Overview:

Delve into the mysterious world of the Inca empire on this stylish exploration of Peru. Every detail is taken care of as you journey from the pulsating capital of Lima, to the mist-cloaked mountains of Machu Picchu and halcyon waters of South America's largest lake. All the while enjoying the complete comfort of a Luxury Gold itinerary. Against a backdrop of ancient ruins, indulge in classic Peruvian dining that draws inspiration from ingredients both native and contemporary, at Huaca Pucllana. In Cusco, meet Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez, an expert in traditional weaving, to learn how the TreadRight foundation is helping protect this ancient skill. Enjoy two nights at the award-winning Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel where your elegant room comes complete with a fireplace to warm you each evening.

Treasures of the Incas with Quito & the Galapagos Islands Cruise (Luxury Gold - Summer 2017)

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Summarized Tour Details

Tour Duration:	18 Days
Depart From:	Ecuador
Arrive in:	Peru
Tour Style:	Insight Luxury Gold Tour & Cruise
Tour Type:	Escorted
Tour Supplier:	Insight Vacations
Meal Description:	No Meals

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Prices and Dates (Save up to 10% OFF these Published Rates)

Departure Date	Return Date	Price(CAD)

2017-04-15	2017-05-02	14431.00
2017-04-15	2017-05-02	6056.00
2017-04-29	2017-05-16	14431.00
2017-04-29	2017-05-16	6056.00
2017-09-02	2017-09-19	14731.00
2017-09-02	2017-09-19	6356.00
2017-10-14	2017-10-31	14431.00
2017-10-14	2017-10-31	6056.00

Overview
Itinerary
Other Inclusions
Trip Highlights
Trip Summary

Overview:

Countries Visited

Peru
Peru

Overview
Itinerary
Other Inclusions
Trip Highlights
Trip Summary

Day : 1

Arrive Quito

Number of Days : 1

Welcome to Ecuador. On arrival you will be met and taken to your hotel.

Day : 2

Quito Sightseeing

Number of Days : 1

(Relaxed Start) A drive north takes you to the Equatorial Line Monument called 'Middle of the World'. Here you get a truly rare experience to stand in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres simultaneously. Visit the Ethnographical Museum, presenting the history of the Indian cultures of Ecuador. After lunch at a local restaurant, drive to the historic centre of Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you can breathe in the colonial history of Ecuador. Enjoy a guided walk through this culturally diverse city and take a closer look at the heart of the city. On the way to San Francisco Square, pass the church of La Compañia, which has the most ornate and richly sculptured façade and interior. Afterward, visit one of the oldest streets in Quito, La Ronda. In the 1930's painters, poets and writers lived on this street. In the evening, enjoy dinner the historic old town at Mea Culpa.(WD)

Day : 3

Fly to the Galapagos Islands

Number of Days : 1

This morning, fly to Baltra, in the Galapagos Islands, where you will be met and transferred to the Itabaca Channel. Take a ferry across the Channel to Santa Cruz Island. Board a coach bound for the highlands of Santa Cruz Island, where you’ll learn about the unique highland ecosystems and biodiversity. After lunch, travel to El Chato Reserve, one of the best places in the archipelago to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat. A short ride takes you to Puerto Ayora where you’ll board the yacht, La Pinta.

Day : 4

At Sea

Number of Days : 1

After breakfast, a panga (dinghy) ride takes you to Eden Islet, located off the coast of Santa Cruz. Here you can observe blue footed boobies diving into the water, reef sharks and frigates. There’s a chance to snorkel and, if weather conditions permit, a ride in a glass-bottom boat. The tiny island of Sombrero Chino gets its name from its appearance: a Chinese hat. This islet, only formed fairly recently, makes a beautiful visit as one explores the wildlife along its 1,312 foot (400 metre) long trail, which begins at a crescent-shaped beach.

Day : 5

Bartolomé Island, Pinnacle Rock and Sullivan Bay

Number of Days : 1

In the morning, a Galapagos icon awaits: Bartolomé Island. A great way to start the day is with an ascent up a wooden staircase for spectacular views from the top. Next, a dinghy takes you for a ride around colossal Pinnacle Rock, followed by free time to choose from a variety of activities. After lunch, take the pangas to Sullivan Bay, a white coral sand beach great for swimming and snorkeling with a trail that runs above a lava field that flowed here less than 100 years ago.

Day : 6

At Sea

Number of Days : 1

In the morning, begin your day with an easy stroll to observe marine and land birds, with more options available for the more leisure-focused or adventure seeking traveller. The afternoon starts with a panga ride alongside the cliffs before disembarking for a steep climb. Once at the top of the stairs, the land is flat, allowing for a captivating walk to the other side of this small island, observing large colonies of Nazca boobies, frigate birds and storm petrels and the elusive short eared owl.

Day : 7

Back to Lima

Number of Days : 1

Your journey ends at Baltra Island where you are taken to the airport for your flight to Lima, Peru, where you will be met and taken to your hotel. At 19:00 join your Travelling Concierge for a Welcome Reception and an opportunity to meet with your fellow travellers over drinks and a light meal at Nos, Chef Virgilio Martinez's new restaurant in Lima.

Day : 8

Lima, 'City of the Kings'

Number of Days : 1

(Relaxed Start) Experience Lima through the eyes of a Local Expert as you are introduced to the beautiful 'City of Kings'. Explore the UNESCO listed Historic Centre of Lima; view the imposing cathedral, and visit the San Francisco Monastery with its shadowy catacombs lined with skulls and bones. A Highlight Lunch is included in the trendy, bohemian district of Barranco at one of Lima's most up-and-coming restaurants, Amor Amar. Continue exploring Barranco and visit the workshop of Victor Delfin, one of the leading sculptors and painters in Peru, best known for his monumental El Beso, a large sculpture unveiled in 1993 in "Love Park" in the Miraflores district. Meet Victor and his wife—who was his muse for the sculpture—at his home. Then, over a hot chocolate or authentic café pasado, listen to an expert barista spill the beans on Peruvian coffee. As evening falls, the restaurant terrace at Huaca Pucllana overlooks the illuminated ruins of a 1500-year-old pre-Inca pyramid. In contrast, the cuisine at the evening's Highlight Dinner is 'new Andean', exquisitely executed by one of the capital's celebrated chefs.(FB / HL / HD)

Day : 9

Lima and on to the Sacred Valley

Number of Days : 1

Board your flight for Cusco and drive to Peru's Sacred Valley. Stretching between the old Inca capital of Cusco and the legendary city of Machu Picchu, this was the fertile homeland of the Inca Empire. Visit the colourful Sunday market in the town of Chinchero, one of the most traditional markets in all of South America, where you'll be surrounded by locals in their traditional dress, buying and selling their wares. Then, meet Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez, a Quechua and scholar, president of the Centre for Traditional Textiles of Cusco and recipient of a TreadRight Foundation grant. Enjoy lunch with Nilda and learn about her mission to preserve traditional weaving techniques and why weaving in Peru is much more than just an art form. View weavers at work, learn about weaving patterns and Andean beliefs. Later, check into your luxurious resort and relax before dinner at your hotel.(FB / L / D)

Day : 10

Exploring the Sacred Valley

Number of Days : 1

(Relaxed Start) Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before heading to the little town of Maras to meet with a local family, giving you the unique opportunity to learn the local arts and crafts of the region. View the spectacular terraced salt pans dating back to Inca times, a patchwork landscape of pinks, tans and browns. Families have passed down caring for these salt pans for generations and today maintain them in much the same way they did long ago. Experience the ways in which they care for the salt pans and how their way of life depends on this tradition. In Moray, view the Incan ruins of circular terraces said to have been used for agricultural experiments. Experience a typical, trendy Peruvian meal, a caja china lunch of fresh vegetables and slow-roasted meats, all cooked in a wooden box. After lunch, witness a private Pachamama Ceremony, or 'Payment to the Earth', as a local shaman performs a centuries-old ritual of expressing reverence to the Earth as a source of life. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy your resort's facilities.(FB / L)

Day : 11

Journey to Machu Picchu

Number of Days : 1

Start the day with a visit to the town of Ollantaytambo, a National Archeological Site. Settle in to the panoramic viewing cars of the Vistadome train for the scenic journey to Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch is included upon arrival at your resort, reminiscent of an ancient Andean village. Explore nature trails winding past waterfalls and gardens as your Local Expert explains the fascinating cloud forest ecosystem. Discover a working tea plantation and the world's largest private collection of indigenous orchids. In the evening, learn how to blend the perfect pisco sour before enjoying dinner at the hotel.(FB / L / D)

Day : 12

Mysterious Machu Picchu

Number of Days : 1

Today, you have the entire day to discover the incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu, recently named one of the 'New Seven Wonders of the World'. Meet your Local Expert for a walk through the enigmatic 'Lost City of the Incas'. Learn about its history and the people who once lived there as you explore the site. Witness the great Temple of the Sun, Sacred Plaza and the intricately carved Intihuatana, believed to be an ancient sun clock. After an included lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge, there is more time to explore the archaeological site at your own pace, or perhaps visit the local town and browse its market before dinner.(FB / L / D)

Day : 13

Return to Cusco

Number of Days : 1

(Relaxed Start) Return by train to the Sacred Valley and tantalise your taste buds with a Highlight Lunch at a Pachamanca Feast, a traditional Peruvian meal cooked underground. At a local camelid farm, get up close and personal with llamas, guanacos, alpacas and even the rare and precious vicuña, known for their soft and highly prized wool. Arrive at your stylish hotel, only steps away from the Plaza de Armas. Built atop ancient Incan ruins and situated around a 16th century convent, your hotel is a veritable museum in the historic city of Cusco.(FB / HL)

Day : 14

Colonial Cusco

Number of Days : 1

Join a Local Expert to explore Cusco and its surroundings. Visit the Temple of the Sun at Korikancha and the formidable citadel of Sacsayhuaman, made of gigantic boulders, and the city cathedral. Visit the local market where you can practice your bartering skills. Set out for San Blas, Cusco's artisan centre, where you visit an unusual candle shop and learn about its importance to the locals. After, enjoy some free time on the Plaza de Armas for shopping. In the evening, enjoy a candlelit Highlight Dinner at the reputed MAP restaurant.(FB / HD)

Day : 15

Lake Region of Peru

Number of Days : 1

(Relaxed Start) After departing Cusco in the morning, board your included flight to Juliaca before a drive to Puno, situated on the edge of the majestic waters of Lake Titicaca. Arrive on Esteves Island and your lakeside hotel.(FB / L / D)

Day : 16

The Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca

Number of Days : 1

Cruise Lake Titicaca, the most sacred lake in the world of the Incas, to the famous floating islands of Uros. Here the local people bundle reeds from the lake to build floating platforms, houses and canoes. Learn about their lifestyle and customs before continuing to the island of Amantani, known for its weaving, stone carvings and gorgeous landscape. Enjoy lunch hosted by local restaurateur, Gladys Quispe Yanarico at Samari. After, there is time to explore or purchase local handicrafts before returning to Puno where you can relax until dinner.(FB / L / D)

Day : 17

Puno, Back to Lima

Number of Days : 1

(Relaxed Start) Head out to Sillustani on the shores of Lake Umayo, where the ancient Colla people interred their kings and nobility in enigmatic 'chullpas' or funerary towers. After exploring these impressive burial grounds, enjoy a scenic drive back to Juliaca for your flight to Lima. As the sun sets, be treated to a sensational seaside Celebration Dinner at CALA where pisco sours are the cocktail of choice. With the waves crashing beneath you, savour an inventive selection of Peruvian nouvelle cuisine, with an emphasis on fresh seafood.(FB / L / CD)

Day : 18

Depart Lima

Number of Days : 1

Your Peruvian adventure draws to a close today. A departure transfer is included to Lima airport.(FB)

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Overview: