Inca Adventure & Galapagos 24 days

Our adventure starts in Lima, the main gateway to Peru. The city is built around Plaza Major (Plaza de Armas) and is home to an imposing Government Palace as well as an impressive cathedral. Nearby are several museums and San Francisco Monastery, famous for its remarkable catacombs. To the south-east and nestled in the Andes lies the former Inca stronghold of Cusco where we have ample time to wander around the labyrinth of cobblestone streets, taking in the colourful handicraft markets or maybe trying some ‘cuy’ (guinea pig) -a local delicacy available in many of the excellent restaurants! Out in the Sacred Valley is the small market town of Pisac and the magnificent Inca fortress at Ollantaytambo. And then comes the most stunning of Inca sights, Machu Picchu - the ‘Eagle’s Nest' of the Inca Empire. Continuing inland we come to Puno, where we discover beautiful Lake Titicaca. As our adventure draws to an end we travel via the ancient ruins of Tiahuanaco to La Paz, in Bolivia. The capital is located in a canyon on the 'Altiplano' (High Plains), surrounded by snow-capped Mount Illimani. La Paz has a large Indigenous population, as we discover on a visit to the highly unusual Witches Market.

Next we fly to Quito in Ecuador. Having had time to discover the highlights of the city we catch a flight to the Galapagos Islands. Here we board the M.Y. San Jose where we will be treated to a very special experience. The Galapagos Islands, nearly 1000 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador, are a World Heritage sanctuary. As a result of the extreme isolation of the islands, nearly a quarter of all species are endemic and much of the wildlife has no instinctive fear of man. On your explorations of the islands, an encounter with the giant Galapagos tortoise will be an amazing highlight. Blue-footed and masked boobies are found alongside pelicans and frigate birds. There are land and marine iguanas, sea lions, fur seals, whales and sea turtles - a myriad of fascinating wildlife to be discovered. Our 'Galapagos In-Depth' program is the ultimate Galapagos exploration and is our most popular voyage. It is designed to offer you the best opportunities to experience the magnificent flora and fauna that make the Galapagos unique.