DAY 1: Arrive in Lima

Fly home to Lima arriving any time. Flights are not included (these can be booked on your own, or through our flight partners Exito Travel; for a quote, please let us know your home airport). You walk a very short distance from the arrivals terminal to your hotel. If your international arrival flight arrives early in the morning on Day 2 and you don’t need a hotel, just let us know and we can take this out.

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

DAY 2: Arrive in Cusco & Local’s Tour of Cusco

Walk to the domestic departures terminal, and fly Lima to Cusco. You will want to arrive any time before noon this day. Flights are not included. They can be booked on your own, or through our flight partners Exito Travel.

Welcome to Cusco- touch down, collect your luggage and meet your guide, then drive twenty minutes through the colourful South American streets to your hotel.

Meet in the Coffee Museum at 1pm to enjoy a tasty lunch and learn about the story and people behind this popular drink.

After lunch step out into the Cusco streets and explore with one of our carefully chosen guides. They are not only very knowledgeable but also great fun to be with. You do not want to cram too much in on your first day at altitude, so relax and get used to being up high with a gentle walk around this old Inca capital.

Visit the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral and the Qoricancha temple of the sun and perhaps take in the sights, sounds and smells of San Pedro food market too. If you normally shop in supermarkets and farmers markets, you are in for a surprise. Stands full of juicy exotic fruits, counters heaving with cow heads and sheep hooves and cheerful local women selling handmade cheeses, local breads, healthy juices and even toad soup.

The evening is free to relax and wander around the UNESCO World Heritage Site city center.

Cusco Hotel: Quinta San Blas or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 3: Cusco Ruins Hike

Today you stretch your legs with a delightful hike in the hills above Cusco. First you visit the impressive site of Sacsayhuaman. Huge stone ramparts surround a beautiful grass amphitheater.

Once the scene of fierce battles it now hosts the annual re-enactment of traditional Inca ceremonies such as Inti Raymi and Warachikuy. Sundays also see families from Cusco head up here to play, fly kites and dig the traditional huatias, a method of cooking potatoes in the ground.

Next is the Inca water temple of Tambo Machay lying at 3700m (12,000 feet) followed by a special picnic lunch. A trail through the fields leads you to the intricately carved Inca Temple of the Moon. From here a beautifully preserved section of royal Inca Trail leads you down into the old San Blas district, home to the city’s artists and finally into the Plaza de Armas.

Hiking distance: 8km / 5mi
Hiking time: A full day includes time to explore
Hiking Elevation: 3750 to 3300m / 12,303ft to 10,827ft

Cusco Hotel: Quinta San Blas or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 4: Moray to Maras Salt Pans Hike

Leaving Cusco behind you start your journey towards Machu Picchu. The hike starts at the fascinating circular ruins of Moray. While some think it was a landing pad for alien spaceships, most agree the Incas built this as an experimental agricultural centre.

Concentric circular terraces allowed them to simulate different facing slopes and different growing temperatures to see which crops would grow where. They then used this knowledge to cultivate the varied terrain of their vast empire providing abundant amounts of food to feed the people.

After exploring Moray you take a mainly downhill trail through the fields. Depending on the time of year, you may have a chance to stop and chat with local farmers digging their fields of corn or planting potatoes. Perhaps you could have a go with the hand tools that have been used for centuries.

Along the way you stop for a for a homemade picnic with marvelous views across to the snow capped Villcanota mountains before carrying on down to the spectacular salt pans of Maras. Here you can stop and watch as local families extract the salt by hand, much as they have done for centuries.

You could even buy some of the famous Maras Pink Salt as a souvenir. Finally you take the old track down to the Sacred Valley, where once llamas, then horses carried out the salt to be sent across the empire.

Your support vehicle is on hand most of the day, should anyone prefer to take a ride rather than walk at any point.

Hiking distance: 11km / 7mi
Hiking time: 6 hours includes time to explore
Hiking Elevation: 3532 m to 4050m / 11,588ft to 13,288ft

Ollantaytambo Hotel: Hotel Pakaritampu or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 5: Hike the Royal Inca Trail (km 104) to Machu Picchu

You start the day with an early transfer to catch the train towards Machu Picchu. Jumping off at km104 you pass through the control point and begin your Inca Trail trek.

First you visit the recently restored ruins of Chachabamba before gradually ascending through tropical cloud forest up towards the the base of Wiñay Wayna. Here you climb more steeply on old Inca stairways through these beautiful terraces, stopping to explore the various buildings and water features.

Here we can enjoy our packed lunch, with a great view. You then continue on perhaps the loveliest part of the whole Inca Trail. Lush vegetation flanks you on either side, the scent of wild orchids fills the air, and all around you brightly coloured tropical songbirds fill your ears with song.

Soon you will reach a final set of stairs to arrive at Inti Punku, the gateway of the Sun. As you step through the old stone gate-way, Machu Picchu appears laid out before your eyes. After plenty of photos you carry on past this wonder of the world to catch the bus down to the lively town of Machu Picchu Pueblo and a well-deserved hotel and shower.

While walking all you need is your daypack, as your over-night luggage will be transferred to your hotel in Machu Picchu town to await your arrival.

Hiking distance: 12km / 7.5mi
Hiking time: 8 hours
Hiking Elevation: 2100m to 2700m / 6,889ft to 8,858ft

Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) Hotel: El MaPi by Inkaterra or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 6: Machu Picchu Ruins & Return to Cusco

Today you explore the pinnacle of Inca engineering – Machu Picchu.

For years it was lost to the jungle. Rediscovered in 1911 by the Yale professor Hiram Bingham, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, Machu Picchu exceeds all expectations.

This astounding site lies in an even more astonishing location. Perched high on an inaccessible hilltop it is protected by huge cliffs and the raging Urubamba river. Things are slightly easier now than in the time of the Incas and so you start your day with a twenty minute bus ride up to the site.

You will arrive early, allowing you to explore the ruins in the company of your guide, before they get too busy. The guided tour takes around two hours leaving you a few hours free to wander amongst the old Inca walls and just sit and take in the scale of the place on your own.

For those who want to walk a bit more, you could take the hour long trail up to the Sun Gate, or a shorter trail to visit the Inca Bridge which once spanned a sheer cliff face.

Eventually the time comes to catch the bus down to Machu Picchu Pueblo and board your train back along the Urubamba River. The scenery is beautiful and the train jolts softly along, allowing you to sit, stare out the window and reflect on a wonderful week.

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

DAY 7: Depart Cusco & Travel to Guayaquil, Ecuador

You will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the Cusco Airport in time for your flight. Fly Cusco – Lima – Guayaquil, Ecuador. Flights are not included. They can be booked on your own, or through our flight partners Exito Travel. Upon arrival in Guayaquil, you will be met at the airport and taken to your hotel. You have the rest of the day to explore on your own.

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

DAY 8: Arrive in Galapagos & Santa Cruz Island: Highlands & Charles Darwin Research Station

In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the Guayaquil Airport in time for your flight. Fly Guayaquil to San Cristobal Airport in the Galapagos Islands. Roundtrip Galapagos flights are not included in the trip price, but they must be booked through your cruise operator. When you receive a trip quote, you will find a line item for the additional cost of the roundtrip flights.

Upon arrival in the Galapagos, you will be picked at the airport by a guide and transferred to your first excursion.

Once on Santa Cruz, another vehicle will be waiting for you to take you for a tour in the highlands looking for giant tortoises in the wild. Water and box lunch will be available at one of these private properties before heading down to the town of Puerto Ayora for a visit of the Charles Darwin Scientific Research Station.

The Charles Darwin research station is located in the town of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, a 10-minute walk from the center of town. At the Charles Darwin Research Station you’ll learn first-hand of the conservation and research efforts in the Galapagos islands.

You will see the tortoise hatchlings and breeding programs which are saving several races of tortoises from extinction. The Charles Darwin Research Station conducts and facilitates research in the Galapagos Islands and the Galapagos Marine Resources Reserve of Ecuador.

The Darwin Station is part of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands, an international non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research in the Galapagos Islands since 1959.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 9: South Plaza Island & Santa Fe Island

Santa Fe: Santa Fe has one of the most beautiful coves of all the visitor sites in the region, a turquoise lagoon protected by a peninsula of rocks and small islands that extends from the shore. The Santa Fe species of iguana are a brighter yellow color and have uncommonly large spikes on their spine.

The opuntia cactus, a favorite food of the land iguana, grows unusually tall here, up to 33 feet high and are the largest of their kind in Galapagos. Manta rays and sea turtles may be seen against the sandy bottom of Santa Fe’s beautiful anchorage. Today you will have a few opportunities to snorkel, hopefully swimming with sea lions and colorful fish.

South Plaza: You will visit South Plaza Island in the afternoon with your guide. The Plaza islands are situated off the east coast of Santa Cruz. You will alight at South Plaza via a dry landing. The island has one of the largest populations of land iguanas in the archipelago and can be observed feeding on the prickly pear cactus.

There are also iguanas that are a cross between the marine and land varieties. Along the sea cliffs frigate birds, shearwaters, brown pelicans and masked boobies may be seen. You may snorkel from the beach where turtles, sharks and other fish are found.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 10: San Cristobal Island: Cerro Brujo & El Junco Lake

Located on the western side of San Cristobal, Cerro Brujo is a beautiful white sand beach with turquoise water where blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans, sea lions, and marine iguanas are all found. This is a true wildlife highlight on San Cristobal.

Above the beach, you’ll see a very striking volcanic cone and you’ll see the volcanic rock formations all around. This was actually one of the first stops Charles Darwin made in the Galapagos during his famous journey. Your guide will explain the fascinating history and wildlife of this area while walking.

El Junco Lake is a huge fresh water lagoon and the only fresh-water reservoir in the Galapagos. This site is reached by road and is about a half hour drive from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the major town of San Cristobal. The lake is the caldera (collapsed cone) of an extinct volcano and is about 300 meters wide.

The name El Junco is Spanish for sedge, which is present along the banks of the lake. The ecosystem at El Junco is strikingly different from what you saw earlier in the day at Cerro Brujo and the focus here is discovering the various fauna.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 11: Española Island: Gardner Bay & Punta Suarez

Española Island (or Hood Island) is a true highlight in the Galapagos, both above and below the water. Due to its remote location, there are a large number of endemic species that evolved independently from the rest of the archipelago.

Gardner Bay is a spectacular, long, white-sand beach where one can swim with sea lions and wander at your own pace. Your guide will lead you while snorkeling, pointing out wildlife like green sea turtles, manta rays, white-tipped reef sharks, and tropical fish.

Afterwards, you will visit Punta Suarez. This site offers quite a display of wildlife: marine iguanas with copper red patches, swallow-tailed gulls, the endemic long-billed mocking bird, finches, masked and blue-footed boobies, oystercatchers, sea lions, and lava lizards.

This is the only island where the waved albatross is to be seen during their breeding season. From April through December, the fascinating waved albatrosses are found on the Island performing mating rituals, nesting, and raising their young.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 12: Floreana Island: Punta Cormorant, Post Office Bay, & Devil’s Crown

Floreana Island is famous for its colorful history of pirates, whalers, and fascinating early settlers. There is also some unique wildlife to be seen here as well as outstanding snorkeling at nearby Devil’s crown. The visit to Punta Cormorant takes you to two very different beaches.

You begin on a green sand beach and take a trail leading to a lagoon where you can spot pink flamingoes and other shore birds. Along the way, you may also see large-billed flycatchers, small-ground finch, medium-ground finch or cactus finch. You continue until you reach a fine, white-sand beach known as “Flour Beach.” Just off shore, you will likely observe ghost crabs and rays gliding in the shallow water.

Later, you will visit Post Office Bay where you can participate in a tradition started by whaling ships in 1793. The Galapagos Islands was a highly used stop for whaling ships in those days and Post Office Bay became a way for sailors to receive and send messages home.

At the post barrel the guide will pull a hand full of letters for the group. Continuing the tradition, the letters are brought home with the traveler and then mailed to the addressee. Visitors also have the opportunity to send letters of their own. You finish the day with snorkeling at Devil´s Crown, a submerged volcanic cone.

This site is considered some of the best snorkeling in the entire Galapagos and although the current can be strong, this will be to your advantage as you snorkel from the zodiac back to the Cachalote. While snorkeling, you’re like to see large schools of fish, playful sea lions, tiger snake eels, white-tipped sharks, eagle rays, amberjacks, wrasses, hammerhead sharks, and sea turtles.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 13: Santa Cruz Island: Cerro Dragon & Santiago Island: Sullivan Bay

The north shore of Santa Cruz hosts Cerro Dragon (Dragon Hill). A dinghy ride among mangrove-lined islets allows the observation of the dramatic landscape and coastline, an area of amazing past volcanic activity. While exploring the nearby waters, various types of birds can be seen, such as boobies, frigates, and pelicans.

Quite commonly, the black lava will reveal the presence of marine iguanas. The navigation in shallow turquoise-colored water gives the chance to see marine turtles, rays and sharks. Make a dry landing for a walk that includes a brackish water lagoon frequented by greater flamingos, common stilts, pintail ducks and a variety of shore and lagoon birds.

Further along the trail, head to Dragon Hill, which offers a beautiful view of the bay and the western area of the archipelago. This area is a natural nesting site of a large number of land iguanas, which is constantly monitored and assisted by the Charles Darwin Research Station.

The arid-zone vegetation can be a rewarding location for bird watching, where Darwin’s finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, the endemic Galapagos flycatcher, and yellow warblers are regular sightings.

In the afternoon, you will travel to nearby Santiago Island to visit Sullivan Bay. The Sullivan Bay lava field shows a variety of interesting patterns, the shapes and textures of trees, which once existed there and hornitos caused when pockets of gas or water trapped under the lava exploded.

In the 100 years since the last major lava flow little in the way of fauna has returned except the lava cactus so the landscape is bizarre and fascinating. The walk with your guide is about 1.5 hours and you will have plenty of opportunities to take photos of this strange island and the birdlife you’re likely to encounter.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 14: Genovesa (Tower) Island: Darwin Bay & Price Philip’s Steps

Genovesa Island is known for its outstanding birdlife, even if you’re not a bird enthusiast, you will likely be delighted by the large colonies of red-footed boobies, masked boobies, frigate birds, and storm petrels. Also, since the Island is only visited by cruises, it’s usually fairly uncrowded.

Darwin Bay was created by the collapse of a huge, underwater crater — this also explains the horseshoe shape of Genovesa Island. You first land on a white coral beach where you will immediately spot several birds on land and soaring overhead.

Great frigate birds display their inflated, bright red neck pouches to attract passing females; Nazca and blue-footed boobies tend to their nests on the ground below; and mockingbirds sprint across the sand. Nearby tidal pools in the volcanic rock are places for wandering tattlers, lava gulls, whimbrels and turnstones to hunt for seafood.

On this walk, you’re also likely to see the sharp-beaked finch, large cactus finches, large ground finches, Galapagos doves and swallow-tailed gulls. At the end the trail you reach a cliff’s edge where you can enjoy an amazing view of the Island and ocean beyond. After this walk, you can enjoy swimming or snorkeling in the natural harbor.

In the afternoon, you visit Prince Philip’s Steps, the only other visitor site on Genovesa. The visit begins with a view of the rocky shore where many birds nest and raise their young.

On the trail you may observe red-billed tropicbirds, nesting boobies and a colony of storm petrels. Genovesa Island offers a chance to also spot the Galapagos short-eared owl and the Galapagos fur seal as well as several species of finches, herons, and petrels.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 15: Santa Cruz Island: Turtle Cove, & Depart Galapagos

Early this morning, you will have a dinghy ride in Black Turtle Cove, a mangrove lagoon on Santa Cruz Island, where you have the opportunity to see stingrays, sharks, the night heron and several species of Darwin’s finches. After this excursion, you will be transferred by your guide to the Baltra airport to catch your flight back to mainland Ecuador, either to Guayaquil or to Quito.

Roundtrip Galapagos flights are not included in the trip price, but they must be booked through your cruise operator. When you receive a trip quote, you will find a line item for the additional cost of the roundtrip flights.

From either Guayaquil or Quito, Ecuador, catch your red-eye international flight home. International flights are not included (these can be booked on your own, or through our flight partners Exito Travel; for a quote, please let us know your home airport).

Meals Included: Breakfast

DAY 1: Arrive in Lima

Fly home to Lima arriving any time. Flights are not included (these can be booked on your own, or through our flight partners Exito Travel; for a quote, please let us know your home airport). You walk a very short distance from the arrivals terminal to your hotel. If your international arrival flight arrives early in the morning on Day 2 and you don’t need a hotel, just let us know and we can take this out.

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

DAY 2: Arrive in Cusco & Local’s Tour of Cusco

Walk to the domestic departures terminal, and fly Lima to Cusco. You will want to arrive any time before noon this day. Flights are not included. They can be booked on your own, or through our flight partners Exito Travel.

Welcome to Cusco- touch down, collect your luggage and meet your guide, then drive twenty minutes through the colourful South American streets to your hotel.

Meet in the Coffee Museum at 1pm to enjoy a tasty lunch and learn about the story and people behind this popular drink.

After lunch step out into the Cusco streets and explore with one of our carefully chosen guides. They are not only very knowledgeable but also great fun to be with. You do not want to cram too much in on your first day at altitude, so relax and get used to being up high with a gentle walk around this old Inca capital.

Visit the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral and the Qoricancha temple of the sun and perhaps take in the sights, sounds and smells of San Pedro food market too. If you normally shop in supermarkets and farmers markets, you are in for a surprise. Stands full of juicy exotic fruits, counters heaving with cow heads and sheep hooves and cheerful local women selling handmade cheeses, local breads, healthy juices and even toad soup.

The evening is free to relax and wander around the UNESCO World Heritage Site city center.

Cusco Hotel: Quinta San Blas or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 3: Cusco Ruins Hike

Today you stretch your legs with a delightful hike in the hills above Cusco. First you visit the impressive site of Sacsayhuaman. Huge stone ramparts surround a beautiful grass amphitheater.

Once the scene of fierce battles it now hosts the annual re-enactment of traditional Inca ceremonies such as Inti Raymi and Warachikuy. Sundays also see families from Cusco head up here to play, fly kites and dig the traditional huatias, a method of cooking potatoes in the ground.

Next is the Inca water temple of Tambo Machay lying at 3700m (12,000 feet) followed by a special picnic lunch. A trail through the fields leads you to the intricately carved Inca Temple of the Moon.

From here a beautifully preserved section of royal Inca Trail leads you down into the old San Blas district, home to the city’s artists and finally into the Plaza de Armas.

Hiking distance: 8km / 5mi
Hiking time: A full day includes time to explore
Hiking Elevation: 3750 to 3300m / 12,303ft to 10,827ft

Cusco Hotel: Quinta San Blas or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 4: Moray to Maras Salt Pans Hike

Leaving Cusco behind you start your journey towards Machu Picchu. The hike starts at the fascinating circular ruins of Moray. While some think it was a landing pad for alien spaceships, most agree the Incas built this as an experimental agricultural centre.

Concentric circular terraces allowed them to simulate different facing slopes and different growing temperatures to see which crops would grow where. They then used this knowledge to cultivate the varied terrain of their vast empire providing abundant amounts of food to feed the people.

After exploring Moray you take a mainly downhill trail through the fields. Depending on the time of year, you may have a chance to stop and chat with local farmers digging their fields of corn or planting potatoes. Perhaps you could have a go with the hand tools that have been used for centuries.

Along the way you stop for a for a homemade picnic with marvelous views across to the snow capped Villcanota mountains before carrying on down to the spectacular salt pans of Maras. Here you can stop and watch as local families extract the salt by hand, much as they have done for centuries.

You could even buy some of the famous Maras Pink Salt as a souvenir. Finally you take the old track down to the Sacred Valley, where once llamas, then horses carried out the salt to be sent across the empire.

Your support vehicle is on hand most of the day, should anyone prefer to take a ride rather than walk at any point.

Hiking distance: 11km / 7mi
Hiking time: 6 hours includes time to explore
Hiking Elevation: 3532 m to 4050m / 11,588ft to 13,288ft

Ollantaytambo Hotel: Hotel Pakaritampu or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 5: Hike the Royal Inca Trail (km 104) to Machu Picchu

You start the day with an early transfer to catch the train towards Machu Picchu. Jumping off at km104 you pass through the control point and begin your Inca Trail trek.

First you visit the recently restored ruins of Chachabamba before gradually ascending through tropical cloud forest up towards the the base of Wiñay Wayna. Here you climb more steeply on old Inca stairways through these beautiful terraces, stopping to explore the various buildings and water features.

Here we can enjoy our packed lunch, with a great view. You then continue on perhaps the loveliest part of the whole Inca Trail. Lush vegetation flanks you on either side, the scent of wild orchids fills the air, and all around you brightly coloured tropical songbirds fill your ears with song.

Soon you will reach a final set of stairs to arrive at Inti Punku, the gateway of the Sun. As you step through the old stone gate-way, Machu Picchu appears laid out before your eyes. After plenty of photos you carry on past this wonder of the world to catch the bus down to the lively town of Machu Picchu Pueblo and a well-deserved hotel and shower.

While walking all you need is your daypack, as your over-night luggage will be transferred to your hotel in Machu Picchu town to await your arrival.

Hiking distance: 12km / 7.5mi
Hiking time: 8 hours
Hiking Elevation: 2100m to 2700m / 6,889ft to 8,858ft

Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo) Hotel: El MaPi by Inkaterra or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 6: Machu Picchu Ruins & Return to Cusco

Today you explore the pinnacle of Inca engineering – Machu Picchu.

For years it was lost to the jungle. Rediscovered in 1911 by the Yale professor Hiram Bingham, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, Machu Picchu exceeds all expectations.

This astounding site lies in an even more astonishing location. Perched high on an inaccessible hilltop it is protected by huge cliffs and the raging Urubamba river. Things are slightly easier now than in the time of the Incas and so you start your day with a twenty minute bus ride up to the site.

You will arrive early, allowing you to explore the ruins in the company of your guide, before they get too busy. The guided tour takes around two hours leaving you a few hours free to wander amongst the old Inca walls and just sit and take in the scale of the place on your own.

For those who want to walk a bit more, you could take the hour long trail up to the Sun Gate, or a shorter trail to visit the Inca Bridge which once spanned a sheer cliff face.

Eventually the time comes to catch the bus down to Machu Picchu Pueblo and board your train back along the Urubamba River. The scenery is beautiful and the train jolts softly along, allowing you to sit, stare out the window and reflect on a wonderful week.

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

DAY 7: Depart Cusco & Travel to Guayaquil, Ecuador

You will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the Cusco Airport in time for your flight. Fly Cusco – Lima – Guayaquil, Ecuador. Flights are not included. They can be booked on your own, or through our flight partners Exito Travel. Upon arrival in Guayaquil, you will be met at the airport and taken to your hotel. You have the rest of the day to explore on your own.

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

DAY 8: Arrive in Galapagos & Santa Cruz Island: Charles Darwin Research Station

In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the Guayaquil Airport in time for your flight. Fly Guayaquil to Baltra Airport in the Galapagos Islands. Roundtrip Galapagos flights are not included in the trip price, but they must be booked through your cruise operator. When you receive a trip quote, you will find a line item for the additional cost of the roundtrip flights.

Upon arrival in the Galapagos, your guide will meet you in the airport and you will travel to the small town of Puerto Ayora.

At the Charles Darwin Research Station you’ll witness firsthand the conservation and research efforts in the Galapagos islands. The Darwin Station is part of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands, an international non-profit organization dedicated to scientific research in the Galapagos Islands since 1959.

Here you will see the tortoise hatchlings and breeding programs that are saving several races of tortoises and iguanas from extinction. Finally, you will board the Cachalote, your vessel for exploring the Galapagos. After dinner, your guide will explain the next day’s adventure and the wildlife you are likely to encounter.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 9: Sombrero Chino & La Rabida Island

Your day starts with a visit to Sombrero Chino, an adorable conical island that offers some great snorkeling in the surrounding water. You snorkel here and find sea lions and penguins in the water, playing with you as you swim along.

Sombrero Chino is known as a wonderful snorkeling spot since it’s protected by the larger Santiago Island making the water is fairly calm, but still deep enough to attract some spectacular marine life like white-tipped reef sharks.

Later in the day, you will visit La Rabida, another small but fascinating Island. The first thing you’ll notice on La Rabida are its unique red cliffs and beaches.

While walking on this Island, you’re likely to spot sea lions, pelicans, Galapagos hawks, Darwin finches, marine iguanas, flamingos and blue-footed boobies. You will also have time to go for a snorkel in the waters just off La Rabida, where you may swim with sea lions and tropical fish.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 10: Isabela Island: Puerto Villamil, La Tintoreras, Sierra Negra Volcano, & Tortoise Breeding Center

With only 1,000 inhabitants, a white sandy beach and turquoise water, Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island is considered the prettiest town in the Galapagos. The day begins with an optional, and highly recommended, early-morning visit to Las Tintoreras.

A short distance from Puerto Villamil is the small island known as “Las Tintoreras,” where a colony of white-tipped sharks can often be seen resting in a lava canal. You can snorkel or swim in the unique habitat of these animals.

Nearby hundreds of marine iguanas can be observed, as Las Tintoreras is one of their main breeding sites. On the nearby sandy beaches, sea lions play and relax in the sun. This is one of Isabela’s most beautiful visitor sites.

After visiting Tintoreras, you will have a drive and hike up to the impressive Sierra Negra caldera. This caldera is the second largest in the world—only the Ngorongoro in Africa is bigger. This is certainly one of the vistas in the entire Galapagos. Later in the afternoon, you will make a stop by the Tortoise Breeding Center just outside Puerto Villamil.

In this Breeding Center, populations of tortoises from South Isabela (Sierra Negra Volcano, Cerro Azul): Cazuela, Cinco Cerros, Roca Union, San Pedro, Tables and Cerro Paloma have been reproduced in captivity. In total there are 330 between juvenile and adult tortoises.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 11: Isabela Island: Punta Moreno & Elizabeth Bay

Punta Moreno is one of the most remote visitor sites on Isabela and its landscape is dominated by black, pahoehoe lava. The tour starts with a panga ride along the beautiful rocky shores where Galapagos penguins and shore birds are frequently seen.

After a dry landing the path traverses through jagged black lava rock. As the swirling black lava flow gave way to form craters, crystal tide pools formed-some surrounded by mangroves. The small, blue lagoons are a magnet for birdlife, such as pink flamingos, blue herons, and Bahama pintail ducks.

Brown pelican can be seen nesting in the green leaves of the mangroves. You can walk to the edge of the lava to look straight down on these pools including the occasional green sea turtle, white-tipped shark and puffer fish.

Later in the day, you will travel to Elizabeth Bay which is ideal for snorkeling and wildlife viewing. While traveling to the Bay, you may be lucky enough to spot migrating whales (between June and September). More likely, you’ll come across Galapagos penguins, blue-footed boobies, flightless cormorants, sea turtles, sea lions, and sharks.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 12: Isabela Island: Urbina Bay & Tagus Cove

You begin today with an early hike at Urbina Bay where your guide will explain the recent geologic events that created the bay and the surrounding uplift. Wildlife here includes colorful land iguanas, giant tortoises, and flightless cormorants.

At certain times of the year, female tortoises journey to this area to lay their eggs in the sand. After your hike, you snorkel in the bay where you may spot Galapagos penguins and sea lions.

Lying directly east of Fernandina on the west coast of Isabela is the narrow channel of Tagus Cove. Arriving here the boat will sail through the Bolivar Channel, which has the coldest, most productive waters in the Galapagos due to the upwelling of the Cromwell Current, where dolphins and whales are frequently seen.

Tagus Cove, named for the British naval vessel that moored here in 1814, was used historically as an anchorage for pirates and whalers. One can still find the names of the ships carved into the rock above the landing (a practice now prohibited).

The coves quiet waters make for an ideal panga ride beneath its sheltered cliffs, where blue-fitted boobies, brown noddies, pelicans and noddy terns make their nests, and flightless cormorants and penguins inhabit the lava ledges.

From the shore, a wooden stairway rises to the dusty trail passing through the palo santo forests to reach the perfectly round saltwater crater, Darwin Lake.

Continuing on the trail around the lake through a dry vegetation zone, you turn to climb inland to a promontory formed by spatter cones. The site provides spectacular views back toward the anchorage in the bay, as well as Darwin Volcano and Wolf Volcano farther north.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 13: Fernandina Island: Punta Espinoza & Isabela Island: Punta Vicente Roca

The hike at Fernandina may feel like the most remote and scenic excursion during your entire cruise. Fernandina’s stark black landscape is juxtaposed by neighboring Isabela’s lush volcanoes and the turquoise ocean in between.

But this visit is about much more than scenery since you have the opportunity to see an abundance of marine iguanas, Sally Lightfoot crabs, flightless cormorants, sharks, and sea turtles. Fernandina is probably the most pristine of all the Islands in the Galapagos since there have never been introduced mammals that plagued many other Islands in the archipelago.

After a short cruise, you arrive at Punta Vicente Roca, a spot where you can observe dramatic volcanic scenery and amazing snorkeling. The volcanic activity here at the north end of Isabela Island created a tower cliff above the sea and twin, bright blue coves.

On land, you are likely to find masked (Nazca) boobies, blue-footed boobies, flightless cormorants, land iguanas, and Darwin finches. Once snorkeling, you may encounter Galapagos penguins, rays, sea turtles, and perhaps the bizarre sunfish.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 14: Santiago Island: Puerto Egas & Bartolome Island

Today begins with a hike and snorkeling at Puerto Egas, aka James Bay. This spot is home to the fascinating Galapagos hawk as well as Galapagos oyster catchers and Galapagos lava lizards.

You will walk to the coastline where you observe tidal pools and an abundance of Galapagos sea lions. Here the Galapagos fur sea lions bathe in the sun. While snorkeling, you swim alongside reef sharks, turtles, and rays.

In the afternoon, you will hike to the top of Bartolome’s extinct volcano (about an hour on stairs) where an amazing view of Pinnacle Rock awaits you. This is one of the most iconic vistas in the entire Galapagos, so you’ll definitely want to bring your camera.

After the hike, you’ll enjoy a swim and/or snorkel in the nearby bay; since Bartolome is home to the largest penguin population in the Islands, you’re most likely here to snorkel alongside these fun birds as they “fly” through the water.

Overnight: On yacht
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 15: North Seymour Island & Depart Galapagos

Your Galapagos experience ends with a fantastic visit to North Seymour Island, a place to observe abundant and entertaining birdlife. On North Seymour, blue-footed boobies make their nests on the ground right below nesting Magnificent Frigate birds.

You will likely see the male frigate birds inflate their incredible neck pouches, hoping to attract some lucky females flying overhead. The trail ends at a scenic beach where loads of sea lions love to sunbathe. After this visit, you will be dropped off at the Baltra airport to catch your flight back to mainland Ecuador, either to Guayaquil or to Quito.

Roundtrip Galapagos flights are not included in the trip price, but they must be booked through your cruise operator. When you receive a trip quote, you will find a line item for the additional cost of the roundtrip flights.

From either Guayaquil or Quito, Ecuador, catch your red-eye international flight home. International flights are not included (these can be booked on your own, or through our flight partners Exito Travel; for a quote, please let us know your home airport).

Meals Included: Breakfast