|
ITINERARY (14 days Lima to Quito - Quito, Galapagos Islands cruise, Lima and Machu Picchu)
Day 1: LIMA, PERU
Today yoou arrive in Lima, known as the "City of Kings," where you will be met by your local host.
Day 2: LIMA
Your Local Guide focuses on the city's colonial heritage during today's walking tour. Start at the Plaza de Armas to see the Government Palace and visit the CATHEDRAL, where the remains of Francisco Pizarro, the founder of lima, are housed. From here, stroll to the SAN FRANCISCO MONASTERY with its splendid 17th-century cloister murals. This evening, meet your Tour Director and enjoy a WELCOME DINNER with your fellow travelling companions. (B,D)
Day 3: LIMA - CUZCO - SACRED VALLEY
Fly to Cuzco, the impressive Andean city that was once the capital of the INca Empire. Continue into the Sacred Valley and visit the nearby Inca baths of TAMBOMACHAY and the semi-circular Kenko Amphitheatre with its stone altars and labyrinth of passages. See the ancient site of Puca Pucara before reaching the TEMPLE OF SACSAYHUAMAN. It remains unfathomable how and when its fortress of gigantic stones - with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons - was built. next, visit Pisac, an old mountain village where you will have the chance to visit a local home and experience their way of life. Enjoy free time in the town centre to browse colourful stalls where vendors sell their handicrafts, ranging from fine alpaca sweaters and blankets to hand-painted ornamental dishes and vases. (B,L,D)
Day 4: SACRED VALLEY - MACHU PICCHU
Begin the morning with a visit to the Inca fortress of OLLANTAYTAMBO. Next, board a TRAIN through the lush Urubamba Valley. Ascend to legendary MACHU PICCHU, "The Lost City of the Incas," high above the valley and overlaid with dense tropical jungle. Your Local Guide will bring you closer to the lives and mysteries still hidden in these amazing structures, built by the pre-Columbian masters of this sacred land. (B,L,D)
Day 5: MACHU PICCHU - CUZCO
Enjoy the tranquility of the morning with free time to wander the ruins at your own pace and absorb the magic that is Machu Picchu. After lunch, return to Ollantaytambo by train and continue to Cuzco. (B,L)
Day 6: CUZCO
Learn more about the Incas and their struggle against the invading Spaniards, visiting the imposing CATHEDRAL and the SANTO DOMINGO MONASTERY on your guided tour. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant accompanied by ANDEAN FOLKLORIC MUSIC. (B,D)
Day 7: CUZCO - QUITO, ECUADOR
Fly to Quito, the capital of Ecuador and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. (B)
Day 8: QUITO
An included sightseeing tour showcases Quito's treasures: the historic stone murals of the LEGISLATIVE PALACE; Independence Plaza and the 16th-century SAN FRANCISCO MONASTERY; the Jesuit's LA COMPANIA CHURCH with its stunning golden altars; and the impressive paintings at the WORKSHOP AND MUSEUM of Oswaldo Guayasamin. Be sure to have your photo taken in front of the EQUATORIAL MONUMENT, "the centre of the world." (B)
Day 9: QUITO. EXCURSION TO COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK AND RIDE THE CHIVA EXPRESS
Today's adventure takes you into COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK at the foot of Cotopaxi Volcano. Inside the park, enjoy lunch at a local family's hacienda where your meal comes from the surrounding area - with fresh cheese from the farm, vegetables just picked from the garden, homemade desserts and natural seasonings. There will be time to horseback ride, bird watch or explore the surroundings on foot. Later, head to the station of Chasqui, where the "CHIVA EXPRESS," a colourful one-coach train, like a bus on tracks, is ready to depart. A highlight of the trip is to "ride the roof" and take in the panoramic views of the stunning Andean region of Ecuador. Up top in the open air you will enjoy the ever-changing scenery as you roll along the rails, passing local villages and country homes. (B,L)
Day 10: QUITO - BALTRA - GALAPAGOS ISLANDS (EMBARKATION)
A morning flight to Baltra, one of the remote Galapagos Islands. Upon arrival, board the sleek MV Santa Cruz and enjoy four days of CRUISING among various Galapagos Islands. Each day, travel ashore to the remote islands with your expert naturalist who introduces you to the unique fauna living free and fearless of man. Today, visit San Cristobal Island, where Charles Darwin first set foot in the Galapagos back in 1835. This island is home to seabirds like blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, herons and frigate birds. Also look for the Chatham (San Cristobal) Mockingbird and Chatham Lava Lizard - both species are endemic to this island and seen nowhere else in Galapagos. (B,L,D) Please note: The ship's itinerary may vary according to the Galapagos National Park policies and regulations, weather conditions and seasonal changes to create the perfect cross-section of sites visited.
Day 11: GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Your exploration continues on Espanola (Hood Island). Here, you will see unique sea bird colonies, including the waved albatrosses (April - December), Nazca and blue-footed boobies, Darwins's finches and the famous blowhole. Also, look for red-green-black marine iguanas and a rookery of sea lions right at the landing site. This afternoon, visit a brackish-water lagoon on Floreana where Greater Flamingos, pintail ducks, common stilt, herons and sandpipers may be observed. For marine enthusiasts this is a great place for snorkelling! (B,L,D)
Day 12: GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
This morning brings you to the youngest island, Fernandina. Having no introduced mammals, Fernandina has a very unique environment and the highest density of marine iguanas. Sharing their habitat are sea lions, Sally Lightfoot crabs and hawks. In the afternoon, enjoy coastal exploration along the cliffs of sunken Ecuador Volcano by panga, where our naturalist guides explain the dramatic geology of the area with remains of lava flows and tuff stone layers. This is the nesting place for flightless cormorants, the only birds in the world that have changed from flying birds to diving birds. Wildlife here includes sea lions, Galapagos penguins, blue-footed and Nazca boobies and noddy terns. (B,L,D)
Day 13: GALAPAGOS (DISEMBARKATION) - QUITO
Early this morning, visit the CHARLES DARWIN RESEARCH STATION, established to help conserve the Islands' natural habitat and protect the famous giant tortoises. Depart the Galapagos today for Quito. This evening, gather with your fellow travelling companions as your Tour Director hosts a special FAREWELL DINNER to celebrate an unforgettable experience. (B,D)
Day 14: QUITO
Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
|
This 15 day vacation begins in Quito a UNESCO world heritage site. Your six night cruise of the Galapagos Islands includes expert naturalists who will introduce you to the abundance of native wildlife, and a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station. This exceptional tour ends in Peru where you will experience the amazing "Lost City of the Incas" as you ascend to Machu Picchu overlooking the Sacred Valley. The holiday ends in Lima.
