B R2026-09-25If you are planning a trip to the Galápagos, speak to Richard before you book anything I rarely write reviews this long, but Richard genuinely deserves it. I travelled extensively through the Galápagos and dealing with him was one of the best experiences I had with any travel agent during my trip. From our very first conversation, Richard was completely different from someone simply trying to sell me the most expensive cruise. I told him that I cared far more about wildlife, remote islands, snorkelling, hiking and seeing as much of the Galápagos as possible than I did about luxury. He listened to exactly what I wanted and spent a huge amount of time researching different yachts and itineraries to find the best combination for me. I asked him an almost ridiculous number of questions — about wildlife, individual islands, penguins, whales, dolphins, birds, snorkelling, WiFi, cabins, luggage, food, flights, transfers, entry requirements, cash, insurance and practically everything else I could think of. He patiently answered all of them. Eventually, rather than pushing me towards a much more expensive luxury cruise, Richard worked out an incredible alternative: two cruises on the Fragata, totalling 13 days, which allowed me to experience an enormous amount of the Galápagos across the western, northern, southern and central islands. It was exactly what I wanted. And the trip itself was extraordinary. The wildlife, landscapes, remote islands, hiking and especially the snorkelling were unforgettable. I remember messaging Richard during the first cruise telling him it was one of the best experiences of my life. I meant it. What impressed me even more was everything Richard did that he didn’t have to do. When he discovered that the yacht didn’t actually include the snorkelling equipment we had discussed, he didn’t just tell me I would need to rent it. He personally provided me with good-quality snorkelling equipment and a wetsuit for the cruises so I wouldn’t have to pay the daily rental fees. He met me when I arrived in Puerto Ayora so I could collect everything and make sure the wetsuit fitted properly. Before I arrived, he helped me understand the Galápagos entry process, TCT, national park fee, airport transfers and flight options. He even went to the LATAM office locally to check flight prices for me. Once I was actually in the Galápagos, the service didn’t suddenly stop because he’d already received my payment. Quite the opposite. He continued answering questions, helped with local recommendations, gave me contact details for my guides, helped with logistics between the cruises and was available whenever I needed advice. That distinction is important. Lots of people can sell you a tour. Richard genuinely cared about making sure I had the best possible experience. He is also a Galápagos local, and that local knowledge was incredibly useful. Instead of just reading an itinerary from a website, he could explain why particular islands and routes mattered, where particular wildlife was more likely to be found, how transport actually worked on the islands and what was worth prioritising. By the end of the trip I didn’t really think of Richard as simply my travel agent anymore — I considered him a friend. I have already recommended him personally to other travellers I’ve met who were considering visiting the Galápagos, and I will continue recommending him to friends who go in the future. My advice is simple: before booking a Galápagos cruise online, message Richard and tell him honestly what you want to see, how many days you have and what your budget is. Give him the opportunity to find an itinerary for you. The Galápagos would have been an incredible destination regardless, but having someone knowledgeable and trustworthy on the islands helping with all the details made the difference between a great trip and an exceptional one. Thank you for everything, Richard. I genuinely hope more travellers find you and your business — you deserve it.
Linzy W2026-04-01Safe, Responsive and Helpful! Richard was very easy to communicate with and very responsive through WhatsApp. He was able to communicate with the boat owner to ensure our dietary restrictions were met. When I saw the price of the trip drop while searching online I immediately contacted Richard who was able to meet that price. He was also able to confirm I had chosen the correct flights to match the times for boarding and disembarking. When we arrived at the airport, he even called to make sure we were connected with our guide right away. I recommend using Cruise in Galapagos to book this dream vacation!
Sunshine234932140872026-03-24• helped us book last-minute tours • assisted with transportation from the airport • gave very useful local recommenda Everything was well organized and smooth. The team was helpful and responsive, and the tours were great. Highly recommended.
Darwin I2025-11-25Un viaje a una de las maravillas del mundo a disfrutar de la creación de nuestro Creador Una experiencia única e inigualable en las islas encantadas con la ayuda de la mejor agencia Galápagos Best Adventure Trips con un acompañamiento en cada una de las actividades seleccionada
Quest272869228962025-11-24Mi experiencia fue espectacular, me encantaría volver y recomiendo mucho esta página, me ayudaron con todo. Fue una experiencia espectacular! Nos asistieron con todo lo que necesitamos… Recomiendo en su totalidad. Me sentí muy tranquila y con confianza. Me encantaría volver.
Katie T2025-10-23Amazing Experience We had such a great experience here. They were so accommodating as due to a much delayed flight we had to change our original tour outside the window of cancellation and they helped us with this with no problems! Richard was so so helpful to us. The snorkel tour we did was amazing and we saw turtles, sharks, so many fish, sting ray, sea lions and so much more. It was amazing. The guides on the boats were great too and took our go pro to get some close up shots for us. They couldn’t have been any more helpful. I really recommend doing tours with this company as they are so helpful and friendly! Amazing experience
Gabriela M2025-08-11Amazing!! Best dive!! Foi o melhor mergulho que eu já fiz do mundo. Foi lindo, seguro e energia maravilhosa! The best dive in my life.. Really amazing! They were 10/10! Super indico! Eles foram muito atenciosos, educados e segurança foi nota 10.
shalini p2025-08-09CIG Tours for customized local with US presence tour company CIG Tours owned by Richard, based in Santa Cruz and lead Zhisheng Wang in US curated a perfect itinerary for our small group with wonderful land and day cruises. Wang worked with us to customize the itinerary including Meet & Greet at airport, first class cruise tours based on sharing the details of each island and even arranged amazing restaurant choices for dinners in Santa Cruz. We were treated as VIPs and all the boats, English speaking guides and arrangements were first class . CIG Tours is one of the few places with websites that itemizes day and packages pricing. Highly recommend
Euraina J2025-07-14The best tour guide EVER!!! I cannot express how wonderful Richard was as our tour guide!! He made sure ever aspect was taken care of. He set up all tours and excursions. All transfers were exceptionally smooth. Richard even accompanied us to ports early in the morning just to make sure we met up with the proper day trips. On the last day he arranged someone to accompany us all the way back to Baltra Airport. That person stayed with us until we got to the security gate, making sure we were good along the way. They took the ferry ride with us and everything! That is excellent customer service!!! I would give him more stars if I could. My friend and I were nervous at first because we never met him and he was in a foreign country..lol..but he turned out to be real and the BEST!! The price was fair and affordable! Richard accompanied us to the Tortoise Sanctuary and spent time with us in other ways as well. We did bike riding together. We got to know him as a person. He made the trip nice and memorable. He gave us a real sense of caring. I cannot say that for many. 10/10. If you plan to come to the Galapagos Islands you will not go wrong with Richard. It is his home and he knows it well. He can customize your trip to whatever you want because he knows almost everyone. He is personable and will answer all the questions you have. You can rest assured that Richard has your back and will craft a lovely vacation for you. Again, 10/10!
Monika N2025-07-14Highly recommended!! Great tour and excellente guide! Richard is a very trustworthy and passionate guide! It is always people who make the difference in these kind of experiences. Thanks a lot Richard!