Limited-space, October 30 sailing benefits Endowed Chair in Evolutionary Biology at the Charles Darwin Research Station

Metropolitan Touring, in partnership with the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), offers a special charity charter through the Galápagos Islands departing October 30, 2026, aboard the award-winning Yacht Isabela II. The seven-day, six-night voyage will be joined by renowned evolutionary biologists Drs. Peter and Rosemary Grant, whose decades-long study of Darwin’s finches made them the subjects of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Beak of the Finch by Jonathan Weiner.

Celebrating a Legendary Partnership

The sailing coincides with Peter Grant’s 90th birthday, following Rosemary’s birthday in early October, and proceeds will support the newly created Endowed Chair in Evolutionary Biology, a position established to secure the future of evolutionary research at the Charles Darwin Research Station.

Throughout the voyage, the Grants will give onboard talks recounting their story in the Galápagos, offering guests a firsthand account of the research that reshaped modern understanding of evolution. Guests will also be able to interact directly with the Grants, learning from their decades of fieldwork in intimate, informal settings not typically available to the public.

“This voyage is a rare opportunity to experience the Galapagos through the eyes of Peter and Rosemary Grant, whose work on Darwin’s finches transformed our understanding of evolution in action. As they celebrate their 90th birthdays, guests will join an intimate journey through the islands that shaped their research, including a special circumnavigation of Daphne Major.” Jim Boyle, Chief Development Officer, Charles Darwin Foundation

Itinerary Highlights

Limited to just 39 guests, the itinerary includes:

• A welcome reception at the Charles Darwin Foundation Research Center in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island
• Onboard talks and storytelling sessions with Peter and Rosemary Grant, along with guest interaction opportunities throughout the voyage
• Landings at Punta Pitt and Cerro Colorado, San Cristóbal Island
• Gardner Bay and Punta Suárez, Española Island, home to waved albatross nesting grounds
• Cormorant Point and the Floreana Ecological Restoration Project, Floreana Island
• Punta Moreno, Isabela Island, and Punta Mangle, Fernandina Island
• A circumnavigation of Daphne Major, the island where the Grants conducted more than five decades of research now considered among the most influential long-term studies in contemporary biology
• North Seymour Island and Eden Islet

Pricing & Inclusions

Rates for the October 30 charity charter start at $16,900 per cabin, based on double occupancy, and include all shore excursions, meals, and onboard activities, as well as your arrival-day accommodation at the Wyndham Quito Airport, dinner that evening, and domestic flights. A portion of each fare directly benefits the Endowed Chair in Evolutionary Biology at the Charles Darwin Research Station.