Hi Michael, this is a conundrum as there are so MANY tour operators to the Galapagos, with prices all over the board. I started the research on this a while back, using TripAdvisor, but I was ultimately overwhelmed with all the variants that go into the decision-making.
As for boats, they run from basic to ultimate luxury, so you’ll need to have a good idea what kind of experience you’re after. I’ve heard the National Geographic tours are good — I think they’re luxury boats, but I don’t have any firsthand input for you.
You might try emailing Julieta Munoz and see what she can offer you: julieta@nuevomundoexpeditions.com
I’m uncertain about your last question, whether you are asking if it is challenging to get from Quito to Guayaquil or from one of those cities to the Galapagos. But in either case, you should not have any difficulties. Some Galapagos packages will include airfare from mainland Ecuador so you might want to keep that in mind.
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