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 AVALON 2010: DISCOVER THE GALAPAGOS & PERU W/THE AMAZON EXTENSION (WGGE)
18 days from Lima to Quito Natural and historic treasures await on this cruise vacation of Peru and the Galapagos Islands. Enjoy a walking tour of Lima; a guided visit of Cuzco, former capital of the Inca Empire; an excursion to Otavalo and an Indian market; and a guided tour of Quito. Also, visit the ancient Puca Pucara, the Temple of Sacsayhuaman, the Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo, and a highlight of your adventure: mystical Machu Picchu. Finally, fly to Baltra Island for a 4-day Galapagos Islands cruise. During your Galapagos cruise, discover the incredible plants and vastly different animals unique to only the Galapagos Islands! Finish your Galapagos Islands cruise in the Amazon and take a suspended canopy walk to view the rainforest, where your naturalist points out many different species of vibrantly colored birds. In the Amazon jungle below, learn of the medicinal plants and immense biodiversity that have been used by the native cultures for hundreds of years.
HOTELS
Lima Casa Andina Private Collection Miraflores (SF), Sacred Valley Casa Andina Private Collection (SF), Machu Picchu Sumaq Hotel (F), Cuzco Casa Andina Private Collection Cuzco (SF), Quito Hilton Colon (SF), Galapagos Cruise Santa Cruz, Amazon Extension Sacha Lodge (BA)
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| Call 800-445-3995 for more information or to book today! Mention code 8095325 | | Globus | | | | Day | Destination | Description | | Day 1 | Lima | (Wed.) Fly to Lima, known as the 'City of Kings,' where you will be met by your Local Host. | | Day 2 | Lima | (Thu.) Your Local Guide focuses on the city's colonial heritage during today's walking tour. Start at the Plaza de Armas to see the Government Palace and the cathedral, where the remains of Francisco Pizarro, the founder of Lima, are housed. Stroll to the SAN FRANCISCO MONASTERY with its splendid 17th-century cloister murals. Also visit the LARCO HERRERA MUSEUM housing an impressive collection of Peruvian pre-Columbian artifacts. This evening, meet your Tour Director and enjoy a welcome dinner at Casa Moreyra. (B,D) | | Day 3 | Sacred Valley | (Fri.) Fly to Cuzco, the Andean city that was once the capital of the Inca Empire. Continue into the Sacred Valley and visit the semi-circular Kenko Amphitheater with its stone altars and labyrinth of passages. See Puca Pucara before reaching the TEMPLE OF SACSAYHUAMAN. It remains unfathomable how and when this fortress of gigantic stones-with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons-was built. In Pisac, an old mountain village, you have the chance to visit a local home and experience their way of life before time to browse colorful stalls where vendors sell their handicrafts, ranging from fine alpaca sweaters to hand-painted dishes and vases. (B,L,D) | | Day 4 | Machu Picchu | (Sat.) Begin the morning with a visit to the Inca fortress of OLLANTAYTAMBO. Next, board a TRAIN through the lush Urubamba Valley. Ascend to legendary MACHU PICCHU, 'The Lost City of the Incas,' high above the valley and overlaid with dense tropical jungle. Your Local Guide will bring you closer to the lives and mysteries still hidden in these amazing structures, built by the pre-Columbian masters of this sacred land. (B,L,D) | | Day 5 | Cuzco | (Sun.) With your second included entrance to Machu Picchu, enjoy the tranquility of the morning with time to wander the ruins and absorb the magic that is Machu Picchu. Return to Ollantaytambo by train and continue to Cuzco. (B,L) | | Day 6 | Cuzco | (Mon.) Learn more about the Incas and their struggle against the invading Spaniards, visiting the imposing CATHEDRAL and the SANTO DOMINGO MONASTERY on your guided tour. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant accompanied by ANDEAN FOLKLORIC MUSIC. (B,D) | | Day 7 | Quito | (Tue.) Fly to Quito, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant tonight. (B,D) | | Day 8 | Quito | (Wed.) A sightseeing tour showcases Quito's treasures: the historic stone murals of the LEGISLATIVE PALACE; Independence Plaza and the 16th-century SAN FRANCISCO MONASTERY; the Jesuit's LA COMPANIA CHURCH with its stunning golden altars; and the impressive paintings at the WORKSHOP & MUSEUM of Oswaldo Guayasamin. Be sure to have your photo taken in front of the EQUATORIAL MONUMENT, 'the center of the world.' (B) | | Day 9 | Quito | (Thu.) An in-depth experience into the traditional ways of the Otavalo people is in store for you today. First, visit OTAVALO'S famous Indian market full of textiles, clothes, vegetables, and much more. Next, in Peguche, famous for its exquisite weavings, you have the opportunity to visit homes and observe handicrafts being made. Finally, enjoy Andean delicacies prepared the traditional way at a home-hosted lunch before returning to Quito. (B,L) | | Day 10 | Galapagos Islands Cruising | (Fri.) A morning flight to San Cristobal, one of the remote Galapagos Islands. Board the sleek Santa Cruz and enjoy four days of CRUISING among various Galapagos Islands. Each day, travel ashore to the remote islands with your expert naturalist who introduces you to the unique fauna living free and fearless of man. Today, visit San Cristobal Island, where Charles Darwin first set foot in the Galapagos back in 1835. This island is home to seabirds like blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, herons, and frigate birds. Also look for the Chatham Mockingbird and Chatham Lava Lizard-seen nowhere else in the Galapagos. (B,L,D) | | Day 11 | Galapagos Islands Cruising | (Sat.) Your exploration continues on Espanola (Hood Island). Here, you will see unique sea bird colonies, including the waved albatrosses (April-December), Nazca and blue-footed boobies, Darwin's finches, and the famous blowhole. Also, look for red-green-black marine iguanas and a rookery of sea lions right at the landing site. This afternoon, visit a brackish-water lagoon on Floreana where Greater Flamingos, pintail ducks, common stilts, herons, and sandpipers may be observed. For marine enthusiasts this is a great place for snorkeling! (B,L,D) | | Day 12 | Galapagos Islands Cruising | (Sun.) This morning brings you to the youngest island, Fernandina. Having no introduced mammals, Fernandina has a very unique environment and the highest density of marine iguanas. Sharing their habitat are sea lions, Sally Lightfoot crabs, and hawks. In the afternoon, enjoy coastal exploration along the cliffs of sunken Ecuador Volcano, where naturalist guides explain the dramatic geology of the area with remains of lava flows and tuff stone layers. This is the nesting place for flightless cormorants, the only birds in the world that have changed from flying birds to diving birds. Wildlife here includes sea lions, Galapagos penguins, blue-footed and Nazca boobies, and noddy terns. (B,L,D) | | Day 13 | Quito | (Mon.) Visit the CHARLES DARWIN RESEARCH STATION, established to help conserve the Islands' natural habitat and protect the famous giant tortoises. Depart for Quito. This evening, your Tour Director hosts a special farewell dinner to celebrate an unforgettable experience. (B,D) | | Day 14 | Coca | (Tue.) Fly from Quito to Coca and travel by canoe to your Amazon lodge. In the Ecuadorian Amazon, one Amazonian tree can host more ant species than all of the British Isles, one hectare of forest boasts as many frog species as all of North America, and the great expanse of jungle contains more than 20 percent of the earth's vascular plant species. Here you can find a monkey small enough to sit on your fingertip, an 8-pound toad, a spider that eats birds, and the world's largest snake, the 30-foot anaconda. (B,L,D) | | Day 15 | Amazon | (Wed.) At the suspended CANOPY WALK, view the rainforest canopy, where your naturalist points out many different species of vibrantly colored birds. In the jungle below, learn of the medicinal plants and immense biodiversity that have been used by the native cultures for hundreds of years. After a picnic lunch in the primary forest, return to the lodge by canoe. Perhaps visit the lodge's BUTTERFLY HOUSE, one of Ecuador's largest. This evening, accompany your Local Guide on a night WALK or canoe RIDE to discover creatures that can rarely be seen during the day! (B,L,D) | | Day 16 | Amazon | (Thu.) This morning opt to visit a parrot clay lick, where parrots and parakeets by the thousands can usually be seen. Later, depart on a CRUISE through the flooded forest in search of the varied wildlife. You will have a good chance of seeing troops of squirrel, capuchin, and howler monkeys-and maybe even the incredibly well camouflaged 3-toed sloth. After fishing for piranhas, arrive at the KAPOK TREE TOWER, perched 135-feet high. Get close-up views of birds as the sun sets on volcano Mount Sumaco and the Andes. (B,L,D) | | Day 17 | Quito | (Fri.) Depart the lodge and fly to Quito this evening. (B) | | Day 18 | Your homebound flight arrives the same day | (Sat.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B) |
| | US$ Price Details
Intra-tour air value: $1050Single Room Supplement: $2455Triples are not available.Extra nights per person in Lima:in single room $144; in twin room $83.Extra nights per person in Quito:in single room $140; in twin room $81.Cruise pricing is based on main deck cabins. Upgrades are available. Please call for prices.
Our Volume Buying Power Saves You Money!
-We may be able to provide you with flight arrangements from your gateway city.
-Additional accommodations before or after your tour may be available at our low prices.
Additional Information:
-Departure/arrival taxes and fares from other cities will be advised at the time of booking.
-2008, 2009 & 2010 vacation itineraries and prices are subject to change.
Guaranteed Air-Inclusive Price:
Air-inclusive prices do not include a September 11th fee up to $10, passenger facility charges of up to $18, Federal domestic flight segment fees of up to $3.50 per segment and U.S. and International arrival and departure and other government imposed fees of up to $300 depending on your itinerary. Please see the Applicable Airfare Taxes and Fee link above for more information.
Air booked in conjunction with a land vacation is considered an air-inclusive vacation. Air can only be booked by Globus in conjunction with a land package and is only available for passengers traveling from the United States. For vacation departures in 2008, your final air-inclusive vacation price is guaranteed when your air schedule had been confirmed and your entire vacation package has been paid in full. For vacation departures in 2009, an additional $250 non-refundable deposit (total $500 non-refundable) is required for air booked in conjunction with any land vacation and your final air-inclusive vacation price is guaranteed when your flight information is confirmed and Globus has received your full land and air deposit.
Not Included in the Vacation Price:
Federal inspection fees for the Federal U.S. Customs and Immigrations; International Air Transportation tax; agricultural tax; other per person taxes imposed by government entities; airport taxes and fees including the September 11th Security fee up to $10 per person, Passenger facility charges up to $18 per person, Federal domestic flight segment fees up to $3.50 per segment and U.S. and International arrival and departure, and other government imposed fees up to $300 per person; port taxes; passports; visas and vaccinations; tips to your Tour or Cruise Director, Local Host, driver, Local Guides, and/or ships' crew; gratuities on ferries, trains, and cruise ships; laundry; telephone; minibar; alcohol, beverages, and food outside of the contracted Globus menu as presented at a hotel or restaurant (these extra items will be billed to you before leaving the hotel, ship, or restaurant); optional excursions; airport transfers on non-qualifying flights; porterage at airports and train stations; Travel Protection premiums; all airline imposed baggage fees (including internal flights); and all other items of a personal nature. |
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