Short answer: fly from Quito (UIO) or Guayaquil (GYE) to Baltra (GPS) for Santa Cruz or to San Cristóbal (SCY), about 2 to 2.5 hours; Quito flights usually stop in Guayaquil. Avianca and LATAM fly the route. Before check-in buy the $20 transit card; on landing pay the $200 park fee. From Baltra a bus, a short ferry and a bus or taxi take you to Puerto Ayora in about an hour.
Step by step
Night before: sleep near the airport
Galápagos flights leave in the morning. Hotels near Quito's airport in Tababela cost around $65 a night. Hotels near Quito airport (Tababela) · Guayaquil
Airport: transit card and bag check
At the Galápagos government (CGREG) counter, buy or show the $20 transit control card, with your passport and return ticket. Your checked bag is inspected for food, plants and animal products before you can check in. Fees and rules.
The flight
About 2 to 2.5 hours; most Quito flights stop for about 40 minutes in Guayaquil on the same plane. Expect roughly $490–545 per adult return; check Avianca and LATAM for your dates.
Landing: park fee
Park rangers collect the $200 national park fee ($100 under 12). Have US dollars ready. Clocks go back one hour: the islands are on UTC−6.
To your hotel
From Baltra: the steps below. From San Cristóbal: town is about 10 minutes away by bus or taxi.
Baltra airport to Puerto Ayora
| Leg | How | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Airport to Itabaca Channel | Bus, about 10 minutes | $5 ($2.5 under 11) |
| 2. Across the channel to Santa Cruz | Small ferry (barge), about 10 minutes | $1 |
| 3. Channel to Puerto Ayora | Bus, 30–45 minutes, or white pickup taxi (slightly faster) | Bus $5 per person, taxi $30 per car (up to 4) |
Total by bus: $11 per person and roughly 50–65 minutes. Three or four people? The taxi works out at $14–16 each including bus and barge. Many day tours and hotels offer a pickup, and some tours visit the highlands' giant tortoises on the way:
Baltra (GPS) Airport Transfer with Highlands Stops
Giant Tortoises, Lava Tunnels & Craters Tour
Prices and ratings as listed in November 2026; the price at checkout is what counts. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Disclosure
Between the islands
- Public speedboats twice a day between Puerto Ayora and Isabela, San Cristóbal and Floreana: ferry board and prices.
- Small planes (Emetebe) between Baltra, San Cristóbal and Isabela: fares from about $153, baggage limits of about 25 lb including carry-on.
Fly in to one island, out of the other
Booking into Baltra and out of San Cristóbal (or the reverse) saves you one ferry crossing and works perfectly with a Santa Cruz + San Cristóbal trip. The itinerary planner builds it for you.
Stay connected
An eSIM saves hunting for a local SIM in Quito. 5G eSIM South America (covers Ecuador) on Klook.
Sources: Galápagos National Park and Governing Council, Emetebe Airlines. Every figure with its document: facts and figures.
Updated 2026-11-06. Fees, boat times and prices change, so confirm with the operator before you travel.