Peru: Food and drink can vary in price enormously in Peru. As a guideline, allow about US$25-US$28 per meal to eat at good restaurants (excluding alcohol). Cheaper food is abundant at small cafes, although sanitary conditions cannot be guaranteed. Bottled water and soft drinks are available for around US$2-US$4.

Ecuador and Galapagos: Drinks and incidentals are quite expensive in the Galapagos, as everything is imported from the mainland. The choice of meals in some areas can be limited but special dietary requirements can usually be catered for if we are advised at the time of booking. Budget for around US$20-US$25 per meal.

Worth knowing:

We cannot guarantee wheat-/gluten-free products are available for breakfasts in all locations in Peru – you may wish to bring your own breakfast food if you have an intolerance.

The included lunches are usually a set menu with two or three options. If you hike the Inca Trail, you also have a packed lunch that day.

Breakfasts are a mix of continental and boxed breakfasts, depending on the hotel. They are generally simple in the Galápagos, but sufficient to fuel you for a day of adventure.

The choice of meals in some areas of the Galápagos can be limited but special dietary requirements can usually be catered for if we are advised at the time of booking.

Travel into Floreana’s mist-fed highlands to explore lava caves once used by pirates and meet Galápagos giant tortoises in a protected enclosure. The cool, green uplands contrast beautifully with the archipelago’s stark coasts.

Hear tales of early settlers and maritime intrigue while learning about the long-lived tortoises’ recovery. The caves, sculpted by ancient flows, reveal a raw volcanic underworld and the islands’ human chapter.

Step inside Machu Picchu, the Inca masterpiece and New Wonder of the World, perched amid mist-wrapped Andean peaks. Follow your guide through terraces, sacred plazas and finely joined masonry that defies time and tremor.

Learn how ingenious water channels, agricultural engineering and astronomical alignments shaped daily and ceremonial life. Pause to absorb the citadel’s harmony with its mountain cradle—an enduring dialogue between stone and sky.

Join a guided walk through Cuzco’s historic centre, tracing stone lanes to the Plaza de Armas and its arcades. Step into the Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), once sheathed in gold, and admire the Cuzco Cathedral, where colonial art and indigenous symbolism mingle.

Hear how Spanish churches rose upon Inca foundations, creating a city where Andean cosmology meets baroque flourish. Learn to read walls layered with histories: empire, conquest and living tradition.

Visit the terraced white mosaics of the Maras salt pans, where mineral springs feed thousands of shallow pools harvested as they have been for centuries. Continue to the enigmatic Moray circular terraces, amphitheatre-like bowls thought to test engineered microclimates for Inca crops.

Absorb highland scenery framed by snow-tipped cordilleras, then delve into Andean ingenuity—hydrology, altitude and stone combining to create living laboratories of food security and trade.

Experience Andean hospitality in Chinchero as hosts prepare a traditional pachamanca: marinated meats and tubers slow-cooked beneath hot stones and uncovered with aromatic steam. Meet community members and see vibrant textiles that keep Quechua weaving traditions alive.

In the thin, clear mountain air, taste flavors anchored in pre-Hispanic techniques and local crops. This meal supports the community and connects culinary ritual with respect for Pachamama (Mother Earth).

Ride the scenic train along the Urubamba River gorge, watching the landscape shift from Inca terracing to cloud forest slopes and sheer granite walls. The track threads rapids and orchids, revealing the dramatic gateway to Machu Picchu.

Settle into panoramic views as the valley narrows, villages flicker past, and mist gathers on ridgelines. This rail journey is a mood-setter—an atmospheric prelude to the high citadel ahead.

Visit the terraced fortress of Ollantaytambo, where steep stone steps lead to colossal pink-granite blocks of the Sun Temple. Explore storehouses, irrigation channels and vantage points overlooking the Sacred Valley.

Trace battle lines and building techniques in a town that preserves its original Inca street plan. This entry is included and is typically available for travelers not joining the day hike on day 4.

Explore Quito’s UNESCO-listed historic center, pausing in Plaza Grande before entering the La Compañía de Jesús church, famed for gold-leaf interiors that glow in the Andean light. Continue to El Panecillo hill for a sweeping city panorama.

Hear stories of independence, monastic craftsmanship and volcanic geography that shaped the capital. The baroque facades and mountain horizons make this a rich introduction to Ecuadorian culture.

Snorkel from La Lobería beach, sliding into clear Pacific waters beside sea lion colonies and schools of reef fish. Scan the black lava rocks for marine iguanas warming in the sun as pelicans patrol the shallows.

With gear fitted locally and guidance from a National Park naturalist, learn safe entry techniques and watch for turtles or rays. Conditions vary; your leader sets a relaxed pace focused on discovery and comfort in the water.

Walk the coastal trail from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno across lava platforms and cacti scrub to Darwin’s first landing site. Expect sea breezes, viewpoints over turquoise coves and the chance to watch frigatebirds circling thermals.

Amid saline air and surf, the Galápagos’ blend of raw geology and prolific wildlife comes into focus. This land-based alternative to snorkeling offers ample time to pause for photos and reflection along the headlands.

Cruise to Isla Lobos, a small islet alive with blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds, and home to playful sea lions. Disembark for a careful walk over volcanic rock, then snorkel with sea lions in calm channels where turtles and rays often glide.

After lunch on board, continue to Playa Ochoa, a white-sand beach with aquamarine water ideal for relaxing and birdwatching. Naturalist commentary weaves behavior, breeding seasons and geology into the day.

Boat to the lava channels of Las Tintoreras, where calm waters shelter resting whitetip reef sharks and basking marine iguanas. Follow a marked trail over jagged aa lava, scanning for Galápagos penguins and lava lizards at close range.

Slip into the water for a guided snorkel amid volcanic boulders and sea grass patches. The mix of geology and prolific marine life showcases why these islets are a highlight of Isabela.

Visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to see conservation science in action, then continue to the Fausto Llerena Breeding Center to meet juvenile giant tortoises raised for release. Explore exhibits on evolution, invasive species control and habitat restoration.

Naturalists explain how targeted breeding and biosecurity safeguard endemic species. Before leaving, you can stamp your passport at the exhibition hall—an emblem of an extraordinary archipelago.

Walk to Tortuga Bay along a paved trail lined with prickly pear cacti and coastal scrub. Arrive at a vast white-sand beach where marine iguanas lounge on black lava stones and pelicans skim the shore break.

Enjoy time for photography and wildlife watching in a protected setting. Currents can be strong here; your leader provides context on safe vantage points and the bay’s seasonal wildlife rhythms.

Embark on a full-day boat tour to one uninhabited island designated by the Park. You might climb Bartolomé for views of Pinnacle Rock, walk cactus-studded South Plaza among land iguanas, meet blue-footed boobies on Santa Fe, or see frigatebird nesting colonies on North Seymour.

Guided shore landings illuminate volcanic origins and species adaptation. Where conditions allow, you’ll snorkel in calm coves to observe reef fish, rays and, occasionally, sea turtles.

Hike a section of the Inca Trail from Km104, ascending stone steps to the terraced ruins of Wiñay Wayna before continuing to the Sun Gate (Intipunku) for a first, unforgettable view of Machu Picchu.

This optional experience carries no extra cost but must be requested at booking due to strict permit limits and daily quotas. Terrain is steep and uneven; your leader sets a measured pace with plentiful photo pauses.

Stand astride the equator at Mitad del Mundo and visit the Intiñan Museum for hands-on experiments that explore magnetic balance, coriolis illusions and Andean cosmovision. Displays also spotlight indigenous cultures from across Ecuador.

This is an optional, additional-cost excursion, bookable with your tour leader in Quito. It’s a playful, photo-friendly complement to the morning’s colonial highlights, roughly 40 minutes north of the city.

Hike to the Wall of Tears, a somber relic of Isabela’s mid-20th century penal colony where prisoners hauled and stacked black lava blocks in punishing heat. The coastal-scrub trail offers views over wetlands and volcanic horizons.

This optional walk (about 12km/7.5mi round-trip) deepens the human history of the Galápagos beyond wildlife. Check locally for trail conditions; bring water, sun protection and comfortable footwear.

Explore the Inca strongholds above Cuzco, beginning with the cyclopean walls of Sacsayhuamán before continuing to the carved rock shrines of Qenqo, the lookout and checkpoint at Puca Pucara, and the ritual fountains of Tambomachay. Walk among seamless stonework that still fits blade-tight and survey sweeping Andean views.

Gain insight into the defensive ring that protected the Inca capital, the ceremonial uses of water, and the administrative network that fed an empire. Your leader brings to life the craftsmanship, geology and ritual meaning embedded in these hills.