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Please note that the Quito international airport (UIO, Mariscal Sucre) will be closed on the following dates in 2025 for preventative maintenance on the runway: April 5 & 12; May 10, 17 & 31; June 7, 14, 21, 28; September 6, 13 & 20. between the hours of 2am and 2pm. For passengers flying in or out of Quito on these dates, please double-check flight schedules with your airline in case of changes. Internal flights within Ecuador and Galapagos will be adjusted accordingly and any changes to schedules will be communicated at the welcome briefing.

Active Galápagos & Machu Picchu

17 days, Quito to Cusco

We have multiple itineraries for this trip.Please select one for correct pricing and itinerary.
Map of the route for Active Galápagos & Machu Picchu
Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Itinerary

Day 1Quito

Arrive at any time.

Located 2850m (9348ft) above sea level, the Ecuadorian capital of Quito enjoys a wonderful spring-like climate, despite the fact that it is only 22km (14 mi) south of the Equator.

On a clear day, several snow-capped volcanoes, including nearby Pichincha, are visible from the centre of this city nestled in a mountain-flanked valley. Add a rich history and a well-preserved colonial district to its beautiful location, and you can begin to understand why Quito appeals to thousands of tourists every year.

Booking pre- or post-trip accommodation is highly recommended to fully experience the city and take advantage of the many optional activities available.

Opt to pre-book the "Quito City Tour & Equator Line" activity on the checkout page ahead of time to include this optional on your tour.

Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting with G Representative

The adventure begins today. Feel free to explore, but make sure you're back in time to meet the group. Your G Representative will review the details of your tour.

5

Optional Activities - Day 1 HideShow

Papallacta Hot Springs - Full Day Trip
Papallacta
70-100USD per person

Drive two hours out of Quito to Papallacta Hot Springs, located on the Cinnamon trail, (65km from Quito) which is the same route that Francisco de Orellana took in 1542 when he crossed the Andean mountain range in search of spices and gold, and discovered the Amazon River. Relax in hot springs of varying temperatures with views of the Antisana volcano. Opt to go hiking, horseback riding or get a spa service for an additional cost. Lunch and entrance fees to hot springs are not included.

Quito City Tour & Equator Line
Quito

Enjoy a city tour of Quito. Visit the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with stops at the Basilica del Voto Nacional, La Compañia Church, San Francisco Square, Plaza Grande and the Panecillo, a towering statue of the virgin of Quito who looks out over a stunning view of the city. Drive 25km (16 mi) north of Quito to the Middle of the World, latitude 0º. Stand with one foot in each hemisphere.

Please note that this tour starts at 8 a.m. and ends around 5 p.m.

Middle of the World
Quito
40-50USD per person

Drive 25km (16 mi) north of Quito to the Middle of the World, latitude 0º. Stand with one foot in each hemisphere, visit the Intiñan Museum which showcases the immense cultural diversity within this small South American country. On the 00°00’00” magnetic line at the museum experiment with gravity. Later, head up to the Pululahua crater view point, one of the two inhabited volcanic caldera in the world.

Quito City Tour
Quito
40-50USD per person

Take a tour of Quito to learn more about this beautiful city and its local culture. Visit the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with stops at the golden Compañia Church, San Francisco Square, and the Panecillo, a towering statue of the virgin of Quito who looks out over a stunning view of the city.

Cotopaxi Volcano - Full Day
Cotopaxi – Alausí

Enjoy a spectacular 2 hour drive to Cotopaxi Volcano National Park to see the highest active volcano in the world (5,897m/ 19,347 ft). Visit a museum in the park and hike around a lagoon at the bottom of the volcano to learn about the flora and fauna found at this altitude. Continue by car up the volcano to the parking lot, at over 4,500m/14,763 ft. Walk for an hour and a half to the refuge and after a short break, continue to the glacier (if the weather holds out). Return to Quito in the early evening. **Park entrance fee is not included and is split among the number of travellers in the group**

Accommodation

Below is an example of the hotel we may use in this city. For the actual hotel your specific departure will be using, please check your voucher.

Hotel Eugenia (or similar)
Hotel

Day 2Quito/Santa Cruz Island

Catch an early flight to the Galápagos Islands. On arrival, head up to the highlands of Santa Cruz for lunch on your own, and to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat before continuing to Puerto Ayora.

Fly to Santa Cruz. Visit the highlands of Santa Cruz to observe the Galápagos giant tortoise in its natural surroundings. From this elevation, the panoramic views of the other islands are stunning.

Santa Cruz Highlands Excursion
Santa Cruz Island2h-3h

Visit the highlands of Santa Cruz and see the Galápagos giant tortoise in its natural surroundings. Explore the area and its incredible wildlife.

Accommodation

Hotel Coloma (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 3Santa Cruz Island

Walk from Puerto Ayora along a 2.5 km raised causeway to the stunning white sand and beach of Tortuga Bay for a kayak excursion with time for snorkelling and swimming before returning to town for lunch. In the afternoon visit the Charles Darwin Research Station.

Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station. Inaugurated in 1964 and based in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, the Charles Darwin Research Station is the one place where visitors can easily see the famous Galapagos tortoises, which can live up to two hundred years. This is a great opportunity to observe many species of tortoises and land iguanas in captivity, brought back from the brink of extinction.

Snorkelling (Tortuga Bay)
Santa Cruz Island

Jump in and explore the underwater world where schools of yellowtail surgeonfish, king angelfish and parrotfish dance in the gentle waves. Spot turtles, friendly sea lions pups and small, docile, whitetip reef sharks.

Fausto Llerena Breeding Center & Charles Darwin Research Station Visit
Puerto Ayora45m

Visit Fausto Llerena Breeding Center a great place to observe many species of tortoises. Brought back from the brink of extinction, see the famous Galápagos tortoise up close – a corral houses adult tortoises, and a nursery cares for the young until around age three when their shells have hardened.

This area also houses the Charles Darwin Research Station, a scientific organization initiated in 1964, which works to preserve the Galápagos' ecosystem through the conservation efforts of scientists, researchers, and volunteers. While the offices themselves are not open to visitors, the research station provides a study location for international scientists and environmental education for the local community.

Kayaking (Tortuga Bay)
Santa Cruz Island

Kayak in Tortuga Bay, a dreamy stretch of white coral sand with clear turquoise waters on the south side of Santa Cruz Island. Keep an eye out for nearby pelicans, blue-footed boobies, and other seabirds.

Accommodation

Hotel Coloma (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 4Santa Cruz Island/Floreana Island

Spend a free morning enjoying Santa Cruz, before crossing by speedboat to Floreana Island. Get settled at the G Adventures-supported community guesthouse and opt to swim or snorkel at Black Beach.

After a free morning, depart Santa Cruz and head to Floreana Island. Keep an eye out for dolphins and the magnificent albatross along the way. Opt for an introduction to snorkelling directly off Black Beach on the island.

Please note that travel between islands is done by speedboat. The ride can be quite rough, especially from July to December. Make sure to bring sea sickness medication if you are prone to sea sickness.

Speedboat
Santa Cruz Island – Floreana Island2h-3h

Cut swiftly through the water en route to the next stop (and hang on to your hat).

Free Time
Santa Cruz Island Morning

Get out and explore.

Your G for Good Moment: Floreana Community Restaurants

To further benefit the community on Floreana island G has provided training to residents for all aspects of tourism, including food preparation and service. The community will provide your meals while staying on this small island. The meals are rotated amongst different community members in order to spread out the benefits of tourism. While eating at the community restaurants you will be contributing to the self-sufficiency of the first community tourism operator in the Galápagos.

Your G for Good Moment: Floreana Community Guesthouse

Floreana Island is a small, isolated, inhabited island part of the Galápagos Archipelago. Many of its residents have been living there for the past three generations since the islands were first colonized. Its 150 residents have tried to benefit from the tourism boom, but since most tourism is marine-based and the boats don't stop in the village, they have struggled to find any opportunities. We are investing in community training and infrastructure to develop the first ecological, community tourism program in the Galápagos Islands that sees both the islands small entrepreneurs and its unique wildlife as the primary beneficiaries of this project.

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Optional Activities - Day 4 HideShow

Black Beach Snorkelling
Floreana Island2h-3h

Try an introduction to snorkelling straight off the black sands of Floreana. Immerse yourself in the waters of the Galápagos and meet some of the local wildlife.

Accommodation

G-Supported Floreana Community Guesthouse (or similar)
Guesthouse

Meals included:

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 5Floreana Island

In the morning, head on a visit to Loberia, where there are opportunities to swim and snorkel. Opt to explore the area around Black Beach. In the afternoon, enjoy an excursion to the seldom visited highlands of Floreana.

Walk along the black sand beach to Loberia to enjoy beach snorkelling or swimming. Please be sure you are a comfortable swimmer. The water here can be rough and the currents are strong.

Loberia Snorkelling Excursion
Floreana Island1h-2h Afternoon

Snorkel straight off the beach at Loberia, and get up close to the diverse wildlife in the waters around the Galápagos. Please be sure you are a strong swimmer; the water here can be rough and the currents are strong.

Floreana Highlands Excursion
Floreana Island2h-3h

Head up to the seldom-visited highlands of Floreana. Hear the tales about the pirates, whalers, seal hunters and buccaneers who once lived in this isolated and unique landscape.

Your G for Good Moment: Floreana Community Restaurants

To further benefit the community on Floreana island G has provided training to residents for all aspects of tourism, including food preparation and service. The community will provide your meals while staying on this small island. The meals are rotated amongst different community members in order to spread out the benefits of tourism. While eating at the community restaurants you will be contributing to the self-sufficiency of the first community tourism operator in the Galápagos.

Your G for Good Moment: Floreana Community Guesthouse

Floreana Island is a small, isolated, inhabited island part of the Galápagos Archipelago. Many of its residents have been living there for the past three generations since the islands were first colonized. Its 150 residents have tried to benefit from the tourism boom, but since most tourism is marine-based and the boats don't stop in the village, they have struggled to find any opportunities. We are investing in community training and infrastructure to develop the first ecological, community tourism program in the Galápagos Islands that sees both the islands small entrepreneurs and its unique wildlife as the primary beneficiaries of this project.

Accommodation

G-Supported Floreana Community Guesthouse (or similar)
Guesthouse

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 6Floreana Island/Isabela Island

Travel to Isabela Island. Hike to viewpoint of the Sierra Negra Volcano to see the second-largest crater in the world and enjoy a downhill bike excursion. Once back in town, opt to take surfing lessons on the nearby beach.

Take a morning speedboat journey to Isabela Island. Enjoy a full day on Isabela Island that includes a trek up to the viewpoint of the Sierra Negra Volcano—one of the most active volcanoes in Galápagos—boasting the second largest crater in the world. From here, experience a birds-eye view of the magical landscape.

Speedboat
Floreana Island – Isabela Island2h37km

Cut swiftly through the water en route to the next stop (and hang on to your hat).

Sierra Negra Volcano Crater Viewpoint Excursion
Isabela Island – Cantón Isabela1h-2h

Lace up your hiking boots to explore the landscape around the Sierra Negra Volcano, which has the largest basaltic caldera in the Galápagos. The volcano last erupted in June 2018, making it the most recent eruption in the Galápagos.

Downhill Bike Excursion
Cantón Isabela – Puerto Villamil 12km

After the hike the group will hop on a bicycle and travel downhill for about 12km by bike with the group. Feel the wind on your skin and the fresh air in your lungs as you coast to the town of Puerto Villamil. This ride will be all downhill along a semi-paved road with beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding countryside. Please note that it is not a physically demanding ride.

Accommodation

Hotel Iguana (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 7Isabela Island

Spend a free morning trying the optional activities in the area. Maybe hit the waves for surf lessons on the nearby beach. Then, enjoy a kayak and snorkel excursion near Tintoreras.

Visit Tintoreras to kayak and observe the whitetip reef sharks found swimming in the channels between the rocks. Get a close-up view of pelicans, frigatebirds, and diving blue-footed boobies. Watch for manta rays and rare Galápagos penguins, of which only 800 pairs exist

Please note that space may be limited for optional activities during high season, these activities are operated by third-party operators and will be subject to availability.

Free Time
Isabela Island Morning

Get out and explore this morning. Opt to try some surf lessons at the nearby beach.

Las Tintoreras Excursion
Las Tintoreras – Cantón Isabela

Tour the "Tintoreras" to watch manta rays and whitetip reef sharks swim in the channels between the rocks. Get up close to pelicans, frigatebirds, and diving blue-footed boobies, and keep an eye out for rare Galápagos penguins, the only species found in Galápagos and north of the Equator.

Snorkelling
Isabela Island

Go snorkelling near Las Tintoreras, located south of Puerto Villamil – it's the perfect place to glide along watching the magic unfold under the water’s surface. Look out for sea lions, sea turtles, marine iguanas, and if you're lucky some Galápagos penguins.

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Optional Activities - Day 7 HideShow

Wall of Tears Bike Visit
Isabela Island1h-2h
20USD per person

Cycle to the 'Wall of Tears' and tour this sombre historical site that pays homage to the prisoners of an on-island penal colony, who were forced to build a wall out of huge blocks of lava. Many prisoners died during the wall's construction between 1946 and 1959.

Los Tuneles Snorkelling
Isabela Island4h-5h
140-150USD per person

Grab your swimsuit, a snorkel, and head out to explore the waters to see what’s living under the sea. Head to Los Tuneles about a 40 minute boat ride away from Puerto Villamil. The lava formations and mangroves make this an ideal place for snorkeling. Keep an eye out for eagle rays, sea turtles and large schools of colourful fish.

Surfing Lesson
Puerto Ayora – Isabela Island2h-2h30m
120USD per person

Grab your swimsuit and get ready to hang ten! Learn how to find and ride the waves with surfing lessons from local experts. Enjoy the fresh sea air, and try to spot local marine life while enjoying the waters.

Accommodation

Hotel Iguana (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 8Isabela Island/Santa Cruz Island

This morning stop by the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre before traveling back to the island of Santa Cruz. Enjoy a free afternoon and evening in Santa Cruz.

Around midday, set sail for Santa Cruz Island and dock at the town of Puerto Ayora. After a late hotel check-in, enjoy free time to explore this bustling little town and sample some of the local restaurants and bars, or maybe do some souvenir shopping in one of the many shops.

Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre Visit
Isabela Island1h-2h

Walk through the town’s wetlands to visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre. With the giant tortoise on its way to extinction in the late 1950s, this program was established to protect these noble creatures.

Speedboat
Isabela Island2h Morning46km

Cut swiftly through the water en route to the next stop (and hang on to your hat).

Free Time
Santa Cruz Island

Get out and explore! Or maybe try out an optional activitiy available in the area.

Free Time
Santa Cruz Island

Get out and explore! Or maybe try out an optional activity available in the area.

Accommodation

Hotel Coloma (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 9Santa Cruz Island/Quito

Transfer across Santa Cruz Island to Baltra. Fly back to Quito.

After a transfer over the island of Santa Cruz, arrive at Baltra Island for the return flight to Quito. Upon arrival in Quito, transfer to the hotel for one last night on the town. Our representative in Quito will be able to advise on and help with some of the many day tours available in and around Quito.

G Adventures strongly recommends not booking departure flights on the day the group returns to Quito. Local flight times are often subject to change and could potentially cause issues if delayed. We recommend booking flights on the last day of the tour as noted on the Full itinerary page.

Ferry
Santa Cruz Island – Baltra Ferry Terminal

Take a private van to the ferry terminal on Santa Cruz island, before taking a short ferry to Baltra. Once there, a short ride on a public bus will take you to the airport.

Plane
San Cristóbal Island – Quito3h970km

Once arriving back in Quito, a private van will transfer you to the hotel for the evening.

Accommodation

Hotel Eugenia (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 10Quito/Lima

Explore Quito before flying to Lima in the evening.

Your transfer to the airport and your flight to Lima are included in this trip. Please note that this flight is unescorted and your transfer will be waiting for you at the Lima airport and will bring you to your hotel.

Private Vehicle
Quito – Mariscal Sucre International Airport30m-1h

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Plane
Mariscal Sucre International Airport – Jorge Chávez International Airport

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Private Vehicle
Jorge Chávez International Airport – Lima45m-1h

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Meet and Greet Hotel Welcome Meeting

On Day 1 of the tour, a G Adventures representative will meet you at the hotel to go over the details of the tour, providing a schedule, documentation/vouchers, and pick-up times for all included activities. The representative can also answer any questions about the tour or the general area.

Accommodation

Ibis Budget Miraflores (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 11Lima/Cusco

Hop on a flight to Cusco. Enjoy a free day of shopping and exploring the city. Choose to pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class. Opt for a city tour.

Take a transfer to the airport for the flight to Cusco. Spend the rest of the day relaxing and exploring this fascinating city, and getting used to the altitude.

Please note: if you pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class you will be picked up from your hotel at approx 12:30 and taken to a local market and restaurant to prepare and enjoy a traditional Peruvian meal. Return back to your hotel around 16:00.

Plane
Lima – Cusco1h-1h30m

Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

Your Discover Moment
Cusco Full Day

There's plenty to see and do in Cusco, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like visiting Museo Inka, Museo de Historia Regional, and whitewater rafting. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!

3

Optional Activities - Day 11 HideShow

Cusco City Tour
Cusco
45PEN per person

Enjoy a half-day tour of Cusco's main sights. Walk around the Plaza de Armas (main square) and explore this city steeped in one of the world's most alluring and ancient cultures. Visit Qenqo, Koricancha, the Cathedral, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, and the archaeological site of Sacsaywaman.

Inka Museum
Cusco
10PEN per person

Get ready to explore the artifacts from the Inca Empire, including mummies, jewelry, skulls, and ceramics at this museum of archaeology.

Cusco Cooking Class
Cusco – Cuzco

Channel your inner chef and get a taste of Peruvian cuisine. Learn all about the essential ingredients, and try your hand at preparing unique Peruvian dishes with a local expert

Accommodation

Hotel Prisma (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 12Cusco/Ollantaytambo

Enjoy a full-day guided tour of the Sacred Valley. Stop at the G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op before visiting a local pottery making community. Break for lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosco. After lunch, opt to head out on a hike to the Ollantaytambo storehouses and look out over the ruins. Or, wander around the cobblestone streets and visit a local Chicheria (corn beer bar).

Private Vehicle
Cusco – Ollantaytambo1h45m Full Day94km

Make stops along the way as you pass through this gorgeous valley – the elevation descends the whole way.

Your G for Good Moment: Ccaccaccollo Community and Women's Weaving Co-op visit

Visit the Ccaccaccollo community centre which G Adventures travellers' donations helped create in 2005, thereby enabling local women to sell traditional textiles to travellers. See local weaving and dyeing techniques used to create garments and souvenirs, and learn how the Planeterra weaving co-operative has impacted the community and those who visit it. This includes the purchase of alpacas to provide a steady supply of wool, looms, and sewing machines as well as several training courses on production, sales and small business management.

Cuyo Chico Pottery Making Demonstration
Pisac – Urubamba

In the rural village of Cuyo Chico in the Sacred Valley, a group of families joined together to create a small business based on their traditional adobe ceramic crafts. Using clay from their surroundings, they mold bowls, plates, and all manner of decorations. Learn about the ceramics process as well as the traditional adobe brick-making that forms the basis of houses throughout the valley, all while taking in a spectacular view of the Pisac Ruins. After the demonstration, peruse the items for sale directly from the artisans in their shop.

Your G for Good Moment: Parwa Community Restaurant the Sacred Valley

Contribute to sustainable tourism in Huchuy Qosqo, a small village of 65 families in the Sacred Valley, by eating at the Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn how the resident-run restaurant was kickstarted by G Adventures and the Multilateral Investment Fund, to become a successful farm-to-table program that boosts the local economy and several spin-off microenterprises.

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Optional Activities - Day 12 HideShow

Ollantaytambo Storehouse Ruins and Hike
Ollantaytambo1h-1h30m

Get your blood flowing on a steep hike up to the Pinkuylluna Incan storehouses. Perched on the hill, these ruins provide excellent views of the Sacred Valley and the Ollantaytambo ruins below.

Accommodation

Hotel Inka Paradise (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch

Day 13Lares Trek

Depart Ollantaytambo by van to Lares town where the hike begins. Spend the first night at a G Adventures-supported campsite in Cuncani.

The Lares Trek is a scenic, less touristic route to hike through the Andes. It is one day shorter than the Inca Trail but higher in elevation. Enjoy G Adventures-supported handmade biodegradable soap products for use on the Lares Trek.

The locations and distances may change on this hike, as camping will be done in different places depending on pace, ability, and weather. The first night will always be spent at the G Adventures-supported, community-owned and managed campsite in an indigenous village previously bypassed by the tourism industry. In most cases, the CEO will hike the Lares Trek with the group.

Private Vehicle
Ollantaytambo – Lares3h-3h30m

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Lares Trek (Lares-Cuncani)
Lares – Cuncani4h30m 9km

Start early and drive (3 hrs) to Lares town where the hike will start with a leisurely pace through the valley of Cuncani. Hike 4km (2.5 mi) to Chancachaca then stop for lunch. Be sure to rest and rehydrate because the altitude here is around 3480m (11,417 ft).

Continue trekking along rocky mountain paths 4.7km (3 mi) to the isolated village of Cuncani. Camp here for the night at 3872m (12,703 ft) at the G Adventures-supported community run campsite.

Your G for Good Moment: Handmade Biodegradable Soap Products

Enjoy G Adventures-supported handmade biodegradable soap products, for use on our treks. This G Adventures for Good project empowered local Cusqueña women to start their own business in order to reduce the environmental impact of treks in the region. Planeterra provided $10,000 of seed funding for two young entrepreneurs to register their biodegradable products in order to sell them to the tourism industry. "Esencia Andina" is now a successful business that produces biodegradable soaps, detergents, and natural products for travellers, guides, porters, and cooks on our treks.

Your G for Good Moment: Cuncani Community Campsite

Spend the night at the Lares Community campsite, owned and managed by the 71 families that belong to the Cuncani community. The earnings from the campsite are allocated for investment in social projects such as health, education, nutrition, and infrastructure improvements to water and electricity.

Accommodation

Cuncani Camp Site (or similar)
Campground

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 14Lares Trek

Start early to hike from the foothills of Sicllaccasa Mountain to its high pass (4,800m/15,748 ft), providing scenic views of lagoons and the snow-capped Chicon Mountain. Celebrate after reaching the highest point by making an offering of coca leaves to the Andean gods. After the morning hike, stop to rest and take in the amazing view. Continue hiking downhill to our second campsite near the stream for the night.

Lares Trek (Cuncani - Kuyoc)
Cuncani – Kuyoc9h-10h 17km

Hike from the foothills of Sicllaccasa Mountain 12.2km (7.6 mi) to its high pass at 4,800m (15,748ft), providing scenic views of lagoons and the snow-capped Chicon Mountain. Celebrate after reaching the highest point by making an offering of coca leaves to the Andean gods.

Hike downhill another 2.2km (1.3 mi) to QuencaPata, for lunch and to take in the amazing view.

Continue hiking downhill another 2.6km (1.6 mi) to our second campsite near a stream. Sleep tonight at about 4,114m (13,497 ft) elevation.

Accommodation

Suttoq Pacchaq Camp Site (or similar)
Campground

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 15Lares Trek/Aguas Calientes

Enjoy the last few hours of hiking before travelling by van to Ollantaytambo and train to Aguas Calientes to enjoy a good night's rest at your hotel.

Lares Trek (Kuyoc - Punta Carretera)
Kuyoc – Punta Carretera3h30m 8km

Follow the trail to see typical Andean flora and fauna, llamas and alpacas. Descend through the valley of Pumahuanca and meet friendly local Quechua people and explore some Inca storehouses along the way. Trek 3-4 hrs to reach the town of Pumahuanca. Enjoy lunch then hop a van to Ollantaytambo. Continue by train to Aguas Calientes.

Private Vehicle
Punta Carretera – Ollantaytambo30m

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Train
Ollantaytambo – Aguas Calientes1h30m

Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Accommodation

Hotel Wiracocha Inn (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch

Day 16Machu Picchu/Cusco

Rise early and enjoy a guided visit to Machu Picchu. Later, travel back towards Cusco by train.

Rise early to catch the first bus up to Machu Picchu with your guide. Enjoy a guided visit to the ruins, then head back down by bus to Aguas Calientes to meet up with the rest of the group. Take the scenic train back to Ollantaytambo to meet the van for the ride back to Cusco.

Local Bus
Aguas Calientes – Machu Picchu15m

Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Machu Picchu Guided Tour
Machu Picchu1h30m-2h

Set off with the local guide to explore Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Learn about the history and gain insights into this massive mountaintop citadel while wandering through ancient dwellings, stone temples and along sculpted terraces. Feel the energy of this 15th-century site, now both a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.

Local Bus
Machu Picchu – Aguas Calientes15m

Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Train
Aguas Calientes – Ollantaytambo1h30m-1h45m31km

Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Private Vehicle
Ollantaytambo – Cusco1h30m-1h45m60km

Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Accommodation

Hotel Prisma (or similar)
Hotel

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 17Cusco

Depart at any time.

3

Optional Activities - Day 17 HideShow

Rainbow Mountain Hike - Full-day Trip
Cusco 8km

Lookout over these colourful Andean mountains striped with maroon, turquoise, lavender, and gold. The sediment, elevation, and proximity to the ocean create a landscape that has to be seen to be believed. Get started early to drive around 3 hours approximately to the starting point of this challenging, yet rewarding full-day hike. Reaching 5,029m (16,500 ft) this 8 km hike is no walk in the park, but these unique mountains do not disappoint. The ascent takes approximately 1.5 hours.

Inka Museum
Cusco
10PEN per person

Get ready to explore the artifacts from the Inca Empire, including mummies, jewelry, skulls, and ceramics at this museum of archaeology.

Cusco City Tour
Cusco
45PEN per person

Enjoy a half-day tour of Cusco's main sights. Walk around the Plaza de Armas (main square) and explore this city steeped in one of the world's most alluring and ancient cultures. Visit Qenqo, Koricancha, the Cathedral, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, and the archaeological site of Sacsaywaman.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Active Galápagos & Machu Picchu

| 17 days - Quito to Cusco - from $5499 USD