Machu Picchu & Galapagos

Two wonders, one adventure: Discover the once-lost city of the Incas in Peru and the Enchanted Isles of Ecuador

Combine two of the great adventure destinations in one trip: Machu Picchu, one of the New Wonders of the World, and the wildlife-watching haven of the Galapagos Islands. Starting in Peru, we explore the Inca empire, first visiting Cuzco and the nearby ruins, before taking the train through mountains and cloud forest to the once-lost city of Machu Picchu – hiking a section of the Inca Trail if you wish. It’s then off to the Galapagos, exploring land and sea in search of sharks, giant tortoises, sea lions and more with an expert naturalist guide.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that have a positive impact on the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Learn more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible. The majority of accommodation on this trip is family owned.
• All Galapagos hotels must meet Ministry of Tourism requirements, which include recycling and waste management procedures.
• We stop on Floreana Island and the meals there are at a community-run restaurant.
• Read more about our other initiatives here.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for reusable bottles.
• When visiting Machu Picchu, the costs of permits and for our guided tour will go towards to the upkeep and maintenance of this architectural site.
• We adhere to all Machu Picchu regulations. There are limited permits to reduce overcrowding and damage due to footfall, but our guides are still very mindful of how we treat the environment. We work with a strict ‘leave no trace’ policy, meaning we have respect for wildlife and the landscape, separate rubbish and take all waste back to a proper disposal place.
• Our local operator in Peru has been certified and verified by Rainforest Alliance since 2015.
• The payment of entrance fees to natural reserves and archaeological sites generates income which is used for upkeep and development of these important sites. A percentage of the entry fee for the Galapagos funds the conservation of this unique and significant area of the world.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices regarding wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
• We follow the environmental protection policies of the Galapagos Island.
• With our partners, Rewilding Apennines, we rewild 100 square meters (1,075 sqft) of land per passenger who travels with us.
• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• This trip favours locally owned and run accommodation.
• Accommodation and restaurants in Peru use locally sourced food, which has not been transported long distances.
• Our local partners have reached B Corp Certification, which requires they demonstrate high social and environmental performance.
• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring a reusable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Please note, it is essential you read the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu regulations in the Important Information section of the Trip Notes before you book this trip.

Walks: Though you do not need to be particularly fit, there is some walking on rough ground and sharp rocks due to the volcanic nature of the Galapagos. The ability to withstand high temperatures and swim will increase your enjoyment of the trip.

Itinerary: It is not always possible to follow a strict schedule due to weather and sea conditions – sometimes it is better to do the planned activities in a different order (but almost always on the same day as the activity is planned).

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Peru

There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, typhoid, tuberculosis and yellow fever. Additionally, Zika fever, a mosquito‐borne viral disease, is a known risk in Peru. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so you should take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Please check all vaccination recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.

Amazon: If you are travelling to the Tambopata reserve in the Amazon rainforest, the risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your doctor or travel clinic for further advice. We also strongly recommend that you obtain a yellow fever vaccination. Additionally, dengue fever and chikungunya are known risks in the Amazon region. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Ecuador

There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, tuberculosis, typhoid and yellow fever. Please check all vaccination recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.
You will also require a yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda or if you have transited through those same three countries for more than 12 hours.

If you plan to visit the Amazon Rainforest, we recommend a yellow fever vaccination. Malaria is also a risk in some areas of the country (including the Amazon Rainforest) so we suggest you consult a doctor for more advice. Additionally, dengue, chikungunya and zika, all viral diseases spread by mosquitoes, are known risks in places visited. There are currently no vaccines or prophylaxes available, so take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Visa

Peru

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Peru. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/peru
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/peru
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/peru/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Peru.html

Ecuador

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Ecuador. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/ecuador
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/ecuador
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ecuador/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Ecuador.html

Food & Drink

All breakfasts and five lunches are included on this trip.

Hotel breakfasts are normally buffets with toast, cereal, eggs, fruits and tea/coffee. Please note, we cannot guarantee wheat-/gluten-free products are available for breakfasts in all locations in Peru – you may wish to bring your own breakfast food if you have an intolerance.

The included lunches are usually a set menu with two or three options. If you hike the Inca Trail, you also have a packed lunch that day.

Peru: Food and drink can vary in price enormously in Peru. As a guideline, allow about US$15-US$20 per meal to eat at good restaurants (excluding alcohol). Cheaper food is abundant at small cafes, although sanitary conditions cannot be guaranteed. Bottled water and soft drinks are available for around US$1-US$2.

Ecuador: Budget around US$60 for all meals in Quito. Drinks and incidentals are quite expensive in the Galapagos, as everything is imported from the mainland; however, as all food is provided in the Galapagos, your only expenditure for this portion of the trip is likely to be souvenirs and alcoholic beverages. Please note, the choice of meals in some areas of the Galapagos can be limited but special dietary requirements can usually be catered for if we are advised at the time of booking. When flying to and from the Galapagos, snacks are usually included on the flights.

Weather

Cuzco and the Andes: April to November is the dry season. Expect strong sunshine in the mornings, sometimes clouding over as the day progresses. However, as in all mountains, the weather is variable at all times of year in the Andes, which includes cloud rolling up from the Amazon basin, rain or even snow, and rapid and unexpected changes! During the dry season, temperatures can dip at night to around the freezing mark (and sometimes below).

Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu: Within the cloud forest, these experience experience large amounts of precipitation all year as clouds move up from the Amazon Basin. Rain can be heavy but is seldom prolonged.

Quito: Maximum daytime temperatures are almost constant throughout the year at 20C (68F), nights 8C (46F). Expect some rain in February to May and October to November; storms, though heavy, are generally short, and Quito is considered to have quite a pleasant climate.

Galapagos: You can visit at any time of year, though the weather patterns are complicated and cannot be reduced to easy formulas. The weather is controlled by the two main ocean currents of the region: the Humboldt, bringing cold water from the Antarctic, and El Niño, which brings tropical water from the Gulf of Panama. How close to the Galapagos they converge (which varies from year to year) is the key to the weather.

• Dry season (normally late May to early December): In this period, it is not necessarily dry, as there is a persistent light mist (garua) and often light drizzle, and the higher mountain slopes are covered in cloud and fog or rain. The winds are in the southeast and are higher than at other times, so seas can sometimes be choppy – anyone worried about seasickness might be better advised to avoid it. Daytime maximum temperatures lie between 27C and 31C (81F and 88F), the cooler months being July to November. In July and August, the fairly strong winds introduce a chill factor, and it can feel quite cold at nights, though throughout the year the official night temperatures vary between 19C and 24C (66F and 75F).
• Wet season: Depending on how close the convergence of the two currents comes to Galapagos, there may or may not be a wet season from January to April or May. Approximately every seven years, El Niño hits the islands and there are heavy rains in these months. In other years, rain usually falls sporadically from otherwise clear skies. The ocean temperatures are higher, with generally calm seas and strong sunshine: pleasant, but potentially very hot. Apart from an El Niño year, the weather is usually better from December/January to April/May than at other times even if there is some rain, and most people would regard these months as the best time to go.