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.

Amazing 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.

Ecuador 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.

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.

Amazing Experience Visited here from Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, USA. It proved to be a very special experience. Saw plants and animals that were just beautiful.

Amazing trip, easiest planning experience of my life. One of the best trips I’ve ever taken! Truly worth the price. It was a breeze to book and everything went as scheduled.

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.

Alya 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.

Galapagos Trip via the Cormorant The trip exceeded everyone of my very high expectations. The boat and crew were fabulous. Daniel our guide was just Fantastic!

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.

Fantastic 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.

Ecuador 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.

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!

Trip of a lifetime Spent 8 days aboard Natural Paradise. It really was the trip of a lifetime. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

The 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!

Simply incredible All accommodations, from the rooms to transport were fantastic. Evelyn took great care of us and tailored the itinerary to our specific interests. She was extremely helpful and we are lucky to have been recommended to her.

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!

8 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.

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!

Outstanding 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.

Fantástico 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.

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 Insiders

Superb 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 imagine

Cormorant 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 Ecuador

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!

Awesome 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!

Amazing 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.

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.

Magical 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.

Incredible 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!

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!

On 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.

Friendly and helpful Very friendly and helpful! They booked a very nice trip for us in the Galapagos (in our case, land-based).

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!

Adventure 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.

Smooth, 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!

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.

Fantastic 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.

Amazing 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!

Amazing Experience Going to the Galapagos was an amazing trip. Marcelo from Ecuador and Galapagos Insiders made the whole experience seamless and easy. Highly recommend this trip.

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!

Fantastic 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!

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!)

Fantastic Amazing trip to Peru and Galapagos!! Alexandra and the team were incredible. Thank you for the trip of a lifetime.

Awesome trip What a fantastic travel agency. Amazingly responsive and well organized. Exceptional service. Just book with them and relax, the trip will be great.

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!

Unforgettable 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.

So 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!!

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.

They 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.

Above 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!

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.

Customer 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.

They 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.

Brian

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!

The 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!

Superb 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.

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.

Don'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.

Perfect 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.

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.

Love 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.

Stress-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.

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.

Galapagos 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!

Beautiful 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.

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.

Amazing 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!!

Outstanding 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.

Very knowledgeable and superb service. This company is highly recommended. The service on my trip was outstanding - I couldn't have asked for more. We saw so much of this lovely country with an excellent guide. Book with them - you can't go wrong.

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!

Galapagos 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.
Loredana

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.

Beyond 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!

Day 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.