Quito, Galapagos & Peru - 11 days

Welcome to Quito, Ecuador's capital city. On arrival, there is an included transfer to the hotel. You can spend the evening exploring at leisure, before our Galapagos adventure begins tomorrow.





Tour Style: This tour is made up of a selection of excursions and activities, with transportation and a choice of standard or superior accommodation. You will have different bi-lingual (English & Spanish speaking) local guides for each excursion. Some excursions are on a shared basis, meaning you will be joined by travellers from outside of the group and the group size may exceed 16. Please note: Internal flights are not included in the cost of the tour but we can book these for you on request.

Quito - Baltra (Galapagos) - Santa Cruz. After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Baltra, gateway to the Galapagos. Note that your flight to Baltra is not included. We can assist with booking your flights to and from the Galapagos. See the Trip Notes for recommended flight information





From Baltra, we take the ferry to Santa Cruz. We then spend the rest of today exploring the Highlands on a guided tour. You will visit shelters for the endemic giant tortoises, see lava tunnels and other geological formations. We also have a great chance to spot some of Darwin's famous finches. After a day of wonderful wildlife, we transfer to our hotel in Puerto Ayora.

Today we enjoy a half-day exploration of Puerto Ayora's bay. We pay a visit to the huge sea lion colony on La Loberia Island and enjoy snorkelling amongst sea turtles and colourful fish, as well as the curious sea lions.





Next we embark on a hike to the Tunel del Amor (Lover's Tunnel). From this viewpoint we may be able to see white tip reef sharks prowling in the shallow waters. We then head to Punta Estrada, a good spot for catching sight of the Galapagos Island's famous marine iguanas.





Please note: If you prefer, a full day tour is available today, for an additional fee. You will visit Cerro Meza and enjoy kayaking at Garrapatero instead.

Today we embark on a full-day boat excursion with a former fisherman, his friendly crew, and an expert naturalist guide to explore the waters surrounding one of the Galapagos' more remote islands. There will be plenty of swimming and snorkelling opportunities along the way. After our full day taking in the wonderful wildlife and beautiful scenery of the region, we return to our hotel in Puerto Ayora.

Santa Cruz - Baltra - Guayaquil/Quito - Lima (Peru). After breakfast at the hotel, you will transfer back to the airport on Baltra and fly to Lima, via Guayaquil or Quito. Note that the flight to Lima via Guayaquil or Quito is not included, we can assist in booking flights. See the Trip Notes for recommended flight information.





On arrival in the Peruvian capital, you will be collected from the airport and taken to our hotel.





Please note: Some members of the group may be ending their tour in Ecuador, and others may join the tour in Lima.

Today we explore Lima, the 'City of Kings'. Our half day tour of the capital city begins in the pretty district of Miraflores, before we head to the equally lovely San Isidro, stopping for a quick look at a 'huaca', a sacred pre-Inca archaeological site. Making our way to the city centre, we stroll around some of the city's most important streets, arriving at last at the central Plaza de Armas. There will be free time to soak up the colonial architecture of Lima's main square.





Moving on, we visit the historic Convent of Santo Domingo, another well-preserved example of colonial architecture. Our final stop is the privately-owned Larco Museum, where there is plenty of time to browse an astonishing array of archaeological treasures. Then it's back to the hotel and a free evening for you to head out and sample some of Lima's nightlife. Make sure to try a Pisco Sour, it's an excellent local cocktail!

Lima - Cusco. After breakfast at the hotel and check out, transfer to the airport for your domestic flight to Cusco. Note that this flight is not included in the cost of your tour. We can assist with booking this flight. See the Trip Notes for suggested flight information.





Arriving in Cusco, the rest of the day is free to spend at leisure, independently exploring this charming city.





Alternatively, join our optional tour of Cusco. Visit iconic San Pedro market before we head to the ruins of Koricancha Temple, an ancient Inca palace, dedicated to the Sun God. On this tour we also visit the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the Q’enqo archeological site and the Plaza de Armas, home to the majestic Cathedral.

Cusco - Sacred Valley. Today is dedicated to exploring three jewels of the Sacred Valley of the Incas: Maras, Moray and Misminay. Leaving Cusco, we head to the Maras salt mines, where the world's finest salt is extracted and exported around the world.





We then visit the archaeological site of Moray, home to huge terraces where the Incas used to grow food and other crops. We can also meet members of the Misminay indigenous community, who will warmly welcome us to their village with traditional music and dancing. Learn about the lives of these rural villagers and join them for some of their daily activities, including planting, harvesting and textile work. After our visit, we continue to the our hotel in the Sacred Valley.

Sacred Valley - Machu Picchu - Cusco. This morning we transfer to Ollantaytambo station and board the train to Aguas Calientes, admiring the spectacular scenery en route. After a short bus ride from Aguas Calientes, we find ourselves at one of the Seven Wonders of the World, magnificent Machu Picchu. This ancient citadel was once known as the Lost City, forgotten for centuries until its rediscovery by Hiram Bingham in 1911. Even the Spanish conquistadors never found this hidden treasure.





After the guided tour of this spectacular site, we return to Aguas Calientes. There's free time to have lunch and explore the streets, before we take the train back to Ollantaytambo and continue our journey by road to Cusco.

Today is free for you to relax at the hotel or further explore Cusco. Alternatively, you can join an optional full-day tour to the Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain.





If you join the tour, we depart Cusco early, crossing the South Valley towards Cusipata and then Phulawasipata. Here we begin our hike, ascending to Vinicunca, the Rainbow Mountain. Take in the bright colours, created by a plethora of minerals in the soil and rocks here. There's plenty of time to take photos and explore the area before we walk back to our vehicle and return to Cusco for the night.

Our tour comes to an end today. There is an included transfer to the airport for your onwards flight. Safe travels!