Final Itinerary

This is our daily schedule at a glance. Our tour staff will make daily announcements with specifics and times during the trip. Note that our itinerary may shift due to the weather or to take advantage of unexpected opportunities.

The pace of this tour is considered active. In order to make the most of what each locale has to offer, touring will be vigorous. A typical day is adventure-filled, balanced by relaxing periods cruising at sea and touring activities. You will need to climb in and out of a Zodiac for shore excursions; staff will be on hand to assist. Please note that the National Geographic Islander II does not have an elevator on board. You should feel comfortable walking on a rocking surface.

A typical day’s activities begin with a full buffet breakfast. We then set out around 9:00 a.m. for our day's excursion, snorkeling or hiking, armed with sunscreen, sunglasses, water bottle, hat, camera and our comfortable walking shoes. We return to the ship for lunch. After lunch, we are off again for an afternoon excursion before returning to the ship in the early evening. We have time for a shower and some rest, then perhaps a lecture before dinner. Expect pre-breakfast outings and some variation, depending on the day.

Meals included in the program are indicated next to the hotel name with the following designations:

B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner R = Reception

Monday, September 12
Stanford, California

4:15 p.m. Meet fellow travelers and students at Denning House on Stanford campus for an orientation meeting and first lecture from Professor Durham in the Denning House classroom.

5:30 p.m. Join students from Professor Durham's Sophomore College class in Denning House lounge and terrace for a casual welcome dinner.

7:15 p.m. Return to the classroom for another lecture from professor Bill Durham.

Bay Area hotel of your choice, or home (D)

Tuesday, September 13
Stanford

8:30 a.m. Gather for a continental breakfast followed by a full morning of lectures and discussions. All activities will be held in Denning House.

12:00 p.m. A brown paper bag lunch is served in Denning House dining room.

1:15 p.m. Engage with students and fellow travelers in a discussion on Chapter 9 of Prof. Durham’s book Exuberant Life: “Fishing in a Common Pool”.

3:00 p.m. Photo seminar “Taking your best photos in Galápagos” with guest speaker Joel Simon.

4:30 p.m. Free time to walk around campus or return to your hotel to rest. Dinner this evening is on your own.

Bay Area hotel of your choice, or home (B, L)

Wednesday, September 14
Stanford

8:30 a.m. Gather for a continental breakfast followed by a full morning of lectures and discussions. All activities will be held in Denning House.

12:00 p.m. A brown paper bag lunch is served in Denning House dining room, followed by a final lecture from Prof. Bill Durham.

3:00 p.m. The end of the on-campus section of the trip. Dinner this evening is on your own.

Bay Area hotel of your choice, or home (B, L)

Thursday, September 15
Stanford / Guayaquil, Ecuador

4:45 a.m. A group bus transfer departs Stanford campus for San Francisco International Airport. The transfer is available for all travelers, or you may choose to make your own way to the airport.

Depart on independent flights from the Bay Area to Guayaquil, arriving late in the evening. Transfer to our hotel upon arrival and take a COVD-19 rapid antigen test, administered by our staff. We ask that you isolate yourself this evening. Our tour manager will alert any guests who test positive before breakfast tomorrow morning.

HOTEL DEL PARQUE (meals aloft)

Friday, September 16
Guayaquil, Baltra Island / Daphne Island

7:00 a.m. Breakfast is availabe at our hotel

~ 9:00 a.m. Transfer by bus to the airport for our group flight to Baltra Island in the Galápagos.

12:06 p.m. Avianca Airlines flight AV 1638 departs Guayaquil for Baltra Island.

13:02 p.m. Flight AV 1632 arrives in Baltra.

Afternoon:

Upon arrival, we are met by our naturalists for the short ride to the dock for transfer by Zodiac to the National Geographic Islander II at anchor. We will have time for lunch, briefings and to settle into your suites before the captain circumnavigates Daphne Major, giving us views of the dramatic small island where Peter and Rosemary Grant have conducted of ground-breaking research by into Natural Selection among Darwin’s finches. Welcome aboard! This evening, gather for a lecture from professor Bill Durham, followed by dinner.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISLANDER II (B, L, D)

Saturday, September 17
Bartolomé Island / Cero Dragon, Santa Cruz Island

Morning:

This morning you will visit Bartolomé, an enchanting landscape where lava, mangroves and golden sand converge. We will have the opportunity for an early morning hike to the summit of the cone, with stunning views of the famous Pinnacle Rock and the surrounding volcanic landscape. Later in the morning, enjoy some wonderful snorkeling, where you might encounter sea lions, small reef sharks and even Galápagos penguins.

Afternoon:

Land on the beach for a hike through giant cactus and incense tree forests to reach Dragon Hill, the habitat of the colorful Santa Cruz land iguanas that have been brought back from the brink of extinction. Depending on conditions, we may have the option to snorkel from the Zodiacs along the steep, invertebrate-coated walls of the offshore islets of Guy Fawkes. Advanced snorkelers only.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISLANDER II (B, L, D)

Sunday, September 18
Floreana Island

Morning:

Visit Post Office Bay, where we can drop postcards in the historic barrel that has served as a de facto mailbox for more than two centuries. Learn about the colorful history of the area, as well as the story of how mail is taken from the barrel and delivered all over the world today. Kayak or paddleboard at the Baronesa’s Lookout, named after the colorful early resident.

Afternoon:

After lunch, take a panga ride around Champion Islet, snorkel, kayak or paddleboard. Venture to the olivine-tinted beach at Punta Cormorant for a walk across the isthmus past a shallow lagoon frequented by flamingos.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISLANDER II (B, L, D)

Monday, September 19
Española Island

Morning:

Our morning stop at Gardner Bay on Española Island includes a short walk to observe sea lions, mockingbirds and finches with plenty of time to enjoy the beach. Partake in the area’s great snorkeling or explore the water by kayak or paddleboard.

Afternoon:

This afternoon at Punta Suárez, take a walk on lava and boulder terrain to visit seabird colonies, including the waved albatross, boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and the famous “blowhole,” a geological formation.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISLANDER II (B, L, D)

Tuesday, September 20
San Cristóbal Island

Morning:
Disembark at the eastern tip of San Cristóbal Island for a hike offering spectacular views of the shoreline, where all three species of boobies are found. Observe frigate birds fluttering their red gular pouches and catch sight of a colony of bachelor sea lions.

Afternoon:

Following lunch, enjoy a panga ride along shores lined with banks of tuff-stone layers to reach Cerro Brujo's wide white coral beach. These are the very same shores that Charles Darwin walked upon in September 1835.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISLANDER II (B, L, D)

Wednesday, September 21
Santa Cruz Island

Morning:

Today we visit the highlands of Santa Cruz Island; look for the emblematic Darwin’s finches and the endemic Scalesia trees that thrive in this area. Continue to lunch in the highlands and a chance to observe giant tortoises roaming in the wild.

Afternoon:

After lunch visit Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about programs dedicated to breeding and rearing giant tortoises and to understand the efforts and results of Galápagos biology fieldwork. Return to the ship for dinner.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISLANDER II (B, L, D)

Thursday, September 22
Plaza Sur / Santa Fe Island

Morning:

Sea lions greet us at South Plaza, an uplifted block carpeted in salt-loving succulents and teeming with wildlife, including a noisy group of bachelor sea lions and a population of land iguanas. Thread your way across the island through an impressive forest of cactus trees, and thrill at aerial displays of the nocturnal, cliff-nesting swallow-tail gulls and red-tailed tropicbirds.

Afternoon:

After lunch, continue to Santa Fe Island and its sandy-white beach populated by colonies of sea lions. Take a nature walk and look for Galápagos hawks and Santa Fe land iguana. Following our walk, snorkel and swim along a natural wave barrier.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISLANDER II (B, L, D)

Friday, September 23
Santiago Island

Morning:

Visit the tiny Chinese Hat Islet to hike a trail that begins at a crescent-shaped white sandy beach. The cove offers excellent swimming and snorkeling opportunities to see white-tipped reef sharks and sometimes even Galápagos penguins.

Afternoon:

After lunch, board the pangas to land at Sullivan Bay on the east coast of Santiago Island. Hike across the impressive lava flows or head for the coast to swim, snorkel or just relax.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISLANDER II (B, L, D)

Saturday, September 24
Genovesa Island

Morning:

Begin an exploration of Genovesa Island with a walk to observe its marine and land birds along the shore of Darwin Bay. Take an optional hike over sharp lava and uneven terrain for dramatic views or return to the beach to enjoy swimming and snorkeling at the island’s beautiful natural harbor.

Afternoon:

Visit Prince Philip’s Steps this afternoon for a short but steep climb up a wooden staircase. Once at the top, walk on flat terrain to the other side of this small island, observing large colonies of Nazca boobies, frigate birds, storm petrels and the elusive short-eared owl. Gather for a farewell reception before dinner aboard our ship this evening.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ISLANDER II (B, L, D)

Sunday, September 25
Baltra Island / Disembark / Guayaquil / U.S.

After breakfast onboard, disembark our ship on Baltra Island and fly to Guayaquil, where we check in to our hotel. Our last group activity will be dinner at a restaurant near the hotel. Rest and relax before flights home. Depending on flight schedules, overnight accommodations are included with check-out at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 26.

HOTEL DEL PARQUE (D)