Last Minute Peru and Galapagos Tour

Arrival to Lima in the evening, local time, reception at the airport and transfer to your hotel in Miraflores Lima.

After breakfast, a guided visit of colonial and modern Lima, including the cathedral, dating from 1654, the main square, which still houses the original bronze fountain built in 1650, and the San Francisco Convent and its catacombs. Known as the city of the kings, Lima was founded in 1535 by Pizarro and rebuilt in 1991, the same year that UNESCO declared it a world heritage site. One of the very few South American cities that preserve the colonial past, Lima was home to the Spanish viceroy during the time of the Spanish colonialists. The tour will include a visit to the residential areas of San Isidro and Miraflores, before returning to your hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Lima and connecting flight to Guayaquil. Transfer to your hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to San Cristobal. Welcome by the crew of the Luxury Alia yacht. This new Catamaran has 9 comfortable cabins, 8 of them with private balcony. 4 cabins in upper deck and 5 in main deck, all the beds can be double or twin. Private facilities in each cabin: private bathrooms, cold/hot water; air conditioned, hair dryer, telephone for internal communication on board, safe box, and high speaker. Social areas such as library, DVD service, dining room, bar with a variety of drinks and sundeck with bar.

A visit to the tortoise breeding centre in the northeast part of San Cristobal Island and can now be reached in roughly one hour by road from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. On the trees and shrubs surrounding the site, you may see land birds like warblers, finches and mockingbirds, and giant tortoises can be observed along the trail. They live there wild but in a protected area to assure their survival by sealing them off from introduced predators like pigs and goats. Once the tortoise perceives danger, it goes into its defensive stance retreating into its hard shell. Return to your yacht for dinner and begin the cruise.

In the morning a visit to the Sea Lion Island This appropriately named island is ripe with noisy, frolicking, jolly sea lions who will welcome you to their home with open, well, fins. This island also offers great snorkeling opportunities as well as the chance to see Blue-footed and Nazca Boobies. In the afternoon a visit to Pitt Point, situated on the north-eastern tip of the island, hosts frigatebirds, storm petrels, and all three types of booby birds: the Nazca, blue-footed and red-footed boobies. A steep trail goes up a cliff and through a ravine leading visitors to an area with an abundance of birds. This site is also great for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Today, we will visit the isolated Española island. This area is great for spotting blue-footed boobies, albatrosses and Nazca boobies. A beautiful site on the ocean front, the large waved albatrosses use the cliff as a launching pad. The famous attraction is the magnificent blowhole, spurting water high into the air. This site presents wonderful photograph opportunities.
In the afternoon, a visit to Gardner Bay, on the eastern side of the island, is the breeding site of nearly all of the world´s 12,000 pairs of Waved Albatrosses. It has an ample white sandy beach with a myriad of sea lions, perfect for relaxing. Its rocky shores make this site a great place for diving and snorkeling.

The last day on the islands with a visit to Carrion Point. You will see some almost ever-present creatures such as sea lions, creole fish and blue striped sea slugs before transfer to the airport for your return flight to the mainland and connecting flight to Lima. Transfer to your hotel.

After breakfast, take your flight to Cuzco, the ancient Inca capital of the Incas. After the one hour flight, reception and transfer to your hotel. Free day to acclimatise.

Today you will have a guided tour of Cuzco including the Cathedral, Qoricancha temple, the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman overlooking Cuzco, Qenko and Puka Pukara. Cuzco's history extends back to before 1000 BC when the Marcavalle Culture was the dominant power; indeed organized life in the City began practically with them. In the second phase of its history, around 800BC, Cuzco was home to the Chanapata culture and later developed several regional states. What is traditionally known as the Inka civilisation began around 1200 AD in its initial phase, with the first Inka, Manko Capaq and Mama Ocllo. It is also suggested that Pachakuteq, the ninth king, elaborated another foundation in 1438 which is also known as the expansive phase. Inca builders hereafter laid out the city in the form of a puma, with the fortress of Sacsayhuaman as the head.

After breakfast at your hotel, discover the best of the Sacred Valley of the Incas through this route starting on the Inca's Balcony, in Chinchero, a beautiful place with an impressive view, where twelves families still preserve their traditional costumes, showing you the ancestral way in which they process the wool, and obtain those vivid colors for their textiles. A visit to the fortress of Ollantaytambo before returning to your hotel.

Enjoy a good night's sleep before boarding the Expedition train to Aguas Calientes. Arrival to Aguas Calientes, assistance with your luggage and check-in to your hotel before boarding of the bus for the short ride up to Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca citadel. Shortly after, a guided tour of Machu Picchu, the most spectacular ancient city in the world. Built by the Inca Pachacutec, and comprising stone blocks fitted with masterful precision, Machu Picchu harmoniously blends into the mountain landscape. There are many theories as to the origins behind 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.

Free day in Machu Picchu. Time for some private reflection before returning for breakfast. Today no guide is provided as we feel that Machu Picchu requires a certain amount of self discovery to be fully understood. Take any of the several paths around various parts of the site (we will provide a map to help you). Let Machu Picchu unfold all its mysteries for you, take in the breathtaking cloud forests and jagged mountains, or marvel at the extraordinary Masonic precision of the ancient Incas. Either way, your day of self discovery will be a day never to be forgotten. Return to Cuzco by train and transfer to your hotel.

After breakfast, private visit to the southeast of Cuzco and the archaeological center of Tipon, there you will come to know more about the extensive carved stone channels, which represent one of the hydraulic engineering advances achieved by the Incas. Then, you will continue to Pikillacta, one of the most important administrative centers of the pre Inca times. The tour continues to the village of Andahuaylillas, which houses a beautiful seventeenth century church, which represents a dramatic expression of so-called Andean Baroque. Return to Cuzco.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the return flight to Lima and transfer to your hotel. Free day or a tour to one of the many great museums in Lima or a cooking tour. Please ask for more details and prices.

After breakfast, free morning for last minute shopping. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for your return flight to London.

End of our services.