Our 7 Best Galapagos Tours for Seniors

Length: 13 Days

Places Visited: Quito, Galapagos Islands, Zuleta

Why we recommend this sample itinerary:

Experience true decadence on our Luxury Tour of the Galapagos Islands & Ecuador tour, which combines a luxurious cruise through the mystical Galapagos archipelago with stays in Ecuador's finest hotel and most opulent hacienda. Lounge on the spacious deck of a private yacht, your beautiful home for eight days, as you explore the island’s wonderful endemic wildlife, like giant tortoises, flightless cormorants, and marine iguanas. Snorkel and kayak through a dramatic seascape in search of green turtles, reef sharks, penguins, and more marine life.

Then spend two nights immersed in Quito’s history before completing your journey at a stunning hacienda, the extravagant former weekend retreat of two Ecuadorian presidents. Revel in the elegance and opulence of this luxury tour, discovering the Galapagos' unique natural treasures by day and relaxing in our luxury accommodations by night.

Length: 13 Days

Places Visited: Quito, Rucu Pichincha, Yanacocha Reserve, Reserva Las Gralarias, Milpe Bird Sanctuary, Milpe Road, San Jorge Milpe Reserve, Los Bancos, Mindo, Mindo Valley, Pedro Vicente Maldonado, Silanche Bird Sanctuary, Bellavista, Tandayapa, Galapagos Islands, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, San Cristobal, Punta Pitt, Espanola

Why we recommend this sample itinerary:

Marvel at Ecuador's sublime landscapes and the over 1,600 bird species that flutter across them on our Bird-Watchers Tour of the Galapagos and Ecuador. Spend seven days immersed in the cloud forests of the majestic Andes, spying on crested quetzals, rainbow-bearded thornbills, and sword-billed hummingbirds. Afterward, island hop across the Galapagos for five days, surrounding yourself with Darwin's finches, Nazca boobies, and the blue-footed booby's magical mating dance.

Watch waves of bird life change as you descend from misty highlands to arid coastal plains, admiring the endemic albatrosses, frigatebirds, doves, and mockingbirds that thrive in the archipelago’s ecosystems. With every day a new symphony of colors, songs, and movements to discover, conclude your custom Ecuadorian birding adventure snuggled in a luxury cloud forest lodge, viewing hummingbirds from your private balcony.

Length: 12 Days

Places Visited: Quito, Mindo, Galapagos Islands, Santa Cruz

Why we recommend this sample itinerary:

Revel in the intimacy and authenticity of the central Galapagos Islands with our Exclusive Land-Based Tour of the Galapagos Islands, using a luxuriant eco hotel as your base for exploring the archipelago’s dramatic beauty. Take daily yacht and land excursions to iconic sites like North Seymour, South Plaza, and Santa Fe Islands, encountering giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, and more of the islands' remarkable endemic wildlife.

Walk across the surreal landscape of Bartolomé Island and snorkel with sea turtles, reef sharks, and schools of tropical fish. Then explore the cloud forest of Mindo, wandering among hummingbirds and butterflies before concluding your Ecuadorian adventure in Quito’s historic center, declared the world’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.

Length: 14 Days

Places Visited: Mindo, Quito, Otavalo, Galapagos Islands

Why we recommend this sample itinerary:

Let Ecuador's charms cascade over you on our Ecuador's Haciendas & Galapagos Tour for Senior Travelers, a journey of natural wonder and cultural intrigue from Andean peaks to the Galapagos' surreal islands. Spend six days unraveling Ecuador's elegance, sleeping in opulent haciendas with views of the Andes, wandering Quito's colonial treasure chest, and birdwatching in Mindo's mystical cloud forest.

Thereafter, embark on a seven-day luxury cruise unveiling the Galapagos' intimate wildlife mystique with easy excursions to sea lion beaches, seabird nesting grounds, and lands of giant tortoises and marine iguanas. With a blend of relaxation and adventure, immerse yourself in Ecuador's heritage and natural beauty on this tailored tour for senior travelers.

Length: 13 Days

Places Visited: Quito, Galapagos Islands, Isla Lobos, San Cristobal Island, Wolf Island, Darwin Island

Why we recommend this sample itinerary:

Discover an underwater world of swirling hammerhead schools, cruising manta rays, and endemic species on our Galapagos Liveaboard Cruise: Diving & Land Excursions for active senior travelers. This diving journey unveils the archipelago’s most revered dive sites, including four days around the remote northern islands of Wolf and Darwin.

Dive with playful sea lions, graceful eagle rays, juvenile whale sharks, and sea turtles before surfacing to explore iconic seabird colonies and the antics of blue-footed boobies. Complement over 15 exciting dives with days discovering San Cristobal’s landscapes and beaches, where you can swim alongside the world’s second-largest population of Galapagos sea lions. With diverse marine life encounters above and below the waves, this cruise blends the archipelago's vibrant underwater ecology with its charismatic wildlife.

Length: 12 Days

Places Visited: Quito, Amazon Rainforest, Yasuni National Park, Limoncocha Biological Reserve, Galapagos Islands, Santa Cruz Island, Santa Fe Island

Why we recommend this sample itinerary:

Combine two of Earth’s greatest wildlife spectacles on our Luxury Amazon & Galapagos Cruise & Tour. Spend five days immersed in Amazonian wonders on a luxury cruise along the Napo River, encountering indigenous tribes and exotic birds deep in the rainforest wilderness. Island hop across the Galapagos archipelago for four nights aboard a luxurious vessel, discovering giant tortoises lumbering across volcanic slopes and marine iguanas sunning themselves on lava rocks.

From the jungle cacophony of Amazonian birds and monkeys to nesting blue-footed boobies and doe-eyed sea lions, fully embrace the sights, sounds, and intimacy of two untamed South American gems that overflow with biodiversity.

Length: 12 Days

Places Visited: Quito, Hacienda Rumiloma, La Compania, Ibarra, Hacienda Chorlavi, Salinas, Pantavi Hosteria, Hacienda Zuleta, Cotopaxi, Hacienda San Agustin de Callo, Galapagos Islands, San Cristobal Island, La Loberia, Espanola Island, Punta Suarez, Gardner Bay, Floreana Island, Cormorant Point, Post Office Bay, Santa Cruz Island

Why we recommend this sample itinerary:

Revel in Ecuador's opulence and tradition with our Historic Haciendas in Ecuador & Galapagos Wildlife Tour with Cruises. Spend eight days immersed in luxury at Ecuador's finest historical accommodations, like the weekend retreat of two former presidents and a living art gallery hacienda. Cross the Andes by historic train and explore Quito’s dazzling religious art before cruising the Galapagos Islands for four days.

On your Galapagos wildlife tour for seniors, encounter giant tortoises and snorkel alongside sea lions and penguins. From cultural exploration at heritage haciendas to intimate island wildlife encounters, indulge in the richness, exclusivity, and grandeur of Ecuador past and present on this seniors’ trip that blends natural spectacle with historic tradition.

From luxury cruises to exclusive wildlife encounters, cultural immersion, and historic accommodation, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands unfold in a spectacle of natural wonder, wildlife curiosity, and rich tradition.

For further inspiration on how to discover the Galapagos Islands as a senior traveler, browse our handcrafted Galapagos Islands tours for seniors and Galapagos cruises for seniors. For more information, explore our Galapagos Islands travel guide.