Planning a Galápagos cruise from the U.S., and where to read more
The U.S.-specific guides on this site — booking from home, solo travel, flights by city and the American holiday calendar — plus a curated list of the in-depth guides the Dana Tours team publishes about the islands themselves.
This site covers what is specific to planning from the United States: flights from your city, the U.S. holiday calendar, and booking and paying from home. Everything about the islands themselves — choosing a cruise, the wildlife, the seasons, entry rules — is covered in depth by the Dana Tours team in Ecuador on Galápagos Dana Tours, and linked below rather than repeated here.
Guides for U.S. travelers
How to Book a Galápagos Cruise from the U.S.
Holds, deposits, what is included, agency versus direct, the questions to ask before paying and the booking timeline by season.
Solo Travel to the Galápagos
How single supplements work and how to avoid them, the social reality of a small yacht, safety and how to book well alone.
The U.S. vacation calendar
School breaks, federal holidays and PTO mapped to the Galápagos seasons — with spring break, summer and Thanksgiving plans.
Galápagos from your U.S. city
Routes, flight times, time zones and day-by-day plans from thirteen U.S. cities.
Deep dives on Galápagos Dana Tours
Choosing a cruise
Cruise vs land-based
Which islands each option reaches, real costs and who should choose which.
How many days you need
Short cruise or full loop: what you gain and give up.
How to choose a cruise
Class, route and length, decided in the right order.
Cruise itineraries explained
The routes, the islands and how the A/B loops work.
Who is travelling
Before you go
Complimentary Mindo Cloud Forest nights
How the nights at Las Terrazas de Dana work with every cruise.
Decided? See it on live dates
Every yacht and category with live cabins and prices, special fares flagged, Mindo nights included.
Questions U.S. travelers ask
Where do I start planning a Galápagos cruise from the U.S.?
With your dates and your airport: the U.S. vacation calendar and flights from your city. Then choose the cruise with the guides on Galápagos Dana Tours, and book with a free cabin hold.
Why are some guides on galapagosdanatours.com?
Because they are about the islands rather than about travelling from the U.S. — the Dana Tours team in Ecuador maintains them, and keeping them in one place means they stay current.
Not sure which boat? Ask us.
Tell us your dates, your budget and what you most want to see: we will send you a shortlist with live fares. We reply within 24 hours, usually the same day.