Mysteries of the Inca Empire with Peru's Amazon & Galapagos Cruise
Tour Overview
Embark on an unforgettable journey through the heart of the Inca Empire, the lush Amazon, and the enchanting Galapagos Islands. This tour offers a rich tapestry of experiences, from exploring the vibrant wildlife of the Tambopata National Reserve to discovering the colonial heritage of Lima. Traverse the Sacred Valley, visit the iconic Machu Picchu, and cruise the serene waters of Lake Titicaca. In Ecuador, marvel at the unique ecosystems of the Galapagos Islands, where you'll encounter diverse wildlife and stunning landscapes. With guided tours, scenic train rides, and immersive cultural experiences, this adventure promises a deep dive into the history, nature, and culture of South America. Enjoy comfortable accommodations and delicious meals as you explore these breathtaking destinations. ...more ...less
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive In Lima,Peru
Location: Lima
Accommodation Name: Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport
Welcome to Lima, where you will be met by a Cosmos representative.Please note: You will meet your Tour Director on day 5 in Lima.
Day 2: Lima,Puerto Maldonado,Tambopata Eco Lodge
Location: Lima, Puerto Maldonado, Tambopata National Reserve
Accommodation Name: Tambopata Eco Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Fly to Puerto Maldonado, entry to Peru’s Amazon Jungle. Take a motorboat journey up the Tambopata River to view turtles, caimans, monkeys, and birdlife. Arrive at your Amazon Jungle lodge within Tambopata National Reserve. This afternoon, head out with your Naturalist in search of saddleback tamarins, brown capuchins, agoutis, blue-morpho butterflies, trogons, toucans, and many other species commonly spotted here. As night falls, head out on foot to search for nocturnal wildlife.
Day 3: Tambopata Eco Lodge
Location: Tambopata
Accommodation Name: Tambopata Eco Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Enjoy a Naturalist-guided canoe ride and walk to see the flora and fauna that thrive in the Amazon. After lunch, head back out with your Naturalist to learn about the endemic plants in this region and spot some more wildlife. This evening, venture back out by canoe with your Naturalist to appreciate the sounds of the jungle at night.
Day 4: Tambopata Eco Lodge
Location: Tambopata
Accommodation Name: Tambopata Eco Lodge
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
For more insight into the Amazon, let your Naturalist know what included adventure you would like to take advantage of today—it’s your choice!
Day 5: Tambopata Eco Lodge,Puerto Maldonado,Lima
Location: Puerto Maldonado, Lima
Accommodation Name: Jose Antonio Lima Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Return to Puerto Maldonado, fly to Lima. Heralded as the “City of Kings” by Spanish conquistadors, Lima retains vestiges of its opulent past with its colonial buildings and world-class museums.
Day 6: Lima
Location: Lima
Accommodation Name: Jose Antonio Lima Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Sightseeing today focuses on Lima’s colonial heritage. Founded in 1535, Lima was once capital of Spain’s South American Empire. Visit the baroque 11th-century San Francisco Monastery, with Spanish and Moorish architecture throughout. Continue to Plaza Mayor, where you will see the Government Palace that houses the presidential palace and was once the home of Francisco Pizarro, founder of Lima and conqueror of Peru. Nearby, see the cathedral where Pizarro’s remains are buried. The remainder of your day is free to explore. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant this evening.
Day 7: Lima,Cusco,Sacred Valley
Location: Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley
Accommodation Name: Sonesta Posadas del Inca - Sacred Valley - Yucay
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Fly to Cusco high in the Andes and upon arrival, descend into the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Learn about the importance of camelids (llama, vicuña, alpaca, and guanaco) for Inca cultures. See them up close and learn how their coats are transformed into precious fibers for ancient weaving techniques still in use today. Continue to Pisaq, a charming village with a famous market, where you have plenty of time to browse the many colorful stalls selling handicrafts ranging from alpaca sweaters and blankets to painted vases and sterling silver. Later, arrive at your hotel in the peaceful Sacred Valley.
Day 8: Sacred Valley
Location: Ollantaytambo
Accommodation Name: Sonesta Posadas del Inca - Sacred Valley - Yucay
Meals Included: Breakfast
Start the day with a visit to the village of Ollantaytambo and the Inca ruins of the same name. Explore the archaeological site that was the scene of the Inca resistance during the Spanish conquest—the only place ever to resist Spanish attacks. See how the temple area at the top of the terraces was the perfect defensive stronghold, then visit a local home in this Incan town to experience life in a traditional village, which has been remarkably well preserved. Next, visit the Seminario ceramics workshop to learn about Peruvian ancient and modern art. End your day at a local chicheria for a taste of a chicha, a typical Inca drink in Peru.
Day 9: Sacred Valley,Machu Picchu
Location: Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu
Accommodation Name: El Mapi by Inkaterra
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Board the Vistadome train that cuts a path through the picturesque Urubamba Valley bound for Aguas Calientes, the quaint town closest to the “Lost City of the Incas.” Ascend the mountainside through tropical forest to the sacred refuge of Machu Picchu. Listen as your guide recounts the many accomplishments of the Incas as you tour the terraced ruins dating back to the 15th century. Abandoned when the Inca Empire fell to the Spanish, these remarkable ruins remained undiscovered for nearly 400 years. Many mysteries surrounding Machu Picchu remain to this day.
Day 10: Machu Picchu,Cusco
Location: Machu Picchu, Cusco
Accommodation Name: Jose Antonio Cusco
Meals Included: Breakfast
Enjoy some free time this morning to explore the mountain town of Aguas Calientes; perhaps visit the local market, quaint boutiques, or take a walk along nearby trails. Later this afternoon, board the Vistadome train to Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire.
Day 11: Cusco
Location: Cusco
Accommodation Name: Jose Antonio Cusco
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Embark on a guided sightseeing tour of Cusco that focuses on the city that was once the political, military, and cultural epicenter of the Incas until the Spanish toppled it. In fact, Inca foundations can still be found in Cusco, with the Spanish baroque structures built on top. Visit the Santo Domingo Monastery, where these two forms of architecture are melded together with the temple of both cultures atop one another. Also, see the Cathedral in the Plaza de Armas, housing a magnificent collection of artwork, including a depiction of The Last Supper that portrays the apostles dining on cuy (guinea pig). Continue to the hillside overlooking Cusco for a visit to the Temple of Sacsayhuaman. Some of the best examples of Inca masonry can be found at this fortress, where stones weighing up to 350 tons are pieced together to form a complex that could house up to 10,000 men. Learn about the ceremonies and battles that took place here on your tour. Roll up your sleeves to participate in a tree-planting project supporting the local community. Return to Cusco for dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 12: Cusco,Puno
Location: Cusco, Puno
Accommodation Name: Jose Antonio Puno
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today, drive south to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Legend says the first Inca, Manco Capac, arose from the waters of the lake by the power of the sun god to create the Inca Empire.
Day 13: Puno. Excursion To Lake Titicaca
Location: Lake Titicaca
Accommodation Name: Jose Antonio Puno
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Experience fascinating Lake Titicaca today as you embark on a motorboat tour of the highest navigable lake in the world and its man-made islands. On Taquile Island, see how the local people integrate their Inca and Spanish past. This is evident by the Spanish peasant dresses made of Andean textiles—the islanders make some of the finest in all of Peru. Continue to the Uros floating islands, a group of approximately 40 artificially made islands. Learn how the Uros people construct their islands, homes, boats, and many other resources completely of tortora reed, a centuries-old practice. Enjoy dinner hosted by your Tour Director this evening.
Day 14: Puno,Juliaca,Lima
Location: Puno, Juliaca, Lima
Accommodation Name: Jose Antonio Lima Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Return to Juliaca, where you will be welcomed into a local home for an inside look at life here. Later, a short flight returns you to Lima, where you will transfer to your hotel.
Day 15: Lima,Quito,Ecuador
Location: Lima, Quito
Accommodation Name: Grand Mercure Alameda (SAT)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Board a flight for Quito where you will be met by a Cosmos representative. Please note: the Tour Director does not accompany guests on extensions. Guided service is as outlined in the day by day itinerary.
Day 16: Quito,Baltra (Embarkation),Galápagos Cruising
Location: Quito, Baltra, Galapagos Islands, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands
Accommodation Name: Galápagos Legend
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Fly to Baltra and visit the highlands of Santa Cruz, marked by extinct volcanoes, lava tubes, and astonishing plant life. Here, witness giant tortoises in a natural reserve and learn about efforts to conserve these ancient creatures. Continue to the port where you will board the Galápagos Legend.
Day 17: Galápagos Cruising: Genovesa Island
Location: Genovesa Island, Galapagos Islands
Accommodation Name: Galápagos Legend
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Wake up at Genovesa Island and encounter a small fur seal grotto before taking a walk up Prince Philip’s Steps to see large nesting colonies of Nazca and red-footed boobies. Wedge-rumped Storm Petrels can be observed flying in all directions and, if you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a short-eared Owl. After lunch on board, visit Darwin Bay to observe frigate birds, red-footed boobies, herons, lava gulls, and many other bird species.
Day 18: Galápagos Cruising: South Plaza & Santa Fé Islands
Location: South Plaza Island, Galápagos Islands, Santa Fe Island, Galápagos Islands
Accommodation Name: Galápagos Legend
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning, sail to South Plaza Island and take a walk through an impressive cactus forest populated with land and marine iguanas. Due to the proximity of land iguanas and marine iguanas here, this is the only place on Earth where you will find the Galápagos hybrid iguana. From the summit, watch for tropicbirds, Nazca and blue-footed boobies, and swallow-tailed gulls. On Santa Fé, a large sea lion colony greets you on its white-sand beach. Walk through a cactus forest in search of the endemic Santa Fe land iguana, the largest in the islands and distinctively paler than its counterparts. This island is home to a number of endemic species, including the Galápagos hawk, Galápagos snake, a variety of finches, and one of the four species of Galápagos mockingbirds.
Day 19: Galápagos Cruising: Bachas Beach,Baltra (Disembarkation),Quito
Location: Galapagos Islands, Quito
Accommodation Name: Grand Mercure Alameda (SAT)
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Your final visit takes you to Bachas Beach. This site offers great swimming, a lovely walk along the shore and a visit to a lagoon with wading birds, marine iguanas and sometimes even flamingos. The area is also a favorite nesting sites for green turtles. Later, disembark and fly to Quito.
Day 20: Quito
Location: Quito
Accommodation Name: Grand Mercure Alameda (SAT)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Included sightseeing with a Local Guide showcases Quito’s treasures: Independence Plaza, the 16th-century San Francisco Monastery, and the Jesuit’s La Compania Church with its stunning golden altars.
Day 21: Quito
Location: Quito
Accommodation Name: Grand Mercure Alameda (SAT)
Meals Included: Breakfast
Your vacation ends after breakfast this morning.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Stay at various hotels including Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport, Tambopata Eco Lodge, Jose Antonio Lima Hotel, Sonesta Posadas del Inca - Sacred Valley - Yucay, El Mapi by Inkaterra, Jose Antonio Cusco, Lake Titicaca Puno Hotel, and Grand Mercure Alameda.
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Guided Tours
Guided sightseeing tours in Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Puno, Lake Titicaca, Quito, and the Galapagos Islands.
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Transportation
Flights between various locations including Lima, Puerto Maldonado, Cusco, Juliaca, Quito, and the Galapagos Islands.
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Naturalist Guides
Naturalist-guided tours in the Amazon Jungle and the Galapagos Islands.
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UNESCO Sites
Visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the City of Cusco, City of Quito, Galapagos Islands, Historic Center of Lima, and Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu.
What's Not Included
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Personal Expenses
Personal expenses such as souvenirs, laundry, and additional activities not mentioned in the itinerary are not included.
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Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is not included and is recommended to be purchased separately.
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Optional Excursions
Optional excursions and activities not listed in the itinerary are not included.
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Gratuities
Gratuities for guides, drivers, and hotel staff are not included.
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Visas and Entry Fees
Visas and entry fees to certain sites or countries are not included.
Meals
20 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 11 dinners
UNESCO Sites
City of Cusco|City of Quito|Galapagos Islands|Historic Center of Lima|Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
Accommodation
Stay at a variety of accommodations including Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport, Tambopata Eco Lodge, Jose Antonio Lima Hotel, Sonesta Posadas del Inca - Sacred Valley - Yucay, El Mapi by Inkaterra, Jose Antonio Cusco, Jose Antonio Puno, and Grand Mercure Alameda in Quito.
Mode of Transport
Transportation includes flights between Lima, Puerto Maldonado, Cusco, Juliaca, Quito, and the Galapagos Islands, as well as scenic train rides and motorboat tours.
Notes
Maximum enjoyment of this vacation requires walking on cobblestone streets, uneven pathways, and climbing stairs. Elevations exceeding 10,000 feet can make even modest exertion a challenge. Maximum elevation on this tour is 12,200 ft.
For the Amazon adventure, guests should be prepared for eco-lodging due to their remote nature in the rainforest. Further, guests should be prepared for sustained walking, possibly muddy conditions, and have the ability to jump in/out of small watercrafts such as canoes and small fishing boats. Itinerary is subject to change in low or high-water situations.
In the Galápagos, there will be “wet landings” meaning guests will need to be able to jump in the water, out of the boats/zodiacs and walk a couple of meters to the beaches. Terrain is rocky and uneven. Itinerary in the Galápagos are subject to change.
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Check out our Q&As
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What kind of wildlife can I expect to see in the Amazon Jungle during the tour?
In the Amazon Jungle, you can expect to see a variety of wildlife including turtles, caimans, monkeys, saddleback tamarins, brown capuchins, agoutis, blue-morpho butterflies, trogons, toucans, and many bird species.
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What activities are included during the visit to Machu Picchu?
During the visit to Machu Picchu, you will take a scenic train ride to Aguas Calientes, ascend the mountainside through tropical forest, and explore the terraced ruins of the 'Lost City of the Incas' with a guide who will recount the many accomplishments of the Incas.
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What can I expect during the Galapagos cruise portion of the tour?
During the Galapagos cruise, you will visit Genovesa Island to see nesting colonies of Nazca and red-footed boobies, South Plaza Island to walk through a cactus forest with land and marine iguanas, and Santa Fé Island to see a large sea lion colony and endemic species like the Santa Fe land iguana. ...more ...less
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What is the significance of the Sacred Valley in the tour?
The Sacred Valley is significant for its historical and cultural importance to the Inca civilization. You will learn about camelids and their importance to Inca cultures, visit the famous Indian market in Pisac, and explore the Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo.
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What kind of accommodation is provided during the tour?
Accommodation is provided at various hotels including Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport, Tambopata Eco Lodge, Jose Antonio Lima Hotel, Sonesta Posadas del Inca - Sacred Valley - Yucay, El Mapi by Inkaterra, Jose Antonio Cusco, Lake Titicaca Puno Hotel, and Grand Mercure Alameda. ...more ...less
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Are there any physical requirements or challenges on this tour?
Yes, the tour involves walking on cobblestone streets, uneven pathways, and climbing stairs. There are also high elevations exceeding 10,000 feet, and in the Amazon and Galapagos, guests should be prepared for eco-lodging, sustained walking, possibly muddy conditions, and the ability to jump in/out of small watercrafts.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Since 1961
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Cosmos is committed to minimizing our impact on the environment and to reducing dependence on non-renewable resources. In this endeavor, we have implemented policies to support this mission and are working carefully to enhance our products with this mission and our values combined. We are committed to complying with all relevant legislation and/or regulations.
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Travel documents, including any air tickets, itineraries, and other information, are available approximately two to three weeks prior to departure provided full payment has been received.
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
All guests are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for travel through February, 2023. Beginning March 1, 2023, while we highly recommend vaccination, we will no longer require it. We ask all guests to comply with airline and destination requirements, which still may apply. To check your destination requirements for your travel dates, view the Latest Travel & Health Restrictions for Travel.
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Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
Cosmos requires a minimum deposit of 200 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of cosmos charges.
Up to 91 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 90 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 29 days before tour starts: Forfeit 80% of booking price.
At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
Mysteries of the Inca Empire with Peru's Amazon & Galapagos Cruise
21 Days Starting in Lima, Peru and ending in Quito, Ecuador
Visiting: Lima, Puerto Maldonado, Tambopata National Reserve, Tambopata, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, Puno, Lake Titicaca, Juliaca, Quito, Baltra, Galapagos Islands, Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands, Genovesa Island, Galapagos Islands, South Plaza Island, Galápagos Islands, Santa Fe Island, Galápagos Islands, Galapagos Islands ...more ...less
Tour operator:
Tour code:
1308-2025
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Age range:
5-99