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Machu Picchu Tour & Galapagos Islands Cruise Aboard Eric / Letty / Flamingo

Traveling to South America is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for most people

Duration: 16 days
Cost: $5,950 per person
Boobie Deck: +$395
Dolphin Deck: +$695
Triple Cabin Option: -$50
Please for cruise itinerary and pricing specifics during your timeframe.
We can arrange this itinerary to either begin or end in Galapagos, depending on your preference.
Traveling to South America is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for most people. Here's an opportunity to take full advantage of your valuable vacation time by pairing two of the continent's most intriguing sights into one memorable adventure. First you'll be immersed in Machu Picchu history and the Inca Empire, exploring the legendary ruins of Sacsayhuamán and Ollantaytambo, and enjoying excursions to the colorful markets of Cusco, Pisac and Chincheros. Your Peru tours culminate in a visit to the hidden city of Machu Picchu where you spend two days exploring the mysterious ruins and surrounding cloud forests. Then you’ll leave the magnificent Andes to begin your odyssey in the enchanting Galapagos Islands. Aboard the Eric, Letty or Flamingo, three identical first-class Galapagos cruise vessels designed specifically for exploring these islands, you'll spend a memorable week accompanied by two certified naturalist guides. This combination of a Machu Picchu tour and a Galapagos cruise is the perfect way to visit two worlds in just two weeks.
To arrange a private departure for the Machu Picchu Tour & Galapagos Islands Cruise Aboard Eric / Letty / Flamingo, please regarding details and private departure costs.

ABOUT ECUADOR TRAVELING TO ECUADOR GALAPAGOS WEATHER

WHEN TO VISIT GALAPAGOS
= J F M A M J J A S O N D =

GALAPAGOS ISLAND DESCRIPTIONS GALAPAGOS FAQ GALAPAGOS ISLANDS MAP MAP OF ECUADOR RECOMMENDED READING

Machu Picchu & Galapagos aboard E/L/F Itinerary

• Day 1 (Sun) ARRIVE LIMA View Lima accommodations picture gallery Arrival and transfer to your hotel. If you arrive early, we can arrange optional tours to explore the city, including museum visits, and other sites of interests.
  View Optional Pre-Itinerary Tour Extensions
• Day 2 (Mon) LIMA - CUSCO View Cusco accommodations picture gallery Morning departure for your flight to Cusco, center of the Inca Empire. Your Peru tour begins as Southern Explorations' guides pick you up at the airport, stopping for a quick tour of the colonial Plaza de Armas. From there, you will be taken to your hotel and be free for the rest of the day to explore the city and acclimatize to the altitude (10,856 ft). (B)
• Day 3 (Tue) CUSCO View Cusco accommodations picture gallery This morning, your Peru travels take you on a guided walking tour through the colorful markets of Cusco, the colonial cathedral and Koricancha, the impressive Temple of the Sun. After a lunch of regional cuisine, depart for an afternoon tour of prominent Inca sights in and around Cusco. You'll see the fortress of Sacsayhuamán, with its megalithic stone terraces; Kenko, with its carved stone surfaces and subterranean altars; the small Puka Pukara fortress that protected the royal capital from attacks; and the water temple, Tambo Machay. In the late afternoon, return to your hotel to relax or further explore the fascinating mix of Cusco cultures. (B)
• Day 4 (Wed) CUSCO - SACRED VALLEY View Sacred Valley accommodations picture gallery Today's day-long guided excursion journeys through snowcapped mountains to the legendary Sacred Valley of the Incas. Along the way, your Peru tour takes you past Inca terracing that climbs steep valley walls, then on through the ruined temples of Pisac with panoramic views of the jagged granite peaks before stopping in the town to visit one of the best textile markets in the Andes. There, you'll be able to browse for souvenirs and learn about the local culture. After lunch, the next stop is Ollantaytambo(9,185 ft.), a small town with an impressive Inca fortress. Stay overnight at a hotel in Ollantaytambo. (B)
• Day 5 (Thu) SACRED VALLEY - OLLANTAYTAMBO - MACHU PICCHU
  
  

  The mountain citadel of Machu Picchu (7,800' above sea level)

  View Machu Picchu accommodations picture gallery Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and take a refreshing walking tour of the Ollantaytambo ruins and surrounding town before heading to the Ollantaytambo train station for today's unforgettable trip. Making its way toward the Amazon and Machu Picchu, the train follows the Urubamba River into a magnificent cloud forest, arriving at the station. Here take a traditional lunch before meeting the bus waiting to take you the rest of the way to Machu Picchu (7,875 ft.). Spend the afternoon exploring the famous ruins, returning in the late afternoon to nearby Aguas Calientes where you'll be spending the night. You'll have time for a soothing soak in the hot springs and a tasty dinner before turning in early. (B)
• Day 6 (Fri) MACHU PICCHU - CHINCHEROS ARTISAN MARKET - CUSCO View Cusco Hotel Gallery Today, take the opportunity to see an unmatched sunrise at Machu Picchu before the crowds arrive and spend the rest of the day among the numerous ruins a climb to the sacred peak of Huayna Picchu or a picturesque walk to the Temple of the Moon. Return midday to the town of Aguas Calientes for lunch and your early afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo. Meet your private van at the train station to travel to the collective Chincheros textile market, featuring an explanation of the traditional weaving methods of the Sacred Valley and some of the best textiles available in Peru. This is the ideal place for last minute shopping before returning to your Cusco hotel for the evening. (B)
• Day 7 (Sat) CUSCO - LIMA - QUITO View Quito Hotel Gallery In the morning you'll be taken to the airport for the return flight to Lima and your connecting international flight to Quito. Arrival and transfer to your Quito hotel. (B)
• Day 8 (Sun) QUITO - SAN CRISTÓBAL (CERRO BRUJO, LEON DORMIDO)
  
  

  Cruising the Galapagos Islands aboard the 3 sister vessels Eric, Letty and Flamingo offers comfort and style

  View Eric/Letty/Flamingo details In the morning, you will be transferred from your Quito hotel to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos Islands with a brief layover in the port city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. You arrive at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal Island, where our representatives meet you at the airport and escort you to your anchored yacht. Your first destination is Cerro Brujo, its beautiful white, powder-sand beach offering an dramatic introduction to the Galapagos Islands. At sunset, you'll cruise around Kicker Rock (Leon Dormido), a vertical tuff cone formation that abruptly juts almost 500 feet out of the sea. This is a great spot for watching sea lions, blue-footed boobies, masked boobies and magnificent frigate birds on the cliffs. (B,L,D)
• Day 9 (Mon) GENOVESA (DARWIN BAY, PRINCE PHILIP'S STEPS) View Eric/Letty/Flamingo details You'll spend the entire day on Genovesa (Tower), one of the most spectacular of the Galapagos Islands. After a wet landing on Darwin Bay's coral beach, you wind your way past tide pools where swallow-tailed and lava gulls gather. Next you enter a mangrove forest where colonies of great frigatebirds nest. After a swim or spending some time sea kayaking, you'll be taken by panga, a flat-bottomed boat, along the jagged shoreline where you may see the beautiful red-billed tropicbird. At Prince Philip's Steps, you'll find storm petrels and the elusive short-eared owl as well as watch the famous red-footed boobies nesting in Palo Santo trees. (B,L,D)
• Day 10 (Tue) SOUTH PLAZA - NORTH SEYMOUR View Eric/Letty/Flamingo details This morning, you'll visit South Plaza, a geological uplift with tall cliffs that offer spectacular views. After a dry landing, you'll hike along trails that lead through "prickly pear cactus" (Opuntia and Sesuvium) that attract Galapagos land iguanas. The cliff is home to a colony of sea lions. The dominant bulls may be found in various stages of recovery from battles over territory. Swallow-tailed gulls, shearwaters and red-billed tropicbirds build their nests along these cliffs. In the afternoon, you'll disembark on North Seymour, also a small geological uplift, and take a trail that leads to sea lions, swallow-tailed gulls and blue-footed boobies. Here you'll visit the largest colony of magnificent frigatebirds found in the Galapagos Islands and then stroll along the beach, watching for sea lions body-surfing on the northern swells. (B,L,D)
• Day 11 (Wed) ISABELA (TAGUS COVE) - FERNANDINA (PUNTA ESPINOZA) View Eric/Letty/Flamingo details Your Galapagos Island travel continues this morning with a visit to Tagus Cove on Isabela Island. Six volcanoes flowed together and formed this largest of the Galapagos Islands. On a nature walk, you'll come to a salt-water lagoon, a scenic overlook with a spectacular view of lava fields, volcanic formations and the sea. You'll explore Tagus Cove in pangas or sea kayaks to watch Galapagos penguins and other seabirds. After lunch, you'll cross the Bolivar Canal and disembark at Punta Espinoza, Fernandina. Located at the western end of the archipelago, Fernandina is the youngest and most pristine Galapagos Island. It is here that the largest colony of marine iguanas in the Galapagos Islands reside. Numbering in the hundreds, these fascinating creatures bask in the sun along the rugged shoreline. Here too are sea lion harems with resident bulls carefully guarding their territory. Flightless cormorants build their nests on the point and Galapagos hawk fly overhead. You'll also see evidence of recent lava flows stretching their way around the coast. (B,L,D)
• Day 12 (Thu) SANTIAGO (PUERTO EGAS) - BARTOLOME View Eric/Letty/Flamingo details This morning, you stroll along the shore at Puerto Egas on Santiago Island (also called James Island) looking for octopus, starfish and other sea life caught in the tide pools. At low tide, you'll be able to catch a glimpse of marine iguanas as they feed on exposed green algae. Here too you'll be watching for great blue herons, lava herons, oystercatchers and yellow-crowned night herons. Your walk ends at the grottos, deep pools of clear water where fur sea lions once on the verge of extinction are today encountered. On Bartolome Island, you'll feel you are walking on the moon. Though inhospitable to most plants and animals, this young Galapagos Island is a fascinating landscape nonetheless. After a dry landing, you'll take a thirty-minute climb up a steep slope to the summit of a once active volcano. Pausing along the way, you'll marvel at lava bombs, spatter cones and cinder cones. From the top, you may gaze out across a panoramic vista that includes the famous "Pinnacle Rock," an eroded tuff cone. Below, you'll find inviting crystal clear water where you'll snorkel among schools of tropical fish. This is an area where Galapagos penguins often swim. On the other side of the Island, you'll encounter sea turtles and white-tipped sharks. (B,L,D)
• Day 13 (Fri) SANTA CRUZ (CHARLES DARWIN STATION, HIGHLANDS) View Eric/Letty/Flamingo details This morning, you'll visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. Scientists from around the world work here and conduct biological research from anatomy to zoology. This is the place to snap the classic Galapagos Island souvenir shot of you with a giant tortoise. You'll observe the Galapagos tortoise when just a year old and learn about the center's important captive-breeding program. Next, you'll stroll through Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the Galapagos Islands, with a population of 10,000. This is the social heart of the islands, a great place to buy souvenirs, mail postcards and soak up the local charm. After lunch onboard, you'll take a bus excursion to the highlands of Santa Cruz Island. You'll see the scenery change through all seven vegetation zones found in the Galapagos Islands. From June to January, you can find the giant Galapagos tortoise on a private farm here in the highlands. The rest of the year, we visit Los Gemelos ("The Twins"), a pair of large pit craters where bright red male vermilion flycatchers are found. Afterwards, you'll head to "the tunnels," the largest lava tubes found in the Galapagos Islands. (B,L,D)
• Day 14 (Sat) ESPANOLA (GARDNER BAY, PUNTA SUAREZ) View Eric/Letty/Flamingo details This morning, you'll step into Gardner Bay on Española Island (also called Hood Island) where you'll walk along seemingly endless stretches of sandy beach to find colonies of sea lions. They will be your swimming and snorkeling companions as you enjoy the colorful diversity of sea life near Gardner Islet. This afternoon, you'll disembark at Punta Suarez on Española to a noisy sea lion welcome. Here you'll witness the largest number of endemic species on the Galapagos Islands and curious mockingbirds will peck at your shoelaces. From April to November, waved albatross perform their wild mating rituals only on Española. Here colonies of blue-footed boobies engage in "sky-pointing" and masked boobies care for their young. Stunning swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds take shelter under the island's cliffs. Other species endemic to Española include Darwin's finches, Galapagos doves and Galapagos hawks. You'll observe unique species of marine iguana, identified by their red and green markings. Colorful sally lightfoot crabs crawl along the shoreline near to the famous "blow hole." (B,L,D)
• Day 15 (Sun) SAN CRISTÓBAL (LA GALPAGUERA) - QUITO View Quito Hotel Gallery This morning, you'll return to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal. You'll travel by bus into the interior of the island to visit a new site called Galapaguera of Cerro Colorado (Red Hill). At Galapaguera, Calandrinia, an endemic plant of this island, is found. The National Park Service has established a breeding program for the giant Galapagos tortoise here and set up an information center for visitors. Passengers not only get to see the terrestrial tortoises living in their natural habitat but also learn about their origin, evolution and threats posed by non-native species introduced to their habitat. Later you'll return to Quito and transfer to your hotel. (B) View Optional Post-Itinerary Tour Extensions
• Day 16 (Mon) QUITO - HOME Transfer to the airport for the international departure home, the end of Southern Explorations services. If you are interested in more Galapagos tours, trip extensions to other regions or extra days in Quito, we would be happy to arrange them. (B)
• Key: (B)reakfast (L)unch (D)inner

GALAPAGOS & ECUADOR EXTENSIONS

PERU EXTENSIONS

ARTICLES & INFORMATION ABOUT GALAPAGOS
TOURS AND TRAVEL

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2012 TRIP DATES

Departure dates depend on the duration of your Galapagos cruise and the boat of your choice. Please for more details.
2 person minimum / 8 maximum

INCLUSIONS / EXCLUSIONS

Included in tour cost

Meals as indicated

All hotel accommodations (twin shared basis)

All airport/hotel transfers

Entrance fees for all scheduled tours and archaeological sites (except Galapagos National Park)

Galapagos Cruise

English speaking certified guides

Southern Explorations pre departure services.

Excluded in tour cost

International airfare to Lima, Peru and from Quito, Ecuador

Domestic Airfare:
Low Season: $1,285
High Season: $1,330
includes Lima > Quito
Quito < > Galapagos
Lima < > Cuzco

airport taxes international (around $70) and local (around $5)

Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee ($100 Adult/$50 Child)

Tips and gratuities

Alcoholic beverages

Travel insurance

Continental breakfasts are included at all hotels. All other meals are not included unless specified in the itinerary.

High Season Galapagos Airfare:  Jan 1 - April 30 / June 15 - Sept 14 / Nov 1 - Dec 31

Low Season Galapagos Airfare: May 1 - June 14 / Sept 15 - Oct 31

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

ACCOMMODATION

Machu Picchu Tour & Galapagos Islands Cruise Aboard Eric / Letty / Flamingo:

8 nights hotels
7 nights at sea

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT

Single Supplement is the additional cost of a single traveler not sharing a room in double occupancy. We will match you with another same gender traveler unless you request single accommodations.

Prices based on 3.5% cash discount