Peru Ecuador Extension 21 Days / 20 Nights

Day 1: Arrival in Quito

Welcome to Quito! Ecuador’s vibrant capital entices travelers with an enchanting mix of colonial and modern attractions nestled in the heart of the Andes.

Upon arrival to the Quito airport, meet our representative for a transfer to your hotel. Depending on traffic, you can expect a 1- to 2-hour ride.

Check-in at your hotel. Spend the rest of the afternoon and evening at your leisure.

Day 2: Quito City Tour & Mitad del Mundo Tour

Begin your tour through Quito with a visit to the Historical Center and Guápulo, a zone of cobbled streets, cozy shops, cafes, art galleries, and scenic squares including San Francisco Plaza. Climb uphill to a famous Mirador de la Virgen de Panecillo for views over the city.

Next, drive 50 km north of the city to the Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World), where a monument marks 0º0’0” latitude. Continue to the Intiñan Museum to see various exhibits related to the equatorial line.

Includes transport and entrance fees to monument, churches and Intiñan museum. Does not include lunch.

Day 3: Arrive in Galapagos Islands

Begin your exciting Galapagos adventure with a transfer to the airport for your flight to the Galapagos Islands. A representative will meet you on arrival and take you to your hotel.

Afternoon Excursion: Black Turtle Cove (Santa Cruz)

Wet landing. On the north shore of Santa Cruz Island, where four species of mangrove crowd into the lagoon, you’ll find turtles swimming in the calm waters, peeking their heads above the surface while fish, rays and small sharks circle below. White-tipped reef sharks and sea birds, including pelicans, herons and egrets, can be seen. This cove has been declared a “Turtle Sanctuary.”

Day 4: Galapagos Islands

Morning Excursion: Sullivan Bay (Santiago)

Wet landing. Hike the extensive lava flows of Santiago Island that offer a glimpse into the archipelago’s formation. After the walk, cool off with swimming and snorkeling.

• Difficulty level: hard, 1mi (1.5km) path
• Duration: 1.5 hr walk / 1 hr snorkeling/swimming

Afternoon Excursion: Rabida

Wet landing. Rabida island is unique for its red-colored rocks and sand. Enjoy a short walk along a trail leading to a coastal lagoon behind the beach. Observe land birds such as finches, doves, yellow warblers and mocking birds. At the lagoon there is a colony of flamingos.

Day 5: Galapagos Islands Cruise

Morning Excursion: Urbina Bay (Isabela)

Wet landing. Visit the volcanic ash beach and coral area. Explore the uplifted coral reef that resulted from volcanic activity in 1954 and take in a spectacular view of Alcedo Volcano. After the walk, you have time for snorkeling.

• Difficulty level: intermediate
• Duration: 1.5hr walk / 1hr snorkeling

Afternoon Excursion: Tagus Cove (Isabela)

Dry landing. Historic Tagus Cove formed from the eruption of five volcanoes and is now home to a variety of seabirds such as Blue-footed boobies, terns, flightless cormorant, and the Galapagos penguins. Put your snorkel gear on and explore the underwater world.

• Difficulty level: intermediate
• Duration: 2hr walk | 40min dinghy ride | 1 hr. snorkeling

Day 6: Galapagos Islands Cruise

Morning Excursion: Espinosa Point (Fernandina)

Dry landing. Take a walk to see large marine iguanas mingling with sea lions and sally-light foot crabs. Spot the nesting sites of flightless cormorants, Galapagos penguins and Galapagos hawk. Take some time to snorkel in the calm waters.

• Difficulty level: intermediate
• Duration: 2hr walk / 1hr snorkeling

Afternoon Excursion: Vicente Roca Point (Isabela)

Enjoy great deep water snorkeling at one of the richest marine havens on Earth. You also have an opportunity to find Nazca

Day 7: Galapagos Islands Cruise

Morning Excursion: Highlands (Santa Cruz)

Dry landing. Trek through the highlands of Santa Cruz, observe famous giant tortoises in their natural habitat, walk inside otherworldly lava tubes, and visit pit craters created from the collapse of surface layers into underground chamber fissures.

• Difficulty level: easy
• Duration: 45min drive/ 1.5hr walk

Afternoon Excursion: Mosquera Islet

Wet landing. Visit this small islet formed by a geological uplift, with a coral reef and great white sand beach, home to a population of sea lions. You can also observe several species of shorebirds. This site offers great snorkeling and swimming opportunities. Along the rocks are Red Lava crabs or Sally light foot crabs.

• Difficulty level: easy
• Duration: 1.5hr walk and snorkeling

Day 8: Galapagos Islands Cruise

Morning Excursion: South Plaza (Plaza Island)

Dry landing. Observe land and marine iguanas, sea lions, blue-footed boobies and many other birds. Due to their proximity to marine iguanas, this is the only place on Earth where you will find the Galapagos hybrid iguana.

• Difficulty level: intermediate
• Duration: 2hr walk

Afternoon Excursion: Santa Fe

Wet landing. This island is home to a number of endemic species including Galapagos Hawk, Galapagos snake, rice rats, a variety of finches and one of the four species of Galapagos mockingbirds. End the day with deep-water snorkeling.

• Difficulty level: intermediate
• Duration: 1.5hr walk | 1hr snorkeling

Day 9: Galapagos Islands Cruise

Morning Excursion: South Plaza (Plaza Island)

Morning Excursion: Pitt Point & Islet (San Cristobal)

Wet landing. This is probably the only place where the three booby species of the Galapagos can be seen together: Nazca, Blue-footed, and Red-footed; as well as two species of frigate birds and a sea lion colony. Be prepared for a hard 90-meter climb to the observation point.

• Difficulty level: difficult
• Duration: 2.5hr walk

Afternoon Excursion: Cerro Brujo (San Cristobal)

Wet landing. Witch Mountain is an eroding tuff cone which form cliffs where seabirds are often seen nesting. It looks over a beautiful white sand beach where you can spot sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas.

• Difficulty level: easy
• Duration: 1hr walk | 1hr snorkeling

Day 10: Departure from Galapagos Islands & Arrival to Lima

Morning Excursion: Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve (San Cristobal)

Dry landing in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Visit a reserve built to improve the status of the population of the island tortoises, Geochelone Chathamensis, in an environment with conditions similar to their natural state. It is also one of the few places where you can see Calandrinia Galapagosa, a native plant in danger of extinction.

Difficulty level: intermediate
Duration: 40min bus drive to the Reserve | 1hr visit

Later in the morning, transfer to the airport for your return to mainland Ecuador. Connection onward to Lima

Upon arrival to Lima, meeting at the airport and transfer to your hotel.

Day 11: Lima City Tour

Meet your guide and begin with a driving tour through Lima’s modern districts including Miraflores and San Isidro. You’ll also stop at the Parque del Amor overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the 4th century Huaca Pucllana. Next, continue to the UNESCO-recognized Historic Center, stopping at Plaza San Martin with its old mansions and balconies and then at the Plaza de Armas to see the Presidential Palace and the Lima Cathedral. End with a tour of San Francisco Church and its subterranean catacombs.

Pick-up and drop-off at your hotel. Entrance fees included.

• Tour duration: 3.5 hours

Day 12: Caral Tour

You will be picked up from your hotel at 6am and driven to the Caral Archaeological Site. On our way to Caral, we will pass through the towns of Chancay, Huacho, Huaura and Supe. Your tour guide will be pointing them out to you as
we drive along. We will also stop along the way in order to use the restrooms and to do some last minute shopping.

Upon arrival, we will meet our local guide and start the visit to the citadel. During the tour, we will see several temples and enclosures such as the
Templo Mayor, the Altar of the Holy Fire, among others.

In the afternoon, and if the weather allows, we will make a brief city tour in the city of Huacho. We will appreciate the Main Square with its imposing roundabout and the Huacho Casino. At dusk, we will return to the city of Lima.

Arrival to the city of Lima and transfer to the hotel.

Day 13: Arrival to Puerto Maldonado

With two-thirds of the nation’s territory covered in rainforest, one could say that no trip to Peru is complete without a visit to the Amazon.

Catch your flight to Puerto Maldonado to begin your jungle adventure. Meet the lodge staff upon arrival and transfer to the port for a boat ride to your Amazon lodge.

After lunch, take advantage of your surroundings. Activities may include hikes to explore the rainforest ecosystem or a canoe ride along the Madre de Dios River.

Day 14: Amazon Tours

Your excursions today will acquaint you with the diverse wonders and habitats of the southern Peruvian Amazon. Early in the morning, your naturalist guide will take you on a walk to the nearest riverbank or lagoon where jungle critters are especially active. In the afternoon, you might visit a nearby canopy tower where viewing platforms high above the ground allow you to glimpse a whole different side of the Amazon.

Your exact itinerary may differ depending on weather conditions and activities offered by your lodge.

Day 15: Amazon Tours

Continue your Amazon exploration with trail hikes to learn more about rainforest ecology and keep your eyes peeled for monkeys, birds, and sloths.

Depending on your lodge, you might also visit a local jungle farm or a native community. In the evening, go on a night walk to see critters that only come out after dark; or just rest, relax, and enjoy the company of your fellow travelers back at the lodge.

Your exact itinerary may differ depending on weather conditions and activities offered by your lodge.

Day 16: Fly to Cusco

Fly to Cusco this morning and settle in for an afternoon of rest and easy exploration as you begin to adjust to the altitude.

Situated at 3,400 m (11,150 ft), Cusco is a beautiful city of whitewashed walls, red-tiled roofs, and soaring churches nestled in a fertile mountain basin.

Walk around the historic center to see gorgeous colonial architecture and the remnants of Inca walls. Be sure to head to the Plaza de Armas to experience the social heart of this bustling.

Day 17: Cusco City tour

Your tour today will introduce you to the remarkable history of Cusco as visible in its monumental architecture, richly ornamented churches, and present-day Andean cultural practices.

Begin in the UNESCO-recognized historic center. Visit the majestic Cusco Cathedral and the Qoricancha or Temple of the Sun. Then drive into the countryside to see the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Qenko, Tambomachay, and Pukapukara.

Day 18: Sacred Valley Tour & Arrival to Aguas Calientes

The Sacred Valley was the spiritual center of the Inca Empire, where all-powerful emperors built private estates, temples, fortifications, and thousands of agricultural terraces.

Join your guide for a jaunt through the Sacred Valley’s remarkable places. Explore the Pisac ruins and shop at the famous artisan market in the village plaza. Scale the heights of Ollantaytambo fortress and be sure to explore the stone-lined streets of the village where water still flows through Inca-built channels.

After your tour, end at the Sacred Valley Train station for your train to Aguas Calientes.  Meeting at the train station and assistance to your hotel.

Day 19: Machu Picchu Tour

For 400 years, the “lost city of the Incas” remained hidden atop a mountain ridge until it was revealed to the world on the pages of National Geographic in 1911.

Your day begins with an early morning bus transfer up to the ruins. Your tour guide will lead you on an unforgettable walk through Machu Picchu’s stone-lined paths, along the terrace edges, to the base of structures that testify to the extraordinary skill of its builders.

After snapping some final photos, aboard the shuttle bus back to town and transfer to the train station for your return to Cusco.

Optional: Hike Huayna Picchu to get a bird’s eye view of the ruins or take the Machu Picchu Mountain hike to appreciate.

Day 20: Cusco Free Day

The best days in Cusco are those when you have time to get wonderfully lost exploring the narrow cobblestoned roads of the old Inca imperial capital.

Browse the artisan workshops and boutique shops of San Blas. Go to San Pedro Market to shop with the locals. Our personal favorite is people-watching on the Plaza de Armas while sipping a coffee or a cocktail.

Day 21: Departure from Cusco

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima and your journey home.

Alternatively, you can customize this itinerary to extend your stay in Cusco or visit another exciting destination in Peru.