Aqua Expeditions

With an award-winning fleet of six vessels sailing 12 destinations, Aqua Expeditions has expanded its global presence since 2007 and become a leading luxury small-ship expedition company.

The history of Aqua Expeditions

Since founding Aqua Expeditions in 2007, it has been the vision and mission of Francesco Galli Zugaro to curate intimate, small-ship expeditions to the world’s most remote destinations.

Francesco Galli Zugaro

Leveraging his expertise in international tourism and experience in the world-renowned cruise destination of the Galapagos Islands, Francesco Galli Zugaro launched Aqua Expeditions in 2007 in Peru as the pioneer luxury small-ship river cruise operator in South America with global ambitions.

As CEO, Galli Zugaro has personally supervised every Aqua Expeditions vessel launch, completely changing the landscape of luxury expedition cruising around the world.

Unprecedented acclaim has followed the ships’ elegant, trailblazing style and bespoke guest experience, featuring personalized service with a 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio, world-class cuisine by celebrated chefs, and immersive, expert-led excursions into wildlife and culture. Aqua Expeditions has received rave reviews and prestigious awards from the world’s leading travel media including Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, Forbes, Robb Report, Departures, The Times, The Australian, and more.

A distinguished speaker, Galli Zugaro is regularly asked to share his travel industry insights on innovation, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and market trends at a diverse range of leadership gatherings. His focus also lies in driving sustainable development through travel, prioritizing the social and environmental impacts and solutions of operating in culturally significant and unspoiled natural destinations.