Independent Galapagos cruise aboard the Galápagos Legend with Ecuador's Amazon & Peru
Independent Galapagos cruise aboard the Galápagos Legend with Ecuador's Amazon & Peru
Independent Galapagos cruise aboard the Galápagos Legend with Ecuador's Amazon & Peru
17 Days Starting in Quito, Ecuador and ending in Lima, Peru
Visiting: Arrive In Quito, Ecuador, Quito, Coca, Amazon Lodge, Amazon Rainforest, North Seymour Island, Bartolomé Island & Santiago Island, San Cristobal Island, Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu
Tour operator:
Tour code:
ISK4-2025
Group Type:
Independent
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
How deep is your love of adventure? Is it deep enough to follow the course of Charles Darwin to discover your own love affair with the wildlife paradise of the Galápagos Islands and the Amazon Rainforest? And, delve further south to soar higher in the Andes and the heart of Peru? If so, this Globus Independent tour in South America is pointing you in the right direction. Ignite your independent spirit on a canoe trip downriver from Coca to the comfort of your lodge the Amazon Rainforest, where you’re in good hands with a Naturalist guide to explore the jungle from its rainforest canopy to the forest floor. Be awestruck by the wealth of wildlife that thrives in this tropical wilderness. Next, explore the historic heart of Quito and depart for parts unknown where blue-footed boobies, giant tortoises, and diving iguanas of the Galápagos give new meaning to mind-blowing discoveries. Cruise in luxury on the Galápagos Legend and explore the archipelago in the company of a Naturalist guide. Sail upon pristine waters to discover the perfectly evolved creatures who thrive on this volcanic archipelago. Stroll the sand where sea lions bask and albatross brace against the updrafts above the cliffs. Sail, snorkel, and simply stay in a state of astonishment through the sanctuaries of spectacular species on Bartolomé, Santiago, North Seymour, and San Cristobal Islands. Visit the Giant Tortoise Reserve where conservationists work to protect the gentle giants for which the islands are named. Then, set your compass to the heart of Peru to ignite your independent spirit in Lima, Cusco, and magnificent Machu Picchu to find the “Lost City of the Incas.” Explore ancient ruins that defy explanation and encounter the captivating cultures that live on in the Sacred Valley and Cusco. Timeless temples, textiles, and tantalizing dishes are all on the menu on this free-spirited sojourn in South America. You’ll also find the I-time you deserve to fall in love with adventure again!
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive In Quito,Ecuador
Location: Arrive In Quito, Ecuador
Accommodation Name: Hilton Colon Quito
Welcome to Quito, where your hotel is available for mid-afternoon check-in.
Day 2: Quito,Coca,Amazon Lodge
Location: Quito, Coca, Amazon Lodge
Accommodation Name: Napo Wildlife Center
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Fly to Coca where you will be met by your Naturalist. • Travel by motorboat down the Napo River with opportunities to spot birds like herons, kingfishers, and others. • Arrive at your Amazon lodge located on the banks of Napo River Lake surrounded by pristine rainforest. • Tonight, enjoy a welcome briefing and dinner.
Day 3: Amazon Lodge
Location: Amazon Rainforest
Accommodation Name: Napo Wildlife Center
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• During your stay, enjoy nature excursions with a Naturalist who introduces you to the Amazon. Activities each day vary based on weather conditions. • On the suspended rainforest canopy walk, your Naturalist points out many different species of vibrantly feathered birds. • Jungle walks show off the immense biodiversity and medicinal plants that have been used by the native cultures for hundreds of years. • Take a night walk or canoe ride with your Naturalist to discover creatures that can rarely be seen during the day!
Day 4: Amazon Lodge
Location: Amazon Lodge
Accommodation Name: Napo Wildlife Center
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Continue your Amazon exploration. • Visit the lodge’s butterfly house, one of Ecuador’s largest. • You will also cruise through the flooded forest in search of troops of squirrels, capuchin, and howler monkeys—and maybe even the incredibly well camouflaged 3-toed sloth. • After fishing for piranhas, arrive at the Kapok Tree tower, perched 150-feet high. Get close-up views of birds as the sun sets on volcanic Mount Sumaco and the Andes.
Day 5: Amazon Lodge,Coca,Quito
Location: Amazon Lodge, Quito, Coca
Accommodation Name: Hilton Colon Quito
Meals Included: Breakfast
• Depart your Amazon lodge and fly from Coca to Quito today. • The remainder of your afternoon is at leisure.
Day 6: Quito
Location: Quito
Accommodation Name: Hilton Colon Quito
Meals Included: Breakfast
• Your included private city tour showcases the rich legacy left by the Incas and the Spaniards. See Independence Square, dominated by its formidable cathedral, San Francisco Plaza Church, and the Basilica with its marvelous stained-glass windows.
Day 7: Quito,Baltra (Embarkation),Galápagos Cruising: North Seymour Island
Location: North Seymour Island
Accommodation Name: Galápagos Legend
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Fly to Baltra and transfer with your expert Naturalist to the Galápagos Legend for your 3-night cruise. • Sail to North Seymour, a landmass formed by a series of underwater volcanic eruptions, which deposited layers of lava on the ocean floor. Take a walk amidst large nesting colonies of blue-footed boobies, magnificent and great frigate birds, and swallow-tailed gulls for an in-depth encounter with sea bird breeding cycles. You will also encounter sea lions, land iguanas and, on a lucky day, you might even come across the endemic Galápagos snake.
Day 8: Cruising: Bartolomé Island & Santiago Island
Location: Bartolomé Island & Santiago Island
Accommodation Name: Galápagos Legend
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Wake up at Bartolomé Island to discover a fascinating moonscape formed by volcanic parasitic cones. Hike to the summit for impressive views of the surrounding islands and Pinnacle Rock. You will also encounter marine iguanas, lava lizards, and blue-footed boobies. Bartolomé offers some of the best spots to snorkel, thanks to clear waters and abundant sea life, including sea turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, and maybe even Galápagos penguins. • This afternoon, sail to Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island and take a walk on young Pahoehoe lava flows formed during the last quarter of the 19th Century. See the reddish-yellow tuff-cones with various flora growing from the fissures. Walking on the solidified lava gives the impression of walking on another planet. After your guided walk, spend time snorkeling from the white sand beach where you may see penguins, sea lions, sharks and rays.
Day 9: Cruising: San Cristobal Island
Location: San Cristobal Island
Accommodation Name: Galápagos Legend
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Arrive at Pitt Islet on San Cristobal and walk to the top of a volcanic tuff to be rewarded with several magnificent viewpoints. This is one of the few sites where the Galápagos’ three booby species (blue-footed, red-footed, and Nazca) can be seen together. You will also find the two species of frigate birds and a sea lion colony. The island waters are excellent for dinghy rides to see a range of seabirds—and a great spot to snorkel! • At Cerro Brujo, visit a lagoon where migratory bird species can be seen: 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 visit includes time to swim with the sea lions and other marine life.
Day 10: Cruising: San Cristobal (Disembarkation),Quito,Lima,Peru
Location: Lima
Accommodation Name: Hotel Pullman Miraflores
Meals Included: Breakfast
• After breakfast, disembark in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and visit the Giant Tortoise Reserve on San Cristobal. Learn about the national park’s conservation and breeding programs to protect the endangered tortoise species. • Also, visit the port village for a last chance at souvenirs before bidding farewell to the enchanted Galápagos Islands. • Transfer to San Cristobal Airport and fly to Quito. Later, fly to Lima, Peru.
Day 11: Lima
Location: Lima
Accommodation Name: Hotel Pullman Miraflores
Meals Included: Breakfast
LIMA • Your included city tour focuses on Lima’s rich colonial history as well as the modern city. Lima was the bastion of Spanish South America from its founding in 1535 until the independence of the South American republics in the early 19th century. See the cathedral, where the remains of Francisco Pizarro are sealed in a wooden coffin, and the Santo Domingo Convent to see the relics of three famous Peruvian saints—Santa Rosa de Lima, San Martin de Porres, and San Juan Macias. (B) Today’s I-Time Tips This evening, you may choose to head over to a nearby park to witness the largest electronic water fountain complex in the world, certified by the Guinness Book of Records. You will enjoy a wonderful show of water, lights, music, and images.
Day 12: Lima,Cusco
Location: Cusco
Accommodation Name: Casa Andina Premium Cusco
Meals Included: Breakfast
• Fly to Cusco, high in the Andes, where you will be met by your Local Guide. • Your guided tour visits the cathedral in Plaza de Armas and Santo Domingo Monastery, one of the most important temples devoted to worship of the sun. It is said it was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature. • Take a short drive outside the city to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a fortress of gigantic stones—with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons. Followed by the amphitheater of Kenko, and the red fortress of Puca Pucara.
Day 13: Cusco,Sacred Valley
Location: Sacred Valley
Accommodation Name: Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado Hotel and Villas
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
• Today, a short drive into the Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, brings you to Awanakancha to learn about the importance of the alpaca for Inca cultures, as well as the ancient weaving techniques still in use today. • Continue to the market town of Pisac, where you can buy handmade rugs, alpaca sweaters, and jewelry at bargain prices. • At the other end of the valley, visit Ollantaytambo to see some of the finest examples of Inca masonry.
Day 14: Sacred Valley,Machu Picchu
Location: Machu Picchu
Accommodation Name: Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Embark on a train trip bound for Machu Picchu and cut a path through the Sacred Valley to this “Lost City of the Incas,” discovered by American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911.• On a guided tour of Machu Picchu, explore this intact fortress with its temple remains, holy houses, and mile-long aqueduct. For hikers, a brisk one-hour walk leads to the Sun Gate, the ancient entrance used by the Incas.
Day 15: Machu Picchu,Sacred Valley,Cusco
Location: Machu Picchu
Accommodation Name: Casa Andina Premium Cusco
Meals Included: Breakfast
• A morning at leisure allows you to wake up early to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu with your second included entrance to the ruins. • Return to Cusco by train.
Day 16: Cusco,Lima
Location: Lima
Accommodation Name: Hotel Pullman Miraflores
Meals Included: Breakfast
• Fly to Lima today.
Day 17: Lima
Location: Lima
Meals Included: Breakfast
Your vacation ends after breakfast this morning.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Stay at Hilton Colon Quito, Napo Wildlife Center, Hotel Pullman Miraflores, Casa Andina Premium Cusco, Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado Hotel and Villas, and Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel.
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Meals
Buffet breakfast daily; 8 lunches; 7 three-course dinners.
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Guided Tours
Included private city tours in Quito and Lima, guided tours in Cusco, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu.
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Nature Excursions
Nature excursions with a Naturalist in the Amazon, including canopy walks, jungle walks, night walks, and canoe rides.
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Galápagos Cruise
3-night cruise aboard the Galápagos Legend with visits to North Seymour Island, Bartolomé Island, Santiago Island, and San Cristobal Island.
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Internal Flights
Flights from Quito to Coca, Coca to Quito, Quito to Baltra, San Cristobal to Quito, Quito to Lima, Lima to Cusco, and Cusco to Lima.
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Train to Machu Picchu
Train trip to Machu Picchu and return to Cusco.
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UNESCO Sites
Visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites including City of Cusco, City of Quito, Galapagos Islands, Historic Center of Lima, and Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu.
What's Not Included
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Main Luggage Storage
Main luggage will be stored at the Cusco hotel during overnight stays in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu due to luggage restrictions on the train.
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Physical Requirements
Walking on cobblestone streets, uneven pathways, climbing stairs, and wet landings in the Galápagos requiring guests to jump in the water and walk to the beaches.
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Personal Expenses
Any personal expenses such as souvenirs, additional meals, and activities not mentioned in the itinerary.
Meals
Buffet breakfast daily; 8 lunches; 7 three-course dinners
Notes
Transportation is as outlined in the day-by-day itinerary and include private airport transfers to/from intra-vacation flights. Internal flights to/from the Galápagos and the Ecuadorian Amazon are included. Local guide service is provied in Quito, Lima, Cusco & Machu Picchu. A Naturalist in the Galápagos & the Amazon are also provided. Internal air to and within Peru are not included but can be added.In the Galápagos, there will be “wet landings” meaning guests will need to be able to jump in the water, out of the boats/zodiacs and walk a couple of meters to the beaches. For the Amazon adventure, guests should be prepared for eco-lodging due to their remote nature in the rainforest. Further, guests should be prepared for sustained walking, possibly muddy conditions, and have the ability to jump in/out of small water crafts such as canoes and small fishing boats. Terrain is rocky and uneven. Itinerary in the Galápagos are subject to change. Maximum enjoyment of this vacation requires walking on cobblestone streets, uneven pathways, and climbing stairs. Elevations exceeding 10,000 feet can make even modest exertion a challenge. Maximum elevation on this tour is 12,200 ft.
UNESCO Sites
City of Cusco|City of Quito|Galapagos Islands|Historic Center of Lima|Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
Accommodation
Quito: Hilton Colon Quito (SAT), Coca: Napo Wildlife Center (SAT), Lima: Hotel Pullman Miraflores, Cusco: Casa Andina Premium Cusco, Sacred Valley: Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado Hotel and Villas, Machu Picchu: Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel
Check out our Q&As
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What kind of wildlife can I expect to see during the Amazon Lodge stay?
During your stay at the Amazon Lodge, you can expect to see a variety of wildlife including herons, kingfishers, vibrantly feathered birds, squirrels, capuchin and howler monkeys, and possibly even the well-camouflaged 3-toed sloth. You may also encounter piranhas while fishing and various nocturnal creatures during night walks or canoe rides.
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What activities are included during the Amazon Lodge stay?
Activities at the Amazon Lodge include nature excursions with a Naturalist, a suspended rainforest canopy walk, jungle walks to learn about medicinal plants, night walks or canoe rides to discover nocturnal creatures, visiting the lodge’s butterfly house, and cruising through the flooded forest.
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What can I expect during the Galápagos cruise on North Seymour Island?
On North Seymour Island, you will take a walk amidst large nesting colonies of blue-footed boobies, magnificent and great frigate birds, and swallow-tailed gulls. You will also encounter sea lions, land iguanas, and possibly the endemic Galápagos snake.
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What kind of activities are available on Bartolomé Island and Santiago Island?
On Bartolomé Island, you can hike to the summit for impressive views, encounter marine iguanas, lava lizards, and blue-footed boobies, and snorkel in clear waters with abundant sea life including sea turtles, white-tipped reef sharks, and possibly Galápagos penguins. On Santiago Island, you can walk on young Pahoehoe lava flows, see reddish-yellow tuff-cones, and snorkel from the white sand beach where you may see penguins, sea lions, sharks, and rays.
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What will I see on San Cristobal Island during the Galápagos cruise?
On San Cristobal Island, you will visit Pitt Islet to see the Galápagos’ three booby species (blue-footed, red-footed, and Nazca), two species of frigate birds, and a sea lion colony. At Cerro Brujo, you can see migratory bird species, beautiful views of Kicker Rock, and swim with sea lions and other marine life.
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What is included in the city tour of Quito?
The city tour of Quito includes visits to Independence Square, the formidable cathedral, San Francisco Plaza Church, and the Basilica with its marvelous stained-glass windows. The tour showcases the rich legacy left by the Incas and the Spaniards.
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What can I expect during the visit to Machu Picchu?
During the visit to Machu Picchu, you will embark on a train trip through the Sacred Valley to the 'Lost City of the Incas.' You will have a guided tour of the intact fortress, exploring temple remains, holy houses, and a mile-long aqueduct. For hikers, there is an option for a brisk one-hour walk to the Sun Gate, the ancient entrance used by the Incas.
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What are the highlights of the city tour in Lima?
The city tour in Lima focuses on its rich colonial history and modern city aspects. You will see the cathedral where Francisco Pizarro's remains are sealed, and the Santo Domingo Convent with relics of three famous Peruvian saints: Santa Rosa de Lima, San Martin de Porres, and San Juan Macias.
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What should I know about luggage restrictions for the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu?
For overnight stays in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, you are only allowed to bring an overnight bag weighing no more than 11 pounds due to luggage restrictions on the train. Your main luggage will be stored at the Cusco hotel where you will return.
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What are the physical requirements for this tour?
The tour requires walking on cobblestone streets, uneven pathways, and climbing stairs. Elevations exceeding 10,000 feet can make even modest exertion a challenge, with the maximum elevation on this tour being 12,000 feet. In the Galápagos, there will be 'wet landings' requiring guests to jump in the water and walk a couple of meters to the beaches. The terrain is rocky and uneven.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
For over 90 years.
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest Covid-19 policies
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Travel documents, including any air tickets, itineraries, and other information, are available approximately two to three weeks prior to departure provided full payment has been received.
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
The Globus Lighthouse Project - an illuminating initiative where we can all come together to tread lightly and give generously for the globe's greater good. Globus, along with sister companies Avalon Waterways and Cosmos, invite our travellers and partners to help us in supporting causes that provide for a more sustainable planet and a brighter tomorrow.
Reviews of this operator
Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
Globus requires a minimum deposit of 200 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of globus charges.
Up to 91 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 90 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 29 days before tour starts: Forfeit 80% of booking price.
At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.