Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands

  Pedro was delightful, was very knowledgeable and took us all the way to the glacier. Jimmy the driver also did a great job getting us safely through challenging terrain. Great... read more day all around!

  Real Dreams Tours is amazing. I did the Cotopaxi National Park tour and it was incredible. My tour guide was Pedro and he picked me up at my hotel just... read more before 8 and we were off to Cotopaxi. The hike to base camp was very challenging for me because of the altitude. Pedro is the only reason I was able to make it there—he offered to carry my pack because I was struggling with the weight and he made sure I was taking breaks and pacing myself. The timing of the tour was perfect for the weather and crowds, which shows how experienced this group is. The lunch included was very good after a long days hike. I highly recommend Real Dreams Tours, definitely the highlight of my trip to Quito!

  Chasing waterfalls - I’m on a tour with Luis Chavez and we just got started and I’m having a really great time. It’s my birthday and I’m celebrating. He’s really excited and... read more making me feel like an old friend. I’m looking forward to the rest of the tour.

  Big thanks to Pedro (guide) and Jimmy (driver) who led a private tour to see Cotopaxi volcano and then Quilotoa. It’s a jam packed day to see both amazing sites... read more but worth it.

Pedro shared interesting facts about the locations and we stopped regularly to get the best photos. It included a delicious vegetarian (for me) lunch at Quilotoa.

Jimmy was an excellent driver. The car was comfortable and able to deal with the bumpy roads when driving up Cotopaxi.

Highly recommended.

  I happened to be with Luis, the guide, and Jimmy, the driver. I felt like I was hanging out with friends as they made me feel safe, comfortable and free... read more to express myself. They were happy to welcome any requests I had, for they cared about me having a great experience and indeed the whole tour was incredible.
The car was so comfortable and the driver, Jimmy, has been great and careful the whole time.
The guide, Luis, was so friendly, such a great company, he assisted me with anything, we had great chats and he was always making sure I was alright and having fun, feeling like a family member. He shared some great recommendations of his travels and of his past experiences in general, both as a guide and as a traveller himself. I can totally see his strong passion for what he does.
The tour was beyond expectations because I didn't expect to learn so much about the Ecuadorian people and the flora and fauna, as people loved to share their knowledge with lots of enthusiasm. I was very curious and asked many questions and they seemed happy to clear any doubts I had. Particularly I am passionate about plants, and even during the zip line, the workers were so kind to show me interesting things about what they knew about the cloud forests. I also got to taste and smell different fruits and herbs that usually grow in the forest or in local people's yards and therefore not available in the market. What a precious gift!
I'm so grateful for this experience, for the people I met, and for everything I discovered. I highly recommend these guys but also the people from the agency as they all showed great and constant support. Gracias!

  We had the most amazing day with Pedro and Jimmy!
Pedro's knowledge about culture, history and nature was very impressive. He guided us safely to the glacier and always... read more made sure we were ok with the altitude. He was genuine fun to be around and we enjoyed every minute. Jimmy the driver was excellent and we felt safe at all times. He was the best driver we had so far.
This was by far the best tour we have had so far on our travel through Central and South America. Thank you Pedro and Jimmy!

  An unforgettable trip! - I booked this break as part of a longer set of Ecuadorian adventures, and would thoroughly recommend it! It was a wonderful experience, starting from Quito and taking in a... read more whole range of memorable sights and experiences. I was lucky enough to travel solo and be accompanied by a single kind and hugely knowledgable guide, Pedro. We visited sites such as as the famous Swing at the Edge of the World, the shops and spas of Banos, the stunning Quilotoa Lagoon, and a succession of beautiful waterfalls culminating in the famous Pailon Del Diablo as well as Cotopaxi.

Pedro was a superb guide, thoughtful and generous: it was soon apparent that he loved the work of showing off his country's great sights, and there was precious little about either its natural or its human history on which he was not an eloquent and kindly authority. As a result, I came away not merely with a bundle of tourist experiences, but also with some sense of how the various aspects of Ecuador's natural history and culture came together to form a whole, and felt enriched all the more for that. This is an excellent tour presented by a truly dedicated and caring guide, and is a wonderful introduction to this spectacular, complex and fascinating country, as well as to the lovely people who populate it.

  Big thanks to David (guide) and Roberto (driver). They accompanied me to Volcán Cotopaxi. I’m in my sixties with a good but not so great physical condition. It was a... read more cloudy day. When we arrived at the trail head towards the Refugio Jose Rivas, the path was partially covered with snow. It’s at high altitude. I walked very slowly. David was always full of courage and patience with me. With their support I made it, via the straight and short path.

Coming down it was snowing, hailing and raining. Because I spent a lot of time on the trail walking and taking pictures, it was late and the visibility was bad. We didn’t have time to go to other part in the Cotopaxi National Park. When we came back to Quito David and Roberto took me to a very small community restaurant run by a lady and her nephew. The people were very nice there,and the food was great yet very affordable. After all I got a chance to touch the life of local people. It’s another highlight for the day.

David also planned to take me to a food market in Quito, Mercado de Iñaquito (Mercado La Carolina). Again it was too late and closed. I went there the next day before leaving Quito. That also is a great place if you are interested in local people’s lives. David is a great guide with tons of love for his country. I highly recommend him and this trip.

  We had a fun day with David (we left Quito at 08:10 and arrived back around 20:30, so bear timings in mind!), first going to Cayambe town right on the... read more equator to try some delicious bizcocho biscuits. Also stopped here to buy some Andean tea. Then on to a viewpoint of Otavalo volcano and the lake near San Pablo del Lago before going to the market. After this we had a 3 course lunch (drinks are extra) in Cotacachi. We then walked around some of the Laguna Cuicocha with wonderful views. We headed back to to Cotacachi for a quick tasty surprise before heading home. David was very enthusiastic, knowledge and fun and enjoyed telling us about his country in good English. ¡Gracias!

  Beautiful Tour in the heart of Ecuador - My partner and I had a such an amazing experience exploring the Cotopaxi Volcano and the Laguna Quilotoa on our first trip to Ecuador. Pedro and Jimmy were the perfect... read more hosts and shared lots of fascinating knowledge of Ecuador’s history, culture, and its people. We also enjoyed a wonderful lunch with Pedro’s best recommendations and had so much fun taking pictures and making lifelong memories at the base of Cotopaxi and the beautiful bright green water of the Laguna Quilotoa. It was a day packed with adventure and definitely one we will never forget. They truly showed us the best Ecuador has to offer. The experience they provided us deserves more than 5 stars, we highly recommend it.

  Best experience thanks to Pedro! - This was by far the best experience I have ever had. Thank you Pedro for being so informative. We learned so much going on this experience with him. 5 stars... read more go to him.

  A brilliant day spent in Mindo!
Diego & Carolina picked us up at our hotel on time with a warm welcome and drove us to Mindo to experience a... read more range of activities for the day! The drive was around 2.5hrs from Quito. Roads were not the best quality at some stages as expected in rural Ecuador so just keep this in mind if you are not a great traveler in the car.
Our first stop was to a small butterfly farm where we saw lots of different species and had the life cycle explained to us. We then went onto the bird watching place which was our absolute highlight of the day. We sat with nectar and fed dozens of hummingbirds by hand. An unforgettable experience and wonderful photo opportunities. We even saw a toucan fly past! The tour continued to the forest area where we were offered the opportunity to zip line however we passed on this and went on to the waterfall. We trekked down to the waterfall which was very beautiful! Many steps down but was achievable by most! Probably took around 45 mins each way to walk it. Take swimwear if you’d like to take a dip in the water at the bottom! There is a small pool / area there to enjoy. The day that we went was very warm and humid due to the lower altitude in the forest - we did regret not wearing shorts / lighter clothing so do consider this too! Next we stopped for some lunch at a local restaurant - our guides paid for us to try some local food! Final stop was to Yumbos chocolate where we learnt about Ecuadorian Cocoa and the chocolate making process. We tasted many varieties and had the chance to buy some too! Delicious! Highly recommend this day tour and our wonderful hosts for making our day so interesting and fun! We highly recommend booking this tour if visiting Quito!