MACHU PICCHU & GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

• Upon your arrival, we will receive you at the airport and bring you safely and comfortably to your hotel.
• Enjoy your first night at your preferred hotel in Lima.

• We will pick you up at your hotel and invite you to discover the modern and colonial parts of Lima.
• Modern part: Districts of Miraflores, Love Park, San Isidro and Pre-Inca construction.
• Colonial part: Main Square, Government Palace, Archbishop´s Palace, Town Hall, Cathedral, Santo Domingo Convent and the Chocolate Museum, where you can see the transformation of Peruvian cacao into tasty chocolate delicacies.
• Overnight at your preferred hotel in Lima.
• Breakfast included.
• After the city tour, we bring you to the airport to your flight to Chiclayo.
• At the airport of Chiclayo, we wait for you and bring you to your hotel.
• Overnight at your preferred hotel in Chiclayo.
• Breakfast included.

• We bring you comfortably to the airport in Lima to your flight to Cusco.
• In Cusco, we wait for you and bring you to your selected hotel.
• In the afternoon, we start the city tour and during the next four hours let yourself be surprised by the ancient beauty of this marvellous place, declared a world heritage site by Unesco.
• The tour will start at the temple of Koricancha, an ancient Inca palace and main worship centre of the Sun God, where the order of the Dominicans built an incredible church that can still be seen there.
• Following, you will visit the main square, where the Cathedral and the beautiful church of the Society of Jesus, among other colonial buildings, are located.
• You will then continue the journey to the colonial church of San Cristóbal to enjoy a spectacular view of the city.
• Afterwards, you will go on to the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, an Inca building known for its massive walls of hewn stone, from where you have a magnificent view over the city of Cuzco.
• Finally, you will visit the important archaeological Inca complexes of Qenko and Puca Pucara.
• Overnight at your preferred hotel in Cusco.
• Breakfast included.

• Let´s start our expedition to the authentic Sacred Valley in the morning.
• Today’s first destination is Chinchero, a quaint little town that houses an important Inca archaeological centre, built at the end of the 1400’s, as well as a lovely and very traditional church.
• We will visit “Urpi” a famous textile centre where the townsfolk have preserved the traditional Andean spinning and weaving techniques.
• Next stop is the Ollantaytambo fortress, one of the most monumental architectural complexes of the ancient Inca Empire.
• Finally, we will continue to the adjacent town of Ollantaytambo, the best surviving example of Inca city planning, with narrow cobblestone streets that have been continuously inhabited since the 13th century.
• Overnight at your preferred hotel in the Sacred Valley.
• Breakfast and lunch included.

• We pick you up at your hotel and bring you to the station to take the train to Machu Picchu.
• You will arrive at the station in Machu Picchu town, and then we will bring you by bus to Machu Picchu citadel, one of the most famous examples of the Inca architecture, surrounded by a fantastic landscape of lush forest. Lost in history, Machu Picchu was built in the middle of XV century and was discovered in 1911.
• After a guided visit of the ruins, you will have a free lunch at a local restaurant.
• At the end of your visit, you enjoy your free time in Aguas Calientes town.
• Overnight at your preferred hotel in Aguas Calientes.
• Breakfast and lunch included.

• Today you can make a second visit to Machu Picchu.
• If you are adventurous, you might enjoy the adrenaline of ascending the Huayna Picchu which means “Young Mountain”,
• Visit the Temple of the Moon because you will enjoy an incredible view of the entire valley and Machu Picchu. Take outstanding photographs from the full sight of the citadel.
• At the appointed time, return to the station to take your train ride to Cusco.
• Upon arrival in Cusco, we will pick you up and bring you to your hotel.
• Overnight at your preferred hotel in Cusco.
• Breakfast included.

• Private transfer from the hotel to the airport.
• Departure time of your flight to Quito with a stopover in Lima.
• Reception at the airport and private transfer to the selected Hotel.
• Overnight at your preferred hotel in Quito.
• Breakfast included.

• For 4 hours, we will visit downtown Quito to relish in this urban jewel and its treasures of art and architecture, which is partly a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• The visit starts at the Independence Plaza, flanked by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal Building, and the Archbishop’s Palace.
• Visit the temple of La Compañía de Jesús and its impressive gilded interior.
• Continue to the Monastery of San Francisco, with its imposing façade and atrium that lead to its Baroque interior influenced by Moorish style.
• Then continue to the Equatorial Monument, 25 km (16 miles) North of Quito, which marks the exact Middle of the World, latitude 0º, where you can stand with a foot on each hemisphere. You will receive a certificate for having crossed the Equator.
• Visit the Ethnographic Museum inside the monument, which shows the different Native American groups living in Ecuador.
• Besides the monument, there is a colonial-style town, complete with central square, church, post office, bullring, cafeterias, restaurants and many gift shops with postcards and souvenirs.
• Overnight at your preferred hotel in Quito.
• Breakfast included.

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
• In the morning, we bring you from the hotel to the airport.
• You will fly directly from Quito to Galapagos.
• Arrival by plane to San Cristóbal Island and transfer to the luxury cruise ship Santa Cruz.
• Cabin assignment, lunch and introductory presentation.

Punta Pitt
• In the afternoon, disembark to the eastern tip of the island, Pitt Point. This is an eroded tuff cone; the trail that ascends from the beach provides spectacular views of the shoreline. This is the only site on the Galapagos where the three species of boobies can be found together, as well as the two-frigate species, plus a colony of bachelor sea lions along the beach.
• After the walk, if conditions are favourable, there is a chance to swim from the beach or snorkel at the nearby islets.

• Expedition plan for the next day and dinner.
• Overnight on the luxury cruise ship Santa Cruz.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Santa Fe Island
• After breakfast, we take a small boat to reach an idyllic sandy-white beach populated by many sea lions.
• The giant prickly pear cactus found here live up to their name with tree-sized trunks!
• The endemic Land Iguana, unique to this island, may be spotted during the afternoon walk. Snorkelling and swimming from the beach rounds off the rewarding experience, or if guests prefer, the glass bottom boat for non-snorkelers.
• Lunch on board.

South Plaza Island
• Disembark (dry landing) in the channel between North and South Plaza Islands, where the island tilts toward the water.
• The approach makes for a lavishly colourful sight! The turquoise waters of the channel contrast brilliantly with the white sand and black lava of the shoreline.
• The rocks have grown thick with green seaweed in places, speckled with bright orange ‘Sally Lightfoot’ crabs.
• Further up the shore, a carpet of scarlet Sesuvium succulents serves as groundcover for a grove of luminescent green prickly-pear cactus. Yellow-grey land iguanas sit beneath these, waiting patiently for pears to drop.
• Along the coastline, one finds sea lion colonies, while frigates, swallow-tailed gulls and shearwaters glide playing with the thermals that form along the cliffs of this small but amazing island.

• Expedition plan for Monday and dinner.
• Overnight on the luxury cruise ship Santa Cruz.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Puerto Ayora
• In the morning, we disembark (dry landing) for our visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station and the giant tortoise pens within an impressive giant prickly-pear cactus forest home to many land birds.
• These are the headquarters of scientific investigation, conservation and the National Park administration.
• Following our visit, we board our transport to enjoy lunch in the cooler highlands of Santa Cruz Island, an entirely different ecosystem.

Santa Cruz Island
• We have several options available for the afternoon, which can be discussed in advance with your expedition leader:
o Trek along trails through the highland forest, which is home to many elusive birds including the dark-rumped petrel.
o Mountain bike (mostly downhill) to Garrapatero Beach.
o Sea kayak and relax on a beautiful, sandy beach.
o Experience sustainable agriculture in an organic coffee plantation. At the end of the afternoon’s activities, we return to Puerto Ayora and embark on the luxury cruise ship Santa Cruz.

• Overnight on the luxury cruise ship Santa Cruz.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Punta Suárez
• An exciting walk awaits at Punta Suárez, where we enjoy its unique seabird colonies, including Galapagos albatross (April – December), Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, and swallow-tail gulls as well as a view of the Galapagos’ famous “blow-hole”. Also, look out for red-green-black marine iguanas. Back on board for lunch.

Gardner Bay
• In the afternoon, the picture-postcard white coral beach of Gardner Bay provides a beautiful setting for observing sea lions, mockingbirds, finches as we relax. You can expect excellent snorkelling in this area.

• Overnight on the luxury cruise ship Santa Cruz.
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

• Disembark from Baltra Island.
• Private transfer to the airport to take the flight back to Quito.
• We receive you at the airport and bring you to your hotel.
• Overnight at your preferred hotel in Quito.
• Breakfast included.

• Enjoy a free day in Quito.
• Overnight at your preferred hotel in Quito.
• Breakfast included.

• Unfortunately, now it´s time to say Good-Bye, and we bring you back to the airport, to take your flight home.
• We are very proud to welcome you again in the future and to show you other marvellous and fantastic parts of the world.
• Breakfast included.