|
ITINERARY
Day 1-
Monday
Arrival in
Quito , reception and transfer to your hotel (D)
Day
2-Tuesday: Quito City Tour
After
breakfast, a full guided tour in private, of Quito . The tour will
include; the Plaza de la Independencia; the Parque Alameda; The Plaza de
San Francisco; La Compaņia, and the “Middle of the world monument”.
Return to your hotel. (BLD)
Day
3-Wednesday: Quito
– San Christobal – Cerro Brujo – Bartolome Island
Transfer to
Quito airport at around 7am for your 9am flight to the Galapagos Islands
to join your cruise for the next 8 days aboard the Galapagos Explorer II
on a Balcony Suite.
Itineraries
for the explorer are subject to change, but a typical itinerary is as
follows:-
From the
Explorer, we will do a wet landing on the beach at Cerro Brujo to view the
various sea-lions and plethora of birds such as the Yellow Warbler, Ground
Finch, Plover, Catchers, Lava Heron and the Blue Footed Booby).
We will then have a dry landing and disembark at Bartolome Island
for an optional 40 minute trek to the summit point. Return to the ship.
(BLD)
Day 4-Thursday:
Bartolome Island – Puerto Egas , Santiogo Island
We will view
Bartolome Island in the morning and then in the afternoon, head towards
Puerto Egas, Santiago Island . This island offers a variety of
seabirds, marine iguanas and Galapagos fur seal. It is the best site
in the Archipelago to watch the Galapagos Fur Seal. (BLD)
Day
5-Friday: Punta Espinosa – Fernandina – Isabela Island – Punta
Vincente Roca
Fernandina
is the westernmost island of the Archipelago. The colossal shield of the
still active volcano Fernandina reaches 1,494 m. The main attractions of
this island are its Lava-Cactuses and the on the surface of the lava, the
growing mangroves. In the afternoon, we will head to Punta Vincente Roca
at the west coast of Isabela. (BLD)
Day
6-Saturday: North Seymour Island – Santa Cruz
North
Seymour is an ‘uplifted’ (as opposed to volcanic) island and so is
generally flat and strewn with boulders. There are good nesting sites here
for a large population of magnificent frigate birds. It is home to
numerous Blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls.
Santa Cruz
is the second largest island in the Galapagos. The bay is also encircled
by the dozy and tended town Puerto Ayora. The Charles Darwin Research
Station and the Galapagos National Park offices are based here. The
station is also a tortoise breeding and rearing centre, where tortoises of
different subspecies are prepared for reintroduction to their natural
habitats. It is here that one will find Lonesome George, the only survivor
of this specific turtle species. (BLD)
Day 7-Sunday:
Islas Lobos – Interpretation center
Today we
will visit the small island of Lobos , situated outside San Cristobal . It
was named after the many sea lions that live there. There are also
blue-footed boobies and on the east coast, Leon Dormido (also called
Kicker Rock) is located. (BLD)
Day
8-Monday: Espanola Island – Punta Suarez – Charles Station – Puerto
Ayora
Espanola Island is one of the oldest of the islands. It is small and flat
with no visible volcanic crater or vent. Because of its great variety of
sea birds it is very popular with birdwatchers.
Punta Suarez
is one of the most outstanding wildlife areas of the archipelago, with a
long list of species found along its cliffs and sandy or pebble
beaches.
Puerto
Ayora, with a population of about 10,000 people is the location of the
Charles Darwin Research Station, world famous for its tortoise breeding
programs. After touring the Station, we will journey by bus into the
highlands to Los Gemelos the two deep pit craters situated in the Scalesia
forest with lots of interesting bird life. Here, about 40 Giant Tortoises
live in the wild. (BLD)
Day 9-Tuesday:
Darwin bay – Genovesa Island – El Barranco
This morning
we will have a wet landing for an easy stroll observing thousands of bird
life, mainly frigate birds, red footed and masked boobies, gulls, herons,
finches and mockingbirds. You will have a change to visit the area further
on foot.
After lunch,
we head to Genovesa, a collapsed volcano which attracts vast numbers of
pelagic seabirds that come here to nest and breed: great frigate birds,
red-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and storm petrels. (BLD)
Day 10-
Wednesday: Ochoa Beach - San Christobal
Today we
will encounter many sea lion colonies and numerous blue-footed boobies.
Transfer to the airport for the flight back to the mainland for your
return flight to Quito (BLD)
Day
11-Thursday
Transfer to
the airport and fly to Lima , Capital of Peru. Transfer to the Miraflores
Park Plaza Hotel. (BLD)
Day 12-Friday:
Guided tour of Lima
This tour
takes you on a private guided visit of colonial and modern Lima ,
including the cathedral, the San Francisco Convent and its catacombs. The
tour also includes a visit to the residential areas of San Isidro and
Miraflores. Return to your hotel .
(BLD)
Day 13-Saturday:
Lima to Cuzco
Transfer to
the airport for your flight to Cuzco. Afternoon private guided visit of
the four ruins nearby, starting with the Sacsayhuaman Fortress,
Kenko, red Fortress of Puca-Pucara and Tambomachay, the Main
Square , the Cathedral and the Koricancha or Temple of the Sun.
Return to
your hotel for dinner and a folkloric show. (BLD)
Day 14-Sunday:
Sacred valley to Ollantaytambo
Full -day
excursion to the beautiful Urubamba , the Sacred Valley of the Inca
situated between Pisac and Ollantaytambo. The Sacred Valley was once home
to numerous Incan farming settlements, as well as being a through route to
the Jungle, enabling them access to the fruits and plants of the tropical
lowlands.
We then
visit the village of Pisac. On Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, Indians
barter their products in the main square and artisans from around the area
sell their woven alpaca wool blankets and ponchos, engraved gourds,
antique reproductions, jewellery, etc.
After a
buffet lunch, a visit to Ollantaytambo, built on top of original Inca
foundations and is the best surviving example of Inca town planning. The
gigantic monoliths are part of what was to be a shrine or temple. The
temple area is at the top of steep terracing which helped to provide
excellent defences.Transfer to your hotel. (BLD)
Day 15-Monday:
Cuzco to Machu Picchu Sanctuary
Transfer to
the Poroy station to board the 09h00 Hiram Bingham luxury train to the
town of Aguas Calientes and then transfer to the sanctuary of Machu Picchu
. The train, departing every day except Sunday’s, makes the journey in 3
and half hours.
A private
guided tour of the marvellous citadel, visiting the Main Plaza , the Royal
Quarters, the Temple of Three Windows, the Circular Tower and the Sacred
Sun Dial and Burial Grounds. Overnight at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary
Lodge. (BLD)
Day 16-Tuesday:
Machu Picchu to Cuzco
Option to
visit the sanctuary again on your own. Transfer to the train station for
the 18h15 journey back to Cuzco . (BLD)
Day
17-Wednesday: Cuzco to Puno
Transfer to
the railway station for the wonderful trans-altiplano Inca express to
Puno, at an altitude of 3827m. Lunch onboard the "Orient
Express" of Peru . The journey will take you across the imposing
altiplano region of Peru a harsh highland region much better suited to
roaming vicuņas and alpacas than to people, but affords magnificent views
of majestic snow peaks. reception and transfer to Hotel. (BLD)
Day 18
Thursday -Lake Titicaca and Taquile
After
breakfast, a tour by boat with private guide to the island's of Uros and
Taquile on Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake and the
center of a region where thousands of subsistence farmers eke out a living
fishing in its icy waters, growing potatoes in the rocky land at its edge
or herding llama and alpaca. We will then continue to Taquile, where
members of this self-supporting island will welcome you and offer a
glimpse into their ancient traditions and customs. Lunch on the
island (BLD)
Day
19-Friday:Sillustani Towers and Lima
This morning
we will head out early towards Juliaca and visit the Silluastani towers.
These ancient funereal towers dating back to pre-Inca times are examples
of the most ancient cultures found on the altiplano. After lunch, transfer
to Juliaca airport for the return flight back to Lima arriving late
afternoon.
Transfer to
your Hotel where you will have a room available for you to refresh
yourselves. Later, transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
(BLD)
BACK TO LUXURY
TOURS
|
