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Luxury/Deluxe Machu Picchu & Galapagos Cruise Options
Luxury hotels that our travelers have used during their Machu Picchu & Galapagos trip include the Monasterio Hotel in Cusco, the Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu (though not really as nice a hotel as our standard Inkaterra Pueblo Hotel located right next to the ruins), and the Plaza Grande Hotel in Quito.
Luxury Galapagos Islands cruises are generally characterized by the most elegant and beautiful boats, with the highest quality guides (though it should be noted that many of the same guides who work on the luxury vessels also work some of the time on first class vessels; you are more guaranteed to get one of the very finest guides on a luxury cruise, but the first class vessels we work with also have excellent guides). Another aspect of the luxury cruises is that they often have the best food: they generally dedicate more resources to the preparation and presentation of the cuisine and hire the top chefs working in the Galapagos. Again, the food is also of very high quality on the first class vessels, but this is one area where there can be a difference between luxury and first class cruises.
Luxury yachts include: The Grace; an historic, 18 passenger vessel that was originally a wedding present for Princess Grace of Monaco.
The Evolution; a larger, 32 passenger motor yacht that offers additional space in berths, decks and social areas combined with the friendly atmosphere of a smaller yacht.
The Eclipse; a 210 feet small ship that offers plenty of space to its 48 passengers. Each berth is an air-conditioned stateroom with private bath and view to the ocean. The Eclipse offers some of the best quality guides, service, and cuisine of any Galapagos cruise ship.
All of these vessels and several others have larger deluxe suites available for those who want to have the most space and the most luxurious experience possible. Travelers should keep in mind that these are nature based cruises, and the reality is that the vessels are not like floating Ritz Carlton hotels. The rooms are not, with some exceptions, huge, and the emphasis even on the luxury vessels is more on the nature aspect of the cruise than on amenities and frills.
Another aspect of luxury travel during this combination trip that you may wish to consider is the Hiram Bingham train service to Machu Picchu. This train harkens back to the golden era of train travel, with silver service brunch and dinner in elegant, finely upholstered carriages. The Vistadome first class trains that we use in our standard packages are comfortable and have large panoramic windows; travelers generally are perfectly happy with the Vistadome, but the Hiram Bingham is an option if you want to splurge on a special occasion.
Please see our full list of Machu Picchu and Galapagos Tour Packages here.
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We create exceptional travel experiences for independent travelers, with top quality regional hotels, outstanding private guides, and unique excursions.