
You maybe planning a trip to Galapagos to perhaps scuba dive from a Galapagos Liveaboard and to enjoy the underwater world of this amazing location. If you are, then you may be wondering about how to get to Galapagos from Ecuador.
To get from Ecuador to Galapagos book an internal flight from Guayaquil airport to Seymour Airport on Baltra Island or San Cristobal Airport on San Cristobal Island depending on your liveaboard departure port. You can also book a flight from Quito airport in Ecuador to Galapagos going via Guayaquil.
How to get to Galapagos from Guayaquil
The best way to get from Galapagos from Guayaquil is to fly from José Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (GYE). Book your flight to either Seymour Airport on Baltra Island or San Cristobal Airport on San Cristobal Island, depending on your arrangements in Galapagos, which takes 1.5 hours.
How to get to Galapagos from Quito
The best way to get from Galapagos from Quito is to fly from Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) via Guayaquil. Book your flight to either Seymour Airport on Baltra Island or San Cristobal Airport on San Cristobal Island, depending on your arrangements in Galapagos, which takes 2.5 hours.
The best way to dive anywhere in the world, which includes scuba diving the Galapagos Islands, is by a scuba diving liveaboard. You can check the latest and best deals on liveaboards using the following window:
How long does it take to get from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands?
The quickest route to get from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands is to fly from Guayaquil Airport which takes 1.5 hours.
How long is flight from Ecuador to Galapagos?
The quickest flight from Ecuador to Galapagos is 1.5 hours and flies from José Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport (GYE) in Guayaquil. You can also fly from Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) in Quito, but this flight is 2.5 hours and goes via Guayaquil to collect additional passengers.
How long is a boat ride from Ecuador to Galapagos?
The boat ride from Ecuador to Galapagos takes at least 3 days to reach the Galapagos archipelago. Boats depart from Guayaquil in Ecuador and most boats that make the trip between Ecuador and Galapagos are cargo ships, which have very basic accommodation, so it’s best to fly as the cost is similar.
Can you take a ferry from Ecuador to Galapagos?
The is no ferry from Ecuador to Galapagos, so the only form of boat ride across to Galapagos from Ecuador is by cargo ship. Your best option is to fly from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands, which is 560 miles (900km) of the coast of Ecuador.
Can you fly direct from Quito to the Galapagos?
There are no direct flights from Quito to the Galapagos as all flights from Quito to the Galapagos go via Guayaquil Airport to pickup additional passengers.
Which airlines fly to the Galapagos Islands?
The main two airlines that fly to the Galapagos Islands from Ecuador are LATAM Airlines and Avianca Airlines.

What is the cheapest way to get to the Galapagos Islands?
The cheapest way to fly to the Galapagos Islands is to book an international flight from your local airport to Guayaquil, Ecuador, then book an internal flight from Guayaquil to the Galapagos Island your liveaboard departs. Flights can be less than £160 ($200) but usually cost £200 ($250) return.
How far is it from Ecuador to Galapagos Islands?
The Galapagos Islands are located about 560 miles (900km) due west from Manta on the west coast of Ecuador The nearest Galapagos island to Ecuador is San Cristobal Island. From Guayaquil to Baltra Island is 730 miles (1,169km) and from Quito it’s 820 miles (1312km).
Planning your international trip to Galapagos
If you are planning an international trip to Galapagos, you may want to read these individual articles about how to get to Ecuador from the following locations:
- How To Get To Galapagos From UK.
- How To Get To Galapagos From Hong Kong.
- How To Get To Galapagos From Sweden.
Table of Galapagos liveaboards
This list of Galapagos liveaboards is in descending customer rating order, followed by Scuba Diving Luxury Rating (SDE Lux Rating, see below), so the liveaboards with the highest customer rating and the best SDE lux rating will be at the top of the list. If you want to change the list order, use the “Sort by” dropdown below. For example, if you want to see these Galapagos liveaboards in “Liveaboard Departure Port” order, use this column to sort the list.
Discover Liveaboard | Customer Rating | SDE Lux Rating % | Flexible Booking | Airport | Liveaboard Departure Port | Airport transfer | Free or Paid Airport Transfer | |
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Review: MV Tiburon Explorer; Book: MV Tiburon Explorer | 9.7 | 85% | NO | Baltra Seymour Airport (Code: GPS) | on Baltra Island - Galapagos | YES | Free |
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Review: MV Galapagos Sky; Book: MV Galapagos Sky | 9.5 | 81% | NO | San Cristobal Airport (Code: SCY) | on Isla Lobos Island (San Cristobal Island) - Galapagos | YES | Free |
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Review: MV Calipso; Book: MV Calipso | 9.4 | 85% | YES | San Cristobal Airport (Code: SCY) | on San Cristobal Island - Galapagos | YES | Free |
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Review: MV Galapagos Aggressor III; Book: MV Galapagos Aggressor III | 9.1 | 65% | NO | Baltra Seymour Airport (Code: GPS) | on Baltra Island - Galapagos | YES | Free |
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Review: MY Aqua; Book: MY Aqua | 9 | 65% | YES | Baltra Seymour Airport (Code: GPS) | on Baltra Island - Galapagos | YES | Free |
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Review: MV Humboldt Explorer; Book: MV Humboldt Explorer | 8.9 | 58% | NO | Baltra Seymour Airport (Code: GPS) | on Baltra Island - Galapagos | YES | Paid Service |
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Review: MV Galapagos Master; Book: MV Galapagos Master | 8.6 | 69% | YES | San Cristobal Airport (Code: SCY) | on San Cristobal Island - Galapagos | YES | Free |
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I hope you enjoyed this article about how to get to Galapagos from Ecuador
I’d love to hear from you. Tell us about your adventures of diving and snorkeling, in the comments below. Please also share your photos. Either from your underwater cameras or videos from your waterproof Gopro’s!
If this article hasn’t answered all of your questions. If you have more questions either about snorkeling or scuba diving (or specifically about how to get to Galapagos from Ecuador), please comment below with your questions.
There will also be many more articles about scuba diving (and snorkeling) for you to read and learn about these fabulous sports.
Have fun and be safe!