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Why Visit Galapagos & Machu Picchu
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The Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu are two of the most visited tourist destinations in South America, but have you ever wondered should I visit them in a single trip? Here are some reasons why you should consider it.
The Galapagos Islands are an incredible wildlife viewing destination, with endemic wildlife species that aren’t afraid of humans, in the other hand Machu Picchu is one of the most fascinating historical sites in the world. Both destinations definitely should be, on your bucket list.
The Galapagos Islands are a chain of volcanic islands, 600 miles west of the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. Due to their location and volcanic origin, life in this archipelago has traveled from the mainland in some cases, in order to evolve into unique endemic species. The Galapagos had a deep impact on the investigation made by Charles Darwin when he visited the islands in 1835, as he observed that the animals on one island were different from those of the same species on another.
These unique wildlife species are still on the Galapagos Islands, and because they have never learned to fear humans, they are very easy to be observed.
These unique wildlife species are still on the Galapagos Islands, and because they have never learned to fear humans, they are very easy to be observed.
Machu Picchu sits on a remote mountain ridge above the Sacred Valley, about 50 miles northwest of Cusco, Peru. It was built by the Incas around 1450 ago, as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti, back then the Incas had expanded their territory to cover most of the Western South America region. They governed this region in the 15th and 16th Centuries before their defeat of the Spanish conquers.
Machu Picchu had long been forgotten when it was «discovered» by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911. This is without a doubt a magical place to visit when you travel to South America, this site is replete with great views and ancient mysticism, as is the best known and most recognized symbol of the Inca Empire.
Machu Picchu can be experienced in half a day, as getting there it can take you a few days. Additionally, Cusco, the closes city for trips to Machu Picchu, and the nearby Sacred Valley of the Incas are both incredibly interesting and worth it to visit too.
You can get to Machu Picchu from Cusco either by taking the train to the valley, then taking a bus to the site itself, or on foot by hiking the very famous Inca Trail.
Why Visit Both in One Trip?
If you are interested in seeing and experiencing both the culture and history of Machu Picchu and the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands, combining the two destinations into one trip makes a lot of sense as they are relatively close to one another, in a one hour 30 minutes flight from Quito to Lima. Something to have in mind, you need a minimum of 10 days to experience both destinations adequately, and to give yourself time to really enjoy your trip in a complete adventure.
How Much Time Do I Need to Visit Both Destinations?
You can combine the two destinations in as little as 8 days, but frankly, that would be a short trip because is going to be a very fast trip other than being able to experiment with these amazing places. (although you won’t have really seen or experienced either one). As we mentioned before we recommend a minimum of 10 days to even start to experience the two destinations. If you have more time, trips of 12 to 14 days are generally long enough to have a great experience in each destination.
In order to have a good trip, we suggest you need a day to travel to either Peru or Ecuador, at least five days on board any of the Galapagos Cruise, at least four days in Peru, and another day to arrive home, for a total of 11 days.
As you can see you visit 2 of the most important destinations in South America on a single trip, and get to know two amazing worlds as you discover different cultures and traditions.
THE BEST OF TWO WORLDS!
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