Galapagos

Galapagos definitely has the capacity to break your budget, but many things are not as expensive as you might think.  Below are my best estimates of our expenses, categorized.  I didn’t include plane tickets, since these will vary wildly for everyone.  Prices below include the 14% tax.

Lodging

• 1 night in Guayaquil, Ecuador (2-room suite for 5), through booking.com: $75
• 6 nights in a small house in Puerto Ayora, through tripadvisor vacation rentals: $540
• 6 nights in one large room at beachfront hotel on Isabela, through airbnb: $625
• 1 night in Hotel in Puerto Ayora before flight home (2 rooms): $114

Transportation

Most things on the island are easy walking distance.  We really only used taxis to get to & from the airport and our lodgings with our luggage.

• Bus & ferry from airport island to main island ($12 pp round trip): $60
• Taxi from & to airport: $60
• Speed boat to & from Isabela ($55 pp round trip): $275
• Taxi to & from hotel on Isabela: $20
• Water taxis to & from speed boats ($.60 pp on Santa Cruz; $1 pp on Isabela): $16
• Water taxi to & from Playa Allemand/Los Grietas: $6

Activities

You could spend any amount on activities, depending on what and how much you want to do.  There are quite a few free or low-cost activities available on the islands as well.  We considered just about all of these well worth the time and money.

• Bay tour in Santa Cruz ($25 pp): $125
• Snorkeling day trip to Pinzon/Daphne islands ($125 pp including lunch + $5 wetsuit rental): $650
• Taxi for half day tour of Santa Cruz highlands: $45
• Entry to El Chato tortoise preserve ($3 pp): $15
• Snorkel rental on Santa Cruz: $20
• Tintoreras tour on Isabela ($40 pp including wetsuit): $200
• Los Tuneles tour on Isabela ($95 pp including lunch & wetsuit): $475
• Sierra Negra volcano tour on Isabela ($30 pp including lunch): $150
• Snorkel rental on Isabela: $20
• Half-day boogie board rental on Isabela for kids: $45
• Tips for guides etc. (estimated): $100

Food

This one is the hardest to remember and is more of an estimate.  Most days we were in the habit of having a big breakfast (cooked ourselves in Puerto Ayora, and cooked by our hotel on Isabela), then ice cream and snacks at lunchtime, then a bigger dinner.  The latter was much cheaper on Isabela, with its plethora of restaurants offering the $7 set menu.  On the other hand, having a kitchen in Puerto Ayora allowed us to cook a few meals — and there was one night we bought cheap empanadas from a lady on the street — so it may have come out even.  

• Estimated groceries total (this covered breakfasts in Puerto Ayora plus a couple of dinners): $120
• Estimated dinner cost in Puerto Ayora (average $60/day for 4 days): $240
• Breakfasts at the hotel in Isabela (average $25/day for 6 days): $125
• Dinners in Isabela (average $50/day for 6 days): $300
• Ice cream & snacks (estimated average $10/day): $120

Random fees

• “Tourist card” to enter Galapagos ($20pp): $100
• Entry fee to Galapagos National Park ($100 pp, half price for under 12): $450
• Port fee on Isabela ($5pp): $25

 

Central America

Sorry, I fell apart on this one pretty quick.  Below is our budget for the Nicaragua portion of our trip.

When I was doing research for this trip, I found myself looking everywhere to try to get some good information on how much we could expect it to cost.  In most cases I didn’t have a lot of luck.  I found most “family” travel information tended to focus on higher-end resorts with fancy pools and kids’ programs, while “budget-friendly” info seemed designed for a scruffy college-aged backpacker.  So, for my own future reference and for anyone else who stumbles upon this page, I’m going to do my best to track our expenses here.