Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu

The Galapagos Islands
And Machu Picchu

October 5 - 21, 2012


	Your Executive Worldwide Travel Tour Itinerary

	Day 1: Friday, October 5 Arrive Quito, Ecuador. Remainder of the day at leisure. Day 2: Saturday, October 6 Quito, Ecuador After breakfast, your adventure begins in Ecuador’s stunning capital city. Day 3: Sunday, October 7 Quito – La Magdalena Journey to the Karanki community of La Magdalena. Lost in time and living on the slopes of Cubilche volcano, the Karanki welcome visitors. Share in shepherding and harvesting activities or go horseback riding, taste homemade bread and cheese, and admire traditional embroidery skills. Overnight at historic Hacienda Pinsaqui. BL

		Day 4: Monday, October 8 Imababura – Otavaio Travel through the scenic valleys of Imbabura and photograph the towering volcanoes. Take a short language lesson. Tour a rose plantation hacienda to study the varieties of one of Ecuador’s major exports. Experience the renowned Otavaio Market with its colourful displays of blankets, ponchos and Panama hats. Explore regional customs during lunch with the locals. Join the dancing and listen to indigenous music at a folkloric show. Watch artisans create high-quality apparel using traditional techniques. Enjoy accommodations at a 300-year-old Andean hacienda, a colonial estate that offers warm hospitality and Old World elegance. Make empanadas at a culinary demonstration, then taste canelazo, a favourite Ecuadorian spiced drink. BLD

Day 5: Tuesday, October 9

Otavalo – Andes Mountain Train – Quito
Taste some “helado de paila,” a local ice cream specialty.

Set out on an unforgettable train ride through a landscape of fertile valleys, lush plantations and indigenous villages.

Step off the train in the community of Salinas where lunch features regional specialties and Afro-Ecuadorian music. Experience thriving traditions as artisan create “Masapan” bread dough figurines and explain this unique art.

Return this evening to Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage site. BLD


		Day 6: Wednesday, October 10 Quito Tour Quito’s colonial centre, including the Presidential Palace and 17th-century church of La Compañia. Cross between hemispheres at the Equatorial Line Monument and Museum at the “Middle of the World.” Remainder of the day at leisure. B

Day 7: Thursday, October 11

Quito – Baltra Island, Galapagos – Embark Ship – Santa Cruz Island
Fly to Baltra Island, gateway to your Galapagos adventure.

Enjoy lunch aboard the m/v Galapagos Legend.
Travel by panga to Ballena Bay or Whale’s Bay on Santa Cruz Island, at the base of Dragon Hill.

Admire the olivine crystals and learn about the tortoises that once resided here.

Snorkel in the warm waters and get up-close with marine iguanas.
Stargaze tonight from on deck and toast the wonders of the Galapagos with tropical cocktails. BLD


	Day 8: Friday, October 12 Isabela Island (Moreno Point and Elizabeth Bay) Visit Isabela Island’s coastal lagoons, fossil beach and coral area. Take in panoramic views of surrounding islands and active volcanoes. Explore Isabela’s volcanic past. Look for brachycereus cacti, dramatic lava formations and vast mangrove beds extending into the sea. Spot sea turtles, marine iguanas and graceful flamingos. Continue by panga along the coast and seek out the wildlife of Elizabeth Bay, including flightless cormorants and Galapagos penguins. BLD

		Day 9: Saturday, October 13 Isabela Island (Urbina Bay and Tagus Cove) Disembark on the volcanic black sand beach of Urbina Bay. Observe (depending on the season) giant tortoises, land iguanas and flightless cormorants. Embark on a nature walk. Discover the endemic plant species which change with the seasons and search for crabs teetering on the uplifted coral reef. Enjoy another chance to snorkel with tropical fish, sea turtles and sea lions. Continue on to Tagus Cove and hike to Darwin’s salt-water crater lake. Take in sweeping views of lava fields and volcanic formations. Cruise by panga along the shoreline, full of eccentric Blue-footed Boobies, terns and marine wildlife. Look for graffiti believed to have been left by 19th century pirates. In season, get up-close to the tiny Galapagos penguin, the only penguin species living in the northern hemisphere. BLD

	Day 10: Sunday, October 14 Fernandina Island (Espinosa Point) – Isabela Island (Vicente Roca Point) Sail on to Fernandina Island which boasts a startling diversity of endemic marine life. Observe prehistoric-looking oversized marine iguanas mingling with Sally Lightfoot crabs and sea lions sharing the beach with Galapagos penguins. A nature walk along the lava formations might offer an encounter with the region’s king predator – the Galapagos hawk. Do some birdwatching by panga along the shore. Look for great blue herons, lava herons and oyster catchers. Snorkel if you choose in Bolivar Channel, one of the earth’s richest marine environments. BLD

		Day 11: Monday, October 15 Disembark Ship – Baltra Island – Guayaquil Bid farewell to the m/v Galapagos Legend and fly to Guayaquil. Tour this community known as the “Pearl of the Pacific.” Visit the Malecón 2000 waterfront area and the 19th-century neighbourhood of Las Peñas, with its Spanish-style houses. From Santa Ana Hill, look out over the city and the Guayas River. Embrace the architecture, traditions and customs of the coastal region. BD Day 12: Tuesday, October 16 Guayaquil – Lima, Peru Fly to Lima, Peru’s “City of Kings.” Spend an afternoon shopping or visiting Lima’s many fine museums. Perhaps you’ll experience an optional Peruvian Paso horse exhibition, dinner and folklore show. B

	Day 13: Wednesday, October 17 Lima – Cuzco – Sacred Valley of the Incas Fly to Cuzco. Descend through the Andes to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, once the agricultural centre of a great empire. Visit Awana Kancha, a living museum of the Peruvian Andes. Explore centuries-old methods of spinning, dyeing and weaving textiles. Stop in Pisac village to browse the handicraft market. Visit Pablo Seminario Ceramic Studio. Marvel at this internationally-renowned artist’s techniques and designs, inspired by ancient Peruvian cultures. Settle into your hotel nestled in the Sacred Valley. BD Day 14: Thursday, October 18 Ollantaytambo – Sacred Valley of the Incas Glimpse daily activities at a nearby village and connect with another culture. Visit the Ollantaytambo ruins, a spectacular example of Inca architecture. Do as the locals do and enjoy a tasting of “chichi,” a regional drink made from maize, at a local pub. B

		Day 15: Friday, October 19 Sacred Valley of the Incas – Machu Picchu – Cuzco Embark on a train ride through the Andes from Ollantaytambo to mysterious Machu Picchu. Hidden for centuries, the “Lost City of the Incas” is the most spectacular sight in South America. Spend the day exploring the fabled ruins. En route to Cuzco, meet Peruvian children at a Collette Foundation supported orphanage. In Cuzco, relax and become acclimated to the altitude. BL

	Day 16: Saturday, October 20 Cuzco Explore the former capital of the Inca Empire. Cuzco means “Centre of the World” in the ancient Quechun language. On a city tour, experience the Spanish architectural legacy visible in the Cathedral, Santo Domingo and the Plaza de Armas. Discover the sacred Incan ruin of Sacayhuaman Fortress. Spend some time browsing the local markets. See the San Blas artisan quarter or visit one of the impressive museums. Enjoy dinner and a traditional Andean folkloric performance. BD

		Day 17: Sunday, October 21 Cuzco – Lima – Tour Ends Return to Lima and tour its historical centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Admire the artwork at San Francisco Monastery and enter the catacombs. View the Government Centre, the Plaza de Armas’ Cathedral and the fashionable suburbs for insight into the life of Limeños. Before transferring to the airport, complete your day with a farewell dinner at the Larco Museum, housed in an 18th - century mansion. BD