Would you like to take a cruise to the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu? If so, read our guide for more facts and information…
The Galapagos and Peruvian cruises usually begin on the West Coast of the United States. The day after boarding the cruise ports in the capital of Peru, Lima. From Lima you board a short flight to the city of Cusco which used to be the capital city of the Incan Empire.
From Cusco the tour includes trips to different areas close by. Possible locations include the colourful Indian market in the Sacred Valley. Also possible is a trip to the ancient ruins of Ollantaytambo. From here one can go on a two day hike to Machu Picchu. To get to the ruins one can take a trip on the luxurious Vistadome trains and then arrive in the town of Aguas Calientes which is located in the valley below the ruins. From there one can take a bus to the ruins or hike there. The hike takes about one hour.
One can then stay overnight in one of the comfortable hotels in Aguas Calientes and return to Cusco, then Lima the next day. In Lima one can take a guided tour of the city’s colonial history.
From Lima one takes a flight to Guayaquil in Ecuador, which is also a port city. Here you will have a day to explore the city and also take guided tours of the main attractions.
From here you will catch another flight to the island of San Cristobal from where you will board your luxury tour of the Galapagos Islands. This part of the cruise takes four days. When stopping on the islands one can tour centres in which the giant tortoise is being reintroduced into the environment. One will also land on the Espanola Island which is one of the most beautiful islands in the group, and boasts many sea lion colonies. This is also a good island to go bird watching as there are many interesting birds, include the Galapagos Hawk, American oyster catches, and Hood mockingbirds. This is also an excellent beach to go snorkeling on because of the turquoise waters in which white tipped reef sharks, parrot fish and damsel fish can be seen.
Other Galapagos islands in the tour include Santa Cruz, Charles Darwin Station and South Plaza Island.
After the tour of the islands the cruise will dock in Quito, Ecuador where a flight back home can be taken, the easiest flights to catch would be to Miami, from which connections home can be made.
All-inclusive packages typically include flights from Miami.
Cruise Costs and Times
The costs of tours described above range between USD$4799 per person sharing for two people. Typical trips like discussed above are 17 days in duration. Shorter tours are 6 and 8 days long.
Cruise Companies
Galapagos and Machu Picchu cruise companies include Princess Cruises. However, one does not have to book directly through the tour companies. To be able to choose from more options go through a website that specialises in cruises provided by different companies. Such websites include Southern Explorations, Cruise Compete, and Lost World Adventures.
