Machu Picchu & the Galápagos Islands aboard the Yolita

Arrive at any time.

Included Experiences

• Arrival Day and Welcome Meeting with G Representative: The adventure begins today. Feel free to explore, but make sure you're back in time to meet the group. Your G Representative will review the details of your tour.

Optional Experiences

• Lima Cooking Class (4hrs): Get a taste of Peruvian cuisine, visit local markets, sample exotic fruit, select fresh ingredients, and try your hand at preparing unique Peruvian dishes influenced by China, Italy, West Africa, and Japan. Please note that if you are travelling with a family there is no age restriction on this activity and the cooking class is acceptable for children.
• Full Day Lima Experience: Experience the highlights Lima along with its important eras in history such as, the Pre-Hispanic Oracle of Pachacamac. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in the bohemian district of Barranco and visit the colonial convent of San Francisco and its latest addition, the Magic Water Park.
• Lima City Tour: Discover Lima’s cultural and culinary highlights on this half-day guided tour. Visit the Santo Domingo Monastery, walk around Plaza de Armas, marvel at the Bodega y Quadra Museum, and get to know some of Lima's lovely neighbourhoods. Stop to enjoy some authentic Peruvian tapas and be introduced to Pisco Sours during a demonstration and tasting.

Fly to Cusco. Free time to shop and explore. Choose to pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class, or try out a city tour, and visit museums and archaeological sites. Travel to the airport for the early morning flight to Cusco. Spend the day relaxing and exploring this fascinating city. Our best advice for exploring Cusco is to wear a comfortable pair of shoes, arm yourself with a city map, and set out to explore.

Included Experiences

• Plane: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
• Free Time: Use the day to head out and explore. Free time is yours to use any way you want.

Optional Experiences

• Cusco City Tour: Enjoy a half-day tour of Cusco's main sights. Walk around the Plaza de Armas (main square) and explore this city steeped in one of the world's most alluring and ancient cultures. Visit Qenqo, Koricancha, the Cathedral, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, and the archaeological site of Sacsaywaman.
• Cusco Tourist Ticket: This ticket allows admission at 16 sights of the city of Cusco including many popular museums and cathedrals, the ticket also provides entrance to Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park, and sights in the South Valley of Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
• Inka Museum: Get ready to explore the artifacts from the Inca Empire, including mummies, jewelry, skulls, and ceramics at this museum of archaeology.
• Cusco Cooking Class: Channel your inner chef and get a taste of Peruvian cuisine. Learn all about the essential ingredients, and try your hand at preparing unique Peruvian dishes with a local expert

Enjoy a full-day guided tour of the Sacred Valley. Stop at the G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op before visiting a local pottery making community. Break for lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosco. After lunch, opt to head out on a hike to the Ollantaytambo storehouses and look out over the ruins. Or, wander around the cobblestone streets and visit a local Chicheria (corn beer bar). Travel through the stunning Sacred Valley of the Incas, visiting a G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op. Meet the women and learn about traditional weaving and dyeing. Perhaps choose to pick up some handmade souvenirs and textiles directly from the women who made them. Have lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn about the G Adventures for Good project and eat a delicious buffet-style lunch. Proceeds of this meal go directly back to the remote community.

Included Experiences

• Ccaccaccollo Community and Women's Weaving Co-op visit: Visit the Ccaccaccollo community centre which G Adventures travellers' donations helped create in 2005, thereby enabling local women to sell traditional textiles to travellers. See local weaving and dyeing techniques used to create garments and souvenirs, and learn how the Planeterra weaving co-operative has impacted the community and those who visit it. This includes the purchase of alpacas to provide a steady supply of wool, looms, and sewing machines as well as several training courses on production, sales and small business management.
• Cuyo Chico Pottery Making Demonstration: In the rural village of Cuyo Chico in the Sacred Valley, a group of families joined together to create a small business based on their traditional adobe ceramic crafts. Using clay from their surroundings, they mold bowls, plates, and all manner of decorations. Learn about the ceramics process as well as the traditional adobe brick-making that forms the basis of houses throughout the valley, all while taking in a spectacular view of the Pisac Ruins. After the demonstration, peruse the items for sale directly from the artisans in their shop.
• Parwa Community Restaurant the Sacred Valley: Contribute to sustainable tourism in Huchuy Qosqo, a small village of 65 families in the Sacred Valley, by eating at the Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn how the resident-run restaurant was kickstarted by G Adventures and the Multilateral Investment Fund, to become a successful farm-to-table program that boosts the local economy and several spin-off microenterprises.

Optional Experiences

• Ollantaytambo Storehouse Ruins and Hike: Get your blood flowing on a steep hike up to the Pinkuylluna Incan storehouses. Perched on the hill, these ruins provide excellent views of the Sacred Valley and the Ollantaytambo ruins below.
• Ollantaytambo Ruins Visit: Explore this ancient site right in the heart of Ollantaytambo city. Learn about the principles of Incan architecture and get a first taste of climbing around a massive ruins site.

Journey to the beautiful town of Aguas Calientes and perhaps enjoy a visit to the local hot springs or explore the market. Board a morning train that winds through the spectacular Urubamba Valley to the end of the line: the village of Aguas Calientes, a frontier town nestled in the hills beneath Machu Picchu. Enjoy the rest of the day taking advantage of the hikes and hot springs in the area.

Included Experiences

• Train: Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.
• Free Time: Choose to visit the local market, the botanical garden, and the Mandor waterfalls, or soak in the hot springs.

Optional Experiences

• Hot Springs Visit: Soak your sore muscles in the local hot springs for which the town, Aguas Calientes, was originally named.
• One-Day Inca Trail Hike: Traverse cloud forests while enjoying spectacular views on this '1-day Inca Trail' trek. Start by disembarking the train at km 104. Follow the local guide as the trail rises steeply up into the mountains and winds past the archaeological sites of Wiñay Wayna and Inti Pata. Gain insight into the fascinating culture of the Incas en route to the trek's culmination at the Sun Gate. Enjoy a packed lunch along the way, and reach the Sun Gate in the late afternoon. Enjoy free time to explore a bit of Machu Picchu before the guided tour the following day. After, take one of the blue buses from Machu Picchu to Aguas Calientes to spend the night in a hotel in town. Opt to visit nearby hot springs to soak sore muscles, if time permits. **Please note this must be pre-booked as it requires an Inca Trail permit, which is on request and subject to availability. Please speak to your GCO or travel agent for more information.

Start early to visit the 'Lost City' of Machu Picchu. Tour the ruins with an expert guide before returning back to Cusco. Start early to catch the sunrise at the top. Take the bus up to the historic spiritual centre of the Incas, the 'Lost City' of Machu Picchu. Tour the ruins with an expert guide then explore on your own. Later, return by train to Ollantaytambo and meet a private vehicle to head back to Cusco.

Included Experiences

• Local Bus: Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
• Machu Picchu Guided Tour: Set off with the local guide to explore Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas. Learn about the history and gain insights into this massive mountaintop citadel while wandering through ancient dwellings, stone temples and along sculpted terraces. Feel the energy of this 15th-century site, now both a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.
• Train: Climb aboard, take a seat, and enjoy the ride.

Enjoy a free day in Cusco. Opt to visit the local market, a nearby archaeological site, or get a massage.

Included Experiences

• Free Time: Head out and explore. Free time is yours to use how you want!

Optional Experiences

• Mountain Biking: Take to two wheels and head out into the hills around Cusco for some nature-meets-adrenaline fun. Try a trip to the Sacred Valley, perhaps, visiting an Inca ruin along the way.
• Cusco City Tour: Enjoy a half-day tour of Cusco's main sights. Walk around the Plaza de Armas (main square) and explore this city steeped in one of the world's most alluring and ancient cultures. Visit Qenqo, Koricancha, the Cathedral, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay, and the archaeological site of Sacsaywaman.
• Cusco Tourist Ticket: This ticket allows admission at 16 sights of the city of Cusco including many popular museums and cathedrals, the ticket also provides entrance to Sacsayhuaman Archaeological Park, and sights in the South Valley of Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
• Horseback Riding: Hop in the saddle and explore Cusco’s archaeological sites by horseback on a 3.5 hr tour – no previous experience needed. Dress for the weather, and bring sunblock and a hat, just in case.
• Rainbow Mountain Hike - Full-day Trip: Lookout over these colourful Andean mountains striped with maroon, turquoise, lavender, and gold. The sediment, elevation, and proximity to the ocean create a landscape that has to be seen to be believed. Get started early to drive around 3 hours approximately to the starting point of this challenging, yet rewarding full-day hike. Reaching 5,029m (16,500 ft) this 8 km hike is no walk in the park, but these unique mountains do not disappoint. The ascent takes approximately 1.5 hours.
• Inka Museum: Get ready to explore the artifacts from the Inca Empire, including mummies, jewelry, skulls, and ceramics at this museum of archaeology.

Head to the airport and fly back to Lima where you will enjoy free time to explore the city at your leisure.

Included Experiences

• Plane: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
• Free Time: Make the most of a few more hours in Lima. Free time is yours to explore any way you want.

Fly to Quito. Flight is unescorted and included in the price of the tour. Your transfer to the airport and your flight to Quito are included in this trip. Please note that this flight is unescorted and your transfer will be waiting for you at the Quito airport and will bring you to your hotel.

Included Experiences

• Plane: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
• Optional Welcome Meeting for Travellers on Combos: You may be a seasoned pro at group travel by now, but there will likely be some new travellers joining the group. Sit in on the welcome meeting to meet the newest members of your group and learn about the next leg of your tour.

Take an early flight to the Galápagos Islands. Head to Bachas Beach to see Sally Lightfoot crabs, flamingos and marine iguanas.

Included Experiences

• Plane: Flights from Quito to Baltra depart between 6:40am and 9:40am depending on the day of the week. These will arrive into the Galápagos between 9:30am and 12:30pm with a short refuelling stop in Guayaquil (you will not disembark the plane). You will generally arrive at the boat in time for lunch on Day 2 before the afternoon activity.
• Bachas Beach Visit: Head to Bachas Beach where the sand is made of decomposed coral, making it soft and white, and a favourite site for nesting sea turtles. Spot abundant Sally Lightfoot crabs on the lava rocks along the water's edge -- these crabs will eat anything they can get their claws on! Trek to see a wide range of wildlife, including flamingos, hermit crabs, black necked stilts, and marine iguanas. You will also have the opportunity to snorkel here.
• Yolita: Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.

Visit Darwin Bay and marvel at the sheer number of birds along the many trails. Head to El Barranco in the afternoon to see the many types of boobies, including red-footed boobies.

Included Experiences

• Darwin Bay Visit: Walk along the white coral sands of Darwin Bay surrounded by bustling sea birds. Follow the trail and see nesting frigatebirds, gulls, and boobies. Be sure to bring your camera to take some snaps of your new feathered friends.
• Snorkelling (Darwin Bay): Visit this sunken caldera for a great snorkelling opportunity. See large schools of tropical fish swarming near the vertical walls, and, if lucky, see manta rays, white-spotted eagle rays, sea lions, and hammerhead sharks.
• El Barranco Visit: Visit "El Barranco" aka Prince Phillip's Steps located on the southern tip of the island for an amazing wildlife watching opportunity. Hike up the steps to see a sea bird colony that is full of life including the breeding grounds for red-footed boobies and masked boobies.
• Yolita: Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.

Visit Bartolomé for a guided tour to see the island's dramatic volcanic features. Continue to Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island to witness the giant lava formations contrasting the white-coral-sand beach.

Included Experiences

• Bartolomé Island Visit: Hike to Bartolomé's summit for a stronger perspective of the islands' not-too-distant volcanic origins, and enjoy a panoramic view – it’s one of the best among the islands! See other Galápagos Islands in the distance as well as Pinnacle Rock, the island’s famous towering landmark.
• Snorkelling (Bartolomé Island): Take the opportunity to swim and snorkel along the shore, home to one of the most iconic volcanic rock formations on the islands. Home to Galápagos penguins, friendly sea lions, sea turtles, and a huge variety of fish, Bartolomé and its surrounding waters are a fantastic place to explore the natural wonders of the Galápagos.
• Sullivan Bay Visit: Visit Sullivan Bay on Santiago Island to see one of its star natural attractions – striking and fascinating giant lava formations. Very few plants have managed to survive on this island due to its harsh environment and relatively new lava flow. Enjoy a walk along the lava formations before coming to a white-coral sand beach, where abundant Sally Lightfoot crabs and sea lions gather on shore.
• Snorkelling (Sullivan Bay): Enjoy a cool dip after exploring Sullivan Bay on foot. Grab a snorkel and discover many species of fish and other marine life in the shallow waters. Keep an eye out for turtles, rays, and large schools of colourful fish.
• Yolita: Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.

Early landing in the small town of Puerto Villamil before beginning the hike to the Sierra Negra Volcano, which has the largest basaltic caldera in the Galápagos. In the afternoon, explore the tortoise breeding centre in the Puerto Villamil area.

Included Experiences

• Sierra Negra Volcano Hike: Hike to the rim of the 10km (6 mi) wide crater of the Sierra Negra volcano, which has the largest basaltic caldera in the Galápagos. Trek across the moon-like landscape of the lava fields and fumaroles, and enjoy spectacular views looking north toward Fernandina and the rest of Isabela Island. The volcano last erupted in June 2018, making it the most recent eruption of the Galápagos. This hike is 7km in total (3.5 km each way).
• Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre Visit: Walk through the town’s wetlands to visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre. With the giant tortoise on its way to extinction in the late 1950s, this program was established to protect these noble creatures.
• Yolita: Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.

Pay a morning visit to Elizabeth Bay which offers amazing bird and marine life viewing opportunities. Head out on the pangas and explore the shallows and mangroves to look for sea turtles and penguins. Visit Urbina Bay, located at the base of the Alcedo Volcano. Hike the trail for a chance to see land tortoises in the wild, watching for land iguanas along the way.

Included Experiences

• Elizabeth Bay Panga Ride: Head out by panga to explore, keeping an eye out for wildlife hiding among the mangroves. Search for marine turtles, rays, and flightless cormorants in the sheltered waters. Also spot blue-footed boobies, penguins, and pelicans feeding on the abundant marine life.
• Urbina Bay Visit: Visit Urbina Bay for a unique walk among a massive marine reef that was raised out of the water in 1950 during an uplift. See “sculptures” of dried coral and other ocean formations while touring the area on foot. Urbina Bay also offers great opportunities to snorkel, as well as to see land iguanas that have astonishingly yellow skin, flightless cormorants, land tortoises, marine turtles, and rays.
• Yolita: Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.

Stop for a visit at Tagus Cove and hike to a lookout to get a stunning view of the bay. Spot old graffiti on the cliffs from whalers and pirates who once visited the the cove. Continue to Punta Espinoza on Fernandina, the youngest of the Galápagos Islands. Witness the large colony of marine iguanas and a variety of bird life.

Included Experiences

• Tagus Cove Visit: Visit Tagus Cove, an Isabela Island anchorage site that was popular among whalers and pirates. Tour the area on foot for spectacular views of Darwin Lake (a spherical saltwater crater), the bay, and Darwin and Wolf volcanoes. Upon landing, take the wooden stairway to the trail entrance, and follow the trail through a dry vegetation zone. Opt to continue on an ascent to a promontory made up of spatter cones (small volcanic cones) or explore the area by dinghy.
• Snorkelling (Tagus Cove): Grab a mask and snorkel and witness schools of tropical fish as you navigate through the calm waters. If you're lucky, spot rockfish, sharks and seahorses.
• Punta Espinoza Visit: Tour a number of different trails at this not-to-be-missed landing site that’s home to some of the largest colonies of marine iguanas and sea birds. Follow the path along the beach and across lava flows for a unique opportunity to explore one of the least-visited areas of the Galápagos. Here, you will also have a chance to snorkel.
• Snorkelling (Punta Espinoza): One of the best snorkelling sites in the islands, here get a glimpse of marine iguanas grazing underwater, sea lions, sea turtles, rays, puffer fish and dolphins.
• Yolita: Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.

Enjoy a morning panga ride in Buccaneer Cove, watch for sea lions, shorebirds, and interesting lava formations. Take an afternoon excursion to the red sand beaches of Rábida to see a lagoon and sea lion colony. Enjoy snorkelling nearby with schools of tropical fish and sea lions.

Included Experiences

• Buccaneer Cove Visit: Jump into the panga and cruise alongside high cliffs and rock formations on this visit to Bucaneer Cove, which was a favourite hideout for pirates looking to stock up their boats with food and water. Spot sea lions relaxing on the beach and sea birds nesting in the cove – there’s lots to see at this site.
• Snorkelling (Buccaneer Cove): Get up close and personal with the local marine life, sea lions and many marine birds, during this snorkel excursion through the beautiful waters of Buccaneer Cove.
• Rábida Island Visit: Arrive at a red sand beach at Rábida to explore its trails. A short trail leads to a saltwater lagoon; another trail goes past the lagoon to the interior, where the revered palo santo trees grow. (When burned, the branches of this tree give off a pleasing aroma and ward off mosquitoes.)
• Snorkelling (Rábida Island): Grab a snorkel and discover many species of fish and other marine life. Keep an eye out for white-tip sharks and sea lions.
• Yolita: Yolita is an attractive 16-passenger ship boasting surprisingly spacious cabins for its size, and the large upper deck allows you to soak up as much of the Ecuadorian sun as you need.

View Daphne from the boat, the tiny conical island is home to nesting blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and Darwin's finches, after, fly back to Quito. Enjoy an evening in Quito.

Included Experiences

• Daphne Island Visit: Travel to Daphne, a tiny conical island, home to nesting blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, Darwin's finches, and a variety of marine life. Observe from the boat as this island is dedicated to scientific research. This island was where Dr. Peter Grant conducted a long-term study of Darwin's finches.

Depart at any time.

Optional Experiences

• Cotopaxi Volcano - Full Day: Enjoy a spectacular 2 hour drive to Cotopaxi Volcano National Park to see the highest active volcano in the world (5,897m/ 19,347 ft). Visit a museum in the park and hike around a lagoon at the bottom of the volcano to learn about the flora and fauna found at this altitude. Continue by car up the volcano to the parking lot, at over 4,500m/14,763 ft. Walk for an hour and a half to the refuge and after a short break, continue to the glacier (if the weather holds out). Return to Quito in the early evening.
• Teleférico: Enjoy spectacular views of Quito from this sky tram up Volcán Pichincha. Choose to go for a hike at the top, or just come along for the ride.
• Quito City Tour & Equator Line: Enjoy a city tour of Quito. Visit the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with stops at the Basilica del Voto Nacional, La Compañia Church, San Francisco Square, Plaza Grande and the Panecillo, a towering statue of the virgin of Quito who looks out over a stunning view of the city. Drive 25km (16 mi) north of Quito to the Middle of the World, latitude 0º. Stand with one foot in each hemisphere. Please note that this tour starts at 8 a.m. and ends around 5 p.m.