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11 Night Galapagos Islands In Darwins Footsteps Plus Machu Picchu (Eastern Route) and Land Tour

From Lima to Quito

MS Santa Cruz II

HX Hurtigruten Expeditions
3 Stars
  • Cruise #: 13952401
  • Departs: Sun, Jan 26, 2025
  • Returns: Thu, Feb 6, 2025
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    Oceanview $10,919
    Balcony
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    Itinerary Summary

    Tour Features and Highlights

    Day by Day Details

    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Sunday - Jan 26, 2025
    Day
    1
    Lima, Peru
    • Lima, Peru
    Start your adventure in ancient and modern Lima. Welcome to Peru, one of the most fascinating countries in South America! If you have time after your arrival in Lima before settling in at your hotel for an overnight stay, consider wandering the historical center, which is packed with elegant Spanish colonial architecture, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Or why not walk along the oceanfront boardwalk in the upmarket Miraflores district. Here, you'll find many restaurants and cafes, as well as shops if you need to purchase anything ahead of your adventure. Lima is considered the food capital of Latin America, so be sure to try local dishes like ceviche, which is raw fish marinated in lime juice with onion and chili. ...
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    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Monday - Jan 27, 2025
    Day
    2
    Lima, Peru
    • Lima, Peru
    • Air Travel
    • Cusco, Peru
    Explore the ancient seat of the Inca Empire. In the morning, you'll take a flight to Cusco, the ancient seat of the Inca Empire. A local guide will take you to check into your hotel, before inviting you on a guided tour of this enigmatic city. You'll see impressive Inca structures contrasted with ornate buildings from Spanish colonial times. Visit the 15th-century ceremonial compound of Sacsayhuaman, or admire the architecture of the Spanish Santo Domingo Church, a convent built on the ruins of Coricancha, the Inca Sun Temple. After your tour of the highlights of this cultural and architectural gem, we'll return to the hotel for dinner. ...
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    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Tuesday - Jan 28, 2025
    Day
    3
    Cusco, Peru
    • Cusco, Peru
    • Bus Travel
    • Ollantaytambo, Peru
    • Train Travel
    • Aguas Calientes, Peru
    • Bus Travel
    • Machu Picchu, Peru
    • Bus Travel
    • Aguas Calientes, Peru
    • Train Travel
    • Ollantaytambo, Peru
    • Bus Travel
    • Cusco, Peru
    Discover the lost city of the Incas. An early morning transfer will take you to Ollantaytambo, in the Sacred Valley, from where you'll catch a train along the narrow-gauge line to Machu Picchu, passing through stunning highland scenery along the way. After around two hours, we'll stop at the small town of Aguas Calientes and take the short bus ride to Machu Picchu - the so-called Lost City of the Incas. You'll enjoy a guided tour of this once-hidden settlement, marveling at the stonewalls, terraces and ramps that are carved into the mountain. You'll love the peaceful atmosphere of Machu Picchu as you gaze at the lowland jungle from this city in the clouds. After lunch, we'll return to Cusco where you'll enjoy your final night at the hotel. ...
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    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Wednesday - Jan 29, 2025
    Day
    4
    Quito, Ecuador
    • Quito, Ecuador
    Discover the vibrant city of Quito. Today, you'll enjoy a guided tour of Quito's remarkable Old Town - one of the largest and best-preserved colonial-era quarters in South America. Wander through cobblestone streets as you admire the architecture - and sample some delicious chocolate made from the finest Ecuadorian cacao along the way. Next, you'll head to the iconic 'Middle of the World City', located around 16 miles north of Quito. After lunch, you'll visit the famous monument that delineates the imaginary line of the Equator. Have your camera ready to capture the moment you stand with one foot in each hemisphere. ...
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    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Thursday - Jan 30, 2025
    Day
    5
    Quito, Ecuador
    • Quito, Ecuador
    • Bus Travel
    • Mitad del Mundo, Ecuador
    • Bus Travel
    • Quito, Ecuador
    Straddle the Equator in the Middle of the World City. Today, enjoy a guided tour of Quito's remarkable Old Town, one of the largest and best-preserved colonial-era quarters in South America. Wander through cobblestone streets as you admire the architecture and sample delicious chocolate made from the finest Ecuadorian cacao along the way. Next, you'll head to the iconic 'Middle of the World City', located around 16 miles north of Quito. After lunch, you'll visit the famous monument that delineates the imaginary line that is the Equator. Have your camera ready to capture the moment you stand with one foot in each hemisphere. ...
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    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Friday - Jan 31, 2025
    Day
    6
    Quito, Ecuador
    • Quito, Ecuador
    • Air Travel

    Cruise Segment of Itinerary

    Day 6 - Friday - Jan 31, 2025
    Day
    6
    Cruise Begins
    • Cruise Begins
    • Baltra, Galapagos, Ecuador
    • Isla Mosquera, Ecuador
    Get ready to explore the spectacular Galapagos Islands. After breakfast, a short flight will take you to Baltra Island, a part of the spectacular Galapagos Archipelago. A transfer will take you straight to the port, where your comfortable expedition ship MS Santa Cruz II awaits you. Get your first glimpse of the islands' incredible wildlife on Mosquera Islet, home to one of the largest sea lion colonies in the archipelago. We'll take our small panga boats ashore for a closer look. As you stroll across the flat, sandy dunes, look out for blue-footed boobies and Sally Lightfoot crabs, and learn about the marine and terrestrial ecosystems from your naturalist guides. ...
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    Saturday - Feb 1, 2025
    Day
    7
    San Cristobal Island (Puerto Baquerizo), Ecuador
    • San Cristobal Island (Puerto Baquerizo), Ecuador
    • Land Travel
    • Cerro Colorado, Ecuador
    • Land Travel
    • San Cristobal Island (Puerto Baquerizo), Ecuador
    • Punta Pitt, Ecuador
    Meet the famous giant tortoises. Your first stop today is the Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve, a breeding center for the endangered giant tortoise. It's also home to other endemic species, including the San Cristobal mockingbird and the lava lizard. The giant tortoise is probably the most iconic of all Galapagos wildlife, with a lifespan of over 100 years. They thrive here, ambling around forests similar to their natural habitat. Up to August 2024 we'll call at Cerro Brujo, on the island's west coast. With its white coral beaches, you'll literally be walking in Darwin's footsteps as the naturalist visited here in 1835. There are plenty of sea and shore birds to look out for here, as well as sea lions. After August 2024 we'll instead likely explore Punta Pitt in our small panga boats (dependent on local authority restrictions). This is the only site in the Galapagos Islands where you might see three species of boobies. Enjoy a nature walk, explore the coastline by boat, or snorkel and swim in the crystal-clear water. ...
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    Sunday - Feb 2, 2025
    Day
    8
    Santa Fe Island, Ecuador
    • Santa Fe Island, Ecuador
    • South Plaza, Ecuador
    Spot wildlife against idyllic backdrops. We start the day with a scenic nature walk on the blissful beaches of Santa Fe, home to the endemic Barrington land iguana and a colony of sea lions. You can swim or snorkel from the small panga boats, take a kayak for a paddle around the island, or join a trip in a glass-bottomed boat to observe the marine life below. After a delicious lunch prepared by our onboard chefs, we head to South Plaza Island. Keep an eye out for frigatebirds, swallow-tailed gulls, and Galapagos shearwaters gliding on the breeze. Here, among a dazzling array of flora, land iguanas laze by the shore while marine iguanas slip in and out of the water. ...
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    Monday - Feb 3, 2025
    Day
    9
    Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos, Ecuador
    • Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos, Ecuador
    Learn about local conservation efforts on Santa Cruz Island. Today, we pay a visit to the Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora. At this giant tortoise breeding center, you can see recently hatched tortoises and Darwin's famous finches - the birds he used as a basis for his theory of evolution by natural selection. There's also an impressive forest of prickly pear cacti that is home to many land birds. Enjoy a cooler climate over lunch in the lush highlands, where giant tortoises shuffle about munching on grass and wallowing in pools. You'll also have time for another activity, such as mountain biking or visiting a sugar plantation. ...
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    Tuesday - Feb 4, 2025
    Day
    10
    Punta Suarez, Ecuador
    • Punta Suarez, Ecuador
    • Gardner Bay
    • Islote Osborn, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, Ecuador
    Lava lizards and incredible birdlife. Your Galapagos Islands cruise reaches Espanola, the archipelago's southernmost island. Birdlife here is truly extraordinary. On cruises from April through December, look for Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, swallow-tailed gulls, and the mighty waved albatross. This is also a great chance to spot red Espanola lava lizards and marine iguanas, as well as see El Soplador, the famous blowhole that blasts water 75 feet into the air. After lunch onboard the ship, we'll head to the picturesque coral beach of Gardner Bay and nearby Osborn Islet to seek out sea lions, mockingbirds, and finches. If you're feeling active, you can go snorkeling or kayaking. ...
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    Wednesday - Feb 5, 2025
    Day
    11
    • Eden Islet, Ecuador
    • North Seymour Island, Galapagos, Ecuador
    Green turtles, sharks, and rare bird colonies. The abundant wildlife-watching opportunities continue at Eden Islet, where we hope to see Galapagos green turtles, rays, and friendly reef sharks. On shore, look for distinctive frigatebirds with their rubbery, red throats. You can swim or snorkel to explore the reefs. You can also see the reefs from our glass-bottomed boat or by kayak. After lunch, we'll sail to North Seymour. The island is a great site for spotting colonies of blue-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls. Sea lions and marine iguanas also congregate here, attracted by the bountiful sea life in its waters. ...
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    Thursday - Feb 6, 2025
    Day
    12
    Baltra, Galapagos, Ecuador
    • Baltra, Galapagos, Ecuador
    • Cruise Ends

    Land Segment of Itinerary

    Day 12 - Thursday - Feb 6, 2025
    Day
    12
    • Air Travel
    • Quito, Ecuador
    From the Galapagos Islands back to Quito. Your expedition cruise draws to a close as you disembark at Baltra Island. A transfer will take you to the airport in Baltra for your flight to Quito to connect to your international flight. Flight to Quito must be requested at the time of booking. If you prefer, you can continue to Guayaquil for another adventure. To explore more of Ecuador, stay and join one of the optional Post-Programs. As you leave this fascinating region, you'll take with you incredible memories of amazing wildlife and wonderful experiences few have the privilege of enjoying. ...
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