Family FYI: Did you know that the Galápagos Islands' huge Waved Albatross needs a head start to get itself flying? A special 9-day holiday departure of our family Galápagos island adventure – on December 19 and 24 – features an expanded 5-night cruise aboard M/V Santa Cruz.
SPECIAL DECEMBER 2012 HOLIDAY DEPARTURES! December 19 and 24, Galápagos: Wildlife Wonderland becomes a 9-day journey with a 5-night Galápagos cruise! If you ever wanted to explore lands time forgot, this is your chance to do it in style. Pack your bathing suits, sunscreen, hats and comfortable hiking shoes and prepare to get wet as you set sail for some of the most amazing tropical islands in the world... on a 9-day Special Holiday Departure of Tauck Bridges' family Galápagos cruise – featuring a 5-night cruise aboard M/V Santa Cruz. Have you ever seen birds wearing bright red or blue "shoes"? You're sure to see lots of them during this eco-cruise because the Galápagos is one of their favorite places to kick up their heels. How about giant tortoises that weigh up to 550 lbs. and prehistoric-looking iguanas that hunt and fish in the ocean? Did you ever see penguins and sea lions so friendly that they may swim right alongside you in brilliant blue water? Even the crabs are different here with their bright red and yellow shells that provide quite a contrast to the black-lava rocks of these volcanic islands. Luckily for us, not much has changed since Charles Darwin first set foot on these remote islands off Ecuador in 1831; these islands are protected and tourists must leave these islands exactly as they found them, leaving only their footprints so this amazing place can thrive as nature intended.
Departures
19, 24 Dec 2012.
Inclusions
- All gratuities to Tauck Director, ship staff, drivers & local guides
- Seven nights aboard M / V Santa Cruz, built for Galápagos Islands cruising; all-day soft drinks, cocktail hour & wine with dinner aboard ship
- Licensed Naturalist Guides of Galápagos National Park who accompany private Tauck Bridges shore excursions (average of two daily) and hold briefings aboard ship – living natural history lessons
- Entrance fee to Galápagos National Park
- Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about marine and terrestrial conservation in the islands, with a close-up encounter with giant tortoises
- Train ride in the Quito countryside for fun-filled visits to a working dairy farm and a local hacienda
- Airport transfers upon arrival and departure as noted
- 27 meals (10 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 9 dinners); applicable fuel surcharges, porterage, taxes and service charges