DAY 01: LIMA
Arrival in Lima, meet and greet at the airport, transfer to your hotel. Free day to enjoy the city and go shopping in malls and craft markets.
DAY 02: LIMA (City Tour)
In the morning we will have a tour through Lima’s streets and plazas. Starting at the Love Park in Miraflores, with a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean, and then heading to the Huaca Pucllana, ceremonial center of the Lima culture. Later we will go to San Isidro, financial center of the city. After this, we go on to the Main Square where the Government Palace and the Town Hall are located. We will visit the Cathedral and explore the San Francisco convent, built in the seventeenth century, to discover the mystery of its catacombs. After the tour return to your hotel. Balance of the day at leisure.
DAY 03: LIMA / CUSCO (City Tour)
Transfer to the airport and flight to Cusco. On arrival, meet and greet, transfer to hotel. In the afternoon our exclusive city tour starts with a visit to the San Cristobal Plaza to enjoy its panoramic view of the city. Then, we will visit the San Pedro Market to soak in its local flavors and to learn about more of the products grown in the area which supply the whole city. After this, the Korikancha temple will welcome us in all his magnificence; this temple, whose Quechua name means “Gold Enclosure” still bedazzles us with the thought of its gold covered walls. Then it is the turn to visit the Santo Domingo Church. We will walk from San Blas, the artisans’ neighborhood, to the Hatun Rumiyoc street, stopping at the Inca Roca Palace, nowadays home to the Archbishop’s Palace and also at the famous Twelve Angle Stone. We will continue our walk to the Main Square to visit the Cathedral and its valuable and beautiful colonial masterpieces.
DAY 04: CUSCO / SACRED VALLEY(Full day tour to Sacred Valley and Pisac)
The Sacred Inca Valley welcomes us this day. We will stop at Awanacancha, a complex where we will be able to feed Andean camelid: the llamas and alpacas, and also a great opportunity to chat with the local people who will show us their weaving and dyeing of their traditional textiles. We will then go to the Colonial and Inca Pisac. Discover one of the most beautiful Inca archaeological sites of the Sacred Valley, strategically located on top of the mountain that dominates the Colonial town of Pisac. Free time to buy handicrafts and explore the town. Buffet lunch. Visit to the store of artist and sculptor Pablo Seminario.
DAY 05: SACRED VALLEY / MACHU PICCHU (Tour to Machu Picchu)
Our adventure journey takes us now to less explored treasures of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. First stop: Moray, a place with breathtaking views thanks to its colossal concentric terraces resembling a coliseum. What did they use it for? The terraces recreated 20 different types of microclimates, and they were studied to ensure the agricultural production of the empire. We will continue our journey to Maras, the millenary colonial salt mines. The contrast of the white pools against the green valley is so impressive that it resembles a postcard. Buffet lunch. In the afternoon, we will head towards the archaeological complex of Ollantaytambo, where you can see the technique with which the Incas work the stone. It is now time to catch the train at the Ollantaytambo station. We will arrive in Aguas Calientes where our trained staff will welcome and assist us on getting settled in one of the hotels in Aguas Calientes (now, Machu Picchu town).
DAY 06: MACHU PICCHU / CUSCO
We will board the bus to go up the winding road to Machu Picchu, amid a spectacular view of the Urubamba River and its canyon. The Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu, will astonish us with its terraces, ceremonial shrines, steps and urban areas. Energy is all around us. After a guided visit, we will have lunch at one of the restaurants in the area. At the arranged time, we will return to Cusco by train and will be transferred to the hotel. Overnight in Cusco.
DAY 07: CUSCO / LIMA / QUITO
Transfer to the Airport for your flight to Quito, Ecuador. Arrival and transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.
DAY 08: QUITO (City Tour)
Breakfast. We start the day with a panoramic route among the banking and financial areas, shopping malls and La Mariscal neighborhood, where most of hotels are located. We continue towards the Historic Centre of the City where the following attractions will be visited: “El Panecillo” (entrance included), beautiful place from where a sight of colonial and modern Quito will be taken; San Francisco church, which was built in the XVII century; “La Ronda” , colonial neighborhood; Plaza de la Independencia (Independence square), walking through the colonial streets we´ll find the Cathedral, the Government’s Palace and La Compañía Church, where adornments and gold altars can be appreciated. Free time for lunch at the Historic Centre. Visit to the Basilica Church, brief explication. (Entrance to churches are not included)
DAY 09: QUITO / GALAPAGOS ISLANDS (Santa Cruz)
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Baltra (2 hours flight). Passengers are picked up at the airport by our naturalist guides and taken on a ten minute bus drive to the pier to board the M/V Galapagos Legend.
Afternoon: Dry landing. A 45-minute bus ride will take us to the Santa Cruz highlands, located to the northwest of Puerto Ayora, where we will find a natural reserve with giant tortoises. These enormous and slow-moving reptiles are responsible for the island’s name and therefore approaching them in their humid and forested abode is always an inspiring adventure. They can weigh between 250 and 300 kg and can live up to 150-200 years. Additionally, travelers can walk inside surprising lava tubes; we also visit Pit Craters created from the collapse of surface materials into chamber fissures underground. It’s a great place spot to spot Vermilion Flycatcher as we walk inside an endemic Scalesia forest.
DAY 10: EGAS PORT / SALT MINES (Santiago) / BARTOLOME ISLAND
Wet landing on a beach of black volcanic sand, visited by Darwin in 1835. The first section of the trail is comprised of volcanic ash (eroded tuff) and the other half of partially uneven terrain is comprised of volcanic basaltic rock lounging the shoreline.
The unique, truly striking layered terrain of Santiago’s shores is home to a variety of resident and migrant birds, including the bizarre Yellow-crowned Night Heron and astounding array of marine wildlife including lobster, starfish and marine iguanas grazing on algae beds alongside Sally Light-foot Crabs.
Colonies of endemic fur seals swimming in cool water pools formed by volcanic rocks are also a highlight.
Snorkeling here offers rarities such as octopus and squid. We organize optional visits to the Salt Mines where you can observe the two species of sea lions: fur and Galapagos sea lions.
Afternoon: Dry landing in Bartolome Island. We discover a fascinating moonscape formed by different volcanic parasitic cones —lava bombs, spatter, cinder cones —as we hike to the summit for impressive views of the surrounding islands, including the eroded tuff cone Pinnacle Rock. We also encounter marine iguanas and lava lizards.
Beach time is a great opportunity to snorkel and see (perhaps swim with) Galapagos Penguins, sea turtles and White-tipped Reef Sharks among a great variety of colorful fish. For many visitors, this may turn out to be the best of snorkeling experiences; the water here is generally clear, without too much surf and full of marine life. Due to its geographical location, the lack of vegetation is immediately noticeable. Pioneer plants are observed, so called because they are the first to establish roots on new ground. They include Tiquilia nesiotica (which isendemic to the island) and Chamaesyce (known as sand mat or spurge in English), lava cactus, and Scalesia bushes. Behind the beach we have dunes covered by mangroves
DAY 11: DRAGON HILL (Santa Cruz) / NORTH SEYMOUR
Dry landing. We walk by a brackish lagoon where feeding flamingos can be occasionally found. The trail leads across typical dry zone vegetation up to Dragon Hill, an important nesting ground for endemic land iguanas, offering lovely views of the anchorage and neighboring islands. The forest is home to mockingbirds, Darwin’s finches, Yellow Warblers and Galapagos Doves.
Afternoon: Dry landing. This is perhaps one of the busiest tourist destinations on the archipelago. Off of Baltra Island (where the airport is located) and not far from Santa Cruz, North Seymour is the most accessible for day trips out of Santa Cruz’s main port, Puerto Ayora. An approximately two hour walk amidst large nesting colonies of blue-footed boobies, magnificent and great frigatebirds, and swallow-tailed gulls for an in depth encounter with sea bird breeding cycles and as well as sea lions. You will also encounter sea lions, land iguanas, and on a lucky day, you might even come across a Galapagos Snake.
DAY 12: BALTRA AIRPORT / QUITO
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Quito. Arrival in Quito and transfer to your hotel, rest of the day at leisure.
DAY 13: QUITO – END OF THE TOUR
Breakfast. Check out and transfer to the airport.