Meet a 150-Year-Old Giant Tortoise in the Galapagos Highlands
Description
The Giant Tortoise Experience 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, you will: 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 The Giant Tortoise Experience is available in English or Spanish, and has two departures available every day: In the morning 8 AM In the afternoon 2 PM
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Giant Tortoise Experience begins at the pick up point 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. 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.
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.
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. Your Giant Tortoise Experience terminates at the original pick-up point.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Child rate applies only when sharing with 2 paying adults
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 7 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
- Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Not infant seats available
- Not recommended for participants with heart complaints or other serious medical conditions
- Not service animal allowed
- Not stroller accesible
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Travelers can arrive on foot or taxi to our meeting point.
- Valid from the time of first use, for the duration selected.
- You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Reviews(45)
Fantastic experience and a great guide and driver. A little unsure as to why it was so expensive but still excellent.
Competent, clear and attentive guide! 👍
In depth tour, lots of tortoise/botany/Galapagos history all mixed together. First tour of our trip and it was a great way to start off. Went early, beat most of the crowds. Astrid was an exceptional tour guide, highly recommend her to others.
Thank you for the review! We're thrilled that going early paid off for you—beating the crowds really makes the tortoise encounters feel that much more magical. Astrid is indeed an exceptional guide, and she'll be so happy to hear she helped start your trip on such a high note!
Wonderful tour!!! We met outside the Cressi dive shop. Van was very clean and air conditioned. Driver was great! Our tour guide, Astrid, was very knowledgeable and so interesting! We learned so much about the history of the Galapagos Islands on the tour. First stop was El Chato where we saw so many giant tortoises! We learned a lot about the giant tortoises and gor some great pictures. We also went into lava tunnels which was interesting. Final stop was Los Gemelos, 2 giant sink holes. We saw woodpeckers and finches. Highly recommend!
Astrid will be very happy to hear your kind words. Sharing the natural and human history of the Galápagos is something we’re truly passionate about, and it means a lot to know that it made your experience even more meaningful. Thank you for recommending us. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you back to the Galápagos for another adventure in the future.
We went on the Giant Tortoise Experience on January 20th, 2026 with Luis, and it was a fantastic tour! Luis was very well informed, friendly and knowledgeable! He kept our kids (12.5 and 10) entertained and engaged! And he was able to answer all our questions! This is definitely a must do tour; we had a great time!
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful feedback! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great time on the Giant Tortoise Experience with Luis. He truly has a gift for sharing knowledge in a fun and engaging way, especially with curious young explorers.
Great tour! Luis did a wonderful job at explaining the sights and answering all of our questions; he was very knowledgeable about the area and all the animals, and also took great photos! The tortoises were amazing to see. Adrianna was a fantastic driver, felt safe the entire time. Would highly reccomend!
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear you had a great tour and that Luis was able to share his knowledge, answer your questions, and capture some great photos for you. The tortoises truly are incredible, and we’re glad you enjoyed seeing them up close. We’ll also be sure to pass along your compliments to Adrianna—your safety and comfort are very important to us. Thank you for the recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back again in the future!
The Turtle Experience was amazing. We were picked up at our VRBO. Astrid was an amazing guide. She was super knowledgable. The turtles were awesome.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed it. Astrid will be very happy to know her knowledge and guiding made such a positive impression
Turned out to be a private tour for just the two of us. A naturalist guide and driver were provided. Both were excellent. The guide was very knowledgeable about all the plants and birds. Highly recommend.
Thank you for sharing your experience. We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed a private tour and that both the naturalist guide and driver made it special. It’s great to know the guide’s knowledge added value to your time with us.
We ended up having private experience. It was fantastic! I highly recommend Andres, it seems that he knows every plant and bird on the island. And of course, all about giant tortoises. We saw probably 50 of them. The tour also included visiting sinkholes and lava tubes and walking through a cloud forest. Great memories!
Thank you very much for your wonderful review! We’re really happy to hear you had such a fantastic experience. When our regular departures are fully booked, we always choose to upgrade our guests to a private guided experience whenever possible—our way of making sure you receive the best possible service and a more personal connection with the islands.
What an amazing experience! Our tour guide, Rafaella, was very knowledgeable, personable, and easy to be with! We would highly recommend this tour and our guide!!
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re delighted to hear you had such an amazing experience. Rafaella is indeed a wonderful guide, and we’re very happy to know her knowledge and warm personality made your tour so enjoyable.
