Jonathan Aguas, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
We're a winner of Conde Nast Traveler's 2022 Readers Choice Awards
Best Cruise Line in the Galápagos (Expedition Category)
Sail the iconic archipelago with the pioneers of modern expedition travel
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 the company of local expert guides.
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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A new ship for the Galápagos
Lindblad Expeditions is delighted to welcome the newest member to our Galápagos fleet. 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 and amenities while exploring the Galápagos Islands.
National Geographic Global Explorers Program
One of the most rewarding sights on expedition is witnessing the gleam of discovery in a child’s eyes, whether they’re walking alongside a grazing giant tortoise or watching blue-footed boobies perform an elaborate courtship dance. Moments like these are abundant in the Galápagos—and they’re especially meaningful when complemented with the learning opportunities offered through our exclusive National Geographic Global Explorers Program.
Book by April 30, 2023, 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.
Book by April 30, 2023, for FREE ROUND-TRIP economy group airfare from Miami to Galápagos/Lima to Cusco on select 2023 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.
Remain into the late afternoon at fabled Machu Picchu, introduced to the world by Hiram Bingham in the April 1913 issue of National Geographic magazine
Soak in the scenery and culture of the Sacred Valley of the Inca
Journey between Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu by Inca Rail
Voyage aboard the 48-guest National Geographic Islander II with a team of naturalists
Maximize your time in Galápagos with options to hike, Zodiac cruise, and snorkel every day
Free Round-Trip Air from Miami—or from $249 and $349 from popular home cities—to Galápagos on select Wild Galápagos Escape and Wild Galápagos and Peru Escape 2023 departures. Upgrade to business class from $750/pp. Book by April 30, 2023. New bookings and subject to availability.
FREE AIR IN 2024
Free Round-Trip Air from Miami, New York, Houston, Dallas, and Los Angeles—or from $249 and $349 from popular home cities—to Galápagos on all Wild Galápagos and Peru Escape 2024 departures. Upgrade to business class from $750/pp. Book by April 30, 2023. New bookings and subject to availability.
Free Round-Trip Air from Miami—or from $249 and $349 from popular home cities—to Galápagos on select Wild Galápagos Escape and Wild Galápagos and Peru Escape 2023 departures. Upgrade to business class from $750/pp. Book by April 30, 2023. New bookings and subject to availability.
FREE AIR IN 2024
Free Round-Trip Air from Miami, New York, Houston, Dallas, and Los Angeles—or from $249 and $349 from popular home cities—to Galápagos on all Wild Galápagos and Peru Escape 2024 departures. Upgrade to business class from $750/pp. Book by April 30, 2023. New bookings and subject to availability.
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.
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Highlights
Travel in Extraordinary Company
Visit itinerary dates to view additional staff and guests
Rich Reid
Award-winning photographer and filmmaker Rich Reid has specialized in environmental and adventure photography for over two decades. North American Nature Photography Association elected Rich as a Fellow for his significant contributions to the nature photography industry, and he was a finalist for the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his time-lapse video documenting forest fire ecology.
Underwater photographers David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes are married partners who work together as a team to produce National Geographic stories from equatorial coral reefs to beneath the polar ice. David estimates he has spent nearly half his life in the sea since taking his first underwater photograph at the age of 12 with a Brownie Hawkeye camera sealed in a bag.
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.
National Geographic Islander II: Take a Virtual Tour
Take a virtual tour of the newest member of our Galápagos Fleet, the all-suite National Geographic Islander ll.
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.
San Cristobal has its own giant tortoise population, as well as endemic lava lizards and snakes. These are examples of adaptive radiation in the archipelago. We have had a successful week full of great memories. The unique and friendly animals found in this group of islands are not found anywhere else on our planet.
What a wonderful day on Española Island! This isolated island, located on the southeastern side of the Galapagos, is one of the oldest in the archipelago, geologically speaking. The volcanic landscape is breathtaking with high cliffs and white sand beaches. Española is home for many species that are not only endemic to the Galapagos but endemic to the island. Española mockingbirds, Española lava lizards, Española marine iguanas, and the waved albatross are the most representative of the endemic species. Early in the morning, National Geographic Islander II anchored at Gardner Bay. The spectacular pure white sand beach is beautiful. The sun was shining, and the Galapagos sea lions that call this paradise home rested near the aquamarine water. In the afternoon, we visited Punta Suarez. We followed a long, rocky trail as we explored. Myriads of colorful marine iguanas and marine birds were seen everywhere. We admired and photographed blue-footed boobies and Nazca boobies. We had a wonderful surprise today, as well. We spotted a couple waved albatrosses, one of the most beautiful marine birds in the world. During the last week in December, these birds normally abandon the island to venture into the open ocean for several months. At sunset, we returned to the ship with our minds filled with so many memories. Our hearts were replenished by the much-needed tonic of wilderness. Galapagos always evokes wonder in its visitors.
The morning was warm, and the sun woke us up early to explore Post Office Bay on Floreana Island. This legendary place is full of human history dating back to pirates, whalers, and early colonists. Some of our intrepid guests kayaked around the bay, where the many little islets are home to blue-footed boobies, seagulls, herons, and sea lions. In the ocean, rays and marine turtles started another day. We landed on the beach to visit the oldest mailing system in the Galapagos Islands. The site was established in 1792. Whalers set up a wooden barrel to collect correspondence from visitors passing through Floreana. Later, other sailors could deliver those letters to their next destination. This hand-delivery system has worked very well for around 231 years. We kept the tradition alive by taking some postcards and leaving our own behind in this historical spot. After breakfast, we motored a short distance to arrive at Champion Islet for snorkeling and tours around the islet in the glass-bottom boat. The snorkeling was outstanding. As soon as we jumped in the water, we spotted a wide variety of multicolored fish. The rocky lava is a benthonic wonder covered in barnacles, shells, sea urchins, and colorful sea stars. The highlight was a huge school of salemas. The final touch was a Galapagos shark that emerged from the school of fish for a few seconds before disappearing into the blue depths of the ocean. Our guests had a lot of fun playing with juvenile sea lions. A guest asked me what kind of marine species we would see before we snorkeled, and I guessed sharks; indeed, we saw around ten whitetip reef sharks as we drifted in the water. What a premonition! In the afternoon, we visited Cormorant Point, where we had a great adventure. We observed seabirds diving, flamingos in a brackish water lagoon, marine turtles mating in the water, and stingrays burrowing in the white sand to avoid predators. We had a great day! We enjoyed every single minute, and the nature was astonishing. The frosting on the cake was a spectacular sunset that decorated the sky and welcomed a night full of stars with a very clear Milky Way. We made some great memories and had unforgettable experiences.
Today is our first full day of expedition in the Galapagos Islands. We started the day very early in the morning with a pre-breakfast hike to enjoy one of the most popular views in the archipelago. Then we headed back on board for some warm breakfast and to get ready for the beach. Our guests had the opportunity to snorkel in the calm and crystal-clear waters. During the afternoon, we navigated to Santa Cruz Island, our second destination for the day. We landed on Cerro Dragon, a very nice place where we were surrounded by a beautiful dry forest. We had amazing encounters with flamingos, great blue herons, marine iguanas, and, of course, land iguanas.
On our last full day exploring Galapagos on National Geographic Endeavour II , we visit San Cristobal Island in the eastern part of the archipelago. We started our day visiting Punta Pitt, which features many different tuff volcanoes that are eroding. In our walk through a shrubby area, we found red-footed boobies nesting and perching. After the hike, everybody got the opportunity to swim in a beautiful beach and snorkel in this fantastic bay. In the afternoon, we changed location to Cerro Brujo. Here, our guests enjoyed a white sand beach in the company of charismatics sea lions to finish off an amazing expedition.
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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