Galapagos Cruise and Machu Picchu

Fly to Lima, the capital of Peru, nicknamed 'the City of the Kings.' Your guide and driver will greet you at the airport to welcome you to Peru and escort you to your hotel.

Set out to visit Lima’s highlights on a city tour. Start in the historic district, featuring the main square, the Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace, and the Government Palace. Later, visit the Monastery of San Francisco or the Convent of Santo Domingo to admire the quaint colonial architecture of these buildings and learn about the influence of Catholicism in the country. Tour the residential districts and finish off at Miraflores, located on the coast, the most modern and elegant part of the city.

Spend the rest of the day at your leisure. Lima is considered the gastronomic capital of South America, so don’t miss the chance to treat yourself with a tasty Peruvian meal.

Take a 1-hour flight from Lima to Cuzco, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Check into your hotel and take some time to acclimatize to the altitude, which reaches 3400 m (11,154 ft).

After some rest, explore Cuzco on a 4-hour city tour. This city boasts a magnificent array of colonial architecture, but most of the buildings were built on the ruins of Incan constructions. An example of this is Koricancha, the main Inca temple devoted to the Sun God. During the Spanish rule, the conquerors demolished it and to build Santo Domingo Convent.

Visit Sacsayhuaman, an impressive Inca citadel in the north of Cuzco. Its location allows you to take in a spectacular view of the city. Visit another Inca ruins before returning to Cuzco.

Today, visit the arguably biggest highlight of the continent: Machu Picchu. This Inca sanctuary was declared one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Board a train and see how the scenery changes from the Andean farmlands of the Sacred Valley to the thick cloud forest as you get closer to Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of Machu Picchu.

This city remained untouched for centuries due to the cloud forest that surrounds it. Walk along with your guide to discover the temples, houses, and rooms that will give you an insight into the world of the Incas, considered the Romans of South America.

Catch the evening train back to Cuzco and spend the night at your Cuzco hotel.

Leave Peru and enter into Ecuador, one of the smallest countries in South America. Ecuador is famous for its volcanoes, its abundance of flora and bird species, and its native American heritage.

Take a flight from Cuzco to Quito, the capital of the country. This city has an altitude of 2800 m (9350 ft), so make sure you to rest well and take the time you need to acclimatize.

Set out to explore Quito’s charming historic center on a half-day tour. The impeccable state of its churches and buildings can take you back to the colonial times. This is why this area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site back in 1978, being one of the oldest places to gain this recognition.

Afterwards, travel north of Quito to get to the Middle of the World Monument, located right on the Equator line. This place also features an Ethnographic Museum where you can learn about the native tribes that inhabited the country before the Spanish colonization. Return to your hotel and spend the evening at your leisure.

Leave Quito to visit the biggest Indigenous market in South America: Otavalo Market. Take in the bright colors of their elaborate embroideries and the delicate jewelry. Listen to the sounds of the old instruments inherited from Native American cultures.

Head to the north of Otavalo to admire the impressive natural scenery made up of Mount Cotacachi and Cuicocha Lake.

Finish the day at the Karanki Community of Magdalena, which was recognized by the National Geographic as the second best destination in the category ‘Get to know the locals’ in their book ‘World’s Best Travel Experiences: 200 Extraordinary Places’ published on 2013. Dinner is included.

Note: This tour is not available on Mondays.

Have breakfast at Magdalena Community and head to Ibarra, the capital of Imbabura province, located at the foot of the mighty Imbabura Volcano. Take a train ride that goes through picturesque rural villages and sugarcane plantations. The railway climbs down from 2200 to 1500 meters (7,216 to 4,920 feet) until arriving at Salinas de Imbabura. This Afro-Ecuadorian community features an excellent restaurant completely refurbished to serve the needs of visitors from all over the world. After a typical Ecuadorian lunch, enjoy some free time to walk around the town or visit the Salt Museum.

Afterwards, transfer back to Quito to spend your last night in mainland Ecuador.

Leave Quito to take a flight to the Galapagos, located in the Pacific Ocean, 1000 km (620 mi) off the coast of Ecuador. These islands are famous for its diversity of animal species, which lead Charles Darwin to shape his theory of evolution.

Your guide will take you from Baltra airport to the pier, where you will board a luxurious all-inclusive cruise. A team of friendly guides, waiters and cooks will welcome you and show you the facilities, ideal for relaxing between the excursions.

Note: The following itinerary belongs to the Legend Cruise departing on Mondays. The excursions vary depending on the departure date, weather conditions, and other external factors.

In the afternoon, visit Mosquera Islet, located in the north of Baltra and Santa Cruz Islands. This island is ideal for spotting sea lions, friendly marine mammals that live in colonies. It is also an excellent site for birdwatching, with shorebirds such as herons and Lava Gulls. There are no trails, so you can walk through the area freely through the sand and the barren lava rocks to observe the animals in their natural habitat.

In the morning, border Santa Cruz Island to reach South Plaza Island. The walk begins with an impressive cactus forest surrounded by land and marine iguanas. As you reach its highest point, be on the lookout for tropicbirds, Nazca and blue-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls. It is also possible to spot land, sea, and hybrid iguanas.

After some rest, sail to Santa Fe Island, home to the largest land iguana in the Galapagos: Santa Fe land iguana. You might also encounter snakes, hawks, and other endemic animals.

Arrive on San Cristobal Island and take an intensive hike on rocky terrain. The trail includes an olivine 90-m (295-ft) long beach and a path that climbs to the top of the volcanic formation, through several magnificent viewpoints. This is the only site where you can see the three booby species of the Galapagos.

Take some rest and then set out to explore Cerro Brujo (’Wizard Hill’ in Spanish). Visit a lagoon and take in the different colors of the migratory bird species that inhabit the region, including Black-necked Stilts, Ruddy Turnstones, Whimbrels, other sandpiper species and White-cheeked Pintails. Cerro Brujo offers beautiful views of Kicker Rock, the southern part of San Cristobal and the adjacent coast.

Your last Galapagos exploration enables you to learn everything you have to know about the most emblematic creatures on the archipelago: giant tortoises. Located on San Cristobal Island, the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center works as a shelter for these noble and long-lived reptiles and aims to teach visitors about the importance of wildlife preservation.

You will have some extra time to go through the village and browse for Artcraft and souvenirs to take back home before boarding a flight back to continental Ecuador.

After these 12 days where you’ve seen some of the natural and cultural highlights of the continent, spend some free time in Quito before the time to your flight arrives. Return home or continue your South America adventure.