8-Day Complete Machu Picchu & Galapagos

Itinerary

• DAY 1 ARRIVAL TO CUSCO
  

  Today you will arrive at Cusco Airport. There are a couple of connecting flights to get to Cusco from the airport in Lima. You will need to arrange your flight to get to Cusco. Upon your arrival, your Machu Picchu and Galapagos tour will start and you will have a private transfer from the airport to your hotel. Please be aware of the sign with your name on it. You will drive with your guide to the nearby ruins of Cusco, such as Sacsayhuaman Fortress with its immense walls of temples made up of huge stones distributed in a zigzag pattern, the red Fort Puca Pucara, Qenko Amphitheatre and Tambomachay, the Inca baths. After an impressive walk around the area, you will turn back to the hotel.

  • Activity:Hiking. Sightseeing.
  • Transport:Car.
  • Accommodation:Antigua Casona San Blas or similar.
• DAY 2 CUSCO – SACRED VALLEY – OLLANTAYTAMBO – AGUAS CALIENTES
  

  The Sacred Valley was a key area of settlement for the Incas. Its agreeable climate and fertile plains make a rare and fruitful combination for the high Andes. The visit includes Pisac Indian Market which attracts people from remote communities, dressed in colorful, traditional attire. In the afternoon, you will visit the Ollantaytambo Ruins. One of its best-preserved areas, known as Hanan Hucaypata, lies north of the main square. After lunch, you will begin your journey by train enjoying panoramic windows. You will be delighted by the incredible landscapes along the route to Machu Picchu. In the evening you will have dinner (drinks not included).

  • Activity:Exploring. Sightseeing.
  • Transport:Car. Train.
  • Meal:Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner.
  • Accommodation:El Mapi Hotel or similar.
• DAY 3 MACHU PICCHU – OLLANTAYTAMBO – CUSCO
  

  You will start the day by walking to the bus station to take your bus to Machu Picchu. Here, you will have your shared transfer from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu, and vice versa. Machu Picchu is considered one of the most extraordinary examples of landscape architecture in the world. Located in an enclave of a mountain overlooking the canyon of the Urubamba River, in an area of lush tropical forest, it served as a place of worship and a site for star-gazing. In 2007, Machu Picchu was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. In the afternoon, you will take the Executive Train from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo, and then private transport to Cusco with a guide.

  • Activity:Exploring. Sightseeing.
  • Transport:Bus. Car. Train.
  • Meal:Breakfast.
  • Accommodation:Antigua Casona San Blas or similar.
• DAY 4 CUSCO – GUAYAQUIL
  

  Today you will have your transfer to the airport of Cusco from where you will fly to Guayaquil. Upon arrival in Guayaquil, you will be picked up by the hotel shuttle. Depending on the flight times, you will have a city tour by night in Guayaquil (about 3 hours).

  • Activity:Sightseeing.
  • Transport:Car.
  • Meal:Breakfast.
  • Accommodation:Wyndham Hotel Guayaquil or similar.
• DAY 5 TRANSFER IN – TWINS – HIGHLANDS
  

  At Baltra Airport, the guide will pick you up and will take you to the highlands of Santa Cruz. First, you make a stop at the Twin Craters. The Twin Craters known in Spanish as “Los Gemelos”, are located opposite each to other. You will have lunch in the highlands (if your arrival is before 02:00 PM). This includes a visit to the famous Lava tunnels. Rancho Primicias is located on the top of the island of Santa Cruz. This is a humid tropical forest and offers varied landscapes. Its major tourist attraction is the tortoises that migrate from the park to this property at certain times of the year. Afterward, you will be brought to Puerto Ayora.

  • Activity:Sightseeing. Wildlife Watching.
  • Transport:Boat. Bus. Car.
  • Meal:Breakfast. Lunch.
  • Accommodation:Hotel Fiesta or similar
• DAY 6 BARTOLOME - FLOREANA - NORTH SEYMOUR
  

  Today you will visit an uninhabited island by boat. It will either be Floreana, Bartolome, or North Seymour. You can tell us your preference and we try to get you to that island. Unfortunately, due to availability, we cannot guarantee the island. You will navigate for about 30 min up to 2,5 hours to get to the island. You will have a short hike to get to know the land species and afterwards, you will go snorkeling. Around 04:00 PM you will be back in the village and you might have time to visit the Charles Darwin Station by yourself.  

  • Activity:Hiking. Snorkeling. Wildlife Watching.
  • Transport:Boat. Car.
  • Meal:Breakfast. Box Lunch.
  • Accommodation:Hotel Fiesta or similar
• DAY 7 SAN CRISTOBAL – LA LOBERIA SELF-GUIDED – ISLA LOBOS
  

  At 07:00 AM you take the public speedboat to San Cristobal. Here you’ll be picked up and the driver will take you to your hotel. The rest of the morning is free, and you can visit La Loberia Beach on your own. At 01:00 PM you will go to Isla Lobos where you will have a high chance to see blue-footed boobies and a big Galapagos sea lion colony. The boat ride takes about 20 min and upon arrival, you will have a snack / basic local lunch. Afterward, you have a hike of about 1,5 hours before you go snorkeling.

  • Activity:Hiking. Snorkeling. Wildlife Watching.
  • Transport:Boat. Car.
  • Meal:Breakfast. Snack.
  • Accommodation:Hotel Casa Opuntia or similar.
• DAY 8 TRANSFER OUT
  

  This is the last day of your Machu Picchu and Galapagos tour. After breakfast, you will have a drop-off at San Cristobal Airport (just 5 min). In the morning you usually have time to enjoy a bit more of the sea lions at Playa Mann or you can go to the interpretation center by yourself. The tour will end upon arrival at the airport where you will depart to Quito or Guayaquil.

  • Activity:Relaxing.
  • Transport:Car.
  • Meal:Breakfast.