Yes, you can visit both Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands on one trip, and this Machu Picchu and Galapagos itinerary shows exactly how it works, day by day. Seven days in Peru covering Cusco. The Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu, then a flight to Ecuador for a five-day Galapagos catamaran cruise and two nights in Quito, sixteen days total.
- Combining Machu Picchu and the Galapagos is a real, commonly booked itinerary, typically 12 to 16 days.
- This itinerary runs 7 days in Peru (Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu), then a flight to Ecuador for 5 days in the Galapagos and 2 nights in Quito.
- There's no direct flight between Peru and the Galapagos. Every route connects through mainland Ecuador, usually Guayaquil.
- Machu Picchu's dry season runs May through September. The Galapagos runs on its own separate seasons, so April to June and September to November work best as shared shoulder windows for both.
Peru: Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu (Days 1 to 7)
Day 1: Welcome to Cusco
You'll be met on arrival in Cusco and taken straight to your hotel to rest and acclimatize. Cusco sits at 3,400 meters (11,200 feet), and it's common to feel mild altitude sickness symptoms here, locally called "soroche." Take the first day easy and drink plenty of water. Cusco itself is worth slowing down for regardless: a blend of Incan and Spanish influences runs through its architecture, food, and everyday customs.
Day 2: Cusco City Tour
A guided city tour covers Cusco's main square, Plaza de Armas, then the Qorikancha, once the Inca empire's main Sun Temple and later converted into a Spanish church during the colonial period. In the afternoon, Sacsayhuaman, an Incan archaeological complex just outside the city, is worth the visit for its massive stone walls, fitted together without mortar and carved with intricate detail.
Day 3: Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes
An early start takes you through the hills above Cusco into the Sacred Valley. You'll stop at the Inca site of Pisaq and the lively Pisac Market, break for lunch amid the valley's scenery, then continue to the ruins of Ollantaytambo, one of the best-preserved examples of Inca engineering. In the afternoon, a train carries you to Aguas Calientes, where you'll spend the night ahead of the next morning's visit to Machu Picchu.
Day 4: Machu Picchu
Breakfast is early, around 5am, before boarding the morning bus up to the citadel, a scenic 20-minute ride that times most visitors to arrive for sunrise over Machu Picchu. Going up early also means beating both the crowds and the clouds that tend to roll in later in the day. You'll return to Cusco that evening.
Day 5: Chinchero, Moray, and the Maras Salt Mines
A full day from Cusco takes in Chinchero, a village known for its master weavers, with a seventeenth-century colonial church and Inca ruins set on a hilltop with sweeping mountain views. You'll see a live weaving demonstration at the local co-op, then move on to Moray, an ancient Inca agricultural terracing site, and finish at the Maras Salt Mines (Salineras de Maras), which has supplied salt to Cusco and the surrounding Sacred Valley communities for centuries.
Day 6: Optional Activities in Cusco
A flexible day if you have time to spare before flying to the Galapagos. Popular options include a cooking class covering dishes like ceviche or lomo saltado, horseback riding through the countryside and nearby villages, a wander through the San Pedro Market, a day trip to Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca), or a hike to Humantay Lake, set high in the Andes.
Day 7: Cusco Cooking Class and Farewell Dinner
Your last full day in Peru starts with time to explore Cusco's cathedral and market streets, often coinciding with a local weekend festival. In the afternoon, you'll visit the market with your chef to pick ingredients, then take a hands-on cooking class that ends in a shared farewell dinner, a good send-off before Ecuador. Travelers extending their trip further into the Amazon can combine this itinerary with an Amazon River Cruise before heading to the Galapagos.
Ecuador: The Galapagos and Quito (Days 8 to 16)
Day 8: Fly to the Galapagos
After breakfast, you'll fly to Ecuador to begin the Galapagos leg of the trip. There's no direct flight from Peru: routes connect through mainland Ecuador, typically arriving in Guayaquil by late afternoon. A driver meets you on arrival and takes you to a hotel near the Malecon and Iguana Park, about 10 to 15 minutes from the airport, with the evening free before an early flight out to the islands the next morning.
Days 9 to 13: Galapagos Catamaran Cruise
A short flight from Guayaquil puts you in the Galapagos, where you'll spend five nights aboard an upscale catamaran (the Endemic-class or similar), capped at 16 passengers with a specialist naturalist guide and a dedicated cruise manager. Suites include floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies, and wetsuits, snorkel gear, paddleboards, and glass-bottomed kayaks are included. Most transit between islands happens overnight, so you wake up somewhere new each morning.
Wildlife here is famously unafraid of people: waddling penguins, giant tortoises, marine iguanas, and sea lions are all easy to get close to, alongside Darwin's finches, frigatebirds, waved albatross, and blue-footed boobies overhead. In the water, expect over 400 fish species, manta rays, sea turtles, and reef sharks. Land excursions can include volcanic hikes, the misty highlands, tortoise reserves, and the Charles Darwin Research Center; sea excursions cover diving, snorkeling, and kayaking. The Galapagos was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, among the very first sites ever inscribed on the list, in recognition of its volcanic origin and unmatched concentration of endemic species.
Days 14 and 15: Quito, Ecuador
The trip winds down with two nights in Quito at Casa Gangotena, a restored eighteenth-century mansion overlooking San Francisco Plaza in the Old Town. Quito's Old Town is itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The largest and best-preserved colonial center in South America, and a good one to explore on foot: cobbled streets, historic churches, and local markets. For views over the city, climb to the Virgen del Panecillo or ride the TelefériQo cable car up Volcán Pichincha to Cruz Loma. Other highlights include a chocolate tasting and a trip to the Equatorial Monument, where you can stand with one foot in each hemisphere at 0 degrees latitude, alongside the on-site Ethnographic Museum.
Day 16: Depart
After sixteen days covering two of South America's most distinct landscapes, it's time to fly home.
Best Time to Visit Both
There's no single perfect month for both destinations, since they run on different weather patterns. Machu Picchu's dry season runs May through September. While the Galapagos splits into a warmer, wetter season (December to May) and a cooler, drier one with rougher seas but more marine wildlife (June to November). The best compromise windows are April to June and September to November, the shoulder periods when Machu Picchu is still dry to mild and the Galapagos transition avoids the extremes of either of its own seasons. For more detail on Peru's side of that calendar, see our full Best Time to Visit Machu Picchu guide.
Machu Picchu and Galapagos: FAQs
Can you do Galapagos and Machu Picchu in one trip?
Yes. It's a real, commonly run combined itinerary, typically 12 to 16 days: about a week in Peru for Cusco and Machu Picchu, then a flight to Ecuador for 4 to 7 days in the Galapagos. This itinerary follows exactly that structure.
How close are the Galápagos Islands to Peru?
The Galapagos Islands belong to Ecuador, not Peru, sitting roughly 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) off Ecuador's own coast in the Pacific. There's no direct flight from Peru: you fly from Cusco or Lima into mainland Ecuador (usually Guayaquil), then take a separate domestic flight to the islands.
Should I visit Galapagos or Machu Picchu first?
Most combined itineraries, including this one, visit Machu Picchu first. Doing Peru first lets you use Cusco's altitude for acclimatization early in the trip rather than at the end, and it means your Galapagos leg. Which is more about wildlife and water activities than physical exertion, becomes the more relaxed back half of the journey.
What is the best month to visit Galapagos and Machu Picchu?
April to June or September to November. The shoulder windows where Machu Picchu's dry season overlaps best with the Galapagos avoiding the extremes of its own wet or rough-water seasons.
How many days is enough in Galapagos?
Most travelers get a genuinely good experience in 5 days, enough for a multi-island cruise like the one in this itinerary to cover several distinct ecosystems and wildlife sites without feeling rushed. Fewer than 4 days limits you to one or two islands.
Ready to Plan Your Own Machu Picchu and Galapagos Trip?
This itinerary is a starting point. We'll adjust the pace, hotels, and dates to fit you.
See The Itinerary →Sources: UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Quito; Galapagos Conservancy, on the Galapagos' 1978 UNESCO designation;
Related Guides: Amazon River Cruise, South America Tours, Ancascocha Trek Itinerary, Inca Trail 7 Days Package, Best Time to Visit Machu Picchu.
