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| Galapagos and Machu Picchu
A 14-Day tour starting from $7,995
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| About This Tour | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The stones of the great mountaintop Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, garlanded by clouds, tell stories of ancient kingdoms, riches beyond imagination and a way of life that is now gone forever. Wander through the abandoned city, marvel at the spectacular views and listen to the echoes of ages past. On the isles of the Galápagos, history is always in the making. In this living laboratory, swim with turtles in crystalline waters, and walk among marine iguanas and sea lions as they bask on the black volcanic stone. Above your head, countless species of birds soar through the equatorial skies. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Quito, Ecuador, Swissôtel:
Swissôtel Quito offers 250 tastefully decorated and generously sized rooms and suites. Its five excellent restaurants offer a wide range of international cuisine. It is known as "The Kindest Hotel of Latin America." The facilities include the exclusive and intimate Amrita Spa, an indoor & outdoor swimming pool, sauna, steam bath, fitness center, squash and racquet court. CRUISE SHIP: M/V Galápagos Explorer II: The M/V Galápagos Explorer II is the most elegant vessel cruising the Galápagos’ waters. It is designed to provide both comfort and scientific information to 100 passengers visiting the Galápagos National Park. The itineraries emphasize the best of this pristine paradise and expert naturalist guides offer an environmentally friendly and educational cruise focused in the Natural History of the Galápagos. The M/V Galápagos Explorer II was built in 1990 as part of the Renaissance Cruise Line and has operated in the Galápagos Islands since February 1998. It has an overall length of 293 feet and reaches 17 knots. The vessel is adapted to eco-tourism operations. All of the spacious suites offer outside views and are fully air-conditioned. They are equipped with marble bathroom, hair dryer, closed-circuit TV, mini-bar and satellite communication telephones. Facilities on board include a boutique, library, conference room, restaurant, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, bar and karaoke bar, coffee/tea/snack station and 24-hour doctor. *Travcoa features deluxe hotel rooms and a Classic Suite aboard the ship. Upgrades are available for cabins on higher decks. Prices and availability vary per departure. Please ask your Travcoa Vacation Planner for the specific availability and prices on your desired departure date. Lima, Peru, Miraflores Park Plaza Hotel: Located in Malecon de la Reserva, an exclusive residential area with a spectacular ocean view, Miraflores Park Plaza Hotel is a relaxing, comfortable oasis. Your ocean view guestroom features an ample private bathroom in marble and granite, comfortable king-sized bed, air-conditioning, heating, spacious closets, a sitting area equipped with the best in communications technology fax machine, two phone lines, data port. Access to the Internet and personal computers are available upon request. Cuzco, Peru, Monasterio del Cuzco: Hotel Monasterio del Cuzco is located in a 17th-century building that was once the Seminary of San Antonio Abad. In 1995, the seminary was tastefully converted into a hotel, while still preserving its original historically relevant architecture. Today the hotel provides a unique opportunity to experience the comfort and service of a five-star hotel in an amazing museum setting. The decoration and furnishings combine the best of modern and traditional Spanish colonial style, many of them with charming views of the city or the colorful rooftops of Cuzco. You can feel the presence of the past as you are pampered with every luxury and modern comfort. The original architecture and design of the Monasterio has not been significantly altered, and thus the rooms reflect their origins as a home for Jesuit seminarians. There are no two rooms alike and they all vary in size and format. A fine restaurant, coffee house and bar are located in the hotel. Your comfortable and elegant room includes telephone, mini-bar, cable television, hairdryer and room service. The Hotel Monasterio has taken steps to alleviate altitude sickness by introducing an oxygen supplementation system, which is a special feature of your guestroom.
Days 1 - 3, Wednesday - Friday - Depart for Quito, Ecuador
Depart from home on Wednesday. Set in a valley ringed by snowcapped volcanoes, Quito welcomes you. Explore its many colonial churches, monasteries, paintings and sculptures, and visit the Equatorial Monument. Visit the famous Otavalo market and admire the handcrafted textiles of the local indigenous people. In the small town of Cotacachi—Ecuador’s center of leatherworks—enjoy strolling through the town’s narrow streets where quaint shops abound. Days 4 - 7, Saturday - Tuesday - The Galapagos Islands: Baltra, Bartolome, Santiago, Fernandina, Isabela, North Seymour & Santa Cruz The M/V Galápagos Explorer II awaits you for a five-day cruise of the living laboratory where Charles Darwin studied and collected samples of the flora and fauna. His observations on the islands’ diverse species would later become the basis for the Theory of Evolution. You’ll explore the islands by Zodiacs and find opportunity to swim and snorkel in crystal clear waters. Hike pathways to view endemic wildlife such as the Galápagos Tortoise, known to have a lifespan of more than 150 years. Days 8 & 9, Wednesday & Thursday - Lima, Peru Explore the sights of colonial Lima with a visit to the San Francisco Monastery and the Plaza de Armas Square. View the world’s largest private collection of Peruvian pre- Colombian art at the Larco-Herrera Museum, and marvel at the extensive collection of ceramics, textiles, gold, silver, and erotic pottery. Day 10, Friday - Cuzco High in the Andes, more than 10,000 feet above sea level, Cuzco was founded in the 15th century by the Incas and was later conquered by the Spanish. Much of its fascinating architecture reflects the dramatic Spanish style known as Cuzco Baroque. You’ll explore the Convent of Santo Domingo, known as Korikancha to the Incas, a temple devoted to worship of the sun, and tour the countryside to see the National Archeological site of Sacsayhuaman. DAY 11, Saturday: Cuzco & Machu Picchu Early this morning drive to Cuzco’s Poroy Station to board the luxury Hiram Bingham train for your journey to fantastic Machu Pcchu. Travel aboard this deluxe train for the next three hours and enjoy its distinctive blue and gold livery and elegant interior uholstery appointed in warm, inviting tones. Lunch is served on board and guides are present to explain points of interest along the way. Machu Picchu is undoubtedly the most spectacular Inca site on the continent. What remains of the Inca legacy is limited, as the conquistadors plundered what they could of Inca treasures and in so doing, dismantled the many structures painstakingly built by Inca craftsmen. Remarkably, a last bastion of the Inca Empire, Machu Picchu, remained unknown to the Spanish conquerors. Discovered in 1911 by American explorer Hiram Bingham, with support from Yale University and National Geographic, the citadel is deemed one of the world's finest examples of landscape architecture. Machu Picchu (Old Mountain in Quechua, the ancient language of the Incas) nestles on top of a mountain saddle high above the Urubamba River in the middle of the cloud forest. It was both a center of worship and astronomic observatory as well as the private retreat of the family of Inca ruler Pachacútc. After your guided tour of this ancient citadel, have a typical English Afternoon Tea at the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge. At 8,200 feet above sea level, it is the only hotel located within the very sanctuary of the Machu Picchu Inca citadel. Once back on board the train, cocktails are served, accompanied by live entertainment, then followed by a four course, à la carte dinner presented in the dining cars. We arrive in Cuzco late evening, and be taken directly back to our hotel. Hotel Monasterio del Cuzco DAY 12, Sunday Cuzco & Pisac Enjoy a thrilling full day excursion to the Urubamba Valley the Sacred Valley of the Incas that runs from east of Pisac to Ollantaytambo at the western end of the Valley. There are Inca remains all over the valley. On the way to the Urubamba Valley, you will visit Awanakancha, a center where South American Camelids (members of the camel family) – Llamas, Alpacas, Guanacos, and Vicunas – are bred. You will learn about the renowned fibers created from their coats, as well as the ancient weaving techniques which are still used. It is a narrow, winding valley with spectacular snow capped peaks. You’ll visit Pisac, which is best known for its market. You can see the impressive set of Incan ruins perched on the mountainside overlooking the valley. Enjoy a delicious lunch at Casa Orihuelo, a lovely old hacienda. Here you’ll choose from delectable local cuisine as you view the charming gardens. Return to Cuzco in the afternoon. Cuzco means “Navel of the World” in Quechua, as it was the capital of the Inca Empire. The city is filled with Inca buildings designed forreligious, administrative, military and domestic purposes. After the conquest, the Spanish built a new city on top of the old one they found and the Spanish colonial monuments are among the richest and mos luxurious in the Andes.Hotel Monasterio del Cuzco DAY 13, Monday Cuzco & Lima Early this morning we fly back to Lima, and the luxurious Miraflores Park Plaza Hotel. Lima, located on the central western coast, is a large cosmopolitan city shrouded in a dreamy coastal fog for much of the year. It’s an exciting city known for the friendly people, important historical sites, high‐quality museums and a variety of fine dining and entertainment establishments. We have the day at leisure to explore Lima on our own. Our farewell dinner will be in South America’s best‐preserved colonial mansion, Casa Aliaga. Located across from the Presidential Palace in colonial Lima, the 66 room ancestral mansion was built in 1535 by Don Jeronimo de Aliaga, a member of Pizarro's conquering forces. Seventeen generations later, Casa Aliaga is still inhabited by the Aliaga family, whose heirlooms include the beautiful original furniture. It is the jewel of Colonial Lima and the oldest private household in continuous use in the Western Hemisphere. Miraflores Park Plaza Hotel DAY 14, Tuesday Depart for Home This morning you will be taken to the Lima airport for your flight home or on to your next destination. NOTE: The Daily Itinerary above is subject to change dependent upon local conditions and/or operational changes or improvements. The specific times and order of inclusions within each destination may also be altered to best accommodate unscheduled closure, special events, weather, traffic, etc. Please contact your Vacation Planner before scheduling any coinciding appointments. You will receive an up-dated, itinerary approximately 30 days prior to your journey’s scheduled departure date.
• Stand in the Equatorial “Middle of the World”
• Cruise the Galápagos aboard the M/V Galápagos Explorer II • Explore the colorful markets of Otavalo and Pisac • Enjoy brunch and dinner aboard the luxurious Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu • Relax in special oxygen-enhanced rooms in Cuzco • Dine privately at Casa Aliaga, South America’s oldest colonial mansion from 1535 • Delight your senses in the Royal Suite of the Plaza Grande Hotel, overlooking the stunning view of colonial Quito All tour prices are per person, in US dollars, based on double occupancy.
Please Call for Single Supplement pricing |
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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. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||