Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Galápagos packing list

Packing for Galápagos has three constraints people discover too late: the sun is equatorial and reflected off water, the water runs cooler than the latitude suggests, and your bags get biosecurity-inspected at the docks and airports, so fresh food and certain items do not make it through. Here is what actually earns its place in the bag, split by season.

The short list (any season)

• Passport, printed flight details, and your TCT card (digital or printed). The TCT QR is checked at check-in on the mainland and again when you leave the islands.
• Cash in small bills. The park entrance fee ($200 foreign adult) is collected in cash on arrival, water taxis cost about $1, and some island businesses are cash-only. ATMs exist only in Puerto Ayora and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno; there are no bank machines on Isabela.
• Reef-safe mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide). Sunscreens with oxybenzone or octinoxate are restricted by park rule 17, and guides do check. This is the most common packing fail we see.
• Reusable water bottle. Single-use plastics (bottles, bags, straws) have been banned on the islands since 2018, and hotels have refill stations.
• Sturdy sandals or amphibious shoes, plus a pair of closed walking shoes for lava trails.
• Light long-sleeve layers for sun protection, a wide-brim hat, sunglasses with retention strap.
• Dry bag or ziplocks for boat days; cameras and phones get soaked on panga rides.
• Motion-sickness medication if the word “lancha” means anything to you (2 to 2.5 hours of open-water ferry).
• Basic kit: electrolyte tablets, seasickness tablets, rehydration salts, insect repellent, small first-aid.

For the warm, wet season (December-May)

• Swimwear, and a rash guard for sun. Water runs 24.5 to 25 °C, so most people never need a wetsuit.
• Light rain shell for the short afternoon downpours. They rarely last an hour.
• Quick-dry everything. Humidity is high and laundry dries slowly.
• Sandals will do for most of your walking; trails are dry and dusty.

For the cool, dry season (June-November)

• A wetsuit, or plan to rent one. Water ranges from about 21.5 °C in August-September to 23 °C at the edges of the season. Day boats rent shorties; dive operators rent full suits. If you are snorkelling daily and run cold, bring your own.
• A windproof layer for panga rides and the open-deck stretches between islands. The Humboldt current makes mornings genuinely chilly on the water.
• A light beanie for boat days. Un glamorous, genuinely useful.
• Longer trousers for the highlands, where the garúa mist keeps everything damp.

Gear worth bringing (and what to rent)

• Snorkel mask: bring your own if you own a good one. Rental masks on day boats are serviceable but the fit is luck. Fins and wetsuits are standard rentals everywhere, so leave yours unless you are picky.
• Underwater camera or a phone case rated for depth. The sea lion encounters happen at 2 metres, which is inside any compact camera’s range.
• Dry bag (10-20 L) and a carabiner for securing it on boats.
• Polarised sunglasses: they cut glare and let you spot rays and turtles from the surface.
• Headlamp if you plan night walks near the waterfront; the towns go dark early.

Things people overpack

• Beach towels (every hotel and most boats provide them).
• More than one pair of heavy shoes; you will live in sandals and one walking pair.
• Hair dryer (most mid-range places have them) and a hair straightener (humidity wins).
• Drone, unless you already have written authorisation from the park: it is regulated, and confiscation at the airport is real.
• Fresh fruit, seeds, raw meat, unprocessed dairy, or plants of any kind. The biosecurity inspection at Baltra, San Cristóbal and the ferry docks will confiscate them, and the rules are in our park rules page.

One local tip

Pack a soft duffel rather than a hard suitcase. Day boats and inter-island ferries store bags in tight holds, and the ferry allowance (one 20 kg suitcase plus one 5 kg backpack, with a $10-15 excess charge at the dock) is easier to meet with soft bags. If you are carrying dive gear or camera housings, tell your operator in advance: see getting around by ferry for what to expect on baggage.

Last verified: September 2026