Inca Trail & Galapagos

Upon arrival, a representative will welcome you and take you to your convenient hotel located at the airport for a good night’s rest before your early onward flight tomorrow to Cusco.

Meals (X)

Upon arrival to Cusco you will be transferred to the Sacred Valley where lunch will be served at local restaurant.

In the afternoon you will go on to Ollantaytambo, one of the most representative building complexes of the Inca Empire and site of one of the Spanish Conquistadors’ rare strategic defeats. Famous for its terraced fields, Ollantaytambo was a very effective fortress and also a religious center.

Overnight at selected hotel in the Sacred Valley.

Meals (B, L)

You will enjoy a panoramic visit of the Maras salt mines, where the finest salt in the world is extracted. Then, you will head to Moray, a fascinating archaeological site in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. You will visit its huge concentric terraces, which the Incas used as a botanical laboratory.

Afterwards, you will head to Chinchero to enjoy a traditional lunch. Continue to a panoramic view of Chinchero’s Church, which was built by the Spanish in 1607 and remains standing until today. Continue with the visit to the Chinchero ruins, where you will find an important Inca center in which terraces and aqueducts were built.

Overnight at selected hotel in the Sacred Valley.

Meals (B, L)

You will be picked up from your hotel in and transferred to Ollantaytambo, where you will have time to do some last-minute shopping before starting your trek. You will then head to Piscacucho community, at Km. 82, where you will find the starting point of your trek.

You will take the course and walk about 3 hours along the Urubamba River, enjoying unparalleled landscapes and beautiful wildlife along the route. You will arrive to Willca Racay at the archaeological complex of Llaqtapata, where you will have some time to enjoy and appreciate the ruins have lunch and rest before continuing with your walk. You will resume the journey to ascend to the community of Huayllabamba, where the camp will be established,

Overnight in tent.

Meals (B, L, D)

After a healthy breakfast, you will begin to ascend towards the first and highest pass of the Warmiwañusca route (4215 m.a.s.l.), from where you will have a spectacular view of the Vilcabamba and Vilcanota mountain ranges. This ascent will take you almost all morning, arriving at Lllulluchapata at lunchtime.

After having time to rest and eat, you will continue your walk to Pacaymayo, where the camp will be set up at 3600 masl, basically the most challenging day of the walk.

Overnight in tent.

Meals (B, L, D)

Your third day of trekking will begin with an ascent to the second step, Runcuracay, which is a little lower than the first one (4000 m.a.s.l.). Then, you will descend for a couple of hours to Phuyupatamarca, where you can rest and have lunch surrounded by the beauty of the place. At the end of your lunch, you will continue your journey to Wiñaywayna, enjoying the view of the snowy mountains and the valley as you go.

Finally, you will arrive at the area where you will camp, This day is the longest of the entire walk, passing through cloud forests and visiting a few archeological sites built by The Incas.

Overnight in tent.

Meals (B, L, D)

Your last day of the Inca Trail will also start very early and with an energetic breakfast. The journey will start towards Inti Punku, or Sun Gate, from where you will have an impressive view of Machu Picchu. You will walk a little more and you will find yourself inside Machu Picchu, where – after a short break – your guide will explain the history, organization and mysteries of the place.

At the end of the almost 2-hour tour, you will board the bus that will take you to the town of Aguas Calientes, where you will have the option of walking around town or having lunch, as you prefer.

Then, you will board the train that will take you back to Ollantaytambo station, from where you will be taken back to your hotel.

Overnight at selected hotel in Cusco.

Meals (B, L, D)

Today you will explore the city of Cusco, also known as the Imperial City and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. You will walk its streets where time seems to have stopped, where every corner tells a story.

You will visit the Koricancha Temple, an ancient Inca palace and center of worship to the Sun God, on which the Dominican order built a church, which remains standing to this day. You will continue ascending to the Sacsayhuaman Fortress, an impressive example of Inca military architecture. Afterwards, you will visit the picturesque San Pedro Market.

The afternoon is yours to spend at your leisure.

Overnight at selected hotel in Cusco.

Meals (B)

Goodbye Peru, hello Ecuador! At the scheduled time, you will be transferred from your Cusco hotel to the airport, for your flight from Cusco to Quito.

Once you arrive in Quito, you’ll be met and transferred to your  selected hotel where you will spend the night.

Meals (B)

The place to start exploring Ecuador is Colonial Quito: a city of narrow cobblestone streets lined with whitewashed walls and, rising above, the steeples and cupolas of the city’s many spectacularly decorated historic churches. The city has one of the best-preserved colonial centers in all South America, and its integrity was assured in 1978 when the United Nations declared Quito a World Cultural Heritage site.

We will walk through the Main Plaza, where you will see the Government Palace, La Compañía, and some of the most important churches built around the XVI and XVII centuries, including the San Francisco Monastery which was started 5 days after the founding of the city in 1534. Then we will visit the city’s famous La Ronda street, where we will learn about traditional work in Colonial Quito.

For our last stop, we will also be visiting the ‘Panecillo’, the hill that dominates the South of the city, and where we will be able to admire the famous statue of Our Lady of the Panecillo and enjoy spectacular views of Quito.

The afternoon is yours to spend at your leisure.

Overnight at selected hotel in Quito.

Meals (B)

At the scheduled time, you will be transferred from your Quito hotel to the airport for your flight to Galapagos.

AM: After passing through the baggage claim, you will be met by a Horizon staff member and transferred to the yacht. You will be shown to your cabin where you will have some time to settle in before lunch and a welcome briefing.

PM: This site is part of an environmental project. The tour of this center will explore the natural history of the islands including human interaction and conservation efforts. The Museum of Natural History explains the volcanic origin of the archipelago, ocean currents, climate, and the arrival of endemic species. The Human History exhibit chronologically describes significant events such as discovery and colonization of the islands.

Meals (B, L, D)

AM: Located on the northern coast, this eroded hill and its surroundings present one of the most picturesque beaches in the Galapagos with its white powdery sand and the abundance of animals. Wildlife includes sea turtles, rays, and various types of booby birds. The clear water provides an excellent opportunity for enjoying swimming and snorkeling.

PM: This striking rock formation is located a couple of hours off the western shore of San Cristobal. Jutting out of the water, the rocks stand vertically at hundreds of feet above the ocean divided by a small channel. Although there are no landing areas, circumnavigation and dinghy rides allow visitors to spot a variety of marine life.

Meals (B, L, D)

AM: On the trail to Suarez Point you will have the chance to spot blue-footed boobies, albatrosses, and Nazca boobies. This island is the breeding site of nearly all of the world’s 12,000 pairs of waved albatrosses. You will also visit a beautiful site on the oceanfront where there is a cliff that the large albatrosses use as a launching pad! You will have the chance to see the famous blowhole that spurts sea water into the air. The landscape is great for photography.

PM: This excursion takes you to the spectacular Gardner Bay. After landing, you can walk across a lovely white-sand beach amongst a busy sea lion colony or dive into the water to swim with sea lion pups. You may also see curious mockingbirds on the beach.

Meals (B, L, D)

AM: Bachas Beach is located on the north shore of Santa Cruz and is a beach for swimming. One of the few remnants of the U.S. World War II presence in the Galapagos, a floating pier, can be seen here. You may see flamingos, Sally Lightfoot crabs, hermit crabs, black-necked stilts, and whimbrels. Sea turtles also nest on the beach.

After this final visit, you will be transferred to the Baltra airport in time for your flight back to the mainland.

Meals (B)