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| Peru and the Galapagos Islands
A 16-Day tour starting from $6,895
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| About This Tour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Embark on an adventurous journey combining in-depth exploration of an ancient civilization with an expeditionary cruise to a world of natural wonders that changed the course of science forever, and sparked an epic debate. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Featured Dining: 15 Breakfasts, 11 Lunches & 13 Dinners
Unique and Distinguished Hotels in the Best Locations: Night 1,2 Miraflores Park Hotel: Lima, Peru Night 3 Sol & Luna Lodge & Spa: Yucay Valley, Peru Night 4 Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge: Aguas Calientes, Peru Night 5,6 Hotel Monasterio: Cusco, Peru Night 7 Hilton Cólon Guayaquil: Guayaquil, Ecuador Night 8-14 Aboard Isabela II: Cruising the Galápagos Night 15 Hilton Colon Guayaquil: Guayaquil, Ecuador Insightful Tour Directors During your travels, you have the pleasurable advantage of being with a Tauck Tour Director who is fully knowledgeable about the destination, its history and its culture. You can relax knowing that you are accompanied by a professional who manages the flow of events... a problem-solver (in the unlikely event a problem should arise)... an insider who saves you precious time... and a friend who will help transform your trip into a truly memorable journey. Every Travel Expense is Included When you travel with Tauck, you’ll save up to 40% on the cost of traveling the same itinerary on your own. What’s more, virtually every major travel expense is included: Along with most meals, your hotel accommodations, cruises, sightseeing, admissions to museums, galleries and theaters – even taxes and port charges – are built into the price of your trip. Guests are often delightfully surprised at how much is included. You can practically leave your wallet at home! A Tauck vacation offers you both superb quality and extraordinary value.
Day 1. Arrive Lima
Tour begins: Miraflores Park Hotel. A transfer is included from Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport to Miraflores Park Hotel. Welcome to Peru, where a powerful ancient Inca civilization became one of the greatest empires of South America, leaving mysterious remains that have intrigued visitors for years. Your five-star hotel is located in an exclusive oceanfront setting, and is one of the finest hotels in South America. Day 2. Discover Lima and Environs Local sightseeing today is in and around Lima, including a visit to a Peruvian horse ranch. Join us for cocktails and dinner at historic Casa Aliaga; this 66-room private home was built in 1535 and has remained in the same family for generations. Meals BLD Day 3. Sacred Valley of the Incas Fly to the city of Cusco, powerful capital of the ancient Inca empire. Your in-depth exploration of Inca culture begins in El Valle Sagrado, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, with a luncheon at a local Peruvian farm, then see the terraced canchas of Ollantaytambo. Meals BLD Day 4. Explore Machu Picchu An afternoon journey by rail brings you to the spectacular Inca ruins of Machu Picchu. Join a local guide for in-depth exploration of the ruins, climbing up to the well-preserved terraced remains of what was believed to be an Inca spiritual center. Spend the night at the top of the mountain; your hotel is located right at the entrance to the ruins, enabling you to visit as you please. Meals BLD Day 5. Machu Picchu / Cusco You have an opportunity to return to the ruins at sunrise, before the first day-visitors arrive. Depart for Aguas Calientes, and take a train journey to Cusco. Your accommodations tonight are in a lavishly restored historic monastery, boasting elegance and comfort. Meals BLD Day 6. Discover Cusco A morning sightseeing tour of Cusco includes Plaza de Armas, center of the modern city of Cusco as well as the ancient Incan city; the majestic Cathedral; and colonial buildings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. Take a guided walking tour of mysterious Sacsayhuaman, scaling the steep steps of these impressive walled Inca ruins. Spend the remainder of the day as you wish. Meals B Day 7. Fly from Cusco to Guayaquil Fly from Cusco to Guayaquil via Lima for an anticipated mid-afternoon arrival. Guayaquil is the largest city in Ecuador, renowned as a major port – and it boasts a warm tropical climate. Meals BD Day 8. Embark Isabela II in the Galápagos A morning flight takes you to the Galápagos Islands, home to wildlife found nowhere else in the world. Embark Tauck’s exclusive expedition yacht, Isabela II, on Baltra Island. On North Seymour Island, expert naturalists take you on your first shore excursion this afternoon; bird colonies include blue-footed boobies. Meals BLD Day 9. Wet & Dry Landings at Hood Island Explore Hood Island today, home to friendly sea lions, finches and mockingbirds. Go snorkeling, or take a glass-bottom boat ride in Gardner Bay; your two landings include a walk atop the lava terrain at Punta Suárez to see bird colonies such as the Waved Albatross. Meals BLD Day 10. Explore Floreana Island At Point Cormoront, a wet landing provides an opportunity to join a naturalist guide for an easy walk to see flamingos at a wildlife-rich lagoon. Explore the legends of adventurers and pirates at historic Post Office Bay, and take a panga (Zodiac-style craft) to observe sea lions, rays, turtles, boobies and, maybe, spot Galápagos penguins. Meals BLD Day 11. Santa Cruz Island Travel inland to visit the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, a Scalesia forest and the twin-pit craters of Los Gemelos. Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to view the giant tortoises, as well as the impressive prickly-pear cactus forest and a variety of land birds. Meals BLD Day 12. The Birds of Tower Island Thousands of birds make their home on Tower Island, where you’ll make a wet landing in a beautiful natural harbor that’s perfect for snorkeling and swimming. An afternoon panga ride and hike reveal large colonies of Nazca boobies, frigate birds, and storm petrels. The day is rounded out with a briefing by a naturalist. Meals BLD Day 13. Isabela & Fernandina Islands Rise early to see the Ecuador Volcano as you cross the Equator en route to secluded Tagus Cove at Isabela Island; view Darwin Crater, and have an opportunity to snorkel. Disembark for a one-mile walk on Fernandina Island, the youngest of the islands, where marine iguanas share the shores with sea lions, penguins, Sally Lightfoot crabs and the flightless cormorant. Meals BLD Day 14. James & Bartolomé Islands It’s a wet landing today on James Island, where you can walk atop the tuff-stone layers and lava flows to see land and marine birds, marine iguanas grazing on the algae beds, and fur seals. Hike to the summit of Bartolomé Island and take a panga ride around Pinnacle Rock to see penguins. A cocktail reception tonight marks the end of this remarkable cruise! Meals BLD Day 15. Fly to Guayaquil Disembark Isabela II, and fly to Guayaquil. Take a brief sightseeing tour of the city, then spend some free time as you please. Join us this evening for a farewell dinner to say goodbye to your fellow travelers. Meals BD Day 16. Journey Home Tour ends: Guayaquil. A transfer is included from Hilton Colon Guayaquil to Guayaquil International Airport; allow 21/2 hours for flight check-in. Meals B Note: This is an active journey requiring a fair amount of walking, often on uneven terrain; several days touring at elevations up to 11,200 ft.
Peruvian Horse Ranch Visit
Get an in-depth look at Peru’s famed horses on a visit to a horse ranch that includes a performance by Peruvian prancing horses and lunch featuring regional dishes. Dinner at Casa Aliaga, Lima Experience the pleasures of colonial Lima when you dine at Casa Aliaga, a private home built in 1535 that has remained in the family for generations. Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge Spend the night at the only hotel in close proximity to Machu Picchu; view the ancient Inca ruins close-up at the best times of the day, after the day-trippers depart. Cruise aboard Isabela II Isabela II is an expeditionary-style yacht with only 40 Tauck guests aboard. Sleek in style, Isabela II is fully air conditioned, offering many of the amenities of a larger vessel including bar-salon, dining room, lounge, reading room, boutique, and library. All staterooms feature private bathrooms with showers, individual air conditioning, plenty of storage space, desk, two bedside tables, and a music system; electrical current is 110 volts. Isabela II has three decks, Main, Cabin, and Sun. The Sun Deck features a bar with deck chairs for outdoor seating, an observation deck for watching wildlife, a Jacuzzi, and a solarium. Her well-trained 27-member team consists of Ecuadorian officers, naturalists, and crew, as well as a resident physician. Cuisine aboard the ship is a combination of Continental and Ecuadorian, with varied menus. Shore excursions are by Zodiac-style “panga” and are available to everyone; Isabela II carries her own glass-bottom boat aboard for close-up observation of marine life. All tour prices are per person, in US dollars.
2008 Category C Rates Single Occupancy Rate = $10,895 2008 Category B Rates Single Occupancy Rate = $11,095 2008 Category A Rates Single Occupancy Rate = $11,495 2009 Category C Rates February – March 24 Departures: Single Occupancy = $12,690 March 31 – April 7 Departures: Single Occupancy = $12,290 June – October Departures: Single Occupancy = $12,590 2009 Category B Rates February – March 24 Departures: Single Occupancy = $12,890 March 31 – April 7 Departures: Single Occupancy = $12,490 June – October Departures: Single Occupancy = $12,790 2009 Category A Rates February – March 24 Departures: Single Occupancy = $13,290 March 31 – April 7 Departures: Single Occupancy = $12,890 June – October Departures: Single Occupancy = $13,190 |
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| Note: All prices are per person, double occupancy, subject to availability. These pages are not endorsed or supported by the tour operator in any way. All information presented is based on promotional material provided by the tour operator. All prices, itineraries, accommodations and dates are subject to change without notice and at any time by the tour operators. Availability is limited and must be reconfirmed at time of booking. The prices on this website are not guaranteed. We are not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes in pricing. Please call us toll free at 1-800-942-3301 to confirm availability and pricing. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||