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Stanford Alumni AssociationTravel/Study
Travel/Study
Explore a living classroom with the whole family

Galápagos Family Adventure

Enjoy a family cruise through the remote island chain and encounter unique wildlife up close, including playful sea lions, giant tortoises, and blue footed boobies.

Overview

Unforgettable moments for the whole family

Begin our journey in mainland Ecuador, where we tour the well-preserved city center in Quito and venture into the cloud forest to see rare species of orchids and visit a butterfly sanctuary. Once in the archipelago, we’ll kayak, snorkel, and experience the flora and fauna that inspired Darwin’s theory of evolution as we cruise aboard La Pinta, our intimate 20-cabin yacht.

Come face to face with giant tortoises in the wild on Santa Cruz. Hike along wooden walkways to panoramic viewpoints and golden sandy beaches on Bartolomé. Our visit to Santiago reveals the volcanic origins of the islands. Further north, on the remote island of on Genovesa, we visit teeming colonies of frigatebirds and red-footed boobies.

Dates

July 23–30, 2027

Duration

8 days

Price

From approx. $11,995 per person

Trip size

43 participants

Minimum age

6 years

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Share the joy of learning

About our Young Explorer program

Kids of all ages love our Young Explorer program, where they’re grouped with travelers their own age—no more than 10 kids per group—and paired with a Young Explorer leader. Young travelers enjoy fun and educational activities during lectures as well as occasional kids-only adventures, tours or meals while the adults have time for more in-depth touring and discussions.

Our Young Explorer program is designed for the whole family to engage in learning and exploration together, with most touring involving the entire family. Throughout the journey, opportunities for kids to hang out with their Young Explorer groups abound. Your kids will return home with a greater appreciation for the places we visit...and a few new friends!

Meet our Young Explorer leaders

These razor-sharp Stanford grads and former Stanford Sierra Camp counselors love interacting with families and are experts at adapting to the personalities and interests of each Young Explorer. They fuel creativity with thought-provoking discussions and mind-bending games that keep the kids entertained while adults attend lectures. In addition, Young Explorer leaders bring the whole family together for activities such as family Olympics, trivia night and disco bingo.

Itinerary

Chart your course of discovery

Located off the coast of Ecuador, the Galápagos Islands are home to some of the most incredible wildlife on Earth. Marvel at numerous endemic species that are unconcerned by the presence of humans in this “living museum” during daily walking and snorkel excursions. Follow our four-night cruise aboard the intimate La Pinta with two nights at Finch Bay Hotel on Santa Cruz Island. 

Trip details

Start preparing for the trip of a lifetime

From top to bottom, we’ve taken care of all the details, so you can enjoy a no-stress, worry-free travel experience.

Travel in Ecuador and Galápagos

The Galápagos Islands are located along the Equator and have a surprisingly cool, sub-tropical climate. Temperatures during our program can be variable, ranging from the mid to upper 70s (°F) during the day in the Galápagos Islands to lows in the high 40s in the early mornings and evenings in Quito, located approximately 9,350 feet above sea level.

Beautiful, fun, stimulating, educational! It pulled together the best aspects of a family vacation with an educational opportunity in a unique environment with a chance to meet some very interesting people of all ages.”

—Deborah Holmes, ’68

Activity Level

This program includes some long days with early wake-up calls and activities scheduled throughout the day (and sometimes into the evening). Walking tours in Quito include strolls along historic city streets, which are, in some cases, uneven or cobblestoned; these tours typically last two to three hours. In the Galápagos, walking tours and hikes range from one to three miles on sand, dirt, or gravel paths and include some rocky or boulder-strewn terrain. Travelers should be able to climb into and out of Zodiacs, with crew assistance, and feel comfortable disembarking from Zodiacs into several inches of water on wet landings to get ashore. Family members with lower mobility may participate in the trip from the ship and enjoy the view from the Sun Deck while the group is out hiking or snorkeling. There is no elevator on board, so the ability to navigate stairs is essential.

About our Accommodations

On this trip, we experience some of the best hotels in Ecuador, selected for their high quality service and ideal locations. In Quito, Go Galapagos Hotel is a new sustainable, five-star hotel with a spectacular view of the city and featuring design inspired by the Andes. In Puerto Ayora, the casually elegant Finch Bay Hotel is the only beachfront hotel in Santa Cruz. Families enjoy its hammocks and pool.

With an intimate ambience and maximum of 43 travelers on our program, La Pinta is the perfect vessel for exploring the Galápagos Islands. The modern ship features yacht-like amenities, including a large lounge, outdoor bar, hot tub, library, and relaxing sun deck for watching the passing scenery. Please note that La Pinta is not equipped for scuba diving. We recommend that interested travelers extend their stay at the Finch Bay Hotel at the completion of the program in order to dive; contact our office for details.

Family Room Arrangements

In Quito, families stay in standard hotel rooms, typically with one king or queen bed or two twin beds. For triple rooms the hotel will provide a rollaway for the third family member. On our ship, cabins feature either two twin beds or one larger double bed. Triple cabins feature a sofa bed for the third person (recommended for kids ages 12 and younger). For families in multiple rooms, Travel/Study always requests rooms that are next to each other or as close as the accommodations permit. There are a limited number of interconnecting cabins on board our ship, which may be requested in advance and are granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Travel/Study can request interconnecting rooms at the hotels where available, but accommodations will not guarantee them in advance.

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