Peru & Galapagos by Yacht

Touch down in Lima, the “City of Kings.” Across ancient lands and earthly legends, experience the mysticism of the Peruvian Andes. Due to late flight schedules, there are no scheduled activities today.
Hotel Name: Casa Andina Premium Miraflores

Become fascinated by Lima’s history on a tour through the historic center, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, where the elegant Cathedral at Plaza de Armas stands out among the colonial architecture. Visit the former home of a conquistador and feel the surge of colonial and republican life. Enjoy some free time this afternoon to discover Lima on your own. Get to know new friends over a menu of artful Peruvian dishes at a welcome dinner.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Visit Area: Pisac Market
Pisac is a small town in the Sacred Valley, known for its markets held several days per week. Villagers from the area come here to barter and sell their wares, varying from foods to woven goods to ceramics. There are also many handicraft shops near the market. Bargaining is possible with the vendors and it is a great place to see an authentic market. The symbol of the market used to be a huge spreading pisonary tree in the main square, but it was struck by lightning in 2003 and destroyed.

Fly over the Andes on your way to Cuzco – the heart of the Inca civilization. Follow the trails of this Andean paradise with a local guide to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Stop in Pisac village and browse a handicraft market full of vibrant colors. Discover why Peru has consistently been named the world’s top food travel destination during a fun-filled interactive cooking class where you will learn how to master ceviche and pisco sours. Settle into your hotel nestled in the heart of the Sacred Valley and relax in the calming surround of the Andes.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Casa Andina Premium Sacred Valley

Visit Area: Ollantaytambo Ruins
Ollantaytambo was the royal estate of an Inca ruler in the 15th century and is still inhabited today. During the Spanish conquest, it was an Incan stronghold, partly defended by steep terraces below the main Temple Hill site. These terraces were also used to farm the steep hillside. Most of the ruins on the Temple Hill are incomplete, so it is believed that the site was still under construction by the Incas when it was abandoned, possibly due to a conflict among Incan groups. Ollantaytambo is the starting point for the Inca Trail hike.

Visit the terraced ruins of Ollantaytambo, the only Incan settlement that has remained continually inhabited since its inception. At the ceramic studio of artist Pablo Seminario, see how he utilizes the intricate techniques inspired by ancient Peruvian cultures. Deep dive into the cultures of modern Andean people and experience an Impact Moment as you mingle with a nearby community. Thanks to their effort and teamwork, tourism has become additional income for agriculture which has positively impacted their quality of life. Learn traditional methods of growing, harvesting and weaving, listen to their music and learn their dances before enjoying a farm-to-table meal of local specialties.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included

Admittance: Cooking Class
Learn to cook Peruvian favorites at a cooking class, hosted in a local restaurant in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Try your hand at concocting a quintessential dish and cocktail, and taste the fruits of your labor.

Prepare for an early morning departure as you hop aboard your train to Machu Picchu, where views of the Andes astound through panoramic windows as you climb toward the “Lost City of the Incas.” Uncover the mysteries of this “Lost City” at the meeting point between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon Basin. Wrapped inside a semi-tropical jungle and hidden by mountains, Machu Picchu or La Ciudadela, (the Citadel), is one of the world’s most spectacular archaeological sites.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu

Admittance: Pablo Seminario Ceramic Studio
This is a ceramics workshop and studio in the Urumbamba Valley opened by artist Pablo Seminario who has studied ancient Peruvian pottery techniques for almost 30 years. His current works are combinations of traditional and modern styles, and he has pieces displayed in the Field Museum in Chicago. He makes pieces that range from utilitarian, such as bowls and plates, to decorative, such as Peruvian masks and jewelry pieces.

Enjoy some leisure time this morning. You may choose an optional excursion to visit Machu Picchu for a second time this morning, or maybe you’ll explore the local markets before boarding your train back to the Sacred Valley. Continue to Cuzco and feel the local culture at a special community dining experience.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Casa Andina Premium

Admittance: Quechua Community Visit & Lunch

This morning, it’s your choice! Travel above the city to discover the Incan ruins of Sacsayhuamán Fortress -OR- embark on a walking tour through the enchanting streets of Cuzco, going off the beaten path and uncovering the city’s best-kept secrets. After, come together for a tour of Cuzco, visiting the San Pedro Market, the Koricancha Temple, the central Plaza de Armas, and the Cuzco Cathedral. The rest of the afternoon is yours. This evening, enjoy flexible dining at a popular local restaurant featuring the local flavors of Cuzco.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Visit Area: Machu Picchu
This is an Inca ruin dating from the 15th century, located in the Andes in Peru above the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It was thought to have been built as an estate for an Inca ruler and was abandoned after only about 100 years when many inhabitants died from diseases such as smallpox brought by the Spaniards, and transmitted to the site by travelers. The site was discovered by Hiram Bingham, a lecturer at Yale, in 1911 and National Geographic Magazine devoted a whole edition to it in 1913. It is now Peru’s most visited tourist attraction, and numbers have to be carefully controlled to minimize negative impacts on the site by too many people.

This morning, fly to Ecuador’s stunning capital city – Quito, your home for the next two nights. An intersection of mountains and colonial architecture, this city is a UNESCO World Heritage site full of lively culture and vibrant history.

Breakfast Included
Hotel Name: Mercure Hotel Alameda

Visit Area: "Middle of the World"
This is a park located on the Equator about 16 miles from the center of Quito (Ciudad Mitad del Mundo in Spanish). It contains a 30 meter high stone monument which commemorates a mission by the French Academy of Sciences to investigate the shape of the Earth, and there is a small museum inside the monument of articles of Ecuadorian culture. The park also contains a planetarium, a miniature model of Quito and several restaurants.

Today, tour the Presidential Palace in Quito’s colonial center. After lunch, stand at the “Middle of the World,” situated between two hemispheres, at the Equatorial Line Monument and Museum. Spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included

Admittance: 4-Night Galápagos Cruise
Spend 4 nights aboard a new, privately-chartered luxury yacht. Take in the beautiful views as this elegant ship takes you through the waters of Peru and the Galápagos islands. The ship is intimate and modern, including a comfortable lounge with large windows that look out across the ocean scenery.

Fly to a hub of the spectacular Galápagos Archipelago, San Cristóbal! Launch your eco-adventure aboard the M/Y Coral II,* an exclusive yacht that serves as your home for the next four nights. Visit the Interpretation Center to learn about the history, volcanic origins, ocean currents and diverse species unique to this remote island chain. Later, a hike up Tijeretas Hill offers beautiful landscapes and a magnificent view at the foot of a Frigate Bird nesting colony.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: M/Y Coral II

Witness Cerro Brujo’s tuff cone created from volcanic eruptions, lava formations, and beautiful white sandy beach that is perfect for snorkeling and sunbathing after a wet landing this morning. At the picturesque lagoon, migratory bird species such as Black-necked Stilts, Ruddy Turnstones, Whimbrels, and White-cheeked Pintails can be spotted. Cerro Brujo offers beautiful views of Kicker Rock, the southern part of San Cristóbal and the adjacent coast. Later, a second wet landing leads you to a trail for an intense hike over rocky terrain to the top of a volcanic tuff with several magnificent viewpoints. This spot is particularly special as it is the only site where the three booby species of the Galápagos can be seen together, as well as two species of frigate birds and a sea lion colony. The long, olivine beach allows for excellent snorkeling and dinghy rides in search of sea birds.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Dinner Included

A dry landing on Española Island, one of the oldest and most isolated in the Galápagos, offers an unparalleled variety of wildlife. Explore volcanic formations and see large colonies of sea lions and seabirds including the Española mockingbird, Nazca boobies, and the spectacular red-billed tropicbirds. On Española, turquoise-colored marine iguanas, lava lizards, and the colorful Sally light-foot crabs abound. A hike brings you to nesting grounds where you may spot favorites such as the Galápagos dove, the Galápagos hawk, swallow-tailed gulls and the world’s largest colony of waved albatross - a true highlight! Admire the island’s dramatic backdrop and famous “Soplador,” a blowhole that shoots water 75 feet into the air. This afternoon a wet landing on a beautiful white coral sandy beach guarded by a colony of sea lions offers the opportunity to spot Galápagos hawks, American Oystercatchers, Galápagos Ground Doves, Hood mockingbirds, Yellow Warblers, lava lizards, marine iguanas, and three species of Darwin’s finches. Swim and snorkel among the Galápagos’ marine wildlife such as king angelfish, Creole fish, damsel fish, parrotfish, manta rays, and white-tipped reef sharks.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Dinner Included

Make a morning wet landing on an olivine green, sandy beach of Floreana Island and hike through mangrove beds to a brackish lagoon in search of one of the largest flamingo populations in the Galápagos. Continue along the trail to a beautiful white sandy beach that is an important nesting site for Green Pacific Sea Turtles. From the beach, one can spot sea turtles, blue-footed boobies plunging into the water, and small reef sharks floating along the shoreline in the search for food. Swim or snorkel amongst sea turtles, reef fish, and sea lions while keeping an eye out for the small colony of resident penguins. An afternoon wet landing in a Bay on the north side of Floreana brings you to “Post Office,” so named when Captain James Colnett installed a wooden barrel which served as an informal post office for sailors in 1793. Today, visitors continue the tradition by placing unstamped postcards inside the barrel, hoping that some other traveler, going to that destination, will take it back for free. You may encounter Darwin’s finches, Yellow Warbler and Lava Lizards here and snorkel among playful sea lions or Green Pacific Sea Turtles.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Dinner Included

After dry landing on Santa Cruz Island head from the coast to the dense humid forests and the Highlands Tortoise Reserve. In addition to famed Galápagos Giant Tortoises you may also spot many different kinds of birds, such as tree and ground finches, vermillion flycatchers, paint-billed crakes, yellow warblers, and cattle egrets - usually found standing on the tortoises’ shells! Bid the Galápagos goodbye and return to Quito, where a day room will be available close to the airport before your flight home.

Breakfast Included