GALAPAGOS & MACHU PICCHU ITINERARY:
Days 1 - 3, Wednesday - Friday - Depart for Quito, Ecuador
Depart from home on Wednesday.
Set in a valley ringed by snowcapped volcanoes, Quito welcomes
you. Explore its many
colonial churches, monasteries, paintings
and sculptures, and visit the Equatorial
Monument. Visit the
famous Otavalo market and admire the handcrafted textiles of the
local indigenous people. In the small town of Cotacachi—Ecuador’s
center of
leatherworks—enjoy strolling through the town’s narrow
streets where quaint shops abound.
Days 4 - 7, Saturday - Tuesday - The Galapagos Islands:
Baltra, Bartolome,
Santiago, Fernandina, Isabela, North Seymour
& Santa Cruz
The M/V Galápagos Explorer II awaits you for a five-day
cruise of the living laboratory
where Charles Darwin studied and
collected samples of the flora and fauna. His
observations on
the islands’ diverse species would later become the basis for
the
Theory of Evolution. You’ll explore the islands by Zodiacs
and find opportunity to swim
and snorkel in crystal clear
waters. Hike pathways to view endemic wildlife such as the
Galápagos Tortoise, known to have a lifespan of more than 150
years.
Days 8 & 9, Wednesday & Thursday - Lima, Peru
Explore the sights of colonial Lima with a visit to the San
Francisco Monastery and the
Plaza de Armas Square. View the
world’s largest private collection of Peruvian pre-
Colombian art
at the Larco-Herrera Museum, and marvel at the extensive
collection of
ceramics, textiles, gold, silver, and erotic
pottery.
Day 10, Friday - Cuzco
High in the Andes, more than 10,000 feet above sea level,
Cuzco was founded in the
15th century by the Incas and was later
conquered by the Spanish. Much of its
fascinating architecture
reflects the dramatic Spanish style known as Cuzco Baroque.
You’ll explore the Convent of Santo Domingo, known as Korikancha
to the Incas, a
temple devoted to worship of the sun, and tour
the countryside to see the National
Archeological site of Sacsayhuaman.
DAY 11, Saturday: Cuzco & Machu Picchu
Early this morning drive to Cuzco’s Poroy Station to board the luxury Hiram
Bingham train for your journey to fantastic Machu Pcchu. Travel aboard this deluxe
train for the next three hours and enjoy its distinctive blue and gold livery and elegant
interior uholstery appointed in warm, inviting tones.
Lunch is served on board and
guides are present to explain points of interest along the way.
Machu Picchu is undoubtedly the most spectacular Inca site on the continent. What
remains of the Inca legacy is limited, as the conquistadors plundered what they could
of Inca treasures and in so doing, dismantled the many structures painstakingly built
by Inca craftsmen. Remarkably, a last bastion of the Inca Empire, Machu Picchu,
remained unknown to the Spanish conquerors. Discovered in 1911 by American
explorer Hiram Bingham, with support from Yale University and National Geographic,
the citadel is deemed one of the world's finest examples of landscape architecture.
Machu Picchu (Old Mountain in Quechua, the ancient language of the Incas)
nestles on top of a mountain saddle high above the Urubamba River in the middle
of the cloud forest. It was both a center of worship and astronomic observatory as
well as the private retreat of the family of Inca ruler Pachacútc.
After your guided tour of this ancient citadel, have a typical English Afternoon
Tea at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge. At 8,200 feet above sea level, it is the
only hotel located within the very sanctuary of the Machu Picchu Inca citadel.
Once back on board the train, cocktails are served, accompanied by live
entertainment, then followed by a four course, à la carte dinner presented in
the dining cars. We arrive in Cuzco late evening, and be taken directly back to
our hotel. Hotel Monasterio del Cuzco
DAY 12, Sunday Cuzco & Pisac
Enjoy a thrilling full day excursion to the Urubamba Valley the Sacred Valley of
the Incas that runs from east of Pisac to Ollantaytambo at the western end of the
Valley. There are Inca remains all over the valley.
On the way to the Urubamba Valley, you will visit Awanakancha, a center where
South American Camelids (members of the camel family) – Llamas, Alpacas,
Guanacos, and Vicunas – are bred. You will learn about the renowned fibers created
from their coats, as well as the ancient weaving techniques which are still used.
It is a narrow, winding valley with spectacular snow
capped peaks. You’ll visit Pisac,
which is best known for its market. You can see the impressive set of Incan ruins
perched on the mountainside overlooking the valley. Enjoy a delicious lunch at Casa
Orihuelo, a lovely old hacienda. Here you’ll choose from delectable local cuisine as
you view the charming gardens.
Return to Cuzco in the afternoon. Cuzco means “Navel of the World” in Quechua,
as it was the capital of the Inca Empire. The city is filled with Inca buildings
designed forreligious, administrative, military and domestic purposes. After the
conquest, the Spanish built a new city on top of the old one they found and the
Spanish colonial monuments are among the richest and mos luxurious in the
Andes.Hotel Monasterio del Cuzco
DAY 13, Monday Cuzco & Lima
Early this morning we fly back to Lima, and the luxurious Miraflores Park Plaza
Hotel. Lima, located on the central western coast, is a large cosmopolitan city
shrouded in a dreamy coastal fog for much of the year. It’s an exciting city known
for the friendly people, important historical sites, high‐quality museums and
a variety of fine dining and entertainment establishments. We have the day at
leisure to explore Lima on our own.
Our farewell dinner will be in South America’s best‐preserved colonial mansion,
Casa Aliaga. Located across from the Presidential Palace in colonial Lima, the 66
room ancestral mansion was built in 1535 by Don Jeronimo de Aliaga, a member of
Pizarro's conquering forces. Seventeen generations later, Casa Aliaga is still
inhabited by the Aliaga family, whose heirlooms include the beautiful original
furniture. It is the jewel of Colonial Lima and the oldest private household in
continuous use in the Western Hemisphere. Miraflores Park Plaza Hotel
DAY 14, Tuesday Depart for Home
This morning you will be taken to the Lima airport for your flight home or on to
your next destination.
NOTE: The Daily Itinerary above is subject to change dependent upon local conditions
and/or operational changes or improvements. The specific times and order of inclusions
within each destination may also be altered to best accommodate unscheduled closure,
special events, weather, traffic, etc. Please contact your Vacation Planner before
scheduling any coinciding appointments. You will receive an up-dated, itinerary
approximately 30 days prior to your journey’s scheduled departure date.
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