Getting into the Galápagos involves more paperwork than anywhere else in Ecuador, and almost all of it happens at the airport on the day. Here is what to bring and what to pay.
Before boarding in Quito or Guayaquil
The first checkpoint is baggage inspection. They are looking for plant and animal material, so any fruit, seeds or plants stay behind. This is not a formality: every bag gets opened.
Then you buy the INGALA transit card, which costs 20 dollars and is paid in cash. It is what allows you to fly to the islands, and you keep it until you fly home.
On landing
The Galápagos National Park entrance fee is paid on arrival. It is a separate payment and also in cash. Bring bills: the card reader goes down often and the queue does not wait.
- Passport valid for at least 6 months
- INGALA card (20 USD, at the departure airport)
- National Park entrance fee (on arrival)
- Cash in dollars: ATMs on the islands are few and sometimes out of service
What most people do not know
The inter-island flight and the ferry are not the same thing. The ferry is cheaper and takes about two hours, but it crosses open ocean and it moves. If you get seasick, take the tablet forty minutes before boarding, not once you are already aboard.
The rule we repeat to every traveler: in the Galápagos, cash is king.
