• Lima
• Sacred Valley of the Incas
• Cooking Class
• Pablo Seminario Ceramic Studio
• Home-Hosted Meal
• Machu Picchu
• Cuzco
• Choice on Tour: Sacsayhuamán Fortress or Walking Tour of San Blas
• Colonial Quito
• “Middle of the World”
• 4-Night Galápagos Cruise

Day 1: Lima, Peru – Tour Begins
Touch down in Lima, the “City of Kings.” Across ancient lands and earthly legends, experience the mysticism of the Peruvian Andes.

Day 2:Lima (B/D)
Become fascinated by Lima’s history on a tour through the historic centre, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, where the elegant Cathedral at Plaza de Armas stands out among the colonial architecture. Visit the former home of a conquistador and feel the surge of colonial and republican life. Get to know new friends over a menu of artful Peruvian dishes at a welcome dinner.

Day 3:Lima – Cuzco – Sacred Valley (B/D)
Fly over the Andes on your way to Cuzco – the heart of the Inca civilization. Follow the trails of this Andean paradise with a local guide to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Learn about centuries-old methods of traditional textiles at Awana Kancha – known as the “palace of weaving.” Stop in Pisac village and browse a handicraft market full of vibrant colours. Discover why Peru has consistently been named the world’s top food travel destination during a fun-filled interactive cooking class where you will learn how to master ceviche and pisco sours. Settle in to your hotel nestled in the heart of the Sacred Valley and relax in the calming surround of the Andes.

Day 4: Sacred Valley – Ollantaytambo – Sacred Valley (B/L)
Visit the terraced ruins of Ollantaytambo, the only Incan settlement that has remained continually inhabited since its inception. At the ceramic studio of artist Pablo Seminario, see how he utilizes the intricate techniques inspired by ancient Peruvian cultures. Deep dive into the cultures of modern Andean people and experience an impact moment as you mingle with a nearby community. Thanks to their effort and teamwork, tourism has become additional income for agriculture which has positively impacted their quality of life. Learn traditional methods of growing, harvesting and weaving, listen to their music and learn their dances before enjoying a farm-to-table meal of local specialties.

Day 5: Sacred Valley – Machu Picchu (B)
Hop aboard your train to Machu Picchu, where views of the Andes astound through panoramic windows as you climb toward the “Lost City of the Incas.” Uncover the mysteries of this “Lost City” at the meeting point between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon Basin. Wrapped inside a semi-tropical jungle and hidden by mountains, Machu Picchu or La Ciudadela, (the Citadel), is one of the world’s most spectacular archaeological sites.

Day 6: Machu Picchu – Cuzco (B/D)
Enjoy some leisure time this morning. You may choose an optional excursion to Machu Picchu at sunrise, or maybe you’ll explore the local markets before boarding your train back to the Sacred Valley. Continue to Cuzco and feel the local culture at a special community dining experience.

Optional Tour: Machu Picchu Sunrise (add from $156 pp)
Ascend to Machu Picchu in the early hours of the morning. Be one of the first to enter the sanctuary just as the sun rises over the high mountains encircling it. Spend time exploring the grounds at your leisure or merely pick a spot to sit and enjoy the morning serenity of this magical place. This option needs to be purchased at least 30 days prior to tour departure. Duration: Approximately 5 hours. Please note a minimum of 6 passengers is required. Transportation is not included.

Day 7: Cuzco (B/D)
Start your morning with a local guide on your tour of Cuzco, visiting the San Pedro Market, the Koricancha Temple, the central Plaza de Armas, and the Cuzco Cathedral. Later, it’s your choice! Travel above the city to discover the Incan ruins of Sacsayhuamán Fortress -OR- embark on a walking tour of San Blas, the traditional old quarter of Cuzco, lined with restaurants and artisan shops. The rest of the afternoon is yours. This evening, enjoy flexible dining at a popular local restaurant featuring the local flavours of Cuzco.

Day 8: Cuzco – Quito, Ecuador (B)
This morning, fly to Ecuador’s stunning capital city – Quito, your home for the next two nights. An intersection of mountains and colonial architecture, this city is a UNESCO World Heritage site full of lively culture and vibrant history.

Day 9: Quito (B/L)
Today, tour the Presidential Palace in Quito’s colonial centre. After lunch, stand at the “Middle of the World,” situated between two hemispheres, at the Equatorial Line Monument and Museum. Spend the rest of the day at leisure

Day 10: Quito – Baltra – Embark Ship – Santa Cruz Highlands, Galápagos (B/L/D)
Fly to the gateway of the Galápagos, Baltra to launch your eco-adventure aboard the M/Y Coral II,* an exclusive yacht that serves as your home for the next four nights. After dry landing on Santa Cruz Island, head from the coast to the dense humid forests and the Highlands Tortoise Reserve. In addition to famed Galápagos Giant Tortoises, you may also spot many different kinds of birds, such as tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers, paint-billed crakes, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets – usually found standing on the tortoises’ shells.

Day 11: Isabela Island – Fernandina Island (B/L/D)
On Isabela Island soak in the wonders of one of the richest marine havens on earth during deep-water snorkelling at the Bolivar Channel. Then, take a dinghy ride along the coast to observe a great diversity of sea and coastal birds; Nazca and blue-footed boobies, noddies, brown pelicans, penguins, and flightless cormorants. Continue on to make a dry landing on Fernandina Island, where the largest, most primitive-looking marine iguanas are found mingling with sea lions and Sally Lightfoot crabs. You may even encounter flightless cormorants at their nesting sites, Galápagos penguins and the “King” of predators on the islands, the Galápagos hawk!

Day 12: Isabela Island (B/L/D)
Make a wet landing today on the volcanic black beaches of Urbina Bay – home to giant tortoises, land iguanas, and the unusual flightless cormorant. Here, colourful varieties of plants and flowers attract unusual insects, birds, and reptiles. Enjoy time to snorkel, possibly swimming alongside with sea turtles, sea lions, and countless tropical fish. Don’t miss the remarkable views of the Alcedo Volcano from the island’s uplifted coral reef. Travel from Urbina to Tagus Cove for a dry landing. Take the trail that leads to Darwin’s salt-water crater lake, offering excellent views of lava fields and volcanic formations. A dinghy ride along the shoreline full of marine wildlife highlights a variety of seabirds, such as Bluefooted Booby, Brown Noddy, terns, and – depending on the season – a large number of Galápagos Penguins which are only 35 cm tall and the only penguin species to live in the tropics. Keep an eye out for graffiti believed to have been left by 19th-century pirates.

Day 13: Santiago Island (B/L/D)
Walk in Darwin’s footsteps today on Santiago Island. Begin with a wet landing at Egas Port’s black volcanic sand beach, visited by Darwin in 1835. Take a unique trail formed of volcanic ash that transitions halfway to uneven terrain of volcanic basaltic rock. The unique, truly striking layered terrain of Santiago is home to the bizarre yellow-crowned night heron and marine wildlife such as lobster, starfish and marine iguanas that graze on algae alongside Sally light-foot crabs. Colonies of fur seals swim in volcanic rock pools. After landing in Sullivan’s Bay on southeastern Santiago Island, walk through the otherworldly landscape of solidified pa-hoe-hoe lava flows, formed during the last quarter of the 19th century.

Day 14: Santa Cruz – Disembark Ship – Quito (B)
Your last landing in the Galápagos is on the north side of Santa Cruz at Bachas Beach where ponds entice Galápagos Flamingo’s to visit, iguanas to sunbathe, and coastal birds such as Darwin finches, mockingbirds, and gulls flit among the red and black mangroves. This beach is also one of the main sea turtle nesting sites in the Galápagos and home to the remains of barges that sank during World War II. Bid the Galápagos goodbye and return to Quito, where a day room will be available close to the airport before your flight home.

Optional 4 Days 3-Night Peruvian Amazon Pre Tour Extension

from $1,430 per person based on double, land & air inclusive

6 Meals: 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches

Day 1: Lima, Peru – Tour Begins
Your extension begins with an overnight stay in Lima.

Day 2: Lima – Puerto Maldonado – Peruvian Amazon Basin (B/L/D)
Fly from Lima to the Puerto Maldonado airport where you meet your naturalist guide. Board a boat and transfer up the Madre de Dios River to the Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción Lodge. After a welcome lunch, take a walk through the Concepción trails and learn about the rainforest’s composition, its uses, the human impact and its relevance to the world climate. At dusk, once again take to the water on a motorized canoe. Your evening excursion will teach you about the river’s ecosystem, Amazonian creeks, nocturnal animals’ behaviour and the southern sky’s constellations. Then, you’ll enjoy a delightful dinner in the Casa Grande’s dining room.

Day 3: Tambopata National Reserve – Lake Sandoval (B/L/D)
After an early breakfast, your naturalist guide will lead you on a trek through Tambopata National Reserve. Arrive at pristine Lake Sandoval and board a dug-out wooden canoe. Glide along taking in your peaceful surroundings. Keep an eye out for the endangered giant river otter, blue and yellow macaw, red howler monkey, black caiman, and one of the world’s biggest fresh water scaled fish, the paiche. After lunch, the Inkaterra canopy walkway awaits. Begin at the Interpretation Centre to learn about the project. Then ascend 98 feet in the air and cross a series of hanging bridges that connect the treetops, taking in the breathtaking panoramas and discovering the wildlife that surrounds you. This evening, explore the Amazon rainforest by moonlight and listen to the unique nocturnal sounds of the rainforest. Your day concludes with a wonderful dinner.

Day 4: Puerto Maldonado – Lima (B)
After breakfast, take a scenic boat ride back to Puerto Maldonado and transfer to the airport where you await your flight back to Lima, the Peruvian capital.

 

Yellow Fever Vaccine Certificate: This tour may require a certificate of Yellow Fever inoculation if you have travelled to Brazil, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo or Uganda prior to arrival in Ecuador. These fees are at your own expense.

Travel/Health Certificate: Visitors are required to have valid travel/health insurance to travel to Ecuador. The health insurance must cover medical services abroad.