Every flight to the Galápagos leaves from mainland Ecuador, so how to get to the Galápagos comes down to two questions: which mainland city you fly from, Quito or Guayaquil, and which island your boat starts from, Baltra or San Cristóbal. The best way of seeing and visiting the Galápagos is by taking a cruise. But those cruises have one departure moment you do not want to miss, and the whole route is built around it.
From the US, Quito (UIO) has non-stops from Miami (about 4 h), Houston and Atlanta (about 5 h 15 m) and New York (about 6 h 40 m). Guayaquil (GYE) has non-stops from Miami, Fort Lauderdale (about 4 h 20 m) and New York. From Europe, Madrid flies to both cities in about 11 to 12 h and Amsterdam to Quito in about 12 h.
Notice the arrival times: most US non-stops reach Quito in the evening or after an overnight flight. The rest of the picture is on our getting to and around Ecuador page.
LATAM and Avianca fly from the mainland to two airports: Baltra (GPS), on its own island across the Itabaca Channel from Santa Cruz, and San Cristóbal (SCY), about 10 minutes from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Older guides still list TAME, which Ecuador began liquidating in May 2020, and Equair, which stopped flying in September 2023.
The legs our trips use, with typical times as of October 2026 (schedules change):
| Leg | Typical flight time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Quito (UIO) to Baltra (GPS) | about 2 h 10 m non-stop; about 3 h 30 m via Guayaquil | Our usual cruise leg |
| Guayaquil (GYE) to Baltra | about 2 h | Non-stop |
| Quito to San Cristóbal (SCY) | about 3 h 30 m | Usually stops in Guayaquil |
| Guayaquil to San Cristóbal | about 1 h 50 m | Non-stop; the Galápagos Multisport Adventure starts on San Cristóbal |
| Lima (LIM) to Quito | about 2 h 15 m | Machu Picchu plus the islands; there is no regular Cusco–Quito non-stop |
Island flights leave the mainland between about 7 am and early afternoon. The islands keep time one hour behind mainland Ecuador, so on the non-stop from Quito your ticket shows a landing time about an hour after takeoff.
The Transit Control Card (TCT) costs US$20. Since May 29, 2025 you can buy it online by card, or get it at the Galápagos Governing Council counter in the Quito or Guayaquil airport before you check in. Either way you show it there with your passport and return ticket, and keep it until you leave the islands.
The bag check. The islands’ biosecurity agency, the ABG, inspects your luggage before check-in. Since January 31, 2026 the goods declaration is digital only, filled in online up to 72 hours before the flight. Before landing, the cabin is sprayed with a WHO-approved product; on arrival an inspector checks your hand luggage for organic products. Our Galápagos packing list covers what stays home.
The national park entrance fee is paid on arrival at Baltra or San Cristóbal. Since August 1, 2024 the park’s official fee is US$200 for foreign visitors aged 12 and over and US$100 under 12. The entry rules live on our Galápagos visa requirements page, and the money page helps you budget.
On a cruise, a naturalist guide meets the flight and takes you to the boat. On several of our itineraries the first visit is that same afternoon, on North Seymour or Mosquera Islet.
Staying on Santa Cruz takes three steps: a bus of about 10 minutes to the Itabaca Channel, a barge of about 10 minutes across it, then 30 to 45 minutes by bus or pickup taxi to Puerto Ayora. The national park suggests the bus. Fewer emissions, fewer birds hit on the road.
People ask which island is the best. Our co-founder Juergen Keller’s answer: “Spoiler alert: No one Island is the best! That does not mean you have to see them all, by no means. When you stay only on one specific Island you miss the variety of the islands.” There are three ways to move.
On a cruise, the boat does the moving. You unpack once.
Small planes. Emetebe flies between San Cristóbal, Isabela and Baltra. Pack light: depending on the fare, the allowance is 15 to 35 lb per person, carry-on included, and a bag can follow on a later flight when the plane reaches its weight limit. The Multisport Adventure takes this hop from San Cristóbal to Isabela.
Public speedboats link Santa Cruz with San Cristóbal and Isabela, with a bag inspection at the dock first. Our Galápagos Wildlife Discovery trip crosses from Isabela to Santa Cruz by speedboat or plane, and the Galápagos Loop takes a private speedboat to Floreana, about two and a half hours.
We still point most travelers to a boat. Juergen’s Galápagos cruise vs. island hopping article explains why.
Our advice has not changed: spend at least one or two nights in Quito before you fly over to the islands. Your cruise starts when your plane lands. A late arrival and a morning island flight make a tight pair.
Our combination trips build that time in. Cruise the Galápagos and Tour Colonial Quito gives you three nights in Quito before the flight to Baltra. The Galápagos Cruise and Machu Picchu flies from Cusco to Quito, usually through Lima (see getting to and around Peru), and spends four nights in Ecuador first. The Luxury Galápagos Cruise & Ecuador Trains ends by train in Guayaquil, so you fly home from there.
Your boat decides your airport. Some of our cruises fly in and out of Baltra. Others start on one island and end on the other: the Coral cruise’s itinerary C goes Baltra in, San Cristóbal out, and the Galápagos Legend‘s itinerary D the reverse. From Quito, San Cristóbal usually means a stop in Guayaquil.
Our Galápagos prices are estimates without flights: every tour and cruise page says “Flights priced separately”. The island flights your boat needs are quoted with the cruise. The very best way of not missing your boat is by booking the flight over together with the cruise. Only then the ship knows where you and all cruise passengers are. That ensures that the boat can plan on waiting for you!
No. From Miami it is about 4 h to Quito, 4 h 30 m to Guayaquil, then about 2 h to the islands, and in practice a night on the mainland in between.
About 2 h 10 m non-stop to Baltra, or about 3 h 30 m with a stop in Guayaquil.
Your boat decides; book the flights to match its first and last day. On a land trip, Baltra serves Santa Cruz and Puerto Ayora, San Cristóbal serves Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.
Sometimes. Flights back leave the islands between about 9 am and 3 pm and reach Quito by about 7 pm, and some US flights leave Quito late in the evening or after midnight. Others leave early in the morning, which means a night in Quito.
Next, compare boats on our Galápagos cruises page, check the best time to visit the Galápagos, or start from the Galápagos Islands guide. We can also fit the islands into a custom trip and quote the island flights with it.
Our favorite Ecuador tour ideas featuring the best destinations & activities designed to inspire…
Get your FREE Ecuador Guide Now!
