13 Day Tour from Lima to Guayaquil
Vacation Overview
From its amazing archaeological treasures to its gastronomic delights and from its rich history to its melting pot of cultures, Peru offers visitors a wide array of attractions—and on this tour, you’ll experience its highlights. Plus, you’ll have the thrilling opportunity to cruise through the Galápagos Islands. Start in Lima, a cosmopolitan city steeped in history with pre-Columbian ruins, Spanish colonial buildings, and remnants of colonial mansions. On your sightseeing tour, you’ll see many of its famous sights. High in the Andes Mountains, Cusco is the oldest continuously inhabited city in South America and is sure to please history buffs. Learn about the Incas’ struggles with the invading Spaniards on your tour of Cusco and visit the Temple of Sacsayhuaman, built in the early 12th century with some stones weighing more than 350 tons. Try to figure out how it was built so precisely without the help of modern machinery and technology! Of course, no vacation to Peru is complete without visiting Machu Picchu. Built around 1450 at the height of the Inca Empire, Machu Picchu is located in a gorgeous mountain setting above the Urubamba Valley. Stand in awe as you witness it—it is one of the most majestic images in all of South America!
Not only will you visit the must-see sights, you’ll also have an opportunity to learn about Peruvian life. Experience a Mother Earth ceremony performed by a local shaman. These ceremonies thanking Mother Earth and asking for good health and safe travels have been practiced in Peru since before the arrival of the Incas. You’ll also stop at a local Peruvian food market and visit a home to meet some of the locals and experience their way of life.
Conclude your vacation by cruising through the Galápagos Islands, where you will witness blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, sea lions, land iguanas, and much more. For even more spectacular beauty and fun, you can swim or snorkel in search of sea life such as octopus, sea horses, and starfish. Afterward, spend time in Quito, where a sightseeing tour shows you its highlights—a perfect conclusion to an amazing adventure!
Vacation Highlights
LIMA
Sightseeing with a Local Guide; visit San Francisco Monastery; visit a [LF] local Peruvian food market; welcome dinner at a local Peruvian restaurant
SACRED VALLEY
Visit the Kenko Amphitheater, the Temple of Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo, and Pisac; [LF] visit a local home for a glimpse into rural Peruvian life; [LF] Mother Earth Ceremony with a shaman; dinner and Peruvian Paso Horse Show
MACHU PICCHU
Take the Vistadome train through the Urubamba Valley; sightseeing with a Local Guide and a second entrance to the ruins on your second day in Machu Picchu
CUSCO
Sightseeing with a Local Guide; visit the cathedral and the Santo Domingo Monastery; farewell dinner
GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Sightseeing in Quito; 3-night Galápagos Islands cruise
