Peru and the Galapagos

Your Itinerary

Day 1 (Thursday) | Arrive in Lima, Peru

Fly from your home city to Lima, Peru. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to the hotel for check-in and overnight.

Hotel: Hotel B or similar

Day 2 (Friday) | Lima

Lima is a large city with a population of over 9 million in its metropolitan area. It also has flower gardens, great plazas, huge cathedrals, elegant colonial homes, fine museums, surfing, hopping nightlife, some of the world's finest restaurants, and excellent hotels. You tour historic Lima, including the Plaza de Armas where you'll see elegant carved wooden balconies and colonial architecture.

You visit the National Museum of Archeology, Anthropology and History which has one of the largest collections of Pre-Hispanic art and relics including exceptionally well preserved mummies. From here you proceed to Museo Larco to see an impressive collection of pottery plus gold and silver artifacts.

You'll lunch at the charming Larco Museum café. Located on the museum's terrace, the café is the perfect place to enjoy the Peruvian and international gastronomy in a magical and welcoming atmosphere.

You return to the hotel and have free time to explore the nearby galleries and shops. Dinner is on your own this evening.

Hotel: Hotel B or similar, BL

Day 3 (Saturday) | Pisac, Sacred Valley of the Incas

A quick flight over the snow-covered Andes brings you to Cusco, your gateway to the Sacred Valley. Your first stop on the way to Urubamba Valley is at the fountains of Tambo Machay outside of Cusco. After a scenic ride through rich fields of quinoa and amaranth, you descend into the scenic Urubamba Valley, cross the river and drive high above the valley floor to explore the ruins of the Inca Fortress of Pisac.

After the visit to the Fortress, there is a short stop to explore the typical, indigenous village of Pisac. If you are inclined, you may hike down from the Fortress through the terraces to the village where we will meet you.

Hotel: Hacienda Urubamba or similar, BLD

Day 4 (Sunday) | Chinchero Market - Maras - Moray

This morning, you’ll climb out of the valley to a very scenic 12,000-ft. plain en route to the indigenous market at Chinchero. There will be time to visit the market before you view a weaving demonstration orchestrated by Nilda Challañaupa, the founder, and director of The Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco. This organization is dedicated to preserving ancient textile designs and weaving techniques from all over the Andes. Some designs are more than 2000 years old and were thought to have been lost. Textiles created at the Center may be available for purchase.

You’ll enjoy lunch at a private Restaurant with magnificent views and visit the ancient archeological sites of Maras and Moray

Hotel: Hacienda Urubamba or similiar, BLD

Day 5 (Monday) | Ollantaytambo - Train to Machu Picchu

You begin the day with a visit to the spectacular temple-fortress and village of Ollantaytambo, a site that is little changed from the days of the Incas. You’ll catch a morning train in Ollantaytambo for one of the most breathtaking rail journeys in the world. The rail line follows the river down the impressive Canyon of the Vilcanota to the foot of Machu Picchu.

Your accommodations are at the lovely riverside Machu Picchu Pueblo, a short stroll from the Aguas Calientes train station. Following check-in, you will board a bus and head up to the archeaological site of Machu Picchu. It is an amazing ride including 22 switch backs.

You start your exploration of Machu Picchu with an orientation stroll around the site. This will give a rough sense of the layout of the ruins. After lunch you will enjoy an extended guided walking tour.

Hotel: Machu Picchu Pueblo; Sanctuary Lodge by request, BLD

Day 6 (Tuesday) | Full day at Machu Picchu, optional mountain hikes

As the site opens at sunrise, you'll have an early breakfast and catch the bus up to the ruins. Mist often shrouds the major peaks and floats onto the valley. The rising sun casts a golden glow into this fantasy land; it is not to be missed at this hour. 

There is an optional (weather-dependent) challenging hike up Machu Picchu Mountain—a 5-6 hour round trip scenic workout! It's a steady climb, gentle stairs all the way up. The view of the site is awe inspiring. Your camera will give you astounding images. It's one of the most spectacular picnic sites you may ever enjoy.

There's another optional hike up a steep trail, hidden in crevasses and bushes that leads to the top of Huayna Picchu+, the slender granite peak that appears in every photo of Machu Picchu. On top, the view of Machu Picchu, the archeological site, the surrounding valleys and snow capped peaks is truly breath taking. The climb is impressive and requires no more than 1.5 - 2 hours, even if you are a very slow hiker. It is a challenging hike, not for everyone, but the reward of reaching the summit is one of the greatest views in the world! The descent is relatively quick and easy, but steep, and leads straight to lunch!

After lunch you'll have the option for further guided exploration of the ruins or you may also hike up to the Sun Gate overlooking Machu Picchu, explore the Inca Bridge.

Hotel: Machu Picchu Pueblo; Sanctuary Lodge by request, BLD

Day 7 (Wednesday) | Machu Picchu, train to Cusco

This morning, you'll board the morning train to Ollantaytambo where you transfer by van to Cusco—the Center of the Inca Universe  (alt. 11,200 feet). Inca means "ruler," or "king" - an equivalent to the Roman Caesars.

After check-in, you begin your walking exploration of Cusco, walking along streets where the Incas and later the Spaniards walked.

In the course of the day you will visit Coricancha, the partially restored Temple of the Sun at the center of the Inca Universe, where the gold-covered walls were stripped by the Conquistadors. Along narrow cobblestone streets, you pass walls of stone so precisely fitted that they remain in superb condition centuries later, even after many earthquakes. You may look into the University, churches and shops that face onto the Plaza de Armas.

Hotel: El Monasterio del Cusco or La Casona, BLD

Day 8 (Thursday) | Cusco, Sacsayhuaman

You visit the bustling Cusco "Mercado Central", a traditional market were you will get a sense of the daily rhythm of Cusqueño life. From open air stalls, everything from coca leaves, carrots, rubber boots, jeans, padlocks, beef, live chickens and ducks, to cuys, Band-Aids, and a range of familiar and unfamiliar fruits and vegetables are sold, sometimes for cash and sometimes in the traditional manner of barter.

In the late morning, you will venture up to Sacsayhuaman to explore the spectacular ceremonial and “parade" grounds used by the Incas for major celebrations, pageants and sporting events. Inti Raymi, the Incan "Festival of the Sun," is still celebrated here on June 24 each year. Cusco fills with colorfully-dressed people from villages all over the Andes who come for this week-long festival of folk-dance competitions, pageantry, and spectacle.

Returning to Cusco for lunch, you will view an archbishop's private collection of colonial and Indian art and visit the Inca Historical Museum for a fine overview of the history of the Inca Empire from its beginning to its demise.

Hotel: El Monasterio del Cusco or La Casona, BL

Day 9 (Friday) | Cusco - Lima - Guayaquil

It’s time to depart Peru and move on to the second part of your adventure. You’ll fly from Cusco via Lima to Guayaquil. This evening, you have free time to relax or explore a bit of Guayaquil on your own.

Overnight: Wyndham Guayaquil; Hotel del Parque by request, B

Day 10 (Saturday) | To Baltra, Santa Cruz, and embarkation 

You’ll be transferred back to the airport for your 2 hour flight to Baltra, Galápagos. Upon arrival, you will be escorted to the VIP Arrivals Lounge where staff will collect your passport and facilitate your entrance formalities with the Galápagos National Park. Once you’ve collected your luggage, you will transfer from the airport across the Itabaca channel to the Island of Santa Cruz for lunch in the highlands and the opportunity to search among the lush grasses for grazing giant tortoises. Time permitting, explore a lava tunnel. Continuing to the town of Puerto Ayora, you’ll visit the Charles Darwin Research Station, stop to check the fit of your wetsuit, then board INTEGRITY to begin your cruise.

Overnight: INTEGRITY

Days 11 - 16 (Sunday to Friday) | Aboard the yacht

Using INTEGRITY as your home, you'll cruise the islands spending as much time ashore as the Park rules permit. With our licensed, INCA-selected naturalist guides, you'll learn about the birds and animals, geology, marine life and oceanic systems of the Galapagos Islands.
Eastern itinerary »
Western itinerary »

One of the highlights and an integral part of any visit to the Galápagos is the opportunity to swim and snorkel with the marine life—tropical fish, sea lions, turtles and sometimes with penguins!  On most days, you'll snorkel at least once, some days twice. While back on board, you’ll enjoy delicious meals, complimentary WiFi, and weekly laundry service.

Day 17 (Saturday) | Disembark, return to Guayaquil or Quito

From your anchorage in the Baltra harbor, Say "adios" to INTEGRITY and its dedicated crew, and adjourn to the Baltra airport to await your morning flight to the Ecuador mainland. On arrival, you'll transfer to the Wyndham Guayaquil or Holiday Inn Quito Airport hotel and enjoy a day room with extended late check-out for a chance to freshen up  and relax before returning to the airport terminal for your late departing flight. 

Note: This program has been intentionally designed to start in Peru and end in Galapagos. If desired however, you may customize this program to visit Peru after Galapagos, in which case your program would commence with arrival in Quito, Ecuador on a Thursday, and finish in Cusco, Peru on a Sunday.

2024 Departures: $15,390

Per person, based on double occupancy

2025 Departures: $15,990

Per person, based on double occupancy