When flying into the country of Ecuador, you can choose to arrive either to the Andean capital city of Quito or to the costal city of Guayaquil.
Quito is Ecuador’s capital, located in the Andes Mountain Range at 2,800 meters/9,180 ft. above sea level. Quito’s “old” town is one of the most beautiful colonial centers of any Latin American city and is nearby several Andean indigenous markets like Otavalo and Cotacachi.
Guayaquil is located at the coast of Ecuador and is the country’s largest city with a population of 2.5 million. It is a modern city and Ecuador’s largest port.
There are domestic flights to the Galapagos originating from the cities of Quito or Guayaquil to the Galapagos Islands. The main airports are Baltra – Seymour (close to Santa Cruz) and San Cristobal Island ; which airport you fly to will depend on where your Galapagos tour starts.
Flights departing from Quito stop in Guayaquil before continuing to the Galapagos Islands. The flight time between Quito and Guayaquil is roughly 35 minutes and from Guayaquil to Galapagos is roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes.
The national airlines that serve Ecuador mainland are LATAM & AVIANCA. You can not fly internationally into the Galapagos Islands.
Galatrails will not be held responsible for visa issues. Please check with your embassy if a visa to enter Ecuador is required.
For entering Galapagos no visa is needed but a Transit Control Card (Cost 20 USD) must be obtained in Quito or Guayaquil airport (please check information above Get ready for your trip).
For your Galapagos trip we recommend you to travel as light as possible as it facilitates easier traveling between inter islands on the speedboats. The national airlines usually have a luggage allowance of 20kg per person.
Depending on your travel plans before or after your Galapagos trip you might be able to arrange with your hotel in Quito or Guayaquil to leave part of your luggage in the hotels’s storage room. Please check with your hotel.
What to bring. Here some items.