13-DAY INCA TRAIL – MACHU PICCHU & GALAPAGOS

Meet your guide at your arrival at Cusco airport who will take you to your hotel located at the city center of this vibrant city for your first night there. (Please note the check-in time is at 12:00 pm and the check-out time is at 10:00 am. Early check-in has an extra cost). Spend the rest of the day exploring and relaxing at your own pace in this former capital of the Inca Empire.

At 3:00 pm there will be an optional free walking tour for those who wish to join (please note that although this is an optional free walking tour, discretionary tips as a gratitude to the guide are welcome). The approximate duration of this tour is 2 hours.

Places to be visited:

• Regocijo square
• Cusco’s main square
• Plaza Nazarenas
• San Blas town (best handicrafts)
• Wall of 12 angles stone
• San Pedro’s market

The tour will be about 2 hours approx. This tour is optional; you are not forced to do it if you do not want to! For this tour we recommend tipping the guide and the amount you tip is a personal decision and not an obligation.

Optional 1: Half day City tour.
(Extra activity for an extra cost, Price: USD 30 per person).
We will pick you up at 1:30 pm to start the tour visiting the main cathedral, Qoricancha (the temple of the sun), and the four archaeological sites like Sacsayhuaman, Q´enqo, Pucapucara, and Tambomachay, ending around 6:00 pm. Then we will drop you off at your hotel. (Meals are not included on this day, but we are always happy to offer suggestions).

Enjoy a free day at leisure to discover this ancient city on your own, or opt to do an optional activity such as:

Full day – Sacred Valley Tour (Highly recommended)

Embark on a full day excursion to the Urubamba Valley, visiting the colorful Indian market in Pisac. Appreciate the mixture of color and tradition and have an opportunity to purchase their hand-made souvenirs. Pisac is located at the entrance of the Sacred Valley. The Valley is 31 km/19 mi from Cusco, and at an altitude of 2,970m (9,700 ft). Following Pisac is Urubamba, where we will have a delicious buffet lunch at Tunupa restaurant and then continue on to Ollantaytambo, the oldest continuously occupied town on the American continent. The narrow streets of Ollantaytambo, along with their canals, have not changed much from the time of the Inca Empire. They evoke their ancestral inheritance and give you a feeling of what it would like to be living during this time. The last visit will be the Chinchero market. Chinchero is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow. Its major claim to tourism is its colorful Sunday market which is much less tourist-orientated than the market at Pisac. At the end, we will return you to the Plaza de Armas in Cusco around 6:30pm. The night is free for you to eat in a restaurant of your choice; although we always have plenty of suggestions for you if you require them.

• If you would like to do this excursion, please confirm in advance in order to secure your spot and schedule a tour guide and transport.

P.S: Tonight we will have the Inca trail briefing at 7:00pm at the hotel lobby.

Total distance to be covered: 12km or 7mi. (5 to 6 hours more or less).

We will meet and pick you up from your Hotel at 4:30am (time to be confirmed at the briefing time) and travel by bus to Piskacucho (called kilometer 82) where the trail starts. There will be a breakfast stop in Ollantaytambo (6:30-7am) to load up on energy (breakfast – not included). On arrival at kilometer 82 (approx. 8:30am), we will have time to organize ourselves (use the restrooms, put on sun cream, mosquito repellant, etc.) Once ready, it is necessary to show your entrance tickets, passports and, if paying a student rate, the student card at the trail’s 1st control point. Now, start the journey along the Incan Trail to our first camp! To start the trail (2720m/8923ft), we cross the Vilcanota River and follow its route to the right.

The first day is relatively easy (a warm-up on the ‘Inca flat’ terrain) and we will have great views of the site of an Inca Fortress (‘Huillca Raccay’), the vast and incredible Inca site ‘Llactapata’ (officially called ‘Patallacta’), the Urubamba mountain range that divides the jungle and the Andes and the beautiful snow-capped peak of ‘W’akay Willca’ (5860m/19225ft), known in books as Veronica.

Our first campsite (Ayapata) will be one hour and a half up the small village of Wayllabamba (3000m/9842ft) in the temperate green valley of the same name. Temperature at night is usually around 5ºC (depending on the month).

After waking up around 5:30 am and having breakfast, we will start a steep ascent towards the highest pass (Abra de Warrmihuañusca/’Dead Woman’s Pass’ – 4200m/13779ft). On this day a real sense of achievement is felt on reaching the top! After a rest here, we’ll begin the descent to the lunch stop which is located at Pacaymayu (3550m/11646 ft). On the way up to the pass we will be able to see lots of hummingbirds and other birds. Also we will have the time to appreciate an incredible variety of native plants and trees such as the ´Polylepis´ or Q’ueuña trees which grow in the astonishing cloud forest at 3650/11972m! After lunch begins 2 hours of steep climbing to Runkurakay pass (4000 m/13123ft). We will arrive at our campsite by 5 pm. Temperature at this campsite is around 4ºC during the nights.

This is the most impressive day (in our opinion!), so just keep thinking of that on the ascent! We wake up early for breakfast and begin the day with a gentle climb to visit the archaeological site of Phuyupatamarca (meaning “Town in the Clouds”) and reach the third highest point on the trail (3680m). The views of the mountains, canyons and surrounding area are simply spectacular.

After visiting Phuyupatamarca, we continue descending through the cloud forest on a path that includes around 3000 steps, passing through the impressive agricultural Inca site of Intipata until we arrive at our third campsite, Wiñay Wayna (2680m/8792 ft). We will arrive around lunchtime after walking for 4 to 5 hours.

A short distance from the campsite is the stunning Inca site also called Wiñay Wayna (“Forever Young”). Even if you are tired, don’t miss the chance to visit this magnificent place. The temperature at night is around 12º C.

We depart the last campsite at about 5:30 am on the final day (breakfast 3:30–4:00 am). We’ll start early in order to get to ‘Inti Punku’ (‘Sun Gate’) (2730m/8792 ft) before sunrise. From here, you’ll get your first dramatic view of Machu Picchu (2400m/7873ft) with the sun rising over it—an unforgettable moment!

After spending some time there, we continue walking down the last section of the trail to reach the famous viewpoint where you can take the classic postcard shot of the ancient city. Then, you’ll enjoy a guided walking tour (approx. 2 hours) inside Machu Picchu.

After the guided visit, you’ll have some free time to explore on your own. Later, you’ll meet your guide in Aguas Calientes for lunch and receive your train tickets back to Cusco. In the afternoon, you’ll take the train to Ollantaytambo, where our bus will be waiting to take you to your hotel in Cusco. Please be at the train station 30 minutes before departure. Final train schedules will be confirmed by your tour guide.

Please note that the itinerary may vary depending on availability at the time of booking.

Welcome to Quito! The largest, best-preserved colonial city in the Americas — declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Quito is considered the Cultural Capital of South America and is located on the equator in a valley at the foothills of the Pichincha volcano.

Depending on your arrival time, you may explore the old town of Quito and the surrounding areas. Adventure Journeys can help organize a day trip if requested in advance.

In the evening, one of our trip leaders will meet you at the hotel lobby for a welcome briefing at 18:00. We’ll go over the details of your adventure and answer any questions. This first day serves as an acclimation and information day.

Today we get ready to explore the most amazing archipelago on the Pacific coast and the place where Charles Darwin based his theory on the evolution of species. We will board a morning flight from Quito to the island of Baltra. Once we arrive, we head to the town of Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the Galapagos.

From here, we take a quick boat to the largest island in the archipelago, formed by six shield volcanoes: Alcedo, Cerra Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra, and Wolf. Five of them are still active, making this island one of the most volcanically active places on Earth.

The Galapagos Islands are located 600 miles (965.6 km) from the coast of Ecuador. It’s important to understand that getting there requires air, road, and sea transportation.

Explore the amazing formations of lava created by the last eruptions of the volcanic island along the seashore. This magical place has historically been filmed by BBC and National Geographic for their documentaries. It is a labyrinth of lava arches made of crystal-clear water, full of sea turtles, eagle rays, sea lions, sharks, and more.

The turtles navigate their own highway from the mangroves to the open sea through Los Túneles. Here, you’ll experience the best snorkeling opportunity with all these beautiful animals, including the curious Galapagos penguins playing around.

In the afternoon, we return to Puerto Villamil to go kayaking in Tintoreras to observe sea lions, penguins, turtles, and marine iguanas.

Before or after the trip, enjoy optional activities such as snorkeling at Concha de Perla, biking, or relaxing on the exotic white-sand beaches of Isabela Island. We also recommend visiting the giant tortoise breeding center, just a short walk from your hotel.

After driving up from Puerto Villamil to the trailhead, we will prepare our backpacks for a hike into a young forest ecosystem — a world of recent geological history. Our destination is the rim of Sierra Negra Crater, an active volcano that last erupted in June 2018.

Upon arrival, we’ll enjoy breathtaking views and explore the circumference of the massive, lava-filled caldera, which spans more than six miles at its widest point. If we’re feeling adventurous, we can continue our hike to Volcán Chico, a secondary crater with a wild landscape of puffing fumaroles and colorful lava formations — excellent examples of the dramatic geological forces that shaped the Galapagos.

In the afternoon, we’ll visit Tintoreras Islet by kayak. Just a short distance from Puerto Villamil, this area is home to white-tipped reef sharks, Galapagos penguins, marine turtles, and sea lions. One of its mangrove-fringed beaches is among the few places where marine iguanas can successfully reproduce.

In the morning, we’ll travel from Isabela to Santa Cruz Island and visit the renowned Charles Darwin Research Station. After checking in at our hotel, we’ll explore the station to learn more about the endemic species found across the archipelago and the ongoing conservation and research efforts in the Galapagos.

In the afternoon, we’ll head into the highlands of Santa Cruz to visit the El Chato reserve, home to the iconic Galapagos tortoises. Walking alongside these gentle giants in their natural habitat is a truly unforgettable experience. We’ll also spot other wildlife like pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers, finches, and frigatebirds gathering around freshwater lakes.

Afterward, we’ll return to Puerto Ayora, the most populous town in the Galapagos, for a relaxing evening.

After our final breakfast on the Galapagos Islands and a few last photos with the friendly sea lions, we’ll transfer to Baltra Airport to catch our return flight to the mainland.

Today our trip will end and you will have your international departures. Take with you your memories and photos and leave a piece of your heart, as you will want to return to Ecuador soon to experience more of this enchanted land. We wish you a “Buen viaje”!