South America - cultural sites and magnificant nature in a nutshell. Combine two highlights in one trip and visit the Machu Picchu ruins in Peru and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. Discover the culture of the Incas and the Galapagos Islands like Charles Darwin did and be impressed by the variety of this unique continent.

Extend your stay:
+ Lake Titicaca and La Paz (Bolivia)
+ Nazca Lines
+ Amazon Cruise
+ Easter Island and Chile

Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands
Discover South America in 17 days (sample itinerary)

Day 1 (Saturday): Flight to Lima (Peru)

Today you board your flight to Lima in Peru. Fly from Europe to Peru with KLM / Air France via Amsterdam or Paris and enjoy a first class service on board the modern fleet. For a relaxed start of your holidays we recommend a Business Class flight including the best available service on board including selected meals and drinks. Upon arrival in Lima transfer to the hotel (e.g. Miraflores Park). (-/-/-)

Day 2: Lima

Guided tour of Lima. You visit the historical Lima which dates back to 1535 when Francisco Pizarro founded the city as well as the modern part of the city (Miraflores, San Isidro and Larco Mar). The tour includes a visit to the main attractions like the Plaza de Armas, Plaza San Martin and the Cathedral. A visit to the Huaca Pucllana ruins, a pre-Inca site, and to the Larca Museum is also part of the tour. (B/-/-)

Day 3: Lima - Cusco

Early morning transfer to the airport. Flight from Lima to Cusco. In Cusco transfer to the hotel (e.g. Hotel Libertador Cusco). Take the morning off for acclimatisation. Later you visit Cusco and its surroundings on a guided city tour. The tour includes a visit to the main square Plaza de Armas and the cathedral as well as a visit to the Korikancha and Sun temple. Beyond the city centre you will visit the Kenko, Tambomachay, Puca Pucara and the Sacsayhuaman ruins. After a very interesting day enjoy a Peruvian meal at your hotel in Cusco. (B/-/-)

Day 4: The Sacred Valley of the Incas

Full day tour to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The valley spreads along the river Vilcanota and besides the historical sites you can enjoy dramatical landscapes. You visit the traditional market of Pisac (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday), the village of Urubamba as well as the Ollantaytambo fortress. Ollantaytambo, the Inca village, is one of the few existing examples of urban management during the Inca period. (B/L/-)

Day 5: Scenic trainride to Aguas Calientes and guided tour to Machu Picchu

Early morning transfer to the train station. Enjoy a three hour trainride with the comfortable Vistadome train (we recommend an upgrade to the Hiram Bingham Luxury Train) up to Aguas Calientes - the gate to Machu Picchu - the lost city of the Incas. Upon arrival at Machu Picchu enjoy a guided tour to the ruins. You will have plenty of time to visit the site on your own too. After lunch the train departs to Cusco where you will stay tonight. We recommend to extend your stay at Machu Picchu: sleep a night at Aguas Calientes and visit Machu Picchu the next day again. (B/L/-)

Day 6: Cusco - Lima - Quito

Early morning transfer to the airport. Flight from Cusco via Lima to Quito (Euador). Upon arrival in Quito transfer to the hotel (e.g. Hotel Plaza Grande). Enjoy a relaxing afternoon at your first class hotel or stroll around the historic centre of Quito. (B/-/-)

Day 7: Guided city tour "Quito colonial" + Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World)

A visit to downtown Quito to relish in this urban jewel and its treasures of art and architecture. Quito's colonial quarter, the largest and best preserved of South America, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The stroll starts at the Independence Plaza, flanked by the Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, the Municipal Building and the Archbishop's Palace. Visit the temple of La Compañía de Jesús and its awesome gilded interior. Continue on to the Monastery of San Francisco, one the of great religious buildings of the New World; its impressive facade and atrium that lead to its Baroque interior influenced by Moorish style, with the winged Virgin of Quito at its main altar. Lunch at one of the excellent restaurants in Quito or the equator area. Then continue to the Equatorial Monument, 25 Kms. (16 miles) North of Quito, which marks the exact Middle of the World, latitude 0º, where you can stand with a foot on each hemisphere. You will get a certificate for having crossed the Equator. (B/-/-)

Day 8 (Saturday): Quito - Galapagos Islands

Early morning transfer to the airport . Flight from Quito via Guayaquil to the Galapagos Islands. Arrival on Baltra or San Cristobal Island. Transfer to the harbour and board the expedition vessel to discover the Galapagos Islands. Our Galapagos Islands Cruises take you right up to the cluster of islands so isolated that over 1,900 of its creatures cannot be found anywhere else on earth. Experience firsthand the fauna and flora that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution over 150 years ago. Observe marine iguanas, flightless cormorants and giant Galapagos tortoises in their natural habitat. (B/-/-)

Day 8 - 15: Galapagos Islands Cruise

A cruise around the Galapagos Islands offers ample to do onshore at every port of call (daily guided visits to the different islands are included), but there is much to tempt you back onboard when it’s time to depart. Our chefs prepare sumptuous meals to your specification, while a stay at our comfortable staterooms will rejuvenate you for another day of sightseeing and adventure. Our signature service and attention to detail is designed to make you feel like the only guest onboard as we take you from one breathtaking destination to another.
The Galapagos Islands Cruises have flexible itineraries of three, four, seven and even fourteen nights that offer a variety of options for trekkers and swimmers, writers and readers, painters and photographers, bird watchers and stargazers, visionaries and dreamers. To help you decide which cruise is right for you, don't hesitate to contact us.

Our recommended Galapagos Islands expedition vessels:
Eclipse - luxury expedition ship
Grace - luxury motor yacht
Cormorant Evolution - luxury motor catamaran

Day 15: Galapagos Islands - Guayaquil

Transfer to the airport. Flight from Baltra or San Cristobal Island to Guayaquil. Upon arrival in Guayaquil transfer to the hotel (e.g. Hotel Oro Verde or Boutiquehotel Mansion del Rio). (B/-/-)

Day 16: Guayaquil guided city tour and departure

The visit includes the main attractions of the Port of Guayaquil, starting with the Centennial Plaza that honors the heroes of Guayaquil's independence, and then along 9th of October Boulevard to the heart of the business district of the city with the Plaza of the Administration and the striking Government and Municipal Buildings. A short stroll takes guests to the famous Moorish Clock Tower and Bolívar Park, with an equestrian statue of South America's liberator, Simón Bolívar. The latter is also called "the park of the iguanas", as here they roam undisturbed and perch on the treetops, blending perfectly with the green leaves. Beside the park is the neo-gothic Metropolitan Cathedral. Then drive to the southern end of Guayaquil's ravishing Malecon 2000 to see the Crystal Palace, the Integration Square, the Plaza of the Flags and the Plaza Olmedo, which are together, at the beginning of a 2.5 Km. (1.5 mile) waterfront, running parallel to the River Guayas and featuring historical, cultural and entertainment areas.
Later this afternoon transfer to the airport of Guayaquil. Board your flight to Amsterdam. (B/-/-)

Day 17: Arrival

Arrival in Amsterdam where you take your connection flight. Welcome back home! (-/-/-)

Machu Picchu + Galapagos Islands - Rates 2011 / 2012:

This is not your preferred trip - get your individual itinerary.
Ask for special offers and last minute deals.
Rates in Euros available.

$ 8.999 USD - incl. Cormorant Evolution Catamaran + flights
$ 9.499 USD - incl. Grace Luxury Yacht + flights

Make it LUXURY:
Upgrade to best hotels, just suites, Hiram Bingham train, extra night at Machu Picchu, Grace Yacht Owner Suite, best guides, personal assistance:
$ 15.899 USD - incl. Grace Luxury Yacht Owner Suite + flights

Travel on a shoestring:
Travel First Class instead of Luxury and save $ 3.000 USD or more.
$ 5.999 USD - incl. Beluga First Class Yacht + flights

Single rooms and triple rooms upon request.

Rates are valid for a minimum of participants of two. All offers subject to availability. Prices are per person in a double cabin / room (double occupancy). All prices are final prices incl. VAT. Please see our general terms and conditions for further booking and payment details.

Services included:

• Cruise (group travel) and round trip (private tour) like mentioned
• English speaking guides
• private transportation
• entrance fees in Peru
• flight Cusco-Lima-Quito, Economy Class (LAN or TACA Airlines)
• flight Quito/Guayaquil-Galapagos-Quito, Economy Class (TAME or Aerogal)
• rooms at First Class Hotels (double rooms)
• meals like mentioned (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner/supper) and purified drinking water during cruise

Flight rates 2011 / 2012:
All rates are example rates quoted from/to London in August 2012. Please ask for daily rates. Rates are subject to change.
Business Class: from $ 7.200 USD (in South America only Economy Class available)
Economy Class: from $ 2.200 USD

Airlines, itineraries and prices are subject to change.

Entry requirements Ecuador and Peru:
Entry requirements incl. children: All foreign nationals from the Erupean Union, United Kingdom, USA and Canada can normally enter Ecuador or Peru without a visa as tourists. Ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months from the date of your arrival or until the date of your departure from Ecuador, whichever is the longest. The immigration police will normally allow to remain in Ecuador for up to 90 days.
Yellow Fever Certificate: If you have recently visited a country, which is known to suffer from outbreaks of Yellow Fever, you will need to show that you have been vaccinated against the disease (e.g. WHO international certificate of vaccination).

Contact us for your individual offer and tour