Peru and Galapagos holidays, tailor made
| country: | Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Peru |
| departures: | Our Peru and Galapagos holidays can be tailor made throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary |
| price: | From £3502 - £3893 (19 days) excluding flights, per person based on minimum of 2 people. Price includes all travel within and between Peru and Ecuador inc. domestic flights to Galapagos Islands, listed excursions, breakfast daily in Peru and full board in the Galapagos. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Peru and Galapagos holidays, tailor made: Ecuador and Peru combine to make a really special holiday. Ecuador is the country from where you fly to the Galapagos Islands, and we recommend the 7 night cruise around the archipelago, in order to visit most of the islands and their inhabitants – sea lions, blue-footed boobies, to name a few. Neighbouring Peru is just a short flight away, so combining this wildlife haven with the ancient Inca sites, including Machu Picchu is not only easy but also makes for an all rounded holiday.
Highlights of our Peru and Galapagos holidays:
Highlights of our Peru and Galapagos holidays:
- Explore the Ecuadorian capital Quito with its quaint and well-conserved colonial core of cobbled plazas and alleys lined with white-washed mansions and churches.
- Follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin and experience the incredible diversity of wildlife of the Galápagos Islands. Spend seven nights cruising the archipelago onboard the Letty, Eric or Flamingo – three identical ‘top end’ motor yachts.
- Fly to Lima in Peru, rich in colonial treasures and boasting some world renowned museums.
- Explore the wonderful old Incan capital of Cusco. The city oozes history and there is ample time at leisure to discover its many plazas, cobbled streets, markets and excellent cafés and restaurants.
- Venture into the surrounding Sacred Valley, stopping at the Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo and indian market at Pisac.
- Visit iconic Machu Picchu – Lost City of the Incas – a highlight on any Peru itinerary.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive in Quito with its quaint and well-conserved colonial core of cobbled plazas and alleys lined with white-washed mansions and churches. |
| Day 2: | Day at leisure to explore the city and perhaps visit the Equatorial monument. |
| Day 3: | Fly to the Galápagos Islands for a seven night-cruise on board the Letty, Eric or Flamingo. |
| Day 4-9: | Cruise around the archipelago with excursions on the islands each morning and afternoon. There are also numerous opportunities to snorkel and swim. |
| Day 10: | Fly to Guayaquil on the mainland for one night. |
| Day 11: | Fly to Lima and stay in a hotel in the modern residential district of Miraflores. Restaurants, boutiques, and the Pacific coast are within walking distance (or a short taxi ride). |
| Day 12: | At leisure in Lima. You can pre-book a city tour or explore the atmospheric centre and museums yourselves. |
| Day 13: | Fly to the fabulous city of Cusco for a three-night stay in a colonial hotel in the centre. |
| Day 14: | A full-day guided trip to the Sacred Valley, peppered with the vestiges of Inca culture, with the temple-fortress at Ollantaytambo possibly the most impressive. Also visit the indigenous market at Pisac. |
| Day 15: | A day to explore Cusco independently with all the major sites close to your hotel; guided tours are also available. |
| Day 16: | A big highlight - a full-day excursion by train to Machu Picchu, spectacularly astride a mountain swathed in sub-tropical forest. Overnight in the village of Aguas Calientes nearby. |
| Day 17: | Return by train to Cusco through the Urubamba gorge, with views of vertical cliffs and the tumbling river. |
| Day 18: | A further day at leisure to explore and enjoy the old Incan capital. You could walk up to the giant temple fortress of Sacsayhuamán or venture further afield to the colonial village of Maras and Inca site at Moray on the high plains. |
| Day 19: | Return by air to Lima. Fly back to the UK. |
tailor made holiday
This trip is run by a company which specialises in only Central and South America holidays. It can be tailormade to create a unique holiday for your individual requirements by travel experts with intimate knowledge of the destination. The length of stay, standard of accommodation and even the itinerary can all be amended and tailored to suit your preferred style of travel and budget. Quality and value are the hallmark of these trips.how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
We chose to work with Ecoventura, the operator of the Letty, Eric and Flamingo boats for their recognised efforts towards sustainable and responsible travel in the region. Ecoventura established the Galápagos Marine Biodiversity Fund in tandem with the World Wildlife Fund in 2006. Its objective is to strengthen the local community’s ability to manage the islands’ natural resources through environmental education and conservation. In 2008, the company won the prestigious Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Award for ‘Best in a Marine Environment.’ The awards are run in association with the Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, BBC World News and Geographical Magazine. The judges noted Ecoventura’s contribution to scholarships for local women to start their own small businesses as well as being one of the first cruise operators to be environmentally audited independently. Additionally, the Eric has become the first hybrid vessel in the archipelago, with solar panels and two wind generators on the top deck. On our Peru and Galapagos holidays we are committed to minimising the environmental impact caused by travel by supporting local projects and charities thus helping to ensure tourism has positive and long term benefits in the countries where we work. In Peru we support the work of The Dental Project Peru. We encourage clients to donate toothbrushes to the charity based in Cusco, who then administer dental treatment and hygiene to poor remote communities where dental treatment and hygiene awareness does not exist and can prevent children attending school and adults from working. Community In Peru, we have been working alongside the same local operator for at least 20 years offering unrivalled personalised service and ground knowledge of Peru. Experienced local guides, proficient in English, are used throughout. Entrance fees are included in the cost, which help maintain the preservation of Machu Picchu and other sites. We use centrally located hotels when we can and encourage visitors to visit local shops, cafés and restaurants that benefit from your custom. Tourism can also make an invaluable contribution to preserve and even help revive traditional skills such as producing handicrafts. Indian markets such as the one in Pisac are a treasure trove for gifts such as alpaca blankets and scarves. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |