In Brief
Flight - 1 night. Lima - 1 night. Cuzco - 2 nights. Guayaquil - 1 night. Cruise - 6 nights. Guayaquil - 1 night. Flight - 1 night.
Itineray (Aug 6 onwards)
Day 1 Fly overnight from London Heathrow to Lima via Madrid.
Day 2 Early morning arrival and transfer to the 4-star Hotel José Antonio for overnight. Afternoon tour of colonial Lima includes the impressive buildings of the Plaza de Armas, the UNESCO World Heritage 17th-century church of San Francisco and the Larco Herrera Museum.
Day 3 Fly to Cuzco (3,400 metres) and transfer to the 4-star Hotel José Antonio for a two-night stay. An afternoon tour of the historic centre of Cuzco and the Inca sites of Sacsayhuaman, Tambo Machay, Kenko and Puca Pucara.
Day 4 Travel by train to Aguas Calientes (3 hrs) before the final ascent to Machu Picchu (2,500 metres) by road. Explore the site and later return to Cuzco.
Day 5 Fly via Lima to Guayaquil in Ecuador for an overnight stay at the 4-star Hotel Unipark.
Day 6 Fly to the Galapagos Islands to join the MV Galapagos Explorer II for a six-night cruise. Afternoon visit to Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island.
Day 7 Sail to Bartolomé Island to enjoy its volcanic features and colonies of Galapagos penguins and fur seals. Afternoon visit to Espumilla Beach on Santiago Island.
Day 8 Visit Isabela, the largest island of the group, and Fernandina, the youngest island and the most volcanically active. Colonies of marine iguanas and sea lions will be visited. Pelicans, flightless cormorants and Galapagos hawks can be seen.
Day 9 Return to Isabela Island to explore Tagus Cove and Elizabeth Bay.
Day 10 Visit to Floreana Island includes Post Office Bay, a historic site that recalls the days of the whalers coming to the Galapagos for tortoises and water supplies.
Day 11 Visit San Cristóbal Island where giant tortoises and sea lions can be viewed.
Day 12 Morning visit to Santa Cruz Island. Disembark and fly to Guayaquil. Overnight at the 4-star Hotel Unipark.
Day 13 Fly overnight from Guayaquil to London, via Madrid.
Day 14 Arrive Heathrow.
Itinerary note:
In 2013, a 7-night Galapagos cruise will operate.
Extension – Ecuadorian Amazon
Two nights in Quito (one night in place of overnight in Guayaquil on Day 10) and three nights, full board, in the heart of the Amazon basin at the Sacha Lodge, positioned beside a tranquil oxbow lake, Pilchicocha, and within a 5,000-acre private ecological reserve. Accommodation is in cabins constructed from traditional materials with a high thatched roof, terrace, private facilities and fan.
Day 12 Morning visit to Santa Cruz Island. Fly to Quito (2,850 metres) for one night at the 4-star Grand Mercure Alameda.
Day 13 Take a 45-minute flight over the Andes to the port town of Coca. On arrival, enjoy a motorboat ride (2 hrs 30 mins) on the Napo River with a packaged lunch en route, then take a 30-minute walk via a raised boardwalk and a short canoe ride before arriving at the Sacha Lodge for three nights.
Days 14 & 15 Take part in a range of excursions, exploring the surrounding rainforest (poncho and boots are included).
Day 16 Travel back to Coca for the flight to Quito. Overnight at the 4-star Grand Mercure Alameda.
Day 17 Enjoy a city tour of Quito. Return flight to London Heathrow, via Guayaquil and Madrid.
Day 18 Arrive Heathrow in the early morning.
South America Extensions
Join a pre-tour extension to the Nazca Lines or Peruvian Amazon. Pleas click here for further information.
