Christian Saa, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
A new expedition ship with just 26 suites sets sail August 2022
Accommodating just 48 guests and sailing with a 1:1 guest-to-crew ratio the new, all-suite National Geographic Islander II has the spirit and soul of a private yacht. Special features include teak decks, indoor-outdoor dining options, an impressive observation deck, and new expedition amenities like a spacious climate-controlled Marina and Science Hub.
We're proud to be awarded the #1 small ship cruise line by the 2021 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards!
Galápagos is open & the vibe is ‘welcome’
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 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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We offer four distinct itineraries: spend a week or 10 days exploring the islands’ lush highlands and pristine beaches or combine Galápagos with Machu Picchu and Peru’s Sacred Valley for an adventure that blends the beauty and wonder of the natural world with a discovery of one of the world’s greatest civilizations.
A new ship for the Galápagos
This August, Lindblad Expeditions will welcome a new member to our Galápagos fleet: an all-suite vessel with just 26 suites and a 1:1 guest-to-crew ratio. The National Geographic Islander II will replace the National Geographic Islander, elevating the guest experience in the Galápagos Islands. The 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 than ever before while exploring the Galápagos Islands.
Book by October 31, 2022, 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.
4TH GUEST TRAVELS FREE
4th person travels free on select departures. Book by October 31, 2022. Bookings of three full-paying guests may bring a fourth person for free on select departures. Offer applicable only on bookings of two double-occupancy cabins, and second cabin must be in same category or lower as first cabin. Valid for new bookings only, subject to availability, not applicable on airfare or extensions, and is not combinable with other offers. Call for details.
Book by October 31, 2022, for FREE ROUND-TRIP economy group airfare from Miami to Galápagos/Lima to Cusco on select 2022-23 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.
Free round-trip air from Ecuador to Galápagos on select 2022 departures. Book by October 31, 2022. New bookings only and subject to availability. All air offers are based on economy group flights that must be ticketed by Lindblad Expeditions. Baggage fees may be additional.
Free round-trip air from Ecuador to Galápagos on select 2022 departures. Book by October 31, 2022. New bookings only and subject to availability. All air offers are based on economy group flights that must be ticketed by Lindblad Expeditions. Baggage fees may be additional.
SOLO TRAVELER SAVINGS
Book by October 31, 2022, and we will waive the solo premium on solo cabins on select departures. Valid for new bookings only on select departures, subject to availability, not applicable on extensions, and may not be combined with other offers. Call for details.
4TH GUEST TRAVELS FREE
4th person travels free on select departures. Book by October 31, 2022. Bookings of three full-paying guests may bring a fourth person for free on select departures. Offer applicable only on bookings of two double-occupancy cabins, and second cabin must be in same category or lower as first cabin. Valid for new bookings only, subject to availability, not applicable on airfare or extensions, and is not combinable with other offers. Call for details.
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.
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.
Galápagos and Peru: Nature and Culture
Embark on a sweeping adventure that encapsulates all the wildness of Galápagos balanced with the cultural and historic experiences of Machu Picchu & Peru's Land of the Inca. Explore Galápagos in depth aboard the 96-guest National Geographic Endeavour II, then discover the culture and history of Peru and the iconic ruins of Machu Picchu.
Discover
Discover Galápagos
The Galapagos Islands are a spectacular archipelago, but not all islands are the same; each one has its unique character. This was what inspired the great naturalist Charles Darwin when he was visiting the islands in 1835.
See, do and learn more by going with engaging experts who have been exploring this region for decades.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is the best trip we have ever taken. We have been all over the world and nothing else compares.
Barry Z.
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.
For this first full day, we started with a walk over North Seymour Island, located on the north side of Baltra Island (officially known as South Seymour). This uplifted island is also known as Bird Island. It is home to a nice community of marine birds, such as blue-footed boobies, two species of frigatebirds, and swallow-tailed gulls (the only nocturnal gull). For our afternoon activities, we snorkeled by a red colored beach on Rábida island. We concluded the day with a stroll over an iron-oxide beach. Along the trail, we explored a saltwater lagoon with sixteen American flamingos. We even saw some nests!
We are halfway through our expedition aboard National Geographic Islander , and today we visited two different islands in the Galapagos. In the morning, we explored the shores of Chinese Hat by Zodiac, kayak, and snorkeling. We found amazing wildlife, like penguins, Galapagos hawks, sea lions, and more. Midday, National Geographic Islander moved location to a place called Sullivan Bay, where we explored one of the largest eruptions in the Galapagos in the last 200 years.
Tower or Genovesa Island is home to over one million seabirds. Our highlights here were diverse, including Nazca, red, and blue-footed boobies, gulls, owls, fur seals, hammerhead sharks, turtles, and manta rays. Our adventure began with a walk that started at the famous Prince Philip’s Steps. Nazca and red-footed boobies and frigatebirds surrounded us. My colleague, Christian, was able to find the first elusive short-eared owl of the day. We spotted two more of these diurnal raptors along the cliff. All of us felt rewarded to enjoy this unique view of the only camouflaged owl on the island. Today was a red-footed booby day, and we also spotted frigatebirds. Chicks were everywhere, and Nazca boobies were starting their mating season. Back onboard, we prepared for our last snorkeling outing to search the undersea realm. We had close encounters with many fish, playful sea lions, and fur seals for the last time. Seeing them up close brought excitement and admiration. Some guests opted for a kayak outing. After this great adventure, we came back to our ship where it was anchored inside Genovesa’s caldera. We were briefed about our departure and enjoyed our last delicious lunch, the pride of our culinary staff.
We spent the morning on the small island of South Plaza. We were welcomed by Galapagos sea lions; females and pups were all around the landing place. There are a good number of Galapagos land iguanas on South Plaza, and we observed them underneath the prickly pear cacti along the trail. As we walked by the cliffs, we saw many seabirds flying, such as swallow-tailed gulls, Galapagos shearwaters, brown pelicans, magnificent frigatebirds, and red-billed tropicbirds. It is a challenge for photographers to get pictures of birds in flight; however, with the right settings and patience, it is always possible! The afternoon was spent at the island of Santa Fe. Here we enjoyed kayaking and snorkeling inside the protected bay, a great place for colorful fish and playful Galapagos sea lions. We ended the day with a great hike. We observed huge prickly pear cacti, Santa Fe land iguanas, and hundreds of sea lions on a white sandy beach. It was a fantastic day in paradise!
Early in the morning, expedition leader Carlos Romero was waiting at the disembarkation deck for early risers who wanted to hike up to the top of Bartolome Island. This was an extraordinary walk that transported us back in time right to the beginning of it all in the Galapagos. In the afternoon, we explored the waters of Sombrero Chino Island. Our guests saw many tropical fish and the elusive Galapagos penguin up close. It was a wonderful experience in yet another beautiful location. Later in the afternoon, we went exploring with our Zodiacs and spotted several penguins fishing along with blue-footed boobies and pelicans.
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.
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