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There are hundreds of Galapagos and Ecuador travel agencies, many of which are big companies with thousands of clients that merely treat customers as numbers instead of providing a real personalized service for each case.
And Yes...
there are also many other well-intentioned smaller travel agencies that simply lack the experience or knowledge required to offer the experience you are looking for!
So, Why Us?
Here at Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders we want to make our valued clients happy by offering top notch travel planning and a real commitment to each one of our customers, from your first contact with us right through the end of your trip!
- Agency run by real expert travel consultants with insider's knowledge!
- Personalized service from beginning to end!
- Honest, well established & experienced company.
- Best available prices for Galapagos and Ecuador Tours without middle men.
- Secure and easy to use payment methods.
- Easy to use live Galapagos Cruises availability system.
- 24-hour customer support.
- Real testimonials from dozens of past clients on Trip Advisor and on Google.
About Us
The Insiders - all Ecuador locals - want to welcome you to the deepest and most authentic Ecuador experience.
We will not only show you the highlights of our country but also go one step further to give you a personalized and unique experience.
We know the best way to show you all that Ecuador has to offer, and we hope you'll give us the chance to acquaint you with our beautiful country and offer you exclusive Insider travel advice!
Perfectly designed itineraries
We will plan the perfect Galapagos and Ecuador holiday for you, from our country’s highlights to magical hidden gems.We take care of your money!
We offer the best prices in the market, compare our rates with our competitors and be pleasantly surprised! and yes, we also offer an excellent service!Personalized Ecuador Trips
We offer completely personalized itineraries for your holidays in Ecuador and the Galapagos!Our Secured & Protected Payment Options
Book with the Ecuador and Galapagos Experts
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What Our Customers Say
Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders TripAdvisor Reviews
5.0 Stars - Based on 98 User Reviews
- Incredible Adventure We had an amazing experience on our trip to the Galápagos Islands. The ship Natural Paradise was fantastic, the crew was terrific and the food the best. Our guide Marcus was wonderful. It was a trip of a lifetime. The whole experience was truly beyond description. Swimming with penguins, sea lions, iguanas, sea turtles, and even sharks, as well as the wildlife we saw on our land excursions and flying above us. It was the equivalent of a land, sea and air safari. We then toured Quito and the surrounding area for three days after the Galapagos with our guide Fredy. Though the weather wasn't the best, Fredy made sure we made the most of our time, adjusting our itinerary according to the weather. Special thanks to Marcelo of Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders for guiding us in our decision making in the months, weeks and days leading up to our Ecuadorian Adventure. He was so easy to work with, answered all of our questions immediately, and made sure our trip went exactly as planned. You can't go wrong by choosing Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders to plan your Galapagos and Ecuador Adventure.read moreread lessDan BAmazing once in a lifetime experience Start with the travel company Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders, they were "over the top" with service, help, advice that made the trip super easy and everything was organized. One minor glitch in Ecuador was resolved immediately over and above our expectations. Diego was great. Our guide Juan was perhaps the best guide we have ever had (40+ years of traveling the world). The accommodations were clean, comfortable, all you could possibly expect.read moreread lessPaula LEcuador 360 Tour Our seven days travelling around Ecuador with Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders was fantastic from beginning to end. Alexandra tailored our trip and answered all our questions, she quickly made adjustments to the itinerary when our airline suddenly cut our trip short by 24 hours. Our guide Fredy was outstanding, we thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. The hotels Alexandra selected were all great, and the attached restaurants in the hotels were all very good. I'd recommend using Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders for anyone planning a trip to Ecuador or the Galapagos.read moreread lessYVR
- great experience This was an excellent experience from the first access of their website to the final farewells. Highly recommended. The Mary Anne is apparently the only sailing vessel tour boat in the Galapagos, and that fact was appealing. The craft is certainly picturesque and is in the background of many of my panoramic photos. I do wish, however, that the crew used the sails more often. Spend at least a day in Quito if you possibly can. Not to be missed are the Botanical Gardens and the Pre-Columbian Museum: Casa de Alabado.read moreread less309roy
- The Galapagos Islands are amazing! Marcelo at Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders was very helpful in setting up our trip to the Galapagos, even when we had to reschedule due to Covid. He was always available to answer questions and did so in a very timely manner. I highly recommend Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders to help plan your trip.read moreread lessTravelgal_pwAlya Galapagos Voyage We had a wonderful time traveling with a fun group of new friends aboard the Alya. The crew were fantastic, very attentive, providing fun activities and keeping us safe during our trip. We thoroughly enjoyed the other passengers. Although swimming with the sea lions was my personal favorite activity, each excursion or diving trip was well developed and interesting. I am not a foodie, so the cuisine was not important to me, but the crew did a fine job of serving us and also sharing Ecuadoran cuisine. The staterooms, as to be expected on a ship, were small, but comfortable and each of us had a balcony to enjoy.All in all, a wonderful trip.read moreread lessBrid I
- Incredible experiece! We had such an amazing experience. Shout out to Diego and his team for always being aviable via whatsapp for any issues and dealing with them promptly. There was a minor snafu with our taxi driver from the airport and they took care of it immediately, got someone to help us get to where we needed to. Viviana on Santa Cruz and Jose Carlos on Isabela were so helpful, always available, and such nice kind great people who made everything run smoothly and made sure we knew where we were going. The trip was so well organized. Sometimes we were joining other people for snorkeling or kayaking but other times it was just the two of us which was nice to have that variety. would 100% recommend Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders for your trip and we would 100% use them again!! They are very responsive via email as well leading up to the trip. Really cannot thank them enough for a once in a lifetime amazing experience. Oh! and the hotels were sooo good! really, no complaints whatsoever. highly recommend.read moreread lessSashaRNYCFantastic trip! The great crew at Ecuador and Galapagos made our trip so memorable. Our tour guide, Rodrigo, was the best! He showed us places in Quito that we wouldn’t have known which allowed us experiences that we weren’t expecting. He was so attentive to our needs and just fun to be with! Our tour bus was first class and Jaime was a very good driver. We had no reason to be concerned.The Galapagos was a super experience! Seeing all the wildlife wherever we went was amazing. The approach to sightseeing was different in that we had multiple guides depending on what was scheduled. Everyone was very helpful and made sure we had a great experience.read moreread lessLindaSue71Ecuador and Galapagos with Exoticca My teenage grandson and I went to Ecuador for 11 days, 10 nights. The diversity of the terrain was remarkable. I've always researched and booked my own travel plans for destinations around the world but I'm so glad I booked this trip through Exoticca. They did such a good job in transportation, hotels (immaculate), and guides.We flew into Quito on Copa Airlines (new 737 aircraft) and were met at the airport by a member of the Exoticca team. He loaded all our luggage and transported us to the Alameda Mercure hotel in Quito. The hotel was comfortable, safe and very clean. Our guide Jose picked us up the next morning for our trip to the Amazon rain forest. Again, the Hakuna Matata Lodge was comfortable and very clean. The staff at the lodge was attentive and the food, oh my goodness, the food was stellar. The chef, a local woman from the Kitchwa tribe was amazing. Everything was fresh and the seasonings were perfect.We went to the middle of the world (equator) and drove into the highlands to see Quilatoa Crater Lake. On the way we stopped at a hot springs and enjoyed a restful dip in the volcanic pools. We hiked down to the Crater Lake and rode donkeys back to the top. So fun! Our guide was so good.Off to the Galapago Island of San Cristobal. After being picked up at the airport we were taken to our spacious room at the Opuntia Hotel. Minutes from the sea it was clean and comfortable. We spent three days on the island and didn't want to leave. We walked, visited two fabulous beaches, snorkeled and went into the highlands to see giant tortoises in a protected environment. Our guide Pico did a fantastic job of describing island life and was informational about the plants and wildlife of the island.Leaving the gorgeous Galapago, we traveled by plane to Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador on the Pacific coast. Our hotel, the UniPark was stellar. We could see a gorgeous German gothic cathedral from our window as well as a beautiful little park with large iguanas. From there we ventured to El Morro to take a boat tour of a dolphin preserve. Our guide was a PhD marine biologist and he was marvelous. This trip was over the top wonderful. If you're considering a trip to Ecuador, I urge you to contact Exoticca. They get it right. We are so happy with everything.read moreread lessJudith G
- Incredible tour - book this now! Traveled to the Galapagos solo and booked the five-day tour on the Cormorant through E&GI. Communication with Alexandra at E&GI was very fast, with responses within hours and very clear with all the information I needed to book this trip within 72 hrs. Online payment methods were secure and fast.The tour itself through Royal Galapagos greatly exceeded my expectations. There was a RG representative at the Guayaquil airport who helped me navigate the process of acquiring all the necessary check-offs (COVID Vax check, TCT fee payment, scanning and checking luggage) and ensured that I made it to my gate on time. Other international travelers on the big ships (met quite a few folks standing in line taking the Celebrity ship) didn't have that personalized service I received. I wish I could remember his name!The cruise was incredible. Luis, our director was kind and offered such great service. Our Galapagos guide, Malena, is hands-down one of my favorite people that I have met through my travels. Her love for her home islands was apparent every single day. Her sense of humor and depth of knowledge made this tour unforgettable. The crew onboard the Cormorant were warm and welcoming and took great care of us. The food was delicious with a variety of options for various diets. The cabins were well-appointed, spacious with A/C, hot water, private balcony for each cabin, and electrical outlets. The L'Occitane toiletries were a great touch. If you are considering a cruise to the Galapagos, understand that this is not a cruise where you sleep in and lounge around the ship. You're up at 6-7am every morning, exploring these beautiful islands through hiking, snorkeling and panga rides. Highly recommend the Cormorant and if you can also get on a tour with Malena, do it! One of the best vacations of my life!read moreread lessLiz SThe best trip arrangers we've ever experienced! We just returned from one of the most memorable trips we've ever had. Diego and the team at Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders did a phenomenal job arranging our tour of Peru, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands. The logistics were spot on and we knew exactly what to expect at every destination. The guides recruited for us were just delightful. Personable and knowledgeable, they quickly assessed our interests and made sure that we had the best possible experiences. Ask for Fredy, if touring Ecuador. The lodging accommodations were all first rate.
We highly recommend this company to anyone considering visiting South America. You won't find better service anywhere!read moreread lessjoegstravels - Trip of a lifetime! Beautiful and incredible country! Beginning in the rainforest at The Sacha lodge, and ending aboard our amazing experience in the Galapagos. Our guides Chris and Marcus were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic! They were very friendly and helpful. Every activity was perfectly planned with snacks and meals that continued to amaze us. Our accommodations were exceptional and the staff were all wonderful. Evelyn and her team were the best to work with and created a trip to remember forever!read moreread lessMaggieGall8 day Cruise on Grand Majestic Family vacation with 2 sons. The trip was extremely active . The guide was knowledgeable and very motivated to maximise our experience ….often starting first island outing at 6 am . Crew and guide were all outstanding. The boat was comfortable with attentive cleaning service throughout the day . Food was plentiful and also excellent. Galapogos insiders was immediately responsive to our multiple requests for possible itinerary changes and made the whole trip possible. Can’t imagine a better experience from booking to departure.read moreread lessDestination768093
- Amazing Ecuador experience! Our recent trip to Quito, the Galapagos and Amazon was simply amazing. We arranged our tour through Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders and they couldn’t have been more thorough and accommodating. Alexandra consistently went above and beyond to help us whenever we had a question and even helped us retrieve a forgotten item at one of our hotels. Our guides in every city were phenomenal. Christian Umaquinga, our guide in Quito was so wonderful. His knowledge of the country was incredible and we just loved spending time with him. Once we arrived in Isabella in the Galapagos, Jose Carlos Pacheco was right there to guide us and arranged for great hikes and spectacular snorkeling adventures. He works in his family owned business, The Wooden House, which is a delightful hotel and restaurant. We dined there for lunch and dinner and honestly didn’t want to leave because it was so charming and the food was delicious. Our hotel, Iguana Crossing, had a fabulous pool and unparalleled view of the ocean but it lacked the same charm and attention to detail that we experienced at the Wooden House. I wouldn’t say we had a bad experience at Iguana Crossing but if we return there is no question that we would try to stay at the Wooden House instead. When we arrived in Santa Cruz, we were greeted by another wonderful guide, Veronica and Jose Carlos’s sister Viviana. Viviana was equally delightful and also arranged for us to have a great guided tour of the Darwin Station, the islands highlands and a beautiful farm. We stayed at the hotel Ikala and again, the staff was incredible. The hotel manager, Maddie and the food and beverage manager, Mariano were both fantastic and very accommodating.
Our trip to the Sacha Lodge in the rainforest was spectacular. Our guide Jose Intriago was knowledgeable and extremely patient with our 76 year old mother and mine and my sisters fear of heights and bugs. We loved spending time with Jose. The staff at the Sacha Lodge was also amazing, particularly the manager Daniel, Jose and Pedro, who made the BEST cocktails for us each night and Aldo who was an intern only there for three weeks. We also enjoyed Anita and Lilly. They are 2 of 4women guides working for Sacha. Our room at the Lodge was beautiful and the overall setting is absolutely incredible. I can’t wait to go back!
On our last day in Quito, we visited the Termas spa at Papallacta. It was the perfect end to a fantastic trip. The services were great and the property is beautiful!read moreread lessChicago_NY_FamilyOutstanding Travel Planning and Communication From the first inquiry until our return, this company was very responsive. The plans were flawless. There was attention to every detail with company representatives meeting us along the way to facilitate travel in the Amazon and Galapagos. Alexandra worked with us to put together a wonderful trip. The guides and accomodations were excellent.read moreread lessMary CFantástico I booked my trip at the last minute, and Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders were super helpful and quick to reply to my email messages. I was concerned about the price, especially added-on fees such as a single supplement, but they got me a great room on the upper deck with a huge window. The Grand Majestic's crew were fantastic, especially the super knowledgable and accommodating guide, Carlos. It was the trip of a lifetime.read moreread lessDoktaAnn - Great experience My girlfriend and I recently completed a fantastic trip of the Islands with the support of Galapagos Insiders. Booking was easy and straightforward and I honestly can't imagine doing this trip without their excellent organization. We were able to seamlessly enjoy our travel as they made arrangements for all of our land and sea transfers. Our accommodations were great as was the food and all of our drivers and guides were truly lovely people that made our trip one to remember. I highly recommend Galapagos Insidersread moreread lessV2926WFkevinhSuperb service for Galapagos Trip Given the wealth of information and companies offering Galapagos trips out there, it can be pretty daunting / confusing regarding which to choose. My wife and myself approached a few companies, but none were are speedy or as comprehensive in their response as Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders. We decided to further our conversation with them and soon realised that this kind of response was their standard (so it didn't take long to make the decision to book with them). Alexandra and her team continued to exceed our expectations through the whole process of deciding which boat to choose, liaising with the boat to have my many questions answered, and giving honest opinions on some of my travel concerns. I strongly recommend this company - probably one of the best I've ever dealt with through many years of travel. The cruise itself (on the Infinity, western route) was fabulous - again exceeding all our expectations. Fabulous guides, wonderful food and even better company (It was my 50th birthday whilst we were there and the crew made it a really special occasion for me, even baking me a birthday cake!). If you have any doubts about whether it's worth going to the Galapagos Islands, you should dispel them - it's as stunning and rewarding as you could imagineread moreread lessP3961NCsimongCormorant Cruise 2022 We reached out to Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders at the outset of our quest to find a Galapagos cruise, and they could not have been more helpful at every stage of the process. Within minutes of emailing the company about our inquiry, Alexandra got back to us with lots of options and excellent advice. Once we settled on the Cormorant as our cruise yacht, she explained precisely what we would need to do to navigate the process from booking all the way through to exiting the Galapagos. She may be the most responsive tour operator we've ever dealt with, typically responding within minutes to each and every question we had. She also provided a referral to an agency for us to consider in Cuenca, which also turned out to be great advice. I highly recommend that you consider Alexandra and her team at Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders for all of your travel needs in Ecuadorread moreread lessFellowTraveler471161
- A wonderful week! We just returned from sailing the Western Galapagos. We sailed on the Alya, along with 12 other passengers. Our only disappointment was the morning we had to leave- we wanted to stay! We made our reservations with the help of Alexandra and she was more than helpful. We had a couple of booking snafus that were not her fault but she responded immediately and helped us resolve them to our satisfaction. Everything she promised came to fruition- beautiful catamaran, outstanding service, wonderful guide (Juan) who was both knowledgeable and personable. He truly loves the islands and was excited as we were at some of the animal antics. Opportunities for snorkeling almost every day (with great wetsuits) , kayaking, walk and hikes, shipboard cooking demos- a little bit of everything. Flora and fauna were so interesting- loved watching the sea lions, iguanas, penguins, blue footed boobies, and of course the tortoises. Well worth the planning and money!read moreread lesstmdorowAwesome Catamaran Experience through the Galapagos Our expectations were exceeded! The Alya crew was wonderful - the boat spacious - the food excellent - and the excursions and our guide superb! Kayaking, hiking, paddleboarding, snorkeling, seeing blue footed boobies, land and marine iguanas, and giant tortoises - swimming with the sea turtles and colorful fish - hearing the history of the Galapagos islands - learning so much. Just awesome!read moreread lessbouyleAmazing Vacation Marcelo at Insiders was extremely helpful and responsive in setting up our trip to Ecuador and Galapagos. Our time on the Seaman Journey was filled with snorkeling, hikes, and many interactions with the animals and the environment -experiences to last a lifetime.read moreread lessDanV1492H
- High Quality, Responsive, Reputable, Above and Beyond Diego was nothing short of amazing to work with. Responsive, highly ethical, detailed and organized beyond belief.
This was my first cruise in the Galapagos and he made the experience smooth and simple.
Incredible problem solving from him after I ran into an issue with a friend I was sharing a cabin with. Would give 10 stars, HIGHLY recommend, you won’t be disappointed.read moreread lesslanyabMagical Marcelo at Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders, did a remarkable job of answering a never ending list of questions and securing our place on a wonderful boat for a magical experience touring a few of the Galapagos Islands. He was extraordinarily helpful with all logistics .. hotels, flights, Covid testing requirements etc.. He was responsive, patient, clear and a joy to work with. I cannot recommend anyone more highly. I now look forward to returning to Ecuador to tour the country. I will DEFINITELY call Marcelo for help in doing this.read moreread lesssusanmD4204BQIncredible Trip I couldn't have been happier with my trip to the Galapagos! Alexandra answered every question I had very quickly and always made sure I had all the information I needed. I always knew that I could reach out which made me feel very comfortable while travelling as well. They organized such an amazing trip for me with so many incredible tours and experiences throughout the trip. I would absolutely recommend this company to anyone looking to travel to Ecuador!read moreread lessQuest64602376474 - FANTASTIC 8 day/7 night cruise on the National Paradise Yacht I was very happy with the communication and professionalism of Galapagos Insiders. Marcelo was very prompt in answering any and all questions I had and worked with us on several things. I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking to book a trip to the Galapagos Islands!read moreread lessGrandmaoftwinsx2On a scale of 1 to 10, it was an 11 Thank you Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders for organizing such an amazing holiday for us. It was magical.
On the Anahi, Joel was a fabulous guide. So knowledgeable, so good at organizing us, so kind and so incredibly passionate about the Galapagos, its history, its wildlife and his job. He couldn't have been better. He brought us all together as a group and made us into great ambassadors for the Islands. And the crew was amazing, fun, helpful, kind, efficient.
Also, both José, our guide for our day trip to Quito, and Fredy, our guide for our day trip to Cotopaxi, were equally knowledgeable and passionate about their country, its history, its nature, its people. It was so much fun to spend a day with each of them.
We came home with nothing but positive thoughts about Ecuador, the Galapagos and the wonderful people.read moreread lessbmitch2021 - Professional Tour Company My partner and I booked a mainland Ecuador tour with Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders and were really happy with the whole process. They worked with our travel agent to customize the trip to add an extra day in the Amazon before we left. When we started our tour, we met Fredy our guide for the 10 days. He was knowledgeable and super helpful.
On our second day there were protests and road blockades which impacted our itinerary. Fredy and the office team quickly pivoted and gave us great suggestions on how we could move forward and fixed up the changed hotels. I think in the end we were happier with the day setup on the fly than the one in the original plan!
Fredy was also very helpful in sorting out our COVID tests to return home. We ran into an issue where we only had Spanish results and he was able to get it fixed. This was an element of traveling during COVID we were worried about and it was very helpful to have the team there every step of the way.
Working with Fredy and the rest of the team made it possible to see a lot of Ecuador over 10 days. Thank you for everything!read moreread lessjodiew494Adventure of a lifetime Everything was great and in many ways even better than expected.
I want to thank Evelyn Duran from Galapagos insiders and Cormorant for an amazing vacation. The trip more than met our expectations on every level.
From the moment we landed in Quito till we returned home we were taken good care of. Evelyn designed a very detailed itinerary and made sure everything was executed flawlessly and seamlessly.
Our tour guide Christian was wonderful. He really took good care of us. Also helped us take good pictures in Quilotoa lake and Cotopaxi national park. Christian is very caring, knowledgeable and outstanding tour guide.
Our family had a trip of a lifetime in your Beautiful Country.
The Cormorant cruise and the entire Galapogos experience was breathtaking. The crew was very helpful and attentive to all our needs.The vegetarian food was great.
In all we had a very memorable time.
Also we were fortunate to enjoy the company of the other guest on board.read moreread lessVinika28Smooth, Seamless Travel with Incredibly Responsive and Knowledgeable Advisor We usually book all of our travel ourselves, but we are truly thankful that we chose to use Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders for our Ecuador journey. We just returned from our Quito/Galapagos/Amazon Rainforest adventure, and we are certain that the trip was such a rousing success because of the thoughtful attention and diligent efforts of Evelyn and her team. From the moment we received our first quote, Evelyn has quickly responded to every question and request, made recommendations, changed arrangements, and all in all managed every single element of the trip. We traveled on the Infinity for our Galapagos cruise (amazing!) and visited Napo Wildlife Center (a slice of heaven!) for our rainforest stay. Evelyn made all of our reservations and communicated special requests. She arranged personal transportation and guides for excursions in Quito. What a relief it was to step out of baggage claim in an unfamiliar country and find someone standing there with your name on a sign, ready to whisk you away to your next destination! Evelyn also provided thorough and timely information on COVID protocols, packing recommendations, and safety suggestions. I highly recommend that you use Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders to plan your Ecuadorian adventure!read moreread lessblueherontraveler - Great experience and communication from this company Let me first say that this was the FIRST time that I have ever used a tour company to assist with my travel planning and I was glad I did. I'm In experienced travel planner and likely could have figured out how to do this by myself, but the company interactions were excellent. First Alexandra was great in communication, she was responsive gave accurate information and was helpful. We even spoke on the phone and that was helpful.
After looking at staying in one of the towns and planning day trips, we began to explore various boats and options. Because tourism is down, there were only a few boats that were actually guaranteed to sail and through various emails she was able to identify these boats that would sail. Because we booked late our price was nicely discounted, This is tricky because they have to have a minimum number to go and if they don't after you have booked your trip you might be shuttled to another ship.
Also because of COVID issues, the galapagos requires PCR tests and they can arrange for this at your hotel in UIO or GYE.
Getting on the plane to the GPGS is tricky. at UIO you first need to get a Galapagos access pass ($20), then get your luggage is checked and locked, then boarding pass and then go through to boarding. There was someone from the boat, the Infinity, that was suppose to meet us at the airport (this was a boat issue as they thought all the passengers were flying out of GYE and we started in UIO). But there were several people representing other boats that graciously assisted us. So this was a boat issue rather than the tour company.
Also this is a general caveat, since negative PCR test is required, our boat said that there were NO refunds or rebooking if we failed the test. This was quite stressful until the negative test came in. Again, this is very boat specific so ask up front.
Just an FYI Because Ecuador is so "unbanked" they will charge a 3% on credit card fees or you need to pay a bank transfer fee. This is pretty standard in ECU.
Overall, my first experience was excellent and I would use this company again on my next trip. and because it was so positive I would use other tour companies and I would hope they could provide the same level of service I received.read moreread lesstfizzleFantastic experience My wife and I booked a 4 days cruise trip on the Grand Majestic. My wife Olivia dealt with and organised the trip with Evelyn. Evelyn was highly competent and very quick to reply to any queries with detailed information. From receiving the complete itinerary and tickets a few days before the trip, everything was smooth and easy. We didn't have to think about anything- it was all sorted out by the guides and crew of the boat. The boat was of a medium size but the cabins were plenty big enough and the entire boat was spotless, which is difficult to say you travel to beaches and go snorkeling.
The crew were kind and helpful and the food prepared was really tasty and plentiful. You could easily gain weight if you were glutinous. Our guide Markus knew so much information about the islands and wildlife. He was happy to go into as much detail as people wanted to know. He accommodated for the whole group regardless of age or ability. He was clear with the exact plan of everyday and what to expect.
In terms of the wildlife, there is a reason why the Galapagos is described as the trip of a lifetime. We saw so many different types of birds, fish, sharks, reptiles. You name it we saw it, to the point of it being right in front of you!
Both the boat and trip organisers really were fantastic and I would highly recommend.read moreread lessT3706GHtomcAmazing tour company and guide and a wonderful trip to Galapagos and Ecuador - Highly recommended! We just got back from an amazing two weeks in Galapagos and Ecuador booked by Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders. I am not the easiest of people to deal with when booking a trip - lots of questions and somewhat indecisive =), but Marcelo was so patient, helpful, honest, and straight forward. He helped us got an amazing deal on the Cormorant (even better than the listed price on the cruise's website) and made such wonderful recommendations and answered all my questions with care, kindness, and honesty. He gave us choices as well as informative details so we can make our own decisions. He was so helpful in every step of the way, including being available on WhatsApp for any questions, issues, etc. We made a pretty last minute trip to the Galapagos as well as the rest of Ecuador but it could not have gone more smoothly. Marcelo helped us design a trip from Quito to Cuenca and back, fully tailored to our preferences with helpful guidance along the way as to what is the best itinerary given our time constraints as well as where to stay. We ended up booking our own hotels and flights with some of his recommendations but it was seamless. I have worked with many local tour operators traveling all over the world, and Marcelo really is one of the best. We prefer to work with local tour operators and guides mostly when traveling abroad instead of large tour companies. Marcelo sent us detailed guidebook and all the necessary information, thinking of all possibilities (tests we needed and the time we needed to do them and what paperwork we need to bring etc, etc). There was nothing he didn't think of for our trip. I honestly have not seen better from a tour operator.
Marcelo also assigned an amazing tour guide for our trip, Freddy. Freddy was so funny, helpful, informative, thoughtful and most of all, a warm, kind and good-hearted person. He goes above and beyond during our trip, including helping me with an issue with the apartment we stayed with in Quito. He always thought about what we were interested in and tried to show us the best of Ecuador. He truly loves his job, loves showing tourists the country that he loves, so much that he squealed with excitement whenever he had a special treat for us. Freddy has 19 years of experience with so many special places that he knows and locations to have the best views and people he befriended, including authentic indigenous family and street peddlers and activities coordinators, and hotel managers etc. It is amazing to me that he took the time to get to know these people, caring about their lives. Actually, the indigenous street peddler selling her own art in Quito turned out to be the best purchase I made in Ecuador (no pressure at all from her or Freddy). Freddy is also so knowledgeable about everything and has answers to all our questions from history to culture to nature, etc. He gave us the best recommendations for activities, restaurants, etc, and also was willing to change the itinerary to fit our needs or to fit the weather, with which he seemed to have amazing luck. It might look that we would not get a good view of the volcano or have a rainy day but the weather always seemed to clear up by the time we reached our destination. We called him "Good Luck Freddy" just because of this. He was also an excellent driver. The middle of Ecuador was all extremely hilly and Freddy navigated all that with ease, including getting us up the tricky slopes of Cotopaxi, and knowing all the short cuts. It was simply a joy spending a week with Freddy. Highly recommend both Marcelo and Freddy (make sure you ask for him). We could not have picked a better team. In fact, it turned out two other couples on our cruise also used Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders and all had great experiences with their team. Truly a fantastic tour company (I already am recommending them to a bunch of people). Thank you so much Marcelo and Freddy for making it such a wonderful experience for us in your beautiful country. Five stars!read moreread lessblueivory - The Trip of a Lifetime! This was the trip of a lifetime! Alexandra from Galapagos Insiders and her whole team would incredible in helping us find the cruise and mainland tour that we wanted and offered us support for the entirety of our trip to Ecuador. They made sure we had everything we needed, including scheduling the PCR test to enter the Galapagos, and were extremely responsive throughout our trip. They helped us book a 5-day tour of the mainland with a stellar guide, Christian, who was extremely insightful. The Galapagos Cruise was incredible from start to finish. I highly recommend Galapagos Insiders if you're planning a trip to Ecuador and ask for Christian as your guide for the mainland! Five stars all around!read moreread lessnataliegE5278TUFantastic trip and great company (highly recommended!) We, family of ten including children, did a fantastic cruise in Galapagos and great mainland trip thanks to Alexandra and the entire team!
Originally we were looking just for a cruise but seeing how professional they are, we ended up booking our bigger itinerary for islands and mainland. Alexandra helped a lot with choosing the best cruise, suggesting mainland sights, refining the itinerary we had in mind and answering endless questions. Alexandra also helped to reschedule our entire itinerary when we had to postpone the trip due to pandemic and helped with finding laboratories and organizing PCR tests during our trip!
Galapagos islands are ABSOLUTELY MUST SEE destination and Petrel catamaran was a great choice - the crew, our guide Carolina and Western Islands itinerary. Galapagos visit was undoubtedly the most wonderful experience and exposure to the wild life!
On the mainland we were taken around by the guides Javier and Cristian and the drivers Elias and Manuel - all very professional, knowledgeable, helpful and punctual (which is extremely important with general relaxed attitude to time in Ecuador). We had really great tours and amazing hikes and definitely visited the most beautiful and interesting places of Ecuador.
Thank you again for the great experience!read moreread lessptraveller2021 - One stop shop for all things Ecuador/Galapagos Alexandra was a tremendous help to get our cruise aboard the Alya catamaran booked for Galapagos and was also able to create a customized mainland itinerary for us with an excellent guide, Christian. Insiders has a lot of experience and will make the right suggestions based on your groups needs and abilities. If you don’t know where to start for your Ecuador and/or Galapagos trip planning, this is the company. They will make sure to keep you updated on COVID requirements for traveling and they even booked our PCR test required to travel to the Galapagos.
Thanks again for a fantastic 10 days of amazing sights, information & accommodation!!, Ask if Christian is available for mainland excursions!)read moreread lessGlobetrotta144 - 100% would use again My boyfriend and I had the trip of a lifetime, and are so so glad we used E&G Insiders. I let Alexandra know we were a couple in our 30s who enjoy good food, scenic outings, easy - moderate hikes, and wanted to avoid over touristy things and visit some indigenous communities on this trip. She was so helpful, very patient with all my questions and requests, and the most responsive person I've ever communicated with! It made me feel secure and prepared before and during our trip. I let her know the places I wanted to visit and that I wanted to book our own AirBnBs, and she thoughtfully worked with me to create the perfect itinerary. Her knowledge of actual transit times and requirements (securing permits, knowing places and restrictions that were effected by Covid, etc) was invaluable. I was initially going to book our Amazon part of the trip myself, but once I let her know the deal the Amazon Lodge was giving me, she matched it, and it seemed to make the most sense to have her handle the entire trip. This way, she booked our local flights to the Amazon, as well had someone pick us up from our international flight and drive us to a hotel the night before our Amazon flights.
In addition to the planning portion, I am so glad we used Insiders since the guide they provided was wonderful as well. Jose is an independent contractor (as was our Amazon guide at Sacha Lodge. they both told us this is most common), and told us in Ecuador you have to get a 4 year degree in tourism to be licensed! Makes a lot of sense, because his knowledge of not just geography and politics, but all of the different animals and plants, and cities is amazing. We started joking that Jose could tell us the elevation in meters and feet at literally any point in the country off the top of his head, but I digress. He was much more than our driver, which I would HIGHLY recommend someone from North America have (I've driven comfortably in NYC, Boston, LA, etc, and Ecuador driving is something I was not prepared for), and knew how to get everywhere (even our AirBnBs) without gps?! He also served as our bilingual interpreter for ordering most meals and checking into national parks, visiting small shops, etc since our Spanish is atrocious. He was as flexible with altering our plans as Alexandra promised he would be. Additionally, he went out of his way to help us "after hours." Normally, he'd pick us up around 9am, drive to the destinations, and return us to wherever we were spending the night before dinnertime (5-6pm). However, once he dropped us off in town for dinner and drinks and even picked us up after (at 10 pm) so we didn't have to figure out a taxi or uber, and another time drove us to and from our booking at a spa and dinner that was 25 min away up a mountain! It was very much appreciated. Jose also gave us tips as to which shops had the highest quality or most authentic goods, which streets were safe at what times, and what places would still be open for last minute coffee or grocery needs. We never felt pressured to go somewhere, or leave somewhere, or hurry along, or purchase something, etc. He really wanted us to enjoy our time and appreciate Ecuador.
Basically, I'm saying for someone who has traveled quite a bit, and really likes to preplan and research the destination and be organized (and not just do some preset itinerary), I am very thankful I chose Insiders for this trip. We are planning on going back to visit the Galapagos, which we didn't get a chance to do this time, and I will definitely use Insiders again. I'll also be posting our itinerary in detail on the forums if anyone has questions or needs ideas! Thanks Alexandra and Jose!read moreread lessim4yanksUnforgettable trip through a land frozen in time Our family of four adults had booked a Tower Itinerary (eastern islands of the Galapagos) cruise through Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders in September 2019 for a departure in May 2020. Alexandra and her team were very responsive and detailed on those responses in the planning stage. They had offered us several different cruises that fit our preferences and we chose the Cachalote (run by Enchanted Expeditions). Then it was time to wait. And then it was Covid-19 time and everything was on pause.
Alexandra was very helpful in explaining how everything was going on the islands and helped us assess the best time to re-schedule. We ended up going in June 2021 and got bumped up to a first-class ship - the Beluga - for no extra charge. Alexandra provided super clear instructions on how to get from the Guayaquil airport to the airport on Baltra, Galapagos (our flight to Galapagos was included inthe price).
The first two days of our cruise we had the whole ship and the 8-man crew all to ourselves. Berni, our young guide, was very knowledgeable and matched our excitement for the wildlife found on the islands and in the ocean. The ship was well run and everything we could've wanted was taken care of. Luis, the chef, knocked out brand new meals 3 times a day and snacks 2 times a day. There was plenty of running water and plenty of electrical outlets to charge all the camera batteries. We had two amazing cabins, two people per cabin. My sister and I stayed on the sun deck, the only room up there and it was great to step out to watch the sun rise before 6am or watch the swallow-tailed gulls float near the boat in the dark.
Once the remainder of our group boarded on the third day, we had an amazing time. My family agreed that this was an unforgettable trip and it ranks in all our top two's. We saw the waved albatross mating dance, swam with playful sea lions, green sea turtles, and hammerhead sharks. We watched the blue-footed booies waddle on land, the red-footed boobies nest in tree branches, the giant land tortoises like giant moving boulders, yellow warblers and Galapagos mockingbirds hop underfoot, and a pod of dolphins flrolicking in the Beluga's wake. We snorkeled on average twice a day, hiked on many volcanic islands in alien-looking landscapes, had panga rides along bird-covered cliff-sides.
There's no cell signal in the middle of the ocean and we were in a small bubble, so for 8 days the outside world and the news were far away. It was like Covid ceased to exist.
The trip was indescribable and it would not have been this good without the guidance of Berni and the hard work and support of the Beluga crew. We hope to return to see the rest of the islands and, perhaps, do another round of the ones we've visited.read moreread lessbas_olgaSo helpful and patient! Alexandra was very helpful and organized an amazing visit to the Galapagos for my boys (16 and 18) and me. We had to reorganize our plans (a few times) due to Covid, and she was able to make it all work out in a way that fit our schedule and needs. She also gave great advice and suggestions before our trip. I recommend Alexandra highly. And, of course, I recommend a visit to the Galapagos (on the Tip Top V) to anyone interested in an amazing trip!!read moreread lessAnne-Marie M - Wonderful tour! My husband and I enjoyed a wonderful guided trip through the Ecuadorian highlands. From the beginning of planning the trip, Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders was an excellent company to work with. Alexandra was quick to respond to any question and communication was detailed and clear. They planned an interesting and active week of activities highlighting the culture, food, hiking, hospitality, and exceptional views of the area. The hotels chosen by the company were all great. Christan, our guide, went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable and safe. He was informative, flexible, patient, and friendly. Overall, we had a great trip and would highly recommend this company for anyone wanting to explore the mainland of Ecuador.read moreread lesskarlsbad79They are the real deal Alexandra and her team were awesome. They answered our questions in a timely fashion, provided us with information that made our trip a breeze ( e.i. where to get a Covid19 test for out return flight to the US) and when things did not go as planned they took care of it. We took a small yacht tour of the Galapagos Islands and stayed on the Infinity. This I would recommend to anyone and please do not wait until you are in your 70's to do this trip. You want to do it while you can do all of the activities so you do not miss a thing. Worth every penny.read moreread lessctownbaker1969Above and beyond tour company Marcelo and his team organized our phenomenal Galapagos cruise which unexpectedly took a turn that could have been disastrous. Our flight to Guayaquil was diverted to Panama due to an accumulation of volcanic ash in the city which caused us to miss our connection to the Galapagos on the next day and subsequently our cruise. By the following day Marcelo had organized an inter-island flight followed by a speed boat trip so we could catch up to our cruise. The whole adventure was flawless and we could never have done it on our own. We were able to enjoy an amazing and unforgettable cruise after all.
I can not thank them enough for their help!read moreread lessGeorgia1013 - Honest and Reliable Tour Company Alexandra of Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders planned an outstanding Amazon River Cruise for me for this summer. My plans took an unexpected turn and I needed to cancel and Marcelo of Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders, working with Alexandra, refunded my deposit (minus a service fee, which they should have after all the work they put into the trip!) I highly recommend this tour company. They are reliable, ethical and efficient.read moreread lessrond850Customer service Our experience was phenomenal. We felt like we were in a dream--that's the magic of the galapagos. Specifically, though, I applaud Galapagos Insiders for impeccable customer service from point A; they even ensured that our luggage made it to baltra airport when our airline failed to do so.read moreread lessfivebackpacksfamilyThey are the Best! We had a trip booked and had to cancel 1 day before leaving for the Galapagos. The group did everything they could to help us out and make our time of mourning easier. I truly respect Ecuador and Galapagos insiders, this is a top-notch out! They will 100% work with you in any way they can. I worked with them for over a year planning this trip to have it fall apart 1 day before leaving. Alex and the group were simply wonderful. Thank you for everything and we will be using you when we book our trip in the future.
Brianread moreread lessER_NURSE_BS - Trip of a lifetime Our family of 5 (teenagers 13,16,18) travelled to the Galapagos for spring break last week in March 2021. Ecuador & Galapagos insiders were amazing in planning the perfect trip to suit our families’ active needs. The trip was well planned out even taking into consideration the water tides(ferry rides can be a little rough). From the very beginning Marcelo and his team provided useful information on the best trip for our family & communicated in a timely professional manner. While in the Galapagos all the tour guides were professional, informative and provided us with the best experience. Thank you to Vivienne for helping to coordinate some of logistics and we absolutely loved the hotels and especially loved eating at The Wooden House! Thanks for making us feel at home Jose Carlos!read moreread lessactivelifestyleThe experience of a lifetime! I traveled solo to the Galapagos and Ecuador for 15 days. Ecuador and the Galapagos Insiders made the entire process so carefree and simple! They let me create my own itinerary based on my interests, and were available 24/7 if I needed anything on my trip (even though I didn't, it was great peace of mind). My experiences in the Galapagos were once-in-a-lifetime! I saw so many animals--penguins, sharks, sea turtles, octopus, seahorses, stingrays, starfish, schools of fish, crabs, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, sea lions, giant tortoises and iguanas! Definitely go snorkel at Cabo Rosa. The Sierra Negra volcano hike is a bit challenging depending on the weather and your physical endurance, but the views are worth it!
Back on the mainland I had the most fantastic guide, Cristian, who was incredibly knowledgeable and accommodating (even with a brand new baby at home!). I cannot say enough great things about him. He was fully invested in making sure I had the best possible experience! We altered our schedule and swapped a few days based on the forecast, so I got some rain free days in Baños and Quilotoa. We also ventured to Mindo, Otavalo, Cotopaxi and the surrounding area, and Papallacta. I highly recommend spending a day relaxing in Papallacta at the thermal pools! You won't be disappointed!
Despite being hard on many other aspects of life, the pandemic allowed for exceptional tourist experiences. There were no lines for attractions (Swing At The End Of The World, ziplining, etc.) and there were very few, if any, people on the hiking paths. Overall, the company did an incredible job of taking the hassle, planning, and worry out of traveling during a pandemic. Between booking all accommodations, travel, activities, meals, and even a Covid test to return home, I could not have been more impressed with Ecuador and the Galapagos Insiders and would re-book with them in a heartbeat. (Also, speaking of Covid, Ecuadorians take the precautions seriously and mask, sanitize, and temperature check FAR better than Americans.) I highly recommend traveling before travel volumes pick back up--the experiences were unforgettable! Thank you for everything, Insiders!read moreread lessJackie KSuperb from beginning to end! Our family of 6 traveled to the Galapagos Islands, after checking with a couple of travel companies, we decided to go with Galapagos insiders, our contact person Marcelo was quick to respond to all our inquiries and doubts, they offered the best options and at the best value for money, and they helped us select the option that fitted our plans. Our cruise was the Eco-Galaxy, a luxurious catamaran that accommodated all six of us and that offered excellent excursions and amazing service. Galapagos insiders also organized our local flights to and from the islands, as well as a stay of five days at the mainland where our tour guide Cristian was excellent. Marcelo was always kind and quick to assist us with any new reqirements we would have, and he made the whole booking process very easy. We could not have asked for a better experience. Highly recommended local company for those looking to visit Ecuador and Galapagos.read moreread lessKelly C - Amazing Family trip to Galapagos and Ecuador Our family of 5 travelled to Galapagos and Ecuador mainland for 25 days. We considered trying to book this ourselves as we've been travelling for the past several months on our own. However we highly recommend using Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders to coordinate any travel in this area. Air transfers, boat transfers, entrance permits, hotels, tour boats, and COVID restrictions were handled for us by Alexandra and her team. We were able to customize our trip to add a few extra days on Isabella Island, as well as a few extra days in Banos and Cuenca on our mainland tour. She even coordinated COVID tests for our family at our hotel the day before our flight home.
We were on the Anahi tour boat in the Galapagos for 8 days. The boat was just the right size (max 16 passengers - we had 13). Our guide was Galo and he was wonderful. He was knowledgeable about all the animals, he never rushed us if we wanted to spend more time on an island, he had a great sense of humour, and he made our family feel very welcome. We even had a chance to jump off the top deck of the boat into the water! The crew of the Anahi was top notch and we were so glad Alexandra recommended this trip for us.
Our mainland Ecuador tour went from Guayaquil back up to Quito. Our guide was Cristian and our driver was Elias. Again our guides were so accommodating, knowledgeable, and friendly. Our tour van was comfortable with lots of room for our family and our luggage. Climbing around Quilotoa lake and to the Cotopaxi Refuge and exploring the towns of Cuenca and Banos were highlights.
We would highly recommend using Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders for travel to this area. It truly was an amazing experience.read moreread lesskevinhU9291THDon't try to do this trip without the Insiders!! Traveling to the Galapagos is complex. You need hotels, transfers, boat selection, tour guides, flights, meals, etc.. Don't try to do this without help. Alexandra from Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders took care of every detail. We had a perfect trip. The boat she selected for us, the Seaman Journey, was a delight. The crew was amazing. The food was amazing. The boat was just the right size (16 passengers), kept impeccably clean. We were traveling with a teen and were delighted to find other teens scheduled for the same trip. Marco, our boat guide was excellent. He was SO knowledgable. He knew everything about the animals, the geography, the night sky, island history and more. He had a great sense of humor and kept us entertained by sharing island legends about pirates and buccaneers. I liked how he kept us busy. There were options for excursions or lectures every hour of the day. This is not a trip where you want to lounge around. You want to see every possible thing you can. Before we even got to our boat, Marco took us to a ranch for a great meal and there were giant tortoises everywhere. It was a great way to kick off the trip. Really liked the ranch. We were provided all the information we needed to understand what we needed for currency, tip expectations, where to be when, clothing to pack, etc. We had a great driver and Quito tour guide - Jose. His vehicle was spotless. He was on-the spot, on time. We needed to unexpectedly change our departure from a jungle trip we included on our trip and he was there for us. The Itamandi Lodge was scheduled for our jungle experience. Very nice and interesting place. We had to leave early, so we missed what would have been the most interesting excursions. When in Quito we stayed at the Ikala Hotel, which was very nice. We stayed at the Quito Wyndham by airport on our last day - also very nice. I can't imagine how we would have know what to do or where to go without Alexandra's help. Also, she was there at the airport to greet us when we landed in Quito! So nice to meet her in person after so many email conversations over the months. She was never impatient with us when we had numerous questions or itinerary change requests. Highly, highly recommend this agency.read moreread less389beverlylPerfect agency to visit Galapagos Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders organized the entire trip and took care of all the details, including COVID testing arrangements. The quality of the cruise tour (by Seaman Journey) well exceeded our expectations (which was pretty high already before the tour began). 2020 couldn't end better for us thanks to their efforts. Highly highly recommended if you plan to visit Galapagos.read moreread lesszhejdh - Vacation of a lifetime This trip and our vacation was everything my son and I hoped for and a lot more. From the initial planning stages and until we bade farewell to the crew, we couldn't have asked for more. Diego Andrade made sure all our questions were answered before we booked the vacation. Our guide, Marco was very knowledgeable and passionate about the islands and the animals. He kept us engaged at all times. The ship crew were the nicest we have ever experienced and made us feel like family. We also had excellent fellow tourists who made the whole vacation a dream come true. I would recommend anyone to this company and vacation in a heartbeat.read moreread less470nagarajrLove the Insiders!! I am a control freak and usually plan as many details personally as I can to avoid surcharges.... but wow Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders were amazing and such a great value!!! Diego and his team of planners made me feel comfortable planning this in a short timeframe. Their welcome pack covered most of my possible questions. They answere every other question within hours. And once we arrived, all details were covered. No stress. We had all transfers and baggage and tours handled without a care from us. They chose great hotels and included most meals. Vivienne was great and at the ready on Santa Cruz. We loved our guides Vanessa, Stephano, Juan, and Jose. Jose in Quito arranged our days great and was flexible to our desires. You should absolutely use the Insiders to go to Ecuador!!! We are going back to Galapagos for sure! I'd push for flights to Isabela versus the boat. It was way too rough one way.read moreread lesscolleencharlestonStress-free Galapagos/Ecuador vacation I can't recommend Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders highly enough. Diego was so nice in answering all my questions (and I had a ton of them!) typically within a few hours. He worked with us to plan a customized trip that was a once in a lifetime adventure for me. We always had guides meet us wherever we needed to go to make sure we we got there without any problems. Every guide and person we dealt with at Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders was kind, helpful and very knowledgeable about the places we went (Isabela; Santa Cruz; Mindo, Ecudor) and what we saw (birds, animals, plants, history.) Digeo, Viviana, Jose Luis, Juan, Pablo, Gustavo and all the other guides and helpers-you took all the stress out of our trip and made it a wonderful experience. I'm recommending you to anyone who tells me they want to visit the Galapagos Islands or Ecuador.read moreread lesstreksandtravels61
- Stress free planning, excellent visit to Galapagos Islands and Mindo, Ecuador Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders made planning a trip so easy. Diego answered all my questions (and I had a lot of them!) usually within a few hours. They made sure we were met at our activities and after arriving at airports or by boat so we didn't have to worry about trying to figure out what to do or how to get places. All our guides and helpers were very knowledgeable about where we went (Isabela Island, Santa Cruz, and Mindo, Ecuador) and what we saw (birds, animals, plants and culture). It was an amazing trip and Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders was one of the main reasons why. To all our guides and helpers (Diego, Viviana, Gustavo, Pablo, Juan, Jose Luis, Carlos, and others)-thanks for the memories! I will be telling anyone I know who is considering visiting your country to give you a call.read moreread lessmomofcoopGalapagos to Mindo We contacted Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders and began the question and answer period! Diego was always quick to respond to all our questions! We basically came up with our own private itinerary with his help! Diego made all the reservations and arrangements! From lodging to excursions! We landed in Quito and from there on out all went smoothly! Our contacts/guides were always there waiting for us to show us the way to all our excursions. We toured the Galapagos and went birding in Mindo, Ecuador! Very responsible and knowledgeable guides! Each one of our guides were so accommodating and went the extra mile for us with our requests! I will return and will not hesitate to use Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders again! Diego, I will return!read moreread lessRoving319202Beautiful country - best trip ever We had the best experience dealing with Ecuador and galapagos insiders. Our original itinerary was confirmed a long time ago and it was supposed to take place last April, COVID made it impossible for us to travel, the company kindly assisted us in rescheduling all our activities without any additional cost for us. We worked with Diego who helped us confirm our new travel dates for a 10 day itinerary in the mainland including the Amazon Rainforest and an additional 5 day galapagos trip. We could not thank enough all our tour guides, drivers, and our agent who made our trip possible despite the difficulties presented earlier this year. Very responsive and a great company to work with.read moreread lessSydneyW1968
- Amazing Experience! Our group of four had an excellent holiday in Ecuador mainland and in the Galapagos, we got to visit amazing sites including Cotopaxi, Quilotoa lake, Banos, Chimborazo and others. In Galapagos we traveled on board a luxury catamaran which offered a great tour guide and exceptional service, our itinerary was carefully planned by Evelyn from Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders who promptly answered all our questions and made some very good suggestions. We could not be happier with the trip we enjoyed. Thanks everyone for your assistance, keep up the good work.read moreread lessMatthew DAmazing luxury catamaran tour of Galapagos ! Amazing communication and assistance from Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders who secured me an amazing luxury catamaran tour of the Galápagos Islands.
Super helpful throughout and arranged every single detail.
Eco Galaxy II was absolutely stunning, super friendly crew and food served was incredible!! TAKE ME BACK!!read moreread lessJetSetter095Outstanding service The company was incredibly responsive, professional, and enthusiastic. We received exactly what was described to us, and the entire experience of dealing with this company was outstanding. Our agent was Evelyn, whom we would recommend very highly.read moreread lessthetravellerny - Paradise Trip with Wonderful Tour Company We had the most amazing trip to the Galapagos thanks to Galapagos Insiders. Evelyn was extremely responsive and flexible. She was able to provide us with multiple tour options and work with us to make sure all our questions/concerns were answered. Additionally, the Galapagos is one of the most unique and valuable adventures I have ever been on. I would highly recommend!read moreread less158nabaaGalapagos during Covid-19 times Galápagos Insiders, and my advisor there Evelyn Duran, have been just excellent.
Reliable about any detail of the plan, flexible in attitude, kind, prepared, professional and honest.
My trip in Galapagos was wonderful, the place is worthy beyond imagination despite my traveling coincided with the abrupt reaction of the Ecuadorian government to the Covid-19 pandemic outburst.
In such unpredictable and stressful situation, Evelyn and Galápagos Insiders went beyond their duties as travel agents to help me feel safe and secure my next steps in the country.
I honestly could not have asked more from this Agency.
Highly recommended.
Loredanaread moreread lessldpb - Flexible. Responsive. Value for the money. Our tour happened while the corona virus escalated. Diego was our contact person while on our Galapagos tour and Quito tour. I have never known a company as responsive as Galapagos insiders. Our concerns were addressed within 10 minutes of posting an email. Amazing.
Be sure you let the company know what you want to see in the Galapagos. Our two trips to the islands were more similar than different. Nonetheless, the activities were great fun.
Galapagos insiders is value received. We had a guide assigned to us for the 3 days we were in Quito. We paid to have private tours and the cost was truly reasonable. And our guide, Jose, was unbelievably flexible. We were to go to a spa and hummingbird area on our last day. Unfortunately, it was closed down as Ecuador closed down due to the corona virus. Instead of saying, “oh, nothing we can do about it, Jose started listing what he could do. He tried to called a friend with a private hummingbird center. No answer, but he tried. He listed areas that were still open and we chose to go to the cloud forest. We drove for an hour - and encountered a landslide. Jose could have said he’d done his best. Instead, he knew about the old old that was used years ago - and turned around and got us there.
At one point we did some walking and Jose offered to go back and get the cater and pick us up. When he learned we preferred to,walk, he made sure we had more opportunities to let us out at a great view and drive on a bit so we could see things close up and not from the car. I highly recommend getting a private tour because you can then take advantage of this wonderful flexibility.
We were supposed to go to an eco lodge on Tuesday. Unfortunately, we had to cancel and get transportation to the airport Monday. Galapagos insiders had José take us to the airport with las minute notice - at no extra cost.
Galapagos Insiders is incredibly flexible and responsive. They are value for the money. I highly recommend them.read moreread lessGailatpacificBeyond First Class Service! If you are looking for a company to arrange a trip to mainland Ecuador and The Galapagos, then your quest is over. I give my highest recommendation to Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders. Specifically, I worked with Marcelo, whose service was phenomenal!
Marcelo booked a week cruise on the yacht, Natural Paradise, for us, a travel party of four adults. Before the cruise, we enjoyed a three full day itinerary in the Quito area that Marcelo had put together for us.
As one would expect, our Quito Hotel, La Casona de la Ronda, was perfect. All of our Quito area activities were fabulous, our driver and guides were terrific, and The Galapagos Cruise was magical! What I want to focus on, however, is the “above and beyond” first class service that Marcelo provided. It was these “extras” that I consider “the little things” that made Ecuador and The Galapagos Insiders stand out. I have traveled all over the world, so believe this fact qualifies me to make this statement.
1) Experience / Price. In helping me plan our trip, Marcelo listened to what I described that we wanted to see and do during our Galapagos experience and the budget within which I wanted to operate. Marcelo’s recommendation that we cruise on the Natural Paradise was 100% on point! There is not one negative thing to say. This commendation is worth mentioning because I have experienced other travel agency’s coming in at a price way higher than we discussed thinking that I would accept it due to the excitement about the trip. Marcelo delivered exactly what he said he would in experience and price, and my travel party is thrilled!
2) Quito Guide. A guide can make or break a trip. Marcelo chose Jose for our Quito guide. On our first morning in Quito, Jose picked us up at 9:00 a.m. as planned. My travel party had a huge confusion, which resulted in Jose having to get a waiter come find me in the hotel restaurant 40 minutes after our meeting time. In short, our cell phone clocks did not change so we were one hour off. In addition, we had arrived at the hotel at 2:00 a.m. from our flight, so the other three in our party still were in bed and one had altitude sickness. In short, we were a disorganized mess. I was so embarrassed. Jose did not act perturbed at all. He graciously offered to come back for us in a few hours, and before he left, we tweaked the day’s itinerary. It was too far for Jose to go back home, so he had a coffee close by. We enjoyed a fabulous afternoon and early evening tour with Jose. He never acted like we had thrown his schedule off. Kudos to Marcelo for hiring a guide, Jose, who so graciously and professionally “rolled with the punches,” and who made the concerted effort to ensure we enjoyed our tour even though we had inconvenienced him. Kudos to Jose for the afore-described kindness that he showed to us.
3) Safety. Our drivers and guides were superb! In fact, Jose drove us on two of the days. Each day we took a side trip outside of Quito sometimes requiring several hours in the car. Jose and our other driver remained alert and vigilant; they drove us safely and without incident. Furthermore, they remained happy and in a good mood, even when the traffic was horrendous!
4) Trip Preparation. In advance of the trip, Marcelo provided us with the most comprehensive Welcome Pack that I ever have seen. The package covered customs, immigration and fees related to arriving and departing Quito, Galapagos fees, degree of exercise to expect when engaging in Galapagos activities, climate, weather, tipping, currency, what to pack, how to avoid getting sick, and more. In short, this Welcome Pack anticipated every question that I had and answered then thoroughly and completely.
5) Trip Logistics. We spent the night before flying to The Galapagos at the airport Wyndham Hotel. The hotel has a shuttle that goes to the terminal every 30 minutes. Our plane left at 6:50 a.m., which meant that we had to be at the airport at 5:15 a.m. Marcelo arranged for a representative to meet us in the hotel lobby, ride with us to the terminal, and guide us through the check-in process. Furthermore, there was a rep from Royal Galapagos (the cruise company) waiting for us at the terminal who assisted in guiding us through check in and provided us with cruise material. As well traveled as we are, we could have accomplished said tasks on our own, however, having the two reps help us was extremely appreciated. Why? At 5:15 a.m. with no coffee, it was nice having someone “think” for us. Also, my husband still was ill from altitude sickness, so again, it was nice having the reps handle the logistics related to getting to the terminal, checking in, etc. When we arrived back in Quito a week later from the cruise, again, Marcelo had arranged for a guide to meet us at baggage claim and make sure that we got on the shuttle with us to the Wyndham. We had been up since 5:00 a.m. and were exhausted; therefore, it was so very nice not to have to deal with the logistics of getting to the hotel. Having a rep help us out may seem small; however, this was huge, considering the circumstances described.
In closing, Marcelo and his team provided us with the trip of lifetime that we never will forget!read moreread lessMichelle DDay tour in Quito & also flight out to Galapagos for vacation aboard the Sea Star yacht Insiders connected us with both a day trip/tour in Quito and the flights and accomadations in the Galapagos. This company listened to our requests and provided great options; as well as options to save money. We were delightfully satisfied and would use their assistance again as we hope to visit the Amazon Rainforest in the future! Their provision of details in order for us to be prepared in a foreign country were thorough. The representatives with the Sea Star yacht were attentive present at both airports - Quito upon arrival before flying out to Galapagos (at 5:15am!) and all the way until we were 'checked in' in San Cristobal on our day of departure.
Tour guide for day trip to Quilatoa was kind and entertaining, informative and as quiet or talkative as we wanted to be on the 3 hour drive to Quilatoa. The Crew aboard the Sea Star -Domenica (was our boat specifically) were kind, first class and thought of every detail. If you have a food allergy, be sure to communicate in advance of trip so they can be prepared and have (or remove) items of concern.read moreread lessbtes1
Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders Google Reviews
4.9 Stars - Based on 70 User Reviews
- Gregory LockhartGreat trip, amazing, once in a lifetime experience. Diego was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, in setting up the trip, communication was excellent (over a period of 2 years - COVID). The lodge was clean, comfortable, and had all the amenities you would hope for. Well managed. Our guide, Juan, was spectacular, best we have ever had in over 40 years of international travel. Just a wonderful experience.read moreread lessKevin HsuMy girlfriend and I recently completed a fantastic trip of the Islands with the support of Galapagos Insiders. Booking was easy and straightforward and I honestly can't imagine doing this trip without their excellent organization. We were able to seamlessly enjoy our travel as they made arrangements for all of our land and sea transfers. Our accommodations were great as was the food and all of our drivers and guides were truly lovely people that made our trip one to remember. I highly recommend Galapagos Insidersread moreread lesss kNatural paradise 8 days tour October26-November 2nd review.Quito and Galapagos Islands were chosen as a reunion spots forour group of 15 last year in October 2020This was right in the midst of the Covid season and we decided to book the whole NATURAL PARADISE yacht for this.We got hold of Diego from galapagosinsiders.com and what a find it was. Over the course of a year, he became the 16th guy for the group and answered all our 10000 questions promptly and eased our concerns. He would even join our what's app /zoom conferences, on the weekends too.There were 15 heads and 15000 questions to answer. Kudos to his patience.It was very heartwarming to meet him in person in Quito and put a face to the name. There were 15 hugs exchanged instinctively.He even helped arrange for the private Cotopaxi volcano tour for the group, equally professionally. The whole group highly recommends him and the website for your needs.We all were were so stoked about Galapagos Islands that Quito was left on a backburner. But we were pleasantly surprised by what the city had to offer. A saxophone player in the midst of our Quito tour played "Autumn Leaves" on demand despitr our language barrier. People are very friendly.Cotopaxi hike and the swing atop Quito were very memorable.There are not many superlatives left to describe our experience on Natural Paradise. One just has to see the youtube video to guess the luxury the boat has to offer...... and get that image shattered in person.We met our Naturalist guide , Malena, in Baltra and knew that we were going to click. One of our friends had read 8 books on Galapagos prior to the visit and she had answers to all his questions.There was such intimate bonding that she knew everybody within a day. The activities for the next day were on the board and were followed to the t. So much fun with all the activities.....snorkeling with sealions and turtles at arms length was magical. Kayaking, hiking and snorkeling kept us busy the whole day. Intermingled with all this were the fresh fruit juices and appropriate snacks.The food on the boat was Michelin star quality. There were a few vegetarians amongst us, but the variety of the food they had was amazing. Jorge and Alejandro were given the job to help us enjoy the experience and they made sure to feed our hungry mouths at all times.They even made the Passion fruit Mousse twice for us . Alejandro gave us a short salsa lesson and Jorge was kind enough to learn some Hindi words and use them. It was like one big family and hard to say bye by the end of the week.Ariba, Avaho, Centro, Alendro became Ariba, Avaho, Centro and ALEJANDRO for us.The boat was choppy at times, but the captain was kind enough to change the sail time when we told him that some of us had problems sleeping. The captain would take us close to the whales, if he spotted some. He would blow the horn with excitement.There were so many unique memories created on the boat.Crossing of the Equator, The flights of Frigate birds atop the ship, Whale watching, Courtship of the Frigate birds on the boat, dancing falling on the choppy boat, Karaoke singing.The dark skies ,the milky way, the mysterious absence of the big dipper and the Jupiter being mistaken for Venus.To top it off, we were followed by superpod of dolphins on our last day .Even the crew had not seen that many dolphins at one timebefore. We took it as a very befitting farewell.We had a reunion of our classmates to reliven the past, but the memories created will last forever. This single trip was worth enough to justify our life.THANKS from all of us to make it so memorable.read moreread less
- James GalicWe finished a Galapagos cruise tour with Insiders last week, were hesitant at first to travel during the covid pandemic, but we are very glad we went! Our cruise on board a luxury yacht was more we could hope for, do visit Galapagos, it is a safe place, and you will not regret it. A few additional days on the islands are good if you want to get some extra R&R. Thanks Galapagos Insiders for making our holiday possible!Services: Group tours, Private toursread moreread lessJin ZhangEcuador & Galapagos Insiders organized the entire trip and took care of all the details, including COVID testing arrangements. The quality of the cruise tour (by Seaman Journey) well exceeded our expectations (which was pretty high already before the tour began). 2020 couldn't end better for us thanks to their efforts. Highly highly recommended if you plan to visit Galapagos.Service: Group toursread moreread lessBev LongDon't try to do this trip without the Insiders!!Traveling to the Galapagos is complex. You need hotels, transfers, boat selection, tour guides, flights, meals, etc.. Don't try to do this without help. Alexandra from Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders took care of every detail. We had a perfect trip. The boat she selected for us, the Seaman Journey, was a delight. The crew was amazing. The food was amazing. The boat was just the right size (16 passengers), kept impeccably clean. We were traveling with a teen and were delighted to find other teens scheduled for the same trip. Marco, our boat guide was excellent. He was SO knowledgable. He knew everything about the animals, the geography, the night sky, island history and more. He had a great sense of humor and kept us entertained by sharing island legends about pirates and buccaneers. I liked how he kept us busy. There were options for excursions or lectures every hour of the day. This is not a trip where you want to lounge around. You want to see every possible thing you can. Before we even got to our boat, Marco took us to a ranch for a great meal and there were giant tortoises everywhere. It was a great way to kick off the trip. Really liked the ranch. We were provided all the information we needed to understand what we needed for currency, tip expectations, where to be when, clothing to pack, etc. We had a great driver and Quito tour guide - Jose. His vehicle was spotless. He was on-the spot, on time. We needed to unexpectedly change our departure from a jungle trip we included on our trip and he was there for us. The Itamandi Lodge was scheduled for our jungle experience. Very nice and interesting place. We had to leave early, so we missed what would have been the most interesting excursions. When in Quito we stayed at the Ikala Hotel, which was very nice. We stayed at the Quito Wyndham by airport on our last day - also very nice. I can't imagine how we would have know what to do or where to go without Alexandra's help. Also, she was there at the airport to greet us when we landed in Quito! So nice to meet her in person after so many email conversations over the months. She was never impatient with us when we had numerous questions or itinerary change requests. Highly, highly recommend this agency.Date of experience: December 2020Services: Private tours, City tours, Group toursread moreread less
- paula voglerEcuador and Galapagos Insiders is one of the best tour companies I've used. They respond to all questions and inquiries typically within hours and made our vacation stress free with their planning and meeting us at different locations to make sure things went smoothly. Great group of people to work with.read moreread lessJames GalicWe finished a Galapagos cruise tour with Insiders last week, were hesitant at first to travel during the covid pandemic, but we are very glad we went! Our cruise on board a luxury yacht was more we could hope for, do visit Galapagos, it is a safe place, and you will not regret it. A few additional days on the islands are good if you want to get some extra R&R. Thanks Galapagos Insiders for making our holiday possible!read moreread lessDavid CarmanEvelyn arranged THE BEST trip ever for us. We spent 15 days (2 separate trips) on the magnificent Passion ship around the East and West Islands of the Galapagos Islands. Outstanding attention to detail and she helped us urgently change our Quito accommodation plans and flight to Galapagos when there was protests occurring in the town of Quito.Highly recommended the company and Evelyn, we were Australians travelling to Ecuador for the first time and she made it super easy for us !The Passion boat and crew were amazing too !!read moreread less
- Peggy McCurryMarcelo helped us plan a 5 day Galapagos trip aboard the Passion yacht and two days of tours around Quito. Absolutely everything was fantastic! Marcelo was a great communicator, responding promptly to all of my questions and concerns. Our Quito guide, Gabriela, was very personable, professional and knowledgeable. She worked with us to adjust activities to our family's interests and helped keep us on schedule. Her English is excellent and the Old Town Tour and day trip to Otavalo were fun and informative.M/Y Passion cruise was an amazing experience. We loved the boat, the crew and excellent naturalist guide. It was nice to be on a smaller boat (12 passengers) where we were able to get to know and enjoy our fellow travelers. The food was excellent, and the cooks went out of their way to accommodate my daughter's dairy allergy and another passenger who did not eat meat. There were always plenty of delicious choices suiting various requirements. In just 4 nights and 5 days, we felt like we experienced most all of the top natural attractions and had many intimate discovery moments with wildlife. Experiences like watching a new born sea lion learn how to nurse, sea turtles mating, penguins diving in and swimming with us while we were snorkeling were a few of the highlights. No internet most of the time was a good thing for our family but might not work for everyone. Days were well structured with plenty to do and enough downtime to catch our breath but never be bored. Full days, good dinners and a cozy bed made for early bedtimes and gentle rocking to sleep. Only criticism are the flight times and connections which are somewhat dictated by the airlines. Not pleasant but soon forgotten.Highly recommend.read moreread lessmike LynchMy husband and I have recently returned from a 3 week vacation including the Galapagos and mainland Ecuador. We travel regularly and usually plan every detail of our trips. For this trip we secured the help of Alexandra at Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders. We could not have begun to plan an equivalent trip. They truly have the inside knowledge that makes an extensive trip such as this flawless every step of the way. They not only cover the details, they work with you throughout the planning process assuring you understand your choices with regard to both cost and activities. Questions were answered thoroughly and quickly. What we liked most about working with this agency is the FLEXIBILITY we had, from how many days the trip would be, to where and when it would start and end. We could add or subtract days and or activities in the planning stage as well as tweak daily activities to suit the weather or how we were feeling. Our week in the Galapagos aboard the Anahi was fantastic and the next two on the mainland with guide/driver Jose were informative, relaxing and fun. About the only decision we had to think about each day was what we were going to eat. I would highly recommend using this local agency to plan your adventure to Ecuador or Galapagos. We are so happy we did.Date of experience: November 2019read moreread lessDavid CarmanEvelyn arranged THE BEST trip ever for us. We spent 15 days (2 separate trips) on the magnificent Passion ship around the East and West Islands of the Galapagos Islands. Outstanding attention to detail and she helped us urgently change our Quito accommodation plans and flight to Galapagos when there was protests occurring in the town of Quito.Highly recommended the company and Evelyn, we were Australians travelling to Ecuador for the first time and she made it super easy for us !The Passion boat and crew were amazing too !!read moreread less
- Julie ButlerDiego helped me find a small cruise that fit the dates I had available and allowed us to get the most out of our time in the Galapagos. They sent out plenty of info ahead of time about what to expect and how to pack as well as helpful info to get us through the airport a little quicker.We booked a 5 day cruise on Calipso yacht - a 16 passenger ship. It was very clean and well organized. The days well packed with a morning and afternoon hikes and snorkeling trips. The guide, Carlos, was excellent and the ship crew was amazing. Snacks and juice we’re waiting for us after every outing. All the snorkeling gear was provided; however, I don’t like being cold and would have liked a full wetsuit. The food was excellent. This was a great way to maximize the time in Galapagos and see many islands and species.read moreread lessJerry PlanteMy husband and I(Canadian) visited Ecuador for 10 days and each and every day we were in awe of the beauty that surrounded us. We first made contact with Evelyn from Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders about 6 months before our trip was to begin. Evelyn gave us excellent service, listening to our requests of what areas of the country we wanted to see and then putting together a few different drafts of an itinerary until it was perfect. She was always quick to respond to any questions we had and i would give her 5 stars for her service. Our guide Jose was prompt, very knowledgeable about his country and also gave us excellent recommendations for restaurants. My husband has celiac disease and Jose always made sure we were able to get a gluten free meal. We had requested 4 star accommodations and the hotels, lodges and haciendas were always of outstanding quality and service.The only issue we had the entire trip happened on the very last day and resulted in us being inadvertently left at the wrong hotel and it took up about 90 minutes of our own time and some confusion before being sorted out. The tour company & our guide was very quick to apologize and I would have no hesitation to recommend them to anyone travelling to Ecuadorread moreread lessJennifer Marvin-PeekWe booked our honeymoon with the Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders and it was more than we could have hoped for! Everything from arranging the trip to getting around Ecuador and the Galapagos was done for us and made completely easy. Evelyn helped coordinate everything for us to spend time at the Napo Wildlife Center in Ecuador and she was extremely responsive. In the galapagos there was one night in which we weren't sure what time dinner was so I sent her an email and I received a phone call and an email back almost immediately. Our guides in both locations were wonderful and extremely knowledgeable. They even made everything so easy by sending us detailed instructions on how to get around and having guides pick up at the airport and drop you off such that communication isn't an issue. The agency also books your domestic flights and takes care of all accommodations so everything is minimal work, stress free, and wonderful. We would HIGHLY recommend taking a trip there and we thank Evelyn and the Ecuador & Galapagos insiders for making everything so easy!read moreread less
- KairhoStarting to get weary lately of planning trips in detail we had half-planned several recently, leaving nitty-gritty details to local (in country) DMCs. Three of those so far and now another, Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders. Bottom line: a perfect choice, making for another great holiday.This time we went to Ecuador for about three weeks. The self-planned itinerary was for a semi-upscale, average 4 star, visit to Galapagos, Otovalo, the Amazon basin, a bit of Quito and some mountain relaxation at the end. We charged EGI with coming up with recommendations; they came through splendidly. In each location they recommended two or more properties (or boats in the islands), all of which met our needs. It was but a few questions later that we made our selections of which and what room types. And basically, all were hits. [See my Ecuador reviews here for where we ended up.] After checking out EGI online and with a couple of emails to properties, we gave them all the bookings and let them run with it. A few tweaks here and there and we had a booked itinerary. They even were able to add a few unexpected perqs in there such as, along with the boat operator, an included night at the Marriott. The only sticking point was due to my own stubbornness: I balked at first at using their private car transfers in most places. Eventually I acquiesced and learned that those transfers (such as Quito to the Amazon basin) were not only really advisable (the alternatives being excruciating multiple public bus rides) but less expensive in the long run. So if you use them, listen to them!Everyone we worked with, primarily Marcelo in the office and drivers, were professional, competent, friendly, and a joy to be with. When I inadvertently buried my cellphone in the bedcovers when packing in one hotel (leaving for Otovalo for a few days), the hotel let them know; Marcelo himself retrieved the phone and arranged for it to be at the front desk at our hotel in Quito a few days later! Superb.Independent travel, which is what this essentially was, often requires extensive consultation with others (think of the bar/lounge in your last hostel) before execution of a plan. That's what we essentially had here, with consultation first and then simply letting them carry out the bookings, tracking, and the other annoying minutiae of travel. Worth every penny but, of course, their services cost us nothing out of pocket. Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders: highly and unequivocally recommended.read moreread lessBernadette RiedijkVery well organized professional travel agent. I would highly recommend them.read moreread lessKara SchmidtAn incredible trip from start to finish! Alexandra was very prompt and prepared when getting us ready for the trip, setting up payments, and answering all of our questions. The Cormorant boat is absolutely amazing and the staff are knowledgeable and wonderful. Would definitely use Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders in the future.read moreread less
- Elizabeth HeintzlemanThe Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders team was great to work with while planning our cruise in the Galapagos and our trip to the jungle in Tena. The team, especially Alexandra, was very professional, well-spoken, and concise in her emails about our trip. We would highly recommend!read moreread lessWalt MintkeskiMarcelo Guerrero of Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders provided excellent service in booking a wonderful 8 day sailboat tour of the Galapagos Islands. He e-mailed us detailed information promptly and clearly in excellent English, answered all our questions usually the same day, and graciously and efficiently arranged additional accommodations and travel to meet our needs. I recommend him to anyone thinking about a trip to Ecuador.read moreread lessCarol GamberMy family just got home after the land based multisport tour. It was a wonderful experience. The activities were well selected for a broad experience, the naturalist guides were all knowledgeable and enthusiastic, the accommodations were charming, and the hosts gracious. We were well taken care of from the moment we walked out of the airport until we left. The pre trip preparations wth Marcelo were easy, with promp and helpful replies to my many questions, and the support and hospitality in the islands were fabulous. Thanks for a delightful experience.read moreread less
- Oscar SantollaniWe just returned from our Beluga cruise in the Galápagos. It was incredible. Everything was incredible. From Alexandra helping us with all the arrangements prior to the cruise... and we did have A LOT of questions!! ;-) ...thanks Alexandra!... to our on board Naturalist Guide David Páez... to all 7 members of the Beluga crew: Jose the Capitán, Soto the Chef, Alci the Bartender, Angel and Oscar the panga (dingy) drivers and, last but not least Lenci and Ramiro the engineers. This was the Dream Team of cruise yacht!! Everybody went above and beyond their functions. From Jose chasing a huuuuge manta ray after we spotted it from the deck to Angel and Oscar redeploying the pangas a couple of minutes after they had just lifted them out of the water after a scheduled activity so all 15 of us could “swim” in the middle of a school of dolphins!!!Nature in this part of the world is special. The experiences you have here are unique! David helped us view as much as possible. But what you are able to experience here I doubt we will ever be able to see anywhere else... unless we sign up for Beluga’s eastern side itinerary!! ;-)I’m addition, the meals were delicious and plentiful! Breakfast, lunch and dinner plus a midmorning and mid afternoon snack!! Our daughter-in-law is vegetarian and she got special dishes made for her every lunch and dinner!! These people run a first world operation (everything runs like clockwork) coupled with the Latino affection that makes it a bundle difficult to match. Finally, what made it perfect for us was that the cruise is “off the grid” for most of its itinerary which allowed us to focus on the Galapagos experience, have great conversations amongst our family and our new friends!! ;-) We were very lucky that we shared the cruise with great folks. Everybody was looking after each other so that we all had the best time possible. Thanks to everybody that made our vacation one of the best ever.read moreread lessRichard BristolAndrea at Galapagos Insiders helped me organize a surprise anniversary trip for my wife. We visited Napo Wildlife Center Lodge in the Amazon Rainforest and we also did a cruise on board of the Endemic Catamaran. Both trips were amazing and I must say the service we received from this travel agency was impecable, they were most helpful at all times and we would very much recommed this local company to anyone planning a holiday to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands! Thanks for your assistance!read moreread lessJillian EvansWe did a Galapagos adventure trip organized through Alexandra from galapagos insiders, our experience was far beyond what we had initially expected, everything was amazing, well organized, awesome hotels, incredible guides and a great itinerary! After the Galapagos, we also took their avenue of volcanoes trip which gave us the experience of a lifetime in the beautiful mountains of Ecuador. We received first class service from beginning to end.We highly recommend galapagos insiders and specially Alexandra :)read moreread less
- Dennis WilsonWe organized a private personalized guided tour of Ecuador and Galapagos with the help of Diego, he answered all of our questions very soon and got us exactly what we wanted. The booking process was quite easy, they offered the option to pay by Paypal which was a huge plus for us! Make sure to include a visit to Cuenca, amazon rainforest and Isabela island in Galapagos. If you want a customized Ecuador tour these are the guys!read moreread lessAdam BradleyEcuador and Galapagos Insiders organized our Galapagos trip on a luxury catamaran, the boat was very nice and it offered many activities throughout the itinerary. Our guide Pedro was very knowledgeable, we were very happy with the service and overall experience, the only reason why I am giving them a 4 star rating is because our return flight from the Galapagos to mainland was delayed, which luckily didn't result in us missing our flight back home, it was close though! Anyways, thanks to Marcelo and your whole team for an incredible vacation, we will certainly be back to you soon for more of your country!read moreread lessAaron St. ClairThanks for all your help guys, we had a great time in Ecuador:)read moreread less
- Gill BarsleyFrom the very first contact I was really impressed by how Evelyn created an itinerary for us, based on EXACTLY what I’d requested. She was always efficient at replying to my emails, responding almost immediately. We were also impressed by how she took the time to come to our hotel in Quito to meet us and to go over the itinerary.Jose Luis and Rodrigo were very caring and knowledgeable guides. Rodrigo was extremely concerned about how we were feeling with respect to the altitude (as we had just come from Galapagos and were going to Cotopaxi). Jose Luis was a great driver on some very challenging roads, he was always prompt and willing to check in on us when he could when we were hiking. He also very efficiently sorted out the only minor wrinkle we had with one of the hostels. He also was flexible in suggesting an alternative option when we didn’t want to walk down into Lake Quilotoa.We very much enjoyed the different accommodations, with the Black Sheep Inn being our favorite as it was so unique with its very environmentally responsible philosophy.I can’t remember how I found Evelyn and Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders, but I’m really glad I did! Their service couldn’t have been better.read moreread lessGord SmithWhen we were planning our month-long trip to Ecuador, we contacted several travel companies. Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders were the most responsive, helpful, flexible and affordable of the companies that we contacted so we decide to use them. Evelyn patiently worked with us to put together a custom itinerary that included all of the points of interest that were on our list as well as her own recommendations, all of which were very good. All of our accommodations were superb, our guides were excellent and they also took us to some extra places that we would not have seen if not for them. We even had a medical issue at one point and Evelyn was very helpful in finding the best place to go for treatment. Even that unexpected situation turned out well, thanks to her assistance. We travel quite a lot and our experience with Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders was one of the best ever. I will not hesitate to use them again and to recommend that to anyone who is planning a trip to Ecuador.read moreread lessJim MartinExceedingly professional company and personnel that create fantastic itineraries in a stunningly beautiful and friendly country. Diego Andrade was our point person who on short notice helped our group craft the perfect trip to the Galapagos and the mainland and was instantly responsive and reachable for all queries and advice. We sailed on the Dominica in the Galápagos with Captain Rodrigo, Kyra the cruise director, and Hanzel Martinetti as our incredibly knowledgeable guide, Hugo the bartender, and a great chef and staff. They provided a perfect platform to see, learn, and enjoy the islands. Then back on the mainland, Anamaria Palacios - our guide and Nicolas our driver did what we didn’t think was possible - avoided any letdown from the Galápagos experience - and packed in tours and activities in Quito, Cotopaxi, Quilotoa, Banos, Riobamba and stays in historic haciendas - always going above and beyond to ensure we got to do all on offer that could fill the days. We hope the company values them as much as we do. jmread moreread less
- Rich HornstromExcellent experience provided Diego our inside man, to Nicolas our driver and Anamaria our tour guide. We spent a wonderful week on the Sea Star in the Galapagos Islands and then 7 days touring this wonderful country with Nicolas and Anamaria by our side. Spectacular haciendas arraigned by Diego in Cotopaxi and near the Devils Nose train. 2/13/19 through 2/25/19read moreread lessStephen DewdneyMy wife and I and another couple have just returned from an amazing 11 days in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. It was truly a trip of a lifetime, thanks in large part to an thoroughly enjoyable 4 day cruise on the catamaran Alya that was arranged by Diego at Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders. From our very first contact with him, he was one of the most responsive agents we have ever had the pleasure of working with. Every question we had was responded to promptly, and as importantly, he was able to secure very affordable pricing for us on what can be a prohibitively expensive destination. As for the Alya, there is really nothing not to like about this new luxury 16 passenger catamaran that is operated by Royal Galapagos Tours. The friendly well-trained crew of 11 deliver a high level of service that includes numerous well-organised snorkelling and shore excursions while ensuring everyone's safety in a sometimes challenging natural environment. A special mention is due to Carlos the excellent guide on this boat who's outstanding knowledge of the Galapagos helped us to gain an understanding of these islands that may not have otherwise been possible. Also, Kudos should go to the kitchen staff who prepared very delicious snacks and meals throughout our 4 days on-board.Bottom line...If you have an opportunity, take a cruise on the Alya arranged by Diego at Ecuador & Galapagos Insidersread moreread lessGrainne KellyCannot recommend this company enough. Diego was so prompt in getting back to me for a last minute Galápagos tour (where time is of the essence) and was always so helpful and patient while I was trying to decide! I initially dealt with a few different Galápagos tour companies and Insiders shone through with details and information that was promptly given and tailor made to suit my budget and my dates of travel. So so happy with the whole process! The trip was amazing and all aspects went so smoothly. Am recommending to all my friends!read moreread less
- Michelle RatcliffeMy boyfriend and I did the 8 day multi sport tour of the Galapagos islands. This was the first time either of us had done a multi day tour and we were impressed by the serve this tour company provided. All the guides we're wonderful and punctual, the hotels we're better than we expected and we were pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of the vegan food we requested. We would highly recommend this tour company and the Galapagos are a must see at least once in everyone's life time.read moreread lessMarie SteinthalerEvelyn at Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders was extremely responsive and helpful through the whole process of getting the tours we wanted booked. We already had an idea of which boats we wanted before reaching out to multiple agencies for quotes, and their price and service was the best among all of them. Thank you Evelyn for being so helpful and making it a wonderful, memorable trip ??read moreread lessKim SeidlerOur trip was all that it was supposed to be, and more. Ecuador is wonderful in so many ways that we will be returning, possibly even next year.The tour prepared by Evelyn of Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders was perfect. In about four weeks we experienced many of the high points of the country, and had the flexibility to dig down deeper where we wished to. As a result of the tour, my wife and I both have what we feel is a pretty good sense of what Ecuador is all about, and we appreciate all of the excellent suggestions Evelyn made in preparing it for us. Our tour guide, José, could not have been improved on. He's an excellent driver, and we never felt unsafe traveling with him. He was knowledgeable about all of the areas we were in, and often picked alternate routes that were interesting to us. He's perfectly fluent in English, of course. Without being obtrusive, he kept an eye on us; an example was at Chimborazo when I walked up the trail alone above the first refuge, stopping frequently when I was winded and then continuing. I was almost as far as I had intended to go when I looked behind me, and to my surprise, there he was, not even breathing heavily. Over time both my wife and I felt that our relationship warmed from friendly formality at the start to real friendship at the end.Everything went like clockwork, a testament to the planning that the company put into our tour. At all times Evelyn was open to our issues and suggestions, and it was a real pleasure working with her. We highly recommend Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders.read moreread less
- Michael MurrayMy wife, my two daughters and I had the most amazing time in the Galapagos islands last November thanks to the folks at Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders, we were hesitant at first to transfer to their US account several thousand dollars, but we are now very glad we did, many thanks for your great service, keep up the good work! We hope to go back some day.read moreread lessJon JaredI went to the Napo Wildlife Center with my family and thanks to the experts at Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders, it was a fantastic trip. Their knowledge of the Ecuador River Basin lodge's helped to find the perfect place for three adults and two kids and made sure that our trip went smoothly, especially with a pre-toddler in tow.read moreread lessMark MuellerWe had an excellent time in Ecuador thanks to galapagos insiders, and especially Diego, they organized our Galapagos cruise followed by 5 days at Sacha lodge in the rainforest, and 6 days along the highlands. All details were well taken care of, and their customer service exceeded all of our expectations. Huge thanks to our guide Jose Luis, Diego, and the whole team!read moreread less
- Bryan KerstenI worked with Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders to plan our trip to Quito and the Galapagos. We had a fantastic experience working with Marcelo and his team. We were a bit hesitant at first to put our trust in a smaller company for organizing such as important once-in-a-lifetime trip. However, I can happily say that I am very pleased that I went with this wonderful company and could not recommend them enough. Marcelo was very generous with his time, patient, and extremely responsive. All of his responses were detailed and he was helpful in all of my questions. In the end, he was able to get us booked on our Galapagos boat along with putting together a day trip around Quito that worked with our tight schedule. I look forward to working with Marcelo and his team on future visits.read moreread lessGillian LandVery good service, well organized company to visit Ecuador mainland and the Galapagos islands, their offices are in Quito and Galapagos and they offered me a personalized private tour, Evelyn and the whole staff including our guides were really helpful during our two week trip! Thanks so much for your help!read moreread lessShovon SarkarWe enjoyed every second of our trip to the Galapagos islands with Galapagos Insiders, our agent Andres speaks flawless English, he helped out so much from the beginning, after exchanging hundreds of e-mails and phone calls, we decided to go for the Santa Cruz II, our trip was outstanding in every way and we could not have had a better time. Many thanks to all the Galapagos Insiders and especially to our friend Andres!read moreread less
- Sylvia BukovaczI enjoyed the tour with Ecuador&Galapagos Insiders very, very much! The organization was perfect. The team is highly professional and was always there for us. We had a great driver/guide on the mainland (ask for José!) and also the accomodation on the islands was very good. An overall wonderful vacation thanks to Ecuador&Galapagos Insiders!read moreread lessEstéfano Zambrano BardelliniGalapagos multisport adventure and Andes. The guys at Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders helped us organize our Galapagos multisport trip which was lots of fun, filled with adventurous activities, and everything organized in private for us, our guides were local experts who were always making sure things would be perfect! Our advisor from Galapagos Insiders was Andrea who was also our guide for our Quito city tour, she was always available to answer all of our questions, they also organized a farewell dinner for us on our last night in Quito! We would strongly recommend this agency to all of our friends! Thanks guys for the amazing service and hospitality!read moreread lessMolly TobinThis review is about Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders but mostly about the person behind it, Marcelo Guerrero Oquendo.Marcelo went above and beyond to help us plan an amazing trip of a lifetime to the Galapagos. He was incredibly responsive and attentive, really taking the time to talk through all of our options and share the best recommendations. We are so grateful for his critical on-the-ground information and expert guidance. He was also extremely thoughtful in our numerous back-and-forth exchanges. The Sea Star cruise was amazing- we had a wonderful crew and very knowledgeable guide. Thank you Marcelo and Galapagos Insiders for your help to plan this incredible adventure!!read moreread less
- Tamara UhrEvelyn from Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders helped me arrange a cruise to Galapagos. She was so helpful and timely with emails and so kind to give us very accurate information about all the details of the travels. I would highly recommend this company and Evelyn in particular! Outstanding all the way around.read moreread lessChris DahlerupEcuador and Galapagos Insiders assisted me in finding an 4 day Amazon trip and a 4 day Cruise on The Seaman Galapagos Catamaran. I didn’t plan my trip until 3 weeks before I left Denmark and Marcelo was a fantastic help. Not only did he find 2 wonderful trips with outstanding service and guides, but also took the time to guide me in detail about how to travel from a to b and gave advice on do and don’ts. Outstanding service, and I can definitely recommend them to everyone that travels to Ecuador and Galapagos. Thanks once again, especially to Marcelo ??read moreread lessStephanie McGuireI booked a 5-day Galapagos Hotel Package with Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders, and I would do it again! They delivered a great service before, during, and after the tour, they made sure we had the perfect holiday! The Galapagos Islands are truly a paradise, I recommend you visiting them!read moreread less
- Tom JacksonAmazing experience in Ecuador and Galapagos. I'd definitely book through Ecuador and Galapagos insiders again!read moreread lessJane Maffie-LeeMy family had just a week to travel together. One son was already in South America, another came from San Francisco and another son came from Boston along with my husband and I. I found Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders and asked them to help me plan a vacation to the Galapagos that everyone would enjoy. Marcelo was amazing. He was correct that after our flight down it would be too tiring to do the trip from Quito to the islands right away so he arranged a wonderful informative day for us to see the beautiful sites of Quito. The next day we headed off to the Galapagos- it was a long travel day but at each leg of the trip Marcelo had someone waiting for us to walk us through the process and make sure we made our connections. Absolutely everything went off without a hitch. The lodging was all wonderful both in Quito and in the Galapagos. The excursions were amazing- I have never in my life had such an amazing time snorkeling. The people who took us places were genuinely excited about what they did and loved to share their knowledge. We had just the right mix of planned meals and meals on our own. I cannot say it more strongly that this trip was perfectly planned and we all had an amazing time. Thank you all so very much.read moreread lessSamantha HelmsGalapagos and highlands!We found Galapagos Insiders through an online travel guide, they answered promptly to all of our emails, and were very kind at offering advice, we had the chance to speak to two of their travel consultants, Marcelo and Andrea, who are also specialized tour guides, their advice was awesome and everything worked very smoothly. The avenue of volcanoes itinerary was perfect for us and made our trip very special. Thanks for all the recommendations, we certainly hope to go back!read moreread less
- Donald GrayMy family of 4 just got back from our marvelous trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos islands. Our agent Evelyn organized all details of our trip including airport pickups, accommodation, cruise, guides, etc. Everything worked out very well and we were able to enjoy every single day of our holiday. We strongly recommend Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders, and especially Evelyn!read moreread lessBethany ThrasherThe teamwork at Ecuador/Galapagos INsiders is truly unmatched! They work so hard to understand what kind if experience you are hoping to have and clearly care more about your satisfaction than their pocketbook! I was pleased that I was able to receive quick a response to my inquiries. It is great to know that I had a bit of flexibility to schedule both land and sea adventures to my vacation plans.The Amazon is incredible and you should do it if you are on the fence...trust that the EG INsider team will help you have a fantastic experience! Thanks again for everything and I look forward to planning the Spring 2018 Galapagos trip in the coming weeks!!read moreread lessPaula NewtonWe took an extended trip with this very professional operator. This included the Galapagos Islands on a hotel package. The hotels were of a high standard, and the guides were outstanding. We also took a tailored tour of the Ecuadorian Highlands, travelling to Otavalo, Banos and Cuenca, through the avenue of the volcanoes. The guides we had for both aspects of our trip were extraordinary, and our every need was taken care of. Highly recommended!read moreread less
- Jordie McTavishMy wife and I received great service from Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders. We were in Ecuador for a month in the Amazon, on volcanoes, and of course in the Galapagos. Andrea helped us out so very much with all aspects of the trip and throughout the trip. Whenever we asked a question or needed advice Andrea responded promptly and really helped us have a great time in Ecuador! Thanks again for the phenomenal trip!read moreread lessSebastian PageToday is my last day in Ecuador and I couldn't have had a better time. I visited the Galapagos Islands and the Andes. Saw penguins, sea lions and a Condor. It's been one of the best weeks of my life! I booked a personalised tour through Ecuador & Galapagos Insiders and I got fast responses, a GREAT price and most important; the feeling of money well spent, they delivered what I asked for! Pass by Ecuador whenever you have a chance!read moreread lessBrian BayerGalapagos Insiders is a great company committed to helping their guests plan and enjoy the best Ecuador vacation experience. I would recommend Galapagos Insiders to anyone hoping for a fun Galapagos cruise or tour!read moreread less
- Vicky FloraI have to say we were pleasantly surprised! We did a tailor made trip of Ecuador for 10 days back in January, everything worked out very well, from our first contact with Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders, they were always very good with fast responses, and great at making recommendations, our agent was Marcelo, who knows the country up and down and recommended the best places to visit, we got the chance to meet him and the rest of the team in Quito when they took us out for dinner. Best service we have ever had from an agency. Keep up the good work guys!read moreread lessCarina DannenmaierWe did a 9 day Ecuador tailored itinerary with a 5 day Galapagos extension with this agency back in October. Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders was great. They made all parts of our trip very smooth from our pick up at the airport on the first day to our last shuttle back to the airport! We would recommend using Galapagos insiders!read moreread lessGreg OrfordEcuador and Galapagos Insiders organized our recent trip to the Galapagos islands on a 5 star cruise followed by a 4 day tour at the Sacha lodge in the Amazon, our contact at the agency was Cristina, who was of great help at putting together the right dates and right itinerary for us! Thanks Cristina for your great assistance! we would recommend using this company to anyone planning to visit Ecuador and the Galapagos.read moreread less
- William McLeanOur Galapagos trip on board of the Sea Star Cruise with our whole family was amazing, Marcelo got us a great deal and some of the best cabins on the boat for an incredible price, Galapagos Insiders even offered free airport shuttles and a free hotel night in Quito, best value for money you can find in a Galapagos agency! Thanks Marcelo you rock!read moreread lessPatricia RerI enjoyed the tour with Ecuador&Galapagos Insiders very, very much! The organization was perfect. The team is highly professional and was always there for us. We had a great driver/guide on the mainland (ask for José!) and also the accomodation on the islands was very good. An overall wonderful vacation thanks to Ecuador&Galapagos Insiders!read moreread lessJack SizerEcuador and Galapagos Insiders organized our trip of Ecuador mainland going to all the highlights of the country from Quito all the way to the coast, our amazing tour guides were Jose Luis and Marcelo who were always taking care of our every need, they made sure we had the best possible time! The organization was perfect from the moment we got to the country, they welcomed us at the airport with a nice set of chocolates and our contact at the agency was checking on us constantly during the trip, what a superb service! we definitely recommend this agency, and will use them when we go back for more of this beautiful country!read moreread less
- Harris MTraveled with this agency back in November visiting the Amazon, the Galapagos islands,and also Machu Pichu! their service was impeccable at all times, David and Marcelo assisted us through the booking process and Marcelo and Jose were our private guides during most of the trip,accommodation was all at 5 star hotels,and so are their mini vans. For the Peru part of the trip Luis was private guide who was always making sure things went smoothly. More than an agency we felt that the whole team from Galapagos insiders were our friends making sure we had the best timeread moreread less