11-Nights Wonders of the Galapagos & Machu Picchu - Northern Islands Route - Luxury Small Group Journeys from $16,995

Itinerary Details

Abercrombie & Kent: Wonders of the Galápagos & Machu Picchu - Northern Islands Route

Day 1 Guayaquil, Ecuador

Arrive in tropical Guayaquil, gateway to the Galápagos, where you are met and transferred to your hotel.

Fly to the remote Galápagos island of Baltra, where you join your naturalist guide for the ferry ride to Santa Cruz Island. Disembark and drive up into the island’s mist-shrouded highlands in search of giant tortoises. On the northern route of this journey, meet local students learning about their native islands on an initiative supported by Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy. Continue on to Puerto Ayora and board your expedition ship a four-night cruise through the Galápagos’ northern islands. Your expedition ship is built for adventure, offering spacious cabins, floor-to-ceiling windows and a comfortable atmosphere. The vessel is ecologically sound and comes equipped with pangas (rubber rafts), a glass-bottom boat and sea kayaks that allow for independent exploration. Tonight, dine on board.

After breakfast, get fitted for your wetsuit and snorkeling gear. Then, board a panga for a shore excursion to Eden Islet, a secluded, biodiverse enclave off Santa Cruz. Here, observe the island’s iconic bluefooted boobies. Take this opportunity to snorkel the reef or view marine life aboard a glass-bottom boat. Back aboard your vessel, cruise onward to Sombrero Chino, yet another secluded islet of the Galápagos archipelago. Disembark your panga to hike wilderness trails, swim in a sandy cove, and snorkel among white-tipped reef sharks and Galápagos penguins.

Disembark on Bartolomé Island to hike up to the volcano’s summit and take in the views. After a panga ride to visit the penguins of Pinnacle Rock, snorkel the reef, relax on the beach or take in the local marine life aboard a glass-bottom boat. Later, swim or snorkel along the white coral sand beach of Sullivan Bay.

This morning, hike and snorkel Genovesa Island, a birdwatcher’s paradise. Explore Darwin Bay, snorkeling along the cliffs or paddling out in sea kayaks. View the island’s cliffs before disembarking to climb the steep, rocky pass of Prince Philip’s Steps. Your ascent leads to a clifftop frequented by species such as the Nazca booby, frigate bird, storm petrel and short-eared owl.

Disembark at Baltra Island, where you transfer to the airport to fly to mainland Ecuador, and then board a connecting flight to Lima, Peru. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.

Fly to Cusco, located more than 11,000 feet above sea level, where you are met and transferred to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. En route, visit a sanctuary to interact with the South American camelid species living there — such as llama and alpaca — and learn about the valuable fibers created from their coats. Then, visit the beautiful Hacienda Sarapampa for a Chef ’s Table experience. Enjoy lunch with the owner, who cordially shares his family’s history in farming and shows you around the farm.

Today, visit Moray, a fascinating archaeological site comprising a series of concentric agricultural terraces, some almost 500 feet deep. Then, journey to a remote mountain village, where you experience ancient agricultural methods used for centuries, on an A&K-exclusive experience. Continue to the Children of the Rainbow school, a project supported by A&K Philanthropy, where you enjoy lunch and take in an equestrian performance featuring Paso Fino horses. Return to your hotel to enjoy a relaxing Scenic Sundowner before dinner.

Visit the imposing fortress of Ollantaytambo, with its massive stone terraces, and journey deep into the Andes toward Machu Picchu by train. Alternatively (at an additional cost), start toward Machu Picchu by train, stopping at KM 104 to disembark and hike to the Sun Gate above the Incan citadel. Overlooking the Urubamba River, Machu Picchu was built in the 15th century at the height of the Inca Empire. Although this “Lost City” was revealed to the rest of the world by American Hiram Bingham in 1911, its location was long known to locals. Its original purpose, however, remains a matter of some conjecture, as the Incas left no written records. As you wander amid the age-old stone walls, picture life here as it might have been. Tonight, stay in the only hotel on site, just steps from the entrance.

Rise with the sun and join your expert guide to walk through Machu Picchu in the early morning mist before the crowds arrive. After your explorations, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Ollantaytambo by train, savoring incomparable views of the mountain scenery that surrounds you. On arrival, transfer to your Cusco hotel, a 400-year-old architectural treasure that was once a monastery. Tonight, relax or stroll this ancient Incan capital on your own.

Discover Cusco on a city excursion that includes the Gothic Renaissance-style Cathedral Basilica on the Plaza de Armas and the Santo Domingo Temple, a Dominican church built on the foundations of the Koricancha, the Incas’ principal religious building. Later, visit Sacsayhuaman, a testament to Incan architectural skill. Compiled from colossal stones, its walls were cut and placed together with incredible precision and without a drop of mortar to hold them in place. Back in Cusco, stop for lunch at a local restaurant near the plaza. Afterward, enjoy an afternoon at leisure to relax or shop. Tonight, gather for a farewell dinner at an elegant Cusco restaurant.

This morning, enjoy one of these Design Your Day activities:

Visit the San Blas Neighborhood, a unique, bohemian enclave where you find the workshops of artisans.

Stroll San Pedro Market and Visit the Inca Museum for a taste of local fruits and cheese, and a glimpse into history.

Join a Photographer in Cusco who helps you capture authentic images of the city’s architecture and people.

Later today, fly to Lima and connect with your homebound flight.