Luxury Peru & Galapagos Expedition

Arrival to Lima, reception at the airport and transfer by private vehicle to the five star Country Club Hotel. Check in to your hotel. Upgrade option to the Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Juliaca airport and transfer to your hotel in Puno, the GHL Lake Titicaca Hotel. We recommend that you take it easy for the first day at high altitude.

After breakfast, a full day excursion to the islands of Uros and Taquile with your guide. Uros, a group of islands made entirely of tortora reeds is home to a small community dating back to a pre-Inca culture. The inhabitants of Taquile are more closely related to the Aymara people of Bolivia than the Quechua Incas of Peru. Lunch box provided. Return to Puno and your hotel the GHL Lake Titicaca Hotel.

Today, you will travel from Puno to Cusco along one of the most beautiful train routes in the world, across the highest plains of the Andes.
The Belmond Andean Explorer is a luxury train that transports up to 48 passengers through Peru in peerless style. Your time aboard promises to be every bit as inspiring as your off-board moments of discovery. Inviting, indulgent accommodation and refined Andean cuisine ensure an unforgettable journey. Observation, Lounge and Spa Cars are the perfect places to unwind, designed to offer modern comfort with traditional flourishes.

• 11:00 Check in at Puno's hangar
• 12:00 Departure from Puno - Titicaca Lake Station
• 13:30 Lunch on board
• 14:30 Bar and cooking classes
• 18:00 Arrival at la Raya
• 19:00 Cocktail on board
• 19:30 Dinner on board
• 21:15 Arrive at Cusipata

• 05:30 Departure from Cusipata
• 05:30 - 07:00 Breakfast on board
• 07:30 Arrive at Cusco - Wanchaq Station

Reception and transfer to the five star Palacio del Inka Hotel. Upgrade option to the Belmond Monasterio Hotel.

In the afternoon, 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 the arrival of the Spanish to the city on November 15th 1533, Francisco Pizarro re-founded it for the Spanish King on March 23rd 1534. In 1536 Manko Inka began a long and bloody war against the Spanish invaders with a siege lasting over 8 months over the city. Finally in 1572, after a war that lasted 36 years, Tupaq Amaru I, the last emperor of the Inka dynasty was defeated, captured and executed in the city's main square. The Spanish subsequently destroyed many of the structures in the city or used them as foundations for many of their own churches and buildings.

After early breakfast, transfer to the railway station for the Vistadome train to Machu Picchu (option to upgrade to the Luxury Hiram Bingham train except on Sundays. See prices below). Arrival to Aguas Calientes, assistance with your luggage and check-in to your hotel, the Sumaq before boarding of the bus for the short ride up to Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca citadel. Upgrade option to the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge.
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. Dinner at your hotel.

Free day to return to the site. We will provide two separate entrance tickets today, one for the morning and one for the afternoon. Accommodation at the Sumaq. Upgrade option to the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge.

More free time in Machu Picchu. Time for some private reflection as today no guide is provided as we feel that Machu Picchu requires a certain amount of self discovery to be fully appreciated. Take the return Vistadome train to Cuzco. Arrival and transfer to your hotel, the five star Palacio del Inka Hotel. Upgrade option to the Belmond Monasterio Hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Lima and transfer by private vehicle to the five star Country Club Hotel. Check in to your hotel. Upgrade option to the Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel.
In the afternoon, 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 Quito in Ecuador. You will be assisted with your luggage before driven to your hotel, the Hilton Hotel.

After breakfast, a half day's private guided visit of colonial Quito, declared by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1978. A visit to the Old Town, including the Plaza de la Independencia. The President still conducts business here, so access to the inside may be limited. It is the home of the tomb of Sucre and also houses interesting 17th and 18th century paintings. A visit to the Parque Alameda that houses the oldest astronomical observatory in South America, as well as an impressive monument of Simon Bolivar.
The Plaza de San Francisco was constructed by the Spanish in 1553, and the church has a high altar made of gold and beautifully carved ceilings. You shall also visit La Compañia, the finest of all Jesuit churches. Damaged through the years by fires and earthquakes, it has since been restored and has a richly sculptured facade and interior. A stop for lunch in the old city (not included).
In the afternoon a visit to the Mitad del Mundo, some 26 km (16 mi.) north of Quito's centre, where you will find the Equatorial Monument. It was built as a tribute to the French scientists who determined the shape of the earth in the 18th century. The towering 30 m (98 ft) structure is a monument to the equatorial line, and does not mark the actual site. The actual path of the equator lies a little further north. Each side of the monument faces a cardinal direction, and on the top, is a 4.5 m (14.7ft), 5 ton (10 000 lb) globe. Surrounding the monument is a tourist centre that is a perfect imitation of a colonial Spanish town known as Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World City).

Please note the Galapagos itinerary is subject to change based on the actual yacht
After breakfast, with boarding passes in hand, you will be driven to the airport for your quick-check-in and flight to Baltra airport, where you will clear immigration and be met by your guide, who will escort you on a short bus ride to the harbor. A motorized dinghy will then transfer you to the Luxury Legend Cruise, where the captain and crew will welcome you aboard.

• All meals and activities throughout the cruise
• Bilingual national park guide
• Welcome and farewell cocktails
• Water, 24 hour coffee station
• Snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel and fins)

A visit to South Plaza Island which is home to a large opuntia cactus forest, land iguanas and one of the largest sea lion colonies in the central region of the archipelago. You will also be able to see Nazca boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and other kinds of sea birds, as well as different types of finches. Continue to Santa Fe where during the hike you will see some of Santa Fe's endemic species, including the Galapagos hawk, the Galapagos snake, various finches and the Galapagos mockingbird. Playful sea lions usually join swimmers and kayakers during beach time.

Pitt Point is located on the eastern tip of San Cristobal Island. You will hike up to a plateau where the view and landscape are so spectacular it is definitely worth the effort. The power hike is followed by kayaking, snorkeling or a dinghy ride. At Cerro Brujo, in addition to the magnificent scenery, there is wonderful swimming and a dinghy ride at this visitor site. Cerro Brujo's spectacular beach is home to a large colony of sea lions, and it is famous for being the first place in the archipelago that Charles Darwin visited.

Elizabeth Bay is one of the furthest points of the Galapagos that we will visit on our cruise. We will enter a sheltered cove that is only accessible by dinghy - a wonderful mangrove ecosystem that is a refuge for sea turtles, rays and herons. Moreno Point, which is southwest of Elizabeth Bay, is famous for its large population of seabirds. You'll be able to get close to them on a dinghy ride along the cliffs of the island, or on a hike through lava rock that leads to tide pools and mangroves teeming with life. You will also have time for snorkeling.

On your visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station you will gain insight into the extensive efforts underway to preserve the Galapagos Islands. You will also encounter the famous Galapagos tortoises that are the islands' namesake. After the visit we will transfer to the airport to take the flight back to the mainland to connect for your international flight home.

End of our services.