Day 1 & 2 - Quito, Ecuador

The JW Marriott is located in the heart of the capital city and about 25 miles from Quito International Airport. From the comfortable and safe La Mariscal District, the hotel is a quick cab ride or about a 20 minute walk to the central area. Here you'll find plenty of dining options offering delicious Ecuadorian food.

Day 2 - 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 World Park and Museum, and marvel at the monastery of San Francisco and la Compaia 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 - Baltra, North Seymour

Cruise Embarkation, Baltra Island - 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 be greeted by Celebrity staff. After just a short bus and zodiac ride you will be aboard the ship. Your luggage will be delivered straight to your stateroom, giving you the opportunity to explore the ship and your home for the week.

North Seymour Island - is a small island just north of Baltra. 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 frigate birds trying to impress potential mates with an inflated red neck pouch, you may see blue-footed boobies dancing in a timeless courtship ritual. Sea lions and large land iguanas also roam about this rocky terrain. Excursion options: Walk, deep-water snorkel.

Excursion options include a guided long, rocky walk, zodiac ride and short easy walk, or simply just 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. This is a dry landing.

Day 4 - South Plaza, Santa Fe

South Plaza Island - One of two islands off Santa Cruz, South Plaza was born of upheaval, uplifted during a geologic event. The rocky island is strewn with prickly pear cactus and home to land iguanas, marine iguanas, and a colony of sea lions. Our excursion here is a short walk to view wildlife, flora, and geology.

Santa Fe Island - Begin with a wet landing on the small beach in Barrington Bay. Large numbers of sea lions are found on the beaches and can often be seen surfing in the waves. Some of the island's endemic species include massive Santa Fe Opuntia cactus, the Galapagos Hawk, Galapagos Snake, rice rats, finches, and the Galapagos Mockingbird. Hike past saltbush where Galapagos hawks and Santa Fe land iguanas tend to roam. Keep an eye out for sea lions and the occasional sea turtles or ray. Excursion options: Walk, swim, kayak, Zodiac.

Day 5 - San Cristobal

Punta Pitt, San Cristobal Island - After disembarking onto the small green sand beach, hike up to a plateau, where the view and landscape are so spectacular it is well worth the effort. A steep gully leads up the cliff to a breeding ground for all three varieties of boobies: Red-footed, Blue-footed and Nazca. It's the only place in the Galapagos where you can see all three species nesting together. Excursions options: Hike, kayak, snorkel, Zodiac.

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal Island - 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.

Day 6 - Floreana

Post Office Bay, Floreana Island - Rich in history, this site is home to the post office barrel established in about 1793, where pirates, buccaneers, whalers and others could leave their mail to be picked up by outbound ships. The tradition continues today, as visitors leave addressed postcards in the barrel and sort through left mail to deliver at home.

Cormorant Point, Floreana Island - Floreana was the first capital of the Galapagos, and where Charles Darwin met the islands' Governor. Its small brackish lagoon is often home to flamingos, stilts, and white-cheeked pintail ducks, and one of its beaches is a highly used nesting site for sea turtles. Check out the green-hued sand where you land! Excursion options include a relatively short walk to the lagoon and sea turtle nesting beach, and optional snorkeling and swimming at the landing beach.

Day 7 - Isabela

Elizabeth Bay, Isabela Island - Elizabeth Bay is one of the furthest points in the Galapagos visited on our cruise. Enter a sheltered cove accessible only by Zodiac. It is a wonderful and secluded mangrove ecosystem that is a refuge, resting, and feeding site for sea turtles, rays, blue-footed boobies, flightless cormorants, penguins, pelicans, lava herons, and more. Excursion options: Zodiac.

Moreno Point, Isabela Island Along this beautiful rocky shore, a field of hardened black lava flows is pockmarked by shallow pools, which are home to shorebirds and flamingos. The mangrove-lined shore also provides a chance to see marine iguanas, sea turtles, stingrays, sharks, penguins, and the flightless cormorant. Excursion options include a long walk and zodiac ride, or an extended zodiac ride. This is a dry landing.

Day 8 - Santa Cruz

Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island - This is the main population center of the islands, home to the National Park Tortoise Breeding Center and the Charles Darwin Research Station. After Darwin's studies and surveys, the Galapagos Archipelago remained untouched except for occasional landings for water and meager supplies mustered from the uninhabited islands. Many tortoises were taken for food and oil.

In 1930, an expedition from the US arrived to create a wildlife sanctuary for the entire archipelago, and finally, in 1935, the first laws were passed to protect these islands. In 1959, the Ecuadorian government declared the Galapagos a national park, the catalyst needed to promote scientific research, restoration, and preservation of the ecosystem.

You will have the opportunity to take a bus ride to the highlands to observe giant tortoises in the wild and walk through a lava tunnel. Optional time for shopping will be available. Excursion options: Tortoise-breeding Center/Charles Darwin Center, Highlands.

Day 9 - Espanola

Gardner Bay, Espanola Island - Located on the northeastern side of the island, Gardner Bay has a beautiful long white sandy beach perfect for relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the area. In the water, sea turtles, rays, colorful tropical fish, sea lions and maybe even a white-tip reef shark may be seen. If you happen to visit here between October and December, you will find Green Sea Turtles mating just off shore. Gardner Bay is home to some of the most inquisitive mockingbirds in the Galapagos. Excursion options: beach walking, swimming, or a deep-water snorkel for experienced snorkelers.

Suarez Point, Espanola Island - Espanola is the oldest island in the Galapagos and home to an abundance of wildlife. At this site, visitors can expect to see sea lions, Galapagos Hawks, marine iguanas, and both blue-footed and Nazca boobies. Excursion options: long, rocky walk to look for Waved Albatrosses (March to January). They perform one of the most spectacular courtship rituals in the animal world. The second part of the walk is to observe an impressive blowhole that spews water like a towering geyser, which can reach 70 feet in the air. Optional shorter walk is also available.

Day 10 - Baltra, Quito, Lima

From Baltra, you'll fly to Quito, and then on to Lima, Peru. A Celebrity representative will be on hand to assist with all your transfers. You'll overnight stay at the Westin Lima Hotel (or similar). A detail schedule of events, and departure times will be provided upon arrival in Lima.

Day 11 - Lima

Enjoy the morning on your own. Around noon, your guide will pick you up to start the afternoon tour with a culinary twist. You will visit Surquillo, the local food market, enjoy lunch at one of Lima's gourmet restaurants, and visit the Bohemian district of Barranco. After lunch, learn how to make traditional cocktails at a mixology class in a trendy Lima spot. Arrive back at the hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the Westin Lima.

Day 12 - Lima, Cusco, The Sacred Valley

After breakfast at the hotel, your guide will pick you up and transfer you to the airport for your flight to Cusco. 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 the Tambo del Inca Luxury Collection hotel in The Sacred Valley.

Day 13 - The Sacred Valley

Experience the Urubamba Valley, The Sacred Valley of the Incas. Explore the impressive ruins, featuring hillside terraces and a crowning temple designed for worship and astronomical observation. You'll tour Ollantaytambo and the Pablo Seminario workshop, then lunch at Wayra Ranch - a feast led by the prominent Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino and Nacho Solis. During your meal, delight in stunning equestrian Peruvian Paso horse entertainment and marinera music. Dine and overnight at Tambo del Inca Luxury Collection.

The small village of Ollantaytambo is one of the best surviving examples of Inca city planning and layout. The narrow cobblestone streets have been continuously inhabited since the 13th century. Looming over the village is the Fortress of Ollantaytambo, spectacular Inca ruins that mark one of the few places where the Spanish conquistadors lost a major battle. As a highly effective fortress, Ollantaytambo also served as a ceremonial center at the top of terracing. Walls here, like at Sacsayhuaman, were precisely cut and laid.

Day 14 - Machu Picchu, Cusco

After a morning breakfast at the hotel, you'll depart for Machu Picchu on the Vistadome train from the Tambo del Inca station. Lunch will be served at the Sanctuary Lodge in Machu Picchu.

Highlights of Machu Picchu not to be missed include:

• The Guardhouse - Marking the original entrance to Machu Piccu from the Inca Trail, this is the perfect spot for beautiful panoramic views of the citadel, Huayna Picchu and the surrounding Andes.
• The Temple of the Three Windows - on the Sacred Plaza, Hiram Bingham believed that the three windows symbolized the place where the Incas originated.
• Temple of the Sun -located near the center of Machu Piccu, this one of the most iconic buildings within the citadel. Constructed on top of a naturally formed rock, this is one of the few buildings in the entire Inca Empire to feature a curved wall.
• Royal Tomb - A small natural cave formed by a large rock, the tomb is some of the finest masonry work in Machu Picchu.

After your day at Machu Picchu, enjoy welcoming aperitifs, dinner, and an excellent selection of wines while relaxing on the Belmond Hiram Bingham luxury train back to Cusco for an evening of local music, dancing, and Pisco sours. Overnight at Hotel Monasterio in Cusco.

Day 15 - Cusco

After a morning breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a scenic tour at the Koricancha, also known as the "Temple of the Sun," before touring the Sacsayhuamn fortress and the Cathedral, one of the most splendid Spanish colonial churches in America, housing about 400 works of art. Lunch is served at Limo Restaurant, with dinner being served at the Hotel Monasterio.

Koricancha - This extraordinarily crafted Temple of the Sun was the most sumptuous temple in the Inca Empire. Some 4,000 priests and their attendants once lived within its confines. Coricancha also served as the main astronomical observatory for the Incas.

Sacsayhuaman - These amazingly well preserved ruins overlooking Cucso, a testament to Incan architectural skill. Compiled of massive stones, the largest of which may weigh as much as 200 tons, the walls were cut and placed together with incredible precision and without a single drop of mortar to hold them in place.

Day 16 & 17 - Cusco, Lima

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your flight back to Lima. Once in Lima you will visit Lima's historical downtown, where lunch is served at a local gourmet restaurant. You will 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.

After your tour, you'll be taken to the Westin Lima Hotel where you'll enjoy dinner. If you're flight home leaves that evening, you'll be provided a day room to relax in until it's time for you to be taken to the airport. If your flight leaves the next day, you'll be provided a room at the hotel to spend the night.

16-Night Galapagos Southern Loop and Machu Picchu Tour