Machu Picchu & Galapagos

Experience Overview

Combine two of the great adventure destinations in one trip: Machu Picchu, one of the New Wonders of the World, and the wildlife-watching haven of the Galapagos Islands. Starting in Peru, we explore the Inca empire, first visiting Cuzco and the nearby ruins, before taking the train through mountains and cloud forest to the once-lost city of Machu Picchu – hiking a section of the Inca Trail if you wish. It’s then off to the Galapagos, exploring land and sea in search of sharks, giant tortoises, sea lions and more with an expert naturalist guide.
Profile
— Accommodation: 14 Classic nights (hotels, lodges and guesthouses) — Optional one-day Inca Trail hike (request on booking) — Group normally 6 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16 — Spends time at altitude — Travel by flight, minibus, train and boat
At a Glance
— Accommodation: 14 Classic nights (hotels, lodges and guesthouses) — Optional one-day Inca Trail hike (request on booking) — Group normally 6 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16 — Spends time at altitude — Travel by flight, minibus, train and boat
Trip For You
This trip is rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us. Please note, it is essential you read the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu regulations in the Important Information section of the Trip Notes before you book this trip. Walks: Though you do not need to be particularly fit, there is some walking on rough ground and sharp rocks due to the volcanic nature of the Galapagos. The ability to withstand high temperatures and swim will increase your enjoyment of the trip. Itinerary: It is not always possible to follow a strict schedule due to weather and sea conditions – sometimes it is better to do the planned activities in a different order (but almost always on the same day as the activity is planned).
Group Description
We have a Peruvian tour leader for days 1 to 5, up to departure from Cuzco. In Quito, we have the services of a local representative for the airport transfers and the city tour. In the Galapagos Islands, a local naturalist guide, registered with the Galapagos National Park Authority, accompanies us on the boat.
Eating Drinking
All breakfasts and five lunches are included on this trip. Hotel breakfasts are normally buffets with toast, cereal, eggs, fruits and tea/coffee. Please note, we cannot guarantee wheat-/gluten-free products are available for breakfasts in all locations in Peru – you may wish to bring your own breakfast food if you have an intolerance. The included lunches are usually a set menu with two or three options. If you hike the Inca Trail, you also have a packed lunch that day. Peru: Food and drink can vary in price enormously in Peru. As a guideline, allow about US$15-US$20 per meal to eat at good restaurants (excluding alcohol). Cheaper food is abundant at small cafes, although sanitary conditions cannot be guaranteed. Bottled water and soft drinks are available for around US$1-US$2. Ecuador: Budget around US$60 for all meals in Quito. Drinks and incidentals are quite expensive in the Galapagos, as everything is imported from the mainland; however, as all food is provided in the Galapagos, your only expenditure for this portion of the trip is likely to be souvenirs and alcoholic beverages. Please note, the choice of meals in some areas of the Galapagos can be limited but special dietary requirements can usually be catered for if we are advised at the time of booking. When flying to and from the Galapagos, snacks are usually included on the flights.
Transportation
For road journeys, we mostly use a private minibus or small coach, depending on group size. We travel by train (with Peru Rail) between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes (the town below Machu Picchu) in expedition class. Seating is four seats to a table and the carriages have panoramic windows and air conditioning/heating. We use private buses, minibuses and cars for airport transfers and short drives within the Galapagos Islands, and small motorboats for the navigation between the islands. There are three internal flights included in the itinerary, normally using the services of Avianca or LATAM.
Joining Instructions
Key information Start hotel: Hotel Hacienda Cuzco Plaza, Plaza Regocijo, 299, Cuzco City Centre, 084 Cuzco, Peru Phone: +51 84 216087 Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today Airport: Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ) Getting to the start hotel The start hotel is approximately a 15-minute drive from the airport. Exodus provides free arrival transfers to the start hotel from the airport for all customers. If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative. Please note, unless specified otherwise, the transfers are to the start (or pre-tour) hotel on the date the tour starts; transfers to other hotels in the same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts. Catching your return flight The trip ends at the Hotel Vieja Cuba in Quito. Please speak to your sales representative if you need more information.
When to Go
There are plenty of wildlife highlights throughout the year: January: Nesting land birds; green sea turtles arrive to lay eggs on the beaches; land iguanas breed on Isabela February: Nesting marine iguanas on Santa Cruz; greater flamingos start nesting on Floreana March: The bright-red throat pouches of frigatebirds are inflated during mating season on Genovesa and San Cristobal April: Huge numbers of waved albatross on Española displaying courtship rituals; eggs of green sea turtles hatch; land iguana eggs hatch on Isabela May: Courtship of blue-footed boobies begins on North Seymour; waved albatross on Española start laying eggs June: Giant tortoises migrate to the lowlands and start nesting; migrating birds stop in the Galapagos to rest; migrating humpback whales can often be seen around the western islands July: Dolphins and whales are more likely to be seen around the western islands; blue-footed boobies on Española start breeding August: Nazca boobies nest on Genovesa Island; sea lions start giving birth to pups September: Penguins seen in the water when snorkelling around Bartolome October: Galapagos fur seals start mating; blue-footed boobies start raising chicks November: Curious sea lion pups found in the water among snorkellers December: Mating green sea turtles; waved albatross chicks fledge
Weather Information
Cuzco and the Andes: April to November is the dry season. Expect strong sunshine in the mornings, sometimes clouding over as the day progresses. However, as in all mountains, the weather is variable at all times of year in the Andes, which includes cloud rolling up from the Amazon basin, rain or even snow, and rapid and unexpected changes! During the dry season, temperatures can dip at night to around the freezing mark (and sometimes below). Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu: Within the cloud forest, these experience experience large amounts of precipitation all year as clouds move up from the Amazon Basin. Rain can be heavy but is seldom prolonged. Quito: Maximum daytime temperatures are almost constant throughout the year at 20C (68F), nights 8C (46F). Expect some rain in February to May and October to November; storms, though heavy, are generally short, and Quito is considered to have quite a pleasant climate. Galapagos: You can visit at any time of year, though the weather patterns are complicated and cannot be reduced to easy formulas. The weather is controlled by the two main ocean currents of the region: the Humboldt, bringing cold water from the Antarctic, and El Niño, which brings tropical water from the Gulf of Panama. How close to the Galapagos they converge (which varies from year to year) is the key to the weather. Dry season (normally late May to early December): In this period, it is not necessarily dry, as there is a persistent light mist (garua) and often light drizzle, and the higher mountain slopes are covered in cloud and fog or rain. The winds are in the southeast and are higher than at other times, so seas can sometimes be choppy – anyone worried about seasickness might be better advised to avoid it. Daytime maximum temperatures lie between 27C and 31C (81F and 88F), the cooler months being July to November. In July and August, the fairly strong winds introduce a chill factor, and it can feel quite cold at nights, though throughout the year the official night temperatures vary between 19C and 24C (66F and 75F).Wet season: Depending on how close the convergence of the two currents comes to Galapagos, there may or may not be a wet season from January to April or May. Approximately every seven years, El Niño hits the islands and there are heavy rains in these months. In other years, rain usually falls sporadically from otherwise clear skies. The ocean temperatures are higher, with generally calm seas and strong sunshine: pleasant, but potentially very hot. Apart from an El Niño year, the weather is usually better from December/January to April/May than at other times even if there is some rain, and most people would regard these months as the best time to go.
Spending Money
There is a compulsory Galapagos Tax of US$200, which can only be paid locally in cash (US dollars) and will be collected by the National Park Service on arrival at San Cristóbal. In addition, all visitors to the Galapagos are required to obtain an immigration control card (Ingala card) in mainland Ecuador – these cost US$20 per person and will be supplied and paid for locally in cash (US dollars). Galapagos taxes are subject to increase without notice, and any such increase will be collected in Quito or Baltra. Peruvian passport or identity card holders The cost of Exodus trips in Peru are based on the assumption you do not hold a Peruvian passport or resident’s card. If you are officially resident in Peru or are a Peruvian passport holder, you are liable to an additional 18 percent tax on most services, and this extra sum is payable locally to our local partner. Other nationalities are exempt from this tax. Please notify us at the time of booking if you are legally resident in Peru or hold a Peruvian passport so we can advise you of the total cost of these taxes. Optional excursions Your tour leader can tell you about the full range of optional excursions available throughout your trip; however, the most popular ones are below: Cuzco A Partial Tourist Ticket (BTG) is required for entrance to the sites in and around Cuzco and the Sacred Valley – this is not included in the excursion prices below but can be purchased locally from 70 soles (approximately US$21). — City tour and four ruins (five hours): From US$48 per person (based on four participants), excludes BTG. This includes visits to the nearby ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Tambomachay and Puca Pucará plus a tour of the city itself, including: the Plaza de Armas, where the cathedral is located; Qorikancha Sun Temple (entrance included); and San Pedro Market. — Sacred Valley tour (eight hours): From US$58 per person (based on four participants), excludes BTG. Drive to the Sacred Valley, stopping at El Mirador viewpoint en route. Visit Pisac Market and fortress and Ollantaytambo; return to Cuzco. — South Valley tour (seven hours): From US$66 per person (based on four participants), excludes BTG. Visit the little-known valley to the south of Cuzco, including the terraces at Tipon, the pre-Inca ruins of Pikillaqta and the Sistine Chapel of the Americas in Andahuaylillas (entrance included); return to Cuzco. Prices of excursions vary depending on the number of people taking part. The prices given within these Trip Notes are based on four participants and are intended as a guideline only. Actual prices are more for smaller group sizes and less for larger group sizes. All tours use private transport and there is an English-speaking guide. Please note, cash is the preferred method of payment for any of the optional activities. For some activities, a minimum number of participants may be required. Some activities may not always be possible due to weather, seasonality, national holidays, or unforeseen circumstances.
Tipping
Tips are a personal decision, but are customary in Peru and Ecuador. As we are often asked how much is appropriate for different individuals, we have prepared some guidelines. Peru (soles is the preferred currency for tips) Tipping kitty: We recommend running a tipping kitty for the Peru section of the trip. A tipping kitty means we tip as a group, and individuals don’t need to worry about giving small tips to various people (drivers, local guides, boatmen, hotel staff etc). The contribution per person per day we suggest is 15 soles (US$5)Tour leader: 15 soles (US$5) per person per day Ecuador (US dollars are the preferred currency for tips) Tour leader: US$5-US$6 per person, per dayLocal guides on the mainland: US$3-US$5 per person, per dayDrivers and other local staff: US$1-US$2 per person, per day

Highlights