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Galapagos, Machu Picchu & Amazon Tour

Combine the natural wonders of the Galapagos Islands with the ancient mysteries of Machu Picchu

Duration: 13 days
With Tourist Superior 5D/4N Cruise: $3680+ per person
With First Class 5D/4N Cruise: $3955+ per person
With Cruise Ship 5D/4N Cruise: $4095+ per person
Internal flights are not included in trip costs
Internal airfare: $1270 low season / $1325 high season (subject to change)
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.
This most scenic of Ecuador Peru eco-tours includes three top South America destinations. You'll marvel at one of civilization's greatest achievements, Machu Picchu, witness the unparalleled biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest, one of nature's true wonders, and experience the otherworldly destination of the Galapagos Islands where wildlife rules. In your Andean travels learning about Peru culture, you'll explore the charming colonial town of Cusco, once the center of the Inca Empire and spend time in the magnificent Sacred Valley on your way to the hidden Inca city of Machu Picchu. You'll stay in an indigenous Amazon eco-lodge in a lush rainforest setting. These South America tours kick off with the Galapagos cruise of your choice. Three indelible, distinctly different, experiences, all incorporated into one great trip, truly make the most of your South America travel time.
To arrange a private departure for the Galapagos, Machu Picchu & Amazon Tour, please contact us 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

Itinerary for Machu Picchu & Galapagos Islands

Day 1 ARRIVE QUITO or GUAYAQUIL View Quito accommodations picture gallery You'll be transferred to your Quito hotel when you arrive in Ecuador. If you get in early, we can arrange optional tours to explore the sights of the city, including museum and other attractions of interest.
Begin Optional Pre-Itinerary Tour Extensions
Day 2 QUITO or GUAYAQUIL - GALAPAGOS View Galapagos Cruise Vessel Options You'll be picked up at your hotel in the morning for your flight from Quito's airport to the Galapagos Islands to board your Galapagos cruise. (B,L,D)
Spend exciting days exploring the Galapagos Islands and observing the unique Galapagos wildlife

Day 3-5 GALAPAGOS CRUISE View Galapagos Cruise Vessel Options Here you'll spend exciting days exploring the Galapagos Islands and observing the unique Galapagos wildlife, staying on a comfortable yacht. Itinerary specifics vary based on which Galapagos cruise vessel you select. Please contact us to discuss available Galapagos cruise options during your timeframe. (B,L,D)
Day 6 GALAPAGOS - QUITO or GUAYAQUIL - LIMA View Lima accommodations picture gallery You return to mainland Ecuador today, landing at Quito's airport to connect with your international flight to Lima, Peru. On arrival, you'll be taken to your lodging. (B)
Day 7 LIMA - PTO MALDONADO - AMAZON JUNGLE LODGE Posadas Amazonas Jungle Lodge picture gallery Sandoval Jungle Lodge picture gallery A morning transfer gets you to the airport for a flight to Puerto Maldonado in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest. To reach your accommodations, you'll take a one-hour motorized canoe ride up the Tambopata River. After unpacking and relaxing a bit, you'll be welcomed and receive a briefing about the lodge and Ecotourism Project before the afternoon's amazing Amazon Rainforest activity, climbing the Canopy Tower. The Canopy Tower is a 115-ft scaffold that offers spectacular views of the river and the surrounding Amazon Rainforest. (B,L,D)
Day 8 PUERTO MALDONADO Posadas Amazonas Jungle Lodge picture gallery Sandoval Jungle Lodge picture gallery Early in the morning, you visit the Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake where fascinating wildlife is sure to be found. After breakfast, you'll depart from Posada Amazonas by boat and take a brief walk to the shore followed by a long, easy canoe ride around the lake. Here you may see giant river otters, turtles, hoatzin and wading birds. Returning to the Amazon Rainforest eco-lodge trails, you'll visit a small parakeet clay lick where dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of parakeets congregate on clear days to ingest clay. This afternoon's Amazon Rainforest tours consist of an excursion to the community's ethno-botanical center and a hike along the surrounding trails with a resident guide who will explain the everyday uses of forest resources in medicine, construction, food and fiber. The relaxing evening will be spent at the lodge. (B,L,D)
Day 9 PTO MALDONADO - CUSCO View Cusco accommodations picture gallery Your Amazon tours end with an early departure downriver to the airport of Pto. Maldonado for the short flight to Cusco, capital of the Inca Empire. You will be picked up at the airport and taken into Cusco for a guided walking tour through the distinctive markets, the colonial cathedral, and Koricancha, the impressive Temple of the Sun. After a lunch of tasty local Peru cuisine, you depart for an afternoon tour of the temples and visit several other Inca sights, the fortress of Sacsayhuamán, noted for its expansive stone terraces; the carved stone surfaces and subterranean altars in Kenko; the small Puka Pukara fortress; and the Tambo Machay water temple. In the late afternoon, you'll return to your hotel to relax or to further explore picturesque Cusco and learn more about Peru culture. (B)
Day 10 CUSCO - SACRED VALLEY View Sacred Valley accommodations picture gallery Embark on a day-long guided excursion through the Andean countryside of the legendary Sacred Valley, passing Inca terraces along the steep valley walls before reaching the ruins of Pisac temples that offer panoramic views of granite peaks. In the town of Pisac, you'll find bargains at one of the best textile markets in the Andes. After lunch, you reach the small town of Ollantaytambo (9,185 ft.), to visit its famous Inca fortress and spend the night. (B,L)
Machu Picchu offers mystical scenes from every angle

Day 11 SACRED VALLEY - OLLANTAYTAMBO - MACHU PICCHU View Machu Picchu accommodations picture gallery You'll enjoy a satisfying breakfast at your hotel before beginning a walking tour of the Ollantaytambo ruins and town. By midmorning, you'll take a leisurely walk from the hotel to the train station at Ollantaytambo. Following the Urubamba River through a scenic cloud forest, you arrive at the station in time for lunch before boarding a bus that will take you to the hidden citadel of Machu Picchu (7,800 ft.). Here you'll spend an unforgettable day, learning about Machu Picchu history as you explore the famous ruins. You'll return in the late afternoon to nearby Aguas Calientes for a soak in the local hot springs, a dinner of Peru cuisine and overnight at a nearby hotel. (B)
Day 12 MACHU PICCHU - CHINCHEROS TEXTILE MARKET - CUSCO View Cusco accommodations picture gallery If you choose to wake before dawn, you can see a once-in-a-lifetime Machu Picchu sunrise with few other visitors. Your morning will be spent exploring Machu Picchu on your own which might include a climb to the sacred peak of Huayna Picchu or a walk through the lush cloud forest to the Temple of the Moon. You'll return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and then take the mid-afternoon train back to Ollantaytambo. Your private van will travel to the cooperatively run Chincheros Market, source of some of the most remarkable textiles in Peru. Here you'll enjoy an informative session with weavers, learning how they shear, dye, spin and weave using traditional methods. This is a perfect opportunity for last-minute shopping before returning to Cusco and a final evening at the hotel. (B)
Day 13 CUSCO - LIMA - HOME In the morning, you'll be transferred to the airport at Cusco to fly to Lima and catch your connecting international flight, ending Southern Explorations' services. We offer many possibilities for extending your trip to other areas of Peru or spending extra days in Lima and/or Cusco. (B) Begin Optional Post-Itinerary Tour Extensions
Key: (B)reakfast (L)unch (D)inner

GALAPAGOS & ECUADOR EXTENSIONS

Have more time to spend? Why not customize your trip with some of these trip extensions? Add extensions to the beginning or the end of your trip, or add to both ends.
GALAPAGOS & ECUADOR DAY EXTENSIONS Quito City Scenic Tour (3hrs) Quito City Tour + Museum (4hrs) Quito City Tour at Night Middle of the World (3hrs) Quito City Tour + Middle (5hrs) Papallacta Hot Springs (1D) Rafting Rio Blanco (1D) Mountain Bicycling (1D) Otavalo Market (1D) Sea Kayak Cuicocha Lake (1D) Cotopaxi National Park (1D) Bellavista Cloud Forest (1D)	GALAPAGOS & ECUADOR MULTI-DAY EXTENSIONS Otavalo Market Tour (2D) Cotopaxi Tour (2D) Haciendas, Hot Springs & Volcanoes (4D) CLOUD & RAIN FOREST LODGES Bellavista Cloud Forest Lodge (2D) Sacha Lodge (4/5D) Kapawi Ecolodge (4/5D) Napo Wildlife Center (4/5D)

PERU EXTENSIONS

Have more time to spend? Why not customize your trip with some of these trip extensions? Add extensions to the beginning or the end of your trip, or add to both ends.
PERU DAY EXTENSIONS Lima City Tour Lima Pre-Departure Tour Lima Culinary Tour Weaving tour from Cusco Cachicata Day Hike Moray - Maras Paragliding from Cusco Cusco Countryside Rafting from Cusco	PERU MULTI-DAY EXTENSIONS Moras - Moray - Cachicata (2D) Ica & Nazca (2D) Ica/Nazca & Ballestas Is. (3D) Lake Titicaca (3D) Rafting the Apurimac (3D) Arequipa & Colca Canyon (4D) Mancora Beach (4D) PERU / CLOUD & RAIN FOREST LODGES Sandoval Lake Lodge (2D-4D) Posadas Amazonas (3D/4D) Manu Wildlife Center (4D/5D) Amazon River Expedition (4-8D)

ARTICLES & INFORMATION ABOUT GALAPAGOS
TOURS AND TRAVEL

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2009 TRIP DATES

Departure dates depend on the duration of your Galapagos cruise and the boat of your choice. Please contact us 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 (5D); - English speaking certified guides; - Southern Explorations pre departure services.
Excluded in tour cost: - International airfare to Quito, Ecuador and from Lima, Peru; - Domestic Airfare: Quito / Galapagos / Quito
Low Season: $360
(May 1 - June 14 / Sept 15 - Oct 31)
High Season: $415
(Jan 1 - April 30 / June 15 - Sept 14 / Nov 1 - Dec 31); - Domestic Airfare: Guayaquil / Galapagos / Guayaquil
Low Season: $320
(May 1 - June 14 / Sept 15 - Oct 31)
High Season: $465
(Jan 1 - April 30 / June 15 - Sept 14 / Nov 1 - Dec 31); - Airport taxes international (around $30) 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.

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

ACCOMMODATION

Machu Picchu & Galapagos:: 8 nights hotels
4 nights at sea

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT

Additional $225: - 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.

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