Nat Geo Endeavour II

Arrive in Ecuador the day before embarkation. One night of accommodation is included.

AM: Welcome to Galápagos! After 1 ½-hour flight to Baltra, arrive in the center of the islands, a little world unto itself in the Tropical Pacific. Take a short bus ride to the dock with our naturalists and embark the ship waiting at anchor. 

PM: Land on a beautiful beach of fine white sand, where naturalists introduce us to the islands on a walk to shallow lagoon behind the beach frequented by shorebirds. Take your first dip in the Pacific and try out snorkel equipment for the week.

AM: On this wildlife-rich island, follow trails past coastal groups of Galápagos sea lions and marine iguanas inland through a silvery forest of Palo Santo to colonies of magnificent and great frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies, and other seabirds. See land iguanas clambering over rocks in search of cacti and other flowers. Look for swallow-tailed gulls, noddy terns, red-billed tropic birds and Galápagos fur seals on the rocky walls of this small island (like neighboring Baltra), created by geologic up lift not by lava flows. An excellent introduction to the archipelago. 

PM: Land on a red sand beach on this volcanically varied island, where we explore inland. We may see flamingos feeding in a brackish lagoon and clownish brown pelicans entertain from their nests. Plunge in for your first snorkel or explore by kayak or paddleboard. 

AM: Hike over impressive lava past tide pools where marine iguanas gather in piles, young sea lions play and the strange flightless cormorant nests in the remote western archipelago. One of the most active oceanic islands in the world, 5000-foot Fernandina is the youngest and most pristine island in Galápagos.

PM: Cross the Equator at Volcán Ecuador, northernmost of Isabela’s six great shield volcanoes. Snorkel and Zodiac along the wildly eroded coast, where we might see green turtles, fur seals and even penguins. Keep an eye out for whales and dolphins—the waters here in the west are rich. Join fellow travelers on deck to celebrate crossing the Equator.

AM: Hike through the dry forest along the uplifted coastline at Urbina Bay, where you search for land iguanas and where giant tortoises sometimes are sighted feeding on cactus. Return to swim from the inviting black sand beach. 

PM: Land in the footsteps of Darwin and Melville at historic Tagus Cove, once the haunt of whalers and pirates. Kayak, paddleboard and snorkel in the cove, where marine life is rich and a Zodiac cruise along the shore is rewarding. Join naturalists for a hike inland along the crater rim around Darwin’s Lake to a viewpoint. 

AM: Explore a dense coastal forest, home to Galápagos hawks and other land birds, or stroll along the wide beach early this morning. After breakfast, swim, snorkel, kayak and paddleboard along the spectacular coast of Buccaneers Cove, a secluded atelier where pirates once careened their ships. 

PM: After lunch, explore tide pools and look for fur seals sheltered in quiet grottos of black basalt at Puerto Egas, where you see evidence of an old salt mine and other human history. Swim and snorkel from the beach, which is frequented by sea lions and marine iguanas.

AM: Call at Puerto Ayora, the largest town and headquarters of both the Galápagos National Park and Charles Darwin Research Station. Tour the giant tortoise breeding corrals, a pioneering effort, and then head to the lush, green highlands to see giant tortoises roaming in the wild. Here you also have lunch at a local ranch and those who wish can visit the Tomás de Berlanga school. Most evenings scientists or a representative from the Charles Darwin Station joins us aboard.

AM: Land on a small, sparkling beach at Punta Pitt for a hike up to a plateau where masked-, blue- and red-footed footed boobies all nest and look for endemic San Cristóbal mockingbirds, lava lizards and other wildlife. Return to the small beach to swim, snorkel, kayak and paddleboard. 

PM: Relax at the celebrated expanse of powdery white sand at Cerro Brujo, one of the most beautiful beaches in Galápagos, and tour the rock formations by Zodiac, paddleboard or kayak. Join fellow guests on the observation deck for a farewell cocktail as the captain circumnavigates Kicker Rock at sunset.

AM: Disembark this morning for a last opportunity to explore before boarding a flight back to Ecuador Mainland.

PM: The late afternoon and evening are free to explore the city. Overnight in Quito or Guayaquil is included, next day transfer to the airport for your flight back home.

Arrive in Ecuador the day before embarkation. One night of accommodation is included.

AM: fly to Baquerizo Moreno, capital of the Galápagos province on the easternmost island of San Cristobal, a little world unto itself in the Tropical Pacific. Take a short bus ride to the dock with our naturalists and embark the ship waiting at anchor. Join fellow guests on the observation deck for a welcome cocktail as the captain circumnavigates Kicker Rock, an iconic eroded tuff cone standing just offshore. Welcome to Galápagos!

AM: Explore the expanse of bright white sand at quiet Gardner Bay, where sea lions rest and play. Swim and snorkel from the beach, and those with experience can snorkel along the offshore islets from the Zodiacs. This is our first chance to kayak or paddleboard. 

PM: See swallow-tailed gulls, Española mockingbirds, Nazca boobies and, seasonally, the world’s only population of waved albatross at Punta Suarez, where we walk among vividly colored marine iguanas, and breeding colonies of sea lions. Landing at a small beach, optional trails lead inland across stepping-stones of iron-laden pillow basalt planks to the blowhole and seabird cliffs.

AM: Land on a beach tinted green with olivine crystals on this most mysterious of the Galápagos islands, rich in human history. Hike past a lagoon popular with flamingos and other shore birds to a second beach of fine white sand, where green turtles nest. Later, board the Zodiacs to snorkel among sea lions and abundant fish-life at Champion Islet or take a Zodiac cruise along the shore looking out for the endangered Floreana mockingbird and other wildlife. 

PM: Join the 19th-century tradition of leaving and taking letters from the barrel for hand delivery at Post Office Bay. Paddleboard and kayak along the coast at Baroness Lookout, named after the early settler, the eccentric Eloise Bosquet de Wagner.

AM: Call at Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the archipelago and headquarters of both the Galápagos National Park and Charles Darwin Research Station. Tour the giant tortoise breeding corrals, a pioneering successful effort to return wild populations to a natural state supported by the Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic Fund. Spend some time in town before continuing to the highlands. 

PM: This afternoon we explore the cultural and natural attractions of the highlands of Stana Cruz, where much of our produce is grown on local farms. We stop for lunch at a local ranch, dedicated to conservation. This is our best opportunity to see tortoises roaming in the wild.

AM: Hike through giant cactus and a forest of Palo Santo forests to Dragon Hill, the habitat of the colorful Santa Cruz land iguanas, brought back from the brink of extinction. 

PM: Kayak, paddleboard and explore by Zodiac the wonderful mangrove-lined Borrero Bay, where schools and rays and other marine life is common. Join fellow guests on deck as the captain circumnavigates Daphne Major, the small volcanic island where Peter and Rosemary Grant have conducted ground-breaking research into the evolution of Darwin’s finches. 

AM: Climb the steps to the 360-foot summit of Bartolomé, a volcanic wonderland of spatter and scoria cones and tuff formations. Enjoy a stunning view of wind- and water-sculpted Pinnacle Rock and the surrounding vista of land and sea. Admire stark lava flows across the way on Santiago, the most recent eruption dating from 1897. Comb the golden sand beach or immerse yourself among schools of multicolored reef fish. This is a spot where lucky snorkelers might encounter Galápagos penguins, one of the world’s rarest penguins—incongruous in this equatorial setting. 

PM: Snorkel and explore by kayak and Zodiac the crystalline water surrounding Sombrero Chino, one of a group of distinctively shaped small islets off Santiago. Keep a keen eye for the Galápagos penguin, sometimes spotted along the coast.

AM: Sail north across the Equator to the remote northern realm of the Galápagos, bathed in warmer tropical waters and home to the red-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, great frigates birds and other nesting seabirds. We have the caldera all to ourselves today with two landing sites to explore. 

PM: Kayak, paddleboard, snorkel and cruise along the caldera walls, where we may see shy Galápagos fur seals. Photograph red-footed boobies and frigate birds of two species perching precariously in the low-lying shrubs behind coral-strewn Darwin Bay Beach. At Prince Phillip’s Steps, follow a trail inland, where more seabirds nest—and where we might see short-eared owls hunt for storm petrels, which nest in astounding numbers in the field of broken lava. 

AM: Disembark after breakfast and transfer to Baltra for the flight back to the mainland. Upon arrival, transfer to your selected hotel.

PM: The afternoon and evening are at your leisure.

Overnight in Quito or Guayaquil is included, next day transfer to the airport for your flight back home.