Quasar ExpeditionsQuasar's vision is to create authentic and meaningful tours & cruise experiences for our fellow travelers. Voted the #1 Intimate-Ship Ocean Cruise Line by Travel + Leisure for 9 consecutive years (2018–2026), and recognized as a Top Tour Operator in 2026, we’ve spent 40 years serving those who delight in travel, not tourism.Quasar's cruise and tour Guests come to us seeking layers of depth and contrast: meaningful interactions with humans and the earth, well-appointed accommodations, unparalleled adventures, five star cultural cuisine, and awe-inspiring wildlife encounters. In turn, Quasar travelers become not only expedition enthusiasts, but conservators.From hand-picked naturalist guides to the friendliest staff you’ll ever meet, our team is comprised of passion. Whether you’re exploring Galapagos, Patagonia, Chile, Ecuador, or Peru, we promise authentic experiences and lifetime memories.
Quasar Expeditions (quasarex.com) has 761 customer reviews on Five Star Index, with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5.
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761 approved reviews, newest moderated first
Martyk7
Excellent experience from the booking process to the actual cruise. We had a wonderful time, a huge thanks to the crew who went out of their way to make our trip a memorable experience, especially Edison our cruise director and Alex and Sam our guides who were extremely knowledgable, helpful and took lots of pictures for us. I can't sing all of your praises enough.
HEIDI K.
The 'Grace' is a wonderful traditional boat although a bit noisy and rocky on rough seas, but we loved it; we had a very nice spacious room; the staff, food and our guide (Raffa) were excellent. The daily activities were well organized; however, if you don't like swimming, diving or at least snorkeling twice daily, what do you do? Sit on the boat! The excursions on the various islands are lovely, but way too brief; one has no time whatsoever to walk along the lovely trails for a couple of hours to observe and enjoy the diverse landscapes and/or wildlife. We saw some great sea life, some rare creatures and birds close-up and liked seeing the islands, but I would not say that it was "a trip of a lifetime". We subsequently spent 2 weeks traveling on main land Ecuador by car which was fabulous, the roads are good, well sign-posted and driving is easy. Guayaquil (the Hotel del Parque is wonderful but way off the beaten track), Cajas National Park, and especially the colonial centers of the towns of Cuenca (the Hotel Mansion de Alcazar is lovely and has a good restaurant) and Quito are well worth spending time in; the Gangotena Hotel in Quito has a great location on the Plaza San Francisco and is good for exploring the historic center of town, but the restaurant is mediocre, and there are no good restaurants in the area (they are in the modern part of the city quite a long way away); we only liked the breakfast buffet. Driving north from Quito to visit various lagunas and haciendas is a wonderful experience. We stayed for 4 full days at the Hacienda Zuleta which is a spectacular place, however, it is way overpriced in our opinion and there is relatively little to do: horseback riding which is great and hiking which is arduous and treacherous on the longer trails. Overall it was a great trip; traveling on the mainland contributed considerably to our very positive travel experience in Ecuador and we would certainly go back to explore more of the mainland.
Response from Quasar ExpeditionsAug 23, 2017
We very much appreciate your review, Heidi. We have many guests tell us that the Galapagos was their trip of a lifetime and we understand that this is especially true for those who have a deep love of nature and wildlife. The Galapagos really is the only place on earth where one can so reliably get so close to, and even interact with, wildlife. As opposed to many National Parks around the world, the activities in the Galapagos are mandated exclusively by the Galapagos National park. This means that when, where and how long all cruises in the Galapagos spend at landing sites is determined by the National Park and not by the cruise companies, which is part of the reason why the Islands continue to be wild, pristine and beautiful today. Our yachts typically visit two different landing sites each day for up to 2 ½ hours per visit (duration is also mandated by the Galapagos National Park). We also typically spend an hour snorkeling at two different sites every day (the park does not allow scuba diving during cruises unless it is a dive dedicated cruise) along with some sea kayaking and zodiac rides. Add it up and you can see Quasar offers a very full day of activities, taking time for lunch and to change the yacht’s position to the next nearby landing site during the day. We have found that passengers tell us that there is so much activity that they might like to take a bit more time to relax, but that would mean missing some excursions, which is something guests opt not to do when on the Islands. All our hikes are dedicated to seeing the wildlife so we are frequently stopping to admire the animals, with guides serving as interpretive naturalists. While the snorkeling in the Galapagos is arguably the best in the world--with opportunities to snorkel with sea lions, sea turtles, Galapagos penguins, marine iguanas and tropical fish-- even for those who choose not to go in the water Galapagos offers lots of wildlife viewing at the landing sites. One can see things like giant tortoises, iguanas, sea lions, fur seals and many different kinds of birds including the famous blue footed booby. During some of our zodiac rides we visit mangrove estuaries that are like looking into giant aquariums full of sea turtles and rays, so that even those who don’t go in the water can have an amazing experience of the marine life. Did we mention dolphin and whale watching? Finally, it is a shame that you didn’t have more time in Colonial Quito as we could have had you sample a range of restaurants such as the Theatrum, which is very highly rated. Yes, Hacienda Zuleta is expensive, but as the former home of former President Galo Plaza, it is equivalent to staying at the Kennedy compound in Cape Cod with the exception that was first built at the end of the 1500s. There are other Haciendas one can stay in near to Zuleta that are about half the price and still have a great deal of history, but Zuleta is the best of the best, with the most extensive lands and amazing history. We thank you for your sincere feedback, and recommend that anyone who has doubts or concerns give us a call at any of the numbers found on our website www.quasarex.com or by emailing us directly at [email protected]. Thank you, The Quasar Expeditions' Management Team
STEPHEN B.
perfect; amazing. we had 14 with us: five grandchildren 97 to 14) three children, son-in-law, brother-in-law and two friends, and everyone of them thought it was the trip of a lifetime. We learned much about animals, fish, plants, geology, and science.. We felt as well as intellectually learned what nature was like. The meals were three star delights. the hikes and scuba diving were well organized, the guides knowledgeable, and the entire crew and staff could not have been nicer-- particularly nice to the children. What more can I say? every step of the way, beginning a year ago with the complex organization, was done perfectly. We appreciate the staff efforts and organization and the trip very much indeed. Stephen Breyer
Sharon L F.
We were greeted like family and the whole staff made us welcome. We had quite a large group and everyone in our family found the staff beyond helpful. AND they took care of me with consideration. Loved everyone and the adventure was beyond belief. Quasar met our expectations twice over. The Evolution was lovely.
BRUNO PATRICK T.
Simply, the best trip on my life! The most beautiful and charming yacht of the Galapagos, a top level quality service, an attentionate and flexible crew, a passionate naturalist guide, so many amazing and fearless animals. The trip was indeed expensive but it worths it a 100%!
Houston
The sizzle that sets the hook is obviously the vessel itself. There is no adequate way to describe the elegant serenity of the M/Y Grace. It is a boat unto itself - no other vessel in the Galapagos comes close to it. It was a bonus coincidence to cruise during the Dunkirk film release. We could almost physically feel the presence of the 900 souls saved by the Grace (HMS Rion) at Dunkirk. So many times the sizzle (anticipation) fizzles upon the actual experience. This expedition blew through the outer limits of our expectations. Our naturalist, Rafael, is, without a doubt, the best guide in the southern hemisphere. He motivated everyone to be a part of the Galapagos and not just view the scenery. He also went beyond the call of duty when our flights from San Cristobal were cancelled or delayed due to problems in Guayaquil. He worked with the airline counter staff to get those passengers that needed to get connections off the island first and then made sure our later flight had our luggage and us aboard. He took those of us that were on a 5 hour delay to a nice hotel bistro on the water - much better than the airport, right? We would have never be able to accomplish the quagmire without him. The attention to detail from the captain, chefs, crew and staff was in keeping with Rafael's pace. The chef should have a cook book for sale on the boat. The food was as one would expect in a Michelin 3 star restaurant. The service was also three star level, and I don't mean just at meals. There two misgivings my wife and I have about the trip: we should have done this sooner and we should have done the whole northern and southern cruise. Oh darn, now we'll have to go back on the renovated Grace for the southern route and stay in the Princess Grace cabin.
Peter and Lucy, A.
We had a wonderful time on The Grace last week. Every aspect of the accommodation was great, and the wildlife experiences made it a trip of a lifetime.
Austin T.
Our vacation(?) to the Galápagos Islands with Quasar was easily the best adventure I've ever had. The boat was well equipped, the staff was courteous and attentive, and the guides were exceptionally knowledgeable about many different aspects of the fantastic place we explored for a short week. As a science teacher, I specifically appreciated the depth of knowledge demonstrated by both our guides, which will help me bring some new perspective and understanding into my classroom.