Traveler Testimonials

Our 8-day Family Tour with Galakiwi was outstanding in every way. The many included activities were well-paced and fun for adults and our 13 year-old son. Our guide Pablo was a wealth of knowledge about the natural history of the Galapagos and encouraged all of us to not only ask tons of questions, but also to observe our surroundings closely. His enthusiasm for and love of the islands was evident. From the lovely hotels (with pools), the delicious included meals, the super efficient transport and everything in between, I can't recommend Galakiwi enough for your next family adventure.

Our trip with Galakiwi was a trip of a lifetime. This was our first family trip outside of North America, and we felt confident that all details were taken care of. With our three children aged 6, 9, and 10, we did a Quito city tour, a 5d/4n Amazon stay, and our own 8-day family Galapagos tour with Pablo as our guide. Every day of the trip was full of memories I'll cherish always. I would recommend this trip to anyone without hesitation. If you're considering adding on the Amazon Sacha Lodge stay, do it! And do it on the first part of the trip so you start with earlier mornings, long days, and harder to find animals. Follow that up with your Galapagos trip that is a bit more laid back, but still very active. My kids did great, but I would probably not go with any younger than 6 unless you are confident in their ability to stick to a busy schedule. We loved spending two free afternoons on the beach on Isabella Island. The kids' favorite thing there was the tide pool where they practiced snorkeling. We loved all of the activities including snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, and visiting the giant tortoise breeding centers. Los Tuneles was a highlight for sure. Galakiwi did a great job communicating a few necessary changes and coordinating with us before the trip. All in all, we give this trip a 10 out of 10!

We just returned from an incredible 6-day Galapagos tour with Galakiwi, and it was absolutely AMAZING! The accommodations were beautiful, the food was fantastic, and the wildlife—Wow! We saw everything: sea lions, turtles, penguins, sharks, iguanas, blue-footed boobies—you name it, it was there.

Our guide, Pepo, was outstanding. He shared so much fascinating background information and made the entire experience fun and engaging. He knew exactly where to go to spot all the animals!

Galakiwi was also incredibly responsive and supportive. When my daughter's flight was canceled at the last minute, causing her to arrive a day late, they stepped in immediately. I called Karen, who had organized our trip, and she reassured me not to worry—they adjusted my daughter's itinerary so she could meet up with the group seamlessly. They even sent someone to meet her at the airport to ensure everything went smoothly.

Thanks to Galakiwi, what could have been a stressful situation turned into a seamless experience. They truly saved our trip and helped make it the adventure of a lifetime. It’s no wonder they have so many glowing reviews—they genuinely go above and beyond.

Look no further—highly, highly recommend. What a trip!

Galakiwi is an extraordinary operation that combines professionalism, community and conservation support, deep knowledge of the destination, while also being able to keep it reasonably priced, a rare thing in the Galapagos.

I am a 70 year old, fairly fit woman. With the gentle encouragement of our guide, Pepo, I willingly left my comfort zone and went beyond what I thought I could do. I am so glad I did. I had the information to make a choice if I thought I could not participate and never pressured. I am a retired science teacher. I always dreamt of seeing and experiencing some of the natural wonders that Charles Darwin observed that lead him to formulating the science of Evolution. This I did and so much more. The experience became spiritual for me. That feeling that I am only a small part of God's beautiful creation and truly connected to the Earth and all its creatures. With a heart full of gratitude, I am in awe and wonder of it all. GALAKIWI made this all possible for me.

Galakiwi's family adventure tour was an outstanding active vacation that provided an astounding visual experience of the beauty of the Galapagos. The expert naturalist guide, Jose Luis Cornejo (Pepo) was a passionate educator who provided valuable lessons regarding the conservation efforts and environmental responsibility of the Galapagos.

I researched many different companies and what they tour. This was the perfect one that not only showed the beautiful and wonderous sites, but showed the culture as well. And that is what we wanted to get out of this trip. Culture, sites, experiences. They have it all.

In a word, our guides were PHENOMENAL. I can't say enough about both. Pablo was so knowledgeable and experienced and his passion for the islands just shone through. Paolo was a warm, kind, steady, constant always one step ahead of everything and anticipating our needs and wants - he just took such good care of us all and made sure we had everything we needed.

Trip of a lifetime! Incredible beyond words.

For a wheelchair user, the idea of traveling in the Galapagos seemed impossible. GalaKiwi made it happen - the complete adventure with all the wildlife, natural history, and experiences! We were able to do much, much more than we thought possible. This was the trip of a lifetime.

This is a great outfit, both professional and personal. They handled our large group extremely well, and the guides were super-attentive, knowledgeable, and personable. Highly recommended!

I cannot say enough positive things about our experience with Galakiwi. Every part of our trip went flawlessly, from the reservation process to the entire itinerary to the final transport back to the airport. Our guide through the islands, Martin, was knowledgeable, dependable, flexible, and fun. Our days were packed with diverse and interesting activities, but not overwhelming. Our hotel accommodations were clean and comfortable. Each of our meals were filling, healthy, fresh, and surprisingly delicious. Pretty much every experience exceeded our expectations! Galakiwi made planning and conducting my first student group trip easy…I will absolutely be a repeat customer!

Our guide Pablo is the Steve Irwin of Ecuador and Karen at Galakiwi offered 24/7, 365 concierge customer service. Truly an exceptional experience from booking to completion that left our family with new life long friends. I cannot recommend Galakiwi highly enough!

Excelente Trip! Our highlights were Swimming with sea lions at Tintoreras, seeing the Blue Footed Boobie dance, Floreana island - quiet and mysterious, seeing the southern cross at night, Pepo’s knowledge of all things Galapagean and his patience and gentle manner and humor, the organization of activities and meals and Pepo’s SuperPlans so we were prepared for the next activity.

Awesome, Pepo is world class. Everything went amazingly smoothly.

A big thank you to the team at Galakiwi for making my holiday in the Galapagos the most incredible experience I could have ever wished for. I thought I had missed out completely when my flight from Miami got canceled but Laura rescheduled everything in Ecuador for me and arranged for me to catch up with my group without missing out at all. Pepo our guide did a superb job and every day was even better than the one before, except the last one when we had to go home ?. From beginning to end every single member of the Galakiwi team was incredible. I couldn't recommend this 6-day Galapagos holiday or Galakiwi highly enough. I will treasure all the wonderful memories of the Galapagos.

I would give this trip six stars if I could. This was my second trip with Galakiwi, the first having been with a small group of adults none of whom I knew before the trip. This trip, I requested a custom itinerary for myself, my adult daughter and her husband, and their bright and very active kids aged 7, 10 and 12. The staff did a great job seeking out activities suitable for us, some of which I'd done previously and some I had not. We were even able to book a surfing session. Pablo Valladares was our guide on the first trip and I requested him for this tour because of his outgoing personality, encyclopedic knowledge about the islands, and obvious deep love for the place where he lives. I cannot recommend Galakiwi highly enough. In addition to all the above, Galakiwi offers a land based tour so you sleep in a hotel every night and not on a boat. What could be better?

I learned so much and had so much fun! It was an adventure I will never forget!

Laura at Galakiwi put together a fabulous private 10-day tour itinerary that met our preferences. The tour went smoothly from start to finish and our guide Pablo was fantastic! Thanks to all the folks at Galakiwi for helping us have a wonderful vacation!

Pablo and Galakiwi were incredible and showed us some really amazing places and wildlife. Pablo's knowledge was seemingly endless and he was so great at answering my kids questions and making sure our time was not only interesting but really fun. We are already asking "when can we go back?"

Galakiwi provided my family with the ultimate customized trip, allowing flexibility and providing experiences and information that everyone could enjoy. The highlight of the trip was seeing not just the kids but the adult (my daughter and her husband) experience so many moments of sheer joy and excitement.

Galakiwi provided our 7-person group outstanding, professional services throughout the 13 day customized tour. From the expert advice during the pre-trip planning to the booking experience, the efficient on-site logistics, the exceptional, highly knowledgeable guides, and the excellent family-run quality hotels, everything was perfect. It was the experience of a lifetime that our group had dreamed of. Galakiwi is a superb team all around.

All of our services were well planned, and logistics were timely. The hotels and restaurants were great, we felt well-supported in all of the accommodations. Our guide Fabricio was an amazing host for our group. Our students were engaged and inspired by him and his knowledge of the islands. Having such an energetic and engaging guide for our students was key. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible, we really appreciate all of the planning and support that went into our experience.

We can highly recommend Galakiwi Tours for their professionalism. The tour guides were excellent with their knowledge and attention.

Your tour guide is the person who holds most of the cards when it comes to what type of experience you get. A group of 10 high school students and two teachers requires a different type of guide and client relationship that not everyone can provide. I can only speak for the one tour guide we had, but he was able to deliver a top-notch experience.

I was thoroughly impressed with the organization of all our excursions. We all appreciated Pablo’s energy, enthusiasm and passion that he shared with us throughout our trip. He has gifted us with his knowledge of the islands. Communicating through the website was easy and informative. It was the best snorkeling I have ever done and will never forget! This was a dream trip and it did not disappoint. Thanks to the entire Galakiwi team for making it unforgettable!

I would like to thank Galakiwi for providing an amazing family holiday. It was absolutely seemless and exceeded my expectations. Our guide was so enthusiastic and engaging. The trip was magical and each of us has a different highlight! I highly recommend the 10 day tour and have already suggested it to many of our friends.

Words do not describe this experience of a lifetime for me. Our guide Pablo's enthusiasm is infectious. Their backup crew were so helpful and forgiving. I did not want to leave.

The Galapagos had been a dream trip for a long time, Galakiwi and Pablo made that dream come true. Surpassed my expectations!

Galakiwi is an extremely well run, organized tour that focuses on the details, safety and comfort of all of the people in the group. Our 10 day adventure trip to the Galapagos was phenomenal in every way. Our guide, Pablo and assistant guide, Paulo were enthusiastic and knowledgeable and made every single thing we did exciting and memorable. We couldn’t have asked for a better situation for our first group tour. In addition, Laura was totally responsive and helpful with all of our questions and concerns prior to the trip.

Galakiwi does a wonderful job handling all of the details of traveling in the Galapagos. Our guide was superb and took time to give information about the history, biology, and geology of the islands. The equipment was top notch and we had a memorable experience. I strongly recommend Galakiwi for the adventure minded active traveler who is looking to sample all that the Galapagos have to offer.

We can’t say enough about what an unbelievable time we had exploring the Galapagos thanks to Tim and the Galakiwi team. Our guide, Pepo (Peluche!), was amazing and definitely holds a special place in our hearts. From top to bottom it was a first rate experience filled with an abundance of adventure and unforgettable memories we will cherish for the rest of our lives. Thanks Tim and the entire Galakiwi staff for exceeding our expectations and truly being the best organization anyone visiting the Galapagos could wish for. Until we meet again!