The Galapagos Park Fee, which is currently $100 per foreign visitor, may be going up in 2020.

The fee, which goes to protecting the national park, has been $100 for many many years, so we're not surprised that talks have gotten serious and a proposal is in the works to increase the fee to $200, and in some cases $400 per person.

As with when the Galapagos turista card fee increased from $10 to $20, things can take many many months before a plan of implementation happens.

Overall, Galakiwi supports any efforts to increase the sustainability and protection of the Galapagos Islands, and a fee increase seems inevitable.

One consideration is that the new fees may be tiered based on how much time you spend in the rest of Ecuador. So, if you spend less than 3 nights in Quito, or elsewhere on the mainland, you'll potentially be faced with the $400 fee instead of a $200 fee.

We suggest anyone planning a visit to the Galapagos in 2020 to plan for at least a few days extra in Quito (we can help you plan many exciting day tours!), or take our 7-day Ecuador tour, to avoid this increased fee for quick trips to the Galapagos. There really is a lot more to see in Ecuador than the Galapagos, why not see it all?

Right now the fee remains $100, and we'll be sure to update everyone once the proposed changes are approved and finalized.