DAY 1: Arrive in Lima

Fly to Lima Peru, arriving anytime (most flights arrive late evening), and rather than drive an hour into town only to return to the airport in the morning, overnight at the airport hotel so you can catch a morning flight to Cusco the next day. (Flights are not included, but can be arranged through our flight partners at Exito Travel.)

Lima Hotel: Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport Hotel or similar
Meals Included: None

DAY 2: Fly to Cusco; Transfer to Sacred Valley for Local Lunch & Pottery Making

Fly to Cusco. (Flights are not included, but can be arranged through our flight partners at Exito Travel.)

On arrival at Cusco airport your guide will meet and accompany you on the 90-minute transfer to the Sacred Valley hotel. It is recommended that your flight arrives by 10 a.m. You are sure to want to stop along the way for photos at the many fantastic viewpoints.

After checking into your hotel you head to a local restaurant for lunch. A visit to a local potter rounds off the day. You will have the chance to craft your own special souvenir under the watchful eye of master craftsmen.

Finally your guide will take you back to your hotel where you can rest for the night and enjoy the peace and quiet of this beautiful rural area.

Sacred Valley Hotel: Lizzy Wasi Hotel or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 3: Pachamancas, Stand-Up Paddle Boards, & Salt Pans

Today, you head to our watersports center on the shores of Lake Huaypo for some active options. Set amongst fields of corn with fantastic views across to the snow capped Vilcanota mountains, this is a relaxing rural setting and the perfect place to acclimatize and enjoy some fun on the water.

Choose between exploring the lake on our Stand Up Paddle boards or Sit On Top Kayaks. Once fully kitted up in wetsuits, booties and life jackets, your expert guide will give you a full instruction on these easy to use crafts before you head out through the reeds and onto the lake itself.

To paddle across lake Huaypo is a magical experience as you glide along enjoying spectacular views of the Andes mountains and the local farms and hopefully glimpse some of the birdlife that use Huaypo as a migration base including the rare Andean Flamingo. On the far side of the lake, we enjoy some snacks before heading back to our base in time for hot showers and lunch.

Lunch today is a Pachamanca pit roast. A Pachamanca is a traditional way of preparing food in the Andes. In the absence of a stove an oven is built out of stones, the stones are heated with a wood fire and once brought to a very high temperature.

The meat and vegetables are then carefully covered with the rocks. Herbs are then added and the whole mound is covered by wet sheets and finally a mound of earth. After 35 minutes the meal is ready and we have the pleasure of digging up our delicious potatoes, yams, corn, fava beans, and meat straight from the earth.

There’s time to relax in our hammocks and enjoy the stunning views before we say farewell to Huaypo and head to the spectacular Maras saltpans and Moray circular Inca ruins for a visit to these two iconic sites.

Finally we return to our hotel after a full day of fun, culture, fine dining and history.

Sacred Valley Hotel: Lizzy Wasi Hotel or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 4: Hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Today you will join the famous Inca Trail for the final portion to Machu Picchu.

You take an early train to start your hike along the Inca Trail. A few hours of climbing takes you to the beautiful Inca terraces of Wiñay Wayna where you enjoy a box lunch lovingly prepared for you by Alex our cook. A further gentle two hours, a final set of steps, you pass through the old Incan gateway, turn to your left and there it is: Machu Picchu unfolds before your eyes. Built over 500 years ago this is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. And rightly so. Words do not do it justice.

Tonight you spend the night in the town below, perhaps enjoy the medicinal waters of the hot springs, but above all dream about tomorrow and your chance to explore fully the ruins of Machu Picchu.

Aguas Calientes Hotel: El Mapi by Inkaterra or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 5: Machu Picchu: Stones, Sacrifices, & Spectacled Bears

A 20-minute bus ride takes you back to Machu Picchu. Arriving before the crowds your guide will show you around and explain just how the Incas managed to build with such precision and such beauty, on such a remote hilltop.

From altars used for human sacrifices, temples carved in the shape of condors through to stones used to tie the sun, this is a history lesson everyone will enjoy. If you are really lucky you may even see Paddington Bear.

After a fantastic day, in a fantastic place, you board the train to sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery on your journey to Cusco.

Cusco Hotel: Hotel Ananay Quinta San Blas or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast

DAY 6: Sacsayhuaman, Tunnels, & Chocolate Making

A leisurely day today, beginning after breakfast with a 15-minute drive to the old Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman. Standing guard above Cusco, the huge ramparts boast stones up to 28 feet high weighing 140 tonnes. How the Incas moved them into place remains one of the world’s great mysteries.

After climbing to the top of the ramparts for a spectacular view of Cusco, it is time to play. Sacsayhuaman boasts an impressive system of tunnels just waiting for you to explore. Finally a 20-minute walk takes you back down to Cusco where you are free to relax and enjoy some lunch.

Late afternoon is chocolate time. You probably know you like it, but do you know how it is made? Your hosts will explain where it comes from and the story behind this most popular of foods before helping you make your very own bar of Peruvian chocolate. It’s the perfect gift to take home for a loved one. That is, if you don’t eat it first.

Cusco Hotel: Hotel Ananay Quinta San Blas or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast

DAY 7: Depart Cusco & Travel to Guayaquil, Ecuador

In the morning you are free to wander around Cusco, explore the cobbled side streets of the San Blas artist district or stare in awe at the Inca treasures in the many museums. We will take you to the airport to fly to Lima and then on to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Upon arrival in Guayaquil, you will be picked up by the hotel shuttle and taken to the hotel. (Flights are not included, but can be arranged through our flight partners at Exito Travel.)

Guayaquil Hotel: Hotel Oro Verde or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast

DAY 8: Fly to Galapagos. San Cristobal Kayak Adventure

After a morning flight from the Ecuadorian mainland to San Cristobal Island, we meet you at the airport and head to our hotel. (Flights are not included, but can be arranged through our flight partners at Exito Travel.) We’ve included a little down time to unwind from your morning travels. You can explore the town and have lunch on your own.

Early in the afternoon, our local guide gives you a quick introduction to the island before heading to the coast, where our kayaks will be waiting for us. Here we get our first taste of Galapagos magic, paddling along the coastal bays and coves of San Cristobal.

You’ll find a world of blue footed boobies, frigate birds, sea lions and sea turtles. If we’re lucky, we may see rays underwater or even marine iguanas perching on lava rocks. Back at the hotel, you’re free to enjoy some of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno’s seafood specials on your own.

Overnight: Casa Opuntia or similar.
Meals Included: Breakfast

DAY 9: Snorkel the Northern Coast of San Cristobal

We dedicate a whole day to snorkeling amid the underwater wonders of the Galapagos! In the company of our experienced local guide but as part of a shared group, we search the nearby coves and cliffs for sea turtles, frigate birds, blue- footed boobies, and Nazca boobies. There’s also the chance to get up close and personal with sea lions –  the young pups are ever-curious and playful.  As we snorkel, we might spot eagle rays, golden rays, Galapagos sharks, starfish, clams, and thousands of tropical fish. With luck, we may even come across hammerhead sharks.  As the sun sets on our day and over the rolling waves, we return to the hotel for a relaxed evening in this quiet coastal town.

Overnight: Casa Opuntia or similar.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Boxed Lunch

DAY 10: Discover Isabela’s Beaches, Lagoons and Islets

After breakfast, we say goodbye to San Cristobal to board our small plane for a thrilling flight across the archipelago’s azure waters and volcanic landscapes to Isabela Island.

Wonder what the inter-island flight is like? Check out a short video here – http://detourdestinations.com/blog/inter-island-flights-in-the-galapagos

Amazingly, Isabela Island is still in the throes of creation, formed by six active shield volcanoes. In fact, Isabela is one of the most volcanically active spots on the planet. Upon arrival, our local guide will meet us and we head to the visitor site known as Tintoreras, to explore this beautiful marine world by kayak, weaving between a set of small islets filled with hidden coves and beaches.  Here, we have a good chance to meet an unexpected resident of the Tropics: the endemic Galapagos penguin. In addition, it’s likely to spot reef sharks, sea turtles and sea lions as we paddle.

Lunch on your own. You can choose from seafood, Ecuadorian or international cuisine in the small beach town of Puerto Villamil.

Enjoy a quick dip in the ocean or a swing in a hammock, before we meet for a quick briefing you on your next adventure: a self-guided bike ride through a succession of Isabela’s white sand beaches, mangrove forests and brackish lagoons. The ride is fun and easy, and as ever in Galapagos, there are plenty of birds to spot and wonders to take in. Free and easy evening.

Overnight: Casita de la Playa or similar.
Meals Included: Breakfast

DAY 11: Hike Isabela’s Highlands

From the coast, with our local guide we join a shared group to drive up the flanks of the mighty Sierra Negra volcano. When the road peters out, we continue by foot. We hike through the intriguing highland ecosystem, which is at times smothered in dreamy clouds. At the top, on the volcano’s rim, a surreal world of geological history unfolds before us, with incredible views of the surrounding volcanoes and ocean, it is a pristine other-worldly scene to savor.

After a break to catch our breath and take in the views, we hike the rim of this enormous crater and, if the group is feeling energetic, continue on to the caldera of Volcan Chico (“little”). Volcan Chino offers a a surreal landscape of vibrant hues created by Sulphur deposits. While passing steaming fumaroles, we’ll explore the spectacular lava formations.

We return to the lowlands in time to spend our last afternoon on Isabela relaxing on the talc-powered beaches and soaking up the island-life atmosphere. You are free to have dinner on your own.

Overnight: Casita de la Playa or similar.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Boxed Lunch

DAY 12: Cross to Santa Cruz for a Hike in the Highlands

We depart Isabela early aboard a public speed boat for our ride east to Santa Cruz Island and the archipelago’s largest settlement, Puerto Ayora. We meet you at the dock and head to the hotel. There’s no time to waste as the famous Galapagos giant tortoises await. We drive up to the highlands where these lumbering creatures heave their way through their natural habitat. It is truly an honor to walk in the stately presence of these gentle giants. Spot pintail ducks, Darwin’s finches, frigate birds, egrets and the vermillion flycatcher amid this lush ecosystem.

Our next stop is the incredible lava tunnels, which made ideal hideouts for the pirates who once frequented the Galapagos. Legend has it that they were also used to hide Inca gold stolen from Spanish galleons. Lunch is served at a traditional hacienda in the highlands. If time permits, we can visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and the National Park’s tortoise breeding program back in Puerto Ayora. You’re free to enjoy the port’s array of shops, restaurants and bars in the evening on your own.

Overnight: Hotel Mainao or similar.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 13: Bay Tour, Snorkel and Tortuga Bay Adventure on Santa Cruz

A day dedicated to exploring Puerto Ayora’s fascinating natural environment. After breakfast, with our local guide, we join a shared group to make our way west from the port, stopping by the Lobería where sea lions can be observed. We come to an islet called Punta Camaño, a great place to don our snorkels, masks and fins to meet sea lions and schools of fish.

Passing through the romantically-named Canal del Amor, we disembark at Playa de los Perros, where, after a short walk, groups of jet-back marine iguanas bask beneath the sun’s rays, occasionally slipping off into the sea to feed.

Following lunch in Puerto Ayora on your own – where there are options aplenty for you to choose from – one of the world’s most beautiful beaches lies a short hike from town: Tortuga Bay. If you feel energetic, at the first beach you come to you can rent a surf board, or at the second beach, a kayak. If you prefer to relax, the second beach is tranquil, hemmed by mangroves and ideal for observing birdlife or going for a swim. Dinner is on your own.

Overnight: Hotel Mainao or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast

DAY 14: Depart Galapagos to Mainland Ecuador for Your Flight Home

Accommodation: None
Meals Included: Breakfast