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Brief Day-to-Day Itinerary
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Days 1-2 |
Quito arrival and
orientation. A look at the UNESCO protected colonial parts of the
old city. On Day 2, head north to the famous market town of Otavalo. |
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Days 3-4 |
We spend two days visiting the villages in the Otavalo area. |
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Days 5-6 |
We return to
Quito with a stop on the equator on the way. We try out the teleferico up to 4050 meters high
and have some free time to explore, catch up on e-mail and laundry
or simply relax. |
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Days 7-13 |
Galapagos Islands.
A full week of experiencing the islands' diverse plant and
animal life, both on land and underwater, if you wish.
Galapagos offers some of the best snorkeling on earth. At night,
the skies of the Southern Hemisphere will amaze you! Get
personal with blue and red-footed boobies, Galapagos penguins,
finches, warblers, frigate birds, flamingos, albatross, Nazca
boobies, fur seals and sea lions, marine iguana, Sally Lightfoot
crabs, giant tortoises and hundreds of other species. A
spectacular week! |
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Days 14-17 |
After returning from the Galapagos, we check in for a final
overnight stay in Quito. The next morning,
those who are not going on to Peru will depart for Canada while
the others
fly to Lima and on
to Cuzco.
Cuzco, nestled in the Peruvian Andes, is the ancient capital of the
Inca Empire at
about 11,000 feet above sea level. We'll tour the city including the Cathedral, Qorikancha and the Plaza de Armas.
We also head out into the countryside to visit the Inca shrines in the hills above the city, such
as Tambo Machay, Kenko and Saqsayhuaman. You'll also enjoy wandering
through the central part of the city and visiting the artisans’ district of San Blas. |
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Day 18 |
We'll
head into the Sacred Valley of the Incas including visits to the
villages of Chinchero and Ollantaytambo as well as
local Inca ruins. |
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Days 19-20 |
Two full days to enjoy one of the most famous sites in South
America, Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas. You'll
have ample opportunity to explore at your leisure. |
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Day 21 |
Today we catch the morning train and bus back to Pisac
and Cuzco and
spend an overnight. |
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Day 22 |
Depart Cuzco for Lima. Afternoon city tour in Lima and
group farewell dinner.
Afterwards we depart for the airport and board our flight home. |
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