Peru and Galapagos itinerary: 17-day Amazon, Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

A proud Latino city, often cloaked in mist from the Pacific Ocean and with a famed food scene, Lima fizzes with energy and is more than just a handy starting point for your holiday. You’ll spend 2 nights in a cosy hotel in a pleasant part of town, and you’ll be shown around the lively Miraflores food market and the charming colonial centre by your local Limeño guide, before setting off to explore the city independently.

Spend a few nights sleeping in a comfortable lodge in the heart of the mighty Amazon rainforest, feeling a million miles away from civilisation. Travelling to your riverside base by boat, you’ll head out with expert local guides, on foot and by boat, to explore the jungle and the incredible Amazonian wildlife. Your lodge is owned by the Native Community of Infierno, so you’ll also meet the people who call this amazing place home. All meals and activities are included during your stay.

The wildlife is a major reason to visit the Amazon of course, and around Tambopata you’ll see monkeys, macaws, parrots, toucans, capybaras, caimans and various spiders and insects. There’s also a chance that you might spot a jaguar by the river, meet the group of giant otters who live nearby, or even fish for piranhas!

Explore Cusco, the Inca heartland and a city of colourful contrasts. During this trip, you’ll spend two nights in Cusco, the gateway to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Travellers from all over the world meet here before heading into the mountains, making it a lively hub of restaurants, bars and museums. Scattered with Inca ruins and colonial churches, it’s a brilliant place for an atmospheric wander.

Over the next few days, you’ll complete the iconic Inca Trail, twisting into the mountains for 44km along an ancient Inca trade route. After a first night in Cusco, you’ll set off early, joining a small group with your local guide and porters. You’ll cross mountain passes measuring a heady 4,200m, walk through cloud forests, and past ancient Inca checkpoints, before camping each night under the stars.

The trail isn’t easy, with some long uphill sections, but when you see Machu Picchu emerge between the clouds on your final morning, your efforts will be rewarded a thousand times over. After exploring the incredible ruins of the Lost City, you’ll take a scenic train ride back to Cusco where you can  rest and enjoy the perks of civilisation once more. We’ll book you into the same hotel as before, where your luggage and a comfortable bed will be waiting.

Want to see the full day-by-day? It’s all on our Inca Trail trip page!

After a night in Quito where you’ll meet the rest of your group, you’ll fly to the Galapagos Islands to join your small group sailing trip aboard Le Grande Daphne, operated by our partners at Intrepid. This mini-Galapagos adventure packs a lot into just a few days on the water. You’ll stay 3 nights aboard the Daphne and stop off at 5 unique southern islands, encountering incredible wildlife both above and below the water along the way. It’s an ideal way to see the Galapagos Islands if you’re in a little bit of a hurry.

Want to know more? You can find a detailed description on our Galapagos at a Glance page.