Machu Picchu & Galápagos Island Hopping

Arrive at any time.

Additional Information: If you booked the Lima Cooking Class it does not include extra time in Lima and we highly recommend booking pre-trip accommodation. You will be picked up from your hotel at approx 10:00 (10:30 from Aug-Dec) and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. You will return back to your hotel around 13:00.



Please note that hot water shortages and power outages can be fairly common in Peru (even in upgraded hotels and private homes). We appreciate your patience and understanding that these occurrences are outside of our control.

ACTIVITY: The adventure begins today. Feel free to explore, but make sure you're back in time to meet the group. Your G Representative will review the details of your tour.

Fly to Cusco. Free time to shop and explore. Choose to pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class. Opt for a city tour, visit museums or archaeological sites.

Travel to the airport for the early morning flight to Cusco. Spend the day relaxing and exploring this fascinating city.



Our best advice for exploring Cusco is to wear a comfortable pair of shoes. Arm yourself with a city map and set out to explore.

Additional Information: Please note: if you pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class you will be picked up from your hotel at approx 12:30 and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. Return back to your hotel around 16:00.

TRANSPORT: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

FREE TIME: FULL DAY Use the day to head out and explore. Free time is yours to use any way you want.

Enjoy a full-day guided tour of the Sacred Valley. Stop at the G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op before visiting a local pottery making community. Break for lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosco. After lunch, opt to head out on a hike to the Ollantaytambo storehouses and look out over the ruins. Or, wander around the cobblestone streets and visit a local Chicheria (corn beer bar).

Travel through the stunning Sacred Valley of the Incas, visiting a G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op. Meet the women and learn about traditional weaving and dyeing. Opt to pick up some handmade souvenirs and textiles directly from the women who made them.



Have lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn about the G Adventures for Good project and eat a delicious buffet-style lunch. Proceeds of this meal go directly back to the remote community.

TRANSPORT: FULL DAY Make stops along the way as you pass through this gorgeous valley, descending in elevation the whole way.

ACTIVITY: Visit the Ccaccaccollo community centre which G Adventures travellers' donations helped create in 2005, thereby enabling local women to sell traditional textiles to travellers. See local weaving and dyeing techniques used to create garments and souvenirs, and learn how the Planeterra weaving co-operative has impacted the community and those who visit it. This includes the purchase of alpacas to provide a steady supply of wool, looms, and sewing machines as well as several training courses on production, sales and small business management.

ACTIVITY: In the rural village of Cuyo Chico in the Sacred Valley, a group of families joined together to create a small business based on their traditional adobe ceramic crafts. Using clay from their surroundings, they mold bowls, plates, and all manner of decorations. Learn about the ceramics process as well as the traditional adobe brick-making that forms the basis of houses throughout the valley, all while taking in a spectacular view of the Pisac Ruins. After the demonstration, peruse the items for sale directly from the artisans in their shop.

ACTIVITY: Contribute to sustainable tourism in Huchuy Qosqo, a small village of 65 families in the Sacred Valley, by eating at the Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn how the resident-run restaurant was kickstarted by G Adventures and the Multilateral Investment Fund, to become a successful farm-to-table program that boosts the local economy and several spin-off microenterprises.

Journey to Aguas Calientes and opt to visit the local hot springs and hit the market.

Board a morning train that winds through the spectacular Urubamba Valley to the end of the line: the village of Aguas Calientes, a frontier town nestled in the hills beneath Machu Picchu. Enjoy the rest of the day taking advantage of the hikes and hot springs in the area.

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

FREE TIME: AFTERNOON Opt to visit the local market, the botanical garden, and the Mandor waterfalls or soak in the hot springs.

Start early to visit the 'Lost City' of Machu Picchu. Tour the ruins with an expert guide before returning back to Cusco.

Start early to catch the sunrise at the top. Take the bus up to the historic spiritual centre of the Incas, the 'Lost City' of Machu Picchu. Tour the ruins with an expert guide then explore on your own.



Later, return by train to Ollantaytambo and meet a private vehicle to head back to Cusco.

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

ACTIVITY: Set off with the local guide to explore Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Learn about the history and gain insights into this massive mountaintop citadel while wandering through ancient dwellings, stone temples and along sculpted terraces. Feel the energy of this 15th-century site, now both a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

TRANSPORT: Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Enjoy a free day in Cusco. Opt to visit the local market, a nearby archaeological site, or get a massage.

Opt to visit and hike the famed Rainbow Mountain, pre-book on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.

FREE TIME: FULL DAY Head out and explore. Free time is yours to use how you want!

Head to the airport and fly back to Lima.

TRANSPORT: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

FREE TIME: EVENING Make the most of a few more hours in Lima. Free time is yours to explore any way you want.

Fly to Quito. Flight is unescorted and included in the price of the tour.

Your transfer to the airport and your flight to Quito are included in this trip. Please note that this flight is unescorted and your transfer will be waiting for you at the Quito airport and will bring you to your hotel.

TRANSPORT: MORNING Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

TRANSPORT: MORNING Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

TRANSPORT: AFTERNOON Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: EVENING You may be a seasoned pro at group travel by now, but there will likely be some new travellers joining the group. Sit in on the welcome meeting to meet the newest members of your group and learn about the next leg of your tour.

Transfer to the Quito airport and catch a flight to the Galápagos. Arrive at Baltra and travel to the hotel in Santa Cruz. Later, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station for an introduction to some of the unique wildlife and history of the area before an evening welcome meeting to meet up with any travellers joining the group.

Additional Information: The flight from Quito to Baltra is unaccompanied. You will have G Adventures representatives assisting on both sides to ensure everything goes smoothly.

ACTIVITY: Meet fellow travellers and learn more details about the upcoming itinerary from the CEO.

TRANSPORT: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

ACTIVITY: Visit Fausto Llerena Breeding Center a great place to observe many species of tortoises. Brought back from the brink of extinction, see the famous Galápagos tortoise up close – a corral houses adult tortoises, and a nursery cares for the young until around age three when their shells have hardened.

This area also houses the Charles Darwin Research Station, a scientific organization initiated in 1964, which works to preserve the Galápagos' ecosystem through the conservation efforts of scientists, researchers, and volunteers. While the offices themselves are not open to visitors, the research station provides a study location for international scientists and environmental education for the local community.

In the morning, walk to "Las Grietas" located across Academy Bay, walk through a rugged cactus forest on the way to this stunning lagoon. In the afternoon, hop on a speedboat to nearby Floreana Island. Stay in the G Adventures-supported community guesthouses and eat meals in the community restaurants and help to support community tourism on the island.

Additional Information: Please note that travel between islands is done by speedboat. The ride can be quite rough, especially from July to December. Make sure to bring sea sickness medication if you are prone to sea sickness.

ACTIVITY: Cross a cactus forest looking for Darwin finches and lava lizards on the way to Las Grietas, a local swimming hole. The cool, bright turquoise water separates two volcanic cliffs. Fed by the ocean from one end and a river from the other this unique brackish pool is perfect for swimming.

TRANSPORT: Keep an eye out for dolphins and birds along the way.

ACTIVITY: To further benefit the community on Floreana island G has provided training to residents for all aspects of tourism, including food preparation and service. The community will provide your meals while staying on this small island. The meals are rotated amongst different community members in order to spread out the benefits of tourism. While eating at the community restaurants you will be contributing to the self-sufficiency of the first community tourism operator in the Galápagos.

ACTIVITY: Floreana Island is a small, isolated, inhabited island part of the Galápagos Archipelago. Many of its residents have been living there for the past three generations since the islands were first colonized. Its 150 residents have tried to benefit from the tourism boom, but since most tourism is marine-based and the boats don't stop in the village, they have struggled to find any opportunities. We are investing in community training and infrastructure to develop the first ecological, community tourism program in the Galápagos Islands that sees both the islands small entrepreneurs and its unique wildlife as the primary beneficiaries of this project.

Walk along the black-sand beach until Loberia, and enjoy beach snorkelling or swimming. Head up to the seldom-visited highlands of Floreana. Enjoy guided walks to observe birds and other wildlife and learn about the area's natural history.

ACTIVITY: Snorkel straight off the beach at Loberia, and get up close to the diverse wildlife in the waters around the Galápagos. Please be sure you are a strong swimmer; the water here can be rough and the currents are strong.

ACTIVITY: Head up to the seldom-visited highlands of Floreana. Hear the tales about the pirates, whalers, seal hunters and buccaneers who once lived in this isolated and unique landscape.

ACTIVITY: To further benefit the community on Floreana island G has provided training to residents for all aspects of tourism, including food preparation and service. The community will provide your meals while staying on this small island. The meals are rotated amongst different community members in order to spread out the benefits of tourism. While eating at the community restaurants you will be contributing to the self-sufficiency of the first community tourism operator in the Galápagos.

ACTIVITY: Floreana Island is a small, isolated, inhabited island part of the Galápagos Archipelago. Many of its residents have been living there for the past three generations since the islands were first colonized. Its 150 residents have tried to benefit from the tourism boom, but since most tourism is marine-based and the boats don't stop in the village, they have struggled to find any opportunities. We are investing in community training and infrastructure to develop the first ecological, community tourism program in the Galápagos Islands that sees both the islands small entrepreneurs and its unique wildlife as the primary beneficiaries of this project.

Travel to Isabela Island. Hike up the active Sierra Negra Volcano and walk around the rim of the largest volcanic crater in the archipelago.

Hike to the summit to experience a bird's-eye view of this magical landscape of the surrounding volcanoes and islands.

TRANSPORT: Cut swiftly through the water en route to the next stop (and hang on to your hat).

ACTIVITY: Lace up your hiking boots to explore Sierra Negra Volcano, which has the largest basaltic caldera in the Galápagos. The volcano last erupted in June 2018, making it the most recent eruption in the Galápagos.

Enjoy free time in the morning, opt to take a wildlife boat excursion to 'Islote Tintoreras' to view breeding white-tip reef sharks, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, rays, and penguins. Later, visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre.

Explore the surroundings with a short walk to observe pink flamingos in the wetlands and catch a stunning Isabela sunset on the beach. Along the way, stop at a lookout point, and visit natural pools, beaches, and mangrove swamps. In the evening, relax at the bar or on the beach and opt to enjoy a drink at sunset.

Additional Information: Please note that space may be limited for optional activities during high season, these activities are operated by third-party operators and will be subject to availability.

FREE TIME: Enjoy free time to enjoy the largest Island in the archipelago.

ACTIVITY: Walk through the town’s wetlands to visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre. With the giant tortoise on its way to extinction in the late 1950s, this program was established to protect these noble creatures.

Travel by speedboat back to Santa Cruz Island. Later, enjoy a walk to Tortuga Bay, opt for a kayak, surf lessons or swim in the turquoise water.

In the evening, enjoy free time to explore this bustling little town and sample some of the local restaurants and bars, or do a little last minute shopping.

TRANSPORT: Cut swiftly through the water en route to the next stop (and hang on to your hat).

ACTIVITY: Enjoy a walk along a lava stone pathway to the beautiful white beach of Tortuga Bay. Relax on the beach, walk along the mangroves looking for marine iguanas and birdlife, or rent a kayak and explore this marine wonderland. Look for Tintoreras sharks, sea turtles, and manta rays in the water's shallow areas.

FREE TIME: Enjoy free time to explore this little town. Head to the lively fish market where sea lions, pelicans and other birds drop by to see the daily catch.

Travel back to Baltra to catch the flight to Quito. Transfer to the hotel and enjoy the evening in the capital city.

Retrace your footsteps to return to Baltra Island for the flight to Quito. Upon arrival in Quito, transfer to the hotel for one last night in town. The G Adventures representative in Quito will be able to arrange many of the available day tours in and around Quito if you have time to spare. We highly recommend booking post-accommodation in this lively city.

Additional Information: G Adventures strongly recommends not booking departure flights on the day the group returns to Quito. Local flight times are often subject to change and could potentially cause issues if delayed. We recommend booking flights on the last day of the tour as noted on the Full itinerary page.

TRANSPORT: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Depart at any time.