Ecuador Cultural Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

What travelers are saying

"We've taken over 10 group tours using Cosmos and Gate1. This trip last month, 9000 was not very good. -During booking, incorrect information was given about airport-hotel transfers -The whispers (listening devices) didn't work from the get-go, so no whispers were used during the 13 day trip. - Porters are no longer hired to bring your luggage to and from your room. (Very elderly had to handle their own luggage. Our friends had to help many of them.) -A few days into the trip one couple left. At the end of the trip we found out they had covid. Cosmos did not let us know; a few people weren't feeling well and two of our friends then tested positive. -One hotel was awful and not even up to "budget" standards -Many of the stops had castles, churches... but were not included, so be sure to count that in when pricing.  don't plan to use Cosmos ever again. Gate1 is the best in my opinion. When my husband's passport was stolen, they assigned someone to go with him to the embassy, translate, etc...It was above and beyond what we expected  "

What travelers are saying

"We've taken over 10 group tours using Cosmos and Gate1. This trip last month, 9000 was not very good. -During booking, incorrect information was given about airport-hotel transfers -The whispers (listening devices) didn't work from the get-go, so no whispers were used during the 13 day trip. - Porters are no longer hired to bring your luggage to and from your room. (Very elderly had to handle their own luggage. Our friends had to help many of them.) -A few days into the trip one couple left. At the end of the trip we found out they had covid. Cosmos did not let us know; a few people weren't feeling well and two of our friends then tested positive. -One hotel was awful and not even up to "budget" standards -Many of the stops had castles, churches... but were not included, so be sure to count that in when pricing.  don't plan to use Cosmos ever again. Gate1 is the best in my opinion. When my husband's passport was stolen, they assigned someone to go with him to the embassy, translate, etc...It was above and beyond what we expected  "

What travelers are saying

"We particularly wanted to do this trip because of the abundance of wildlife we expected to encounter and selected this ship because they offered the kayaking experience. Overall, the weather was very good. Most people seemed like minded and were there for the adventurous experience. Accommodations Review They upgraded our cabin and we were very pleased with the amount of space and the amenities in the room. We appreciated the twin windows and being able to see humpbacks diving from our cabin. It was kept very clean and it was a treat to have our bed turned down with chocolates on the pillow each night. Meals Review We liked the variety and the quality of the food. There was always something new to try. The dining room staff was very professional and personable. Crew & Guides Review Solon was our Principal Trip Leader. He was incredibly professional and it seemed like he was constantly working to maximize the encounters with wildlife and scenery, taking advantage of all the weather opportunities and going to places that they don't often go. He worked very closely with the captain who was very accommodating and caring about us having a memorable voyage. Aymie and Andrew were our kayak guides. We went out to kayak 10 different times and were able to get to know both of them well. They worked hard to keep us safe and well informed. They made sure that we didn't miss out on any land excursions. We've had quite a few kayak guides over the years that we've paddled and we loved these two. Marla was the marine biologist aboard the ship. She was very enthusiastic and had a passion for marine mammals that was infectious. We loved listening to her presentations and looked forward to hearing her voice on the PA saying that there was another whale sighting. Colin, the geologist aboard the ship, was very knowledgeable and able to make difficult subjects understandable to the passengers. Itinerary Review The trip far, far, far, far, far, far exceeded our expectations. I had one "far" in the sentence when we left South Georgia Island after seeing 250,000 King Penguins at St. Andrews Point and added the second when we saw blue whales on two different days. The third "far" was added when we saw hundreds of whales for 6 hours along the iceberg, A68a. I added another "far" when we kayaked for over an hour with humpbacks all around and another "far" when minke whales were all around the kayaks the next day. The last "far" was added the day we didn't paddle since a leopard seal was all around the kayaks and then an orca came close. We had so many incredible experiences that we could never experience all of them in the same trip again. The guides told us that the close encounters that we had didn't happen very often and that we were very lucky that they all happened on our trip. The only thing that we didn't like was portions of the Drake Passage when it was a tad rough, but that experience gives us something to talk about. Transportation Review We made our transportation arrangements through another travel agency. Traveler Advice Make sure that you take sea sickness meds. Take advantage of every opportunity to see wildlife."

What travelers are saying

"Clean and elegantly decorated ship, not gaudy like another cruise ship I have been on. I got a beautiful room with a balcony. The choice of foods was wonderful. I really enjoyed the shows and the music and the sightseeing."

What travelers are saying

"At the last minute I had to rebook my trip to the Galapagos. Damon and staff were very helpful. My son and I had Markus Medina for a guide and he was knowledgeable-even being asked by other tour guide to help out! It was amazing to have a tour group of 3-so much flexibility. The islands were so beautiful with friendly people. I plan to return to South America and will definitely use Andean Discovery again."

What travelers are saying

"Our guide, Evie, was wonderful. She was knowledgeable, and so very helpful. Also very friendly and respectful. The bus driver was a very experienced driver. He kept us safe."