The warm, golden breeze of Baltra welcomes you as frigatebirds circle overhead and the volcanic landscape stretches toward the sea. After entry formalities, you cross Santa Cruz for a fresh lunch in Puerto Ayora before the afternoon speedboat carries you across shifting blue waters to quiet Puerto Villamil. A short visit to Flamingo Lagoon adds your first soft wildlife moment before settling into the calm rhythm of island life at your hotel.
Morning light sparkles on the ocean as your boat glides toward Los Túneles, where lava arches shelter shallow turquoise pools filled with turtles, rays, seahorses, and penguins. Snorkeling feels like slipping into another world—clear water, slow currents, and the soft movements of marine life drifting beside you. A short hike and lunch on board round out this beautiful, locally guided 6-hour adventure.
With the sunrise warming the coast, you bike through the Isabela Wetlands—mangroves, sandy paths, and viewpoints where shorebirds wade in glowing water—before reaching the historic Wall of Tears. After lunch, a small boat carries you to Tintoreras, where white-tip reef sharks glide through emerald channels and marine iguanas rest on black lava. A short walk and a peaceful snorkel close the day with calm, clear water and quiet wildlife encounters.
Clouds drift low over the highlands as you hike toward Sierra Negra, its immense caldera opening like a dark circle carved by fire. The trail leads onward to Volcán Chico’s colorful lava fields, where fumaroles breathe warm steam and views extend toward neighboring islands. It’s a steady, rewarding 12 km walk guided by specialists who pace the day comfortably and safely, with time to enjoy the living geology beneath your feet.
The early speedboat carries you through a soft sunrise before arriving in Santa Cruz, where the Charles Darwin Research Station brings conservation stories to life. After lunch, the highlands reveal deep green forests, lava tunnels, and giant tortoises roaming freely at Primicias. A visit to a traditional Trapiche Farm adds a human touch—fresh sugarcane juice, coffee aromas, and the warm hospitality of local families.
Morning seas guide you toward San Cristóbal, where you check into your hotel before heading to Petrel Coffee Farm to learn how organic Galapagos coffee is grown, roasted, and shared by local hands. After lunch, Tijeretas Hill leads you to sweeping coastal viewpoints and turquoise bays filled with frigatebirds, marine iguanas, and sea lions lounging in the sun. It’s a gentle, scenic day that blends culture and nature.
Sunrise paints the coastline as your boat heads toward Kicker Rock, two towering cliffs rising dramatically from the sea. Snorkeling between them feels surreal—schools of fish swirl in shifting light, Galapagos sharks pass calmly below, and, in the right season, hammerheads drift through the blue. A beach stop and lunch on board add warmth and rest before returning to town in the afternoon.
A peaceful morning transfer takes you to San Cristóbal Airport, passing coastal views and the soft sounds of the island waking up. It’s a gentle farewell—sea lions on the rocks, frigatebirds overhead, and the quiet satisfaction of having explored the archipelago with time, intention, and care.
Tripadvisor
EXCELLENT Based on 138 reviews Posted on Kelly RVerified Amazing Service & Unforgettable Experience From my first email with Alex at Takiri 10 months before my trip to my departing flight to return home, the service provided was amazing. Alex prepared a personalized itinerary TWICE as my flights changed after the trip was finalized and he offered me suggestions on tours based on my interests. All the information was provided in advance in an easy to understand & detailed packet. During the trip reminders were received regarding times & locations. The companies that were booked by Takiri for my tours were great. Knowledgeable, helpful, fun & excellent equipment & safe boats.Posted on John CVerified Great Galápagos Islands tour with Takiri Everything went very well. I felt like I saw all the animals i wanted to see. The snorkeling was the best as I love underwater sea life. All the connections and transfers went very smoothly. Takiri attended to everything. I'll recommend Takiri tours to others.Posted on Francesca MVerified One of the most unforgettable experiences I’ve ever had I had the incredible opportunity to visit Cotopaxi with Takiri Travel, and it was truly one of the most unforgettable experiences I’ve ever had. Our guide was exceptionally kind and knowledgeable, sharing fascinating insights and stories about the area throughout the day.After reaching the top of the volcano, we enjoyed an amazing cup of coca tea, a perfect moment to take in the altitude and the scenery. Then we went to a beautiful lodge for lunch, where the views of Cotopaxi and the surrounding landscape were absolutely breathtaking.To end the day, we went on a two-hour horseback ride, guided by another wonderful and attentive guide. This was, without a doubt, one of my favorite parts of the experience.Takiri Travel planned everything with such care and attention to detail, it was clear that every part of the trip was thoughtfully organised. I couldn’t recommend them more for anyone looking to explore the beauty of Ecuador.Posted on Kelsey KVerified Incredible! Amazing day! One of our trip highlights for sure. We were so glad we booked this tour and didn’t try to drive to the park ourselves. We got to see the best views of Cotopaxi, visit the refuge (the hike was the perfect combination of challenging but not too long!) and to top it off the horseback riding through the fields, canyons and streams of the park all with stunning views of the volcano. We saw lots of wild horses too!Posted on Jérémie BVerified Immersive experience and family memories Great experience at Green Forest Ecolodge! Many thanks to our guide Nelson and to Ines and his team for giving us an unforgettable time in the jungle of Cuyabeno!Thanks also to Alex from Takiri Travel who organized everything without any hitch!Posted on Patel familyVerified Incredible experience in Ecuador We are a family of 4 with a real passion for travelling and high expectations. Takiri travels didn’t just meet those expectations they exceeded them. Alex, our dedicated travel agent went above and beyond to tailor every detail of the trip to suit our familys interests. Each destination we visited felt unique and private. The Galápagos islands was definitely a standout for us. Our itinerary was perfectly paced and we were able to explore three of the islands without ever feeling rushed. I definitely recommend booking with Takiri travels, you won’t regret it. They will make sure every moment of your journey is just right.Posted on HBottaiVerified 4 days in reality 2 The 4 days in the tittle are in reality 2 because first day is spent with transfer airport-Puerto Ayora-Isabela and last day is just transfer to airport. But being honest the description of the tour reflects that. The announced attractions were well attended, except the highlands of Santa Cruz, when the visit to Trapiche took one hour and deserved just 20 minutes, making Lava Tunnel very short and avoiding Los Gemelos, that was done in a brief stop in the way back to Baltra airport.Meals: first lunch was the cheapest $6 option at Puerto Ayora, second lunch was just a simple sandwich and a banana at boat, and third one was a fine option.Hotels: Drake Inn at Puerto Villamil (2 nights) was a medium low hotel well located but the room was tiny with a very small bed for a couple, Dejavu at Puerto Ayora was fine. Breakfasts were ok. Transfers were always at time, but some in improvised vehicles (very old mini van, open truck). I would not recommend this tour.Posted on Kim GreeneVerified 3 Island Experience with Takiri Travel We had a fantastic time in the Galapagos thanks to Takiri Travel! Prior to committing, Alex spent a lot of time talking to us on zoom call and answering any questions we had beforehand. His kind and calm nature (and great reviews) helped me decide that this was the company that we wanted to use. To start our adventure, we arrived in Baltra around lunchtime and needed to get to Isabella on afternoon ferry. It was so nice to have someone meet us at the airport and quickly rush us through airport traffic so that we could grab a bite to eat before getting on the ferry. Once we arrived in Isabella, Takiri arranged for us to have a beach front experience and it was the perfect location with our own private beach. The hotel staff was really friendly and welcoming. We enjoyed having morning pick-ups so that we could sleep longer and enjoy breakfast without having to worry about where to meet for our daily excursions. We always had a few hours at the end of our day to relax and enjoy time reading/hanging out before dinner. We loved that the trip was planned based on what we wanted to do rather than a prearranged schedule. We had a point person, Kevin, that lived on Isabella and he was an unexpected added bonus. If we had last minute questions, he was there to give us guidance and promptly answer any questions we had about the excursions. Once we returned to Santa Cruz, we moved from a beach setting to a hotel with a nice pool. The hotel staff was also very friendly and welcoming. Also, the hotel was walking distance from Tortuga Bay so we were able to walk to a beautiful beach for snorkeling. The excursions were exactly what we wanted to see! Our favorite excursions were Los Tuneles in Isabella and Seymour North in Santa Cruz. Both tours provided a good balance of land and sea animal life with a nice, pleasant boat ride. The Los Tuneles tour guide was especially great as he downloaded all his underwater GoPro pics to our phones. We also really appreciated the highlands tour in which we got to see the giant tortoises in their natural habitat. My daughter and I loved the week in Galapagos and would highly recommend Takiri Travel to help you plan your itinerary. It was such a lovely week and nice to arrive without having to plan anything.Posted on bronnie12345Verified What more could you want? Amazing tour! Incredible tour and worth every penny! Our guide, Alex, was such a knowledgable and fun guide and made the experience so enjoyable. After 5 months of travelling, we can easily say this tour is one of the favourites we’ve done. We loved how authentic and community-focused it was, and how Takiri pick the coffee and chocolate locations carefully, so you get the chance to support local businesses as well as stuffing your face with delicious chocolate and coffee. Thank you so much again for the experience, hopefully we will be back one day!Posted on clair hVerified The Galapagos Galapagos completely blew away my expectations. All the tours were fabulous- loved all the snorkeling. Wild life everywhere, seals iguanas, turtles and many many cool birds. People were unbelievably friendly and kind. Takiri Travel did a wonderful job and thought of everything. Alex was awesome and I would consider him a friend nowShowing our latest reviews