Giant Tortoise – Galapagos Outdoors

The most iconic

Galapagos Tour

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With our Naturalist Guide, encounter giant tortoises, visit Los Gemelos sinkholes, lava tunnel and a Scalesia forest.

Tour Location

Santa Cruz Island.

The Giant Tortoise Experience by Galapagos Outdoors is the most iconic tour in Santa Cruz. This must-do experience offers a unique blend of natural wonders, educational insights and personal encounters with iconic species. Guided by the experience of our certified Galapagos Naturalist Guide.

Visit the stunning Los Gemelos sink holes and hike the magical Scalesia Cloud forest Meet the most iconic Galapagos species at the Giant Tortoise Reserve Travel through thousands of years of intense volcanic activity in an impressive Lava Tube

Tour

Information.

Visit stunning Los Gemelos sink holes and hike magical Scalesia Cloud forest Meet the most iconic Galapagos species at the Giant Tortoise Reserve Travel through years of intense volcanic activity in an impressive Lava Tube

1 Los Gemelos - Sink Holes: 1/4 mi - 500 m

2 Giant Tortoise Reserve: 3/4 mi - 1km

3 Lava tubes: 300 ft - 100m

ADD ON TOUR Giant Tortoise Breeding Program / Charles Darwin Research Station

from $150 pp.

Tourism News

Galápagos is Not Just One Kind of Adventure!

We do.

Meeting point / End point
1835 Coffee Lab | Galapagos Coffee Roasters in Puerto Ayora (ideally a validated field, not free text)

Pick-up point
The Giant Tortoise Experience begins with a warm welcome from your certified Galapagos Naturalist Guide.

During the private air conditioned transfer, immerse yourself in the enchanted Galapagos ecosystem and learn about the captivating history and geology of the archipelago.

1 Los Gemelos sink holes & Scalesia forest

Discover Los Gemelos twin sink holes, the most impressive sink holes in The Galapagos Islands. Hike along this scenic 1-mile loop trail and observe these amazing volcanic formations that make Santa Cruz so special.
Walk through the magical Scalesia Cloud Forest, an endemic humid environment where local plants, giant tortoises and birds thrive. Take opportunities to spot and photograph the iconic Darwin’s finches.

2 Giant Tortoise Reserve

Continue to the Giant Tortoise Reserve and meet the largest living tortoises in the world and the most iconic species of Galapagos! Gain exclusive insights into their habits and ecology, and take incredible pictures with hundreds of giant tortoises wandering around in their pristine natural habitat.

3 Lava Tubes

Be ready for an impressive underground discovery following the footsteps of Charles Darwin. Experience Galapagos inside-out by stepping into stunning Lava Tubes. Appreciate how lava flows have carved and sculpted the most remarkable structures and shapes over thousands of years.

ADD ON TOUR Giant Tortoise Breeding Program / Charles Darwin Research Station

Let the expertise of your Galapagos Naturalist Guide lead you through the station, making the most of the educational displays. Get exclusive insights on the groundbreaking conservation work led by hundreds of scientists to protect giant tortoises, and learn how to identify different types of them by their unique shell shapes. Admire the adorable baby tortoises that are raised and protected in the station before their release into the wild. Pay tribute to Lonesome George, the iconic tortoise, and learn about his life. Take a picture with Charles Darwin and climb into a tortoise shell to fully immerse yourself in this experience.

DEPARTURES EVERYDAY
8am | 2pm

DURATION:
3 hour tour

TRAIN LENGHT

TOTAL TRAIL: 1 mile / 1.6 km

Inclusions

Galapagos Naturalist Guide
A/C Transportation from / to Puerto Ayora
Giant Tortoise entrance fee
Rubber boots during rainy season

Exclusions

Meals or drinks during the tour
Photos
Gratuities

Ask our Special quotes for family or private departures

Suitable for all levels and waking skills

ALL TOURS

Tourism News

Galápagos is Not Just One Kind of Adventure!

Reviews

    
 
 
       Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   BAS 
 
 
 
 Verified The Perfect Tour!
Great tour! The guide specifically was very knowledgeable about the tortoises and was patient with all our questions. She made sure we had the next pictures. Very thankful for her and the experience we had! Highly recommend this tour!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Rick A 
 
 
 
 Verified Astrid was the best
We booked late and our guide Astrid was extremely accommodating and gave a superb tour! She was extremely knowledgeable and well spoken. We were able to see and learn about everything we wanted to and she even took some incredible photos for us. We were able to do everything quickly since we were pressed for time and even got a great dinner recommendation. I highly recommend anyone staying in Santa Cruz to take this tour.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Kelsey N 
 
 
 
 Verified Can't miss tour
Had a wonderful time! They were prompt picking me up which meant we got to the tortoises before all the other tour groups. My guide, Astrid, was very friendly, patient and extremely knowledgeable about everything Galapagos related. Definitely one of my favorite tours done on the Galapagos, highly recommend!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   TravelingGene2018 
 
 
 
 Verified worth every penny
we had a great time and our guide was very informative and helpful.the main reason to go to the Galapagos is to see the giant tortoise which made the trip exciting
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   Jorge 
 
 
 
 Verified DO IT!
Great experience! Although we booked a "group" tour, it ended up being only two of us which made it feel like a private tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and super welcoming. She was an avid lover of nature and history, we really appreciated her insight. This tour would definitely give you a different perspective of the island. I would highly recommend it!
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   benengen 
 
 
 
 Verified Painless Way to See Santa Cruz Highlights
This was a great value for the money. We got to see many of the highlights of the island in a morning including the famous giant tortoises. The stroll through the lava tube was way more interesting than I anticipated as well. Juan is a great guide who knows a lot about the island and, more importantly, has a great appreciation for the nature of the island. I'd recommend to anyone.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   John P 
 
 
 
 Verified Like a Private Tour
Enjoyable morning with our of the flora and fauna. The guide, Juan - he's a real character. Only two of us so just like a Private tour. Had a good tour of El Chato and the giant tortoises. Included a short walk through the woods to see a couple of sink holes. Good identification of the flora and fauna. The walk through the lava tube was amazing.
  
 
      Posted on Tripadvisor  
   
   silvana C 
 
 
 
 Verified Good value for the price. Lots to see.
We took the afternoon Giant Tortoise Reserve and Lava tube tour. The leader, (I think Edwardo) was very knowledgeable. and gave us interesting facts about what we were doing. We drove through theCloud Forest as well as other parts of the island. Seeing the giant tortoises alongside the road was great!