Arrive In Ecuador And Prepare Yourself For The Adventure In The Middle Of The World quito ecuador An international trip of so many hours can tire even the strongest, that's why we will take care of everything upon your arrival to the Ecuadorian capital. At Quito Airport, your local host will be looking for you at the arrival gate of international flights to accompany you to the hotel of your preference in Quito.

Once you have settled in your room, you can take a comforting shower, leaving behind the fatigue of such a long flight, and rest or you can take advantage of the time to enjoy a tasty lunch (on your own) in your hotel or surrounding restaurants, previously recommendation of our host.

Tonight we recommend you rest and gather your energy for the next day!

• Overnight in Quito.
• Included meals: None.

Today, the mountain range of Ecuador and its jewel, Quito, will welcome you as you take a fantastic City Tour! But first, you will enjoy a fantastic breakfast in your hotel. After our local tour guide will pick us up from the hotel to begin a fantastic city tour of Quito's colonial and modern zones.

The second-highest South American capital is over 9351 feet altitude. As we enter the historic area of the city we will be able to appreciate its modern side on its north face. Ornate churches, beautifully sculpted stone domes, traditional stucco houses with arched doors and iron bars on their balconies and windows that face the street remind us of the importance and beauty that Quito had during the Spanish colonial period.

During this tour, we’ll be able to appreciate the iconic Plaza de la Independencia (Independence Square), where the Ecuadorian colonists shouted for the first time a cry for independence throughout South America. Following on, we will go to the San Francisco Church to enjoy its beautiful facade and terrazzo. Then, our tour guide will take us to the monument to the Middle of the World, where the Equator divides the world into Northern and Southern hemispheres. Of course, our guide will teach us about the science and history behind the determination or equator line in the famous solar museum of Intiñan.

In the evening, finalizing this magic tour, our local tour guide will return you to your Quito hotel and recharge your batteries for our adventure tomorrow!

• Overnight in Quito.
• Included meals: Breakfast.

Enjoy 5 days/4 nights cruise on board Galapagos Explorer II. SATURDAY TO WEDNESDAY

At proper time transfer from hotel to airport in order to take the regular flight to the Galapagos Islands.

Peru will be waiting to be discovered by us this day. After a delicious breakfast in our Guayaquil hotel, a local host will pick you up to go to the International Airport and send you on a comfortable flight to Lima, the capital of Peru.

After around 3 hours of flight, you will arrive in the Peruvian capital. At Lima Airport, our Machu Travel Peru host will be looking for you at the arrival gate to accompany you to the hotel of your preference.

Once you have settled in your room, you can take a comforting shower, leaving behind the fatigue of such a long flight, and rest or you can take advantage of the time to enjoy the best Peruvian gastronomy with a tasty lunch (on your own) in your hotel or surrounding areas.

Later, we will begin a fantastic city tour of Lima's colonial and modern zones.

You can lose yourself among French-style, republican squares like the Plaza San Martin or the City's main square (Plaza de Armas) while wandering by a charming colonial alley called Jirón de la Unión. Following this, our guide will lead you to the colonial Monastery of San Francisco, where you can appreciate its beautiful Spanish baroque architecture and some religious sculptures from colonial times. But, the best of all will be exploring the hidden underneath its enigmatic catacombs! Here, you’ll know why this monastery was considered the first cemetery for the first Lima inhabitants.

After you return to your hotel, why not enjoy a beautiful afternoon at your own pace by exploring the zones of Miraflores, a Lima tourist district, walking in the beautiful Kennedy Park, or going shopping in the famous Larcomar Mall center.

In the evening, for dining, we recommend you consider the restaurants Central or Maido, which are considered the best in the country and currently holding 1st and 6th, respectively, in the world’s 50 Best Restaurants for 2023. Please remember that, due to their popularity, it is necessary to secure reservations in advance!

• Overnight in Lima.
• Included meals: Breakfast.

Our adventure in Andean lands is about to begin! After a satisfying breakfast provided by your hotel, our host will take you to Lima airport and send you on a comfortable, 75-minute flight to Cusco, the ancient Imperial Inca City.

You can watch the Pacific Ocean merge with blue skies through your plane window which gives way to gigantic dunes. These, in turn, collapse on the slopes of gigantic Andean mountains. Which were conquered many centuries ago by the impressive Inca civilization.

On your arrival to Cusco, our local host will be waiting for you at the zone of arrival national flights at Cusco airport with a sign with your name. “It is not altitude sickness… it is the feeling of being close to heaven” is a phrase he’ll often say about the altitude. Thus, to avoid altitude sickness, we’ll move directly from Cusco airport to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, located 600 meters below Cusco. But please don't worry, you will get to enjoy all the wonderful sights of Cusco at the end of our journey once your body is perfectly acclimatized to the altitude.

Upon entering the Sacred Valley of the Incas, we will visit an exceptional project called Awanacancha, where you’ll be able to appreciate the 4 types of South American camelids bred in captivity: the llama, the alpaca, the guanaco, and the vicuña. Also, you can feed them and learn to distinguish them. As if this were not enough, the Sacred Valley locals who work there will show you how they use their Inca ancestors’ techniques to transform the delicate fur of these animals, especially the alpaca and vicuña, into beautiful and colored clothes through traditional weaving, like multi-colored belts and exquisitely embroidered blankets, among others.

Then, we’ll continue descending through the valley slope until we reach a spectacular Inca archaeological site over a hill called Pisac, with magnificent terraced fields on its hill slopes, among Inca enclosures, squares, temples, and even an Inca cemetery! Our first contact with a rich Andean past! Descending into the modern town, we will lose ourselves among the colored stands of the famous Pisac traditional market, where we will be fascinated by its beautiful handicrafts made by local people, like fabric crafts, sculptures, jewelry, and paintings with Andean thematic.

Next, we will go to a charming restaurant in the middle of the beautiful landscapes of the Sacred Valley to enjoy a delicious lunch made from local ingredients, fully included in our program. You can choose the restaurant, in advance, with the advice of our travel consultants.

Finally, we’ll go to our hotel in the middle of the spectacular scenery of the Sacred Valley and you can enjoy a delicious dinner here, on your own. A well-deserved sleep is guaranteed tonight!

• Overnight in Sacred Valley.
• Included meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

The day to conquer Machu Picchu has arrived! After a delicious breakfast in your hotel, our host will take you to Ollantaytambo train station to dispatch you on a charming and comfortable train heading to Aguas Calientes, the modern town of Machu Picchu. The magical train trip will last one and a half hours, crossing the spectacular Peruvian jungle, always accompanied by the singing of exotic birds, leafy undergrowth, and the Vilcanota river that will follow the train's movement, like a snake on the lookout for its prey!

Once you arrive at Aguas Calientes train station, our local guide will await you at the arrivals gate. With your guide, you’ll go to the bus station to take a “CONSETTUR” bus heading to the top of a mountain where Machu Picchu citadel is located. After 35 minutes of the bus trip, the bus will drop you at the same entrance gate to Machu Picchu.

Then, you will enter the famous Inca citadel to start living the magic there! You can get lost between enclosures, squares, temples, and stone alleys perfectly carved and fitted. Exploring for two hours the mysteries and magic of an Inca citadel that continues to amaze the world with its beauty. Of course, as a soundtrack, you will listen to the stories of its construction, inhabitants, and function from your private guide.

Once the tour is over, but not before taking your dream photo of Machu Picchu, our tour guide will dispatch you in a CONSETTUR bus returning to Aguas Calientes town. There you’ll enjoy a fantastic lunch included in our program in one of the best restaurants in the zone.

Next, you’ll have to go to the Aguas Calientes train station to take your train to return to Cusco. There, you will take a comfortable train back to Ollantaytambo or Poroy train stations. Whatever station you arrive at, another member of our staff will wait for you to transfer to the Cusco Hotel, where you can enjoy a delicious dinner on your own, before taking a relaxing shower and enjoying a well-deserved rest.

Don't worry; as you can see, you will always be assisted at any departure or arrival point!

OPTIONAL: If you want to continue enjoying Machu Picchu, this package, like all the others, can be fully customized by adding a night in Aguas Calientes. So, on the following day, you'll be able to enjoy a second visit to the enigmatic Inca citadel or hike to nearby mountains like Huayna Picchu and get fabulous photos of Huayna Picchu. Just tell us your requirements, it’s as easy as that!

Overnight in Cusco.

Included meals: Breakfast and Lunch.

Are you ready to visit the beautiful, old, Capital of the Inca empire, the “Rome of America”. Of course, we refer to Cusco!  After your hotel provides a comforting and delicious breakfast, your guide will be ready to transport you into the past.

First, you’ll explore the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman, with its giant rocks perfectly fitted into its structure. The tour will continue by visiting the Qenqo Inca ceremonial center with its ancient sacrifice vestiges. Then, the Inca, military barrack, Puca Pucara will fascinate you with its beautiful views of Cusco. Following, our guide will show you the retreat place of the Inca sovereign called Tambomachay, with its beautiful water fonts, where the sovereign spent long periods resting and hunting.

Then, we will return to Cusco Center to lose ourselves in its charming stone alleys by appreciating the renaissance architecture of the Cathedral of Cusco and its famous painting collection of unique art style called "Escuela Cusqueña".

Later, your guide will lead you to Qoricancha temple, located a short distance from the Cathedral, where you will be fascinated with the mix of Inca and Spanish architectural styles, besides some original remains of the Inca temples inside it.

Finally, our tour will end in the main square. You might enjoy a nice lunch or dinner on your own in one of the nearby restaurants, or we can arrange transport to drop you off at your hotel. Whatever your decision, tell your guide what you would like to do!

• Overnight in Cusco.
• Included meals: Breakfast.

The worst part of a trip is when those good adventures you will remember forever, end. That is why Machu Travel Peru wants to save you the penalty. You will only have to enjoy a comforting breakfast fully included in your hotel reservation and let yourself go.

At a predetermined hour, LEADING PERU TRAVEL staff will transfer you to the Cusco airport and dispatch you on a flight to Lima.

Do you like the sound of our "From The Wondrous Galapagos To the Magical Machu Picchu" tour? Do you have extra requests or questions? Please don’t hesitate to write to us. We will always be attentive to personalize your dreams in Peru at your desire!

NOTE: This program will allow you to visit Quito and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador. Also, Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Moray, Salineras, and Machu Picchu in Peru. Additionally, you can add more exciting day tours in Ecuador or Peru or another destination in any of both countries. Please make contact with our travel agents!

• Included meals: Breakfast.

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