Honeymoon tour Peru-Galapagos 18 days
The tour starts in Peru and ends at the legendary Galapagos. We’ll take you to all can’t miss places of Peru: Cusco, the ancient Incas capital; Machu Picchu, the lost city; the mythical Sacred Valley of the Incas; the astonishing Titicaca Lake; Arequipa with its colonial architecture and the Colca Canyon. We'll tell you all about Quechua and Aymara world, without hiding the problems that also characterize it, through the visit to the Children Houses that you sustain with the Project Fee: Ceprof Project in Lima, Mosoq Runa in Urubamba and Centro Integral San Sebastian in Cusco.
We’ll end our trip at Galapagos Islands and through an ecotouristic program we’ll discover a paradise that is really unique in the world, where the only leading actors are the archipelago’s volcanos and its animals.
During the trip we’ll admire many animals: sea lions, blue-footed sulas, marine and land iguanas, Humboldt’s penguins, cormorants, pelicans, flamingos and giant tortugas.
1º day: Arrival in Lima
Flight to Lima. Pick-up at airport and transfer to the CEPROF Project. Dinner (if your flight gets in before 7 p.m.) and overnight at CEPROF, a Home for girls, ages 6 to 18, who have been abandoned or who are in physical and psychological danger.
2º day: Arrival in Cusco
Transfer to Jorge Chavez Airport to get your flight to Cusco. Pick-up at Cusco airport and transfer to hotel, where you’ll have time to relax and allow your body to get used to the altitude. Free afternoon; we advise you to relax and have a light meal. Night in hotel.
3º day: City Tour of Cusco
Around 9:30 a.m., after breakfast, trip via private transportation to San Pedro Market, where we’ll be surrounded by Andean tastes, colors and smells. This is a real glimpse into local life and is thus the perfect starting point for a visit to Cusco. Next, we’ll go visit the Incan ruins on the outskirts of Cusco: Sacsayhuaman, Kenko, Puka Pukara and Tambomachay.
For lunch, we’ll go to San Sebastian, where we’ll eat with the children and teenagers of the Centre, a wonderful project that supports differently-abled children.
In the afternoon, we will go back into town, and we’ll take you to visit one of these places, that you can choose among (entrance fees not included): the Cathedral in the Plaza de Armas; the beautiful MAP (Museum of Pre-Columbian Art); Qoricancha or the Temple of the Sun; the suggestive distric of San Blas with the Coca Shop (where they legally use coca leaves to produce alternative products such as infusions, chocolates, cakes, ice creams and so on); a handicraft market where you can buy presents. Night in Hotel.
4º day: Sacred Valley of the Incas
Around 8.30 am, with private transport, we’ll go and discover one of the most beautiful and magic place of Peru, the mythical Sacred Valley. We’ll visit: Chincheros and the Rainbow Temple; Moray, ancient wonderful Inca biological laboratory and Maras with its impressive salt mines (still open nowdays) and landscapes that will let us speechless. Successively we’ll head for Urumbamba where the children of Mosoq Runa will be waiting for us for lunch. Ada will explain all about the project, the childrens, the laboratories and the new ideas, it will be an unforgettable afternoon. In the evening, train to Aguas Calientes to start your Machu Picchu adventure. Night in hotel.
5º day: Machu Picchu
At dawn, we’ll live the ultimate dream: taking the bus from Aguas Calientes and entering Machu Picchu, the “lost city.” If you are feeling particularly energetic, you can also hike to the summit of Wayna Picchu. In the afternoon, we’ll take the train and a bus (from Ollantaytambo or from Poroy) back to Cusco. Night in hotel.
6º day: Do-It-Yourself Day in Cusco
Whole day free, you can have a walk in Cusco or visit the near village of Pisaq with its Incan ruins and the handicraft market. Night in hotel.
7º day: On the road to Puno highlands
We’ll come to pick you up at 7 a.m. and start our trip to reach the city of Puno. The touristic bus (with heating, air conditioning, chemical toilet, DVDs, service on board and buffet lunch in Sicuani included) will make a series of stops along the way: Andahuaylilla, Rajchi and Pukara. Pick-up at the Puno bus terminal and transfer to the hotel. In the evening, around 7 or 8 pm meeting with Peru Etico person in charge. Night in hotel.
8º day: Titicaca lake
Early wake-up call and breakfast. At 7:30 a.m.a Peru Etico person in charge will come and pick you up at the hotel and we’ll go to the harbor where will board a boat exploring the Titicaca Lake, the highest navigable lake in the world.
First, we’ll visit the floating Uros Islands, north of Puno bay. Next, we’ll head to Taquile, the lake’s biggest island, and dock on the north side of the island. From there, we’ll go to the small harbor of Huayllano. The Huayllano families will show us the island’s ancestral traditions; as their guests, we’ll eat their typical dishes and, for a night, live like real “comuneros”.
In the evening, we’ll have dinner with our host family. Night in the host family’s home.
9º day: Taquile Island
After breakfast, we’ll have time to explore the bay’s surroundings, the beach and some archeological ruins. Then, we’ll walk to Taquile town, where we’ll have lunch. After lunch, we’ll walk down to the harbor and return to Puno, arriving around 6 p.m. Night in hotel.
10º day: Canyon and spa
In the morning transfer by touristic bus from Puno to Chivay, where we’ll arrive in the early afternoon. This small town lies in Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world, where we’ll admire wonderful views and its animals, such as alpacas, lamas, vicunas, guanacos, vizcachas and son on. Those who want, can also bathe in the renowned hot springs of the valley. Night in hotel in Chivay.
11º day: The Condor of the Andes
Departure at dawn - at 6 or 6.30am - to reach the Mirador de la Cruz del Condor, a perfect viewpoint for observing this magnificent Andean bird, which will fly close to us. Then, we’ll continue our tour and go back to Arequipa, along the trip we’ll have some stops to visit some little towns of the valley. The arrival in Arequipa is around 6 p.m.. Night in hotel.
12º day: Arequipa, the White City
Whole free day in Arequipa, the “white city”. Don’t miss the Saint Catalina Convent, the Museum of Juanita Mummy and the delicious traditional meal of the local cuisine. In the evening pick up at your hotel and transfer to the bus station, we’ll take a high quality bus (with heating, air conditioning, chemical toilet, DVDs, service on board), trip to Lima.
13º day: along the Pacific coast
Pick up at the Lima bus station and transfer to hotel. Night in hotel.
14º day: Arrival in Guayaquil
Transfer to the airport, flight to Guayaquil. Night in hotel.
15º day: Galapagos Islands
Flight to Galapagos Islands. Transfert to hotel in Puerto Ayora. Free afternoon, you can visit the Darwin centre (giant tortugas).
16º day: Floreana Island
Trip to Floreana Island. Departure at 7.30 a.m. by boat. Floreana, so called “a thousand volcanoes” island is very interesting for its geology and it’s also a very important historical site in the Galapagos archipelago. After 2 hours sailing, we’ll reach Puero Velasco Ibarra. From here, we’ll board a bus to reach to top of the island, in this place there’s a cave where pirates lived and a place called Galapaguerra where we can see the giant tortugas. The trip continues towards La Loberia, a little isle, where it’s possible to go snorkeling and to admire the playful sea lions directly from the boat. On this isle, it’s also possible to see penguins sometimes. Free time on the beach, you can relax and have a sun bath or if you’re so energetic you can continue snorkeling, observing a lot of tropical fishes. In the afternoon, around 5 p.m. return to hotel in Puerto Ayora. Lunch included. Free evening in Puerto Ayora.
17º day: Isabella Island
Trip to Isabella Island. Departure at 7 a.m. by boat. On Isabella Island you will admire wonderful volcanoes’ landscapes, a very long and lovely beach and a lot of endemic Galapagos animals. We’ll reach a place called Puerto Villamil where there are the “humedales”, a series of little lagoons rich in salt water and we’ll have a walk alongs the paths to admire flamingoes, iguanas, tortugas and many types of birds. The landscape is dominated by many lava flows that reach the sea and natural mangrove fields. Then, we’ll reach the “Playa del Amor”, where you will admire marine iguanas. Visit to a tortugas breeding centre, where you can see the tortugas in a protect habitat. In the afternoon trip into the bay, we’ll visit Tintoreras and Tiburones Islands, where there are a lot sea lions and sometimes the Galapagos sharks. In the afternoon around 5 p.m. return to Puerto Ayora. Lunch included. Free evening in Puerto Ayora.
18º day: Departure
Last hours in the islands. Transfer to Baltra. Flight from S.Cruz to Guayaquil and connection to your international flight.
Prices
- 2 persons: 3290.00 US$
Prices are per person and are expressed in U.S. dollars.
If the length of your vacation isn’t the same as the length of our tour, write us! Together, we’ll draw up an itinerary that suits you. Remember that our tours don’t have fixed departure dates; you decide when to travel!!!
Please note the following:
During visits to the Children’s Homes, we are guests. Please always ask permission to take photographs. In addition, it is expressly forbidden to give gifts or candy to the children. All donations can be given directly to the project director or representative.
In order to respect the peace and the normal course of the activities of the children families, the agency has the right to collect all the tourists that travel in the same period, in the Cusco area.
On Saturday and Sunday San Sebastian and Mosoq Runa are closed and it's not posible to visit them. In this case, the itinerary will be modified so as to guarantee a visit to the project (by pushing ahead the visit to Machu Picchu).
Private tour: Cusco area, Titicaca Lake and Lima.
Tour shared with other tourists: Colca Canyon.
On Taquile, the houses are very simple and the services basic. The rooms are pretty and welcoming, and don’t worry about the cold; your hosts will provide blankets.
The project contribution will go to the Association PeruEtico Italia and the social inclusion projects scheduled for the current year. You will directly be supporting the San Sebastian Center, Mosoq Runa through the lunches and CEPROF through the dinner and the nights you spend there.
From your arrival in Peru onward, any additional cost due to variation of the program will be charged (net cost plus agency fee).
Included
- Flight Lima-Cusco (economy class).
- Flight Guayaquil-Galapagos-Guayaquil (economy class).
- All transfers airport-hotel and vice versa.
- All transfer by bus, train or private car or minibus included in the program.
- Lodging in selected hotel, guest-house, B&B and hostel, mostly family-run, in double or twin rooms with a private bathroom and breakfast included, where the traveler will find all the support that needs.
- One night at CEPROF (22 beds divided into 6 rooms with both private and shared bathrooms).
- Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu (only one way).
- One night on Taquile Island on Lake Titicaca in a Huayllano family home.
- All meals during the two days on Taquile.
- Lunch in Sicuani during the trip from Cusco to Puno.
- Dinner at CEPROF upon arrival in Lima (if your flight gets in before 7 p.m.).
- Tours and excursions that are in the program with an english-spanish guide.
- Entrance ticket to Machu Picchu, Uros and Taquile.
- Fully equipped bus from Cusco to Puno, Puno to Chivay and Arequipa to Lima.
- One night in Hotel in Guayaquil.
- Transfert in/out Airport-Hotel in Guayaquil.
- Accomodation and breakfast in the hotel in the Galapagos.
- Two lunches during the trips in the Galapagos.
Not included
- International flight to and from Peru.
- Project contribution (100 dollars per person).
- Travel insurance policy (mandatory).
- Private guide in English at Machu Picchu.
- Lunches and dinners (except those specifically listed above).
- Entrance ticket: BTC (Cusco Tourism Ticket), Maras, archeological sites on the way from Cusco to Puno, Colca Canion (aprox. 90 dollars per person).
- Flight over Nasca lines by a light plane.
- Lunches at the San Sebastian and Mosoq Runa. Each lunch costs 50 soles per person.
- Entrance ticket to the Galapagos National Park (US$ 110 per person).
- Transfer from airport to hotel and from hotel to airport at the Galapagos. It's posible to take a bus that costs 3 dollars per person.
- Flight Lima-Guayaquil, to be quoted when booking.
Bring
- Both light and heavy clothing
- Windbreaker
- Hiking boots
- Swimming suit
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- US Dollars (Euro has a worse exchange rate)
- CodVNG18
- Lenght18 days
- RouteCusco - Puno - Arequipa – Galapagos
Ethical ranking How much ethical and responsible is this tour?
High
Project fee
100 USD per person to deposit in loco for the Association PeruEtico Italia and the social inclusion projects scheduled for the current year.
Projects and other social associations visited during the tour
Ceprof, Lima
Centro Integral San Sebastian, Cusco
Mosoq Runa, Urubamba
Huayllano's community, Taquile
Ecology
Always walk when possible
Eat typical local food (0km)
Low-energy and water consumption accomodations.
Local economy promotion
Local guides and cultural mediators
Lodging and restaurants in local structures.
Culture
Rediscovery and enhancement of local and popular legends and stories
Real knowledge of the visited country and enhancement of cultural diversities
Accomodation at local community (Taquile)
Public means, to promote a direct contact with the local population.
Economical equity
Fair and equitable working and salary conditions for all our collaborators.