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Worldwide Escorted Bus Tours & River Cruises
Cruising The Galapagos W/ Peru W/ Ec Amazon & Nazca
Buffet breakfast daily (B), 10 lunches (L), 9 dinners (D); Local Host service in each city; a welcome wallet and city map; sightseeing and transportation as outlined in the day-by-day itinerary.
Highlights:
Itinerary:
| Day #1 |
Arrive Quito, Ecuador. Arrive in Quito, where you will be met by your Local Host. |
| Day #2 |
Quito–Coca–Amazon Lodge. Fly to Coca and travel by motorized canoe to your selected Amazon lodge, your home base for the next three nights. (L,D) |
| Day #3 |
Sacha Lodge. During your stay, enjoy excursions with a Naturalist who introduces you to the Amazon. On the suspended rainforest canopy walk your Naturalist points out many different species of vibrantly colored birds. Jungle walks show off the immense biodiversity and medicinal plants that have been used by the native cultures for hundreds of years. Visit the lodge’s butterfly house, one of Ecuador’s largest, and take a night walk or canoe ride with a Local Guide to discover creatures that can rarely be seen during the day! You will also cruise through the flooded forest in search of troops of squirrels, capuchin, and howler monkeys—and maybe even the incredibly well camouflaged 3-toed sloth. After fishing for piranhas, arrive at the Kapok Tree tower, perched 135-feet high. Get close-up views of birds as the sun sets on volcanic Mount Sumaco and the Andes. (B,L,D)Napo Wildlife Center. Your time in the Amazon accompanied by a Local Guide includes early morning excursions to parrot clay licks; dugout canoe rides in search of river otters, potoos, kingfishers, hoatzins, jacamars, hawks, and monkeys; and walks along the canopy platform to view Spider Monkeys, aracaris, toucans, Blue and Gold Macaws, numerous species of tanagers, and the Red-Rumped Cacique. In your free time, consider a walk through the jungle in search of interesting plants and colorful or well-camouflaged insects. You are also invited to join families of the Anangu indigenous community on their daily activities, such as harvesting bananas, coco, manioc, or preparing chichi. (B,L,D) |
| Day #4 |
Sacha Lodge. During your stay, enjoy excursions with a Naturalist who introduces you to the Amazon. On the suspended rainforest canopy walk your Naturalist points out many different species of vibrantly colored birds. Jungle walks show off the immense biodiversity and medicinal plants that have been used by the native cultures for hundreds of years. Visit the lodge’s butterfly house, one of Ecuador’s largest, and take a night walk or canoe ride with a Local Guide to discover creatures that can rarely be seen during the day! You will also cruise through the flooded forest in search of troops of squirrels, capuchin, and howler monkeys—and maybe even the incredibly well camouflaged 3-toed sloth. After fishing for piranhas, arrive at the Kapok Tree tower, perched 135-feet high. Get close-up views of birds as the sun sets on volcanic Mount Sumaco and the Andes. (B,L,D)Napo Wildlife Center. Your time in the Amazon accompanied by a Local Guide includes early morning excursions to parrot clay licks; dugout canoe rides in search of river otters, potoos, kingfishers, hoatzins, jacamars, hawks, and monkeys; and walks along the canopy platform to view Spider Monkeys, aracaris, toucans, Blue and Gold Macaws, numerous species of tanagers, and the Red-Rumped Cacique. In your free time, consider a walk through the jungle in search of interesting plants and colorful or well-camouflaged insects. You are also invited to join families of the Anangu indigenous community on their daily activities, such as harvesting bananas, coco, manioc, or preparing chichi. (B,L,D) |
| Day #5 |
Coca–Quito. Depart your Amazon lodge and fly from Coca to Quito today. The remainder of your afternoon is at leisure. (B) |
| Day #6 |
Quito. Your included city tour showcases the rich legacy left by the Incas and, later, the Spaniards. See Independence Square dominated by its formidable Cathedral, San Francisco Plaza Church, and the Basilica with its marvelous stained-glass windows. (B) |
| Day #7 |
Quito–Baltra (Embarkation)–Santa Cruz. Fly to Baltra in the Galápagos. Upon arrival, transfer to Santa Cruz Island, where you will embark the Santa Cruz for your 4-night cruise. Your first stop takes you to Cerro Dragón, a bird-lover’s paradise, where stilts, pintail ducks, Darwin’s finches, Galápagos mockingbirds, and the endemic Galápagos flycatcher are regular sightings. This evening, a lecture led by your onboard Naturalist will prepare you for tomorrow’s adventure. (B,L,D) |
| Day #8 |
Cruising: Bartolomé & Puerto Egas Islands. At Bartolomé Island, hike to the summit for a stunning view of two beautiful bays and fascinating formations of lava flows and spatter cones. You will also have the chance to snorkel and possibly see Galápagos penguins in tropical waters. Cruise to Puerto Egas, known for its numerous shore birds, Galápagos fur seals, and marine iguanas. (B,L,D) |
| Day #9 |
Cruising: Rabida & North Seymour Islands. On Rabida, stroll along the red-sand beach (due to high iron content from the volcanic material), observing sea lions, marine iguanas, Darwin’s finches, mockingbirds, and even greater flamingos! This afternoon, travel to North Seymour to explore for colonies of blue-footed boobies, magnificent frigatebirds, and swallow-tailed gulls. The island’s shore teems with sea lions and marine iguanas as well. (B,L,D) |
| Day #10 |
Cruising: Santa Cruz & Charles Darwin Research Center. Take a ride on Santa Cruz to the highlands, where the endangered giant tortoises can be seen (seasonally) grazing on the pastures of local farms. The vegetation of the area includes the Scalesia Forest, which provides an outstanding area for bird watching. It is up here where amazing encounters with woodpecker finches have occurred. This afternoon, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about the efforts and results to protect the Galápagos’ giant tortoises. Spend some time in the town of Puerto Ayora before returning to the ship. (B,L,D) |
| Day #11 |
Cruising: San Cristobal Island (Disembarkation)–Guayaquil–Lima, Peru. This morning, disembark in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, where you will have free time before flying to Lima to begin the Peru portion of your vacation. (B) |
| Day #12 |
Lima. Your included city tour focuses on Lima’s rich colonial history as well as the modern city. Lima was the bastion of Spanish South America from its founding in 1535 until the independence of the South American republics in the early 19th century. See the Cathedral, where the remains of Francisco Pizarro are sealed in a wooden coffin and with its eerie burial crypts. (B) |
| Day #13 |
Lima–Cusco. Fly to Cusco high in the Andes. Your guided tour visits the Santo Domingo Monastery, previously the Koricancha Temple, one of the most important temples devoted to worship of the sun. It is said it was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature. In the Plaza de Armas, see the Cathedral before taking a short drive outside the city to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman with its intricate stone walls, amphitheatre of Kenko, and the Red Fortress of Puca Pucara. (B) |
| Day #14 |
Cusco. Today, a short drive into the Urubamba Valley leads to the market town of Pisac. Handmade rugs, alpaca sweaters, and jewelry can be bought here at bargain prices. At the other end of the valley is Ollantaytambo. Here, some of the finest examples of Inca masonry can be seen. Try out area cuisine at one of the many Cusco restaurants recommended by your Local Host. (B,L) |
| Day #15 |
Cusco–Machu Picchu. Board a train bound for Machu Picchu and cut a path through the Sacred Valley to this “Lost City of the Incas,” discovered by American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911. On a guided tour, explore this intact fortress with its temple remains, holy houses, and mile-long aqueduct. For hikers, a brisk one-hour walk leads to the Sun Gate, the ancient entrance used by the Incas, or hike to the peak of Huayna Picchu. (B,L,D) |
| Day #16 |
Machu Picchu–Cusco. A morning at leisure in Machu Picchu allows you to wake up early to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu. Return to Cusco, where your Local Host will recommend options for your free time. Perhaps visit the Inca Museum or wander through the artisan district of San Blas. (B) |
| Day #17 |
Cusco–Lima. Fly to Lima, where the remainder of the day is at your leisure. (B) |
| Day #18 |
Lima–Pisco–Nazca Lines–Paracas. Enjoy a scenic drive south along the Pan-American Highway to Pisco, the wine capital of Peru. Have your camera handy today as you board your aircraft for a flight over the Nazca plains, which can only be appreciated by air. Your pilot will point out the mysterious markings known as the Nazca Lines, a series of drawings of animals and geometric figures etched into the parched soil—some up to 1,000 feet long! Theories vary, but the most accepted belongs to German mathematician Maria Reiche, who dubbed the land the “astronomical calendar” of the ancient Peruvians. (B,L,D) |
| Day #19 |
Paracas–Ballestas Islands–Lima. Head north to the Bay of Paracas. Cruise out to the Ballestas Islands, which are inhabited by a wide variety of sea mammals and exotic birds, including boobies, sea lions, and Humboldt penguins. The huge Candelabro, an unexplained candelabra-shaped etching on the Paracas cliffside, can also be seen as you cruise back to shore. Later, return to Lima. (B) |
| Day #20 |
Lima. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B) |
Pricing Options:
| Depart US | Land-Only |
|---|
| 01/18/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 01/25/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 02/08/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 02/22/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 03/08/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 03/22/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 03/29/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 04/05/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 05/03/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 05/17/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 06/07/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 07/12/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 08/09/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 09/27/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 10/11/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 10/18/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 10/25/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 11/01/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 11/29/2011 | $5,649.00 | | 01/17/2012 | $6,079.00 | | 01/24/2012 | $6,079.00 | | 02/07/2012 | $6,079.00 | | 02/14/2012 | $6,079.00 | | 02/21/2012 | $6,079.00 | | 02/28/2012 | $6,079.00 | | 03/06/2012 | $6,079.00 | | 03/13/2012 | $6,079.00 |
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©2005 Flamingo Travel Group
All Rights Reserved
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