Kimkim Trip Reviews for Galapagos Islands

I had a wonderful trip to the Galapagos Islands, thanks to our travel agent Maria Jose and all the KimKim team. I was part of a group of 12 friends traveling together from the US. None of us had ever been to Ecuador before. Maria planned a great tour for us, including all day trips, transfers, some meals and travel within Ecuador. The trip got off to a very rough start, since our initial flights were canceled due to bad weather and all of us had to rebook. Most of the group were delayed by a couple of days, and Maria helped each of us according to individual circumstances. As it turned out, I alone landed in Galapagos on the planned arrival day, and I was by myself for 48 hours until the group was reunited. Maria arranged for guides, transfers, and a great boat tour during those first two days on my own. I felt completely supported, even without my traveling companions in a new place. Once we were all together, the remaining week of tourism went very smoothly; we loved the excursions led by friendly and knowledgeable guides. Maria remained responsive and supportive throughout the entire tour and beyond. I was impressed with her patience and her genuine desire that we should have an excellent experience.

WE had several guides throughout our trip. Vivianna was very knowledgeable and thorough. The lunch at the tortoise reserve was quite outstanding, Edwin was also very knowledgeable, considerate of the age range of our group and a watchful eye during our snorkeling adventure! David was with us for a full plus day touring the Historical District and Middle earth. Again he was very aware of or different ages and capabilities. I think he knew everything about everything Ecuadorian!!
Our trip was challenging because weather delays were responsible for 2 lost days. Maria Jose had to rearrange flights and hotel rooms. She put a best effort forward. She arranged for our lost luggage to be delivered to our hotel in Puerto Arroya! We were all pretty sure we would never see that luggage again. Thank you Majo!!

Paola did an excellent job

Hotel Reviews

Blu Galapagos Sustainable Waterfront Lodge

Puerto Ayora

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Iguana Crossing Boutique Hotel

Galápagos

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Indigo Galápagos

San Cristóbal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

JW Marriott Hotel Quito

Quito

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Exceptional. Our guide Jairo is a superb guy and would go with him any number of times. Very empathetic, patient, concerned and made sure we enjoyed the activities with out fear.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highlands of Santa Cruz Island

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flamingo Lagoon & Tortoise Breeding Center

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

El Junco Lagoon & Puerto Chino Beach

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Interpretation Center & Tijeretas Hill

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We saw amazing scenes and wildlife every day! The local guides were all fantastic - very knowledgeable, helped us negotiate some of the tougher terrains, and kept us informed of travel arrangements. There were a couple of glitches with taxi pickups, but we knew who to contact to fix it. The hotels (Ikala on Santa Cruz, Isamar on Isabella, and Seaside on San Cristobal) were all really nice, especially the Ikala.
The speedboat transfer from Santa Cruz to Isabella was HORRIBLE! 2 hours of constant jostling and slamming down HARD on the water every few minutes was frightful and gave me a backache. The flight arrangements all worked fine.

Hotel Reviews

Wyndham Quito Airport

Quito

Nice modern hotel, clean comfortable rooms. Frequent shuttle to airport. Very good restaurant, although the service was slow one night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Just a few minutes from airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

SeaSide Hotel

Galapagos

The room was large and clean and comfortable. The breakfasts were large and OK

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

There were some small creepy crawlies in the bathroom, other wise clean

Isamar Hotel

Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela

Beautiful view of the beach.

Authenticity & Character

Small hotel with local flare

Location

Right on beach

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mostly clean and comfortable. The windows were not sealed well so we had little iguanas in the room.

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

The rooms were large, clean, and very comfortable. The restaurant was fabulous!

Authenticity & Character

Tropical vibe beautifully landscaped

Location

Very close to downtown and ferry connections

Staff

They packed us a breakfast to go when we had early departures

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer to the airport for your flight back home (Departure)

Galapagos Islands

Our guide and driver came on time and whisked us to the airport. Our guide helped us with our luggage into the airport and helped us check in.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free morning on San Cristobal until Departure

Isla San Cristóbal

Not much was open so early in town, but watching the sea lions was fun.

Quality of Experience

Embracing Nature: Discovering Wildlife on Española Island

Isla San Cristóbal

We saw the Nazca boobies and the waves albatross here, very special wildlife and scenery. The trails were rocky and quite challenging.

Quality of Experience

Wonderful unique sights

Food

Chicken was dry and overcooked.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide helped us with the rugged terrain, even taking my phone to take lots of pictures when I had to concentrate on navigating the trails

Transport

The boat was small and fairly spartan. One engine failed during our return, but so we had to slow down and return to dock late.

Welcome to San Cristóbal Island! Visit the Interpretation Center, Tijeretas Hill, or La Lobería

Galapagos Islands

We didn’t do Tijereas Hillsince it was late in the day, but the Interpretation Center was interesting, and La Loberia with all the sea lions was cool.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very accommodating with bringing us a driver when the walking looked too far.

Transport

The restaurant recommended by our guide for dinner was great!

Isabela Island's Treasures: Exploring the Breeding Center & Wetlands

Galapagos Islands

The wetlands had some good bird sightings. The walk was quite long, but mostly the scenery was worth the hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discover the Wonders of Tintoreras Islet: A Journey into Breathtaking Biodiversity

Puerto Villamil

We saw the elusive Galapagos penguins!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

The wildlife were fabulous, saw many new species. The trail got a too rugged for my sister and I so we were able to wait at a designated area and meet the group later. Lunch on the boat was fantastic. Getting in and out of the small dinghies to get to the boat and island were challenging for us, but the crew was great to steady us.

Quality of Experience

Seeing blue footed boobies and frigate birds and sea lions.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very helpful to us old ladies with some challenges.

Transport

Nice boat with good seats, nice bathroom

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

It was great to be met at the plane and taken for our afternoon activities. The giant tortoises were really cool. Lunch was good, and fun to be outside so we could watch the birds and tortoises.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin!

Galapagos Islands

It was nice after a long day of travel to be met by a driver with my name on a card.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

we had an amazing time in the galapagos & Quito unfortunately we had some weather issues affecting our flights from home causing us to reschedule flights & lost luggage our kim kim specialist Majo was able to get our luggage to the galapagos & although we missed a day & half in San Cristobal we had a wonderful time in Santa cruz for 3 days & when we returned to the city in quito a most delicious dinner arranged & paid for by kim kim . Plus a birthday party for our friend doug who this whole trip was planned for his 60th also arranged by kim kim . Great tour guides & drivers in both places & transfers went well . Majo & her team went up & above to help us & was reachable easily . This is my third Kim Kim trip & each one has been a great experience.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Palace Guayaquil

Guayaquil

dated but clean small restaurant only stayed 1 night on way to Galápagos

Authenticity & Character

They have a interesting history

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Quito Airport, an IHG Hotel

Tababela

very helpful, professional, pleasant & courteous. 10min from airport, free shuttle. We had an issue with lost luggage they assisted our travel specialist kim kim to help get our luggage delivered to galápagos. Bernie bar manager was awesome!! we loved staying there breakfast was great too , very comfortable beds & rooms!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

10 min from airport free shuttle

Staff

Great staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guayaquil - Free afternoon

Guayaquil

we got there at night it was day of the dead so we just had dinner about 3 blocks from our hotel & left early next day

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin!

Galapagos Islands

we had travel issues related to weather kim kim was helpful in responding & rescheduling activities to fit our schedule

Quality of Experience

Reachable , concerned & adaptable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent drivers & guides

Transport

excellent

We have NEVER worked with a more amazing company!!!!! Paola was INCREDIBLE!!!! She catered to our every need. My husband and I are 70 years old. We had to be particular about our activities. Paola took everything into consideration to make the trip suit our needs. We are birders. Paola made sure we would achieve our goals. Our guides were personable and knowledgable. Alexis knew his "stuff". Nicholas was a kind charmer who kept us smiling the entire time. The "other" Nicholas did every thing he could to find birds for us. He succeeded!!!!!

I actually cried when I entered our hotel and looked from the balcony. It was that perfect! We will return, and we will use KimKim wherever we plan to travel.

Hotel Review

Hotel Indigo Galápagos

San Cristóbal

Gorgeous views and the room was spacious. The restaurant was wonderful and everyone was sooooooooo kind.

Location

The view and it was close to everything!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kayaking Adventure - Ochoa Beach

Isla San Cristóbal

My husband and son went on this adventure. They said it was the best snorkeling they did on the entire trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Punta Pitt

Galapagos Islands

It was a lovely boat trip over! My son and husband enjoyed diving. I was welcomed to the top of the boat, to take pictures of birds! Then the walk to Punta Pitt was incredible. Red-footed Boobies with young in nests. A bird photographers dream!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day-Trip to Española Island

Galapagos Islands

This was our favourite day! The boat trip was a bit rough, but that was to be expected. Birds! Birds! Birds! And Nicholas could help us identify birds on the ocean.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

La Lobería & Barranco

Galapagos Islands

It's a tricky walk, but worth it! Alexis, our guide was informative and kind!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Anthony put together a once in a lifetime experience for me. He covered it all with carefully thought out detail and stayed diligent in communicating with great frequency. Anthony’s knowledge of the Galapagos was amazing. Both land and underwater, everything was perfect.
Arriving for an overnight stay in Guayaquil and then the next morning off Santa Cruz was simple. Jorge with Link greeted me on my arrival at the airport, escorted me to the hotel, picked me up the next morning and escorted me back to the airport. Jorge stayed with me through the many steps required to gain proper entry to the Galapagos. Upon my return to Guayaquil, Jorge was right there waiting for me. Again, back to the hotel and a pick up the next morning for my final journey back to the USA.
On my arrival to the Galapagos, I was greeted by Rubin with Link. Once through baggage check, a short bus ride and water taxi, we arrived on Santa Cruz Island. A taxi transport and we were off to the Highlands for lunch, that was followed by an incredible tour through the national park that protects the giant tortoises. Rubin, a biologist and naturalist, narrated the incredible history of how the these gentle giants arrived in the Galapagos.. His knowledge was endless, I felt like I was back in college with an inspiring professor. Back to the taxi for our trip to my hotel, but Rubin wasn’t done as he guided me up to the tortoise Darwin research foundation center where my education continued. If you have chance to ask for Rubin, don’t think thing twice, just do it.
Next was my dive experience, all set up by Anthony with Scuba Iguana. I went the morning before my first dive to be outfitted with all my dive gear. Conveniently located , a short 45 second walk from my hotel, Blu Galapagos. The staff was excellent, quickly checked me in and fitted me with all the equipment I needed for the next five days of diving.
The next morning I arrived at 7 AM for a daily briefing and met dive master Santiago Insuasti who would be my guide for 5 consecutive days of 2 dives per day.
Then a taxi to the dive boat where we met the captain and crew. Each dive had its own unique personality and variety of sea creatures that makes the Galapagos a very special place. Sticking with Santiago was a sure thing, as he was first to notice sharks, sea turtles, stingrays, schools of barracuda, octopus, eels and heavy schools of colorful small fish. Videos captured all the days treasures. Everyday underwater can be a good day. Luckily, we had an outstanding dive on Friday, Our dive at Daphne was the best I’ve had in 20 years. It started with 2 white tip sharks laying at the bottom, quickly followed by 2 playful sea lions zooming around us starring in our mask then flipping around and taking off. Then turtles and stingrays, to many to count. An octopus tucked in a rock opening and a green eel sticking his head out. The grand finale was a huge very dense school of small fish, so thick you couldn’t see through them. The kind of dive you didn’t want to end. After all our dives, Santiago patiently helped transfer numerous videos to our phones. Honestly, I’ve never had a master diver like him.
The next morning, it was time to say good bye to Santa Cruz and Galapagos. I was greeted by Gandhi with Link who escorted me via taxi back the airport and made sure all my details were correct for my return to the Ecuador mainland, Guayaquil.
Finally, Anthony with KimKim set all this in motion and it was a flawless execution, exceeding all my expectations.
Thank you Anthony with KimKim and the Link organization.
A special thank you to Santiago Insuasti with Scuba Iguana, who made my underwater experience so captivating.

Alvaro made the planning process very easy and quickly answered all our questions. We had an amazing trip and absolutely loved all the hiking, snorkeling, boating, and great food! We took hundreds of photos and made lots of great memories. We especially loved our hotel in Santa Cruz and hearing the story of the owner and her family- she greeted us with iced tea and cold towels to cool off and we had a delicious breakfast on the rooftop with views of the harbor each day of our stay.

Hotel Reviews

Isamar Hotel

Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela

Helpful staff and great location right in beach

San Jose de Puembo Quito Airport, an Ascend Hotel Collection

Puembo, Quito

Beautiful hotel and delicious food at restaurant

Plaza Luna Suites

Puerto Ayora

Amazing hotel! Owner was super sweet and told us all about her family history. We lived the breakfast in the roof, the little garden, and the great staff! Would recommend to anyone going to Santa Cruz!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome Back to Quito

Galapagos Islands

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin!

Galapagos Islands

Experience the Pristine Beauty of Galápagos Islands: Discovering an Uninhabited Island

Puerto Ayora

Best way to end the trip- peaceful and scenic boat ride to North Seymour with lunch, free wine, fresh fruit and great views. We loved seeing all the wildlife including flamingos! Had a great time snorkeling as well! Reccomend renting wetsuit day before

Hiking the Sierra Negra Volcano (AM) & Speedboat to Santa Cruz Island (PM)

Galapagos Islands

Beautiful hike- challenging if you aren’t in shape though. It is 10 miles in rough terrain. Recommend bring own meal as meal is not as good as food in rest of trip (missed my vegetarian note so I only had oranges to eat). We love hiking and this had great views and a fun climb so would reccomend!

Discover the Wonders of Tintoreras Islet: A Journey into Breathtaking Biodiversity

Puerto Villamil

Great wildlife in this tour- recommend renting your own wetsuit in town ahead of time

Afternoon Bay Tour in Santa Cruz

Puerto Ayora

We lived the boat ride and animals we saw- lots of baby blue footed boobies! We enjoyed snorkeling as well.

Welcome to Santa Cruz Island: Highlands (Plant a Tree) & Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Loved the lava cave tour and the tortoise ranch. Had a delicious meal and lots of great photos

Snorkeling at Tortuga Bay

Puerto Ayora

Loved the hike and kayaking in the bay- saw lots of sea turtles! Bring cash to rent your own kayak

Everything worked out very smoothly. Great communication, putting something together for us. Last minute was pretty miraculous. Highly recommend! Beautiful place and saw and did almost everything we wanted to do..

Our 6-day Galápagos trip with kimkim, visiting San Cristobal, Isabela, and Santa Cruz, was outstanding in every aspect. Organization was seamless—transfers, ferries, and daily excursions all went flawlessly, and every detail was coordinated in advance, making the experience truly worry-free. The hotels were comfortable, clean, and charming, with attentive staff at each location.
Excursions and guides were a highlight: we explored iconic wildlife sites, went snorkeling with turtles and penguins, and enjoyed insightful guided tours to giant tortoise reserves and the Charles Darwin Research Station. The guides were exceptionally knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and engaging, making each activity both fun and educational. Special thanks to Viviana in Santa Cruz!!!
In Quito, the service quality continued at the same high standard. Special mention goes to Matteo, who was especially helpful—offering insightful guidance, arranging smooth logistics, and enhancing our city experience with his expertise and friendliness.
We highly recommend kimkim for a Galápagos and Quito adventure—well organized, reliable, with excellent guides, great service, and memorable experiences from start to finish

Ms. Jacquie Granda, you are God sent. We thank you so much for arranging our amazing trip to Ecuador/ Galápagos. We had an absolutely incredible time and everything went so smoothly. The airport transfers were seamless. The hotels you recommended were extraordinary. The activities and restaurants you suggested were perfect! The guides (especially David, Ruben and James) provided great service, knowledge and guidance. The whole itinerary you created for us was spot on! For all your hard work and precise attention to details, THANK YOU, you rock! 🤘🏼 YOU will definitely hear from us on our future south america travels/trips. #highlyrecommended ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hotel Reviews

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

The hotel speaks great service, comfort, cleanliness and professionalism! our stay was incredible!

Authenticity & Character

Location

geographically spot on!

Staff

Shoutout to Christian for excellent service! 🫶🏼 Always dependable and attentive to guests’ needs!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Swissotel Quito

Quito

Staff service, Food, Cleanliness, Comfort Professionalism - five star! ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring the Santa Cruz Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

Galapagos Islands

Seeing the giant tortoises just walking hand in hand with humans was a surreal experience. It's something you usually only see in a zoo, but here, they're just not bothered at all by human presence. Highly recommend!

Afternoon Bay Tour in Santa Cruz

Puerto Ayora

The Afternoon Bay Tour in Santa Cruz was truly unforgettable. The snorkeling was spectacular, and helped make it the perfect nature-focused activity.

Kim Kim and its local partner Authentic Ecuador planned and implemented a seamless extremely well run 17- day mostly private tour of Quito, the Galapagos, Lima and Machu Picchu. The hotels they selected were top of the line and first-rate with excellent rooms and wonderful breakfasts. Most importantly, all of the guides ( and support personnel, such as drivers) were wonderful. The trip organiser Paul did an exceptional job keeping abreast of every detail. He made a special visit to our hotel in Quito to personally meet and greet us. Special mention should also go to our guide in Quito (Jose)m Jacome who was very helpful in showing us this beautiful City, to Julio Quispe in Cusco (and Machu Picchu) who was an exceptional guide in every respect and went way beyond the call of duty in assisting us with a health issue, to Bosco Villene who made sure our time in Lima and our flight to Cusco went very well, and to all of the guides and local contacts in the Falapsgos including but not limited to Astrid Freire who were both extremely knowledgeable and competent at their jobs and dedicated to their beautiful well-preserved islands.

We would like to share the positive experience we had with Kimkim Tours. We typically like to make our own travel plans and steer away from group tours and/or cruises that have preset “boiler plate” itineraries. Yet, with the choice to go to the Galapagos Islands during our semi-retirement years, as well as the realization that there might be a language barrier, we decided to research tour options. Kimkim seemed like a good choice for us.

We were impressed with the time that Alvaro, and especially Steven, took to understand our individual needs. The interaction started with us filling out a detailed questionnaire detailing our interests, how we preferred to travel, what we wanted to see, our preferences on lodging (from simple hostels to premium hotels) as well as our ages, physical abilities and budget considerations. Kimkim put together a suggested itinerary, We were able give them input on the plan and they made adjustments given our feedback. After a few iterations, we finally agreed our itinerary! Kimkim then went to work on booking our hotels, transportation (including transfers) and daily tours.

We cannot say enough about the exceptional service both during the planning process as well as “on the ground” during our travels. Kimkim provided exceptional service, well-planned itineraries, and smooth travel experiences. We received personalized attention, experienced a helpful and responsive staff, and a seamless booking process. Communications both before and during the trip were efficient and reliable. The local guides and contacts were extremely knowledgeable and helpful and provided valuable insights and direction.

It is also notable to mention that late in the planning and payment process, we experienced a personal health issue that might have affected the trip and excursions we had planned. Steven and Alvaro were understanding and allowed us some extra time to tighten our plans and pay our deposits while always communicating and check-in in on us. In addition, we needed to make a few changes to our plans during the trip and Steven/Alvara/Rita worked together to accommodate our unique circumstance. We appreciated this personal attention and professionalism!

Alvaro & Jose planned & executed an extraordinary trip. All the plane and boat transportation, 5 hotels! and the incredible adventures. Our restrictions, no problem, our last minute changes, no problem. Responsive from first contact, to every little nitpicking question we came up with.
Guide Romero, amazing, great information & so considerate - Highlands giant tortoises, Charles Darwin Research & bonus Lava Tunnel! Guide Bebe, wonderful and trip to Lava Java fascinating and fun. Uninhabited Island, perfect boat ride and guide to the top of island, again so much fascinating information and the view, unbelievable. Isabel Island, coordinatot Julio, could spend a day with him, he really took care of us. Tinoreras Islet, what a hike near lava formations to a lagoon, sharks, sea turtles, magical. Volcano hike, worth every mile to see the lava cone, Guide Julio, so patient, so fascinating in his own right. Back in town saw flamingos! Lobos Island, hike over lava rocks to see incredible wildlife, blue-footed boobie with her egg! Back to Quito, a city worth exploring.

Seriously, the trip of a lifetime, made possible by Alvaro, Jose and the wonderful people of Equador ♥️

Hotel Reviews

Swissotel Quito

Quito

Top-notch hotel, comfortable room, great food, really wonderful and helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa de Nelly

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Lovely room, good breakfast, great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gran Hotel Tintorera

Puerto Villamil

Very pleasant room, excellent breakfast, great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lava House Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Nice comfortable room, good breakfast, great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ilatoa Lodge

Quito

Didn't get to spend enough time there, but great venue, wonderful owner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin!

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim and Link Experiences planed a trip to the Galapagos for is in May 2025. Everything about their service was top notch. They planned our air from Quito to Santa Cruz, all our transfers, ferries, hotels and excursions. When our US flight was delayed by a day due to weather they immediately changed our Quito flight, all transfers, hotels and excursions. They made everything so painless for us. They had a representative waiting for us any time we traveled or did an excursion. They even helped us through the complexity of checking in at the Quito airport. We stayed on Santa Cruz for two nights and Isabella for three nights. On Santa Cruz we had a private guide (Reuben) who was so knowledgeable and friendly. He took us to a local ranch to see the giant tortoises and have a nice lunch then to the lava tunnels. It was fantastic. The next day we snorkeled and swam at Tortuga Bay. There were iguanas everywhere. It was beautiful. Then again a nice lunch at a local restaurant then the Charles Darwin research station and more snorkeling nearby. We stayed at the Blu Galapagos hotel which was very nice. Then in Isabella we stayed at the Iguana Crossing hotel which was also very nice. We did a shared group Tintoreras tour with some nice snorkeling. Then the next day a shared group Los Tuneles tour which was unbelievable. We saw two blue footed boobies doing their mating dance not more than 3 feet from us. We snorkeled with penguins and lots of sea turtles, also saw some sharks and sea horses. Then on our last day we had another amazing guide (Julio). We did a very informative nature walk to the giant tortoise breeding center. We also saw flamingos in their natural environment. Our only regret is that we didn't stay longer. Travel from San Diego was two days on either end of the trip and with the weather delays in Dallas our travel days were almost as many as our vacation days. In all our future trips we will always look for kimkim, they just made everything so hassle free. And they planned all our excursions, I just vaguely gave advice that we wanted to see wildlife and do some snorkeling and they made sure we hit all the best spots. They even checked us in to our hotels to make sure all was in order. And on days we were traveling or doing an excursion early they made sure we had a box breakfast at the front desk. We LOVE kimkim and Link Experiences.

We recently had the incredible opportunity to tour the Galápagos Islands, and our experience with KimKim exceeded all expectations. From the moment we booked, their team was professional, knowledgeable, and attentive to every detail. The itinerary was thoughtfully planned, balancing guided exploration with time to relax and soak in the unique beauty of the islands. Our guides were passionate and well-informed, making each stop engaging and educational. The accommodations and meals were excellent, and logistics ran smoothly throughout. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to experience such a remarkable destination. Highly recommended!

Las Tintoreras near Isabela Island was the highlight of the trip where we saw a large number of penguins, blue footed boobies, and a large shark all at the same time. The number of iguanas, sea lions, and pelicans on the way to the boat was amazing and the marine life from there was also spectacular.

In general, the Galapagos is a natural wonder that offers a unique experience in both the variety and abundance of animals in their natural habitat. It was a great trip and your team helped us make the connections to put it all together.

There was quite a bit of moving about from place to place. I don't know if a live-in boat would have been better to reduce that part of it.

Hotel Reviews

Iguana Crossing Boutique Hotel

Galápagos

Amazing view of the ocean. Steps to the beach. Comfortable bed. Excellent!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Good location, walking distance to town and pier.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Quito Airport, an IHG Hotel

Tababela

Nothing special. Airport hotel, meh.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discovering Bartolome a full day yacht experience

Isla Santa Cruz

Wonderful snorkeling around the island of Bartolome

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Santa Cruz Highlands, Lava Tunels and Charles Darwin Research Station

Isla Santa Cruz

Enjoyed our guide Ruben, the giant tortoises and definitely the Darwin Center

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tintoreras and highlands

Isla Isabela

The best part of the trip, loved it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tunnels & Cabo Rosa

Isla Isabela

good

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent overall experience both with regard to communication with the KimKim team and meeting of expectations. The guides were both very knowledgable and enthusiastic, dedicated and pleasant.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Volcano

Puerto Villamil

Great location, courteous staff. Clean, and very pleasant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plaza Luna Suites

Puerto Ayora

Excellent service, lovely management, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station

Puerto Ayora

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

Tough hike, 16 km. Need to be in very good shape. Wish it were a loop rather than a back and forth, same trek.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer Baltra Airport - Puerto Ayora with visit to the highlands of Santa Cruz

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Waves were strong and visibility suboptimal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Karla was very responsive to our questions and needs. The excursions and especially snorkeling was amazing. All guides were wonderful and Isabella and specifically Julio were wonderful. Very educational and provided the info we needed to be on time for every thing and on what to wear. I loved Los tunélles snorkeling the best as we liked seeing the penguins.

Hotel Review

La Casita de la Playa

Puerto Villamil

Loved having a view of the beach where we could watch the sea lions investigating the beach

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Wildlife Encounter at Los Tuneles (Cabo Rosa)

Galapagos Islands

My favorite with such a variety of wildlife…including penguins!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you, Paola, for helping us with our amazing trip to Galapagos and Quito!
Some highlights:
- Cooking class in Quito
- Quito city tour with Christian - terrific guide! As was his uncle ;)!
- Santa Cruz highland tour with visit to tortoises!
- Trip to Bartolomé island
- Isabella snorkeling at Los Túneles - Luis was a terrific guide. We learned a lot from him
- Biking in National Park on Isabella - Thank you to John!

The hotel accommodations were all wonderful
- La Casona de La Ronda in Quito
- Ikala Galapagos on Santa Cruz
- La Casita de la Playa on Isabella

Only hiccup was not knowing we needed to pay the National Park Fee when we landed in Baltra Airport in Santa Cruz. Would recommend making that clear to future travelers! Thank you!

Chris

Hotel Reviews

La Casita de la Playa

Puerto Villamil

BEAUTIFUL Location and view.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ikala Galapagos Hotel

Puerto Ayora

Beautiful pool and rooms! Wonderful restaurant view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casona de La Ronda

Quito

Friendly staff, good breakfast, great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Snorkel at Los Túneles

Galapagos Islands

Best experience on our trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis was the best!

Transport

Hiking Sierra Negra Volcano

Galapagos Islands

We had a rainy day, so we couldn't hike past the first view point.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide struggled a bit with English - would have like a bit more information.

Transport

Kayaking & Snorkeling at Las Tintoreras

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Snorkeling/kayaking guide struggled with English - would have liked more information about the animals

Transport

Excursion to an uninhabited island

Galapagos Islands

Beautiful day - long boat ride

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer to Quito Airport, Arrival to Galapagos & Highlands of Santa Cruz

Ecuador

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Quito Cooking Class

Ecuador

One of our highlights! Really fun - chef is passionate about Ecuadorian food. Excellent dinner

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Quito City Tour - Middle of the World

Quito

Christian was a wonderful guide. Loved our day in Quito.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport