Set in high Andean mountains at 3320m, Cusco is an attractive town which draws people from all over the world. Built on the foundations of an Inca city, you can still see intricate Inca masonry and buildings as you walk through the town. The huge cathedral dominates the main square which is also flanked by many shops selling alpaca jumpers, jewellery and many other crafts, textiles and artworks It is the favourite city of most visitors to Peru, as the mixture of ancient history, traditional Andean culture and a relaxed atmosphere makes it a charming place to stay for a few days. A short distance from the main square, Koricancha, the Temple of the Sun, was once one of the most important buildings in the whole region, and its inner walls would have been covered with beaten gold. Today the Inca masonry can still be seen, though the church of Santa Domingo was built on top of the ruined temple.
Sacsayhuaman is a megalithic fortress just outside of the town which was begun by Pachacuti in the 15th century. It is an impressive structure even today, and is the site of the annual Inti Raymi festival which re-enacts the Inca Sun God celebrations each 24th June. Puca Pucara (meaning Red Fort) is a small fort worth a look, and it is close to the impressive Inca water fountains or baths of Tambomachay. Qenko was another a sacred site for the Incas, and includes various designs and geometric patterns carved into the rock. It may have had importance in a fertility rites. The Urubamba Valley, close to Cusco, was known as the Sacred Valley to the Incas due to its beauty and great fertility. Ollantaytambo was a fortress probably built in the 1460s by a great Inca ruler called Pachacuti. Nearby Pisac is a little-understood temple site with megalithic Inca terraces still used by local peasant farmers. Pisac is also known for its weekly markets with local produce such as fruit and vegetables as well as crafts.
Having explored Cusco and Sacred Valley, it is time to visit Machu Picchu, the famous lost city of the Incas, and one of the most magical and mysterious places on earth. Situated on the spine of a jungle-cloaked granite peak towering some 600m above an entrenched meander of the roaring river below, the site is frequently shrouded in misty clouds pierced through by the powerful equatorial sun. Constructed from precisely sculptured granite blocks carefully joined with the projecting exposed stone of the surrounding mountain, the site may be the finest architectural achievement of the new world. Our guide will reveal the story of the rise and fall of the ancient civilizations of the Andes with the tragic end of the Incas and the unresolved mystery that this "lost city" remains.
After flying to Lima you continue on to Quito in Ecuador, to meet your connecting flight to the Galapagos.
A visit to the Galapagos is one of the world's greatest wildlife experiences. It is a unique environment, an archipelago right on the equator, 600 miles west of the Ecuadorian coast, where a remarkable range of life exists with absolutely no fear of man. Some of the famed inhabitants of the islands include the blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, flightless cormorants, the Galapagos waved albatross, sea lions and fur seals, land iguanas and marine iguanas (the only sea-going lizard in the world), and of course the giant Galapagos tortoise.
Your home is a comfortable yacht. In this itinerary it will be the Samba, but you can choose which yacht you might prefer (subject to availability and itinerary changes). The crew includes a first class naturalist guide who will accompany you each day on the various islands and explain all about the flora and fauna you will come across. As well as the land trails, you will also have an opportunity to go swimming and snorkelling, perhaps even being joined by sea lions. Many of the longer distances are covered at night, ensuring that your time on the islands is put to the best use