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Through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu
In 1911 American explorer Hiram Bingham discovered the stone terraces of Machu Picchu on an expedition sponsored by Yale University and the National Geographic Society. Follow in his footsteps. Explore this archaeological wonder for yourself. See daybreak from the Sun Gate. Descend into the city to walk through the ruins. And discover so much more in the land of the Inca: Ollantaytambo, the vast Sacsayhuamán Fortress, and Cusco, the oldest inhabited city in the Americas, with a rich heritage of Pre-Inca, Inca, colonial, and Republican cultures.
Book by June 30, 2022, for FREE ROUND-TRIP economy group airfare from Miami to Galápagos/Lima to Cusco on select 2022-23 departures. Upgrade to Business Class to Guayaquil starting at $750, subject to availability. All offers are valid for new bookings only, must be ticketed by Lindblad Expeditions and are subject to availability at time of booking. In the case that offered Miami flights are no longer available, Lindblad reserves the right to issue a credit. Baggage fees may be additional.
Free round-trip air from Ecuador to Galápagos on select 2022 departures. Book by June 30, 2022. New bookings only and subject to availability. All air offers are based on economy group flights that must be ticketed by Lindblad Expeditions. Baggage fees may be additional.
Explore iconic Machu Picchu with a full day to explore the extensive archaeological site with hand-picked guides
Sail the headwaters of the mighty Amazon River aboard the splendid Delfin II, venturing out daily in narrow, nimble skiffs that are able to explore the tributaries rife with wildlife
Explore the Sacred Valley of the Inca, including the Temple of the Sun, as well as Cusco’s magnificently ornate 17th-century cathedral on the Plaza de Armas
For two nights, use the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo as your base camp. Its Andean-style casitas are set along a reserve with 300 species of orchid
Book by June 30, 2022, to save 10% when traveling as a group of 6 or more people on select departures. Take advantage of these great savings while enjoying traveling with your friends and family. Valid for new bookings only, subject to availability, not applicable on extensions, and may not be combined with other offers. Call for details.
Embark on a sweeping adventure that encapsulates all the wildness of Galápagos balanced with the cultural and historic experiences of Machu Picchu & Peru's Land of the Inca. Explore Galápagos in depth aboard the 96-guest National Geographic Endeavour II, then discover the culture and history of Peru and the iconic ruins of Machu Picchu.
Expedition Highlights
Venture to the Sun Gate, the final checkpoint on the way to the archeological wonder, and watch daybreak before descending into the mountaintop city—a peak travel experience. It is the culmination of a perfectly paced week. You’ll explore an extraordinary melting pot of Peruvian history and culture, firmly rooted in Amerindian and Spanish traditions, with influences from Africa, Asia, and Europe as well. See the architectural achievements of the Incan empire. And the decorative arts: pottery, textiles, jewelry, and sculpture that reveal the sophistication of their artisans. Discover firsthand how the past echoes through contemporary life. Expert guides are personable, engaging travel companions. They introduce you to the art, music, and cuisine of this remarkable country. And each night your active days end at a succession of gracious and elegant hotels.
See, do, and learn more by going with engaging experts who have been exploring this region for decades.
Expedition Leader
Your expedition leader is the orchestrator of your experience. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition possible for our guests.
Our local guides have deep knowledge of the places we explore. They’ll share the stories and theories and put the lives of the people and places we explore into context. Their colorful personalities and passion for history, from the minutiae to the big picture, make them engaging travel tour guides and companions.
When we woke up, already anchored in the bay of Genovesa Island, the sky looked overcast, a little dull to tell the truth. But as the minutes went by, it became clearer and clearer, sunnier and sunnier. The early birds went out on the last kayak and paddleboard outing, our fourth of the trip! In calm waters, at the inside base of a crater wall, great frigate birds and red-footed boobies perched on branches overhanging the sea. The courtship season of frigates has begun, and the warbling “woo-woo” sounds reverberate around the bay. A new-born – and I mean NEW-born sea lion pup fascinated everyone. How often does one ever get to witness, and at such close range, the birth of a wild animal? When the morning got too hot, it was time to get wet. Some folks chose to stay at the beach to swim and snorkel, while others chose to go deep-water snorkeling along the crater walls across the bay. Genovesa is located in the very northeast corner of the archipelago. As such, the warmer waters of the Panama current influence Genovesa more than the other islands we have visited so far; I measured the temperature at 81 degrees Fahrenheit! No wetsuit needed today, even if you do live in Florida! The afternoon was dedicated to exploring a landing site known as “Prince Philip’s Steps”. To get there, one has to ride in Zodiacs a mile across the bay. On arrival, the 80-foot bluff rises up vertically. But no! A crevice opens up; a fissure angles in. At the base of the cliff, a small colony of Galapagos fur seals reside. We were fortunate enough to find a young Galapagos sea lion – about 2 years old, on a rock right next to an adult Galapagos fur seal. Perfect conditions for a bit of comparison between two completely different genera of marine mammals. Prince Philip was a long-time honorary member of the Charles Darwin Foundation, and explored the islands when they were first recognized and protected by Ecuadorian law. With a bit of concrete and a few wooden handrails, you can reach the top to find an ethereal world of noisy Nazca boobies, calling frigates and honking red-footed boobies. Its level trail is placed over uneven slabs of old pa-hoe-hoe lava, tilted drunkenly and cracked, opening holes here and there. Nazca boobies dominate the scene, while red-foots play a supporting role in the trees. Galapagos storm petrels flit over the lava crust, hoping to avoid the attention of hiding short-eared owls. One owl caught a storm-petrel, other owls waited in the distance. The trail finally takes you to a view looking out at the East Pacific Ocean – looking south. If we could, the central islands of the Galapagos Archipelago might be seen from here – but no – as its 50 nautical miles away with hazy conditions most of the time…it seems there is nothing more out there. You are alone, on an island of birds.
Today we woke up at Chinese Hat in Santiago Island. Some guests went for a pre-breakfast stretch class in the nearby beautiful sandy beach. After a delicious breakfast, we disembarked for a Zodiac ride, followed by a snorkeling session along the shore of Santiago Island. The great visibility today allowed us to see plenty of wildlife, including Galapagos penguins, sea lions, whitetip reef sharks, and many other species of fish. In the afternoon while some guests went for a walk on Sullivan Bay’s lava flow, others took a second snorkeling opportunity in the hopes of seeing a group of penguins wandering along the coast. We ended the day on the sky deck of National Geographic Islander appreciating the sunset while wine tasting.
Our exploration of the Galapagos islands has led us to Plazas Islet today. We had the opportunity to see our first conolophis cristatus land Iguanasm, and they were all over the place eating opuntia cactus! Others were seen fighting for a bite. Later in the afternoon we visited Santa Fe Island for some kayaking in the beautiful bay surrounded by marine turtles and rays. We then hiked along a trail and spotted our second species of land iguana, the conolophus palidus . Back on board the activities continued with recaps, and naturalist shared new information about the Galapagos Islands. There is a lot to learn aboard National Geographic Islander !
Today we woke up in front of Sombrero Chino Islet. A pre-breakfast kayaking session was offered for our first activity of the day. For those choosing to sleep in a bit, a second round was provided after breakfast, as well as an optional Zodiac ride to discover the wonders of this protected channel. We saw Galapagos penguins and playful Galapagos sea lions in and out of the water. Snorkeling in Sombrero Chino was like swimming in an enormous aquarium with incredible clear water and abundance of colorful fish! Our afternoon was spent in Sullivan Bay where we hiked on young lava fields. With the amazing landscape, it’s easy to imagine how life started in our beautiful planet.
After
a filling breakfast we went in search of wildlife, and shortly after our dry
landing encountered playful sea lions and land iguanas. The latter were in
great numbers. Their rapid growth population is mainly due to the lack of any
major predation from animals such as hawks, and competition for food. A large
population of cactus trees keep the land iguanas healthy and shaded. One
of the most picturesque landscapes are found here; the ground is covered in
portulaca with striking color, and the low elevation allows us to see almost
every angle of it. Seagulls were plentiful, and many were seen nesting or
feeding and protecting their chicks. To make the morning even more interesting
some guests had a jump into the ocean from the ship. In
the afternoon, we navigated to neighboring Santa Fe for more exiting
activities. Kayaks and paddleboards were lowered into the beautiful bay, giving
guests an up-close view of the landscape and wildlife Santa Fe has to offer.
Later, we landed on a white sand beach and encountered many sea lions -
individuals or in groups, all doing something fascinating! We walked along a
trail and found more wildlife, like the endemic Santa Fe land iguana, lava
lizards, and many land birds. Even the bay’s shallow water harbored plenty of
life like eagle rays, turtles, white-tip reef sharks and more. Our day ended with a colored sky as
the sun settled into the horizon.
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