Andes Galapagos Exploration

Upon arrival at Lima airport, a representative will meet you and assist with your transfer to the hotel. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore the city at your own pace. Lima is a vibrant capital of around 10 million people, blending modern life with a rich historical heritage. It is currently experiencing dynamic cultural and economic growth. Overnight in Lima.

After breakfast, we will collect you from your hotel at around 9 am to explore Limas historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site rich in colonial architecture. Our tour begins in the traditional Pueblo Libre district with a visit to the Larco Museum, housed in an elegant viceregal mansion built atop a seventh-century pre-Columbian pyramid. The museum features an extensive collection of pre-Hispanic gold and silver artefacts, including notable examples of erotic art. Next, we visit Casa Aliaga, a colonial-era mansion granted by Francisco Pizarro to Captain Jeronimo de Aliaga, and still owned by his descendants. We then continue with a scenic drive through Limas colonial downtown, stopping at the Main Square to admire the grand architecture of the Spanish Empire and the 16th-century Cathedral. The tour concludes with a return to your hotel at approximately 1 pm, leaving the afternoon free for you to explore at your leisure. Overnight in Lima.

After breakfast, we will transfer you to Lima airport for your flight to Cusco (flight not included). Please ensure your flight arrives no later than 10.30 am, as later arrivals may disrupt the days schedule. Upon arrival in Cusco, a representative will welcome you and escort you to your hotel. After a short rest, your local guide will collect you at 1 pm for a four-hour tour of the city, once the capital of the Inca Empire. We begin at the Santo Domingo Convent, built atop the Inca Coricancha Templean important site dedicated to sun worship, whose foundations remain visible. Next, visit the Cathedral, the dominant monument on the Main Square. Then, we head to the hills surrounding Cusco to explore the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, offering panoramic views of the city, followed by the temple and amphitheatre ruins of Qenqo, believed to have been used for agricultural rituals. Finally, we visit Puka Pukara (Red Fortress in Quechua), an Inca military complex featuring dwellings, baths, aqueducts, walls and towers still clearly visible. We return to your hotel around 5.30 pm for overnight in Cusco.

After breakfast, we leave Cusco to visit the town of Chinchero, a traditional Andean community perched high above the valley with stunning views. Here, the locals maintain their artisan traditions and Inca heritage, visible in their clothing and customs. You will explore archaeological remains and a seventeenth-century church, one of Perus earliest Catholic buildings. Next, we transfer to the Living Museum of Yucay, an Andean cultural centre where traditional crafts such as textile weaving, adobe construction, pottery, and silverwork are demonstrated using historic techniques. The museum is also home to llamas, sheep, and alpacas, which you can feed. From Yucay, we continue to Ollantaytambo, a town continuously inhabited since Inca times. Enjoy a meal featuring refined Andean cuisine at a local restaurant before visiting the impressive fortress built against the mountainside. After the visit, we transfer to your hotel in the Sacred Valley for overnight.

After breakfast, we travel by train from Ollanta station to Aguas Calientes, enjoying spectacular views of the Andes along the way. Upon arrival, we take a 25-minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu, the renowned lost city of the Incas. Believed to have been built around 1450 by Inca Pachactec as a royal retreat, this remarkable site was later abandoned following the Spanish conquest, which allowed it to remain largely intact beneath the jungle canopy. During a guided two-hour tour, we explore the main monuments and learn about the history and significance of this extraordinary citadel. After the visit, we return by bus to Aguas Calientes and then board the train back to Cusco, where you will spend the night.

After breakfast, we will transfer you to Cusco airport for your flight to Guayaquil (flight not included). Upon arrival in Ecuador, a representative will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure to relax or explore Guayaquil at your own pace. Overnight in Guayaquil.

After breakfast, we transfer you from your hotel in Guayaquil to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos Islands (Guayaquil Baltra flight not included). We recommend booking the earliest flight to maximise your time on the islands, as well as a later return flight to Guayaquil. Upon arrival at Baltra, after completing entry formalities, a representative will meet you and escort you to the port. A short 15-minute transfer brings you to the ferry crossing the Itabaca Channel to Santa Cruz Island, a 20-minute journey. Once on the island, we visit an ecological reserveeither Cerro Mesa or El Chatowhere you can observe giant tortoises in their natural habitat and learn about the local endemic flora. Afterwards, we head to Puerto Ayora to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, a centre dedicated to the study of the islands unique wildlife and conservation efforts. Finally, we transfer you to your hotel in Puerto Ayora for your overnight stay.

After breakfast, we transfer you to the pier to begin a full-day excursion by boat to one of the remarkable islands within the Galapagos archipelago. The exact destination will be confirmed shortly before your trip and may include Isabela, San Cristbal, Bartolom, Plazas, Seymour Norte or Santa Fe. This is a unique opportunity to experience the islands extraordinary biodiversity up close. During the outing, you will enjoy a light lunch on board. At the end of the day, we return you to your hotel in Puerto Ayora.Each island offers distinct highlights: Bartolom is renowned for Pinnacle Rock and its small colony of Galapagos penguins, with a rewarding climb to panoramic viewpoints over volcanic landscapes. Isabela features flamingo lagoons, a breeding centre, and Concha Perla Beach, ideal for swimming and snorkelling alongside sea lions, penguins and tropical fish. Plaza Sur is known for its unusual vegetation and abundant birdlife, including blue-footed boobies and red-billed tropicbirds. Santa Fe boasts a turquoise bay, sandy beaches with sea lions, and endemic land iguanas among towering prickly-pear cacti. Seymour Norte offers excellent birdwatching, especially for blue-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds during mating season. San Cristbal includes a boat excursion to nearby sites such as Lobos Island, Ochoa Beach or Kicker Rock, showcasing diverse marine and terrestrial wildlife.This day provides a memorable immersion in the natural wonders that have fascinated visitors for centuries.

After breakfast at the hotel, meet your guide at the dock (time to be confirmed in advance) to begin a tour of Santa Cruz Islands vibrant bay. Your first stop is Lobera, a small islet where you can swim alongside playful sea lions. The tour continues through Love Channel, Sharks Channel, The Cracks, and Los Perros Beach, offering excellent opportunities to spot sharks, blue-footed boobies, iguanas, rays and other wildlife. You will return to Puerto Ayora around 12.30 pm, leaving the afternoon free to relax or explore at your leisure. Overnight in Puerto Ayora.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the port on Santa Cruz Island to board a ferry crossing the Itabaca Channel. The journey takes around 20 minutes, after which you will be transferred to Baltra airport for your flight back to mainland Ecuador (flight not included).