The Galápagos Islands - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 401

quired as a park entrance fee or expenses for personal extras such as
alcohol and bottled beverages.
Economy-class tours range from as low as $300 for a five-day tour
to $600 for the better eight-day tours (about $50-$75 per day). Expect
small, crowded boat conditions with minimal comforts, but plenty of
young, budget travelers having a great time.
In the mid-range are tourist-class vessels , ranging anywhere from
$500 to $1,200 for the very nice vessels (about $100-$175 per day).
Most of these boats comfortably accommodate 16 passengers, plus
crew, and offer a dining area, sun and shade decks, and small double
cabins with tiny bathrooms (all cabins are small in the Galápagos,
even on higher-priced vessels).
Luxury- or first-class tours cost as much as $2,800 (in the range of
$200+ per day). These vessels range from sleek 12-passenger yachts
to a monster 96-passenger cruise ship, complete with every amenity
and top-notch guides.
If you are on a tight budget and have time to spare, or if you simply
want a more customized trip, there are other options. Budget trav-
elers can often find last-minute specials in Quito on tours that need
to fill empty spaces. This, of course, means that you have to be ready
to depart at any time (usually within a day or two of notification). Or
you can fly to the Galápagos and try to arrange a tour from Puerto
Ayora. This may take from one to several days or longer, depending
on the season. The last person I spoke with who did this paid only $50
per day for the eight-day tour and had to wait only two days. Start
asking around at your hotel in Puerto Ayora. You will eventually find
something that works out. Don't depend on last-minute specials,
however, during the peak travel months of December, July and Au-
gust.
Finally, day-trips are available out of Puerto Ayora for as little as
$40 per day. Much of the time on these tours, however, is spent travel-
ing to and from sites. Therefore, the overall quality may be low.
Multiday, hotel-based trips are also available and include a bit
more flexibility.
Tour Operators &
Travel Agents
Tour operators and travel agents are a dime a dozen, offering virtu-
ally anything you might be looking for. It is easy to walk into one of a