ISABELA II NATURAL SELECTION JOURNEY (Fri-Thurs)

This was an amazing trip! We were a group of 13 and we booked with Metro Journeys. (By Metropolitan Touring). Carolina was our planner and she helped us set up the trip. She was great and the whole trip from start to finish was amazing and so easy because of all of her hard work. This once in a lifetime trip was spectacular and I can't say enough about everyone that worked so hard to make this a great trip. The three guides (Nancy, Louisa and Alexis) were spectacular and you could tell they have a true love of the islands where they live and work. The panga drivers were also really amazing at keeping us safe and for spotting wildlife. The crew onboard the Isabella were also amazing especially the chef and his dining room crew and bar tenders. They were all really great at their jobs and very nice. and fun. And how can I not talk about all the species we saw on this trip? It was incredible. Everyday we saw so many beautiful things! Tortoises, sea lions, sea turtles, penguins, beautifully colored fish, iguanas, sharks, and so many beautiful birds. We saw 14 of the Big 15 species and we only missed out on # 15, which was the Santa Fe Land Iguana ,because we did not stop at that island. This is a trip worth taking. You will not regret it!

We had an absolutely amazing experience on our Galapagos cruise! It truly exceeded our expectations. From the beginning to the end, everything was extremely well organized, and the service was top notch. We had so much fun and really enjoyed every part of the trip. The crew was fantastic, attentive, and made the whole experience even more special. The organization was excellent, which allowed us to simply relax and enjoy this incredible destination. A special thank you to Melissa, who was wonderful throughout the process. She was very helpful and made sure everything was well arranged for us. We highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting the Galapagos. It was an unforgettable trip, and we would happily do it again! 🐢🌿✨

This was truly the trip of a lifetime! From booking to the final day, everything exceeded my expectations. Melissa made the planning process incredibly easy. She was responsive, helpful, and made me feel confident I was in great hands from the very beginning. The tour itself was exceptionally well organized and offered excellent value. Every day included a great mix of activities, from hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, and shore excursions to unforgettable wildlife encounters. The guides were knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about the Galápagos, which made the experience even more meaningful. The accommodations were comfortable, the food was excellent, and the entire ship's crew was outstanding. They worked tirelessly behind the scenes, were always friendly and attentive, and genuinely cared about making every guest's experience special. They were such an important part of what made this trip so memorable. I can't recommend this tour enough. If you're thinking about visiting the Galápagos, book it. You won't regret it!

Along with Antarctica, Galapagos has been on my 'must-do' list since I was a kid. The islands didn't disappoint, and neither did Metropolitan Touring. I don't need to go into the attractions of the archipelago, they are well documented. Choosing which company to go there with can be confusing, however. We were lucky in that we had a personal recommendation for Metro, and so we had a starting point with which to compare other companies. Their itinerary fitted what we wanted to see, and the price wasn't over-the-top. (Being a remote destination, everything is quite expensive.) We particularly liked the benefit of going with a company that picked us up at the airport and transferred us to Quito, organised our stay at the extravagant but must-do for a night or two Casa Gangotena, organised our flights to and from Galapagos and transferred us to the airport again, and would have organised further adventures on the mainland upon our return had we so wished. It was smoothly put together by Carolina Escobar who had to deal with our postponing the trip for 6 months, after having sorted everything for us the first time. She then reorganised it all again with our new dates. I really liked dealing with the same person for 18 months too, instead of being shifted around as has happened occasionally with other companies. The Isabela II is a beautiful little ship, with a delightful and knowledgeable crew who are all passionate about their home islands. Safety was a priority, I observed mobility special needs being catered for sensitively, and you'll be overfed! Birds, seals and fish abound, along with spectacular landscapes and smooth sailing. I know it's their job to be friendly in the tourist industry, but Ecuadorans generally just seem to be so genuine in their welcome to their beautiful country, in which they are rightly proud. I would happily recommend Metropolitan Touring and the Isabela II to anyone visiting Ecuador.

+5

This was an amazing experience for me despite the fact that I am not normally a “visiting nature type”. The locations and wildlife we were exposed to were a feast for the eyes. The naturalists and crew of the Isabella 2 were first class. They were very safety conscious and were always making sure we were contented. Everyone from the ship’s captain, medical doctor, chef, dining staff, hospitality director and naturalist was able to make this trip a truly memorable one. The food was wonderful and the ship was extremely clean. Safety was a priority because they said that if someone were to get hurt, the ship may be diverted and we could miss things. The ship was in great shape and each and every day was filled with wonderful new adventures.

+5

The Galapagos Islands were my ultimate "bucket list" trip and this did not disappoint. The experience was better than I expected. We "met" Metropolitan Touring at a travel show in NYC. There....we met Carolina Escobar. She helped us with all the details of the trip. We wanted to stay in Quito for two nights before we left on the cruise. Carolina set us up in a gorgeous hotel, in a wonderful area of Quito. She arranged for us to get a half day city tour the next day and that helped us become acquainted with this marvelous city. The trip on the Isabella II was remarkable! The exploration team were wonderful! They were experienced, considerate, concerned for our safety and helped to have a wonderful experience. It was amazing the way they took us around the islands, highlighting the different terrain and, as a result, the different plan and animal species we'd see. While only using a phone/camera, we were able to get up amazing photos of the animals up close and spend time in their presence. Our snorkel trips were incredible, because the fish, sea lions and a pelican swam very close to us! I also especially enjoyed the coastal explorations in the Pangas! The staff on the ship was attentive and considerate. The food was fantastic! And I enjoyed the science talks before dinner, where our next location was described by one of the exploration scientists. They told us about the geology, biology and ecosystems we would see the next day. I would recommend this trip to all of my friends and all people who enjoy science, animals and nature.

Our family of 10 along with friends had a fabulous trip to the Galapagos. We saw 14 of the BIG 15. Melissa was terrific making all of the arrangements and helping us when some unexpected hiccups developed in our travel plans. Everyone aboard the Isabela II were fun, helpful, well versed, and always smiling. Especially JJ. The animals were remarkable. Oh and the food? Incredible at every meal. Highly recommend.

We booked our Quito / Galapagos trip with Metropolitan Tours after twice meeting them at the annual Destinations Travel Show in London and were impressed by their knowledge of the islands. The tour was organised and executed to perfection from start to finish. Our hotel in the centre of the old town in Quito (Casa Gangotena) was delightful and we enjoyed the city tour. The whole Galápagos experience was exceptional - everything from the organisation, the activities, the wildlife, and the entire crew of Isabella II who were so dedicated to making our expedition unforgettable. We loved every minute - thank you!

+5

We really adored this trip. Just a top notch organization who took care of us from start to finish. Size: We found the 20 cabin / 40 person capacity to be the perfect Goldilocks between the 16 person catamarans (too small and prone to seasickness) and 100 person mega yachts (too large and chaotic). Itinerary: we enjoyed getting to see so many islands. We wanted to get away from the human development on Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. Fernandina, Isabella, etc were perfect for this. We had 2-3 activities per day that were multi sport in nature (kayaking, hiking, snorkeling) with breaks in between. Note that the water is COLD in the dry season (one day it was 59F/15C) but the wetsuits helped a lot. We saw 14 of the Big 15, as advertised. On board experience: the boat is lovely. We really enjoyed the jacuzzi after a cold snorkeling outing. The food was generally quite good. Savory dishes were better than desserts and Ecuadorian food was better than the French / Italian entrees. Bartenders made amazing cocktails. Cabins were perfectly adequate for sleeping and showering. Water was hot. Rooms were cleaned multiple times a day. Employees: kind, knowledgeable, organized. Everything you could hope for in an experience like this. We are leaving with full camera rolls and happy hearts. Highly recommend!!!!

+3

Melissa was SO helpful and amazing with organizing all aspects of our trip to Quito and the Galapagos. Metropolitan Touring has been doing the tours of the Galapagos since the park was opened. They have years of knowledge and expertise that are evident in all parts of the experience. Couldn't recommend more highly.