13-DAY INCA TRAIL – MACHU PICCHU & GALAPAGOS

Be met by your guide upon arrival at the Cusco airport and taken to your hotel in the center of the city for your first night here. Seize the remainder of the day to relax and explore this beautiful city at your own peace.

• Regocijo square

• Main square of Cusco

• Plaza Nazarenas

• San blas town (best handicrafts)

• Wall of 12 angles stone

• San Pedro market

The tour will be for 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 to tip the guide and the amount you tip is a personal decision and not an obligation.

Meals included: none.

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

• 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.

Meals included: Breakfast.

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

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

After waking up around 5:30am 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/11646ft). 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 Runkuraqay pass (4000 m/13123ft). We will arrive in our campsite by 5 pm. Temperature at this campsite around 4ºC during the nights.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

This is the most impressive day (in our opinion!), so just keep thinking of that on the ascent on day 2! Again we wake up for breakfast early and start the day with a gentle climb to visit the archaeological site of ‘Phuyupatamarca’(meaning ‘Town in the Clouds’) and to reach the third highest point on the trail (3680m)). The views from here of the mountains, canyons and surrounding area are, in short, “spectacular!”

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

We depart the last campsite at about 5:30am on the final day (breakfast 3:30-4:00am). We’ll start early in order to get to ‘Inti Punku’ (‘Sun gate’) (2730m/8792ft) before sunrise. This is the place from where you will have your first dramatic view of Machu Picchu (2400m/7873ft) with the sun rising over it! After some time there, we will walk down the last part of the trail to the spot where you can take the classic photo (postcard shot) of this ancient city. Finally, we visit Machu Picchu itself!

Meals included: Breakfast.

Meet your AJ trip leader and part of your group at 6:00 pm.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Today we get ready to explore the most amazing archipelago in 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 will take a quick boat to the largest island in the archipelago and where the most of the volcanic activity in the Galapagos is reported. The island was formed by six shield volcanoes, Alcedo, Cerra Azul, Darwin, Ecuador, Sierra Negra and Wolf; five of them are still active which makes the island one of the most volcanically active places on earth. 

Meals included: Breakfast.

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 comprised 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, we will have 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.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.

After driving up from Puerto Villamil to the trail head, we will prepare our backpacks for the hike into a young forest ecosystem, a world of recent geological history. Our destination is the rim of Sierra Negra Crater, an active volcano which last erupted in June 2018. Upon arrival, we take in breathtaking views and explore the circumference of the massive, lava-filled crater, a caldera that is over six miles across at its widest point. If we feel energetic enough, we can continue our hike to Volcan Chico, a secondary crater that has a wild landscape of puffing fumaroles and colorful lava formations; great examples of the dramatic geological events that have formed the Galapagos Islands over millennia. In the afternoon we will visit Tintoreras Islet by kayak, located at a short distance from Puerto Villamil and home to a great variety of wildlife. Its turquoise, crystalline waters are inhabited by white-tipped reef sharks, Galapagos Penguins, marine turtles and sea lions. One of its beaches, surrounded by mangroves, is one of the few sites where marine iguanas can reproduce successfully.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch.

In the morning, traverse from Isabela to Santa Cruz Island to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. Once we arrive, we will check in at the hotel. We will then visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn more about many of the endemic species seen in the wild, as well as the ongoing conservation and management efforts on the Galapagos Islands. In the afternoon, we will head to the 'El Chato' reserve in the highlands of Santa Cruz, home to the famous Galapagos tortoises. Hiking through El Chato's beautiful landscape with these lumbering giants is an unforgettable experience! We will also see other highland wildlife such as pintail ducks, egrets, flycatchers, finches and frigatebirds, which gather to wash the salt off their feathers at a fresh water lake. Afterwards, return to Puerto Ayora to spend the evening in Galapagos' most populous town.

Meals included: Breakfast.

After our final breakfast on the Galapagos Island and the last photos taken of sea lions, we have a transfer to Baltra's airport in time to catch the flight back to the mainland.

Meals included: Breakfast.

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"!

Meals included: Breakfast.