Galápagos with Kids: How We Did It Without a Cruise (+ What It Cost)

Did you know you can visit the Galápagos Islands without taking a cruise? Before planning our family trip to Ecuador, I honestly assumed a Galápagos cruise was the only realistic way to experience the islands. And with a family of six, I also assumed it would be WAY out of our budget. Then I started researching land-based Galápagos trips. Instead of sleeping on a boat, we stayed in hotels and Airbnbs on the inhabited islands, took a ferry between islands, planned our own activities, and booked a snorkeling excursion to Kicker Rock. It gave us more flexibility with the kids and allowed us to experience the Galápagos for significantly less than many of the cruise options I had researched. In this episode of Travel with Kids, I'm breaking down exactly how we planned our 5-day, 4-night Galápagos trip with four kids, including what worked, what didn't, and what I would change if we did it again. We'll talk about: Why we chose a land-based Galápagos trip instead of a cruise The pros and cons of land-based travel with kids How many days I think you REALLY need in the Galápagos Why we chose Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal Our complete 5-day Galápagos itinerary Flying into one island and out of another What it's actually like taking the inter-island ferries with kids Seeing giant Galápagos tortoises on Santa Cruz Visiting Tortuga Bay Our Kicker Rock snorkeling tour—and why it ended up being the highlight of our trip How our first-time snorkelers handled snorkeling in the open ocean The island I really regret skipping What I would do differently if I planned this trip again How much our Galápagos trip cost for a family of six Whether I would choose a land-based trip again—or splurge on a cruise next time Our land-based Galápagos trip cost around $7,000 for our family of six, including our flights to Ecuador, flights between mainland Ecuador and the Galápagos, accommodations, transportation, park fees, excursions, food, and other expenses. We used miles for part of our international airfare, but I break down those costs in the episode so you can get a better idea of what to budget for your own trip. And while I LOVED the freedom of traveling the Galápagos this way, my biggest regret is that we didn't stay longer. If I were planning this trip again, I would give ourselves at least 6–7 nights so we could add Isabela Island and another snorkeling excursion. If the Galápagos Islands have always felt too expensive, too complicated, or like a destination you need to save until your kids are older, I hope this episode shows you that there's another way to experience this incredible destination as a family. Read the full Galápagos with Kids guide: https://www.emilymkrause.com/blog/galpagos-with-kids-how-we-planned-our-land-based-galpagos-islands-trip FIND ME AT: Blog: http://www.emilymkrause.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amomexplores/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amomexplores EMAIL ME AT:  hello@amomexplores.com