Gabriel was an outstanding guide with amazing knowledge of the Galápagos Islands. We highly recommend Adventure Journeys based on our unforgettable experience. Our favourite spot was Isla Lobos off Saint Cristobal with stunning bird life and snorkeling with Sea Lions.

We have been travelling with support from Diego and Chris and Emilio. The trip was really fun and inspiring! We visited a lot of sites in Ecuador but Galapagos

This trip was absolutely amazing! Went as a group of three friends; we were able to stay in triple rooms at each of the accommodations. Accommodations were stunning, the food was amazing throughout the trip. The people are incredibly gracious and friendly. The hiking is unmatched, with incredibly gorgeous views and a deeply immersive experience. Javier was the absolute best tour guide! So kind, knowledgeable, patient, and friendly. We did not worry about a single thing the entire trip, it was all perfectly planned and executed. Looking forward to doing more of these tours with Adventure Journeys. Highly recommend!

This was one of the best trekking tours I have done and it was made all the more special by our guide, Javier. From the moment we arrived in Ecuador, the trip was executed smoothly. I booked the tour with 2 friends and it ended up just being the 3 of us so we essentially had a private tour. The variety of terrain we experienced was spectacular. The routes were challenging but so rewarding. Javier did a great job pacing us and encouraging us when we needed an extra push. The lodging exceeded all expectations. The thoughtfully selected stays provided beautiful space, delicious food, and very friendly hosts. A strenuous tour but very worth it. Couldn’t recommend it more.

The trip was amazing! We hiked up steep volcanoes, trekked though beautiful valleys, experienced beautiful indigenous children and families, and saw how hard they worked to cultivate crops up steep mountainsides. The food was delicious and the lodgings far nicer than my expectations. Jorge and Lobito went out of their way to make sure we had a positive experience. I loved their passion for what they were doing and their love for their country. I would recommend this trip to anyone.

AJ did a masterful job with communications, logistics and guiding our party through the Andies. 'Lobito', our driver always arrived on time with a warm and welcoming smile. 'Jorge', our guide, graciously and enthusiastically shared his love for all of the wonderful opportunities Ecuador offers. In addition to the trekking experiences we expected Jorge arranged a paragliding flight from a high ridge and a white water raft in the Amazon River valley. What a contrast to go from the moonscape and snow of Chimborazo Basecamp to the lush forests of the Amazon basin in a day. Lodging was better than expected. Rooms were spacious and clean and the hosts were warm and welcoming and prepared amazing local and traditional foods

I have done trekking/adventure trips in South America, Nepal, Africa and Europe with different tour companies and each provided a great experience. But this trip is at the top of the list for the overall experience. Before the trip, the communication with the office was responsive and clear and once the trip started literally everything exceed my expectations. Accommodations were unbelievable in such remote locations, food was always delicious, with great opportunities to try local dishes and the transportation was comfortable. My expectations were far exceeded in each of these areas. But for me the trip is about the hikes, being outside, exploring the culture, interacting with local people and having fun in the process. Mission accomplished! Each of the planned hikes on the itinerary seemed to have a specific purpose whether it be to show different terrain, provide a challenging hike or see spectacular scenery. Everything seemed intentional for a reason. Every day was amazing! However, that was only the beginning as we were provided the option of enhancing our overall experience in many ways whether it be thru paragliding, river rafting, zip lining or other adventures. Of course these things cost extra but the expense was minimal and the memories are priceless! Regardless of the itinerary the enjoyment of the trip is very dependent on the guide. Jorge was beyond terrific, amazing, awesome or any other adjective! He made the trip. And I must mention Lobito, our driver for the entire trip. He not only navigated the crazy traffic and narrow streets with ease but he did it with humour and a constant smile!

From the very beginning at the Quito Airport the organisation of the tour was excellent. Thanks to our professional and friendly guide Diego Muñoz and the driver Guillermo we felt very secured, taken care off and well informed. The profesionalism of Diego was exceptional. In every hotel rooms were ready for us, the food was excellent and all the beautiful places in Ecuador were shown to us with lots of details. On Galapagos we also had a very good local guides and even the animals were very cooperative 🙂 we have seen lots of them. I highly recommend this tour to everybody who wants to see Ecuador from different perspectives. Good job guys!😘

We don’t understand why Ecuador isn’t crowded with tourists. What we were able to experience in 10 days was breath-taking beauty, fascinating wildlife, exotic flora, a commitment to conservation and getting the most out of the land, the friendliest people (especially tolerant of non-Spanish speakers), low prices, and consistently mild temperatures. Adventure Journeys put together a whirlwind tour that took us to the Andes, the cloud forest, the Amazon rain forest, several impressive waterfalls, the tallest of Ecuador’s numerous volcanoes, open-air markets, nature walks, paragliding, hiking, cable car riding, indigenous communities where we learned some new skills, and two lovely towns, Cuenca and Baños. The memorable overnights were at two beautiful old haciendas and two nights at rustic eco-lodge on a tributary to the Amazon. (We recommend layers for nighttime temperature drops and something to minimize effects of high altitude. And when they say “don’t drink the water,” they mean it.) We couldn’t imagine a better guide for us than Alfonso Fiere. He has seemingly endless energy and must know everything there is to know about Ecuador. We were lucky to have a small group so he was usually able to accommodate our interests and needs, sometimes before we expressed them. He’s also one of the most personable guys we know. And we’re going to miss him.

We thoroughly enjoyed this trip filled with challenging hikes and amazing views. Our guide, Giovanni, taught us so much about the language, history & culture of this beautiful country and hiked every step with us. Our driver, Armando, did an amazing job of transporting us safely throughout the journey. Our trip was well-planned by Adventure Journeys. All of our accomodations and meals were top-notch.

This was a really intense series of hikes - I did this with my daughter on very short notice and they were able to put together a tour that was very well orchestrated and was flexible for our ability. Our guide, Rafael, was simply the best: calm, professional, easy going. I was impressed by his navigating (great driver!) and his knowledge of so many different facets of Ecuador. We learned so much and became admirers of his resourcefulness, thoughtfulness, and general kindness. The hikes were.. intense. This was definitely not an easy series of hikes - and at the end, we were twice pelted with hail and rain as we barely made it up the final mile.. BUT, we loved it. We loved the challenge, the food, the spas at two hotels (legs needed it) and the exposure to local cultures and history. What we did not like was 1) the first hotel (Wyndham Quito) and 2) the complete lack of professionalism on the part of the customer service and office staff. Our first hotel in Quito was in a very busy and commercial center. It has very little charm and our room on the 8th floor was not one of the floors that were refurbished. So, we had a sink in our bedroom and no privacy. The space was dark, depressing and so I begged not to stay there again at the end of our trip. NOBODY in the agency replied to tell me - starting at day 2 of our trip - if we could simply be in another hotel, At first it seemed like we could, and even be in a different town, but then this option wasn't available. All I asked was not to have to go back to that hotel and not a soul could ever tell me if, yes or no, we had any other options in Quito. Carla told me she thought our guide was helping: this was not his job. She could respond. The head agent on whatsapp asked if I'd like a call. yes, I said, - he never called. Nor did that person ever respond over a 4 day period, or even after our trip when I messaged. IN short - the guides are great, but the agency is not up to what I think are common standards nowadays, especially for the genre of tourists they are looking for. Also: their prices for car transfer to the airport are double what you'd pay, as is their extra night in a hotel. So, take it with a grain of salt. You'll be in great hands as to your guide, but beware if you need assistance from the agency itself. I did really like our guide - I want to emphasize that. He was professional and personable. I could not have wanted more on that front.

Where to begin….this 14-day Ecuador/Amazon/Galapagos trip was AMAZING and exceeded our expectations. An extremely professional company from the minute we inquired about this Active tour, adding a 2 day extension to our Galapagos portion and bringing us back to Quito, we can’t say enough great things about Diego who organized the tour for us. We booked last minute Dec 2, 2024 and decided to make it a 3 week trip with exploring Mindo cloud forest on our own (which we also highly recommend) and left Canada on Dec 31st! Jorge, our amazing and professional, friendly guide took us on a 5 day Ecuador mainland loop that included mountain biking in Banos, river rafting in the Amazon (super spectacular) and many a hike along the way. Jorge’s knowledge about absolutely everything brought new knowledge to us about beautiful Ecuador. We always felt safe and cared for. Jorge became a friend who we hope to see again in the future. When it came to our departure from Quito to Galapagos, Milton made sure we passed through the gates at the airport with all the Galapagos requirements and all went as smooth as can be. When we landed in San Cristobal we were met by our beautiful, intelligent and amazing Indira! AJ sure knows how to pick their guides…as all of them become our friends and family so quickly. Highlights were plentiful: Kicker Rock snorkelling with hammerheads, rays, sea turtles; sea lions now have a special place with us; Isabela Isl with it’s Sierra Negra crater hike; biking to Wall of Tears and seeing the huge tortoises in the wild; Santa Cruz’s Tortuga Bay - stunning! El Chato tortoise reserve….can’t fit it all in this space. Thank you, AJ, for giving us the time of our lives. We will be back for sure!

Just fulfilled a lifetime dream of traveling to the Galapagos islands and they lived up to all our expectations. The trip was just me and my wife along with a spectacular guide named Gabriel Salas who was extremely knowledgeable about the history, biology and ecology of the islands. He was super organized and made all the arrangements between activities of snorkeling, hiking, biking, kayaking and travel between the islands absolutely seamless and he was just a pleasure to be with. We saw such an array of animals and fauna we are still processing it all. We highly recommend Gabriel and this trip which was an 8 day small group land adventure through a collaboration between Adventure Life & Adventure Journeys.

This was an amazing experience! Our guide on the mainland, Milton, was excited about showing us the sights and gave us a lot of amazing cultural facts and history that I wouldn't have learned on my own. He was also with us every step helping us interpret and making sure we knew what was happening. On the Galapagos we had Gabriel who was also very helpful sharing knowledge and helping us see turtles in the wild on Isabella and get through the ferry to Santa Cruz. The snorkeling trips we took were so cool! We literally saw everything we possibly could have including hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, penguins, sea horses, and rays!

Very interesting tour, beautiful views in the Andes, especially the Cotopaxi volcano, the wild Amazon forest and the unforgettable Galapagos Islands. Thanks to our amazing guide David we learned many interesting things. His positive energy, commitment and professionalism allowed us to better know and understand Ecuador and inspired us to visit this beautiful country again.