FAQs | Go Galapagos

Frequently asked questions

Preguntas frecuentes

Preferably, extra activities should be booked beforehand with Go Galapagos Ecuador. Payments can also be made, cash only, directly with the host family and they will issue you an invoice.

No, electronic payments made through Placetopay do not generate additional costs for the buyer.

Yes. By law, all Galapagos cruises are guided by a National Park – certified guide. The night before the cruise the guide gives an informative lecture of the next day’s itinerary. During this meeting he/she will describe the flora, fauna, and type of terrain that passengers may observe on the island. Questions about biological, geological and human history are always welcome.

For your Amazon or other rainforest explorations, you may prefer a long-sleeved shirt and long pants for protection against mosquitoes. Insect repellent, sunscreen, a hat and eye-drops must be part of your traveling equipment, especially if you are sensitive to the sun. A camera, binoculars and a flashlight are necessary for sightseeing, as well as a waterproof jacket, rubber shoes and swimwear.

The average temperature is 57ºF (14ºC) during the morning and 47ºF (8ºC) at night. Winter goes from September to May and summer from June to August.

Upon arrival, an account will be opened for you. If you wish to pay with your credit card, we ask you to come to reception to sign a voucher and to make copies of your passport and credit card. Authorizations take about 48 hours, so please do this on your first cruise day.

We accept all major credit cards: Diners, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Euros* and U.S. Dollars are also accepted.

* Please ask for the exchange rate.

Yes, water on board is purified. Ice used onboard is made with purified water as well Reusable bottles made out of recycled aluminum are available at the cabins You can refill your bottle during the cruise at our purifiers located at the main bar, pool bar restaurant and disembarking area. Bottles must always have to be returned to the ship after the activities on islands then you can take them home as a souvenir.

On board the M/V Galapagos Legend, breakfast is served from 7:00 to 8:00, lunch at 12:00 and dinner at 19:00. On your last day, breakfast will be at 6:30 so we can have enough time for our last excursion before going off to the airport.

On board the Corals, breakfast is served from 7:30 to 8:30 except on Sunday, when it is served at 6:00, and Wednesday at 7:00; lunch is at 12:30 and dinner at 19:30, except on Monday and Saturday when it will be served at 18:30.

Meals are gourmet, healthy, low on fat, with vegetarian options; they also include traditional dishes of local cuisine.

Ecuadorian beaches are “nature seeking” experiences and include long walks, swimming, and other physical activities. Therefore, we advise you to bring comfortable breathable clothes, sandals or similar, swimsuits, sunscreen, insect repellent, wide-brim hat, sunglasses, binoculars, eye drops. Evening gowns and accessories are not necessary. During the night, casual attire is advised.

To protect your data, Go Galapagos Tours delegates to Placetopay the capture of sensitive information. Our payment platform complies with the highest standards required by the international standard PCI DSS for security in credit card transactions. It also has an SSL security certificate issued by GeoTrust, a Verisign company, which guarantees secure communications by encrypting all data to and from the site; in this way, you can feel safe when entering your card information.

During the payment process, the browser displays the name of the authenticated organization, the authority that certifies it, and the address bar turns green. These characteristics are immediately visible and give guarantee and confidence to complete the transaction on Placetopay.

Placetopay also has the constant monitoring of McAfee Secure and the signing of electronic messages with Certicámara.

Placetopay is a brand of the Colombian company EGM Ingeniería Sin Fronteras S.A.S.

If you have not finished your payment yet, you can go back to the initial step and choose the payment method you prefer. Once the purchase is completed, it is not possible to change the payment method.

Comfortable breathable clothes: shorts, T-shirts, swimsuits and good hiking shoes are required to walk over the lava rock paths. Personal medication, a good camera and plenty of memory cards or film, sun block, sunglasses, a wide brim hat and binoculars.

We recommend passengers to be in reasonably good physical condition as some trails may be difficult. Therefore, elderly or disabled persons may find them too demanding and must notify Go Galapagos Ecuador about their physical condition in order to make the necessary arrangements. Go Galapagos Ecuador reserves the right to decline a passenger if anyone fails to inform of any physical disability, or who, under company´s discretion, constitutes a danger to themselves, other guests, crew members, or the operation of the vessel.

There are clinics and a hospital in Ibarra 9.94 mi (16 km) away (30 min) working 24 hours.

In the first instance, you should check if a payment confirmation email arrived in your email account (the one registered at the time of making the payment), if you have not received it, you should contact customerservice@gogalapagos.com.ec to confirm the status of the transaction.

In the event that your transaction has declined, you must verify if the account information is valid, is enabled for non-face-to-face purchases and if you have space or available balance. If the decline continues after this, you should contact Go Galapagos Cruises. Ultimately, you can send your request to servicioposventa@placetopay.ec.

For passengers cruising on a Go Galapagos fleet, a complimentary round-trip shuttle will be provided to/from the airport of Quito or Guayaquil (only with Go Galapagos scheduled flights). If any other ticket to/from Galapagos is used, an operational, non-refundable fee of US$90 net per person must be charged to provide the shuttle and assistance. Go Galapagos is not responsible if passengers miss the cruise or other services due to independent arrangement delays.

If you have a private transfer service included, the day before departure, a member of our Operations Department will get in touch, to reconfirm your pick-up time at your hotel or the meeting time at the AVIANCA counter with one of our staff members.

Check-in time is 2 hours before departure.

If you come by yourself or with a guide, the first thing you must do as soon as you arrive at the airport is go through the luggage control with SICGAL, located 49 ft (15 m) from the main gate, at the National Terminal of Domestic Departures. For environmental reasons, your luggage will be checked for animals, seeds, plants, fruits, vegetables and any other item forbidden to take into the Galapagos Islands.

After, go to the counter of AVIANCA, where there will be a Go Galapagos Ecuador representative with your boarding pass, air tickets, taxes and all your travel documents; this representative will also help you check your luggage with the airline.

You will be given an identification tag for the cruise. Please wear it so you can be easily identified when you arrive at the airport in Galapagos.

Please do NOT get in line for the Galapagos Government Council-Transit Control Card; Go Galapagos Ecuador has your card already.

Yes, at Go Galapagos Cruises you can make your purchases online 7 days a week, 24 hours a day just one click away.

Wake up into new landscapes and be ready to see animals that you have only seen in books, dive or snorkel in the pristine ecosystems of the Pacific Ocean. Starting a new day in the Galapagos is living a day of adventure and unforgettable experiences.

No, but the guide will be there to assist you. Also, there are radios in houses to communicate with each other.

Galapagos Weather: The Galapagos archipelago has a unique tropical nature in matters of weather. The influence that the marine currents create on the islands makes it unusually dry. There are two very different seasons that completely change the environment and landscape during six months each. Even though the pattern that the currents create is accurate, the weather behavior is unpredictable in the transition of the seasons and is completely changeable within a few hours.

The warmest months are from December to June. January to March can be hot and humid, but also mostly green at this time. The months from July to November are cooler. The average year-round temperature is 76°F (24°C).

Placetopay is the electronic payment platform used by Go Galapagos Tours to process online transactions generated in the virtual store with the payment methods enabled for this purpose.

Upon arrival at the airport, our guides will be waiting for you with a sign indicating your ship or yacht. They will receive the passengers, check them on the list to see nobody is left behind and proceed to take them in the airlines’ bus to the dock where the vessel is anchored.

Since Ecuador is located on the Equator, there are not defined seasons. This means travelers can visit Ecuador any time of the year. Ecuadorians will often tell you that you should expect all four seasons of the year every single day. Although, there is a slightly wetter and dryer season, these variations are unpredictable and change depending on where you are in Ecuador.

It is forbidden to smoke inside the cruises. Smoking is allowed ONLY on the sun decks.

We have seasick medication on board all of our ships, but if you are particularly sensitive to it, you can bring your own medication and we recommend to take it at least 24 hours before the cruise starts.

For shore excursions, comfortable clothing is a must, preferably shorts, bathing suits, head covering, walking and tennis shoes, windbreaker type jacket, binoculars, a camera and plenty of extra memory cards.

Sunrays are very strong in the Galapagos Islands. Don`t forget to bring enough high grade sun block, and a wide brim hat. Also, put your cameras in self-sealing plastic bags to protect them from the water, especially during landings.

In both cruises, meals are varied depending on food preferences of the guests, which are informed beforehand by your agency. Go Galapagos-KleinTours will do I very best to meet reasonable special dietary need keeping in mind Galapagos provision restrictions.

110 / 220 volts. European and American outlets are available on our cruise fleet. In the M/Y Coral I and M/Y Coral II the frequency is 60 Hz and in the M/V Galapagos Legend Is 50 Hz.

Galapagos Weather: The Galapagos archipelago has a unique tropical nature in matters of weather. The influence that the marine currents create on the islands makes it unusually dry. There are two very different seasons that completely change the environment and landscape for six months each. Even though the pattern that the currents create is accurate, the weather behavior is unpredictable in the transition of the seasons and is completely changeable within a few hours. The warmest months are from December to June. January to March can be hot and humid, but also mostly green at this time. The months from July to November are cooler.

Local time in Galapagos is GMT -6 (one hour less than Ecuador’s mainland). In our vessels we work with Ecuador’s mainland time.

The Karanki project offers cultural interaction where you will share with an indigenous group in their daily life. You will be accommodated in one of the houses of the community, enjoy their food and learn about their culture, traditions, and lifestyle. The families have been trained in cooking & service, so this becomes a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Internet is available in two houses: “Girasoles” and “Cipreses”. Cellphones and cellphone signal are available in the community with an additional cost for its rent.

Ecuador requires a passport with at least 6 months validity issued by the traveler’s country of residence. A visa is only required for visitors of the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Cuba and Somalia. The traveler must also hold proof of return, or onward journey. We recommend all passengers to check with the respective authorities in their country before departure.

Satellite Internet is available on the M/V Galapagos Legend: Internet plans available. Plans to be requested.

The airline that operates to Galapagos, allows one piece of luggage per person, of no more than 20 kg (about 44 lb) and a carry-on bag of 7 kg p/p.
We recommend you to take a soft sided bag as it will be easier to store in your cabin. Please lock your luggage during the flight.

No you don’t. For your convenience we provide bath and beach towels during your cruise.

We can guarantee both English and Spanish tourist guides. If you require a guide in a language other than English, you should let us know in advance since an extra fee may apply in order to hire this service.

For each transaction approved through Placetopay, you will receive proof of payment with the purchase reference at the email address you indicated at checkout. If you do not receive it, you can contact the line (593) 2 – 2267000 / (593) 2 – 2267080 or the email customerservice@gogalapagos.com.ec, to request the forwarding of the voucher to the same email address registered to the time to pay. Ultimately, you can send your request to servicioposventa@placetopay.ec

Yes, we supply all travelers with biodegradable shampoo and soap as part of our conservation policy, but if you want to bring your own please make sure they are biodegradable. Thank you!

For Quito and other highland cities, wear comfortable springtime clothing during the day and a sweater or coat in the evening. For the outlying highlands and high Andean moorlands (paramo), warm, winter clothing is essential. Dressing in layers is ideal. Afternoons might be rainy; therefore we suggest an umbrella.

In the Go Galapagos Tours virtual store you can make your payment with the means enabled for this purpose. You, according to the payment options chosen by the merchant, will be able to pay through Diners, Discover, Visa and MasterCard, from all banks with current and deferred payment, only the cards issued by Banco Pichincha, Diners, Loja , BGR and Manabí.

Upon arrival at the airport, you will have to pass control and show your passport. Control has a list of the passengers who have already paid the Galapagos National Park tax; if there’s a sticker on your Go Galapagos’ ticket jacket, it means that you have prepaid this tax; otherwise you will need to pay it at that moment.

Tipping is a very personal and optional matter. If you feel you have been given excellent service, you may express your gratitude by giving tips, as suggested below:

Restaurants and coffee shops 10% of the bill

Hotel / airport portage US$1 p/suitcase

Guides on mainland Ecuador US$10 per day, p/p

Driver on mainland Ecuador US$ 8 per day, p/p

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