Flights to Galápagos Islands
Sea lions on the bench, iguanas on the pier, and nobody — animal or otherwise — afraid of you.
Everyone knows it, and it still deserves the trip. Here is every nonstop that gets you there — and a quieter place nearby when you're ready.
Open on the live mapTrack your flight thereGetting to Galápagos Islands
No scheduled jet service into GPS/SCY. Fly to UIO (Mariscal Sucre International Airport) — 15 airports fly there nonstop — then continue on.
Via UIO — Quito
Quito is the hub for Galápagos Islands: 15 airports fly there nonstop, then you continue on.
Show the 15 nearest as a list
| From | Airport | Airlines | Flight time |
|---|---|---|---|
| BogotaColombia | BOG | Avianca, LATAM Chile | ~1h 30m |
| Rio NegroColombia | MDE | Avianca | ~1h 34m |
| Panama CityPanama | PTY | Copa Airlines | ~1h 54m |
| San JoseCosta Rica | SJO | Avianca | ~2h 15m |
| LimaPeru | LIM | JetSMART, LATAM Airlines Ecuador, LATAM Chile, LATAM Peru | ~2h 17m |
| San SalvadorEl Salvador | SAL | Avianca | ~3h 2m |
| Punta CanaDominican Republic | PUJ | Euroairlines | ~3h 36m |
| MiamiUnited States | MIA | American Airlines, LATAM Chile | ~4h 17m |
| Mexico CityMexico | MEX | Aeroméxico | ~4h 36m |
| HoustonUnited States | IAH | United Airlines | ~5h 27m |
| AtlantaUnited States | ATL | Delta Air Lines | ~5h 28m |
| Buenos AiresArgentina | EZE | Avianca, Kitty Hawk Airways, LACSA, LATAM Airlines Ecuador | ~6h 11m |
| New YorkUnited States | JFK | Avianca | ~6h 26m |
| MadridSpain | MAD | Air Europa, Iberia Airlines | ~11h 47m |
| AmsterdamNetherlands | AMS | KLM | ~12h 50m |
Routings from major airports
| From | Stops | Via | Door to door |
|---|---|---|---|
Dallas-Fort WorthDFW
| 2 stops | IAH → UIO | ~8h 47m |
New YorkJFK
| 1 stop | UIO | ~8h 43m |
Los AngelesLAX
| 2 stops | MEX → UIO | ~10h 40m |
MiamiMIA
| 1 stop | UIO | ~6h 34m |
ChicagoORD
| 2 stops | PTY → UIO | ~9h 35m |
LondonLHR
| 2 stops | BOG → UIO | ~15h 14m |
TorontoYYZ
| 2 stops | PTY → UIO | ~9h 42m |
Why the world goes
Darwin's islands, reachable by a two-hour flight from Quito or Guayaquil; cruises and land-based island-hopping both work, and the water is the real show.
What to know
Park entry ($200 from 2024) plus a transit card; numbers are capped so high season sells out by spring. Cooler Jun–Nov water brings the whale sharks.
Quieter alternatives nearby
Background
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Eastern Pacific, located around the equator, 485 nautical miles west of the mainland of South America. They form the Galápagos Province of the Republic of Ecuador, with a population of slightly over 33,450 in 2020. The province is divided into the cantons of San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, and Isabela, the three most populated islands in the chain. The Galápagos are famous for their large number of endemic species, which were studied by Charles Darwin in the 1830s and inspired his theory of evolution by means of natural selection. All of these islands are protected as part of Ecuador's Galápagos National Park and Marine Reserve.
Questions
- Is there a nonstop flight to Galápagos Islands?
- Not by jet. The nearest airport with scheduled service is UIO (Mariscal Sucre International Airport), then an onward connection.
- Which airport do you fly into for Galápagos Islands?
- GPS — Seymour Airport; SCY — San Cristóbal Airport. Most travelers connect through UIO (Mariscal Sucre International Airport).
- When is the best time to visit Galápagos Islands?
- Dec–May. Park entry ($200 from 2024) plus a transit card; numbers are capped so high season sells out by spring. Cooler Jun–Nov water brings the whale sharks.
- What does Galápagos Islands cost per day?
- Roughly $200–800 per person per day on the ground, before flights.
- Is Galápagos Islands worth visiting?
- Darwin's islands, reachable by a two-hour flight from Quito or Guayaquil; cruises and land-based island-hopping both work, and the water is the real show.