Galapatours Avis 

We booked a 5-day cruise in the Galapagos Islands.
At first we got quick responses to our answers and everything was fine. The information and contact was friendly and good.
Trouble started with the payments. I paid a deposit of 50%, that's a considerable sum if you know the prices of the tours. Over 3 days after paying the deposit I received about 3 e-mails that I didn't pay my deposit and that they couldn't hold my reservation. It gave me a lot of stress and frustration because they didn't respond to my e-mails and phone calls. The excuse; they were automated mails and they don't work during the weekend.
A few months later I paid the rest of the amount and it took two mails and two weeks before they finally confirmed my payment.
All in all, everything else went fine so I would have given 3 stars until I received a mail that they donated $10 to nature conservation, which is just laughable considering the amount I paid. This is plain greenwashing.

Galápagos Cruise was great. Booking process and some ship details can be improved.

Everything related to the early coordination of the reservation and payment was efficient and good. The highlight was of course the cruise. The ship is not the pinnacle of luxury but very comfortable and the crew did everything to make the cruise enjoyable. The food was very good and the tours with the guide Fabian were excellent. Without a doubt a great value cruise with great benefits.

Excellent ship and staff. Second visit to Gslapagos and would recommend using Go Galapagos and also staying on the Legend. It’s small enough not to be crowded and big enough to avoid people (if you wanted to).

If you can do all four sections (obviously price dependent) but each section is unique in its own way. We went inside cabin and if you can get it. Cabin 11 is massive.
Looking forward to returning for Darwin’s 200th anniversary in 2035.

From the moment of booking the trip until getting off the boat it has been the most extraordinary experience. Can fully recommend the agency and Tip Top II. Thanks everyone!

Ship is older and in need of some updates and repairs. Our room AC did not work and room was hot. Had to sleep on the upper deck couches to get any sleep. Then 1 night everybody's ac went out, rough night. Rooms had a small smell to them which you might expect on an older cruise. Food was basic but good and plenty of it. Crew was nice and guide IVAN was fantastic, much better then previous Galapagos guides. Because of the lower price point it is a younger crowd, enjoyed that. Would recommend for those that are on a budget.

Alles hat wie besprochen geklappt. Angenehme Kontakte

The Galápagos Islands are magical, & I enjoyed one of the most phenomenal experiences of my life. My fellow adventurers were wonderful, the crew was wonderful, the food was amazing. Our guide was vastly knowledgeable & super nice. Everyday we enjoyed hikes & snorkeling, where we could get surprisingly close to the animals we met--sea lions, iguanas, sea turtles, tortoises, birds of all kinds. The ship will rock a bit in rough water, which made for some interesting nights as we traveled between islands. It was overall comfortable, though the bed was a bit hard for my taste. Everything was clean, & we were treated to some special moments, like when we crossed the equator. I was thoroughly happy with my Galapatour. The information shared before departure was detailed & valuable, & my questions were promptly answered. A most enthusiastic recommendation for an unforgettable experience.

We booked a tour through Galapatours for a luxury cruise, and everything went flawlessly. They handled transportation from Quito to Galapagos, transportation to the boat, and everything else to do with the cruise. The cruise itself that we booked was phenomenal. It was a wonderful experience through and through.

Overall, I was extremely pleased with galapatours as a booking agent. The communication by email was very clear and precise. We had a nerve wracking start when I made our deposit and then did not hear from a human for several days despite reaching out by phone and email. They were in the midst of changing systems, and explained everything once they were back online, but it did cause me some anxiety. Also , I appreciated that several former customers gave the heads up that you will not receive official confirmation numbers for you flights, hotel, cruise until about 10 days before launch. That would have caused me concern if I didn't know it was normal.

The customer service is excellent, the communication was well organized and clear. The cruise was an absolute dream come true. Thank you!

We had a great trip on the Alya for a six day voyage. We were met at the pier by Jaime who was also responsible for our well-being during the whole trip.
The ship (catamaran) was very new, the cabins small but fully functioning with a balcony and 3 times a day clean up during the man activities we did from snorkeling to hiking. Especially the snorkeling was very rewarding with sea lions, iguanas, penguins, mantas, sharks, etc.
The food was very tasty and on top we were lucky to have great companions on that trip which made the conversations and activities perfect.
Also, the booking process with Galapatours and especially Hitomi were from the very first mail very helpful and knowing and made the whole experience very smooth and pleasant.

All the staffs members are friendly and the experience is excellent.

My trip on Bonita was absolutely wonderful and exceeded expectations. A special mention to (1) our guide, Fabian, who went out of his way to ensure each excursion was the best it could be; and (2) our bartender and waiter, Estephan, who looked after us and nothing was too much trouble.
The wildlife was incredible and the food was plentiful and a high standard.
Certainly a trip that will stay with me always. Highly recommend!

It was the trip of a lifetine! Just AMAZING! I loved the Bonita itself, the great crew und our guide Fabian. And of course: the Galápagos and it‘s incredible wildlife, especially the boobies and penguins and and and ….
I really want to thank Hitomi and the rest of the Galapatours-team for helping me plan this trip and answering every single question I had in advance! You have been awesome! I hope you will help me get back there one day (already started saving money)! 😃

I've already left a review on Tripadvisor, hoping that would help. They responded with a very pretty message saying how they'd action my complain immediately. And nothing... timeline below. Maybe another negative review might jog them. And to clarify, the cruise itself was great. Crew and guide all wonderful as was the itinerary. But...

24th Feb - no return transfers organised. Completely ignored and missed off list when rest of party got picked up. Happy enough to make my own way to airport as I had a bit of time.

Emailed 5 times (including once on the day) asking to recover my money - a mere $36.

Posted a complaint on TripAdvisor 16th March.

23rd March (a week later) the contact replied on email - note that they wouldn't grant me a couple of weeks' extension to the final payment date as I was out of the country at the time and forgot to plan ahead. Spouted some nonsense about a 'new CRM system' meaning emails were lost and said payment would be arranged within a week in the next email on 27th March.

6th April - still waiting.

It's ridiculous and a point of principle now. Maybe someone might actually action something if they see this?

Now I think about it, comms around flights weren't great in advance either as I was sat around waiting both ends of the trip after being advised incorrectly.

Honestly, I now have grounds for a far bigger claim and tempted to pursue.

After initial delays in communication, Galapatours resolved my concern and matched the current price for my booking. I appreciate that they handled this fairly and confirmed everything is secured. Communication could have been quicker, but I’m satisfied with the outcome and looking forward to the trip.

The representative gave outstanding service. Her responses to my questions were virtually immediate. I have nothing but positive things to say regarding this company.

This was an amazing trip. They looked after every detail, from someone meeting us at the airport to give us our plane tickets and luggage check tags in Quito to our guide who taught us so much about the wildlife and geology of the Galapagos. The food was amazing and plentiful, including an ice cold or pipping hot drink and snack following every activity. Nemo II is a beautiful and comfortable sailing vessel and the crew were outstanding. The activities were fantastic, from hikes on each of the islands to snorkeling to kayaking/paddleboarding or just hanging out on board Nemo II with the wind in your hair as we sailed to a new island. Galapatours took care of every detail of the preparations and answered every question we had promptly. This was definitely a trip of a lifetime and we highly recommend Galapatours and seeing the Galapagos Islands aboard Nemo II!

Organisation of everything was amazing. We were met off the plane & the boat on return, so absolutely no worries about where to go. Our add on trips were all booked & arranged very well. The cruise & especially the naturalist guide was brilliant.

A truly incredible Galapagos adventure. Paola V. was fantastic helping us along the way with all logistics and answering questions leading up to our departure. We were met buy another Paola in the airport in Quito, who was incredibly helpful with our luggage and fast-tracking us through. Felt like a VIP experience. Once we arrived at our starting island, we were warmly welcomed and bused to the port to embark on the Montserrat. Everything from day 1 to day 5 / 9 (we stayed the full 9 days) is extremely well thought out and planned from introduction to welcome drinks, evening briefings, time between activities, meals, leaving toasts, etc… The crew are incredibly hard working and attentive and become family after a few days. The food was amazing and the chef catered to my GF allergy. I did not need to eat any of my emergency snacks. Our guide, Yazmany was THE BEST! He went above and beyond and made every excursion enjoyable, exciting and educational. His love and passion for the Galapagos was contagious and having him as our guide made an amazing trip incredible!! TIPS:
Pack active wear, quick drying clothes for trekking / hikes
Boat is very casual so no formal clothes needed
Bring boat shoes (flip-flops) if you don't want to walk around the boat barefoot or in socks. You take your shoes off after each excursion to avoid bringing any contamination (from your treks) onto the boat
Boat had wifi, pleasant surprise
This is an active trip. On most days we had 2 activities in the morning (hike/snorkel) and 2 in the afternoon (walk/snorkel). But you get plenty of time to rest during lunch time and in the evening
You can hand wash laundry if needed and hang clothes on the upper deck (clotheslines and pegs provided)