Hermes Galapagos Charter: Full-Yacht Buyout vs Booking a Suite

A Hermes Galapagos charter means booking the entire Hermes, a luxury catamaran of about 50 meters (164 ft) built in 2025 for a maximum of 20 guests. Groups of roughly 14 to 20 people get the whole yacht, its balcony suites and its crew. Smaller parties can book suites on shared departures instead and still enjoy the same ship, routes and service.

Hermes Galapagos charter: what is the quick answer?

Quick answer: charter the whole Hermes if your group can fill most of its 20 berths and you want total privacy; book suites if you are two to eight people. Published specifications list a length of about 164 ft (50 m), a beam of about 46 ft (14 m), and accommodation across two decks: suites with balconies on the main and upper decks plus two standard cabins. Listed onboard features include a Jacuzzi, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards.

Because Hermes is new to the archipelago, details can change between seasons. Treat the figures above as published specifications and confirm the current layout, inclusions and permitted itineraries for your dates. For the full profile, see our Hermes ship guide.

Who is this private-group setup best for?

A full Hermes buyout suits multigenerational families, milestone celebrations and executive retreats that want luxury and space without sharing the vessel. Twenty guests is also a natural size for a group that is too big for most 16-guest yachts but would feel lost on a 48 or 100-guest ship. Our Galapagos charter for 17 to 20 guests page compares the vessels in that bracket.

Booking a suite suits couples and small parties who want the Hermes experience but not the full commitment. You share the yacht with other guests, the landings run in small groups, and you still have a private balcony to retreat to.

How do vessel size, cabins and group fit change the experience?

On a 20-guest yacht, the park rule of one naturalist guide per 16 visitors means two guides, so your group lands in two smaller parties. For many families that is ideal: one group can take a longer hike while the other snorkels. A 16-guest yacht, by comparison, usually lands as one group with one guide.

Option	Best for	Trade-off
Full Hermes charter	14 to 20 guests wanting privacy	You pay for all berths, used or not
Suite on a shared departure	Couples and small parties	You share the yacht and schedule
Two 16-guest yachts	Larger groups needing more berths	Two vessels to coordinate
Expedition ship	Groups of 30 to 100	Less intimate, more groups ashore

Cabin mix matters for families. Check which suites can take a third person, whether any connect, and which ones sit closest to the stairs for older travelers.

Which routes and activities should a Hermes group expect?

Published itineraries for Hermes include shorter 4-day routes from Baltra, such as one combining the Santa Cruz highlands, Dragon Hill, Chinese Hat and Genovesa, and longer 8-day combinations that join two short routes. As with every vessel, the park fixes the route, so the itinerary you charter is the one on the yacht’s schedule for that week.

• Genovesa: red-footed boobies, frigatebirds and swallow-tailed gulls. See Genovesa Island.
• Central islands: giant tortoises in the highlands and land iguanas at Dragon Hill.
• Water time: snorkeling, kayaking and paddleboarding where permitted.

If the western islands or Española are a priority, ask early which Hermes itineraries cover them, or compare with other yachts in our luxury Galapagos yacht charter guide.

Other 20-guest vessels to compare with Hermes

Drawn from our database of 79 Galapagos vessels. Specifications and routes are as published and can change, so confirm them for your dates.

Vessel	Type	Guests	Length
Evolve	Motor Yacht	20	43.3 meters / 142,16 feet
Infinity	Luxury Motor Yacht	20	161ft ( 49m)
Letty	First Class Motor Yacht	20	83 ft (25 m)
Origin	Motor Yacht	20	43.3 meters / 142,16 feet
Theory	Motor Yacht	20	43.3 meters / 142,16 feet

What should you confirm before requesting a Hermes quote?

1. Exact dates and which itinerary the yacht sails that week.
2. The cabin plan for your group, including any third berths.
3. What the charter rate includes: drinks, wetsuits, spa services, transfers.
4. Galapagos National Park fee, Transit Control Card and flights, which are usually extra.
5. Deposit, payment schedule and cancellation terms.

Our checklist in before you book a Galapagos charter covers the contract points in more detail.

About us: we are the team behind GalapagosIslands.cruises, local experts who have traveled the islands more than 40 times. We are not a travel agency or a cruise operator. We publish independent guides and, when you write to us, we help you narrow the options and point you to the right vessels and next steps.

Frequently asked questions about chartering the Hermes

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Thinking about Hermes for your group? Compare it with other Galapagos charters and shared Galapagos cruises, then email hola@galapagosislands.cruises with your dates and group size. We will tell you whether Hermes fits and which alternatives to consider.

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