Machu Picchu & Galapagos Wonders featuring a 4-Night Cruise to the West Islands

Touch down in Lima, the “City of Kings.” Across ancient lands and earthly legends, experience the mysticism of the Peruvian Andes. Due to late flight schedules, there are no scheduled activities today.

Become fascinated by Lima’s history on a tour through the historic center, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, where the elegant Cathedral at Plaza de Armas stands out among the colonial architecture. Visit the former home of a conquistador and feel the surge of colonial and republican life. Enjoy some free time this afternoon to discover Lima on your own. Get to know new friends over a menu of artful Peruvian dishes at a welcome dinner.

Fly over the Andes on your way to Cuzco – the heart of the Inca civilization. Follow the trails of this Andean paradise with a local guide to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Stop in Pisac village and browse a handicraft market full of vibrant colors. Discover why Peru has consistently been named the world’s top food travel destination during a fun-filled interactive cooking class where you will learn how to master ceviche and pisco sours. Settle into your hotel nestled in the heart of the Sacred Valley and relax in the calming surround of the Andes.

Visit the terraced ruins of Ollantaytambo, the only Incan settlement that has remained continually inhabited since its inception. At the ceramic studio of artist Pablo Seminario, see how he utilizes the intricate techniques inspired by ancient Peruvian cultures. Deep dive into the cultures of modern Andean people and experience an Impact Moment as you mingle with a nearby community. Thanks to their effort and teamwork, tourism has become additional income for agriculture which has positively impacted their quality of life. Learn traditional methods of growing, harvesting and weaving, listen to their music and learn their dances before enjoying a farm-to-table meal of local specialties.

Prepare for an early morning departure as you hop aboard your train to Machu Picchu, where views of the Andes astound through panoramic windows as you climb toward the “Lost City of the Incas.” Uncover the mysteries of this “Lost City” at the meeting point between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon Basin. Wrapped inside a semi-tropical jungle and hidden by mountains, Machu Picchu or La Ciudadela, (the Citadel), is one of the world’s most spectacular archaeological sites.

Enjoy some leisure time this morning. You may choose an optional excursion to visit Machu Picchu for a second time this morning, or maybe you’ll explore the local markets before boarding your train back to the Sacred Valley. Continue to Cuzco and feel the local culture at a special community dining experience.

This morning, it’s your choice! Travel above the city to discover the Incan ruins of Sacsayhuamán Fortress -OR- embark on a walking tour through the enchanting streets of Cuzco, going off the beaten path and uncovering the city’s best-kept secrets. After, come together for a tour of Cuzco, visiting the San Pedro Market, the Koricancha Temple, the central Plaza de Armas, and the Cuzco Cathedral. The rest of the afternoon is yours. This evening, enjoy flexible dining at a popular local restaurant featuring the local flavors of Cuzco.

This morning, fly to Quito, Ecuador’s stunning capital city, and your home for the next two nights. An intersection of mountains and colonial architecture, this city is a UNESCO World Heritage site full of lively culture and vibrant history.

Today, tour the Presidential Palace in Quito’s colonial center. After lunch, stand at the “Middle of the World,” situated between two hemispheres, at the Equatorial Line Monument and Museum. Spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Fly to Baltra, the gateway of the Galápagos, to launch your eco-adventure aboard the M/Y Coral II, an exclusive yacht that serves as your home for the next four nights. After dry landing on Santa Cruz Island, head from the coast to the dense humid forests and the Highlands Tortoise Reserve. In addition to the famed Galápagos giant tortoises, you may also spot many kinds of birds, such as tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers, paint-billed crakes, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets, which are usually found standing on the tortoises’ shells.

On Isabela Island, soak in the wonders of one of the richest marine havens on earth during deep-water snorkeling in Bolivar Channel. Then, take a dinghy ride along the coast to observe a great diversity of sea and coastal birds; Nazca and blue-footed boobies, noddies, brown pelicans, penguins, and flightless cormorants. Continue on to make a dry landing on Fernandina Island, where the largest, most primitive-looking marine iguanas are found mingling with sea lions and Sally Lightfoot crabs. You may even encounter flightless cormorants at their nesting sites, Galápagos penguins, and the “king” of predators on the islands, the Galápagos hawk!

Make a wet landing today on the volcanic black beaches of Urbina Bay, home to giant tortoises, land iguanas, and the unusual flightless cormorant. Here, colorful varieties of plants and flowers attract unusual insects, birds, and reptiles. Enjoy time to snorkel, possibly swimming alongside sea turtles, sea lions, and countless tropical fish. Don’t miss the remarkable views of the Alcedo Volcano from the island’s uplifted coral reef. Travel from Urbina to Tagus Cove for a dry landing. Take the trail that leads to Darwin’s saltwater crater lake, offering excellent views of lava fields and volcanic formations. A dinghy ride along the shoreline full of marine wildlife highlights a variety of seabirds, such as the Brown Noddy, blue-footed boobies, terns, and depending on the season, a large number of Galápagos penguins which are only 35 centimeters tall and the only penguin species to live in the tropics. Keep an eye out for graffiti believed to have been left by 19th-century pirates.

Walk in Darwin’s footsteps today on Santiago Island. Begin with a wet landing at Egas Port’s black volcanic sand beach, visited by Darwin in 1835. Take a unique trail formed by volcanic ash that transitions halfway to an uneven terrain of volcanic basaltic rock. The unique, truly striking layered terrain of Santiago is home to the bizarre, yellow-crowned night heron and marine wildlife such as lobster, starfish, and marine iguanas that graze on algae alongside Sally Lightfoot crabs. Colonies of fur seals swim in volcanic rock pools. After landing in Sullivan’s Bay on southeastern Santiago Island, walk through the otherworldly landscape of solidified pahoehoe lava flows, formed during the last quarter of the 19th century.

Your last landing in the Galápagos is on the north side of Santa Cruz at Bachas Beach, where ponds entice Galápagos flamingos to visit and iguanas to sunbathe, and where coastal birds, such as Darwin finches, mockingbirds, and gulls, flutter among the red and black mangroves. This beach is also one of the main sea turtle nesting sites in the Galápagos and home to the remains of barges that sank during World War II. Bid the Galápagos goodbye and return to Quito.

Your tour comes to a close today.