Welcome to Lima!

Fly to Puerto Maldonado. Embark on a MOTORBOAT for a journey up the Tambopata River to view the exotic wildlife. Arrive at your unique Amazon Jungle Lodge within the Ese’ Eja native Indian community. Take a walk to the CANOPY TOWER to observe the forest and river and their inhabitants. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

A boat trip and walk bring you to TRES CHIMBADAS OXBOW LAKE to search by canoe for the resident giant river otters—the largest and most endangered of the otter species. This afternoon, learn about medicinal uses of the area’s endemic plants. Tonight, why not participate in a night walk to observe nocturnal wildlife? (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Visit the Parrot Clay Lick and watch parrots and macaws perch to eat clay. Also visit a native slash-and-burn FARM to learn about this sustainable practice. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Fly to Lima today, where the remainder of your day is at leisure. (Breakfast)

This morning, your Local Guide focuses on the city’s colonial heritage during a walking TOUR. Start at the Plaza de Armas to see the Government Palace and the cathedral. From here, stroll to the venerable SAN FRANCISCO MONASTERY with its splendid 17th-century cloister murals. For a special treat, stop at a LOCAL PERUVIAN FOOD MARKET to get a real taste of life for the local people. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at one of Lima’s finest historic homes, CASA GARCIA ALVARADO, with your fellow traveling companions. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Fly to Cusco, the impressive Andean city that was once the capital of the Inca Empire. Spend the day in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, starting with a visit to the TEMPLE OF SACSAYHUAMAN, perched on a hillside overlooking Cusco. It remains unfathomable how and when this fortress of gigantic stones—with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons—was built. While at the ruins, experience an El Pago a la Tierra, or MOTHER EARTH CEREMONY, performed by a local shaman. These ceremonies thanking Mother Earth and asking for good health and safe travels have been practiced in Peru since before the arrival of the Incas. Next, stop at the semi-circular KENKO Amphitheater with its stone altars and labyrinth of passages. See the ancient site of Puca Pucara before continuing to PISAC, an old mountain village where you will have free time to shop for local wares such as alpaca sweaters and blankets, jewelry, or hand-painted ornamental dishes and vases. Stay in the Sacred Valley tonight, and enjoy a special dinner outing with a PERUVIAN PASO HORSE SHOW. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

This morning, visit the Inca Fortress of OLLANTAYTAMBO followed by the opportunity to visit a HOME, meet some of the locals, and experience their way of life. Next, board a TRAIN for a short journey through the lush Urubamba Valley. Then, transfer to a motorcoach for the ascent to legendary MACHU PICCHU, the “Lost City of the Incas,” high above the steep valley overlaid with dense tropical jungle. Your Local Guide will bring you closer to the lives and mysteries still hidden in these amazing structures built by the pre-Columbian masters of this sacred land. Tonight, stay at a nearby hotel. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Your entrance to MACHU PICCHU is included for a second day. Enjoy the tranquility of the morning with free time to wander the ruins at your own pace and experience the magic that is Machu Picchu. After lunch, return to the Sacred Valley by TRAIN and continue on to Cusco. (Breakfast, Lunch)

This morning, learn more about the Incas and their struggle against invading Spaniards on your Cusco city TOUR, with visits to the imposing CATHEDRAL and the SANTO DOMINGO MONASTERY. The remainder of your day is free to explore at your leisure. Tonight, enjoy a special farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Bid farewell to your Tour Director in Cusco and board a flight to Lima. Meet a Local Guide and transfer to your hotel. The afternoon is at leisure to explore the city. (Breakfast)

Fly to Guayaquil, where the remainder of the day is at leisure. (Breakfast)

Fly to Baltra and board the Galápagos Legend for your 3-night CRUISE. This afternoon, visit MOSQUERA ISLET, where one of the largest colonies of sea lions in the Galápagos can be found on the white sandy beach. You will also find nesting lava gulls, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas, and Sally lightfoot crabs. The nearby coral reefs also make this a great site for snorkeling off the beach. In the water, keep your eye out for sea turtles, rays, tropical fish and even Galápagos sharks. ( B,L,D)

This morning, visit SOUTH PLAZA and take a walk through an impressive cactus forest surrounded by land and marine iguanas. As you reach the highest point, be on the lookout for tropical birds, Nazca and blue-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls, to name a few. On South Plaza, there is a large colony of the smaller-sized land iguanas. Due to their proximity to marine iguanas, this is the only place on Earth where we will find the Galápagos hybrid iguana. Later today, disembark on the white-sand beach of SANTA FÉ, where you will be surrounded by a colony of sea lions. Continue walking through an endemic cactus forest as your Naturalist leads the search for the endemic Santa Fe land iguana. This island is home to a number of other endemic species, as well, including the Galápagos hawk, Galápagos snake, a variety of finches, and one of the four species of Galápagos mockingbirds. This is also a great opportunity for snorkeling. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

A brisk walk at Punta Pitt on SAN CRISTOBAL leads to the top of a volcanic tuff, and offers several magnificent viewpoints. This is probably the only site where the three Galápagos booby species can be seen together, as well as the two species of frigatebirds. It is an excellent area for exploring by panga—or in the water! At CERRO BRUJO this afternoon, see an eroding tuff cone with its lava formations. Visit a lagoon where migratory bird species can be seen, like black-necked stilts, ruddy turnstones, whimbrels, other sandpiper species, and white-cheeked pintails. The beautiful white-sand beach here is a great place to snorkel and look for marine life. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Disembark this morning and visit the GALPAGUERA on San Cristobal to learn about the national park’s conservation programs and the giant tortoises of the Galápagos. You will also have the opportunity to visit the port before your return flight to Quito. (Breakfast)

On a city tour, see INDEPENDENCE SQUARE with its CATHEDRAL and SAN FRANCISCO PLAZA CHURCH, and the BASILICA. (Breakfast)

Your tour ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)