What a trip actually costs
Galápagos entry fees and what a trip actually costs
The park fee doubled in 2024 — here's what's a fixed government charge and what's genuinely up to you.
Fixed Galápagos charges vs variable trip costs
| Item | Who sets it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Park entrance (foreign adult) | Galápagos National Park | US$200 since Aug 2024, collected on arrival |
| Transit control card | INGALA | ≈US$20 per person, bought before flying in |
| Flights to the islands | Airlines | From mainland Ecuador (Quito / Guayaquil) |
| Day tours, hotels, food | Operators / you | The variable part you actually control |
Two fixed government charges everyone pays
Every foreign visitor pays two set charges that have nothing to do with any tour price: the Galápagos National Park entrance fee and a transit control card. Budgeting for these upfront avoids a surprise on arrival, since the park fee in particular is paid in cash at the airport.
The park entrance fee doubled in 2024
The national park entrance fee for foreign adults rose to US$200 in August 2024, up from US$100 — its first increase in decades. It's collected on arrival at the Galápagos airport and is a government conservation charge, not a tour cost. (Children and some categories pay less; rates can change, so confirm current figures before travelling.)
The transit control card
Separately, the INGALA transit control card costs roughly US$20 per person and is purchased at the mainland departure airport before you fly to the islands. Keep it safe — you'll need it both entering and leaving the archipelago.
What's actually up to you
Beyond those fixed charges, the real variables are flights from mainland Ecuador, your choice of day tours, accommodation on Santa Cruz or San Cristóbal, and food. This is where a land-based day-tour trip can be built to a wide range of budgets, from modest to high-end, in a way a fixed cruise price can't flex.
A note on what we do and don't set
The park fee and transit card are government charges we simply report for planning — we don't collect them and they're never part of a tour price. When you book a day tour through our Viator link, the tour price you see on Viator is the operator's, confirmed at checkout, entirely separate from those arrival fees.
Still deciding which islands or which season?
Leave your email and your target month — we'll send you the wildlife-and-conditions rundown for that specific window.