10-Nights Wonders of the Galapagos & Peru

Goway Travel

This 11-day South American vacation takes you to Guayaquil and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador before exploring Lima and the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Peru. It features first-class and moderate accommodations, shared tours, and is an ideal pairing of some of South America’s most popular destinations.

Your journey begins with a brief stop in mainland Ecuador, before boarding a flight to the Galapagos Islands. After landing on Baltra, you’ll connect to your camp in the Santa Cruz highlands, where you’ll share the hillside with giant tortoises and enjoy stunning views of the colourful sunsets off the island. While in the Galapagos Islands, you’ll spend a few days following in Darwin's footsteps and exploring the biodiverse playground full of blue-footed boobies, inquisitive sea lions, and centuries old giant tortoises. One day, go sightseeing on a motor yacht, snorkeling through the waters and visiting Santa Fe Island, home to land iguanas that feed off the island’s prickly pear cactuses. The next day, explore La Loberia, named after its sea lion colony, and venture through the Untel del Amor, where you can share the waters with white-tipped reef sharks. You’ll also have time to hang out in the village of Puerto Ayora, visit Tortuga Bay, or learn about animal conservation at the Charles Darwin Research Station.

From Baltra, fly back to the mainland and connect to Lima, the capital of Peru and South America’s gastronomical capital. You’ll have a day to explore the city, starting in the cosmopolitan districts of Miraflores and San Isidro, where you’ll see a pre-Inca pyramid and enjoy the views off the coastal cliffs. Continue to Lima District, where you’ll explore Peru’s colonial history at the Presidential Palace and Archbishop’s Palace.

From Lima, fly to Cusco in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, where you’ll have the rest of the day at leisure to acclimate to the high altitude. The next day, descend into the valley to visit the PARWA Center in Chinchero, explore the town’s Inca ruins, admire the views from Racchi Viewpoint, and summit the fortress of Ollantaytambo. From Ollantaytambo, you’ll ride the train to Aguas Calientes, located at the foot of Machu Picchu Mountain. Spend the night and rise early the next day to ride the bus up the mountain to visit Machu Picchu, the Lost Citadel of the Incas for yourself. Tour the mountaintop Incan ruins and learn about the history of this lost settlement that wasn’t discovered by the broader world until 1911. After soaking in the magic of this historic location, you’ll descend the mountain, ride the train to Ollantaytambo, and then connect back to Cusco. In Cusco, you’ll have another day to explore the former capital of the Inca Empire. Visit some of the colonial churches around the Plaza de Armas and hike up the fortress ruins of Sacsayhuaman, which overlook the entire city.

At the end of your stay, you’ll head to the airport to connect to your onward destination.

Vacation Inclusions

• 10 nights in first-class accommodations
• Local English-speaking guides in each locality
• Visit to Giant Tortoise Reserve
• Small group tour to la Loberia Island (max 16 guests)
• Small group yacht excursion (max 16 guests)
• Small group tour of Modern & Colonial Lima (max 16 guests)
• Small group tour to Maras, Raqchi viewpoint, Misminay community, and Moray (max 16 guests)
• Small group tour of Machu Picchu (max 16 guests)
• Train service between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes
• Transfers between Cusco and the Sacred Valley
• Breakfast daily (excluding day 1), 3 lunches, 1 dinner

Featured Destinations

Isla Baltra Isla Baltra Today Baltra is the most important airport of Galápagos and a small navy base for Ecuador. Baltra has suffered most from human settling and does not have any visitor sites. Many cruises start from the its harbour and already there pelicans and noddies will welcome you. To the north lies Mosquera, a small sandy bank with a large colony of sea lions. Go swimming and snorkeling on the beach.
Galapagos Islands Galapagos Islands The Galápagos Archipelago is a unique world heritage. Situated on the equator 600 miles off the coast of South America, this remote volcanic archipelago remains much as it was millions of years ago. Over the centuries, animal and plant life from the Americas reached the islands and gradually evolved into new forms. Many of its species are found nowhere else on earth. Since Darwin's famous voyage, its marine and terrestrial ecosystems have provided a wealth of information and source of inspiration for people through the world. The "Enchanted Islands" continue to play an important role in our understanding of life on earth. The Galapagos experience offers world travelers a way to step back in time, to visit an isolated, relatively untouched place on earth.	Destination Guide
Sacred Valley Sacred Valley The Urubamba valley is also named the Sacred Valley. It begins in the Urubamba's village and continues to Macchu Picchu.
Cuzco Cuzco The Cuzco (Cusco) region of Peru combines Inca legacy with Spanish colonial architecture in an atmosphere at once provincial and sublime. The chaotic marketplaces where campesinos barter grain or potatoes for multi-colored fabric belie the mute spirituality of the Lost Cities, where Inca stonework conveys order and balance. Such diversity enhances this inspiring nine-day adventure. The blue sky radiates with an intensity achieved only at high altitudes (the city of Cuzco lies 11,150 feet above sea level), while the landscape offers its unique pattern of exacting agricultural grids and tangled jungle masses.	Destination Guide
Lima Lima Lima, "the City of the Kings," became the effective capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru, established 1560. Today, a visit to Lima may serve as a unique Peruvian experience that offers a glimpse into the Andean world, Spanish tradition and the country's modern aspect. Visit handsome old buildings and baroque churches that testify to the city's religious background and the Plaza de Armas, shared by the realms of the Catholic church, municipality and national government. The pre-Inca ruins of Pachacamac lie a short distance south of the city. Once a ceremonial site, Pachacamac has been the most important religious center of the Andean world since before the age of Christ. Stop and admire The Temple of the Sun and the Moon, Lima's outstanding museums, and Machu Picchu - a "Jewel in the Mist."	Destination Guide
Puerto Ayora Puerto Ayora Puerto Ayora is located on the southern end of Isla Santa Cruz. Puerto Ayora is a charming port town where sea, sun, seabirds and sailboats coexist. On the town's outskirts are the headquarters to the world-renowned Charles Darwin Research Station. Many travelers just pass through on the way to see Lonesome George (a 150-year old tortoise; the last of his species) at Darwin Station. Puerto Ayora is a lively seaside town offering international cuisine, oceanfront hotels, outdoor bars, scuba diving schools and an avenue of boutiques with everything from tie-dyed sarongs to Panama hats. Relish the Islands' crescent slices of sand, spectacular diving, mountain top vistas, and tropical climate. Visit select islands and choose from an array of outdoor activities, such as kayaking, scuba diving, snorkeling, horseback riding and mountain biking. Puerto Ayora provides the most convenient base for island hopping. Three boats, the Delphin, Esmeraldas III and Santa Fe, offer day trips to Florena, Bartoleme, North Seymore and Plazas.
Quito Quito Quito is a fantastic place to visit and the best place to start your Latin American journey. Quito is also the entertainment center in Ecuador with new bars and discos opening every week and also the best place to shop, either at the small souvenir shops or at big malls. Quito has many interesting cultural sites, historical sites, museums, private galleries, churches, exhibition centers, and theaters.	Destination Guide

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