At ChokoTrip, we are celebrating our anniversary. We are marking 10 years of helping Ecuadorian and international travelers turn their dream of visiting the Galápagos Islands into reality. Over this time, we have supported thousands of tourists in planning their experiences, offering assistance with booking day tours, cruises, accommodation, and also rental equipment such as snorkeling gear, wetsuits, and GoPro cameras.

It all started in 2013, when I took my first trip to the Galápagos. From that moment, I understood that for many people, this is a once-in-a-lifetime journey. Although for Ecuadorians the destination is more accessible, it is still an expensive trip that requires careful planning.

 

My first Galapagos travel guide

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In January 2014, I published my first travel guide about the Galápagos Islands. Over the following years, I continued visiting different islands and joining day tours, which allowed me to closely observe the experiences of many local and international tourists. During this process, I discovered the frustration many travelers faced when they did not receive the tours or cruises they had been promised, whether booked online or directly on the islands. This is why you can find many negative reviews on platforms like Tripadvisor related to these situations.

In 2016, I decided to help travelers book day tours and cruises directly with local operators. It was a stage of significant learning, as I was able to identify which operators provided poor service or worked with underqualified guides. Over time, we carefully selected and strengthened relationships with operators who were genuinely committed to delivering high-quality experiences.

I will not say that we never made mistakes, because we did. However, we have always worked alongside the operators to find solutions and support our passengers when issues arise. We have also encountered cases where some tourists look for ways to claim compensation after completing a tour, even when the service was delivered properly.

Even so, we always try to provide alternatives and support in situations beyond anyone’s control, such as mechanical failures on a yacht, sea conditions preventing part of a route, or weather limitations. For this reason, the Galápagos National Park and the Ecuadorian Navy require that booking policies clearly state that the captain will always make decisions prioritizing the safety and well-being of passengers and crew.

 
 

 

ChokoTrip in 2026

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With 10 years of experience, our travel guides have become well established, offering daily tours, diving excursions, and ferry services across the three main islands: Isabela, Santa Cruz, and San Cristóbal. We operate with an approach based on trust, safety, and respect, so that those who book through ChokoTrip or ChokoTours can be confident that their Galápagos experience is well organized and confirmed.

We have an automated system designed to optimize your time, tailor options to your budget, and ensure security in every booking. That is why we work under a verification process: we do not offer tours that have not been previously confirmed by each activity and ferry operator. Our goal is to ensure everything is truly available before you make a payment.

We recommend being cautious with platforms that allow you to “book” and pay directly without a prior quote sent to your email, as in many cases these reservations may end up being canceled due to a lack of real confirmation with the operators.

 

 
Over the years, we have also improved the way we present tours, differentiating them according to the level of service of yachts and operators. That is why the same tour can have different prices, just as when choosing between a hostel, a 2-star hotel, or a 5-star hotel: the experience and level of service change depending on what you choose.

Finally, it is important to keep in mind that some operators have strict cancellation policies. In these cases, we apply our “extra mile” philosophy: if a passenger needs to cancel a tour on short notice and there is no option for a direct refund, we look for alternatives such as reselling the spot at the last minute to recover part of the value and return some of the money to the client whenever possible.
 

 
 

 
 

Why You Should Be Careful Booking Galápagos Tours Through Viator, Civitatis, or GetYourGuide

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Many travelers believe that booking through platforms like Viator, Civitatis, or GetYourGuide guarantees a better and safer experience in the Galápagos Islands. However, the reality can be very different.

Besides charging significantly higher prices, these platforms operate as OTAs (Online Travel Agencies). This means they are not the actual tour operators — they simply advertise tours from third-party agencies.

One of the biggest issues is that, in many cases, your tour is not truly confirmed at the moment you book it. Even if you receive a reservation confirmation, some agencies wait until one or two days before the tour to actually pay and confirm the space with the yacht operator.

Why does this happen?
Because Galápagos operators usually charge agencies for reserved spots even if passengers cancel. To avoid financial risk, many agencies delay confirming reservations until the last minute.

The result can be extremely frustrating: if the operator no longer has availability, platforms like Viator, Civitatis, or GetYourGuide may cancel your tour only hours or days before your trip.

This becomes a huge disappointment for travelers who:

Saved money for years

Took time off work

Traveled long distances

Arrived tired or dealing with jet lag

 
…only to lose the opportunity to visit the island they were most excited about.

 

The Mistake of Waiting Until Arrival to Book in Galápagos

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Many tourists feel uncomfortable booking online and decide to wait until they arrive in the Galápagos Islands to reserve daily tours, ferries, or even hotels. They usually do this for two reasons:

To feel more secure

To get better prices

 
However, today this can become one of the biggest mistakes travelers make.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, cruise tourism in Galápagos decreased significantly because travelers realized they could visit many of the same islands through daily tours while spending less money and directly supporting the local economy.

This benefits:

Hotels

Restaurants

Souvenir shops

Local tour operators

Naturalist guides

 
But because of the growing demand for day tours, many activities now sell out in advance — especially during high season.

That’s why booking with reliable operators that provide real confirmations can make the difference between enjoying your dream Galápagos trip or missing out on unique experiences.

 

 

That’s why I’ve been surprised to see that even during months that are not considered high season, many tours across the three islands are already fully booked. And during months like June, July, August, December, and January, the situation becomes even worse: if you don’t reserve your tours before arriving in Galápagos, there’s a very high chance you’ll only find tours with low demand or activities you didn’t really want to do.

You have no idea how many people contact me almost desperate because they reached out months in advance but never completed their reservation process. Once they finally arrive on the islands, they realize everything is already sold out.

And this also happens during low season. Many people assume there will be plenty of availability, but the reality is that many yachts go into dry dock for maintenance, which means there are fewer tours and fewer ferries operating. Meanwhile, travelers who booked in advance already have their spots secured.

 

My recommendation for everyone reading this post is to plan your trip carefully:

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First: buy your flight tickets to Galápagos directly from the airlines.
Second: decide which daily tours you want to do and reserve them before traveling. Many times, booking accommodation first can become a problem later if you need to change your dates because the tour you wanted is no longer available.
Third: once your tours are confirmed, book your hotels and ferries.

If you would like help booking daily tours in Galápagos, visit: www.choko.tours/book-tours/
And if you need help with hotels or hostels, visit: www.choko.host

 
 

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USAGE POLICIES

• By booking accommodation on each island, you will receive $10 per island. That is, if you book accommodations on all 3 islands, you will get a $30 discount per person when booking daily tours on all 3 islands.
• When using the discount on tours booked with ChokoTours, accommodation reservations cannot be canceled, and no cancellation or date change policies from the hotels will apply.
• To access the discount, the tours must be purchased by the same person who made the reservation through the following form on the ChokoTours website.
• Only for 2026 reservations

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