Galapagos Information LANGUAGE: Spanish is the official language in Ecuador and the Galapagos, although Quichua is still spoken by many indigenous people in the Andes. Nevertheless most people working in tourism like hotel and cruise staff as well as most guides speak English. TIME ZONE: Mainland Ecuador (Quito and Guayaquil) is GMT -5 hours. The Galapagos Islands are GMT -6 hours. The Galapagos is on Central Standard Time. CURRENCY: Since the year 2000 U.S. dollar is the standard currency in Ecuador and Galapagos. VACCINATIONS: For travels to Quito and the Galapagos Islands, there are no vaccinations required. However, if you intend to visit mainland Ecuador, especially the Amazon or coastal regions, we recommend you to consult with your family doctor. Please do this well ahead of time since some vaccinations need to be administered three months prior to your trip! TRAVEL INSURANCE We strongly recommend purchasing insurance for trip cancellation as well as a travel and medical insurance in order to be protected in the event of any unforeseen situations. Please contact your local travel agent or flight dealer for the best offer. ENTRANCE FEES: You need to purchase a TCT-Card (Transit Card) at the mainland airport in either Quito or Guayaquil before flying to the Galapagos Islands. The TCT costs currently $20,- per person (subject to change). Upon arrival in Galapagos you will need to pay the Galapagos National Park entrance fee which for most visitors is $100,- per person while children younger than 12 pay $50,- per person. For detailed information on the National Park fee as well as on special rates for visitors coming from one of the countries of the Andean Community please see under the link Galapagos National Park entry tax. Clothing recommendations: • Comfortable, casual clothing is recommended aboard the ships. • Windbreaker type jacket • long pants, shorts • light sweater (nights could be colder) • T-shirts, • shirts/blouses • socks • Underwear (avoid synthetics) • 1 Brim hat • Bathing suit. • Sunglasses with a strap. Footgear • 1 pair of comfortable walking or hiking shoes or sandals • 1 pair of sneakers or sports footwear • 1 pair of thongs or Tevas Medicine • > • Extra eye glasses/contact lenses. • Sun block lotion (at least protection 8). • Insect repellent. • Toilet kit. • Tampons or sanitary towels (available in the cities) Equipment • We recommend to bring your own snorkel equipment • Flashlight (headlamps models are better). • Alkaline batteries (available in the cities) • Self-sealing plastic bags. • Dry bags • Reading material • Small notebook and pencil. Cameras & Binoculars: • Films and batteries can be purchased in Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. Do not forget the chargers for your cameras. We also recommend you to have an extra memory card for your cameras with you. Water-resistant padded cases are a necessity

ENTRANCE FEES: You need to purchase a TCT-Card (Transit Card) at the mainland airport in either Quito or Guayaquil before flying to the Galapagos Islands. The TCT costs currently $20,- per person (subject to change). Upon arrival in Galapagos you will need to pay the Galapagos National Park entrance fee which for most visitors is $100,- per person while children younger than 12 pay $50,- per person. For detailed information on the National Park fee as well as on special rates for visitors coming from one of the countries of the Andean Community please see under the link Galapagos National Park entry tax LUGGAGE RESTRICTIONS: Usually, the luggage for all national flights in Ecuador is restricted to one suitcase/bag/backpack max. 20kg and one piece of hand luggage of max. 6 kg. Please also note that international security rules apply concerning e.g. sharp items, explosive and flammable items and generally all dangerous items. If in doubt whether a certain item is allowed to bring and where to put it please check the following link as a reference: Permitted and Prohibited Luggage Items VISAS: Ecuador, the country that the Galapagos Islands belong to, welcomes tourists and travelers from every country. Visitors from the US, Canada, Australia, and most countries of Europe traveling to Ecuador for tourism, business or studies do not require a visa unless they expect to stay in Ecuador for more than 90 days in one calendar year (that is, 90 days adding every entry in one year) or if they are drawing income from an Ecuadorian source. Visitors from these countries will receive a tourist visa of maximum 90 days at the entrance port. Nevertheless, please note that your passport must be valid for at least another 6 months at the entrance day. Please find below a list of countries that do require obtaining a Visa before coming to Ecuador (subject to change): LIST OF NATIONALITIES THAT REQUIRE A VISA TO ENTER ECUADOR (Updated 2018) • Afganistán • Bangladesh • Eritra • Etiopía • Kenia • Nepal • Nigeria • Pakistán • Somalia • Senegal • Cuba If you are in doubt abowhether or not to obtain a Visa before your travel to Ecuador, please confirm with the nearest Ecuadorian Embassy. Most important: if you are on any treatment that requires regular intake of any medicines or are allergic, please make sure you have enough of the medicines for the period of your stay. Please also consult your physician and follow his recommendations related to the trip. Do not forget the prescription copy in case the medicines require it. Documents Check the set of papers to take with you: passport, travel documents, tickets, travel insurance (it is absolutely necessary to travel in Ecuador), vaccination certificates (if any). Luggage • One large backpack or one duffel bag or suitcase (max. 20kg) • One small daypack (max.6kg) • If you use several means of transportation (aircraft, buses, canoes, etc) during your travel in Ecuador, it is imperative to limit your luggage. Luggage not neede