There can be few birders and naturalists who have not dreamed of one day visiting the Galapagos Islands with their bounty of rare, unique, and extraordinarily tame wildlife. The islands host fascinating seabirds, endemic land birds, iguanas, giant tortoises, and a flora all their own. Traveling in a small group aboard one of the finest vessels in the islands, our adventure will find “The Enchanted Isles” at their very best. This is an intimate and wonderful birding tour of the Galapagos.

Ever since Darwin visited the islands in 1835, the Galapagos archipelago has been a showcase of evolution. Six hundred miles from the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos are of marine volcanic origin, never having been connected to a continental landmass. Thus, both plants and animals inhabiting the islands are derived from species that, by one means or another, crossed vast stretches of ocean to colonize the newly formed land. The Galapagos are a hotbed of endemism, and much of the wildlife is not only found nowhere else on Earth, but is further restricted to one or just a few islands.

Our tour of “Las Islas Encantadas”—The Enchanted Isles—is designed for birders who may only visit the islands once and would like to see as many of the endemic birds (and, naturally, the fascinating mammals, reptiles, and flora) as is reasonably possible. Because two key species, Waved Albatross and Great Frigatebird, only nest on the islands from April to September, we have picked this season in which to visit. The climate is also quite comfortable at this time of year (it’s the cooler garua season), and it generally remains dry and cool. Our itinerary takes in a fine mix of the most important islands—including a visit to the highlands of Santa Cruz, an important location for the Giant Tortoise, Galapagos Rail, Paint-billed Crake, and Large Tree-Finch—as well as several of the fascinating smaller islands, possibly including North Seymour.

We have selected a large first-class 75-foot catamaran for our tours. This vessel features a comfortable dining area and lounge with a fully equipped bar. It's a wonderful, mobile base for our birding and traveling between the islands.

Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.

Client comment
"I chose Field Guides after having traveled with four other birding companies. Field Guides has the best guides. I chose this tour because I have wanted to travel to the Galapagos since reading about Darwin and the Enchanted Islands as a child. This was an excellent birding tour experience! The Nemo III and its staff exceeded my expectations. The boat was in excellent condition, and the staff couldn't have been more courteous. The best features of this tour were the Field Guides leader Willy Perez and staff. It's a pleasure to travel with professional, competent, and courteous people." C.H., GALAPAGOS birding tour participant

"I have been on other Field Guides tours and trust them. Who wouldn't want to go to the Galapagos Islands? The tour was excellent. Guide Willy Perez, I knew from previous reports from other people, knows his birds, is detail-oriented, and very personable and humorous. Your office service was excellent. The extra day they set up beforehand was very enjoyable and they made sure I knew exactly what to expect. Everything, including travel, was handled extremely well." F.H., GALAPAGOS tour participant

Combo Tours
If you would like a longer birding holiday, some departures of this tour may be combined with:
MACHU PICCHU & ABRA MALAGA, PERU
AMAZONIAN ECUADOR: SACHA LODGE
CLOUDFORESTS OF ECUADOR: All the Best of the Wild Nor