Claire Dean
Claire Dean

Claire Dean

Travel in South America is a joy to behold. The rich variety of destinations, experiences, landscapes and geography fascinated me so much, that I chose to relocate here, over 20 years ago! The best thing I ever did! Allow me to share my knowledge and passion for Central and South America with you and help you plan your holiday of a lifetime!

The Best Peru and Ecuador Tour

The Best Peru and Ecuador Tour

3MINREAD

Written by:Claire Dean

Published: 2022-09-29

Combine the best of Peru and Ecuador, visiting Machu Picchu in Peru and the Galapagos in Ecuador! If you want to combine both of these South American countries, there are excellent options from 14 days to 21 days, depending on your time. Of course, the longer you have, the more you can experience each destination, with a 2-week tour somewhat of a whistlestop tour and the 3-week option being a little more immersive and visiting more essential sights in each country. Here are 2 sample itineraries for a 2-week and 3-week option for the best Peru and Ecuador tour.

 

The Galapagos Islands are a remote and pristine archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean. They have an incredible reputation worldwide travelers for luxury travel and unparalleled nature opportunities. These remarkable islands are more than just an attraction, they are a lesson to us all about to the wonders of nature and the importance of conservation. Visit The Galapagos on your South American tour packages.

Blue-Footed Boobie

2-week tour of Ecuador and Peru

In Peru, travel to Cusco, the heartland of ancient Inca culture. You'll discover the city of Cusco, the Sacred Valley's highlights, Machu Picchu's amazing citadelSacred Valley, and the impressive citadel of Machu Picchu. In Ecuador, fly into Quito in the high Andes, with a connection to the city of Guayaquil. After flying to the Galapagos, explore the islands, led by expert naturalist guides, to view seabirds, iguanas, sea lions, giant tortoises, and marine life. This itinerary combines our Machu Picchu express tour, which visits the capital Lima, with exquisite colonial architecture and world-class cuisine, and the imperial city of Cusco, the Inca capital, with Inca constructions and colonial architecture. Some impressive archaeological sites, the magnificent Sacred Valley, home of Pisaq, Ollantaytambo, and Chinchero, as well as spectacular landscapes and, of course, the majestic Machu Picchu, shrouded in mystery and surrounding countryside that will leave you in awe.

 

 

Machu Picchu means "ancient mountain" in Quechua, Peru’s indigenous language in The Andes. Machu Picchu transformed from a simple summit to a sacred site during the rule of the Incas during the mid 15th century. Visit on Machu Picchu vacation packages.

Machu Picchu

We will then fly via Lima to Guayaquil in Ecuador to begin our tour of the uniquely mind-blowing Galapagos Islands, to visit Isabela Island and the dolphins and whales that inhabit its waters, the San Cristobal and Tintorias to see volcanos, white-tipped sharks, sea lion colonies, sea iguanas and Galapagos penguins amongst other wildlife that can only be witnessed on these impressive islands. The next is the Charles Darwin Research Center, with its excellent conservation project for breeding tortoises and lava tunnels and volcanos. This 2-week tour manages to fit in all the highlights of both countries. See more detail here for the Peru section and the Ecuador section.

 

There are 13 species of Galapagos tortoises. These reptiles are among the longest-living of all land vertebrates, averaging more than a hundred years. The oldest on record lived to be 175! See these amazing creatures and so many others on your Galápagos tour packages.

Giant Tortoise, The Galapagos

3-week Tour

Visiting the same as the 2-week tour with the inclusion of a trip into The Amazon Rainforest and the Tambopata Reserve, to witness sloths, capybaras, reptiles, and impressive birds, the Lake Titicaca visit, to see how the Uros people live and the ancestral customs and traditional of Taquile Island, then visit one of the deepest canyons in the world and witness the Andean condor soaring in the heavens above in Colca Canyon, as well as the White City of Arequipa with its magnificent Santa Catalina Monastery.

 

The Santa Catalina Monastery in Arequipa is one of the most important buildings to see on your Arequipa Tours. This impressive city within a city is still inhabited by nuns who continue their daily activities amid the tourists!

Santa Catalina Monastery

 

Then the Galapagos section includes the same as the 2-week tour but has some beautiful and welcome downtime on Isla Lobos, where we can also witness the stunning blue-footed boobies, native to the Galapagos and frigate birds as well as the resident sea lion colony. The 3-week option allows deeper immersion into each country, its people, flora and fauna, and spectacular geography. For more information, see the Peru tour here and the Galapagos tour here.

 

The Galapagos hammerhead shark is instantly recognizable as its body is shaped like a hammer, and the eyes can be seen on either side of the head. The is obviously where their name comes from! While baby sharks are around 50 centimeters long, adults typically grow to four meters in length. See this and other species on your Galapagos Tours.

Hammerhead Sharks, Galapagos

Tailor-Made

Don’t forget these itineraries can be adjusted to your needs, or we can even help you come up with your perfect itinerary with the help of our expert Travel Designers to make sure you have the best possible vacation to Ecuador and Peru contact us here for more information and start planning your ideal trip to Peru and Ecuador today!

 

The Galapagos sea lion is a species that primarily breeds on the Galapagos Islands. These sea lions have a streamlined body shape which makes them efficient hunters, especially of sardines. They can dive to depths of up to almost 600 meters and can stay underwater for over ten minutes! See these and other amazing species on your Galapagos Expeditions!

Sea Lion Colony, Galapagos


 

 

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