In this alluring Machu Picchu, Amazon and Galapagos tour, connect three iconic South American highlights, destinations shrouded in mystery and dancing with enchantment. A lost city, a thick enigmatic jungle, the endemic world of volcanic islands on the equator... each destination blurs into the surreal as you travel between Peru and Ecuador. Cultural and natural history combine as this handcrafted luxury tour unveils the best of a continent, culminating in a four-day cruise through the Galapagos...
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Walking Through a World Heritage City
Cusco's streets blend the tales of indigenous tribes and colonial conquerors, the two histories coming together as you explore the city on foot. Spanish palaces reveal a pomp and opulence while ancient Incan buildings suggest mystery and culture lost from the world. You'll be picked up at the airport and transferred to a five-star boutique hotel in the heart of the city. Relax, enjoy the atmosphere that flickers through the town, and have a welcome lunch with your guide. Then head out on a tour of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that blends intimate detail with impressive scale. Start in the center, an area dominated by colonial relics, then marvel at Saksaywamam, a large stone citadel that was once the heart of Incan culture. The afternoon tour will combine the city's major highlights before you enjoy a relaxed evening at leisure.
What's Included:
Day 2
Exploring the Sacred Valley of the Incas
Day 3
First Impressions of the Ancient Wonder
Day 4
Another Day to Explore Machu Picchu
Day 5
Colonial History in Ecuador
Day 6
Following the River in the Jungle
Day 7 - 8
Luxury and Wildlife Beneath the Canopy
Day 9
A Dramatic Journey Out of the Amazon
Day 10
Tortoises and a First Night on the Water
Day 11
Sea Lions, Boobies, and More Iconic Wildlife
Day 12
Marine Worlds and White Beaches
Day 13
Departure
Trip Highlights
- Marvel at the lost city of Machu Picchu and spend two days at these incredible Incan ruins
- Discover more indigenous history with a journey through the Sacred Valley of the Incas
- Wander through the charming streets of Old Quito, the world's first ever World Heritage Site
- Ride downriver into the thick jungle canopy of the Amazon, a world of mystery slowly enveloping your traditional canoe
- Combine luxury with wildlife exploration at a sumptuous Ecuadorian jungle lodge, where the sounds of the wild flicker through to your balcony
- Spend four days cruising through the Galapagos on the luxury Yacht La Pinta
- Lounge on the archipelago's finest beaches, with the sunbathing space shared with vast colonies of sea lions
- Giant tortoises welcome you to the Galapagos and there are more rare reptiles to find, like land and marine iguanas
- Discover the nesting sites of iconic birds like giant frigates, red-footed boobies, and Galapagos hawks
Detailed Description
South America's three revered highlights are laced in the mystique of history. They're the places of myth and legend, locations that struggle to seem real as they dance before your eyes. Machu Picchu, a lost city, an ancient site seemingly left in perfect state for its people to return. Then the Amazon, where strange wildlife and atmospheric calls arrive from beneath a thick jungle awning. And the Galapagos Islands, exemplars of evolution and dramatic showcases of nature's historical theater. These three unique destinations combine on this handcrafted luxury tour. Five-star accommodation and private guides accompany you in Peru and Ecuador's Amazon, before four days on the luxury Yacht La Pinta take you sailing through the Galapagos. Then some additional treats wrap their charm around the itinerary, like the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the ancient city of Quito.
Take the train and then climb the hill and the first views of Machu Picchu come like a dream. The old Incan city stands perfectly preserved and on the first day you're wowed by how pristine it's been left. So return the next morning and soak up the detail, every street etched with the intimate detail of a forgotten culture. In Peru, you'll see more Incan ruins in the Sacred Valley and World Heritage Cusco. From here you fly to Ecuador and overnight in Quito, a UNESCO-designated city filled with odes to Spanish colonial times.
Now the Amazon, a short flight and a traditional canoe taking you beneath the thick green canopy. Settle into a luxury lodge and relax to the sound of strange birds tweeting from hidden branches. Private indigenous tribes create a program of activities, including meeting local communities, canoeing along mysterious rivers, hiking to lookout points, and discovering the eclectic wildlife of the trees. With the elegant lodge as your base, it's an easy and idyllic showcase of the jungle's tropical beauty. Return to Quito on day nine and overnight in a spa before your cruise begins.
Yacht La Pinta is one of the islands' finest luxury boats, offering space and comfort but also intimate encounters with the characters of the archipelago. Giant tortoises come first as you fly to San Cristobal, followed by sea lions sunbathing on white-sand beaches and marine iguanas nesting along cliffs. Visit the bird paradise of Punta Pitt, the only place on the island where you'll find all three booby species plus the magnificent frigate. Then enjoy a day exploring the sites of Espanola Island, with marine and land activities offering an iconic snapshot of what the Galapagos has to offer. Before returning home, there's a chance to stop at the Charles Darwin Research Center and see how evolution has shaped the shells of different tortoises. While these three world-famous destinations are popular for tourism, this handcrafted Machu Picchu, Amazon and Galapagos tour ensures you have your space to explore.
Starting Price
$9,745 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
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