Peru and the Galapagos Islands 2023

15 days
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USTOA

Small Ship Cruise
Explore Peru on travels that include the "Lost City" of Machu Picchu – and take a cruise aboard an expeditionary ship to discover the unique wildlife of the Galápagos Archipelago.
From$13,190
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Overview

Trip type
Small Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Moderate

Highlights

    • Where the timeless natural world of the Galápagos Islands combines with exploration of the ancient empire of the Incas...Unravel the mysteries of the centuries on a visit to Machu Picchu
    • the spectacular 'Lost City of the Incas' – one of the must-see destinations on any world-traveler's list. Enjoy a six-night cruise aboard one of the finest expeditionary-style yachts in the Galápagos
    • the Isabela II – where you'll be accompanied by naturalists who inform and inspire with insights into the amazing wildlife including the giant Galápagos tortoises
    • blue-footed boobies
    • sea lions
    • marine iguanas
    • and penguins. Meet the famed Paso horses on a Peruvian ranch... a weaving demonstration at a local farm... and a scenic rail journey to the gateway to Machu Picchu for an overnight stay next to the ancient Incan site.

What's this trip about?

    Explore Peru on travels that include the "Lost City" of Machu Picchu – and take a cruise aboard an expeditionary ship to discover the unique wildlife of the Galápagos Archipelago.

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Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start City Lima, Peru
End CityGuayaquil

Travel Themes

  • Small Ship Cruise

Destinations

  • South America
  • Ecuador
  • Peru

Attractions

  • Cusco
  • Guayaquil
  • Lima
  • Machu Picchu
  • Quito

Activities

  • Culture

Trip includes

    • Private Tauck Shore Excursions in the Galápagos Islands with expert naturalist guides – averaging two daily – for an up-close experience with some of the most unusual and intriguing species in the world On-Tour Air (5 flights) All gratuities to Tauck Director, guides, naturalists and ship staff Exclusive 6-night Galápagos Cruise aboard the expedition ship, Isabela II – with no more than 40 Tauck guests

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Arrive Lima

Tour begins: Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel.
A transfer is included from Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport to the five-star Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel, located in an oceanfront section of Lima – the perfect place to begin one of our most popular Peru tours, paired with a Galápagos cruise.

LODGING : Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel

PORTOFCALL : Lima, Peru

Day 2 Eclectic Culture in Lima

Your day in Lima begins in the city's Barranco ("cliff") district, known for its historic houses painted in bright colonial colors, and its iconic wooden Puente de los Suspiros ("Bridge of Sighs"). The bohemian heart of the city sin...

Day 3 Enter the Sacred Valley of the Incas

A flight to Cusco, high in the Peruvian Andes, leads you to the Sacred Valley of the Incas – a stunning landscape of verdant farmlands, villages, and ancient ruins amid cloud forests, terraced hills, and towering mountain ranges. En...

Day 4 Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu

Head for Machu Picchu this morning (just about 8,000 ft. above sea level), stopping first at the town and archaeological site of Ollantaytambo, and its ruins of an Incan fortress containing a maze of narrow cobblestone streets, adob...

Day 5 Peruvian discoveries from Machu Picchu to Cusco

You have a choice this morning of a second Machu Picchu tour, an early-guided walk through the citadel, or sleep in and enjoy a leisurely breakfast. Return to Ollantaytambo by train, and then drive to Sacsayhuaman, a mountaintop Inc...

Day 6 Your Choice in Cusco

Today choose from two excursions – one to the highlands outside Cusco, visiting several villages and the Maras salt fields; or a tour of southern Cusco and the valley south of the city. The highlands adventure begins with a visit to...

Day 7 Journey to Guayaquil, Ecuador

Get set for your Galápagos cruise as you fly back to Lima, then take a connecting flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city and the gateway to the Galápagos Islands. Overnight in the downtown business district of this major port c...

Day 8 Cruising Begins in the Galápagos

From Guayaquil, fly to Baltra at Santa Cruz, 600 miles off the Ecuadorian coast and home to wildlife found nowhere else in the world – the starting point of your 6-night Galápagos cruise aboard Tauck's comfortable expeditionary-styl...

Day 9 Punta Pitt and Cerro Colorado Breeding Center

This morning, arrive at San Cristóbal Island; a wet landing takes you to Punta Pitt for a stroll (for the adventurous, an optional walk over uneven terrain that is rewarded with dramatic views). This is one of the only destinations ...

Day 10 Española Island

Go ashore at Gardner Bay on Española, also known as Hood Island, where there are extensive nesting grounds for Waved Albatrosses and sea turtles, and a sea lion colony. Get a close up look at sea lions who love to bask and sleep on ...

Day 11 Gems of Floreana Island

Today Isabela II makes her way to Floreana Island, the southernmost island within the Galapagos. Board a panga for a wet landing on Punta Cormorant and its radiant green beach, caused by the drifting of Olivine crystals from nearby ...

Day 12 Explore Isabela & Fernandina

In the 1950s, geological activity on Isabela Island caused a mass of land to lift up some 15 ft., leaving the coastline pushed further out to sea and the underwater marine life stranded ashore. After a wet landing at Punta Moreno, j...

Day 13 Santa Cruz & North Seymour

This morning, board a panga for a wet landing on Eden Islet. Located off the coast of Santa Cruz Island, this small island (less than 2,000 square feet) is perfect to observe the blue-footed boobies, reef sharks and frigates that in...

Day 14 Return Flight to Guayaquil

Disembark Isabela II in Baltra then fly back to Guayaquil for another night at the Oro Verde Guayaquil. Spend some free time at your hotel or perhaps a stroll along the city's waterfront promenade, El Malecon. Tonight, we invite you...

Day 15 Journey Home

Tour ends: Guayaquil.
A transfer is included from the Oro Verde Guayaquil to Guayaquil International Airport; allow 3 hours for flight check-in.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : Guayaquil, Ecuador

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Dates & Availability

Price From $13,190
Price per day$879
Last Updated: 10/24/2023

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Tauck.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Tauck Reviews & Ratings

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Other Tauck Reviews

S

Susan

Jun 2023

Written on

Nine Tours and Done

Sad to see a once good tour company stumble and fall into mediocrity. That’s Tauck post-Covid. My May 2023 tour of Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley was done o...

C

Cougess

Jan 2023

Written on

Skip this cruise - not worth it

My husband and I went on the Treasures of the Mediterranean Isles Trip jn October 2022. This was our third Tauck cruise with Ponnant but our first post covid and the...

H

Harry

Sep 2022

Written on

Tauck/Aon terrible travel insurance

Tauck partners with Aon for travel insurance. We bought this insurance through Tauck specifically to cover us in case of a positive for test for Covid and could not ...

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Tour Operator

Tauck

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It's easy to see the world's sights. To stand in long lines, push through the crowds, and generally have the same standard-issue vacation as everyone else. But that's not good enough for us, and it's not good enough for you. We believe that travel should be easy. It should be fun. It should be worth your time and the price you paid. It should re-energize and transform. And above all else, it should be beyond the ordinary. Because how you see the world matters.

In 1882, Herman Tauck arrived in New York City from Germany in search of the American dream. His determination and values were passed on to his son, Arthur Tauck, who would realize that dream. With ingenuity and an innovative spirit, Arthur started Tauck Motor Tours, a travel company that would give birth to a new industry. The first tour, through the back roads of New England, was created by this 27-year-old in 1925. It embodied the same successful formula used by Tauck today: do the right thing. Craft a life-enriching travel experience; provide it at a single all-inclusive price; ensure there is great value for money; and rely on recommendations of satisfied customers to build a following and grow the business.

Two elements that did change over the next 90+ years – and three generations of Taucks – were the scope of destinations served and the variety of modes of travel used. Today Tauck delivers life-enriching travel experiences to every corner of the globe, incorporating small cruise ships, premium riverboats, trains, helicopters and more. What started as a New England motor coach tour company has truly evolved into an extraordinary global travel company. The fourth generation of Taucks is now involved in the company. While remarkable in any business, this seamless continuity across generations speaks to shared vision and values.

Throughout its history, the concept of “family” at Tauck has gone far beyond those sharing the surname to include hundreds of valued employees, and hundreds of thousands of loyal guests. The story of Tauck is the story of a unique American family company celebrating a passion for travel – a story that will continue to inspire generations to come.

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What they’re known for
Fun group tours and cruises that are culturally-focused and great for families and seniors on vacation.

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Logistics

Ship & cabin information
ISABELA II
ISABELA II An expeditionary-style yacht, the sleek Isabela II carries just 40 Tauck guests in the Galápagos Islands. This recently renovated, fully air-conditioned vessel offers many of the amenities of much larger ships, including a library, boutique, lounge and comfortable dining room in which a combination of Continental and Ecuadorian cuisine is served. She boasts an atmosphere both relaxed and comfortable. The casual atmosphere of Tauck's expeditionary vessels offers an ideal setting for the art of 'conversation' that is conducive to the very nature of exploratory cruising, providing a special camaraderie with fellow explorers. Expedition vessels are designed to navigate coastal waterways, island channels, and narrow inlets with graceful ease, exploring some of nature's most impressive habitats. They are designed to take you on adventures in off-the-beaten-path destinations, where landings on many days will be aboard Zodiac-style rafts that necessitate a 'wet landing' to reach the shore. Expedition and naturalist guides aboard the vessels share their knowledge with guests and enrich their travels with perspectives on everything from botony to geology.
Ship Specifications Built: 1979 Refurbished: 2000 Length: 166 ft. Draft: 12 ft. Beam: 38 ft. Tonnage: 1,025 tons Cruising Speed: 10 knots Air Conditioned: Yes Elevator: No Number of Guests: 40 Crew Members: 24 Registry: Ecuador Crew Nationality: Ecuadorian Double Bed Cabins: 11, 12, 14, Master Suite Internet: Send / Receive / Surf
ISABELA II
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
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Trip ID
tauck-EG2023

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