Jewels of South America: Galapagos Islands & Machu Picchu Overland Adventure (Double)
-
Port
Manta, Ecuador
-
Activity Level
Strenuous
-
Excursion Type
All
-
Wheelchair Accessible
No
-
Starting At
$7999
-
Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
-
Duration
7 Days/ 6 Nights
-
Meals Included
Meals included
Day 1 (L/D) Manta - Guayaquil - Galápagos
Transfer from Manta to Guayaquil Airport by road — a four-hour drive. Your luggage is inspected by the Galápagos National Authorities to avoid introducing any harmful seeds, plants or organisms to the islands. Board a 90-minute flight to the Galápagos Islands.
Upon arrival in the islands, you'll meet your naturalist guide on Baltra and transfer by public bus to the shores of the Itabaca Channel.
A short ferry ride brings you to Santa Cruz Island. On Santa Cruz, board a private vehicle to transfer to Puerto Ayora on the far side of the island. As you pass through rural areas, you will learn a bit about the archipelago's agriculture and the diversity of its flora and fauna. Surrounded by wild landscapes and different species, keep a lookout for the finches famous for being the basis of Darwin's theory of evolution.
Check in at the hotel, freshen up, and enjoy lunch.
This afternoon, in the Santa Cruz Highlands, watch the famous Galápagos land tortoises in their natural environment and learn how the private ranches here assist in protecting these special animals. Listen to the tortoises as they eat leaves from the trees and crash through the undergrowth — they are beautiful but perhaps not graceful. Tortoises of all ages and sizes gather here. The small, young ones have bright, shining carapaces; the older ones move more slowly and sport some serious cracks in their shells — evidence of a long life. Your guide will explain the origin of the well-known lava tunnels in this area.
Dinner is served at the hotel after an exciting and memorable day. Formed by the lava floods of the volcanoes, these tunnels range from the highlands down to sea level. Although the roof is collapsed in several spots, a large section remains intact, allowing exploration until the tunnel becomes too small to pass.
Lunch is served at a local venue in the highlands.
After lunch, head to the hotel for check-in. Dinner is served at the hotel after an exciting and memorable day.
Hotel: Ikala Hotel (or similar)
Day 2-3 (B/L/D) Galápagos
Today, you will take a full-day boat tour to ONE of the following islands:
Bartolomé
An early start brings you to Itabaca Channel, where you step aboard a yacht for a day in paradise — beautiful white beaches, clear water, and a wealth of wildlife to observe. Enjoy breakfast while watching the sunrise at sea during the two-hour boat trip. There is also a chance of spotting dolphins and other marine residents very close to the boat in the early hours. There will be either a dry or wet landing on Isla Bartolomé, where you'll discover a fascinating moonscape formed by different volcanic parasitic cones — lava bombs, spatter and cinder cones. Due to its geographical location, Isla Bartolomé's lack of vegetation is immediately noticeable. Hike the 300 steps to the summit for impressive views of the surrounding islands — Santiago, North Seymour, Baltra, Santa Cruz and Rábida — and the eroded tuff cone called Pinnacle Rock. The rock is home to thousands of sea birds and is the most photographed landscape in the Galápagos Islands. Change clothes and head to the beach for a short ride to Sullivan Bay for snorkeling. For those not wishing to snorkel, a dinghy ride provides a fantastic encounter with the diminutive Galápagos penguin. Back at the southern beach, the shallow sea invites you to go swimming and snorkeling with the Galápagos penguins, sharks, starfish, rays, sea turtles and plenty of other exotic and colorful fish. Enjoy the diversity of native residents, such as marine iguanas, sea lions, pelicans, and many more. Lunch is served back on the boat.
Seymour & Bachas
Get acquainted with North Seymour Island and Bachas Beach. Head to Itabaca Channel, where you step aboard a yacht for the one-hour cruise to Seymour Island. Transfer by dinghy to the rocky coast near a small Palo Santo forest consisting of gray and silver trees that are leafless most of the year. Seymour is famous for its large bird colonies. The very special male frigatebirds, with their red pouches, attract females in breeding time. Observe the famous Galápagos blue-footed boobies here. These seabirds have a wedge-shaped tail and long, pointed wings. For courtship, the males lift first one, then the other blue foot into the air, and dance to impress the female. Other highlights of this excursion are a beach with small cliffs and a chance to observe seagulls, sea lions, marine iguanas and pelicans. Your freshly cooked lunch consists of two courses and is served on the boat. During siesta time, the yacht navigates to Bachas Beach on the northern coast of Santa Cruz Island. Take a short hike to a flamingo pond just behind the beach, and afterward, refresh yourself with a swim or snorkel at this isolated beach with white sand and turquoise water. Sea lions, rays, tortoises, and tropical fish may join you in your underwater experience.
Plazas & Punta Carrion
Transfer to Itabaca Channel, where you step aboard a yacht for a day on South Plaza Island. This is one of the smaller islands of the Galápagos. Plazas welcomes travelers with a bright, colorful red and green carpet of sesuvio — an endemic plant — and the loud, friendly barking of several sea lion families. The ocean's turquoise water perfectly complements the white sandy beaches and the black lava rocks of the coast. Take a leisurely hike alongside basking sea lions and land iguanas found on most parts of the island. The trail leads to the highest cliff, where swallow-tailed gulls wheel through the air, and blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds glide gently on the wind. Bring along binoculars for close-up views. The view from the highest point, looking out over the ocean and the powerful waves breaking against the cliffs, is an experience you won't forget. Afterward, the trip continues to Punta Carrion, where lunch is served on board the yacht. This is a great spot to snorkel and swim among rays, sharks, and hundreds of colorful tropical fish.
Floreana
Navigate to the small town of Puerto Velasco Ibarra, located on Floreana Island, about 2½ hours from Santa Cruz. Board local transportation known as a chiva for a 30-minute ride up to the highlands. The dirt road is surrounded by typical dry vegetation, replaced by lush, green vegetation as you gain elevation. Banana, coffee and cacao farms dot the landscape. A beautiful walk lets you observe the typical flora and encounter giant Galápagos tortoises. Continue to the place where the German Wittmer family settled in 1932, using caves as their home. Lunch is served at a small restaurant in town. La Loberia Bay is home to a small colony of sea lions. Marine iguanas rest on the rocks, and turtles populate the clear water.
Isabela
Head to Puerto Villamil — the town on Isabela Island — about three hours from Santa Cruz. You will visit the Isabela Tortoise Breeding Center. Your guide explains the different activities developed by the National Park to protect the fragile environment. Different species and sizes of giant Galápagos tortoises live here. Walk to the humedales (wetlands) by way of a well-maintained path. This beautiful spot is composed of lagoons, rocks, mangroves, and trees that attract flamingos and migratory birds. Lunch is served at a local restaurant. You'll visit the Las Tintoreras scenic area with colonies of marine iguanas, sea lions, and white-tipped sharks (tintoreras) resting in the channels formed by lava flows. Snorkel in the company of sea lions, penguins and marine turtles.
Santa Fe
Formed by tectonic uplifting rather than by volcanic activity, Santa Fe boasts one of the most beautiful coves in all of the Galápagos. Some of the island's endemic species include the Galápagos hawk, Galápagos snake, land iguanas, various types of finches, and the Galápagos mockingbird. Your visit includes a hike on a trail past salt bushes, where Galápagos hawks and Santa Fe land iguanas tend to roam. Playful sea lions will usually accompany swimmers and snorkelers during beach time.
Whichever island you visit, your day trip ends with a late afternoon return to the hotel on Santa Cruz Island.
Hotel: Ikala Hotel (or similar)
Day 4 (B/L/D) Galápagos – Guayaquil- Lima
After breakfast, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station and its famous residents within an impressive giant prickly-pear cactus forest. These are the headquarters of scientific investigation, conservation, and the National Park administration in the islands. Gain insight into the huge efforts made by scientists, guides, rangers and park managers to preserve this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Charles Darwin Research Station is also part of the Centro de Crianza Fausto Llerena — the breeding center for the tortoises. Tortoises are raised here in the care of researchers and then, when ready, are re-introduced into their natural environment.
You will stop to see the Twin Craters en route to Baltra Airport. Board a flight to Guayaquil. Transfer to a nearby venue for a relaxing lunch.
In the afternoon, enjoy a panoramic city tour of Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city. Highlights include the scenic Malecón 2000 waterfront promenade along the Guayas River, the Civic Plaza, the Moorish Tower, City Hall, and the Rotonda Monument, among other notable landmarks.
Return to the airport for an onward flight to Lima, Peru.
Transfer to the hotel for check-in.
Hotel: Wyndham Costa del Sol Airport Hotel (or similar)
Day 5: (B, L, D)
After breakfast, transfer to Lima Airport for a flight to Cusco. First the capital of the Inca Empire, then an important Spanish colony, and now a vibrant, cosmopolitan city, Cusco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with astounding sites.
Upon arrival in Cusco, meet your guide and visit Cusco's Coricancha Temple of the Sun, built by the Inca Pachacutec (1438 - 1572). The Spaniards later built the Convent of Santo Domingo over the top of it.
Admire the cathedral in the Plaza de Armas. This is one of the most splendid Spanish colonial churches in the Americas. It is shaped like a Latin Cr