Traveling to the Galapagos with your family is, in itself, a journey of introspection and transformation. There’s no other place on Earth that offers such a close encounter with nature.
A Galapagos Islands family vacation should be an unforgettable experience full of educational and fun activities for the little ones. Unlike your average tour, this trip can expand their vision of the world, making them feel like authentic adventurers diving into unique experiences.
With that said, no two cruises are alike.
How can you choose among all the Galapagos family cruises and tours, so you can enjoy the best one? Which are a life-changing experience?
You can find more than 70 navigable cruise options in the Galapagos. When choosing the right one for your family, it’s important to keep these details in mind:
At Bespoke Galapagos, we work with several boats categorized as ideal for your Galapagos islands family vacation. Depending on your needs (and how they match up with the list above), we’ll recommend a cruise that perfectly fits your unique plans. See more details below!
Our team consists of family members who have traveled extensively in the Galapagos and Ecuador. We know first-hand the requirements and special considerations you need before undertaking a trip, so leave the work to us! Sit back, relax, and enjoy an exceptional vacation that can expand your family’s vision of the world.
Charter a boat is the best option for your family or group. You can enjoy an exclusive trip, with a crew uniquely experienced in attending to the well-being of families.
The best boat for family charters: M/C Elite. This yacht is specially designed for private family trips, with the aesthetic of a luxury house in the middle of the sea. It can accommodate up to 16 passengers.
In this case, your best option is to share the cruise with other passengers.
Boats with interconnected cabins include: Sea Star Journey, Endemic, M/C Treasure of Galapagos.
Most Galapagos cruises are kid-friendly, admitting children of all ages on-board. However, be aware that the minimum recommended age for kids traveling to the Galapagos is six years old.
The Galapagos Islands are an expedition destination. You will be doing excursions in the islands every morning and every afternoon, which can be tiring for the little ones. None of these excursions are mandatory, however, so you can refrain from certain excursions and stay on-board. That’s why the age limit is recommended, but not absolute.
Keep in mind that, if a child stays on-board during excursions, an adult must stay with them. If children do partake in the excursion, they should be old enough to endure walks of between one and two hours.
Some cruises offer babysitting services, which care for children while parents enjoy the activities. This service is an extra cost to the price of the cruise.
Note: If you decide to travel with a toddler, there are some boats (like the M/C Elite or the M/C Ocean Spray) that can accommodate a cot in the parents’ room.
The price of the trip depends on the boat’s category.
1) The best guides: You should keep in mind that the most experienced guides usually work on ships of higher categories. The quality of the guide is directly related to the children's involvement in the activities and the learning they will receive during their trip.
2) Price, accommodations, and itinerary: You can find tourist class cruises from $350 per person, per day. Typically, these ships have bunk beds with smaller spaces. The itinerary and excursions are very similar, regardless of the category you choose.
First-class cruises and luxury cruises are the best options when traveling with your family. All Galapagos family cruises we recommend are of these categories, due to the experience of the guides, the number of activities, their unique services, and more varied options. The price of these cruises starts at $550 per person, per day.
3) Discounts for children under 12: These discounts are between 15% and 25%. The discount can be up to 40% if the child is accommodated in the parent´s room.
Cruises with a higher discount for children include: Treasure of Galapagos, Elite & Odyssey.
4) Single-Person Cabins: Family members who need or require a cabin for themselves might pay an extra cost. Most ships have a single-person accommodation for individual travelers.
Today, most cruise ships have single rooms at no additional cost, but as spaces are limited, it is wise to ask for availability beforehand.
Most ships in the Galapagos have DVDs, books, and movies. They also possess a collection of board games and cards.
Larger ships, such as Explorer II, offer certain extras, such as cooking classes, karaoke, Spanish lessons, and more.
Some first-class vessels, such as the M/C Treasure of Galapagos or the Tip Top II (with only 16 passengers) can provide navigational experiences, such as: customized boat tours, the opportunity to meet the captain, access to the ship's command, opportunity to hoist the sails, and 24-hour access to the cookie drawer!.
Other small luxury boats, such as the M/Y Evolution or the M/C Endemic, have a telescope for viewing the constellations at night.
To make your Galapagos Islands family vacation all the more special, we provide this special, extra service.
Apart from the guide that will accompany you during the tour, we can include - at your request - a second staff member, specialized in children, who will accompany you, the official guide, and your kiddos throughout the activities. This helps provide your children with a customized, kid-friendly experience, while also allowing parents to have more free time and choose which activities they want to join. The Trip Leader will also entertain children during the transfers and help parents during meals.
The ideal starting age for a child to enjoy the islands is from 8 years. At this age, they are old enough to appreciate and enjoy the wildlife and the experiences they will find.
Between the ages of 8 to 14, children are young enough for a trip like this to have a lasting, positive impact, which will hopefully instill a love for learning, nature, and travel.
A good alternative for your Galapagos family tour is an Island Hopping vacation. Here, you can organize the excursions to fit your needs.
We create trips designed with children in mind - avoiding frantic itineraries and allowing enough time in each destination or activity for a reflexive, fun, and significant experience.
ISLAND HOPPING SAMPLE ITINERARIES
Our Galapagos Islands family vacations are designed to involve children during every part of the trip. They’re given fun tasks and experiences, like being the family photographer for the trip, offering input on the trip discussions, serving as the trip leaders in activities like cooking classes, and helping with the trip journal. The end result? Unforgettable memories for the whole family.
You can add some of these servicers to your Galapagos tour:
An Island Hopping program involves staying on a populated island and taking navigable excursions to other, nearby islands. Usually, these packages are cheaper than cruise trips.
The disadvantages are:
You see fewer visitor sites.
Navigation between each point becomes longer and more uncomfortable.
The advantage? You have much more flexibility in planning your family trip. If, one day, you would prefer to stay resting on the beach or in the hotel pool, you can enjoy your trip exactly as you please. Just organize the itinerary to your specific needs!.
We can adapt the pace of these itineraries to the children of the family, making the trip less stressful. Specifically, we create Galapagos family tours with alternating days of: navigable excursions, enjoying the surroundings of the islands, attending cooking classes, enjoying quieter scheduled activities, and much more!.
These programs provide greater options for how to spend your days and enjoy activities with the whole family. Among them include:
Scavenger hunts.
Cooking classes.
Surfing lessons
Biking though the islands.
Chocolate workshops.
Farming.
You also have a range of dinner choices each night, with a variety of restaurants to pick from.
Cruises take you to less frequented places, which means greater wildlife encounters and animals being less shy about human presences.
Transportation between the Island Hopping tours is usually rather long. That time can be used on cruises to play and perform other activities.
A family holiday is one of the best ways to break up your daily routine and enjoy some quality time with the most important people in the world: your family.
Let Bespoke Galapagos / Angermeyer Cruises help you plan the perfect holiday for you and your family. Creating memories that last a lifetime is our specialty!.
For families wanting to explore one of the most biodiverse destinations on the planet while visiting remote communities and interacting with indigenous people who call the jungle home, why not consider an Amazon
adventure?
Or, for those looking for a challenge, perhaps an adventure that will take you through the impressive Andes mountains including Ecuador’s famous Avenue of the Volcanoes, home to the Andean cowboy (or chagra)
where activities can include visits to indigenous markets, horseback riding, mountain biking and trekking – all while enjoying a stay at a colonial hacienda full of history and charm.
Let Bespoke Galapagos
/ Angermeyer Cruises help you plan the perfect holiday for you and your family. Creating memories that last a lifetime is our specialty!.
START PLANNING YOUR FAMILY VACATIONS
Does your family want to explore one of the most bio-diverse destinations on the planet? You can visit remote communities and interact with indigenous people who call the jungle home. Just try an Amazon adventure!.
For those seeking a challenge, perhaps an adventure through the impressive Andes Mountains is right for you! This includes Ecuador’s famous Avenue of the Volcanoes, home to the Andean cowboy (or chagra), where activities can include visits to indigenous markets, horseback riding, mountain biking, and trekking – all while enjoying a stay at a colonial hacienda, full of history and charm.
Let Bespoke Galapagos / Angermeyer Cruises help you plan the perfect Galapagos vacation for you and your family. Creating memories that last a lifetime is our specialty!.