Galapagos & Machu Picchu

Galápagos Islands, Ecuador & more…

Must go!$$$$$AdultsAdventureCultureHistory

Aug

Cynthia Morgan12 days

Places from the trip

Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

Accommodation

1 place

Stay

Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel

1:45 pm

3 nights

Cynthia

Beachfront luxury hotel on Santa Cruz Island with sea-facing terrace, pool, spa, and restaurant using ingredients from its garden. I would say this hotel was nice, definitely higher end for Galapagos. There aren’t many luxury options on the island, as it’s much more common to travel Galapagos by boat. This one and Pikaia lodge were both recommended by Michelin. I think the concept (eco hotel, beautiful design) was cool, but the rooms were really really small. I like that the hotel arranged all activities, and had their own private boat to explore other islands. If I were going back, I’d try pikaia next

Restaurants

2 places

Lunch

lunch

Isla Grill

12 pm

Cynthia

Family-friendly grill known for grilled seafood and an alternative to seafood-heavy menus.

Dinner

dinner

Finch Bay Galapagos Restaurant

7 pm

Cynthia

Ecuadorian and international cooking using organic herbs and vegetables from the hotel's garden.

Activities

5 places

Must do!

Explore

Tortuga Bay

2 pm

Cynthia

White-sand beach reached by a marked, cobblestoned two-kilometer path.

Trip highlight

Must do!

Explore

Las Grietas

5 pm

Cynthia

Snorkeling site with clear waters, flora, fauna, and marine life.

Trip highlight

Must do!

Explore

Puerto Ayora: Tortoise Trail and Charles Darwin Research Center

10 am

Cynthia

Tortoise-focused trail with boardwalks and exhibits, plus a conservation and research center.

Trip highlight

Explore

El Chato Tortoise Reserve

2 pm

Santa Cruz rural sanctuary where giant tortoises roam freely.

Must do!

Explore

Bartolomé Island & Sullivan Bay Yacht Day Tour

7 am – 5:55 pm

Cynthia

Yacht excursion featuring a Bartolomé viewpoint, Sullivan Bay walk, coastal exploration, snorkeling, and lunch aboard Sea Lion Yacht.

Trip highlight

Transportation

4 places

Getting around

JetBlue 1796 & LATAM LA1411: JFK to Baltra (GPS)

11:06 pm – 12 pm

Overnight outbound flights from JFK to Baltra.

Getting around

Transfer to Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel

12 pm

Public bus, ferry across Itabaca Channel, drive across Santa Cruz Island, aqua taxi, and short walk to the hotel.

Getting around

Transfer to Baltra Airport

10:45 am

Public bus, ferry across Itabaca Channel, drive across Santa Cruz Island, aqua taxi, and short walk.

Getting around

LATAM LA1382 & LA1437: Baltra (GPS) to Lima (LIM)

1:35 pm – 10:35 pm

Flights from Baltra to Lima.

Lima, Peru

Accommodation

1 place

Stay

Lima Airport Holiday Inn

11 pm

1 night

We stayed here during a layover at Lima airport, it was close to the airport with shuttle service.

Transportation

1 place

Getting around

LATAM LA2007: Lima (LIM) to Cusco (CUS)

9:10 am – 10:35 am

Flight from Lima to Cusco.

Urubamba, Peru

Accommodation

1 place

Stay

Tambo del Inka

10:35 am

2 nights

Cynthia

One MICHELIN Key Sacred Valley hotel with a private train station for Machu Picchu, Andean design, spa, indoor pool, and river-and-mountain setting. This was a nice option to acclimate to the altitude in the sacred valley.

Restaurants

4 places

Lunch

lunch

La Cerveceria

2 pm

Craft beers from across Peru in a setting focused on local brewing traditions.

lunch

Kiri Bar

1 pm

Terrace bar overlooking the Sacred Valley, with gin and pisco drinks plus appetizers.

Dinner

dinner

Hawa

6:30 pm

Cynthia

Hotel restaurant serving innovative dishes with organic ingredients from its garden.

Avoid

dinner

El Huacatay

6 pm

Garden-set gourmet dining room known for Sacred Valley ingredients, including trout, alpaca, and coca sours. We figured it’d be good to eat somewhere other than the hotel, but since we were both still acclimating to the altitude we probably would’ve been better off just eating at the hotel restaurants again. It was fine but not worth it for us

Transportation

1 place

Getting around

Transfer to Tambo del Inka

10:35 am

Transfer from Cusco to Urubamba.

Machu Picchu, Peru

Accommodation

1 place

Must stay!

Stay

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

5 pm

1 night

Cynthia

One MICHELIN Key, carbon-neutral eco-lodge on 12 acres of high-mountain forest near Machu Picchu Pueblo, with orchids, birdlife, Andean dining, and a spa. Beautiful hotel in a local, luxury Peruvian hotel chain. They have beautiful amenities if you plan to stay overnight in Aguas Calientes. We loved the nature tours.

Must stay

Restaurants

2 places

Dinner

dinner

Inkaterra Dining Room

6 pm

Cynthia

Dinner is included with the room rate. After a long day of travel and Machu Picchu, it was nice to eat at the hotel.

Drinks

drinks

Sanctuary Lodge, A Belmond Hotel

4 pm

Cynthia

Afternoon tea at the hotel by the Machu Picchu sanctuary.

Activities

1 place

Explore

Tour of Machu Picchu Ruins

1 pm

Cynthia

Guided visit to the Inca citadel in its dramatic Andean and Amazon Basin setting. This was arranged by the Hiram Bingham train, and it was incredible. We got very lucky with the weather (it was thunder storming all week)

Transportation

2 places

Must do!

Getting around

Hiram Bingham 11: Poroy to Machu Picchu

9:05 am – 12:24 pm

Cynthia

Luxury train journey with open-air views, Peruvian cuisine, cocktail bar, and guided citadel visit. This and the Bartolomé island tour were the highlights of the trip. If you want to save a little bit of $ you can do the Hiram Bingham train on the way to Machu Picchu, and the vista dome on the way back. Highly recommend taking the Hiram Bingham on the way up since 1. It’s during the day, so you get amazing views from the train. 2. The transfer, tickets and guided tour of Machu Picchu are all included and handled by Belmond. 3. Afternoon tea at Belmond was included and very nice. Also, the live band is amazing. They ask where everyone is from and play a song about your hometown. Was very lovely and social!

Trip highlight

Getting around

Vistadome Observatory 34: Machu Picchu to Poroy

3:20 pm – 7:05 pm

Panoramic train journey through the Sacred Valley with wide windows, live music, and traditional dances.

Cusco, Peru

Accommodation

1 place

Must stay!

Stay

Inkaterra La Casona Relais & Châteaux

7:30 pm

1 night

Cynthia

Two MICHELIN Keys boutique hotel in a restored Spanish colonial manor in Cusco's old town, with just 11 suites and a residential atmosphere. Very small hotel next to both Belmond options in Cusco. Really boutique feel, love the courtyard and rooms were gorgeous.

Must stay

Restaurants

2 places

Lunch

lunch

Morena Peruvian Kitchen

12 pm

Cynthia

Modern, bright Cusco restaurant featuring Peruvian flavors from the coast, Amazon, and Andes.

Dinner

dinner

KION Peruvian Chinese

8 pm

Cynthia

Peruvian Chinese cuisine blending sweet and savory flavors, designed for sharing.

Activities

1 place

Explore

Cusco Sightseeing

9 am

Cynthia

Sightseeing of Plaza de Armas, La Catedral, and Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun), highlighting Inca and colonial architecture.

Transportation

2 places

Getting around

LATAM LA2026: Cusco (CUS) to Lima (LIM)

6:10 pm – 7:50 pm

Flight from Cusco to Lima.

Getting around

Delta DL6066: Lima (LIM) to JFK

12:05 am – 9:15 am

Overnight return flight from Lima to JFK.

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Trip photos

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Tour of Machu Picchu Ruins