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Peru Splendors with Peru's Amazon & Galápagos Cruise 2025
17 days from Lima to Guayaquil
Tour Description:
Love a good mystery? This 17-day vacation to Peru is the perfect escape to delve into the world’s most intriguing lost and found story. Featuring not one, but two days behind the misty gates of Machu Picchu, this below-the-equator tour takes you high into the Andes and deeper inside the Lost City of the Incas to unearth its centuries-old secrets. Navigating the cryptic maze of trails, temples, and terraces in the world’s most famous forgotten city is one for the memory books. Other great finds on this tantalizing tour of Peru? Up-close encounters with llamas, alpacas, and other Sacred Valley locals; vibrant, handwoven textiles in the former Inca Empire capital of Cusco; bold, multicultural cuisine in the foodie capital of Lima; and a warm welcome inside a traditional family home for an authentic taste of Peruvian hospitality. There’s more to squawk about when you combine the wonder of the Andes with the wilderness of the Amazon. Canopy walks, canoe rides, and higher speed motorboat jaunts offer varying perspectives of the macaws, monkeys, and myriad of other rainforest creatures you’ll discover when you start your tour of Peru in the Amazon. When satisfying your inner historian, don’t forget your inner naturalist. Cruise around the famed Galápagos archipelago, where you’ll share the shores with every native species from the blue-footed boobies to the pint-size penguin. A meet-and-greet with a colony of sea lions seals the deal on this wondrous extension to your Peru vacation.
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Dates & Pricing
Start Dates Listed Below are US departure dates, please verify specific dates with your Pavlus Travel Planner
| Tuesday 28 Jan 25 — Friday 14 Feb 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 11 Feb 25 — Friday 28 Feb 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 25 Feb 25 — Friday 14 Mar 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 11 Mar 25 — Friday 28 Mar 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 22 Apr 25 — Friday 09 May 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 06 May 25 — Friday 23 May 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 20 May 25 — Friday 06 Jun 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 03 Jun 25 — Friday 20 Jun 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 12 Aug 25 — Friday 29 Aug 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 26 Aug 25 — Friday 12 Sep 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 09 Sep 25 — Friday 26 Sep 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 23 Sep 25 — Friday 10 Oct 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 21 Oct 25 — Friday 07 Nov 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 04 Nov 25 — Friday 21 Nov 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote | |
| Tuesday 02 Dec 25 — Friday 19 Dec 25 | Starting at $8,359 | Get a Quote |
Destination & Sightseeing
Destination & SightseeingNotes:
Maximum enjoyment of this vacation requires walking on cobblestone streets, uneven pathways, and climbing stairs. Elevations exceeding 10,000 feet can make even modest exertion a challenge. Maximum elevation on this tour is 13,000 ft. For your overnight stay in Machu Picchu, you will only be allowed to bring an overnight bag weighing no more than 11 pounds due to luggage restrictions on the train. Your main luggage will be stored at the Cusco hotel where you will return for an overnight the following night.In the Galápagos, there will be “wet landings” meaning guests will need to be able to jump in the water, out of the boats/zodiacs and walk a couple of meters to the beaches. Terrain is rocky and uneven.The Hacienda Concepcion is a rustic lodge in the middle of the rainforest. Travelers should be in relatively fit shape without walking difficulties. Rooms have ceiling fans but do not have air conditioning - the rooms are screened in to allow you to hear the surrounding rainforest. Also, electricity is shut off between 11 pm and 4 am. At night, each room is provided kerosene lanterns and flashlights. This is a truly unique experience in the middle of the Amazon Rain forest with wildlife everywhere and educated guides to bring this area to life for you.
Maximum enjoyment of this vacation requires walking on cobblestone streets, uneven pathways, and climbing stairs. Elevations exceeding 10,000 feet can make even modest exertion a challenge. Maximum elevation on this tour is 13,000 ft. For your overnight stay in Machu Picchu, you will only be allowed to bring an overnight bag weighing no more than 11 pounds due to luggage restrictions on the train. Your main luggage will be stored at the Cusco hotel where you will return for an overnight the following night.In the Galápagos, there will be “wet landings” meaning guests will need to be able to jump in the water, out of the boats/zodiacs and walk a couple of meters to the beaches. Terrain is rocky and uneven.The Hacienda Concepcion is a rustic lodge in the middle of the rainforest. Travelers should be in relatively fit shape without walking difficulties. Rooms have ceiling fans but do not have air conditioning - the rooms are screened in to allow you to hear the surrounding rainforest. Also, electricity is shut off between 11 pm and 4 am. At night, each room is provided kerosene lanterns and flashlights. This is a truly unique experience in the middle of the Amazon Rain forest with wildlife everywhere and educated guides to bring this area to life for you.
ITINERARY
ITINERARYDay 1
Arrive in Lima and meet your Globus representative
Day 2
Fly to Puerto Maldonado, capital of Madre de Dios and the entry to Peru’s Amazon Jungle. Embark on a motorboat ride up the Madre de Dios River to view the exotic wildlife. Arrive at your Amazon Jungle lodge and meet your Naturalist. After settling in, head out with your Naturalist for a walk along nature trails to learn about primary and secondary rainforest. At dusk, take a canoe ride to learn about the Amazonia River ecosystems, nocturnal animals’ activity, and the southern constellations
Day 3
This morning, take a nature walk with your Naturalist through Tambopata National Reserve and a dugout canoe ride around Lake Sandoval in search of native flora and fauna. Learn about the reserve’s conservation efforts and the animals that inhabit this lake, such as the endangered giant river otters, blue and yellow macaws, red howler monkeys, and black caimans. This afternoon, explore the rainforest on a canopy walkway consisting of seven suspension bridges hanging more than 100 feet from the ground. From the treetops, keep an eye out for white-throated toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, squirrel monkeys, and the three-toed sloth. After night falls, your Naturalist introduces you to the nocturnal animals of the Amazon
Day 4
A short boat ride brings you to a native farm where farmers use ancient methods to grow crops. Learn about local cultivation techniques, intriguing medicinal uses by local communities, and taste some of the produce. This afternoon, you can fish for piranha like the local indigenous communities do and visit a clay lick to observe wildlife from a blind to observe the normal routine of the fauna without disrupting the environment
Day 5
Return to Puerto Maldonado and fly to Lima where you will be met by your Globus representative
Day 6
This afternoon, 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, [LF] stop at a local food market to get a real taste of life for the local people. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at one of Lima’s Peruvian restaurants with your fellow travel companions
Day 7
Fly to Cusco, the impressive Andean city that was once the capital of the Inca Empire. Head into the Sacred Valley of the Incas and visit the semi-circular Kenko Amphitheater with its stone altars and labyrinth of passages and see the ancient site of Puca Pucara. Also, in the Sacred Valley, experience an [LF] El Pago a la Tierra, or Mother Earth Ceremony, performed by a local shaman. Visit Awanakancha to meet local families who preserve the ancient technique of Pre-Columbian weaving using South American camelid fleece. This is your chance to get up close to the various camelids, including alpaca, llama, guanaco, and vicuña, indigenous to the region. Continue 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 at its famous market. Stay in the Sacred Valley tonight, with dinner at the hotel
Day 8
This morning, visit the Inca Fortress of Ollantaytambo, followed by [LF] a visit to a local home, meet some of the area’s families, and experience their way of life in the Sacred Valley. Then, board the Vistadome train for a scenic journey through the lush Urubamba Valley. Upon arrival, ascend the mountainside to legendary Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas.” Your Local Guide will introduce this intact fortress with its temple remains, holy houses, and mile-long aqueduct, and will bring you closer to the mysteries still hidden in these amazing structures. Tonight, you may wish to try a Pisco Sour (a traditional Peruvian cocktail) or an Inka Kola, before the included dinner
Day 9
A morning at leisure in Machu Picchu allows you to wake up early to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu with your second included entrance to the ruins. After lunch, return to the Sacred Valley by train and continue to Cusco
Day 10
On your guided sightseeing tour of Cusco today, learn more about the Inca and Spanish influence. Begin at the heart of Cusco in the Plaza de Armas (main square), with a visit to the imposing Cathedral, where construction began in 1550 and was finally completed 100 years later. Join a traditional [LF] Pasacalle through the streets of Cusco before continuing to Koricancha and the Santo Domingo Monastery and see how the two sites have become one. The Temple of the Sun at Koricancha was once the most important Inca site, dedicated to the worship of the Sun. The walls, altars, and decorations were all said to be covered in gold—until the Spaniards looted the temple and then built the contrasting Baroque Santo Domingo Monastery on top of the temple’s foundations. Also visit 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. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a festive farewell dinner at a local restaurant
Day 11
Fly to Quito where you will be met by a Globus representative. Free time this evening
Day 12
On an included city tour, see Independence Square with its Cathedral and San Francisco Plaza Church, and the Basilica
Day 13
Fly to Baltra and visit the highlands of Santa Cruz, marked by extinct volcanoes, lava tubes, and astonishing plant life. Here, witness giant tortoises in a natural reserve and learn about efforts to conserve these ancient creatures. Continue to the port where you will board the Galápagos Legend
Day 14
Your Naturalist guided tour take you up Prince Philip’s Steps, where you will see large nesting colonies of Nazca and red-footed boobies, as well as many other fascinating feathered locals. After lunch on board, visit Darwin Bay to observe frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, herons, lava gulls, and many other bird species. At the tidal lagoon you may also see the rarest gull in the world, the endemic lava gull
Day 15
On South Plaza Island, take a walk through an impressive cactus forest populated with land and marine iguanas. Due to the proximity of land iguanas and marine iguanas here, this is the only place on Earth where you will find the Galápagos hybrid iguana. From the summit, watch for tropicbirds, Nazca and blue-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls. On Santa Fé, a large sea lion colony greets you on its white-sand beach. Walk through a cactus forest in search of the endemic Santa Fe land iguana, the largest in the islands. This island is home to a number of endemic species, including the Galápagos hawk, Galápagos snake, a variety of finches, and one of the four species of Galápagos mockingbirds. You also have time to snorkel in the turquoise waters with sea lions, turtles, reef sharks and spotted eagle rays
Day 16
Your final visit takes you to Bachas Beach named for some wrecked World War II barges whose ribs are still visible in the sand. This site offers great swimming, a lovely walk along the shore, and a visit to a lagoon with wading birds, marine iguanas, and sometimes flamingos. The area is also a frequent nesting site for green turtles. Later, disembark and fly to Guayaquil
Day 17
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
Accommodations
Accommodations| Lima | Puerto Maldonado | Lima | Sacred Valley | Machu Picchu | Cusco | Quito | Guayaquil |
Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport
First-Class
Av Elmer Faucett S/N, Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chavez Lima Peru
Connected by pedestrian bridge to the Jorge Chavez International Airport, the Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport is ideally located for guests overnighting in Lima before continuing on to another Peruvian city. The hotel features an on-site restaurant, 24-hour fitness facilities, indoor pool, Jacuzzi, and complimentary Wi-Fi.
First-Class
Av Elmer Faucett S/N, Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chavez Lima Peru
Connected by pedestrian bridge to the Jorge Chavez International Airport, the Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport is ideally located for guests overnighting in Lima before continuing on to another Peruvian city. The hotel features an on-site restaurant, 24-hour fitness facilities, indoor pool, Jacuzzi, and complimentary Wi-Fi.
