Day 1: Arrive LimaTour begins: Miraflores Park Hotel. A transfer is included from Lima's Jorge Chavez Int'l Airport to the Miraflores Park Hotel. Once considered the most beautiful colonial settlement in the New World, Lima chronicles its rich history in Renaissance churches, palaces, mansions and exclusive neighborhoods like Miraflores where your five-star hotel enjoys a premier oceanfront location.
Overnight: Miraflores Park Hotel, Lima, Peru
Meals Included: Day 2: Discover Life in LimaGet a glimpse of life in the “City of Kings” today. View the world's largest private collection of pre-Columbian art at the Museo Larco, housed in an 18th-century colonial mansion, and meet smooth-gaited Peruvian pasos during a visit to a horse ranch. Sightseeing continues back in Lima when we take you inside San Pedro Church, built in 1638, to see its gold-leafed Baroque altars and “La Abuelita,” the oldest bell in Peru. Join us tonight for a welcome cocktail reception and dinner with your fellow travelers. Meals BLD
Overnight: Miraflores Park Hotel, Lima, Peru
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3: Sacred Valley of the IncasRise early for a flight to Cusco, the place to begin your in-depth exploration of Incan culture. A weaving demonstration at a local farm showcases colorful traditions that have been handed down through the centuries, followed by a close-up look at another enduring vestige of ancient Peru, the mighty fortress of Ollantaytambo. Your accommodations feature spectacular views in an enchanted garden setting. Meals BLD
Overnight: Sol & Luna Lodge & Spa or Casa Andina Private Collection, Yucay Valley, Peru
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4: Explore Machu PicchuVisit a private home before boarding a Vistadome train for a rail journey back in time to endlessly fascinating Machu Picchu. Revealing so much more than the ruins you'll see before you, your guided tour with a local expert includes insights and stories that make the spiritual history of this sacred Inca citadel come alive. Spend the night at the sought-after Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, located close to the entrance of this mystical site. Meals BLD
Overnight: Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, Aguas Calientes, Peru
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5: Machu Picchu / CuscoTake the opportunity to explore the ruins again on an early morning visit - then join us on an excursion to a local market in Aguas Calientes. A return train trip aboard the Vistadome brings you back to colonial Cusco for a two-night stay at a lavishly restored historic monastery. Meals BLD
Overnight: Hotel Monasterio, Cusco, Peru
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6: Discover Colonial CuscoSightseeing of ancient stone ruins and city landmarks is balanced with time at leisure today for you to enjoy the remainder of your Cusco stay, your way. Meals B
Overnight: Hotel Monasterio, Cusco, Peru
Meals Included: Breakfast
Day 7: Fly to Guayaquil, EcuadorFly to Guayaquil via Lima for an anticipated mid-afternoon arrival and a sightseeing tour. The largest city in Ecuador, tropical Guayaquil serves as the perfect gateway for your upcoming 7-night Galápagos Islands cruise. Meals BD
Overnight: Hilton Colón Guayaquil, Ecuador
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner
Day 8: • Cruising Begins in the GalápagosYour morning flight touches down on Baltra Island; it is the gateway for your cruise to the islands time forgot aboard your expedition ship, Isabela II. Cast off for North Seymour Island, where our expert naturalists take you on your first shore excursion this afternoon aboard the ship's Zodiac-style pangas; blue-footed boobies, sea lions and marine iguanas welcome you ashore with natural curiosity. Meals BLD
Overnight: Cruising aboard Isabela II, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 9: • Wet & Dry Landings at Hood IslandGet fitted for your snorkeling gear this morning because today you'll meet island natives who frolic atop - and under - the waters of Hood Island. Ride aboard glass-bottom boats and pangas today as you cruise to Gardner Bay for snorkeling and swimming. A challenging afternoon walk on lava terrain at Punta Suárez ends the day's discoveries. Meals BLD
Overnight: Cruising aboard Isabela II, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 10: • Explore Floreana IslandPrepare to get wet when we go ashore at Punta Cormorant today for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking. Look for ducks and flamingoes in the island's wildlife-rich lagoon. Bring your postcards with you for a wet landing at historic Post Office Bay; mail them, sailor style. Meals BLD
Overnight: Cruising aboard Isabela II, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 11: • Santa Cruz IslandSanta Cruz is home to daisy-tree forests, endemic cactus, volcanic craters, tortoises, a bustling town and the Charles Darwin Research Station. Spend the day exploring the sights with a naturalist, seeing the island's iconic giant tortoises in the wild and up close at the Darwin station. Meals BLD
Overnight: Cruising aboard Isabela II, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 12: • The Birds of Tower IslandAn active day of deep-water snorkeling, kayaking and swimming at Tower Island, known for its abundant birds, reveals large colonies of Nazca boobies, frigate birds, and storm petrels. Climb up Prince Philip's Steps on the eastern side of the island to see nesting birds. Meals BLD
Overnight: Cruising aboard Isabela II, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 13: • Isabela & Fernandina IslandsAsk for an early wake up call to look for whales in Bolivar Channel en route to Isabela Island. A panga ride to Tagus Cove views Darwin Crater and helps you find the ideal spot for snorkeling. Cruise to Fernandina Island for a one-mile shore hike amidst marine iguanas, sea lions and Sally Lightfoot crabs. Cross the Equator with champagne! Meals BLD
Overnight: Cruising aboard Isabela II, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 14: • James & Bartolomé IslandsIt's a wet landing today on James Island for a walk atop lava flows to see resident wildlife, from iguanas to fur seals. A panga ride around Pinnacle Rock precedes a hike to the summit of Bartolomé Island - 365 steps up! Meals BLD
Overnight: Cruising aboard Isabela II, Galápagos Islands
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 15: Fly to GuayaquilFly back to Guayaquil today. Enjoy free time at the hotel before joining us for our farewell dinner. Meals BD
Overnight: Hilton Colón Guayaquil, Ecuador
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner
Day 16: Journey HomeTour ends: Guayaquil. A transfer is included from the Hilton Colón Guayaquil to Guayaquil International Airport; allow 2 1/2 hours for flight check-in.
Note: This is an active journey requiring a fair amount of walking, often on uneven terrain and climbing in and out of Zodiac-style panga boats; several days touring at elevations up to 11,200 ft. in hot and humid weather can be strenuous and challenging.
Overnight: Meals Included: Breakfast
• = cruise day
Flying to Peru & the Galápagos Islands
You may want to consider traveling to Lima a day early to avoid jet lag. Tauck can book your international flights for travel originating in the United States and make hotel arrangements at the Miraflores Park Hotel in Lima before your tour begins. Ask at booking for details.
1. Arrive Lima
Tour begins: Miraflores Park Hotel. A transfer is included from Lima’s Jorge Chavez Int’l Airport to the Miraflores Park Hotel. Once considered the most beautiful colonial settlement in the New World, Lima chronicles its rich history in Renaissance churches, palaces, mansions and exclusive neighborhoods like Miraflores where your five-star hotel enjoys a premier oceanfront location.
2. Discover Life in Lima
Get a glimpse of life in the “City of Kings” today. View the world’s largest private collection of pre-Columbian art at the Museo Larco, housed in an 18th-century colonial mansion, and meet smooth-gaited Peruvian pasos during a visit to a horse ranch. Sightseeing continues back in Lima when we take you inside San Pedro Church, built in 1638, to see its gold-leafed Baroque altars and “La Abuelita,” the oldest bell in Peru. Join us tonight for a welcome cocktail reception and dinner with your fellow travelers. Meals BLD
3. Sacred Valley of the Incas
Rise early for a flight to Cusco, the place to begin your in-depth exploration of Incan culture. A weaving demonstration at a local farm showcases colorful traditions that have been handed down through the centuries, followed by a close-up look at another enduring vestige of ancient Peru, the mighty fortress of Ollantaytambo. Your accommodations feature spectacular views in an enchanted garden setting. Meals BLD
4. Explore Machu Picchu
Visit a private home before boarding a Vistadome train for a rail journey back in time to endlessly fascinating Machu Picchu. Revealing so much more than the ruins you’ll see before you, your guided tour with a local expert includes insights and stories that make the spiritual history of this sacred Inca citadel come alive. Spend the night at the sought-after Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge, located close to the entrance of this mystical site. Meals BLD
5. Machu Picchu / Cusco
Take the opportunity to explore the ruins again on an early morning visit – then join us on an excursion to a local market in Aguas Calientes. A return train trip aboard the Vistadome brings you back to colonial Cusco for a two-night stay at a lavishly restored historic monastery. Meals BLD
6. Discover Colonial Cusco
Sightseeing of ancient stone ruins and city landmarks is balanced with time at leisure today for you to enjoy the remainder of your Cusco stay, your way. Meals B
7. Fly to Guayaquil, Ecuador
Fly to Guayaquil via Lima for an anticipated mid-afternoon arrival and a sightseeing tour. The largest city in Ecuador, tropical Guayaquil serves as the perfect gateway for your upcoming 7-night Galápagos Islands cruise. Meals BD
8. • Cruising Begins in the Galápagos
Your morning flight touches down on Baltra Island; it is the gateway for your cruise to the islands time forgot aboard your expedition ship, Isabela II. Cast off for North Seymour Island, where our expert naturalists take you on your first shore excursion this afternoon aboard the ship’s Zodiac-style pangas; blue-footed boobies, sea lions and marine iguanas welcome you ashore with natural curiosity. Meals BLD
9. • Wet & Dry Landings at Hood Island
Get fitted for your snorkeling gear this morning because today you’ll meet island natives who frolic atop – and under – the waters of Hood Island. Ride aboard glass-bottom boats and pangas today as you cruise to Gardner Bay for snorkeling and swimming. A challenging afternoon walk on lava terrain at Punta Suárez ends the day’s discoveries. Meals BLD
10. • Explore Floreana Island
Prepare to get wet when we go ashore at Punta Cormorant today for swimming, snorkeling and kayaking. Look for ducks and flamingoes in the island’s wildlife-rich lagoon. Bring your postcards with you for a wet landing at historic Post Office Bay; mail them, sailor style. Meals BLD
11. • Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz is home to daisy-tree forests, endemic cactus, volcanic craters, tortoises, a bustling town and the Charles Darwin Research Station. Spend the day exploring the sights with a naturalist, seeing the island’s iconic giant tortoises in the wild and up close at the Darwin station. Meals BLD
12. • The Birds of Tower Island
An active day of deep-water snorkeling, kayaking and swimming at Tower Island, known for its abundant birds, reveals large colonies of Nazca boobies, frigate birds, and storm petrels. Climb up Prince Philip’s Steps on the eastern side of the island to see nesting birds. Meals BLD
13. • Isabela & Fernandina Islands
Ask for an early wake up call to look for whales in Bolivar Channel en route to Isabela Island. A panga ride to Tagus Cove views Darwin Crater and helps you find the ideal spot for snorkeling. Cruise to Fernandina Island for a one-mile shore hike amidst marine iguanas, sea lions and Sally Lightfoot crabs. Cross the Equator with champagne! Meals BLD
14. • James & Bartolomé Islands
It’s a wet landing today on James Island for a walk atop lava flows to see resident wildlife, from iguanas to fur seals. A panga ride around Pinnacle Rock precedes a hike to the summit of Bartolomé Island – 365 steps up! Meals BLD
15. Fly to Guayaquil
Fly back to Guayaquil today. Enjoy free time at the hotel before joining us for our farewell dinner. Meals BD
16. Journey Home
Tour ends: Guayaquil. A transfer is included from the Hilton Colón Guayaquil to Guayaquil International Airport; allow
2 1/2 hours for flight check-in. Meals B
Note: This is an active journey requiring a fair amount of walking, often on uneven terrain and climbing in and out of Zodiac-style panga boats; several days touring at elevations up to 11,200 ft. in hot and humid weather can be strenuous and challenging.