Galápagos Yacht Charter

Reviewed by Adrian Sneed, Charter Broker at Sneed Charters — a family brokerage arranging crewed yacht charters since 1992.

Booking a cabin instead of the whole yacht

You don’t have to charter the whole yacht. Galápagos yachts also sell cabins on fixed departures, so a couple, a solo traveller or a small family can book one or two and share the yacht with 16 to 20 guests in all, on the same park itinerary and with the same naturalist guide.

On the 16-guest catamaran, each of the eight suites is 32 m² (344 ft²) with a private balcony, floor-to-ceiling glass and a king or two twin beds. Rates per person, sharing a suite:

Two catamarans we book, side by side

The second is a 20-guest ultra-luxury catamaran launched in 2025, which we have chartered before. It is larger, with two guides and more space per guest; ask your broker for its current rates and routes.

Good to know before you book a cabin

• Departures are fixed. Seven-night cruises run Sunday to Sunday from Baltra; three-, four- and five-night cruises cover parts of the same routes.
• Travelling alone? A suite to yourself usually carries a 50% single supplement. On the 16-guest catamaran the single cabin is for a third traveller in an odd-numbered group or family, not for solo guests; the 20-guest catamaran has dedicated single suites.
• Bringing children? The first child under 12 sharing with two adults gets 25% off, except over Christmas and New Year.

Where to charter in the Galápagos

Every Galápagos week is built from four regions: the central islands around Santa Cruz, the young volcanic west of Isabela and Fernandina, the older south-east of San Cristóbal, Española and Floreana, and remote Genovesa in the north. A seven-night route covers two or three of them, and the yacht’s park permit decides which.

The trade-off worth saying out loud: no week sees everything. On the 16-guest catamaran, one seven-night route covers Genovesa and the west, with penguins, flightless cormorants and Fernandina’s iguanas; the other covers San Cristóbal, Española, Floreana and the central islands instead (both are in the itineraries below). Cruises of 9 to 14 nights take in more of both. Tell your broker which matters more before choosing the yacht and the week. For another wildlife-led week, see Alaska, or every destination we book.

Itineraries from Baltra

The 16-guest catamaran sails two seven-night routes, Sunday to Sunday, and splits them into shorter cruises of three, four and five nights. Every cruise starts and ends at Baltra. The park can change a day for weather or regulations, so your broker confirms the exact route for your week before you book. Prices for every length are in the cabin and charter tables.

Galápagos yachts available to charter

A changing selection of six Galápagos yachts from our fleet, each for 12 to 16 guests, with a new mix on every visit. Each sails its own park-set routes. Open a yacht for its full specification, or ask us which ones are free for your dates.

Whole-yacht rates as listed in our fleet search, before the park fee, transit card, flights and gratuities. Your broker confirms the current rate, dates and park itinerary. Search the full fleet.

What is included, and what is not

On the 16-guest catamaran the rate covers the yacht and crew, all meals, the naturalist guide, transfers in the islands and the expedition gear. The park entry fee, transit card, flights, most alcohol, gratuities and insurance are paid on top. Inclusions vary by yacht: the 20-guest catamaran, for example, includes alcoholic drinks. Your broker lists every line before you sign.

Deposits and cancellation

The catamaran’s operator confirms space once the deposit clears. For cabins, it is 20% to book and the balance 61 days before departure; cancelling costs 10% of the fare 121 days or more out, 20% from 120 to 61 days, and the full fare inside 60 days. For whole-yacht charters, it is 20% to book, 30% at 181 days and 50% at 91 days; cancelling costs from 10% at 181 days or more up to the full fee inside 90 days. Travel insurance is worth having.

Where your week starts

Galápagos yacht weeks start and end at one of two island airports: Seymour on Baltra, for Santa Cruz and central routes, or San Cristóbal. The 16-guest catamaran’s cruises all start at Baltra. In 2026 its guests fly Avianca from Quito at 07:45 or Guayaquil at about 09:50, landing at Baltra at about 10:50 island time, and the return flight leaves Baltra late morning. International flights land on the mainland first, so plan a night in Quito or Guayaquil on the way in.

Pack light: the island flight allows one checked bag of up to 23 kg (50 lb) and a 10 kg (22 lb) carry-on. Buy the $20 transit control card at the Quito or Guayaquil airport before you check in; the $200 park fee is paid on landing.

Adding the Ecuadorian Amazon

La Selva Eco Lodge sits on a lake off the Napo River, in the Yasuní area. From Quito it is a flight of about 30–40 minutes to Coca, then about two hours by motorised canoe and a short paddle. Stays run three or four nights, so the Amazon adds about four days, easiest before the yacht since both trips route through Quito.

Your brokers

You get a named broker, not a call centre. The same person takes your first message, negotiates the contract and is reachable while you are aboard.

Hansel Sneed

Founder & Charter Broker

Hansel founded Sneed Charters in 1992 and has been placing crewed charters for more than thirty years.

Adrian Sneed

Charter Broker

Adrian reviewed the park rules, fees and rates on this page, and he is the person who will answer when you send your dates.

1992Brokering crewed charters since

3,000+Yachts across our destinations

3 officesPalm Beach Gardens, San Juan, Barcelona

No feeThe yacht’s owner pays our commission

Galápagos yacht charter FAQs