Galapagos Inner Loop Cruise and Machu Picchu with Celebrity Cruises
Join Celebrity for a rare, life-changing experience.
Explore lofty Quito, capital of Ecuador; mystical Machu Picchu, high in the Andes Mountains; historic Lima, seaside capital of Peru; and charming Cuzco, ancient city of the Inca—complete with air transfers, five-star accommodations, and tours.
Enjoy a 16-night cruise and land tour in Peru
Before Your Cruise
• 2 Night pre-cruise luxury accommodations at JW Marriot Quito
• Full-day guided tour of historical Quito, including a visit to the Equator Line at the Intinan Solar Museum
• Round-trip flights between Quito, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
During Your Cruise
• 7 Night Galapagos cruise on the Celebrity Flora
• All services and amenities applicable to a 7 Night Galapagos Cruise
After Your Cruise
• 2 Nights at the Westin Lima upon arrival and 1 or 2 nights at Weston Lima for departure based on return flight schedule
• 2 Nights in The Sacred Valley at Tambo del Inca Hotel
• 2 Nights in Cuzco, the center of the former Inca Empire at either Hotel Belmond Monasterio or Hotel Belmond Palacio Nazarenas
CELEBRITY FLORA
The first ship of its kind to be designed and built specifically with this destination in mind. Every space, including the all-suites accommodations, features our innovative outward-facing concept, so the destination is the center of attention at every turn.
Celebrity Flora offers the largest and most luxurious accommodations in the Galapagos Islands. In fact, every stateroom on board is a suite that includes an unrivaled array of indulgent design features, services, and amenities.
DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
Ask about other Galapagos cruises that include Machu Picchu.
Day 1: Quito, Ecuador
ArrivalHotel: JW Marriott (or similar)
On the first day of your journey, you’ll be greeted at the airport by a Celebrity Cruises representative and transferred to the JW Marriott hotel, or similar. Enjoy free time to relax and settle in.
Day 2: Quito
Hotel: JW Marriott (or similar)Breakfast is served at the hotel. During your guided tour of the capital of Ecuador, situated at an altitude of 9,350 feet, you’ll stand on the equatorial line at the middle of the Itinan Solar Museum, and marvel at the monastery of San Francisco and la Compañia Church. Your Tour Director will escort you throughout your Quito stay, and serve as your personal concierge. Lunch with a spectacular view of the city, and enjoy a welcome dinner at a local gourmet restaurant.
Day 3: Quito to Baltra Island
Flight to Baltra IslandEmbark Ship: Celebrity Flora
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Quito airport for your flight to Baltra Galapagos. During World War II, Baltra served as a U.S. military base protecting the Panama Canal from enemy attack. Now the cactus-strewn landscapes of Baltra are home to the region’s main airport and where you will meet the ship. From the airport, it is just a short bus and Zodiac ride to the ship for embarkation.
Day 4: Egas Port, Santiago Island & Rabida Island
Ship: Celebrity FloraMORNING - EGAS PORT: With its sandy beach and black –rock, blue-water grottos, this stop offers a taste of the Galapagos geology, some great snorkeling, and an opportunity to see shore birds and Galapagos fur seals. Excursion options: a long walk along the shore to the grottos to see fur seals, followed by optional swimming and snorkeling or a shorter coastal walk.
AFTERNOON - RABIDA ISLAND: A small island south of Santiago, Rabida is best known for its red sand and eroded volcanic landscape. A nesting colony of pelicans makes its home here, along with sea lions and some sea birds. Excursion options: Zodiac ride, short walk, swimming, and snorkeling from the beach.
Day 5: Elizabeth Bay & Tagus Cove, Isabela Island
Ship: Celebrity FloraMORNING - ELIZABETH BAY: Elizabeth Bay is one of the western-most points in the Galapagos. A scenic Zodiac ride along this sheltered inlet offers viewing of a wide variety of wildlife and a wonderful mangrove ecosystem.
AFTERNOON - TAGUS COVE: Historically an anchorage for pirates and whalers, this site offers a breath-taking view of Isabela, its volcanoes, and a saltwater lagoon. Along the shore, seabirds, penguins, sea lions, sea turtles, and nesting flightless cormorants can often be found. Excursion options: a scenic Zodiac ride for wildlife viewing, a long, faster-paced walk, and optional snorkeling.
Day 6: Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island & Bartolomé Island
Ship: Celebrity FloraMORNING - SULLIVAN BAY: During a volcanic eruption in the early 1900’s, this area of Santiago was covered with flowing lava. Today, the hardened fields of black rock create a geologic wonderland. We will take advantage of the cool of the early morning for a walk at this amazing site.
AFTERNOON - BARTOLOMÉ ISLAND: Bartolomé Island offers one of the region’s most photographed views, and is a spectacular geological setting. Its barren moon-like volcanic landscapes, spatter cones, and pinnacle rock make for a unique stop. It is also home to the endemic Galapagos penguin and provides an excellent opportunity for snorkeling. Excursion options: hike up some 368 stairs “To the Top” of the volcano, a coastal exploration, and an optional beach swim or snorkel.
Day 7: Las Bachas, Santa Cruz Island, Daphne Island & North Seymour Island
Ship: Celebrity FloraMORNING - LAS BACHAS: This is one of the most beautiful white sand beaches in all of the Galapagos, and behind it are two small ponds that often have flamingos feeding in the shallows. It is also one of the largest nesting areas for the Pacific green sea turtle. Excursion options: short beach walk to look for flamingos, followed by an optional opportunity to swim, snorkel, or just relax on the shore. It is also possible to simply go to the beach to swim, snorkel, and relax. Deep water snorkel for experienced snorkelers.
AFTERNOON - DAPHNE ISLAND: Daphne is a satellite volcanic cone located north of Santa Cruz Island. The crater floor is an important breeding site for blue-footed boobies. This Island is famous for the scientific investigation led by Peter and Rosemary Grant on the finches’ population, one of the most important studies on the field that supports Charles Darwin’s Theory. The cliff shore of the island is home for sea lions, pelicans, blue-footed boobies, and tropical birds which can be observed during the circumnavigation of the island.
AFTERNOON - NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND: North Seymour is a small island just north of Baltra. It is home to the largest colony of frigate birds in the Galapagos. While keeping an eye out for male frigates trying to impress potential mates with an inflated red neck pouch, you may also see blue-footed boobies dancing in a timeless courtship ritual. Sea lions and large land iguanas also roam about this rocky terrain. Excursion options: a guided, long rocky walk, Zodiac ride and short easy walk, or simply a scenic Zodiac tour along the coast to view wildlife and the geology of the area. Experienced snorkelers will also have an option to do a deep water snorkel at this site.
Day 8: Puerto Baquerizo Moreno & Punta Pitt, San Cristobal Island
Ship: Celebrity FloraMORNING - PUERTO BAQUERIZO: Here we have the opportunity to visit the small waterfront town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the administrative capital of the islands. Excursion options: a tour of a local interpretation center and time for shopping or a fast-paced long walk to view scenic vistas, followed by a visit to the interpretation center.
AFTERNOON - PUNTA PITT: Our visit to this location, thought by many to be the most spectacular site in San Cristobal, allows us the rare opportunity to visit the only location in Galapagos where you can observe all three species of boobies, Blue, Red and Masked, and two species of frigates birds nesting in the same area. In addition, there is an opportunity to explore its volcanic terrain as well as beach swimming.
Day 9: Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island
Ship: Celebrity FloraThis is the main population center of the islands, and home to the National Park Service tortoise-breeding center and the Charles Darwin Research Station. You will be able to visit the tortoise-breeding center and walk through the Charles Darwin Research Station. You will also have the opportunity to take a bus ride to the highlands to observe giant tortoises in the wild and walk through a lava tunnel. In addition, you will have an exclusive opportunity to participate in the Scalesia reforestation project in the highlands of Santa Cruz Island.
Day 10: Baltra - Quito - Lima
Disembarkation & flight to Lima (via Quito)Hotel: Westin Lima (or similar)
Enjoy breakfast onboard before disembarking and heading to the Baltra airport for your flight to Quito and on to Lima. Upon arrival at the Quito airport a Celebrity representative will be on hand to assist you with your Lima flight check in. For your convenience, they will provide an entry voucher to the airport VIP lounge in Quito. Upon your arrival in Lima, and clearing customs and immigration formalities, you will be greeted by a Celebrity Cruises representative at the airport. A detailed schedule of events will be provided. Dinner and overnight your hotel.
Day 11: Lima, Peru
Day 11: Lima, PeruThis morning you will have the opportunity to sleep in, perhaps enjoy a massage* in the hotel’s renowned spa or go for a swim in the indoor pool, the choice is yours. Around noon 11am, your guide will pick you up to start the afternoon tour. You’ll visit Surquillo, the local food market, and enjoy lunch at one of Lima’s gourmet restaurants. Afterwards, you’ll continue to the historical downtown and enjoy Peru’s Capital and its 2000 years of history and colonial wealth. Experience the artistic and contemporary traditions of its residents, making a stop at Saint Francis’ Convent, a masterpiece of colonial architecture to visit its beautiful courtyards and catacombs. You will be back at the hotel in the late afternoon with ample time to get ready for the next day’s early departure to Cuzco. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.
Day 12: Lima - Cuzco - Sacred Valley, Peru
Flight to Cuzco and transfer to the Sacred ValleyHotel: Tambo del Inca Luxury Collection (or similar)
After breakfast at the hotel, your guide will transfer you to the airport for your Lima/Cuzco flight. Lunch is served at Casa Hacienda Orihuela in The Sacred Valley, where the Orihuelas, a family of great art collectors, will be your hosts. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.
Day 13: The Sacred Valley
Hotel: Tambo del Inca Luxury Collection (or similar)After breakfast at the hotel, head to the Urubamba Valley, The Sacred Valley of the Incas. Tour the impressive ruins, featuring terraces carved into the hillside and a temple designed for worship and astronomical observation. Tour the fortress of Ollantaytambo. Followed by lunch at Wayra Ranch, as you delight in stunning equestrian Peruvian Paso horse entertainment. After lunch, visit the Pablo Seminario workshop, showcasing utilitarian and artistic objects. Dinner and overnight at your hotel
Day 14: Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu
Transfer via train to Machu PicchuHotel: Belmond Monasterio in Cuzco (or similar)
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the Ollantaytambo rail station for your departure on the Vistadome train. Tour the almost perfectly preserved buildings and the mysterious passageways underlying the city. Lunch will be served at the Sanctuary Lodge in Machu Picchu. Prior to departure, Cocktails in the Mountains is offered at the Sanctuary Lodge. You will board the world famous Belmond Hiram Bingham train in the late afternoon for your journey back to Cuzco. Onboard enjoy welcoming aperitifs, dinner, and a selection of wines as well as live local music, dancing, and Pisco sours. Overnight at your hotel.
Day 15: Cuzco, Peru
Hotel: Belmond Monasterio in Cuzco (or similar)After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a scenic tour of the Coricancha, also known as the “Temple of the Sun,” before touring the Sacsayhuamán fortress and the Cathedral, one of the most splendid Spanish colonial churches in America, housing about 400 colonial paintings from the Cuzco art school, impressive goldsmith, silversmith, and precious stone works. Lunch is served at a local gourmet restaurant. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.
Day 16: Cuzco - Lima, Peru
Flight to LimaAfter breakfast at your hotel, you will head to the airport for your morning flight back to Lima. Once in Lima, you’ll enjoy lunch at one of Lima’s gourmet restaurants. After lunch, you’ll continue to the Bohemian district of El Barranco, where you will learn how to make traditional cocktails at a mixology class in a trendy Lima spot. Dinner and overnight or day room at Westin Lima Hotel or similar.
Your departure and accommodations (day room or hotel night) will be scheduled based on your return flight schedule.
With their innovative ships, luxurious accommodations, outstanding service, and culinary excellence, Celebrity Cruises enhances your journey to some of the world's most unforgettable destinations. Celebrity has brought together teams of world-class architects, interior designers, stylists, and landscape artists to create a showcase of the most inspiring spaces at sea, custom designed just for you.
Extraordinary Place. Extraordinary Ship. All Suites. All Inclusive.
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Not sure when to visits the Galapagos Islands? Thankfully Celebrity Cruises has this handy dandy Galapagos Wildlife Calendar
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Come eye to eye with ancient tortoises, comical birds, and other amazing beasts—plus landscapes as fantastical as the animals—for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
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Terms & Conditions
Note: *Massage services available at an additional cost. Site visits and order of events are subject to change. **During the rainy season (January 1st – April 30th) the train service between Machu Picchu and Cuzco adopt a bimodal route due to weather. During this time all trains conclude their journey in the Ollantaytambo station upon return from Machu Picchu. Guests traveling during this period will disembark in the Ollantaytambo station, and will spend an additional night at El Tambo del Inca hotel in the Sacred Valley. After breakfast, guests will continue their journey to Cuzco as scheduled. All site visits and services remain the same. Please note this change does not add additional nights to the program and is offered for the safety and comfort of the guests.