Machu Picchu & Galapagos Wonders

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14 Days ● 27 Meals: 13 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 8 Dinners 

 HIGHLIGHTS… Lima, Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cooking Class, Pablo Seminario Ceramic Studio, Home-Hosted  Meal, Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Choice on Tour, Colonial Quito, "Middle of the World", 4-Night Galápagos Cruise

 ITINERARY AT A GLANCE 

• Days 1, 2 Casa Andina Premium Miraflores, Lima 
• Days 3, 4 Casa Andina Premium Sacred Valley, Sacred Valley 
• Day 5 Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu, Machu Picchu 
• Days 6, 7 Casa Andina Premium Cusco, Cuzco 
• Days 8, 9 Mercure Hotel Alameda Quito, Quito 
• Days 10 – 13 Coral II, Galapagos

 On some dates alternate hotels may be used. 

 Day 1:  Lima, Peru - Tour Begins Touch down in Lima, the “City of Kings.” Across ancient lands and earthly legends, experience the mysticism of the Peruvian  Andes.

Day 2:  Lima Become fascinated by Lima’s history on a tour through the historic centre, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, where the elegant Cathedral at Plaza de Armas stands out among the colonial architecture. Visit the former home of a conquistador and feel  the surge of colonial and republican life. Get to know new friends over a menu of artful Peruvian dishes at a welcome dinner. (B,  D)

Day 3:  Lima - Cuzco - Sacred Valley of the Incas Fly over the Andes on your way to Cuzco – the heart of the Inca civilization. Follow the trails of this Andean paradise with a local  guide to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Learn about centuries-old methods of traditional textiles at Awana Kancha – known as the  "palace of weaving." Stop in Pisac village and browse a handicraft market full of vibrant colours. Discover why Peru has  consistently been named the world’s top food travel destination during a fun-filled interactive cooking class where you will learn  how to master ceviche and pisco sours. Settle in to your hotel nestled in the heart of the Sacred Valley and relax in the calming  surround of the Andes. (B, D) 

Day 4:  Sacred Valley of the Incas-Ollantaytambo-Sacred Valley of the Incas Visit the terraced ruins of Ollantaytambo, the only Incan settlement that has remained continually inhabited since its inception. At  the ceramic studio of artist Pablo Seminario, see how he utilizes the intricate techniques inspired by ancient Peruvian cultures.  Mix with a nearby community and delve deep into the cultures of modern Andean people. Learn traditional methods of growing,  harvesting and weaving, listen to their music and learn their dances before enjoying a farm-to-table meal of local specialties. (B,  L) 

Day 5:  Sacred Valley of the Incas - Machu Picchu Hop aboard your train to Machu Picchu, where views of the Andes astound through panoramic windows as you climb toward the  “Lost City of the Incas.” Uncover the mysteries of this “Lost City” at the meeting point between the Peruvian Andes and the  Amazon Basin. Wrapped inside a semi-tropical jungle and hidden by mountains, Machu Picchu or La Ciudadela, (the Citadel), is  one of the world’s most spectacular archaeological sites. (B) 

Day 6:  Machu Picchu - Cuzco Enjoy some leisure time this morning. You may choose an optional excursion to Machu Picchu at sunrise, or maybe you’ll explore  the local markets before boarding your train back to the Sacred Valley. Continue to Cuzco and feel the local culture at a special  community dining experience. (B, D) 

Day 7:  Cuzco Start your morning with a local guide on your tour of Cuzco, visiting the San Pedro Market, the Koricancha Temple, the central  Plaza de Armas, and the Cuzco Cathedral. Later, it’s your choice! Travel above the city to discover the Incan ruins of  Sacsayhuaman Fortress -OR- embark on a walking tour of San Blas, the traditional old quarter of Cuzco, lined with restaurants  and artisan shops. The rest of the afternoon is yours. This evening, enjoy flexible dining at a popular local restaurant featuring the  local flavours of Cuzco. (B, D)

Day 8:  Cuzco - Quito, Ecuador This morning, fly to Ecuador’s stunning capital city – Quito, your home for the next two nights.* An intersection of mountains  and colonial architecture, this city is a UNESCO World Heritage site full of lively culture and vibrant history. (B) 

Day 9:  Quito Today, tour the Presidential Palace in Quito’s colonial centre. After lunch, stand at the “Middle of the World,” situated between  two hemispheres, at the Equatorial Line Monument and Museum. Spend the rest of the day at leisure. (B, L) 

Day 10:  Quito - Baltra - Embark Ship - Santa Cruz Highlands, Galápagos Fly to the gateway of the Galápagos, Baltra to launch your eco-adventure aboard the M/Y Coral II,** an exclusive yacht that  serves as your home for the next four nights. After dry landing on Santa Cruz Island head from the coast to the dense humid  forests and the Highlands Tortoise Reserve. In addition to famed Galápagos Giant Tortoises you may also spot many different  kinds of birds, such as tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers, paint-billed crakes, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets - usually found standing on the tortoises’ shells. (B, L, D) 

Day 11:  Isabela Island - Fernandina Island On Isabela Island soak in the wonders of one of the richest marine havens on earth during deep-water snorkelling at the Bolivar  Channel. Then, take a dinghy ride along the coast to observe a great diversity of sea and coastal birds; Nazca and blue-footed  boobies, noddies, brown pelicans, penguins, and flightless cormorants. Continue on to make a dry landing on Fernandina Island,  where the largest, most primitive-looking marine iguanas are found mingling with sea lions and Sally Lightfoot crabs. You may  even encounter flightless cormorants at their nesting sites, Galápagos penguins and the “King” of predators on the islands, the  Galápagos hawk! (B, L, D)

Day 12:  Isabela Island Make a wet landing today on the volcanic black beaches of Urbina Bay - home to giant tortoises, land iguanas, and the unusual  flightless cormorant. Here, colourful varieties of plants and flowers attract unusual insects, birds, and reptiles. Enjoy time to  snorkel, possibly swimming alongside with sea turtles, sea lions, and countless tropical fish. Don’t miss the remarkable views of  the Alcedo Volcano from the island’s uplifted coral reef. Travel from Urbina to Tagus Cove for a dry landing. Take the trail that  leads to Darwin’s salt-water crater lake, offering excellent views of lava fields and volcanic formations. A dinghy ride along the  shoreline full of marine wildlife highlights a variety of seabirds, such as Bluefooted Booby, Brown Noddy, terns, and - depending  on the season - a large number of Galápagos Penguins which are only 35 cm tall and the only penguin species to live in the  tropics. Keep an eye out for graffiti believed to have been left by 19th-century pirates. (B, L, D)

Day 13:  Santiago Island Walk in Darwin’s footsteps today on Santiago Island. Begin with a wet landing at Egas Port’s black volcanic sand beach, visited  by Darwin in 1835. Take a unique trail formed of volcanic ash that transitions halfway to uneven terrain of volcanic basaltic rock.  The unique, truly striking layered terrain of Santiago is home to the bizarre yellow-crowned night heron and marine wildlife such  as lobster, starfish and marine iguanas that graze on algae alongside Sally light-foot crabs. Colonies of fur seals swim in volcanic  rock pools. After landing in Sullivan’s Bay on southeastern Santiago Island, walk through the otherworldly landscape of solidified  pa-hoe-hoe lava flows, formed during the last quarter of the 19th century. (B, L, D) 

Day 14:  Santa Cruz - Disembark Ship - Quito - Tour Ends Your last landing in the Galápagos is on the north side of Santa Cruz at Bachas Beach where ponds entice Galápagos Flamingo’s to visit, iguanas to sunbathe, and coastal birds such as Darwin finches, mockingbirds, and gulls flit among the red and black  mangroves. This beach is also one of the main sea turtle nesting sites in the Galápagos and home to the remains of barges that  sank during World War II. Bid the Galápagos goodbye and return to Quito, where a day room will be available close to the airport  before your flight home. (B)