Luxury Machu Picchu & Galapagos Tours

The Andes glisten beneath the wingtips as you fly south, a series of snowy peaks leaving an indelible impression from the window. Standing proudly beneath these mountains is Cusco, a World Heritage city that blends colonial and Incan architecture. Even on the private transfer from the airport you can spot huge Incan walls towering above more recent buildings.

A guided city tour then takes you through the centuries, from the ancient fortress of Sacsayhuaman overlooking the city to the vast palaces built by the Spanish. This is the ancient home of Incan culture and a fascinating introduction to their architectural excellence. A private guide narrates as you explore various churches and restored colonial buildings before there's a chance to wander at leisure in the evening.

Machu Picchu is far from the only remains of the Inca Civilization. Perched beneath stirring snow-capped mountains, the Sacred Valley of the Incas presents a wonderful portrayal of culture and civilization from 1,000 years ago. Fascinating curves of stone fill the valley, an iconic sight when viewed from a distance. Get closer and there's intricate detail, memoirs of a civilization etched into every individual ruin. These are undoubtedly the best Incan ruins outside Machu Picchu, and you're guided through them on a private tour.

On route, you stop at two cute colonial towns, Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Wander vibrant markets and have lunch with views of the Andes before continuing the tour through the valley. To complete the day, you'll sleep in one of the region's best boutique hotels, a quiet little spot for appreciating the valley's splendor.

Ascending towards Machu Picchu, you can already sense the mystique. As the train slowly rises into the mountains, you can feel the isolation and otherworldly setting, each rumbling mile bringing another exceptional Andean vista. Disembark and continue on foot, climbing the final few meters to this world wonder. A few more steps and Machu Picchu appears like a dream, the lost city spilling out on the plateau below. While you'll spend two days exploring the ruins, it's often this first view that stays longest in the memory.

Accompanied by a guide, you descend into the streets, admiring how they've been preserved in such a pristine state. It feels like a city-in-waiting, with everything ready for its occupants to return. Wander the site, taking in its enormity and detail, as your guide takes you to both the famous and lesser-known spots amongst the ruins. After visiting Machu Picchu, you'll descend to spend the night in Aguas Calientes.

One day isn't enough for such a breathtaking spectacle. In the quiet morning hours, you have a chance to return to Machu Picchu on your own. It's a chance to explore with fewer tourists around and get lost in a city frozen in time. As the shadows gently disappear from the ruins, photographers also enjoy this opportunity to capture iconic shots without the crowds. The adventurous can also climb Wayna Picchu, the steep mountain behind Machu Picchu. The mountain offers wonderful vistas to the lost city below. Return by train to Cusco in the afternoon, where you're greeted at the train station and transferred to your hotel.

Before the Spanish arrived in Quito, the Incas destroyed everything in the city, burying and burning it beneath the ground. Before the Incas arrived in Quito, 1,000 years of indigenous history was also buried beneath the city's floor.

From Cusco, you fly to Quito via Lima. You're picked up from the airport and transferred to a hotel in the heart of the old city. Snow-capped volcanic craters peer down from above as you take the opportunity to walk the old streets. Peer into golden churches, have a drink in old atmospheric plazas, and explore converted courtyards that were once home to bishops and conquerors. While Quito offers the largest collection of colonial buildings in South America, the old city is easy to walk and provides another opportunity to learn about the continent's history.

A succession of shells dot the landscape of the Santa Cruz Highlands as hundreds of giant tortoises slowly chomp their way through a fertile floor. Necks poke from shells, tiny green shards drop from a mouth, and intriguing eyes watch as you approach. Go slowly, stay silent, and the tortoise just stares straight back at you, before dipping its head once more for a flurry of grass.

After flying from Quito to the Galapagos, your first wildlife site is this remarkable refuge for tortoises. They're all wild, some of them over a century old and weighing in at an impressive 550 pounds. Not only are the tourists symbolic of the evolution on the islands, but they're also indicative of how close you'll be getting to wildlife. Five feet is the national park rule, and the wildlife leaves an impression that ensures this is always obeyed. There's another dramatic site on route to the tortoises. Stop at Los Gemelos, two sinkholes redolently suggestive of the volcanic beauty to come.

Step onto one of the finest luxury boats in the Galapagos. Carrying 48 passengers, the boat’s greatest asset is its size. Cabins are extremely spacious, as are the dedicated dining area and downstairs lounge. An upper deck is equipped with sun-loungers and a small bar, where drinks and appetizers are served when you return from excursions. A library and jacuzzi offer further space to relax. These multiple areas mean that although there are many passengers, you've always got some personal privacy. After boarding Yacht La Pinta, you enjoy welcome cocktails with the crew before the first of four three-course dinners on board.

Wake to a sun-painted Pacific sky before a buffet breakfast in the restaurant. On each of the next three days, you enjoy morning and afternoon excursions to different Galapagos sites. Today is Eden Islet, where a dinghy ride and hike offers intimacy with blue-footed boobies and various land birds. You can snorkel or take a glass-bottom boat ride around with a chance to see reef sharks and wonderfully colorful reefs.

After lunch, you discover the stunning diversity of Sombrero Chino on Santiago Island. Hawks dive on marine iguanas while a colony of sea lions voices their rowdy approval. Pink flamingos contrast the intense red of magnificent frigates while tiny Galapagos penguins provide antics along the trail. An easy hike offers intimate encounters with all the creatures before there's an opportunity to swim or snorkel from the shore.

Bartolome Island doesn't look real. Much like hiking to the summit of Machu Picchu, the ascent on this island seems to come from some distant mystical reverie. Everywhere is deep red, the enigmatic shades delivered by a volcanic eruption and offering the feeling of walking on Mars. Rise the wooden walkway to the top and you're greeted with the Galapagos fairytale panorama; two white-coralline beaches separated by the lava tower of Pinnacle Rock. After the hike, you can snorkel and swim in the waters around these beaches, with penguins and sea lions darting through the water. Sea turtles and reef sharks can also be seen, and there's a choice to explore with a glass-bottom boat.

Back on board, savor a big buffet lunch and lounge away the early-afternoon hours in any of the boat's social areas. On the east coast of Santiago, Sullivan Bay is an equally ethereal location for an afternoon excursion. Walking over a lava flow, you get a deep sense of the islands' volcanic history, with thousands of spirals and twists rolling across the landscape. There's no wildlife in such a desolate place, but the walk is an inspiring reminder of how these islands are formed. Then, enjoy dinner on board before you shift and cruise north. If it's a clear evening, you can enjoy some impressive star gazing from the upper deck.

Genovesa is one of nature's great islands, home to a staggering collection of seabirds and mating displays. Today, you visit two sites, Darwin Bay, and Prince Phillip's Steps, both havens for the most iconic of Galapagos birds. Thousands of magnificent frigates look for a mate, pumping up their red chests to attract flying females. Each aims to be bigger and brighter than the next. Whenever there's interest, the birds must then demonstrate their ability to prepare a nest.

Nearby, you see lots of red. The unforgettable feet of red-footed boobies stand over single eggs, protecting the next colorful descendent of this bizarre looking species. There are approximately 200,000 of these iconic birds, many of them huddled together on large breeding grounds. Fur seals and storm petrels hang around the edge of the cliffs while marine iguanas betray their camouflage as they wander across the beach.

This is only the second island in the archipelago where you can see red-footed boobies, and they're joined by Nazca boobies. Perhaps over a million birds are found here, and you're not glimpsing them from a distance. Nesting sites are practically on the hiking trail, and the colorful mating displays don't require a zoomed camera lens. It's an intimate and unending display of nature's intricacies, whether you're watching frigates posture or admiring a tiny fluffy chick stand flightless on a nest.

Snorkeling and kayaking are also possible in Darwin's Bay, and there's also some snorkeling with sea lion opportunities in the morning. After the day on Genovesa, have farewell cocktails and the last dinner of your cruise.

Airport transfers don't get much more memorable than in the Galapagos. As you disembark the boat, there's a colony of sea lions hanging around the jetty. It's like they've come to wave farewell and offer a blubbery grunt to send you back to the mainland.

From Baltra Island and its airport, you fly back to Quito where you're transferred to a nearby spa hotel. Two pools and a massage room offer a tranquil last evening in South America before your flight tomorrow.

Your private transfer takes you to the airport for your departure from the continent. Natural and cultural memories compete as you soar back home and mentally argue about the trip's highlight. Machu Picchu? Or Galapagos? You’ve enjoyed two iconic experiences that reflect the ingenuity and beauty of our planet.

For additional tour options, read about other Galapagos Islands tours offered by Zicasso. For traveler experiences, read the Galapagos Islands tour reviews.