18 Days Premium Experience Peru & Ecuador – Machu Picchu & the Galapagos Islands

Premium Experience Peru & Ecuador – Machu Picchu & the Galapagos Islands

18 Days/ 17 Nights

Tour Includes:

17 nights in 5-star hotels, lodges, and luxury cruise cabins
Daily breakfast, select lunches, and gourmet dinners
All domestic flights and private airport transfers
Guided city tours in Lima, Cusco, Quito, and Guayaquil
Visits to Pisac Market, Awanacancha, Maras, Moray & Ollantaytambo
Round-trip luxury train journey aboard the Belmond Hiram Bingham
Two visits to Machu Picchu with entrance fees
Exclusive Galapagos cruise aboard M/C Petrel (full board & excursions)
Luxury stay at Pikaia Lodge with yacht excursions and island tours
Wildlife encounters: sea lions, blue-footed boobies, iguanas & turtles
All entrance fees, permits, and national park contributions
English-speaking expert guides throughout
24-hour local assistance and on-call concierge service

Premium Experience Peru & Ecuador – Machu Picchu & the Galapagos Islands

18 Days/ 17 Nights

Itinerary:

Day 01 – Lima

On arrival you will be met and taken to your hotel, the luxurious JW Marriott with beautiful view to the Pacific coast.

Day 02 – Lima

Today explore the historical centre of Lima, visit the glorious home of family Aliaga and enjoy a welcome cocktail in one of the oldest houses on the mainland, built in 1535. Wrap up the evening with dining at Restaurant Central, Latin America’s No. 1 restaurant, offering an exploration of the country’s biodiversity.

Day 03 – Lima – Cusco – Sacred Valley

Transfer to the airport and flight to Cusco. Welcome and private transfer to the Sacred Valley. Visit the traditional indigenous market of Pisac and the weaving centre of Awanacancha to keep alive the traditional textile arts. Overnight at Belmond Hotel Rio Sagrado, a tranquil and luxurious hideaway in the Sacred Valley.

Day 04 – Sacred Valley

Spend the morning exploring the salt mines of Maras, the agricultural terraces of Moray and Ollantaytambo, the last stand of the Incas in their defense against the Spanish conquerors. Afternoon at leisure to enjoy the facilities of your hotel.

Day 05 – Sacred Valley – Machu Picchu

Take the most exclusive Belmond Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu. Visit the famous Inca Citadel upon arrival. Tea time, dinner, and overnight at the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge, an inviting retreat adjacent to Machu Picchu.

Day 06 – Machu Picchu – Cusco

Rise early to see the sun rise over Machu Picchu (second visit without guide). After lunch, the Hiram Bingham will take you back to Cusco. Spend the night at the beautiful Belmond Palacio Nazarenas, located in a restored convent.

Day 07 – Cusco – Lima

Enjoy a walking tour of Cusco and take in the colonial and Inca sites of this cultural mélange. Then explore the Coricancha temple as well as the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, one of the best examples of Inca construction techniques. Return flight to Lima. Conclude the evening with a cocktail at a modern Pisco-bar in Barranco.

Day 08 – Lima – Quito

Transfer to the airport and flight to Quito in Ecuador. On arrival you will be met and taken to your hotel, the sophisticated Casa Gangotena, once a family mansion, located right in the colonial heart of Quito. Dine at a restaurant with a fantastic view over Quito.

Day 09 – Quito

Take a tour of Quito’s lovely sights including La Compañia and San Francisco church. Enjoy fine views on the city, its surrounding volcanoes and the Equatorial Monument “Middle of the World”. Take your lunch at a local restaurant, overlooking the only inhabited volcanic crater of Ecuador.

Day 10 – Quito – Galapagos Islands

Transfer to the airport and flight to Galapagos. The bewitched islands are definitely the highlight of each journey to Ecuador! On arrival you will be met and taken to the port of Santa Cruz to embark on first-class motorized catamaran M/C Petrel for an unforgettable luxurious cruise through the archipelago in elegant cabins with private balcony, full board, and excursions.

Day 11–13 – Galapagos Islands

Spend your days boating and exploring the archipelago, walk through colonies of nesting frigate birds, step around basking sea lions, watch blue-footed boobies perform courtship dances, and snorkel with sharks, sea lions, and moray eels.

Day 14 – Galapagos Islands

Disembark at Santa Cruz Island to reach your next luxurious hideaway on top of two extinct volcanic craters, the sustainable Pikaia Lodge. The beautiful rooms with panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows offer fantastic views, an ideal place to relax. Sunset welcome drink followed by dinner at Evolution Restaurant with Peruvian and Ecuadorian cuisine.

Day 15–16 – Galapagos Islands

Choose from an excursion menu to visit Santa Cruz Island, explore the islands of South Plaza and Santa Fé on board the exclusive yacht Pikaia I, or relax and enjoy your days at the lodge independently. Lunch and dinner will be served at the restaurant of the lodge.

Day 17 – Galapagos Islands – Guayaquil

Transfer to the airport and flight to Guayaquil. On arrival you will be met and taken to Hotel del Parque, Guayaquil’s first luxury Boutique Hotel, a lovingly restored 19th-century estate in the heart of the city. Take a tour of the city’s most famous sights and round off your journey with a farewell seafood dinner.

Day 18 – Guayaquil

Transfer to the airport for individual homebound flight.