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Best Galapagos Cruises: Seven Small Ships Compared on Size, Suites and Park Costs

The best Galapagos cruises compared: Silver Origin, Celebrity Flora, Lindblad's two ships and Metropolitan Touring, with guests, suites, itineraries, park fees and starting fares per day.

By Wijet Editors

At a glance

Galapagos cruising: the numbers

Park entrance fee
$200 per adult foreign visitor
$100 under 12, per the Galapagos government fee page, November 2026
Transit control card
$20 per person
Per Galapatours, 2026; bought online or at the Quito or Guayaquil airport counters
Largest ships here
100 guests
Silver Origin and Celebrity Flora each, per the operators, November 2026
Smallest ship here
Isabela II, 40 guests
Metropolitan Touring, November 2026
Lowest fare per day
About $879
Isabela II, 7 days from $6,150, our arithmetic from Metropolitan Touring's page

The best Galapagos cruises are small ships with a published guest cap, and the field is narrower than the SERP suggests. Silver Origin and Celebrity Flora both carry 100 guests, per Silversea and Celebrity. Metropolitan Touring’s Isabela II carries 40 and starts at $4,650 for five days, per its cruise page, which is about $930 a day by our arithmetic.

Prices below are “starting at” figures taken from Metropolitan Touring’s page in November 2026. They move with the date, cabin and season, so treat each as a floor, not a quote.

How to Choose a Galapagos Cruise

Ship Size and the Passenger Cap

Ships in the Galapagos are small by design. Metropolitan Touring says the largest ships in the islands hold a maximum of 100 passengers, and the two largest ships compared here carry exactly that. Visitor sites carry their own guest limits and a guide takes 16 or fewer guests ashore, per Metropolitan Touring.

Itinerary: East, West, North

Metropolitan Touring sells its ships by route: Southeast or Northeast on 5 days, Southwestern on 7, Eastern on 9 for La Pinta. Silversea says Silver Origin runs back-to-back eastern and western itineraries. Pick the route by the islands you want, then compare ships.

Length: 5, 7 or 9 Days

Metropolitan sells 5, 7 and 9 days on its two yachts and 5 and 7 on Santa Cruz II. Lindblad lists Galapagos expeditions of 7 to 8, 10, 12, 13, 16 and 17 days, per Lindblad. Ecoventura recommends at least 8 days, per its FAQ.

When to Go

Ecoventura splits the year in two. The warm and wet season runs January to May, with calm, warm seas that suit snorkeling and showers now and then. The cool and dry season runs June to December, with cooler water, cloudier skies and mist in the highlands, and Ecoventura recommends a wetsuit from June. It calls August the coolest month and September the coldest water. Both seasons have their wildlife events: sea turtle nesting from January and blue-footed booby displays from May in the warm season, sea lion pups from August and active penguins in September in the cool one.

The Best Galapagos Cruises Compared

ShipOperatorGuestsSuites or cabinsDaysSource
Silver OriginSilversea10050 suites, from 325 sq ft7, east and westSilversea, Nov 2026
Celebrity FloraCelebrity100All suites, Sky Suite with Veranda 330 sq ftOn requestCelebrity, Nov 2026
Endeavour IILindblad-National Geographic9652 cabins7 to 17Lindblad, Nov 2026
Islander IILindblad-National Geographic4826 cabins7 to 17Lindblad, Nov 2026
La PintaMetropolitan Touring48On request5, 7, 9Metropolitan Touring, Nov 2026
Isabela IIMetropolitan Touring40On request5, 7, 9Metropolitan Touring, Nov 2026
Santa Cruz IIMetropolitan Touring90On request5, 7Metropolitan Touring, Nov 2026

Metropolitan Touring is the one operator here that publishes starting fares by length, so it is the one we can price per day:

ShipDaysFrom per guestPer day (our arithmetic)
Isabela II5$4,650About $930
Isabela II7$6,150About $879
Isabela II9$9,250About $1,028
La Pinta5$6,000$1,200
La Pinta7$7,950About $1,136
La Pinta9$12,000About $1,333

Silversea, Celebrity and Lindblad quote by sailing date and cabin, so ask for the fare on your exact departure before comparing them with the figures above. Metropolitan Touring does not publish a fare for Santa Cruz II.

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Silver Origin

Silversea’s own blog says the ship has 50 suites starting at 325 square feet and a capacity of 100, with a crew of 80. It cites eight to 10 expedition leaders and naturalists. The blog author’s sailing carried 68 guests, which is about 7 to 8.5 guests per leader by our arithmetic, but that is one sailing, not a ratio the line guarantees.

Celebrity Flora

Celebrity says every stateroom is a suite, from the Sky Suite with Veranda at 330 square feet to the Royal Suite at 559 and the Penthouse Suite at up to 1,288. Its page confirms certified naturalists from the Galapagos National Park.

Lindblad-National Geographic

Lindblad lists National Geographic Endeavour II at 96 guests in 52 cabins and Islander II at 48 guests in 26 cabins. Ask Lindblad for fares by ship and sailing. For the same operator’s polar side, see our Antarctica cruise guide.

Metropolitan Touring

Metropolitan’s page lists guides as National Park-certified who brief every landing. It marks all three ships as suitable for couples, families and solo travelers and recommends the islands for visitors ages 6 and up, with no ship-specific minimum. Its fares are “starting at” figures from featured departures and may not reflect every sailing.

Ecoventura

Ecoventura’s page describes seven-night itineraries and extended ones up to 15 days. Ask for its rates page for fares and cabin counts.

Best Galapagos Cruises for Families

Metropolitan Touring is the only operator here that states an age: its page recommends the Galapagos for visitors ages 6 and up and lists all three ships as suitable for families. Ecoventura’s booking form accepts children ages 6 to 17 and lists a family departures option. For Silversea, the cruise ticket contract sets a minimum of 5 years on Expedition cruises, per Silversea’s US contract. Check Celebrity and Lindblad directly for their age rules. For wider ideas, see our small ship cruise lines comparison.

Galapagos Costs Beyond the Fare

LineAmountSource
Cruise fareFrom $4,650 for 5 days (Isabela II)Metropolitan Touring, Nov 2026
Park entrance fee, adult foreign visitor$200Galapagos government fee page, Nov 2026
Park entrance fee, foreign visitor under 12$100Galapagos government fee page, Nov 2026
Transit control card (TCT)$20 per personGalapatours, 2026

The government’s fee page also lists $100 for adults from Andean Community and Mercosur countries who do not live in Ecuador, $30 for Ecuadorian residents, and an exemption for children under 2. Park rangers collect the fee at the Baltra and San Cristobal airports, per the Galapagos National Park Directorate. The transit control card is bought online through the official portal or at the INGALA counters in Quito or Guayaquil, per Galapatours.

Compare the daily cost with a yacht: our yacht charter cost guide covers charter pricing, and the Silversea vs Seabourn comparison covers the two lines at sea. The full list is in the cruises and yachts hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best months to cruise the Galapagos Islands?
Ecoventura splits the year into a warm and wet season from January to May, with calm, warm seas, and a cool and dry season from June to December, with cooler water and a wetsuit recommended from June. Pick the season for the wildlife you want, then compare routes, because eastern and western itineraries differ.
How many days is enough in Galapagos?
Ecoventura recommends at least 8 days, per its FAQ. Metropolitan Touring sells 5, 7 and 9 days, and Lindblad lists 7 to 17. Five days covers a single route; longer cruises add islands.
Which Galapagos island is the best to stay on?
On a cruise you sleep aboard, so the question becomes which route. Metropolitan Touring names routes such as Southeast, Northeast, Southwestern and Eastern. Choose the route for the islands you want, then compare ships.
Is a National Geographic Galapagos cruise worth it?
It depends on what you value. Lindblad-National Geographic lists Endeavour II at 96 guests and Islander II at 48, and quotes fares by sailing. Ask for the price per day on your dates and set it against Metropolitan Touring's starting fares of about $879 to $1,333 a day.

Sources

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