Machu Picchu & Galapagos

Two wonders, one adventure: Discover the once-lost city of the Incas in Peru and the Enchanted Isles of Ecuador

Combine two of the great adventure destinations in one trip: Machu Picchu, one of the New Wonders of the World, and the wildlife-watching haven of the Galapagos Islands. Starting in Peru, we explore the Inca empire, first visiting Cuzco and the nearby ruins, before taking the train through mountains and cloud forest to the once-lost city of Machu Picchu – hiking a section of the Inca Trail if you wish. It’s then off to the Galapagos, exploring land and sea in search of sharks, giant tortoises, sea lions and more with an expert naturalist guide.

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Walks: This trip spends time at altitude. Though you do not need to be particularly fit, there is some walking on rough ground and sharp rocks due to the volcanic nature of the Galapagos. The ability to withstand high temperatures and swim will increase your enjoyment of the trip.

Altitude: This trip spends time above 9,842ft (3,000m); please refer to the Altitude Warning within the Trip Notes for more information and advice on how to limit the effects of altitude sickness.

• Maximum altitude: 11,155ft (3,400m)
• Maximum sleeping altitude: 11,155ft (3,400m)

Itinerary: It is not always possible to follow a strict schedule due to weather and sea conditions – sometimes it is better to do the planned activities in a different order (but almost always on the same day as the activity is planned).

Important information on Inca Trail Permit availability: Access to the Inca Trail is strictly limited to 500 people a day, including support staff, and we will purchase the requisite Inca Trail Permit on your behalf. Permits are issued from October each year on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis; to avoid ‘stockpiling’, individual traveller passport details are required at the time of application, so we can only apply for these once you book with us. For these reasons, we highly recommend you book your Inca Trail trip as far in advance as possible.

Therefore, while a specific departure date may show as ‘Guaranteed’ on our website, Inca Trail Permits remain subject to availability, and we cannot guarantee they will be available on any given date.

In the event permits are sold out for the departure you are looking at, we will discuss alternative options such as a different travel date, alternative trek or a refund of any monies paid. We highly recommend you do not book any non-refundable flights until your place and permit are secured. If you are in the UK, booking your flights through Exodus means we take care of all of this for you, giving you full peace of mind over your Inca Trail arrangements. For more details on booking flights with us, see our flights page.

Please note, it is essential you read the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu regulations in the Important Information section of the Trip Notes before you book this trip. 

Flights: Flights between Peru and Ecuador are included in your trip based on a set flight schedule and cost. Depending on flight availability at the time of booking, there may be a supplement to pay. If applicable, this will be communicated to you at the time of booking.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Peru

There are no required vaccinations. However, recommended vaccinations include tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, typhoid, tuberculosis and yellow fever. Additionally, Zika fever, a mosquito‐borne viral disease, is a known risk in Peru. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so you should take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Please check all vaccination recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.

Amazon: If you are travelling to the Tambopata reserve in the Amazon rainforest, the risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your doctor or travel clinic for further advice. We also strongly recommend that you obtain a yellow fever vaccination. Additionally, dengue fever and chikungunya are known risks in the Amazon region. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Methanol: The FCDO warns travellers to be cautious of methanol poisoning when travelling in destinations visited on the trip.

Ecuador

All visitors to Ecuador must show valid medical insurance on arrival and cannot enter the country without it.

You also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate (vaccinated at least 15 days before you travel) if you are arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda, including if you have transited for more than 12 hours through an airport of those countries.

As updates may happen at any time, please check the latest requirements with your doctor or travel clinic.

Malaria is also a risk in some areas of the country (including the Amazon Rainforest) so we suggest you consult a doctor for more advice. Additionally, dengue, chikungunya and zika, all viral diseases spread by mosquitoes, are known risks in places visited. There are currently no vaccines or prophylaxes available, so take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Recommended vaccinations include tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, tuberculosis, typhoid and yellow fever.

Please check all vaccination recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.

Methanol: The FCDO warns travellers to be cautious of methanol poisoning when travelling in destinations visited on the trip.

Visa

Peru

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Peru. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/peru
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/peru
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/peru/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Peru.html

Ecuador

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Ecuador. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/ecuador
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/ecuador
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ecuador/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Ecuador.html

Galapagos: You’ll also need an Ingala card (a Transit Control Card) to enter the Galapagos. Organised by our local team, this is included in the cost of the tour and will be handed to you at the start hotel.

Food & Drink

Hotel breakfasts are normally buffets with toast, cereal, eggs, fruits and tea/coffee. Please note, we cannot guarantee wheat-/gluten-free products are available for breakfasts in all locations in Peru – you may wish to bring your own breakfast food if you have an intolerance.

The included lunches are usually a set menu with two or three options. If you hike the Inca Trail, you also have a packed lunch that day.

Peru: Food and drink can vary in price enormously in Peru. As a guideline, allow about US$25-US$28 per meal to eat at good restaurants (excluding alcohol). Cheaper food is abundant at small cafes, although sanitary conditions cannot be guaranteed. Bottled water and soft drinks are available for around US$2-US$4.

Ecuador and Galapagos: Drinks and incidentals are quite expensive in the Galapagos, as everything is imported from the mainland. Please note, the choice of meals in some areas of the Galapagos can be limited but special dietary requirements can usually be catered for if we are advised at the time of booking. When flying to and from the Galapagos, snacks are usually included on the flights. Budget for around US$20-US$25 per meal.

Weather

Cuzco and the Andes: April to November is the dry season. Expect strong sunshine in the mornings, sometimes clouding over as the day progresses. However, as in all mountains, the weather is variable at all times of year in the Andes, which includes cloud rolling up from the Amazon basin, rain or even snow, and rapid and unexpected changes! During the dry season, temperatures can dip at night to around the freezing mark (and sometimes below).

Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu: Within the cloud forest, these experience experience large amounts of precipitation all year as clouds move up from the Amazon Basin. Rain can be heavy but is seldom prolonged.

Quito: Maximum daytime temperatures are almost constant throughout the year at 20C (68F), nights 8C (46F). Expect some rain in February to May and October to November; storms, though heavy, are generally short, and Quito is considered to have quite a pleasant climate.

Galapagos: You can visit at any time of year, though the weather patterns are complicated and cannot be reduced to easy formulas. The weather is controlled by the two main ocean currents of the region: the Humboldt, bringing cold water from the Antarctic, and El Niño, which brings tropical water from the Gulf of Panama. How close to the Galapagos they converge (which varies from year to year) is the key to the weather.

• Dry season (normally late May to early December): In this period, it is not necessarily dry, as there is a persistent light mist (garua) and often light drizzle, and the higher mountain slopes are covered in cloud and fog or rain. The winds are in the southeast and are higher than at other times, so seas can sometimes be choppy – anyone worried about seasickness might be better advised to avoid it. Daytime maximum temperatures lie between 27C and 31C (81F and 88F), the cooler months being July to November. In July and August, the fairly strong winds introduce a chill factor, and it can feel quite cold at nights, though throughout the year the official night temperatures vary between 19C and 24C (66F and 75F).
• Wet season: Depending on how close the convergence of the two currents comes to Galapagos, there may or may not be a wet season from January to April or May. Approximately every seven years, El Niño hits the islands and there are heavy rains in these months. In other years, rain usually falls sporadically from otherwise clear skies. The ocean temperatures are higher, with generally calm seas and strong sunshine: pleasant, but potentially very hot. Apart from an El Niño year, the weather is usually better from December/January to April/May than at other times even if there is some rain, and most people would regard these months as the best time to go.