focus on birding, human history, photography, the undersea, or more. Since the first international tourist expedition cruise to the Galápagos Islands in July 1967 with Lars-Eric Lindblad, we’ve introduced generations of guests to these strange and wonderful islands, the world’s first UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Life Aboard

Henry David Thoreau called it the “tonic of wildness.” It’s what a cruise to Galápagos, with its beauty and wildness, gives you—a spirit lift. To compound this healthful effect, we provide a quality of shipboard life and a philosophy of wellness to relax and rejuvenate body, mind, and spirit.

National Geographic Global Explorers Program

One of the most rewarding sights on expedition is witnessing the gleam of discovery in a child’s eyes, whether they’re walking alongside a grazing giant tortoise or watching blue-footed boobies perform an elaborate courtship dance. Moments like these are abundant in the Galápagos—and they’re especially meaningful when complemented with the learning opportunities offered through our exclusive National Geographic Global Explorers Program.

Discover

Discover Galápagos

Expedition Leader

Veteran expedition leaders are the orchestrators of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.

Naturalist

Our naturalists, passionate about the islands where most of them were raised, illuminate each facet of natural and human history here through their enthusiasm and knowledge. Our guests consistently cite the expertise and engaging company of our staff as key reasons to repeatedly travel with us.

Undersea Specialist

See what lies beneath the waves—even if you choose to stay dry with the help of your undersea specialist. These pros snorkel or dive to shoot footage of sea life and share it in the lounge. They lead snorkeling outings and glass-bottom boat excursions, offering voiceover on all you see.

Certified Photo Instructor

Every expedition aboard a ship in our National Geographic-flagged fleet offers an exclusive service—a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This naturalist is specially trained to offer assistance with camera settings and the basics of composition, and to help you become a better, more confident photographer.

Rich Reid

Award-winning photographer and filmmaker Rich Reid has specialized in environmental and adventure photography for over two decades. North American Nature Photography Association elected Rich as a Fellow for his significant contributions to the nature photography industry, and he was a finalist for the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his time-lapse video documenting forest fire ecology.

Join him aboard the September 8, 2023, departure of Galápagos Aboard National Geographic Endeavour II or Galápagos Aboard National Geographic Endeavour II + Peru's Land of the Inca.

David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes

Underwater photographers David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes are married partners who work together as a team to produce National Geographic stories from equatorial coral reefs to beneath the polar ice. David estimates he has spent nearly half his life in the sea since taking his first underwater photograph at the age of 12 with a Brownie Hawkeye camera sealed in a bag.

Join them on the December 8, 2023, departure of Galápagos Aboard National Geographic Endeavour II.

World map with a pushpin in the Galápagos Islands

National Geographic Islander II: Take a Virtual Tour

Take a virtual tour of the newest member of our Galápagos Fleet, the all-suite National Geographic Islander ll.

This is the best trip we have ever taken. We have been all over the world and nothing else compares.

Barry Z.

Ready for the adventure of a lifetime?

1.800.397.3348

1.800.397.3348

FAQs

FAQs and Key Information

From climate conditions, to water temperature, to packing the right footwear. Find answers to the questions our Expedition Specialists get most often.

Making a Difference

Lindblad Expeditions supports stewardship efforts in the places we explore, and one way we do that is through the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic (LEX-NG) Fund. Traveler contributions to the LEX-NG Fund in Galápagos currently support our regional partners—the Charles Darwin Foundation, Galápagos National Park Directorate, Island Conservation, and the Scalesia Foundation—in their efforts to research and conserve the unique wildlife of the islands and promote education in the region.

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Daily Expedition Reports

Daily Expedition Reports

1/31/2023

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National Geographic Endeavour II

Isabela Island

Today was our last day in the western realm, and we spent it on Isabela, the largest island. Isabela has an interesting seahorse shape due to the five volcanoes that joined at their bases to form the island. Our morning was very special because we saw our first Galapagos giant tortoises! We observed females at Urbina Bay, where Alcedo giant tortoises come to nest. We also saw some juveniles right on our path. Besides tortoises, we saw sea turtles mating, yellow land iguanas, and various land birds, including finches and hawks. It was a spectacular morning! Our afternoon was spent at a famous anchorage, Tagus Cove. We explored the cove by kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkeling, and Zodiac tours. We went for a hike to the top of Darwin Lake. It was another magical day in paradise!

Daily Expedition Reports

1/30/2023

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National Geographic Endeavour II

Fernandina and Isabela Islands

This morning, we visited Fernandina Island, the youngest and westernmost island of the Galapagos. We stopped at Espinosa Point and walked along the shore on lava flows and black sand. We observed lots of marine iguanas, playful baby sea lions, Galapagos hawks, herons, and lava lizards. The iguanas displayed territorial behavior, some of them even bleeding from the ongoing fighting during this season. After our walk, we returned to the ship to get into our wetsuits. We enjoyed snorkeling along the coast, where we had the opportunity to observe tropical fish, Galapagos penguins, and sea lions. In the afternoon, National Geographic Endeavour II dropped anchor at Vicente Roca Point, located northwest of Isabela Island. Here we had an amazing time observing endemic wildlife and various geological features along the coast. We found marine iguanas, penguins on the rocks, Galapagos fur seals, and blue-footed boobies. We also got very close to a colony of flightless cormorants, one of the best examples of adaptive behavior in the Galapagos. We also observed many sea turtles in the shallow water; they were ready for our cameras! Back on board, the captain took us to the north. As we crossed the equatorial line, we celebrated with a wine tasting on the sundeck. We all had a wonderful time!

Daily Expedition Reports

1/29/2023

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National Geographic Endeavour II

North Seymour and Rabida Islands

Today was the first full day of our expedition. We started the morning by exploring one of the largest nesting grounds for magnificent frigatebirds in the Galapagos. Frigates nest in these grounds all year, and blue-footed boobies and yellow land iguanas also live and breed here. We walked along the palo santo dry forest as we learned more about various creatures and the ecology of the island. We had our first sightings of lava lizards, small reptiles found on most of the islands in the archipelago. We observed swallow-tailed gulls nesting near the rocks by the beach. Our guests were very surprised by the tameness of the wildlife; it is easy to photograph animals here. The afternoon started with our first water activities on Rabida Island, which included deep-water snorkeling for experienced guests. A refresher was offered so those who had not snorkeled in a long time could also enjoy the marvelous underwater world. This island offers a wide variety of fish and an incredible beach, one of the few red sand beaches in the world. Behind the beach, a lagoon is a nesting place for flamingos. Flamingos were a highlight of the day, but we can’t forget about the most popular animal in the Galapagos: sea lions. Today, our guests learned to differentiate seals from sea lions as we observed many on the beach and while snorkeling. Today was full of wildlife and knowledge! What a great way to start our expedition!

Daily Expedition Reports

1/27/2023

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National Geographic Endeavour II

Genovesa Island

Today is our last full day of expedition aboard National Geographic Endeavour II . Locally known as “The Bird Island,” Genovesa is locatedin the northeast of the archipelago. We anchored the ship in what was once the crater of a volcano. We explored many different nesting sites for seabirds like red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, etc. We also observed marine life by snorkeling, kayaking, and paddleboarding. We enjoyed Zodiac tours along the beautiful basaltic cliffs. We had amazing encounters with the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands.

Daily Expedition Reports

1/26/2023

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National Geographic Endeavour II

Bartolome and Sombrero Chino

As we left the eastern islands and headed towards the central part of the archipelago, we experienced a very different geology. These somewhat younger islands have younger lava flows, pioneer vegetation, and a unique landscape. Bartolome Island is a satellite volcanic cone from James Island, and it has a unique lunar landscape that is often referred to as the moonscape of the Galapagos. Our day started early in the morning with a pre-breakfast outing, a favorite for most of our guests. The best part about starting our day as the sun rises is that we get to see how the wildlife wakes up with the sunlight! Some of us hiked up the cone of Bartolome. We experienced quite a workout with a series of 380 wooden steps! Every 100 steps or so, we regrouped for a moment to talk about the fascinating formation of the islands and to take some beautiful pictures with the great light. We continued all the way to the summit at about 300 feet. During our coastal exploration, we toured around in Zodiacs. The pitch-black lava contrasts with the turquoise water to create the most spectacular scenery for wildlife! We spotted blue-footed boobies in the early morning, a flock of penguins looking for a meal, herons ready to make their first catch of the day, and fish coming very close to the surface. The volcanic landscape was amazing, and we observed iconic features, including the famous Pinnacle Rock. After breakfast, the golden beach looked appealing. We sunbathed, snorkeled, and took photos. Snorkeling here is fascinating because we can observe sea lions, rays, reef sharks, penguins, and an amazing number of fish. Sombrero Chino Islet is a volcanic cone on the southern coast of James Island. Sombrero Chino is a combination of lava flows, lava tubes, and uplifted sea floor. The beautiful white sand beach is home to sea lions, lava lizards, pioneer plants, and succulents. Sombrero Chino is also the home of the northernmost penguin in the world, the endemic Galapagos penguin. How special it is to see a penguin surrounded by lava and cacti! There is nowhere else in the world that one can swim with such a bird and watch as it flies underwater! The Galapagos penguin is one of the world’s eighteen penguin species. It is the second smallest and the northernmost penguin. Its origin is in South America, and its closest relative, the Magellan penguin, lives in Chile. The Galapagos penguin has adapted to living on the equator, and it is an endemic species. Found along the lava rocks, the penguins are iconic on the islands. Snorkeling with a penguin in the Galapagos is a unique and amazing experience.

It will never leave you if you go to the Galápagos islands. You will have stories for the rest of your life—I can promise you.

Sven-Olof Lindblad

1.800.397.3348

1.800.397.3348

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Galapagos 2023-24

Galápagos

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2023-2024 Voyages

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