Wir hatten über Galapatours eine 5 Tage (eigentlich nur knapp 3 1/2 Tage) / 3 Nächte Tour auf der Bonita gebucht. Die Kreuzfahrt, die Crew, das Schiff und der Tourguide waren perfekt und die Reise hat genau dem entsprochen, was wir uns vorgestellt hatten. Die Tour (die wir uns selbst ausgesucht hatten, d.h. keine Beratung) wurde, wie in einer anderen Rezension bereits geschrieben, nicht von Galapatour selbst angeboten, sondern nur vermittelt. Leider hatten wir umso mehr Ärger mit Galapatours: Einige Wochen vor den Ferien wurden wir informiert, dass das Schiff überbucht sei (wir hatten schon den vollen Preis gezahlt!), und wir ein Upgrade auf einem anderen Schiff, zu einer anderen Zeit und auf einer anderen Tour bekommen würden. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt war jedoch schon ein Grossteil unserer Reise gebucht. Auf der Webseite von Galapatours waren zu diesem Zeitpunkt noch zwei freie Plätze ausgeschrieben. Wir hatten genau die Flüge gebucht, die uns genannt wurden, da angeblich die Schiffsreise auf die Flüge abgestimmt sein sollten (für das selber buchen der Flüge mussten wir auch noch € "Flight Surcharge" an Galapatours zahlen). Nur wurde die gesamte Kreuzfahrt auf die LATAM-Flüge abgestimmt. D.h. es musste jemand von der Crew extra auf uns am Flughafen warten, das Mittagessen wurde für alle verzögert und die Einführung wurde auf ein kurzes Video reduziert. Am letzten Tag mussten wir extra früh aufstehen und waren bereits um 8:45 am Flughafen (anstatt, wie angegeben, um ca. 12:00). Dort mussten wir erst 1 1/2h auf die Öffnung des Avianca-Schalters warten, um dann bei einer unfreundlichen Mitarbeiterin zumindest auf einen früheren Flug umzubuchen, um nicht noch weitere 2h am Flughafen herumsitzen zu müssen. Das ganze hat neben den ohnehin überteuerten Tickets nochmals 50 USD extra gekostet. Hätten wir direkt die erheblich günstigeren LATAM-Tickets gebucht, hätte dies bei allen Beteiligten für wesentlich weniger Ärger, Kosten und Aufwand gesorgt. Des weiteren wurden wir vom Reisebüro nicht darüber informiert, dass sich nach der Buchung die Einreisebedingungen für Galapagos geändert hatten (COVID-Impfung + PCR-Test). Die Angaben zu den üblichen Preisen für COVID-Tests in Ecuador wurden uns falsch angegeben. Auf das gewünschte Feedback haben wir nach 3 Wochen noch keine Reaktion erhalten. Alles in allem hatten wir nur Ärger mit dem Reisebüro, wirkliche Leistungen, die man erwarten könnte (z.B. rechtzeitige, korrekte Informationen oder kein Mehraufwand für unnötiges hin- und herschreiben), wurden nicht erbracht. Daher unser Tipp: Selber beim Touranbieter oder über ein seriöses Reisebüro buchen!

I traveled on the Petrel **** Luxury class 5 days / 6 nights with a family of four at the end of August 2021. I must note that the amenities, conditions and the program were at the proper level and for the money spent. However, the Galapatours company has nothing to do with this and it is wrong to praise it here as others do. A good product needs to sell well, but in my case it was just awful. When I turned to this office, I was attracted by a lower price than competitors and good reviews on the Internet. I did not need consultation or selection of a cruise, I knew exactly what I needed a year before the trip and transferred the prepayment. In June, I was reminded that it was time to deposit the bulk of the funds. In turn, on my own initiative, in a separate letter, I asked if the payment details had changed, to which I received an answer that the payment details remained the same and attached them in a reply letter. I transferred the balance, after which I received a letter that the payment details had actually changed and I was asked to send the amount again to other payment details. However, two weeks after my payment, they still received the money. These two weeks were nervous and I will not give my correspondence here. But that is not all. Then there was the receipt of a voucher from the company for access to the ship, I was asked for the documents that I had provided earlier, I was surprised, but sent it again, there was no answer. I asked again, received the same request in response, sent it again. Silence again. The situation repeated itself once more. As a result, I received the voucher only on August 24, with the planned trip from August 26. It was all some kind of surrealism. Absolutely unacceptable and unprofessional behavior.

We had a great experience booking a 6 day cruise on board the Cachalote Explorer through Galapatours in October 2019. We first got a great consultation by Benno with a comparison of different cruise options for our preferred routes via email. As we were already on the islands we were then able to jump in spontaneously on a last minute offer that Babett managed to organize within just a couple of hours. Consulting and communication were outstanding, very fast and efficient, so we could start our journey already on the next day. The route of the cruise was amazing as it took us to some of the more remote spots on Isabela and Fernandina as well as Santiago and Bartolomé islands plus Seymour Norte. The itinerary of the cruise was very diverse, it included many amazing snorkeling stops as well as little hikes and walks on land. We saw an abundance of amazing wildlife up close which met all our expectations. One of the highlights was snorkeling with sea lions, penguins, turtles and marine iguanas all at the same time! The boat itself was very charming and the cabins and common areas spacious and comfortable. The crew made sure we had a great experience on board and we felt very well cared for. Our naturalist Juan was an excellent tour guide with an extensive knowledge about the local flora and fauna. He also had a great sense of humor which let to many enjoyable conversations over lunch and dinner. We were only 12 guests on board, a nicely mixed group of all ages which got along really well. Overall, we had a wonderful and memorable experience and would highly recommend booking a Cachalote cruise through Galapatours. Thank you so much again for everything!

We just returned from a 9 day excursion on the Majestic (Galapatours) and it was fabulous. If you are looking for sitting on the deck and watching the Islands while sipping a drink type cruise, look elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you want an intimate look at the Galapagos, and want to combine hiking, snorkeling, and exploring with an experienced guide (sprinkled liberally with excellent food), then look no further, Benno Schmidt organized our tour and provided transfers, transportation and guidance throughout. The crew of the Majestic were seasoned sailors and could not have been kinder or more efficient. You could barely leave the room, without having the bed re-made and room freshened. Safety was a huge concern for the crew and all aspects were covered. The lynchpin of the trip was the guide, Roberto Quintana King. As with all guides, he is contracted, but if you can request him, do so. He was a former high school teacher, has a background in biology and zoology and is a native of the Islands. He was energetic, knowledgeable and an excellent host. You will not need dress clothing for meals, as all are casual. It is difficult to explain the sensation of walking within meters of large iguanas, giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies and sea lions in their habitats in this protected and secluded place. We had sixteen (16) guests on our ship with nine (9) crew which gives you an idea of service you will receive. The captain was friendly, available and there to greet us each tie we came back from an excursion.

We booked the Tip Top IV through Galapatours with Thomas Richmond. They are a German based company. Thomas was very helpful with all our questions regarding the tours and all that we needed for our trip. The trip included our air flight ticket from Quito to Galapagos and it was delivered at our hotel when we arrived to Quito. The ship is clean, the food is really good. We did the 5 day trip with 4 nights. We would do a hike in the morning, then snorkel(with a wet suit highly recommended), back to the boat to a wonderful snack. Some break to get ready for lunch. In the afternoon we would snorkel somewhere else and then another hike, come back to another snack and then dinner. Our tour guide Charles Wittmer also knows about astrology so we were able to do some star gazing depending on how clear the sky was. Our barman Enrique was fantastic as well. He made everyone feel at home. We stayed in cabins #5 and #6 at bottom level and while they are small you don't need more space as the rest of the boat has spacious common areas where you are better off watching the sea or reading a book (there is actually a decent choice of books on the boat). The water is clean and safe to drink which is awesome.

I recently booked an 8 day cruise to the Galapagos Islands through Galapatours and the experience was better than I ever could have imagined. Needless to say, this was the best trip I’ve taken yet, and I travel often. From start to finish their representatives made sure I knew every detail regarding flights, what to pack, how to meet up with the operator of the cruise ship, etc. The Cruise Operators they work with are clearly the best in the business as the experience on the cruise was phenomenal and best in class service. Towards the end of my journey, there was a mix up on the part of the boat operator and Galapatours went above and beyond my expectations in helping me to mend the situation and make sure I got back to mainland Ecuador as scheduled. I highly recommend booking through Galapatours. I’m sure you’ll be as impressed with the trip they book for you as well as the Customer Service experience as I was. Safe Travels!

We have just returned from a fabulous trip to the Galapagos Islands which included an 8 day trip (Itinerary B) on the M/V Galaven booked through Benno Schmidt at Galapatours. The service we received from Benno was excellent. He made the booking process so easy. We are UK based and English speaking. He is German, based in Berlin. His command of English is outstanding. During the four months from booking to travelling he was always on hand to answer all of our questions with great patience and with an impressive knowledge of the islands. Many of our emails were sent late evening or at weekends but he always replied almost immediately showing he monitors the emails at all times, not just during office hours. Galapatours customer service is second to none and we recommend them to anyone who wants to travel to the wonderful Galapagos Islands.

Grace aux subtiles conseils de Galapatour, nous avons fait le choix le plus proches de nos rêves. Avec la chance d'avoir vécu de très belles choses, je suis malheureusement exigeant (trop). Notre séjour sur le bateau Passion, nous avons atteint des sommets qu'il être difficile de détrôner. Confort, petites attentions de l'équipage, festins à répétition, alcool à prix normal, chambre avec bain, marbre et boiserie sont modernes et de bon goût. Les îles visitées dépassent l'entendement et surtout dans le respect des animaux. Vous vous trouverez dans des zoo inversé grandeur nature avec des animaux en liberté et vous "en cage". Parfait. Chaque jour des visites différentes et des plongées (masque tuba) avec un équipement remis par le personnel. Le grand luxe. Le seul défaut sera de trouver mieux l'année prochaine. Merci Galapatour

Overall: 5+ stars (out of 5) We went on the 5-day, 16-passenger cruise aboard the Natural Paradise boat in early July 2018. This boat was put into commission in 2016 so it's really pristine. The trip was really fantastic !! Highest ratings ! The crew was outstanding - any minor issues were taken care of immediately. The food was most delectable, especially the fish dishes and seafood dishes. The naturalist, Marcus, accompanied every land and snorkeling trip - he is very knowledgeable and added so much background about what we were seeing. The water temperature was about 72, which was fine for most people with the shorty wetsuits they provided. I highly recommend that you consider this organization and the Natural Paradise boat for any Galapagos travel.

I just returned from a 12 day cruise on the Coral Yachts around the beautiful Galapagos Islands! Jessica from Galapatours was super helpful and supportive finding the right cruise for me, organising flights and answering patiently all my questions! Thank you so much for everything! I had the best trip, everything was just perfect! From the lovely boats themselves, the outstanding crew, the amazing food and top guides not to mention the stunning landscape and unique wildlife! It definitely is a lifetime experience! Highly recommend Galapatours! Also their website is super informative!!

Expérience merveilleuse bien au delà de mes rêves d'enfant.Météo inespérée. Organisation Galapatour sans faille, confort du bateau Fragata et logistique pragmatique au top pour profiter de chaque spot de façon optimale. Équipage très professionnel souriant, aux petits soins, bref dévoué. "Spécial thanks to Victoriano" le chef Cook qui nous a régalés pendant toute la croisière et à Roberto notre guide naturaliste, qui nous a accompagnés aux meilleures heures partout où la nature pouvait nous donner ses plus jolis rendez vous . Un rêve réalisé . MERCI

We took a 5-day cruise around the Galapagos in Dec 2022. The boat was extremely nice. The crew was incredibly accommodating and went above and beyond to keep everything clean and keep us well-fed. On one occasion, they took a few of us out to make loops around Isla Champion on our request in order to look for a rare bird that inhabits the island. This was not on the itinerary, but they made it happen. The food was delicious and readily available and the private balcony in the room allowed us access to the air and sights without leaving the room.

The Galapatours feels like a small town, friendly company vs. a corporate business. I did at first have some trouble getting a response from the agent I was set up with on a couple questions regarding my trip. The founder of the company corrected this immediately and reached out personally to make sure everything was right. I will book with them again in the future for this reason. I am deeply impressed by the action taken by the founder and his shown love for his company and commitment to providing a positive experience.

We worked with Thomas and he was amazing. He did a fantastic job listening to what we wanted in our trip to Galapagos and narrowing the options down based on that. We loved the tour he found for us on the Odyssey. From beginning to end he answered questions quickly and completely. Process of booking and receiving documentation, payment, etc was so easy. Highly recommend him and Galapatours.. Have already sent my sister to him for a trip she is planning. Had such great knowledge of the Galapagos and the various options.

We finally had our cruise to Galapagos Island in July 2019 for 1 week. Organization by Galapatours (Andino Garcin) , and implementation by the crew of the Grand Majestic cruise (own by RoyalGalapagos) was simply impeccable, excellent! Andino was very supportive, patient and friendly, you won’t be disappointed with his service. The cruise 9 crew members + the guide were fantastic, smiling and friendly all the time. Food and service was excellent as well as the room service. I highly recommend the 2 companies.

Fantastic - a great trip. No tours are cheap in Galapagos. We had 8 days aboard a ship with 14 other tourists. When booking, we were concerned about whether Galapatours and Thomas Richmond (who we dealt with) were reputable. We did not need to worry. We experienced no problems. Our service was great, no hitches. On the day of arrival at Galapagos, we were upgraded to a better boat (so nice). The micromanaged tour itself was faultless and out of this world (literally).

Great tour, crew and guide(Victor Hugo). Snafu with booking response. Slow response regarding itinerary. We arrived 2 days early and stayed in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz. We paid $25 from aiport to hotel, $25 to go back to airport to meet our guide and drove past our hotel on way to boat to begin a Great experience! Crew, Captain( invited us to bridge to cross the equator) and chef( vegan !) on Treasure were the best and we recommend Galapagatours!

Thomas set up a Naturalist Cruise in the Galapagos on the Alya Yacht. The boat was amazing and the trip was actually better than my already high expectations. The decision to take this cruise was very last minute, and Thomas was able to get it all booked in a timely and efficient manner. I would certainly use Galapatours for any future travel, and I would recommend them if you are looking to travel to the truly Enchanted Islands of the Galapagos.

Our family had a remarkable Galapagos experience on board Nemo II arranged through Galapatours. The whole team are highly knowledgeable, really approachable, and give great advice, recommendations and tips. Some of the best service I've had from a travel company from people who actually know the islands and have extensive personal travel experience to Galapagos, Ecuador and South America. Highly recommended for booking a Galapagos cruise with.

Our Galapagos 5 days cruise on the Legend was great. We enjoyed this comfortable ship with spacious cabins and great food. Also of course the land tours and snorkeling in tose fabolous islands. Everything was well organized, in great atmosphere, crew was helpful and friendly. The assistance we received from Galapatours crew - Jessica and Micaela - was impeccable. Both were friendly and highly responsive. Thanks on behalf of all of us!

Our trip to the Galapagos was wonderful. Booking through Galapatours was trouble free. The tickets for the flight to the Galapagos Islands and Tip Top III cruise arrived at our hotel in Quito the day after we arrived. The flight to the islands and transportation to our boat went like clockwork. The Tip Top III crew and guide also worked together well. All involved made the adventure carefree. Even the wildlife was exceptional!

Superbe voyage, on est vraiment dans un autre monde ! Nous avons énormément apprécié la croisière, et la durée de 11 jours, qui était parfaite. Tout s'est très bien déroulé. Le bateau Anahi est très bien, même si les cabines sont un peu petites, mais on n'y passe pas beaucoup de temps (:-) Equipage très sympa, nourriture variée et excellente. Un grand merci à Andino pour ses conseils, son accompagnement et sa disponibilité.

My experience was amazing, I didn't end up booking with Galapatours, but my overall experience with them was awesome. I wrote a thousand of emails to Babett and she replied to every single one of them, answering all my questions, and looking for availability of everything I wanted. She was even able to get me lower rates from local agencies. My experience was awesome and definitely recommend them.

Galapagos – der Name faszinierte schon seit meiner Kindheit. Nach dem Entschluss, es wirklich zu sehen, war viel Recherche angefallen. Benno, zufällig gefunden im Netz half mir mit der Selbstverständlichkeit und Professionalität, die man selten erfährt. Dankeschön, ohne diese Beratung wäre es eine andere Reise gewesen. Es war einfach klasse! Zu viel Lob ? – Nein, einfach selbst ausprobieren!

Excellent service finding my Galapagos Cruise - Richard at Galapatours was very helpful and insightful when I was comparing cruises for my Galapagos trip. He was able to find me a spot on a new cruise ship that did not uncharge for single cabins (which is the exception, rather than the rule). I appreciated his professionalism and diligence, and loved my 8 days on the Solaris.

Thomas helped me to figure out the boat and itinerary that suited my needs, addressed all my questions and provided very helpful recommendations. It was incredible trip for me and my daughter! The facility is sparking clean. The crews are extremely helpful, responsive, pleasant and thoughtful. I would surly ask Thomas' help again for my family's trip to Galapagos.

Wir waren mit Galapatours in Quito, auf der Humbold Explorer zum tauchen und auf San Cristobal im Anschluss an die Tauchreise. Es war von Benno alles super organisiert und die Hotelempfehlungen waren Top. Wir planen im nächsten Jahr eine erneute Reise nach Galapagos und würden jederzeit wieder mit Galapatours buchen. Vielen Dank Benno!

They are very slow getting back with quotes, but the owner takes time to explain their situation of staff shortness. They need to also update their website frequently - we requested for a cruise with a quote shown, but got offer which was $1000 more. When called the boat, they said the price was changed more than a month ago.

We just returned from a 5 day trip on the Alya Galapagos and it was the most amazing week. The boat was beautiful, the crew stupendous, great food, incredible nature guide and the most wonderful interactions with animals, fish, and our other passengers! Thomas took care of all our needs and the trip was seamless.

I recently used Galapatours to book a trip to the Galapagos Islands on the Coral 1. We had a fantastic time - the crew and the boat were first-rate. The booking experience was painless and easy thanks to Thomas and his team. He quickly responded to issues and questions. The team was trustworthy and proficient.

Sehr guter Service. Der Kundendienst war sehr zuverlässig und ausgesprochen freundlich und sehr persönlich. Best Preis Garantie stimmt tatsächlich. Ich habe den Cruise woanders um einen günstigeren Preis gefunden und sie haben mir die Preise dementsprechend angepasst. Ich kann Galapatours nur weiterempfehlen!

We returned from a fantastic trip to Quito and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. Benno from Galapatours helped with our booking on the Archipell II and hotels and was a great source of information and wonderful suggestions. We hope to return to the Galapagos and will work with Benno again. Thanks!

Thomas was great - the representative met us at the airport and it was smooth from start to finish. The boat was lovely , the crew were fabulous , as was the food and the itinerary was hard to beat. A once in a lifetime trip that we so enjoyed. Thanks Thomas & Galapatours - I highly recommend them

We booked a 8-day cruise in the Galapagos for our honey moon with Galapatours and they were amazing. We had the time of our life thanks to them. A special thanks to Babett for all her help. I can only recommend them as they will find the perfect solution for your schedule, budget, etc.

One of the best and enjoyable trip I had with my wife and friends on the Grand Majestic yacht. Babett Kanalas gave us all we needed and she was very helpfull. we made some friends during the trip and had the best of the trips and food. Highly recommended.

Thomas was ultra helpful and Natural Paradise 5-day cruise was fabulous. Loved the sites, the crew, and our naturalist Marcus. Food was excellent and activities were planned just right! Highly recommend it!

Cruise mit der Archipell über Galapatours gebucht. Kontakt mit Benno Schmidt war super zuverlässig und freundlich. Gute Preise und guter Service. So soll es sein, daher klare Empfehlung.

Malena was a great tour guide. Very knowledgeable, detailed and concerned about keeping Galapagos pristine. Overall the food and service from the entire crew was great. Well organized.

Great service easy to use and organize. We did it last minute, so options have been limited but Thomas did great job to gets us set with good boat and great itinerary.

One of the most wonderful and enjoyable trip I had with my family. we made many friends during the trip and had the best of the trips and food. Highly recommended.

We reserved a cruise that is due to start tomorrow but have not heard from them since despite multiple emails, Facebook messages and phonecalls.

Great company, Benno especially was very helpful in planning family vacation. Quick to respond to even smallest details. Very happy.

Galapatours helped us find and book an excellent 8 day Galapagos cruise.

Awesome experience booking our five day cruise in the Galapagos!