Galapagos Tour Recommendations
November 29, 2023 7:25 PM Subscribe
I’m planning a trip to the Galápagos Islands with my dad and I’m overwhelmed by the options and not sure where to look. Looking for tour company recommendations and advice on what not to miss.
I’m looking for tour companies that will basically do all the logistics (hotels, transit, guides) once we get off the airplane. (This will make the trip much less stressful for my dad and thus less stressful for me as well).
The plan is to go next February but that’s flexible. We are more interested in the educational and environmental parts, not the adventure aspect. My dad is in his late 70s and in good health but can’t do long hikes and has some specific dietary needs.
Any recommendations for either specific tour companies or suggestions for how to find a good one would be great. Also any specific recommendations for places or activities we should definitely include. Thanks!
I’m looking for tour companies that will basically do all the logistics (hotels, transit, guides) once we get off the airplane. (This will make the trip much less stressful for my dad and thus less stressful for me as well).
The plan is to go next February but that’s flexible. We are more interested in the educational and environmental parts, not the adventure aspect. My dad is in his late 70s and in good health but can’t do long hikes and has some specific dietary needs.
Any recommendations for either specific tour companies or suggestions for how to find a good one would be great. Also any specific recommendations for places or activities we should definitely include. Thanks!
As a teenager, my parents won some type of auction for a trip on Lindblad Expeditions. I had traveled a bit then and now as an adult, but it stands out as one of the most informative, fully thought-out, well executed trips I have ever been on. I took a peek at their website and it’s pricey but it looks like they’re still doing these trips and doing well at them. Definitely worth a look. On edit: the majority of our cruise was older adults, and it was a small boat of only 70 guests, but it looks like they have a few other options. IMHO the 70-guest group was ideal; we got to know a bit of the traveler community but weren’t a cumbersome group size as we’d break into 3 or 4 groups when we disembarked.
I had a peak, transformative life experience on this trip, at age 14. I ended up somehow playing in the surf (always at least 5-10 feet away) with a baby sea lion while its mother and other (human) members of our expedition placidly watched from a distance. Absolutely surreal. One of our highly-educated, cautious guides also watched on cautiously, letting my parents know he felt comfortable with the distance we were keeping, even though we were clearly interacting with each other. One of the other guests told me later, “the mom could tell you were still a kid, even if only just barely. She never would have let any of us others get as close as you did. You are just young enough to be safe for playtime.” I honestly feel it was one of the last days of my childhood.
posted by samthemander at 11:40 PM on November 29, 2023 [8 favorites]
I had a peak, transformative life experience on this trip, at age 14. I ended up somehow playing in the surf (always at least 5-10 feet away) with a baby sea lion while its mother and other (human) members of our expedition placidly watched from a distance. Absolutely surreal. One of our highly-educated, cautious guides also watched on cautiously, letting my parents know he felt comfortable with the distance we were keeping, even though we were clearly interacting with each other. One of the other guests told me later, “the mom could tell you were still a kid, even if only just barely. She never would have let any of us others get as close as you did. You are just young enough to be safe for playtime.” I honestly feel it was one of the last days of my childhood.
posted by samthemander at 11:40 PM on November 29, 2023 [8 favorites]
I went to Galapagos and Machu Picchu with Road Scholar last year. Highly recommend, would travel with them again. There were about 20 people on our tour.
They did all the logistics, which was great as one of our flights within South America changed and they worked around that in a way that meant we got to add a tour of a chocolate farm/factory to our trip. Yum!
Some parts of the trip were potentially quite strenuous but there was always a option not to do those, either by doing something easier or just skipping an event entirely. I think almost everybody took advantage of that at some point.
posted by inexorably_forward at 1:00 AM on November 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
They did all the logistics, which was great as one of our flights within South America changed and they worked around that in a way that meant we got to add a tour of a chocolate farm/factory to our trip. Yum!
Some parts of the trip were potentially quite strenuous but there was always a option not to do those, either by doing something easier or just skipping an event entirely. I think almost everybody took advantage of that at some point.
posted by inexorably_forward at 1:00 AM on November 30, 2023 [2 favorites]
Mod note: Comment removed. Please stay focused on the question and help the OP and avoid being contrarian, thanks!
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 8:13 AM on November 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Brandon Blatcher (staff) at 8:13 AM on November 30, 2023 [1 favorite]
Seconding the recommendation for Lindblad/National Geographic. We went to the Galapagos with them in 2019 and it was wonderful, especially the logistics and the education.
posted by picopebbles at 10:00 AM on November 30, 2023
posted by picopebbles at 10:00 AM on November 30, 2023
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posted by citygirl at 7:40 PM on November 29, 2023 [2 favorites]