YACHT ISABELA II NATURAL SELECTION JOURNEY (Fri - Thurs)

Embark on a 7-day cruise through the Galapagos’ Southeastern Islands and encounter endemic wildlife. Explore magnificent islands, encounter giant tortoises, booby species, and colorful marine iguanas.

Duration: 7 days
Cancellation: 6 days
Highlights

Baltra - Baltra Airport and Santa Cruz Island
We land at Baltra Island by plane in the morning and transfer to the nearby dock to board Yacht Isabela II, where we receive a welcome introductory briefing, boat drill, and lunch.

What's Included
  • PA System
  • Boutique/Gift Shop
  • Snorkeling Equipment
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Breakfast
  • Radio, telephone, E-mail, and Fax communications
  • Sea Kayaks
  • Multimedia natural history lectures
  • Reading Room & Natural History Library
  • Stargazing Program
  • Island Sightseeing with certified Naturalist Guides
  • Glass Bottom boat, Kayaks, Paddle boards
  • Safety…
What's Not Included
  • Airport transportation to/from Galapagos and airport taxes (A destination expert will contact you).
  • Galapagos National Park Entrance (A Destination Expert will provide more information).
  • Ingala Transit Control Card (A destination expert will provide more information).
  • Gift Pack, tips and gratuities.
  • Soft & Alcoholic beverages, available at an…
Additional Information

Our journey through Galapagos’ Southeastern Islands will be teeming with magnificent islands and endemic wildlife! During our first day, we’ll encounter giant tortoises at Cerro Colorado. After that, a fascinating array of different booby species wait for us at Punta Pitt. During the third day of our Galapagos expedition, a visit to Española Island will…

Location
Galápagos Ecologic Airport
After you have processed the Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee, you will see our staff holding signs with Isabela II Yacht logo. They will assist you to transfer you to the ship.
Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(16 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Inspire06368539924
Apr 7, 2025
Another Bucket List Item Checked! - We took the seven day trip on the Isabella II. It was an amazing experience! The tours were well planned, the naturalists were very knowledgeable and they took very good care of us. The snorkeling was incredible! Special thanks to Melissa, our travel advisor, for all of the help she provided in planning and executing this trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
153lucilah
Jan 13, 2025
Amazing 7 day trip on Isabella II!! - My family and I have just returned from an unforgettable two weeks in Ecuador, 7 days of which were spent on the Isabella II cruise run by Metropolitan Touring. The 7 day Galapagos tour on the Isabella II could not have been more perfect for our family of 6 (3 adults and 3 kids, ages 6, 9 & 13). The ship is well maintained, incredibly clean and very comfortable. The crew was welcoming, super helpful and willing to accommodate whenever possible, which was especially helpful when traveling with young kids (who sometimes didn't like parts of the meal, or asked a lot of questions). My kids were welcomed, helped and integrated fully by guides, crew, staff and travelers. The naturalists were quite knowledgeable, friendly and always explaining/pointing out the spectacular things we were looking for. Given that nature is unpredictable (such as waves too high for a safe landing), there was always attentive consideration placed on safety and alternate plans made and coordinated incredibly well. In fact, we were frequently amazed by the level of coordination and thoughtfulness that went into the minute-by-minute planning by guides and crew. The quality of the food on the trip was perhaps the biggest surprise: we were served delicious meals, with accommodations for our kids and the vegetarians in our family. Fresh vegetables, fish, meat with the most delicious preparations were served at every meal. This will be a vacation that will be hard to miss and we wouldn't hesitate to book again if we could! This review would not be complete without the special mention of our travel agent, Melissa Altamirano. I was first connected with Melissa through the Metropolitan website and she guided us throughout the many months of planning. With every interaction, Melissa went above and beyond: she answered all my questions (and many went beyond the scope of the cruise), and was always warm and friendly. All details she planned worked smoothly and this trip would not have been possible without her help. This trip on the Isabella II in the Galapagos was without a doubt amazing and I highly recommend, especially for those traveling with family, including children and elderly!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Canadianslivinglife
Jan 6, 2025
A trip of a lifetime - This trip of a lifetime was made possible with the great planning and execution of Metropolitan Touring, Melissa A. our agent was amazing every step of the way and the Guides - Alex, Humberto and Martin on board the IsabelaII; as well as Eduardo - service extra-ordinaire. It was worth every penny.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grahamzim
Mar 31, 2024
All that we could wish for and more - This company met our expectations in every respect. The booking process was easy with constant support. We were able to talk to an agent before the cruise to ensure we chose the right options. We first visited Quito and a representative met us at the airport. She had tried to contact us while we were waiting at immigration to ensure we had arrived OK. We were taken to the Gangotena Hotel in the centre of the old city. This was absolutely superb with wonderful service and food. The morning city tour was excellent and we were given a choice of timing to start. Our guide told us the stay apparently included one dinner which I was not expecting so I was not surprised when we were charged for it. We were then informed that this had been a mistake and the cost was refunded. We were so glad we did the dinner as the meal was memorable with a table that had superb views of the old square. Before every course the waiter described the food and ingredients which made us feel very cosseted. The naturalist guides were superbly knowledgeable and it was always made very clear what we were about to do and whether there would be any reasons why we would not want to do any particular activity. They were most concerned about our safety and on the day of any snorkelling activity they would make it very clear what the conditions were and what level of expertise would be needed. Our experience was that your visit would be enhanced if you took up all the snorkelling options but never having snorkelled before we didn't do so. The experience was really full on and the only time you felt you could relax was when the weather made activities impossible. They appreciate that your time is precious and not a moment is to be wasted.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Journey30587734709
Mar 11, 2024
Excellent Visit! - Metropolitan’s agent, Camila Vela, was very responsive to all our questions and gave us good advice in planning the itinerary and the trip as a whole. The Metropolitan representative who met us at check-in at Quito airport was helpful in handing out our boarding passes and Galapagos travel documents and guiding us through the formalities. The trip was fabulous! The itinerary was perfect. The program on the first day before we got to the ship was fairly heavy after a very early start, though we can understand why it was useful to do the trip to the highlands before settling into the ship. We also would have preferred nonstop flights to and from Baltra if available, though maybe they're more expensive or don't fit the rest of the itinerary. For the trip as a whole, everything went smoothly, just as planned. Isabella II was lovely. Our "owner's " cabin was extremely comfortable with plenty of storage (we thought it was just beginning to show its age but it was spotlessly clean and still very comfortable). The crew and guides were superb! Our guides, Alex, Humberto, and Johan, were highly trained naturalists who clearly care a great deal about preserving the fragile environment, they were always good humored, helpful and considerate, and shared their expert knowledge abundantly and clearly, and gave well prepared, interesting, and well delivered lectures every night. With their help we got to see an amazing array of wildlife. Whenever we had a problem snorkeling or on any other issue they were always there to help cheerfully. Francesco was a wonderful hospitality manager, always looking to help and full of good cheer and good humor. Eduardo, our main server, learned our names instantly and was tremendously efficient and helpful at every meal. The food was bountiful and delicious - our only complaint is that we ate too much! All the crew from the captain on down were efficient and tremendously courteous and helpful. All the equipment we needed to enjoy the trip was freely available on board, from the snorkeling equipment to the kayaks. It was useful to have a nice doctor on board to deal with whatever minor health issues cropped up. After the trip Metropolitan provided free of charge a photo gallery and videos that the guides took during the trip. Visiting Galapagos was a marvelous, once in a lifetime experience! We have no hesitation in recommending Metropolitan without qualification - we felt we could not have been in better hands! Date of experience: February 22, 2024
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Deb04033
Mar 4, 2024
Best Galapagos Expedition - Excellent company to work with. Outstanding experience! Fabulous crew, knowledgeable guides, fantastic service, food, excursions. Cannot say enough good about this experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Glicona1964
Feb 1, 2024
Great experience - We had an amazing experience on the Isabela II in Dec. 2023. The crew was very informed and helpful. The cabins were well equipped and the food choices were diverse and tasty. There were many activities each day that kept us entertained. Each evening we were giving an informative meeting about the animals we would see the next day. We felt very safe on our expeditions. This cruise is definitely a trip of a life time. We did have one mishap but it was taken care of. We left a Mont Blanc pen in the safe and a pair of shoes in the cabin. We realized it 2 days after leaving the vessel. We were told before we left the ship to make sure we took all our items but we think the pen must have gotten stuck in the edge of the safe and the shoes were left under a bed and the room could use more lighting. We contacted Diego Zapata as soon as we noticed and they were able to locate the items. Even though because of the remoteness of the Galapagos Islands they were able to ship our items to us and we received them a little over a month after we left the ship. Metropolitan Tours is a top notch company and we would recommend this company to someone that wants to go to the Galapagos Islands.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightseer51291668713
Dec 1, 2023
The Galápagos Islands As They Should Be Experienced. - The experience aboard Isabella II was amazing from start to finish. The crew was wonderful, the service was wonderful, the food was delicious, and accommodations were first class. All of that was overshadowed, however, by the experiences on each of the islands and kodiak trips from Isabella II and each of the islands. The naturalists were so knowledgeable, professional, warm, and friendly. They are really what made the experience as incredible as it was. I would recommend this tour 100%.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cherylfl5317qu
Apr 7, 2025
Great Experience Overall - Overall, great trip! Great naturalists, crew and food. Saw wonderful wildlife. Cabins a bit cramped. Next time will choose smaller vessel and catamaran.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
4petessaketravels
Mar 31, 2025
Good adventure cruise. - Metro Tours' Isabella II staff and naturalists were very good, if that all the vessel-based service and activities were well done. The ship was nice and adequate but nothing fancy. Really perfect for an adventure cruise. And of course we saw and did some amazing things as billed. The first day was a detractor. The start from Quito was very early 3:50AM and there was no time to eat until 2:00 PM after we finally arrived on the boat. Information about the travel from Quito to Baltra was scant if at all. Turns out, unbeknownst to the travelers, that there would be a side trip before onboarding. Most of us had the wrong clothes for that side trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $6,076
up to 4 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 6 days before the start of your experience (local time).