Itinerary:
Day 1: Depart U.S. for Lima, Peru
Day
2: Upon arrival in Lima transfer to our hotel for breakfast and to rest. Visit the Larco Herrera Museum for lunch and a tour. The museum’s ceramics collection, which includes a renowned set of erotic pre-Columbian pots, is unparalleled. This afternoon take a city tour of the Peruvian capital. (B,L,D)
Day 3: Fly to Cuzco, stop for brunch, then continue to the beautiful Sacred Valley, a region of Inca sites and indigenous villages. After visiting the Indian market at Pisac, we reach our hotel. Tonight attend a native ceremony, Offering to the Earth. (B,L,D)
Day 4: Today’s tour begins in the Incan farming town of Chinchero, set on a broad plateau presided over by a snow-capped mountain. Tour the important salt pans in the lovely colonial town of Maras, where we also have lunch. Spend the afternoon exploring Ollantaytambo, a living town and site of massive Incan ruins that still inspire wonder today. (B,L,D)
Day 5: Travel by train for the journey to Aguas Calientes, where we board a bus for Machu Picchu. Thanks to its small size, our group will move nimbly through the ruins whose original purpose has been lost to time. Check in at the 30-room Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, just 20 yards from the entrance to the ruins. (B,L,D)
Day 6: Before the day trippers arrive take second guided tour of this UNESCO World Heritage
Centre. Then return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and free time before our train to Cuzco. (B,L)
Day 7: This morning tour the archaeological hub of the Americas, the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city, and UNESCO World Heritage
Centre. Stop at the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, an Incan masterpiece, then enjoy lunch in the home of a Cuzco family. This afternoon is at leisure, perhaps to relax at our hotel, a 16th-century monastery. (B,L)
Day 8: Fly via Lima to Quito. Take a brief tour of this capital city’s colonial highlights then dine at a local restaurant. (B,D)
Day 9: Depart for Baltra, and board our privately chartered boat. Land on Bartolomé Island, known for its penguins, sea lions, and dramatic views from atop a volcanic cone. There’s time for snorkeling and swimming before tonight’s shipboard welcome party and dinner. (B,L,D)
Day 10: The largest of the 13 major Galapagos Islands, Isabela teems with penguins, pelicans, flightless cormorants, boobies, and giant tortoises. Go in search of these prehistoric creatures on a guided nature walk. Visit Tagus Cove to see Darwin’s saltwater lagoon and the island’s five volcanoes and lava fields. (B,L,D)
Day 11: Come face-to-face with the island’s largest colony of marine iguanas. Return to Isabela Island for a walk to the top of Volcano Ecuador. (B,L,D)
Day 12: On a nature walk see herons, as well as a colony of fur sea lions. Visit the saltwater lagoon at Rabida. (B,L,D)
Day 13: See interpretive displays on Galapagos geology, marine and animal life, and climate at the Charles Darwin Research Station. Fly from Baltra back to Quito via Guayaquil. (B,L)
Day 14: Today’s excursion is to the northern highlands to the sprawling Indian market at Otavalo. At least 400 years old, it offers everything from farm animals, produce, and tools to rugs, jewelry, and textiles. Stop in the small town of Calderón, known for its bread-dough figurines. Visit the village of Cotacachi, with more than 100 leather shops. Tonight we toast our exhilarating adventure at a farewell dinner. (B,L,D)
Day 15: Depart for U.S. (B)
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