9,811 Active Adventures Reviews & Ratings
96% Recommend
Tour Reviews
SJ
Stan Jacobson
Active Adventures Pika Trip December 2021
- Value 5.0
- Guide 5.0
- Activities 5.0
- Lodging 5.0
- Transportation 5.0
- Meals 5.0
The Austin Adventure guides (Alisa and Steve) were hardworking, accommodating, knowledgeable and flat out fun to be around. As all four previous trips were outside the US, I had found that international travel can be a bit tiring, however once in the hands of the guide(s) you could just relax and enjoy the new world. Surprisingly it was the same on this trip. Once we met the guides it was all “no worries”.
The food….well we ate like kings. If you have not yet had a buffalo steak…well I am long over due for another. The lodging?….a couple of our rooms were almost too nice for a hiking trip. This was NOT camping. :-)
And the scenery, do I dare say was spectacular. Photography is my hobby (some say disease) and the colors….oh my the colors.
Sooo, I am now 75 years old and had in mind that this would be my last Active Adventures trip. Am now rethinking that. All you young’uns out there, if you are debating, 75 comes around pretty damned fast. If you have the means, sign up. It is best way to maximize your trip, have a helluva good time and experience the world around you to the fullest.
C
Customer
Trip of a Lifetime October 2021
- Value 5.0
- Guide 5.0
- Activities 5.0
- Lodging 5.0
- Transportation 5.0
- Meals 5.0
Our guides, Richard and Marika, were the absolute best, highly knowledgeable and helpful, as well as fun and entertaining, always providing a safe environment within which to enjoy the Dolomiti. In our case it was necessary for Richard to modify the itinerary in order to meet the needs of everyone in our group, and he did this seamlessly and beautifully, allowing each of us to fully enjoy our experience.
The transfer drivers and all other details were thoroughly covered, which allowed for things to flow well from start to finish. This trip was definitely a lifetime highlight for me, and I'm grateful to Active Adventures for providing such an incredible opportunity.
AO
Ami Oren
After two years of being cooped and… August 2021
- Value 5.0
- Guide 5.0
- Activities 5.0
- Lodging 5.0
- Transportation 5.0
- Meals 5.0
AO
Ami Oren
The best solution to the long Covid blah August 2021
- Value 5.0
- Guide 5.0
- Activities 5.0
- Lodging 5.0
- Transportation 5.0
- Meals 5.0
CM
CHRISTINE MCCAHILL
Alps to Ocean Ride April 2021
- Value 5.0
- Guide 5.0
- Activities 5.0
- Lodging 5.0
- Transportation 5.0
- Meals 5.0
Thanks so much for a fun filled, positive week.
CAS
Cynthia Ann Schick
Our guides were the best! April 2021
- Value 5.0
- Guide 5.0
- Activities 5.0
- Lodging 5.0
- Transportation 5.0
- Meals 5.0
First of all, the guys from Galakiwi, Pablo and Paolo, were just beyond anything I expected. I thought we'd have a professional guide or two but both Pablo and Paolo were more like family by the end of the trip. Pablo was just astonishing in the completeness of his knowledge, the breadth and depth, and his passion for his beloved Galapagos, especially Isabela. I was spellbound every time he spoke. He knew I wanted to see the Galapagos penguins and the blue-footed boobies because he asked each of us what we most wanted to see at the beginning of our trip. He made sure to take us to places where we were most likely to see them and I did indeed get to see them. I was so touched by his love for the Galapagos. I was prepared to love it before our trip and now will be a lifelong advocate for its conservation. Pablo went way beyond the call of duty by helping my husband buy something he needed at the Farmacia and then going to buy more of it when my husband couldn't find it again. Paolo is a treasure. He schlepped our bags and fitted our gear and handled the logistics so that nobody had to think about any of it. He was joy to spend time with; my husband and I just admired his humor and joyous spirit, his sweetness, his love of his family, and his fun and irreverent facts about life in Ecuador. (They call it CumbaYORK!!! Hilarious and spot on!) My husband and I are very curious and love feeling like we've actually talked to a real person when we travel. I especially appreciated his kindness in helping stay on my feet when walking around Las Tuneles.
The properties were fantastic! We got to stay in the dome room at Casa Blanca on San Cristobal. Hotel Albemarle was lovely (especially after we figured out that the rooms DO have air conditioning. Whew!) and Juliette, who managed it, was helpful and went beyond the call of duty to make coffee at 5am for my husband and me. The Hotel Isla Sol was in a great location and it was actually nice to wrap up our stay in the middle of a developed town after the seclusion of Isabela.
The places we visited were beyond my wildest dreams and there was such a good balance between learning, sheer fun, beauty beyond comparison, fragility of the ecosystems, and immersion in the culture of Galapagos. Kicker Rock (or Leon Dormido) was amazing. The boat cruising all the way around it so we could see its beauty from every side was very nice. The boat captain was also alert for sea life while we were traveling to and from Kicker Rock so we got to see a bunch of dolphins. The San Cristobal Interpretation Center was very interesting and gave a very good history of the Galapagos. This was one of the reasons I felt like I had really learned something about the Islands and their history beyond what I knew about Darwin and his finches.
I think it was actually good that we couldn't go to Floreana. Not having that stop enabled us to go to both Sierra Negra Volcano and Las Tuneles. I can't imagine missing either one of those. Both were majestic. Our whole group was of the opinion that future tours should be just like ours and include the opportunity to go to both. Saving time by taking the plane to Isabela from San Cristobal was a great bonus. I loved the tortoise breeding center and the work they're doing. Kayaking on Isabela was perfect. I saw my beloved penguins and blue-footed boobies. On Santa Cruz, we got to go to the Charles Darwin Research Station and see the important work they are doing. I loved the lava tubes and seeing the giant tortoises in the wild in the Santa Cruz highlands.
Our trip was perfect. It could not have been better!
From Active Adventures
Our aim is to share with you the grandeur of the outdoors, the joy of achievement, the pleasure of good company and the warmest hospitality on our incredible adventure vacations.
On top of that we just love getting you to some of the most beautiful places on earth under your own steam.
Our story began in 1996 when our founder quit his job as a lawyer to pursue a lifelong interest in the outdoors and set up an adventure guiding company. Since then, our passion for hiking trips and exploring the outdoors has developed Active Adventures into the sophisticated and smooth running operation it is today, with incredible trips all over the world.
We’re here to share with you the best way to experience the places we know and love: New Zealand, Nepal, Europe, Peru, Patagonia, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. All our destinations have a bucket-list air about them – from Milford Sound to Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail to the Mont Blanc Circuit in Europe, Ecuador to the end of the earth (Patagonia), right back to Middle-earth here in New Zealand – you’ll have memories to be proud of at the end of your trip.
On your adventure vacation, your local trip leader or guide will be by your side throughout the journey. Imagine a cross between Bear Grylls, David Attenborough and a Four Seasons Hotel concierge and you'll get the idea of what these guys are like! They are there to host, lead, guide and encourage you to experience and achieve more than you would on your own.
We hope our little touches, attention to detail and amazing guides will exceed your expectations. It's why so many of our people choose to travel with us time and time again.
Associations:- Adventure Travel Trade Association