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Machu Picchu and Galapagos Islands 11 days 10 nights

LIMA, CUSCO, MACHU PICCHU, QUITO, GALAPAGOS ISLANDGalapagos and Machu Picchu

Prices per person in USD:
Tourist Class Hotel 3stars US$ 4592
based on double occupancy

First Class Hotel 4stars US$ 5418
based on double occupancy

[message_box title="" color="red" show_close="Yes/No"]MACHU PICCHU AND GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 12 DAYS 11 NIGHTS 
MACHU PICCHU AND GALAPAGOS ISLANDS 15 DAYS 14 NIGHTS[/message_box]

* The costs can vary according to availability of flights

The booking must be make FIVE months before the trip.

Both prices included the flight tickets
Lima - Cusco / Cusco - Lima
Lima - Quito
Quito - Galapagos / Galapagos - Quito

Include:
- 2 nights at a Lima hotel, 3 nights at a Cusco hotel, 1 night at a Aguas Calientes hotel, 1 night at a Quito hotel and 3 nights on a cruise ship "Galapagos Legend".
- Vista Dome train: Cusco - Aguas Calientes / Aguas Calientes - Cusco

Itinerary Outline

Day 1: Arrival to Lima
Day 2: Lima City Tour
Day 3: Arrival to Cusco & Cusco City Tour
Day 4: Tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas
Day 5: Machu Picchu Tour
Day 6: Machu Picchu Tour
Day 7: Arrival to Quito
Day 8: Quito / Galapagos Cruise
Day 9: Galapagos Cruise
Day 10: Galapagos Cruise
Day 11: Galapagos Cruise / Transfer to Airport or Bus Station.
* Departures every Monday


ITINERARY

DAY 1: MONDAY - LIMA PICK UP

Upon arrival reception and transfer to the select hotel - overnight (no meals)

DAY 2: TUESDAY - LIMA CITY TOUR
This tour could start in the morning 9:30 am or 2:30 pm. You will be picked up from you hotel. This excursion offers the best combination of the differents attractions in Lima and its three historical periods: pre-hispanic, colonial and contemporary. In Lima, there were several different pre-columbian cultures which are dated thousands of years back. Lima was part of the Inca Empire until was founded by the spaniard Francisco Pizarro on the 18th. of January, 1535. During our guided tour we will travel along its millenary history.

ANCESTRAL LIMA. At the Huaca Pucllana, an archaeological precint build in the IV century A.C., we will have a panoramic view of this magnificent ceremonial and administrative centre which was considered by the Incas a holy village. We will learn about the life and rituals of its ancient inhabitants and admire its typical piramidal building, very characteristic of sacred pre-hispanic edifications which were adored in the coast of Perú.

COLONIAL LIMA. The peruvian Viceroyalty was the most important one in the Spanish Empire and Lima was its capital. The highlights of its historical centre are its architecture and the urban design of the city, found in thold streets filled with colonial houses adorned with moorish-style balconies. Our trip includes the Paseo de la Republica (Promenade of the Republic), Plaza San Martin(San Martin Square) and the Plaza Mayor (Main Square), with their different buildings: Palacio de Gobierno (Government Palace), Palacio Arzobispal the (Archibishop's Palace), the Basilica Catedral (Cathedral Basilica) and the Palacio Municipal (Municipal Palace). We will enter the monumental Convento de San Francisco (Convent of Saint Francis), which displays the biggest collection of religious art in America. We can admire the Choir Room and the Monks’ Library, the Sacristy, with its collection of Zurbaran and Rivera paintings. The Big Patio of the Main Cloister, decorated with sevillan tyles from the XVI century, its beautiful moorish arches and its subterranean crypts known as The Catacombs, where you will feel the presence of Lima's colonial past.

CONTEMPORARY LIMA Visit to the most traditional residential areas in the capital: The Olive Grove of San Isidro, Miraflores and Larco Mar, distinctive tourist centre of contemporary Lima.
After the tour transfer to you hotel. Overnight. breakfast included.

DAY 3: WEDNESDAY - LIMA / CUSCO
You will be picked up from your hotel and transfer to the airport for your flight to Cusco (airfare included) upon arrival reception and transfer to the select hotel, morning at leisure to acclimatize to the altitude. In the afternoon 1:00 pm you will be taken on a city tour and visit a local archaeological sites, the Cathedral, Koricancha, Sacsayhuaman and surroundings returning later afternoon 5:30 pm to your hotel around and enjoy the hospitality of the local people (breakfast included).

DAY 4: THURSDAY - SACRED VALLEY

After breakfast at 8:45am you will be taken through the Inca Sacred Valley where life has remained almost unchanged for 500 years. You will visit the impressive village of Pisac and the Indian market, enjoy the beautiful handicrafts on sale and wonder at the many ethnic tribal costumes worn, not just for tourists, but as part of their heritage by the local people. The tour also include the visit to Ollantaytambo fortress and the Chincheros Market Before returning to your hotel in Cusco late afternoon (around 6:30 pm) (breakfast and Lunch included)

DAY 5: FRIDAY - MACHU PICCHU 2days 1 night by train (See more about Machu Picchu)
Early morning 5:30 am and after breakfast, we'll depart to the train station to our journey to Machu Picchu on Vistadome Train. (4 hours) at 9:40 am you will arrive to the Aguas Calientes Town from where you will have to take 20 minutes bus to the Archaeological site; Once there where you will have a guided tour with an English speaking professional guide follow by some time at leisure, stay overnight in the area or town relax at the nearby hot springs (entrance not included) (breakfast and lunch included)

DAY 6: SATURDAY - MACHU PICCHU - CUSCO
Morning at leisure by your own, you can visit the ruins early next day when the full magnificence of the site reveals itself in all its majesty (entrance and bus fee for this day not included on the rate) return to Cuzco where you will arrive around 7:30 pm. (breakfast included)

DAY 7: SUNDAY - TRANSFER CUSCO - LIMA / LIMA - QUITO

Pick up from your hotel and transfer to the airport -

FLIGHT : Cusco - Lima
FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL : Lima to Quito (Ecuador)

QUITO PICK UP
Upon arrival in Quito, reception and transfer to the select Hotel
(Breakfast included) overnight

DAY 8: MONDAY - GALAPAGOS (BARTRA AIRPORT) (see more information about Galapagos Islands)
Departure from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra (2 and half flight). Passengers are picked up at the airport by our guides and taken to the pier to board the M/V Galapagos Legend.

North Seymour
Dry landing. Guests wil encounter swallow tailed gulls and sea lions. This site is a major nesting colony of blue footed boobies, and has the largest colony of the magnificent frigate bird. Travelers will also spot both the marine iguanas and land iguanas.

DAY 9: TUESDAY - SANTA CRUZ (DRAGON HILL)
Dry landing. Passengers walk to a saltwater lagoon behind the beach, where on occasion many pink flamingos can be observed. This trail leads up to Dragon Hill, which offers a lovely view of the bay. This is a nesting site for reintroduced land iguanas, and there is also a Holy Stick Forest.

Floreana (Cormorant Point)
Wet landing on a greenish colored sand beach. Visitors will hike from the black mangrove beds to a large, brackish lagoon, which holds one of the biggest flamingo populations in the Galapagos. This island features endemic plants such as Scalesia villosa, Galapagos daisies, white and black mangrove, and holy stick. Novice snorkelers can practice on the main beach with the playful sea lions. Please keep in mind this is an open-water activity; there is nothing to step on.

DAY 10: WEDNESDAY - ESPAÑOLA (SUAREZ POINT)
Dry landing. Visitors will learn more about the lava terrain and cross the inactive lava fields.
Besides the sea lion colonies, this is a very important site for bird watching. Various bird species such as the mockingbird of Española, Nazca booby and tropic bird can be spotted and observed from very close.

You will also see a large colony of marine iguanas, lava lizards, and rally light foot crabs.

After a short trek visitors encounter colonies of Nazca and blue-footed boobies. The nesting grounds sometimes overlap the trail. Visitors will also find Galapagos doves, hawks and swallow-tailed gulls and then reach the world’s largest colony of waved albatross.

A major highlight is their mating season, from May through December. You’ll visit the famous blowhole, where water shoots into the air about 23 m (75 ft).

San Cristóbal (Interpretation Center or La Galapaguera)
Dry landing at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Passengers will visit San Cristóbal breeding center and learn about the National Park’s breeding program with the giant tortoises.
Passengers will observe some animals in their natural environment.
Passengers will also have the opportunity to the visit the town and go shopping for souvenirs and arts and crafts.

DAY 11: THURSDAY - SANTA CRUZ (CARRIONT POINT)
Today, passengers can choose either a ride in an outboard motorboat to observe the Galapagos fur seal, seabirds and marine wildlife or go snorkeling to see a variety of tropical fish, manta rays or even harmless white-tipped reef sharks. Return to the Galapagos Legend. Check-out and transfer to the airport. Return flight to Quito or Guayaquil.

INCLUDE:
Private transfers, professional bilingual guide service, entrance fee, and meals as specify in the program.
include the flight tickets:
Lima - Cusco
Cusco - Lima
Lima - Quito
Quito - Galapagos
Galapagos - Quito

NOT INCLUDED:
International airfares, airport departure taxes or visa fees, excess baggage charges, extra expenses for flight cancellations, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages or bottled water, snacks, insurance of any kind, laundry, phone calls, reconfirmation of international flights and items of personal nature.

The Galapagos Island
The Galápagos Islands (Official name: Archipiélago de Colón; other Spanish names: Islas de Colón or Islas Galápagos, from galápago, "saddle"—after the shells of saddlebacked (Galápagos tortoises) are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator, 525 nautical miles (972 km/604 mi) west of continental Ecuador in the Pacific OceanCoordinates: 0°40′S, 90°33′W.

The Galápagos archipelago, with a population of around 40,000, is a province of Ecuador, a country in northwestern South America, and the islands are all part of Ecuador's national park system. The principal language on the islands is Spanish.

The islands are famed for their vast number of endemic species and the studies by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle that contributed to the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection

The archipelago has been known by many different names, including the "Enchanted Islands," because of the way in which the strong and swift currents made navigation difficult. The first crude navigation chart of the islands was done by the buccaneer Ambrose Cowley in 1684. He named the islands after some of his fellow pirates or after the English noblemen who helped the pirates' cause. More recently, the Ecuadorian government gave most of the islands Spanish names. While the Spanish names are official, many users (especially ecological researchers) continue to use the older English names, particularly as those were the names used when Charles Darwin visited.

The term "Galápagos" refers to the Spanish name given to the Giant Land Tortoises that inhabit the islands, and for which they are particularly known.

The adjective "Galápagan" may be used to describe things from or related to the islands.

 


 

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