Transportation is as outlined in the day-by-day itinerary and includes private airport transfers to/from intra-vacation flights. Internal flights to/from the Galápagos and Ecuadorian Amazon are included. Local Guide service is provided in Quito, Lima, Cusco & Machu Picchu. A Naturalist in the Galápagos and Amazon are also provided.
Intra-vacation flights to and within Peru are not included but can be added.
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. 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 watercrafts such as canoes and small fishing boats. Itinerary is subject to change in low or high-water situations. On the Galapagos Islands, we use a small vessel (20 guests) that has 3 crew members, emergency washrooms and a snack bar. The excursions are day cruises with landings on the islands, some of which are wet landings. Departure times vary depending on what islands we visit. At times we may visit one island, but we land on different parts of it. These sailings are subject to change and weather related depending on what island we are visiting. The day sailings are around 5 to 6 hours per day, which includes the landings and sightseeing. Terrain is rocky and uneven. Itinerary in the Galápagos is subject to change.
Itinerary
Day 1 QUITO, EQUADOR
Welcome to Quito, where your hotel is available for mid-afternoon check-in.
Day 2 QUITO–COCA–AMAZON LODGE
• 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.
• Next, transfer to a canoe and float through narrow channels looking for monkeys as well as large birds like toucans, parrots, or even macaws.
• Arrive at your Amazon lodge located on Añangu Lake surrounded by pristine rainforest.
• Tonight, enjoy a welcome drink, briefing, and dinner.
Day 3 AMAZON LODGE
• After an early breakfast, journey to a parrot clay lick where 11 different species of parrots, parakeets, and macaws can be seen on a daily basis.
• Later, walk to a local community where you are invited to join families of the Anangu indigenous community on their daily activities, such as harvesting bananas, coco, and manioc.
• Take a Naturalist-guided walk through the jungle in search of interesting plants and colorful or well-camouflaged insects.
Day 4 AMAZON LODGE
• This morning, ascend a canopy tower over 100 feet above the forest floor at the top of a Ceiba tree. From here, view spider monkeys, aracaris, toucans, blue and gold macaws, numerous species of tanagers, and the red-rumped cacique.
• After lunch at the lodge, explore lakes and creeks on a dugout canoe in search of river otters, potoos, kingfishers, hoatzins, jacamars, hawks, and monkeys.
Day 5 AMAZON LODGE–COCA–QUITO
• Depart your Amazon lodge and fly from Coca to Quito today.
• The remainder of your afternoon is at leisure.
Breakfast
Day 6 QUITO
• 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.
Breakfast
Day 7 QUITO–BALTRA–NORTH SEYMOUR–SANTA CRUZ
• Fly to Baltra in the Galápagos.
• Upon arrival, board a yacht bound for North Seymour, an island teeming with life. You might have to give way to a passing sea lion, marine iguana, or blue-footed boobies that nest here. As you walk along the shore, see large flocks of pelicans in a dive-bomb feeding-frenzy, and one of the Galápagos’ largest nesting sites of the magnificent frigatebird. In the bushes you can see the males up close with their puffed-up scarlet throat sacs.
• Return to the yacht and continue to the Finch Bay Hotel.
Day 8 SANTA CRUZ. EXCURSION TO THE HIGHLANDS
• Transfer to the lush highlands of Santa Cruz to a farming area called El Manzanillo on the edge of the Giant Tortoise Reserve. Here, tortoises can be seen grazing year-round, along with woodpecker finches, mockingbirds, and flycatchers.
• After lunch, visit a local farm, where coffee, sugar cane, and cocoa beans are grown, harvested, and prepared.
• Return to the hotel and perhaps spend time on the private beach.
Day 9 SANTA CRUZ. EXCURSION TO PUNTA CARRION & SOUTH PLAZA ISLAND
• This morning, travel to Punta Carrion on Santa Cruz Island for some time to snorkel. The shallow reefs and mangroves make this an ideal site to snorkel with plenty of reef fish as well as occasional sea lions and sharks.
• Next, sail to South Plaza Island, a small island full of fascinating wildlife, both along its shore and along its dramatic, wind-swept cliffs. Here you will see large, yellow land iguanas, swallow-tailed gulls, masked and blue-footed boobies, sea lions, and much more during your guided walk.
• Return to the hotel this afternoon.
Day 10 SANTA CRUZ. EXCURSION TO DIVINE BAY
• Today’s adventure takes you to wildlife-rich Divine Bay on Santa Cruz Island. Explore the area via sea kayak where you may spot marine iguanas, herons, noddy terns, blue-footed boobies, and tropicbirds which are commonly seen here. Also, keep an eye out for sea turtles, rays, and reef sharks as you cruise the tranquil waters.
• Return to the hotel for lunch, followed by an afternoon visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station, established to help conserve the Galápagos’ natural habitats and protect the area’s famous giant tortoises.
Day 11 SANTA CRUZ–BALTRA–GUAYAQUIL–LIMA
• Depart the hotel this morning for the airport in Baltra.
• Then, fly to Lima where you will be met by your Local Guide who will take you to your hotel.
Breakfast
Day 12 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.
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.
Breakfast
Day 13 LIMA–CUSCO
• 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.
Breakfast
Day 14 CUSCO–SACRED VALLEY
• Today, a short drive into the Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, where you will 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 Pisaq, 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.
Breakfast
Lunch
Day 15 SACRED VALLEY–MACHU PICCHU
• 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 16 MACHU PICCHU–SACRED VALLEY–CUSCO
• 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.
Breakfast
Day 17 CUSCO–LIMA
• Fly to Lima today.
Breakfast
Day 18 LIMA
Your vacation ends after breakfast this morning.
Breakfast