Ecuador Galapagos Travels

This vacation was wonderful from start to finish. Alvaro was fantastic to work with - he was incredibly responsive and designed a trip that was perfect for our family (2 adults and two rambunctious 4 and 9 year old boys). He even ensured that we would have a car seat for our 4-year old. Jacquie, who was our point person once we arrived in Ecuador, was also great. She met us at the hotel to make sure we were settled and was very responsive our entire trip. She even helped us plan a last-minute trip to see an Ecuadorian soccer match in Quito, which was a highlight for us. Our guide in Quito, Marco Herrera, was incredibly knowledgeable and patient with our kids, answering all of our (many) questions. He worked with us on the best times to visit each attraction to make the most of our visit, made sure our kids could handle all of the planned activities, and recommended some great restaurants. Our visit to Sacha Lodge in the Amazon is an experience we will never forget. From the minute we arrived at the Quito airport, Sacha made sure we were perfectly taken care of. The lodge itself is absolutely stunning. We had two cabins connected by a short walkway - one for us and one for our kids. We were even able to see monkeys from the deck outside our cabins. The food at Sacha was wonderful, and the staff was able to accommodate our picky eaters. Jose, our guide, was fantastic. He also was incredibly knowledgeable and answered all of the kids' questions. He was able to spot so many species and let the kids look through his telescope from the canopy and treehouse. He helped our older son to catch a piranha while fishing, something he was incredibly excited about.

Until now, we had not ever used a travel agent when traveling as a family, but KimKim made everything so easy. There were a lot of logistics involved in this trip for us, and we were incredibly impressed that everything went off without a hitch. Our kids are already asking to return to Ecuador and saying how this was the best trip ever. We would definitely recommend traveling through KimKim!

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

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!

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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

Activity Reviews

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

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin!

Galapagos Islands

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

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!

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.

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

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

Welcome Back to Quito

Galapagos Islands

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

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 sharks, 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 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a wonderful trip. Thanks to kimkim for working with Responsible Travel of Ecuador, to Sebastian, our outstanding guide in Quito, to Sani Lodge in the rainforest, and to Raul, our excellent guide during our stay at Sani Lodge.
Sebastian met us at the airport in Quito and drove us to our hotel (La Casona de la Ronda – excellent, recommended) in the city. The next day he took us to the Middle of the World where we toured the museum and visited the actual equator line. This was fun and informative and the museum tour guide was very good. Afterwards, we drove back to the city and Sebastian led us on a fascinating and informative walking tour, stopping for lunch in the afternoon.
Next day Sebastian drove us out to Otavalo, stopping at a rose farm on the way. We participated in a cooking class in Claudia’s house. She was very hospitable and it was great fun picking herbs and vegetables in her garden and preparing a traditional Ecuadorian lunch. Then we drove back to the city, stopping to visit the market in Otavalo and, briefly, for traditional bizcocha cookies.
Next morning we took a short flight to Coca and a three-hour boat trip along the Napo River and tributaries to Sani Lodge. Our guide for this portion of the trip, Raul, met us at the Coca Airport. The boat ride was fascinating and we began to feel as if we were in an entirely different universe. Sani Lodge is owned and operated by the Kichwa Indigenous People. Everyone working there made as feel so welcome and seemed to be incredibly proud of their heritage and their accomplishments.
We traveled with Raul, assistant guide Pato, and two other guests on several trips in a small canoe during the next three days observing the lush and dense rainforest and spotting innumerable birds, monkeys and other creatures. Sometimes we hiked on muddy trails, sometimes we went out after dark to experience the night time sounds of the rainforest, and sometimes it rained quite heavily. On one trip we visited a small Kichwa settlement. The inhabitants were very gracious, sharing knowledge about their simple and humble lives and teaching us some traditional cooking skills. Raul’s knowledge of the ecosystem and it’s plants and animals was remarkable and he was ably assisted by Pato. Accommodations at the lodge were excellent and the food was very good. The entire experience was wonderful and truly exceeded our expectations.
After our three-day stay, we returned by boat to Coca, then flew to Quito to await our flight home. We enjoyed this trip greatly and learned so much. Very highly recommended.

We worked with Majo and Steven to plan our Ecuadorian adventure, which included the Napo Cultural Center in the Amazon, Chilcabamba in the Andean region, and Casa Aliso to close out the trip in Quito. Majo was patient and thoughtful as we went back and forth about the details of our itinerary. She adapted to our wants/needs and the result was a well-planned and executed trip with a lot of moving parts. Our tour guide, Luis, in the Amazon was a 10/10. Incredible wealth of knowledge and really made our time in the jungle special. Chilcabamba was a modern, rustic lodge surrounded by wildflowers and beautiful views of several volcanoes. The food prepared by the staff was fresh, local and delicious. Casa Aliso in Quito was perfectly situated for those that enjoy exploring the city on their own as it was very safe, and centrally located to dining hot spots, shops and local attractions. Taking the metro to the old city was a breeze and felt totally safe (also an incredible engineering feat). Majo & Steven went above and beyond to ensure everything was going according to plan and that we were happy. They checked in on us regularly on the what’s app thread and were highly responsive when we had questions. We also enjoyed meeting them at a local brewery to share insights from the trip. They were sweet, sincere and full of knowledge about what makes Ecuador special. Overall, we feel like we stumbled upon a gem with KimKim and we have been recommending to friends & family since. Thank you for an unforgettable adventure. We’ll be back!

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

Gran Hotel Tintorera

Puerto Villamil

Very pleasant room, excellent breakfast, great staff.

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Ilatoa Lodge

Quito

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

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Lava House Galapagos

Puerto Ayora

Nice comfortable room, good breakfast, great staff.

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Casa de Nelly

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Lovely room, good breakfast, great staff.

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Swissotel Quito

Quito

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

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Activity Review

Welcome to Ecuador: Let Your Adventure Begin!

Galapagos Islands

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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!