Received a confirmation email when I signed up a month before the tour date (guessing now it was an…read moreauto-reply). No follow-up email. On tour day, waited at the Christopher Columbus statue in Plaza Colon until 15 minutes past the 2pm meet time - no one showed up. Disappointing. Don't waste your time!

I don't know where to start ! But this tour was…read moreAMAAAAAAZING! I didn't want it to finish that's how much fun I was having . The tour guide took us to all the small corners that local people go to and it was such a nice experience. She was also excellent at giving out historical facts and was nice enough to stop and take pictures of us . Of course tips are welcome so don't skimp out . This was the highlight of our trip to Puerto Rico

My wife and I procrastinated to the last minute on taking a tour to El Yunque. I called the number…read morefor Pandora Tour at 9:45pm on a Monday, expecting to get a recording that I was out of luck. Instead, Eddie of Pandora tours answered the phone as cheerfully as could be and then proceeded to tell him that he could do a tour for the following morning. Eddie staying in touch with me via text and was waiting for me and my wife and kids in a very nice van the next morning outside my hotel. Eddie had water and bananas for us and was an incredible wealth of knowledge about Puerto Rico, it's history, geography, and especially it's ecology. My son and daughter were a challenge for Eddie as my son has a hard time focusing and my daughter is very shy. Eddie was able to get through and interact with both of them during the course of the tour. Eddie took us the the El Yunque rainforest, first to the visitor center to see a few things in the museum and watch a great video about El Yunque. We then proceeded down the most popular trail and down to La Mina falls, which was in a word, "awesome." The water was so fresh, it actually felt like it gave me energy. The trail was a bit of a challenge, but we all handled it well, especially the kids. We also went to the Yocahu Tower to get a breathtaking view of the forest and we were able to see all the way down to the coast. Finally, we stopped at La Coca waterfall for a great photo op! On the way back to the hotel, Eddie must have read my mind, because he answered a question right as I was about to ask it, and took my family to the best locals BBQ joint in San Juan for a quick bite to eat. He certainly didn't need to do that, but he took the extra time, since he could tell we were hungry. All in all, Eddie is a class act, incredibly knowledgeable, and I came away feeling like we made a new friend here in Puerto Rico. Skip anyone else for this tour...go with Eddie and Pandora Tour Puerto Rico. You will not be disappointed.

**This is a fairly long review - but highly informative!**…read more I booked an El Yunque hike with Pandora a few months ago based on some reviews I had read - and my wife and I are glad that we did! Our driver (and owner of the company) was Eddie. I got a couple of follow up texts and emails from Eddie confirming our pick-up time and a text 20 mins before we were supposed to get picked up...gotta love that follow up! We started out for the hike about 10 mins earlier than expected. We were supplied with water, soda and fruit for the trip. Along the way, we were given a lot of information - current and historical - on the areas we were driving through and the island in general. Once we got there, we watched a video on the rainforest that really tied together the information we had received on the ride in. We then trekked it up the mountain in the van until we hit the trailhead. The hike from the La Mina trail was amazing! So many photo-ops, plus there's a waterfall (wear shoes good for hiking and water of you're going to swim). The trail was mostly down-hill and paved....but it was closed at the waterfall, so the walk back was uphill and a little rough. Don't let that deter you ....We wouldn't have traded the experience for anything! After the hike and more photos on the way down the mountain (which lasted about 90 mins total), Eddie took us over to a local eatery near the airport...the food was great and cheap (even if we got the world's worst waitress! LOL). After lunch, we headed back to the hotel. Eddie asked us what we were getting into the rest of the day, so we told him we were headed to Old San Juan for the afternoon. Eddie offered to give us a ride down there (which we gladly accepted). He allowed us time to go up to our room and change before we left. He picked it's up in his personal car and drive us over...still giving us great information about the island, and also life - advice we will surely cherish. He left us near the docks - and I must say, it was a little sad ending our time with him. It was like being with an Uncle you haven't seen in a while. He really takes care of people, and seems to genuinely enjoy what he does. He puts a lot of hard-work into perfecting his craft as an excursionist and it really shows. I know it has already been said in another review, but we honestly do feel like we have made a friend in Puerto Rico, and will definitely be calling WHEN we come back! Thank you very much for your time today, Eddie...We thoroughly enjoyed it - you made our vacation extremely memorable and special!

We toured Old San Juan when we were there recently. It is a very charming old city and there are…read moremany nice sites to see. There are statues and historical places everywhere. We expected to see a lot of damage after the Hurricane hit there but, the city has done a marvelous job of cleaning up so you can not even tell. If you have time when you visit, make sure you take the walk along the waterfront. It is spectacular.

We arranged for a tour of forts San Cristobal and El Morro. Hector was incredibly knowledgeable…read moreabout both, and was able to compare and contrast their designs and military purposes very effectively. Our whole family enjoyed it immensely and learned a lot!!

If you are in the old San Juan area in Puerto Rico you must do this food tour. You're not just…read moregetting great food but also amazing history lessons as you go. Everyone and all food was absolutely great! We had Pablo as our guide who was so fun and friendly. He gave us the whole run down on everything and every place. He has a true talent for what he does. The group was small, there was about 6 of us. I believe groups don't get too large, maybe around 10 people. Which is nice because no one gets lost or unheard. I highly recommend this tour!

This is a review of the food tour. The company offers other tours like rum tour and history tour…read more Our guide Pablo was super nice and knowledgeable. You'd get a text message reminder a day before the tour and they would ask if you have food restrictions or allergies. You'd also get a reminder where the meeting spot is. We met at Banco Popular, introduced ourselves and went our merry way to the 5 different food spots. Pablo ordered the food before hand so that when the group arrived at the different restaurants/places, the food was ready and we did not have to wait that long. Our first stop was Cafe Cuatro Sombras where we had coffee and croissant ham/provolone cheese/guava butter. I liked this croissant with a hint of tanginess/sweetness from the guava. Noncoffee drinkers had options of lemonade and tea. Second stop was Señor Paleta. There's no indoor seating here so we had the delicious parcha (passion fruit) popsicle. Yum! Very refreshing, great for this warm weather! Third stop was Cafe El Punto. This place has a lot of artwork by local artists. We had ceviche de pescado and alcapurrias de la casa which were nice. Fourth stop was El Patio de Sam where we "made" our own mofongo. We had fried plantains and garlic butter, mashed them in a mortar and pestle, and added the chicken before turning the mortar upside down to get the mofongo. This was flavorful and had more moisture compared to another mofongo we had. Last stop for dessert was Vaca Brava. We had flan which was nice. We enjoyed the food, the tour, and the conversations. Great experience here.

We had Carlos take four of us on his suggested tour on Dec 5th 2019 and it ranks as…read more one of the best things we've ever done from a cruise ship excursion. Here is something that is outstanding and rare during any excursion. He took a lot of pictures for us and he sends you a link to download all of them for FREE! I have never had an excursion do that before. If you do a dolphin or stingray type of excursion you know you will have to pay to get the pictures they take. The insult is they often also don't allow you to bring your own camera so you are forced to buy their pictures. Not this guy. How do you not love him for the fact he not only doesn't charge you but he takes so many for you and with you that it basically is a recap of the day with him. We had over 120 pictures alone that he took for us. It's awesome not to be gouged on an excursion.This was an unexpected add on for us. The walking portion in Old San Juan is fascinating and colorful and thrilling all at the same time. I can't say enough how great a place Puerto Rico is. Such diversity on the island. Historic Old San Juan, forts, stunning beaches, rain forest, night life, luminescence tours etc. Puerto Rico offers so much and the people are so nice and accommodating. We've been there twice and will be back again and will insist on spending a day with Carlos again. He is that good. I asked to stop and have some pastelillos and rellenas and we got an authentic experience that was tasty for lunch. Of course he had the cooler stocked and a nice big tv screen at the front of the van so anyone in the back has a clear view of what's ahead while we are driving. A very nice touch that is really useful and was very much appreciated. The narrative Carlos provides is educational and delivered in such a nice friendly casual style. He had all of us at ease immediately when he greeted us right across the street from where the ship is in port. He had me at ease nearly a year ago when I booked our time with him. His email replies and phone calls for any questions are always helpful and he does respond to questions in a timely manner. Keep in mind he could be on tour and he can't reply immediately. Carlos is so warm and personable it's great for this gringo to now have an hombre in lovely Puerto Rico. Sincerely, Carlos, from the four of us, thank you for giving us a memory that will last a lifetime! Oh and one last thing for Carlos, you need to buy a new van so I know you will continue to do this for another ten years!! See you again friend!

We began our day around 9:30 AM - Charlie was early which was great since we were ready to roll! We…read moremet with Carlos and hopped aboard the comfortable, climate controlled awesomely decked out luxury van "Charlie". Our customized tour began in Old San Juan. I knew my husband and I would not venture past the resort unless we had a tour guide - but we really dislike overcrowded hot buses and predetermined times of departure & locations. Sometimes you just want to walk around and stay a little longer etc. We loved touring old San Juan and traveling into the mountains. We ate at the popular Pork Highway in Guavate. Sampling a buffet of the local offerings was so much fun and of course delicious! The pork was seasoned to perfection and we really fell in love with the yucca. After eating we visited two very interesting art galleries. Jenny and Santos. Please check out our pics - Carlos took all the pictures and made sure we had wonderful memories of our excursion! Highly recommend and worth every penny!

We took the Spirits of Puerto Rico tour. The spirit being rum!…read more We had taken the night tour with Debbie a few years ago when visiting San Juan (which we enjoyed) so we thought we would give another one of her tours a try. And since we don't know anything about rum, it was also a learning opportunity. We indeed tasted quite a variety of rums - interesting to taste the differences in them - and a few cocktails as well as a anise liqueur mixed with rum ( this was quite yummy) that Debbie explained was a common drink in this area. The restaurant was El Asador. It was a very cute place decor wise. We enjoyed the food and there was plenty of it. First was a skirt steak ( tender, well seasoned and perfectly done) with a yucca and sweet potato combination. Then there was another course with chicken and vegetables, also very good. The highlight was the flan desert with 151 rum which was ignited to burn off the liquor. I understand the restaurants do change though and this may not be the place you go for dinner. My husband and I are not usually tour takers, we like to explore on our own, but we have liked these tours. Debbie knows what she is going to do and say, but it still seems more like your friend is giving the tour not just a tour guide and the evening seems to develop on its own as opposed to by a script. BUT she is also very meticulous in certain ways, and wants things in a certain order (and likes people to be on time). She will correct you to get things just they way she wants them. Doesn't bother me any (in fact i think it is quite amusing) but others may get their feelings hurt from time to time. Anyway this must be about the longest review I have ever written, but there was a lot going on as you can see. Bottom line is we would recommend both the night tour and the spirits of Puerto Rico if you are looking to learn something about the area.

We took an evening tour with Debbie. We got delayed because of a cruise ship coming in late so we…read morehad a late start but we didn't mind the wait at all. The tour was "meh" compared to the walking tours from sandeman's. The tour is a good way to get oriented in the city but on our tight budged I would re-consider booking it. On the plus side, Debbie was extremely helpful and called in some people so we could get a reservation for another tour that we thought was booked. She also recommended a great place for dinner.

WITHOUT A PADDLE…read more Kayaking during the day proving too easy?  How about kayaking at night...through a mangrove forest. As my wife and I planned our second trip to Puerto Rico, we agreed that a bio bay kayak tour should be on the list.  Only 5 biobays exist in the world, 3 of which are in PR (in Vieques, La Parguera, and here on the far northeast corner of the island).  There's a few kayaking tour companies in the area, each offering a similar bioluminescent excursion. Hang on, biolu-what?  I'll skip the TED talk--all you need to know is that a certain kind of marine plankton makes the water in extra salty lagoons glow blue.  It's the same science that gives jellyfish, fireflies, and deep-sea anglerfish their special ability to produce light. When we arrived around 8pm, tour guides gave our group of 15-20 life vests and provided instructions, like what to do if your ass falls out of the kayak.  Our goal was Laguna Grande (literally "big lagoon"), roughly 1 mile from our starting point on the shores of Fajardo. So......getting to Laguna Grande is not easy.  Along with a partner, you'll paddle your way through a narrow channel surrounded on all sides by thick mangroves, including an overhead canopy.  This is tricky during daylight hours, but at night the difficulty ramps up.  Keep in mind that visibility in these thick mangrove patches drops to near-zero at times. You might (probably will) have to avoid other kayak groups and (possibly) motorboats as you make your way to the lagoon, all while trying not to crash into the person in front of you, fall too far behind, or be knocked unconscious/impaled by low branches.  The outbound trip was not super chill, thankfully coming back was less stressful. Having an experienced partner is CRUCIAL. Bio bay tours are very much like whale watching, in that your visit is based almost entirely on luck.  A lot needs to go right in order to see magic stuff in the water, like the moon being in its 'new' phase (full moon casts too bright of a reflection) and no recent rainfall (rain comes down as fresh water, decreasing the lagoon's salinity). Under ideal circumstances, the microorganisms appear as florescent blue swirls when you move your hand/paddle through the water.  What we saw were closer to electrical 'sparks', still cool but not vibrant.  Capturing what little bio-presence we saw on camera would've been impossible, so we smartly kept our phones in the car. Oddly enough, mosquitos weren't a problem. * TL;DR * For me, this was more about the journey than the destination. If I'd hung all of my hopes on seeing tons of bioluminescent activity, I would've been disappointed.  I was focused more on trying not to capsize while also listening to the symphony of 'coqui' (the local island tree frog). It can be romantic with a spouse/partner, assuming they're not yelling at you the whole time. Wear comfy clothes (swim trunks aren't a bad idea) and be aware that parts of your outfit will be crunchy the next day, due to the lagoon water being twice as salty as the ocean. Mangroves play a critical role in the tropical ecosystem, but they stink! Would definitely recommend this to anyone over the age of 18; it's an awesome late-night adventure and one of the most unique things you can do while in Puerto Rico.

What a beautiful experience. Had great guides during our Bio Bay tour. Our guide told us all about…read morethe science and history of the bay. Very cool, don't miss this magic!

5/5 Overall Experience…read more Time frame is 7:00am-1:30pm. Our tour guide, GIAN, was super nice and cool. He definitely loves and enjoys his job leading us and educating us about the forest in Puerto Rico. He speaks really great English as well and he was super easy to talk to if you had any questions or concerns. The overall experience is amazing. Beautiful scenery on the way there and in the tour. Make sure you pack lightly. All you need is a camera and good outdoor shoes that you can get wet. It wasn't a difficult hike but you have to be aware of slippery rocks. Don't step on the green rocks or the biggest rocks because they're very slippery and you can really hurt yourself and can ruin your trip. You don't need to bring bug spray as well. Once you get picked up by the bus at the North Plaza Loiza, 15 minutes away from Old San Juan, it takes about an hour to reach to the rainforest. I would say bring light snacks just in case because that food isn't included. They do take you to this restaurant nearby later and the meals cost about $17 per person. They serve rice, chicken, pork and macaroni. The food was like 3/5 for me. The pork was too salty and the yellow rice was alright. Well anyways... the trip was worth it. If you get GIAN as your tour guide, you're in great hands

Whatever you do, do not book a tour with "Miguelito". He knocked me down on the tour, due to…read moreneglectful and careless hiking, hurting me pretty badly, without apologizing. When I confronted him about it he told me to "Shut the F*** up", among other things. This is not only rude, but a dangerous and completely inappropriate way to operate a tour. I'm lucky nothing worse happened.

We had two great tour with PR Tour Desk to Old San Juan and El Yunque Rainforest! The guides were…read moreso informative. My only suggestion is for the guides to take photo of the guests (take some lessons too) because it was hard to capture the memories.

We booked the half day Rainforest tour and it was amazing! The representatives I spoke with were…read morevery patient and kind during the booking process. They answered any questions I had and helped me choose the best excursion for my trip. Our tour guide was Ricky, he was very knowledgeable of the island and was super nice. He kept us entertained on the ride to the rainforest by giving us information on things we passed on the way. Although the hike itself was pretty short due to covid and paths still being closed after Hurricane Maria, we still enjoyed a nice walk in the rainforest to the river. The river was absolutely stunning, the water was so clear and the swim was refreshing. Everyone felt comfortable enough to take a leap off of the platform into the river as well as a swing on the rope. Overall, we had an excellent time and would definitely book again!

Signed up for this tour while on a Celebrity cruise and it turned out to be very poorly done. We…read morehave enjoyed walking tours in cities all over the world and like learning about the places we are visiting, but it didn't work out in this case. The tour guide had such a thick accent that she was unintelligible. No idea what she was saying. But at the same time had the impression we weren't missing much, since we spent seemingly endless hours at the fort and very little time in the rest of Old San Juan. A lot of eye rolls and sideways looks among the folks taking the tour. Just WAY TOO LONG at the fort. This is only one data point. Your mileage may vary and I hope it does. Another guide from the same company could turn out to be excellent, but this tour with this guide was a real disappointment.

Excellent tour with an excellent tour guide. Steven Fleming is awesome! I'm writing a similar…read morereview on trip advisor, I don't think this man gets enough credit for the work he puts into his job!