Peru and Galapagos Land Tour

Arrive to Lima. Reception at the airport and transfer to the 4* Condado Hotel. Free day.

Condado Hotel

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Cuzco. Arrival in Cuzco, reception and transfer to the 4* Picoaga Hotel. Free morning. Afternoon guided visit of the four ruins nearby; the Sacsayhuaman Fortress overlooking the city of Cuzco, a pre Inca architectural masterpiece; Kenko, a rock sanctuary whose main attraction is the monolithic altar representing a puma, the red Fortress of Puca-Pucara and Tambomachay, a beautiful fountain fed by a spring forming a series of basins continue to the city of Cuzco; the Main Square, the Cathedral and the Koricancha or Temple of the Sun. Return to your hotel.

Picoaga Hotel   |  Meals: B

Full-day excursion to the Urubamba, the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Visit the village of Pisac, founded during colonial times and set at the foot of a hill crowned by the remains of an Inca city. On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, in the main square, Indians barter their products and artisans from all over the area sell their woven alpaca wool blankets and ponchos, engraved gourds, antique reproductions, jewellery, etc. On Sundays it is also the meeting place for mayors from all the villages in the region, dressed in their traditional costumes to attend morning mass. After lunch, a visit to Ollantaytambo, the only Inca town which was not overthrown by the conquistadores, and explore the ruins which tower above it. Late afternoon return to Cuzco whilst visiting en-route the traditional market of Chinchero. Return to the 4* Picoaga Hotel.

Picoaga Hotel   |  Meals: B & L

Transfer to the railway station for the early morning departure to Aguas Calientes and then a bus ride up to the spectacular Machu Picchu ruins (25 minutes). Guided visit of Machu Picchu. Built by the Inca Pachacutec, comprising stone blocks fitted with masterful precision that harmoniously blends into the mountain landscape. There are many theories as to the origins of Machu Picchu but three of the most popular ideas include a temple to the sun, a fortress against the jungle inhabitants or a sanctuary for the Incas. This fabulous city has houses, temples, warehouses, a large central square, all connected by narrow roads and steps, and is surrounded by terraces cut into the mountain side which were used for agriculture. After the tour, free time to enjoy this magical and spiritual wonder. Accommodation at the 4* Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. This hotel is absolutely gorgeous as it has many unique features including fireplaces in most rooms, a spa, an orchid garden and eco center, 2 restaurants, a eucalyptus sauna, and it sits back in the cloud forest, but is conveniently located within walking distance from the town.

Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel   |  Meals: B & D

Enjoy a free day in Aguas Calientes. Feel free to re-enter the ruins if you are up for it (re-entry tickets not included). Or simply relax and enjoy the small, quaint town. Another way to spend your day is to try a hike. For the fit adventurer looking for a challenge, you can climb Putu Kusi, a mountain that sits straight across from Machu Picchu. This hike (2 hours) is full of beautiful vegetation and includes lengthy ladder climbs, those who are afraid of heights should take this into consideration. The other option is a rather easy hike, 4 hours, to the Mandor Pampa. This hike includes traveling though the local cloud forest and arriving at a beautiful waterfall. There is plenty of vegetation and small animals to check out along the way. In the late afternoon head to the train station for your return ride to Cusco. Arrival and transfer to the 4* Picoaga Hotel.

Picoaga Hotel   |  Meals: B

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the return flight back to Lima. Arrival Lima and connect to your international flight to Quito. Arrival Quito, and transfer to the 4* Patio Andaluz Hotel.

Patio Andaluz Hotel   |  Meals: B

After breakfast transfer to the airport for your flight to Baltra, Galapagos. Reception and transfer to the 3* Sol y Mar Hotel in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. Settle in to your hotel and relax in your sea view room. Take in the views, ambience and environment of the Galapagos with the sun, the sea, and salty-fresh island breeze. Free day to explore the small town and enjoy the weather.

Sol y Mar Hotel   |  Meals: B

After breakfast, enjoy a full day tour out to Bartolome, North Seymour and Las Bachas, or South Plazas and Punta Carrion. Each day the decision is made on which island is visited according to the permission by the government. This choice is made by evaluating where the other 100 yachts currently are stations, and you will be able to visit the island with the least amount of tourist currently at land. Full day tour of the island, including lunch. In the late afternoon, return to the Sol y Mar Hotel for an open evening.
Bartoleme Island. Arriving at Bartholome we will ascend a lookout point from where you can admire the spectacular panorama of the Sullivan Bay and the famous needle shaped rock, the so-called Pinnacle Rock. The beaches at the foot of the Pinnacle Rock boast some fine snorkeling spots from which you can discover the marvelous underwater world with a good chance to encounter penguins or the softly gliding turtles. Bartolome is famous for Pinnacle Rock, a towering spearheaded obelisk that rises from the ocean's edge and is the best known landmark in the islands. Galápagos penguins - the only species of penguin found north of the equator - walk precariously along narrow volcanic ledges at its base. Sea lions snooze on rocky platforms, ready to slide into the water to play with passing snorkelers. Just below the surface, shoals of tropical fish dodge in and out of the rocks past urchins, sea stars and anemones. A perfectly crescent, pink-and-white sandy beach lies just to the east of the pinnacle. Sea turtles use the beach as a nesting site and can sometimes be found wading in the shallow water near the shore, or resting in the sand to recover from the arduous task of digging nests, laying eggs and covering them over. Penguins dot the nearby rocks of the next landing site, less than a kilometer along the eastern shore. Here the submerged walls of a tiny volcanic crater give the impression of a fountain pool. This dry landing - no wet feet! -is the entrance to a 600-meter (2000-foot) pathway complete with stairs and boardwalks leading to Bartolome's summit. The route is not difficult and presents a museum of vulcanology; a site left untouched after its last eruption, where cones stand in various stages of erosion and lava tubes form bobsled-like runs from the summit. At the top you will be rewarded with spectacular views of Santiago Island and James Bay to the west, and far below, Pinnacle Rock and our beach, where the crystal blue waters of the bay cradle your yacht. North Seymour and Las Bachas. A visit to the island of North Seymour which is renowned for its frigate birds and their intensive courting rituals. The island is also inhabited by other frigate birds and blue-footed boobies, as well as endemic black lizards and sea lions inhabit on its shores. The deserted, picturesque beach Las Bachas at the northern shore of Santa Cruz invites you for a swim in the crystal-clear water or to relax in the sun. Afterwards you will be visiting the bay Caleta Tortuga Negra which is close by. This bay is surrounded by mangroves where you can spot pelicans and herons. While snorkelling you can have a swim with the turtles, white-tip sharks and rays. North Seymour Island was lifted from the ocean floor by a seismic event, and its origins as a seabed give the island its low, flat profile. Cliffs only a few meters high form the shoreline, where swallow-tailed gulls sit perched in ledges. A tiny forest of silver-grey Palo Santo trees stand just above the landing, usually without leaves, waiting for the rain to bring them into bloom. This island is teaming with life! You might have to give way to a passing sea lion or marine iguana; blue-footed booby nests sit beside the trail where mating pairs perform their courtship dance. Further along, the rocky shore displays white sand, and large flocks of pelicans mass for a dive-bomb feeding frenzy, rendering a tableau for us from ages long past. The trail turns inland to reveal the largest nesting site in the Galápagos of the "magnificent frigate bird." These huge, dark acrobats have two-meter wingspans, and males, with puffed up scarlet throat sacks, sit precariously perched in low bushes to watch over their equally large chicks. Las Bachas, a sandy white-coral beach that is a major egg-laying site for sea turtles. Bachas are notches, and the beach's name refers to the indentations left in the sand by both laying turtles and their departing hatchlings. On the shore, there are marine iguanas and in the lagoon, flamingos are commonly seen. A newer visitor's site, Dragon Hill (Cerro Dragon) is a brackish water lagoon that attracts flamingos, common stilts, pintail ducks and other species of birds. There is a short walk up a small hill, which rewards hikers with a nesting site for iguanas and a great view! South Plazas and Punta Carrion. Located In the east of Santa Cruz, the main characteristics of the small island of South Plaza are the Opuntia cacti and the carpets of red sesuvium, a succulent plant that turns green in the rainy season. The cactus is the main food of land iguanas, which are usually, found resting in the cacti's shade. The island contains one of the largest sea lion colonies of the Galapagos, along with swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds. Boobies are also found roosting on the southern cliffs of the island. Punta Carrion offers a great opportunity to see Sea Lions.

South Plazas: This is the southern partner of two small crescent-shaped islands that lie just a few hundred meters off the east coast of Santa Cruz. The northern island is used for scientific purposes only. South Plaza is one of the smallest yet richest islands in the archipelago. Only 130 meters wide (426 feet), it was formed from uplifted seabed, giving it a titled tabletop quality. Our landing is in the channel between North and South Plaza, where the island tilts toward the water. The approach makes for a lavishly colorful sight! The turquoise waters of the channel contrast brilliantly with the white sand and black lava of the shoreline. The rocks have grown thick with green seaweed in places, speckled with bright orange "Sally light foot" crabs. Further up the shore a carpet of scarlet sesuvium succulents serves as groundcover for a grove of luminescent green prickly-pear cactus. Yellow-gray land iguanas sit beneath, waiting patiently for pears to drop. The trail gradually follows the tilt of the island to the cliffs that overlook the ocean to the south, where swallow-tailed gulls nest. Red-billed tropic birds, masked and blue-footed boobies ride the windy currents. The overlook is a great place for spotting large marine life, including manta rays. Surf pounds an inlet at the western corner of the island, where a colony of sea lion bachelors make their home, accounting for the surface of the rocks, polished by the oils of their fur. The shoreline of Las Plazas makes for excellent snorkeling in a sea lion colony of nearly a thousand. Your guide will find the right spot to swim with youngsters away from areas claimed by the surly bulls.

Sol y Mar Hotel   |  Meals: B & L

Enjoy a day touring an island not yet seen. Return to the Sol y Mar in for accommodation.

Sol y Mar Hotel   |  Meals: B & L

Enjoy a day touring an island not yet seen. Return to the Sol y Mar in for accommodation.

After breakfast, transfer back to Baltra for your flight back to Quito. Arrive to Quito and transfer to the 4* Andaluz Hotel. Free afternoon/evening to enjoy the city.

Patio Andaluz Hotel   |  Meals: B & L

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your international flight home.

Meals: B