Machu Picchu and the Galapagos are two of the great sights of South America, and they sit in neighbouring countries, which is all the encouragement most people need to do both. The two big decisions are how you see the islands, sleeping in hotels and hopping between them by boat or living aboard a cruise, and how you reach Machu Picchu, by train or on foot along the Inca Trail.
This guide is for anyone planning both in one trip. We compare every tour on our Peru and Ecuador pages that combine Machu Picchu with the Galapagos, from 15 days to a month, so you can pick the island style and the Inca route first and everything else after.
The quick answer
- If you want the shortest trip and three islands, pick Machu Picchu & Galapagos Island-Hopping.
- If you want a week on the islands and a Titicaca homestay, pick Best of Peru & Galapagos.
- If you want to hike the Inca Trail too, pick Galapagos & Inca Trail Adventure.
- If you want a week cruising, pick Galapagos Cruise & Peru in Depth.
- If you want flights and all meals included, pick the Galapagos Expedition Cruise & Machu Picchu.
Every Machu Picchu and Galapagos tour compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island-hopping, Machu Picchu by train | ||||||
| Machu Picchu & Galapagos Island-Hopping: Cusco to Quito – 15 Days | 15 | £5,026 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Three islands in 15 days |
| Machu Picchu & the Galapagos on Land: Cusco to Quito – 15 Days | 15 | £3,995 pp | Medium | Not stated | No | Two islands, a relaxed pace |
| Best of Peru & Galapagos: Machu Picchu & Titicaca – 18 Days | 18 | £4,550 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | A week on the islands, Titicaca homestay |
| Peru, Ecuador & Galápagos with Flights: Machu Picchu & Quito – 17 Days | 17 | £6,538 pp incl. flights | Medium | Max 45 | Yes | Flights included, four nights on the islands |
| Island-hopping and the Inca Trail | ||||||
| Galapagos & Inca Trail Adventure: Quito to Cusco – 17 Days | 17 | £4,210 pp | High | Max 16 | No | The classic combination |
| Galápagos & Peru Adventure: Islands, Amazon & Inca Trail – 24 Days | 24 | £5,341 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Add the Amazon and Bolivia |
| Ecuador, Galápagos & Peru Explorer: Amazon to Inca Trail – 25 Days | 25 | £5,341 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Add Ecuador’s Amazon and Cotopaxi |
| Peru & Galápagos: Inca Trail, Amazon & Islands – 30 Days | 30 | £6,370 pp | Not stated | Max 16 | No | A month, eight nights on the islands |
| Cruising the Galapagos | ||||||
| Majestic Peru & Southern Galapagos Cruise: Lima to Quito – 20 Days | 20 | £6,547 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | A three-night southern cruise |
| Galápagos Cruise & Peru’s Land of the Incas: Inca Trail – 21 Days | 21 | £7,534 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | A yacht cruise, then the Inca Trail |
| Galapagos Cruise & Peru in Depth: Quito to Lima – 24 Days | 24 | £9,605 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | A week-long cruise and Peru in depth |
| Footsteps of the Incas & Galápagos Cruise with Flights – 22 Days | 22 | £10,295 pp incl. flights | Medium | Not stated | Yes | A four-night cruise, flights included |
| Galapagos Expedition Cruise & Machu Picchu with Flights – 19 Days | 19 | £13,490 pp incl. flights | Medium | Max 28 | Yes | An eight-night expedition cruise, all meals |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
Island-hop or cruise?
Island-hopping tours stay in hotels on two or three islands, usually San Cristóbal, Isabela and Santa Cruz, and travel between them by motorboat. They are generally the less expensive way to see the islands and suit anyone who would rather sleep on land. Cruise tours live aboard a yacht or expedition ship for three to eight nights. Pages of both kinds warn that they are not for you if you get seasick, since even island-hoppers cross by fast boat.
Island-hopping, with the train to Machu Picchu
Three islands in 15 days
Machu Picchu & Galapagos Island-Hopping: Cusco to Quito – 15 Days
- 15 days
- From £5,026 per person
- Max 16 people
- Cusco, Peru to Quito, Ecuador
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Cusco, the Sacred Valley and a train to Aguas Calientes, with the option of hiking part of the Inca Trail past the Wiñay Wayna ruins, then an early start for Machu Picchu. In the Galapagos you visit the sea lion colony at La Lobería on San Cristóbal and snorkel with sea lions and turtles off Isla Lobos, before Isabela and Santa Cruz. Groups are six to 16, aged 16 and over. Machu Picchu & the Galapagos on Land (15 days) stays on two islands at a steadier pace, with time to explore independently.
Suits: travellers with two weeks who want both sights. The honest drawback: Cusco’s altitude, and island transfers by fast motorboat.
A week on the islands
Best of Peru & Galapagos: Machu Picchu & Titicaca – 18 Days
- 18 days
- From £4,550 per person
- Max 12 people
- Lima, Peru to Quito, Ecuador
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Eighteen days with up to 12, aged 16 and over: Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu, a homestay on Lake Titicaca with all meals, then a week island-hopping on San Cristóbal, Isabela and Santa Cruz. Peru, Ecuador & Galápagos with Flights (17 days) includes flights from London Heathrow, with four nights in hotels on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal, the Charles Darwin Research Station and a boat trip to Isla Lobos, for adults aged 21 and over in groups of up to 45.
Suits: wildlife lovers who want time on the islands. The honest drawback: the homestay is simple, and the flight-inclusive tour is a large group.
Island-hopping and the Inca Trail (pack two sets of boots)
The classic combination
Galapagos & Inca Trail Adventure: Quito to Cusco – 17 Days
- 17 days
- From £4,210 per person
- Max 16 people
- Quito, Ecuador to Cusco, Peru
- Physical rating: high
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Seventeen days with up to 16: island-hopping on San Cristóbal, Isabela and Santa Cruz, then Lima, Cusco and the classic Inca Trail with three nights camping in twin-share tents set up by porters. Flights from Quito to the islands and on to Lima and Cusco are included. Three longer trips add more: Galápagos & Peru Adventure (24 days) adds the Peruvian Amazon, Lake Titicaca and La Paz; Ecuador, Galápagos & Peru Explorer (25 days) adds Ecuador’s Amazon, Baños, Cotopaxi and an Indigenous homestay; and Peru & Galápagos (30 days) adds Nazca, Arequipa and eight nights on the islands.
Suits: active travellers who want to walk into Machu Picchu. The honest drawback: the Inca Trail is demanding, with three nights under canvas.
Cruising the Galapagos
A week at sea, then Peru in depth
Galapagos Cruise & Peru in Depth: Quito to Lima – 24 Days
- 24 days
- From £9,605 per person
- Max 16 people
- Quito, Ecuador to Lima, Peru
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in November, December
Twenty-four days: seven nights cruising the Galapagos, then Arequipa, the Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu by scenic train with two visits including an early return for sunrise, and the Amazon, with flights to the islands and within Peru included. Majestic Peru & Southern Galapagos Cruise (20 days) has a three-night cruise after Nazca, Arequipa and Titicaca, and Galápagos Cruise & Peru’s Land of the Incas (21 days) pairs a three-night yacht cruise with the Inca Trail and a finish in Bolivia.
Suits: travellers who want to live aboard. The honest drawback: several cruise tours have only a few departures, and none is cheap.
Fully inclusive, with flights
Galapagos Expedition Cruise & Machu Picchu with Flights – 19 Days
- 19 days
- From £13,490 per person incl. flights
- Max 28 people
- Lima, Peru to Quito, Ecuador
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights included
- Departures in March, November
Nineteen days with return flights from the UK, four-star hotels on land and all meals: the panoramic train to Machu Picchu, Cusco, then an eight-night expedition cruise around the islands. Footsteps of the Incas & Galápagos Cruise (22 days) covers Arequipa, the Colca Canyon, Puno and Machu Picchu before a four-night cruise with landings on Isabela and Fernandina.
Suits: travellers who want everything arranged. The honest drawback: these are the most expensive tours here, and the expedition cruise is not for anyone who wants a small group.
How to choose
By time available. Fifteen days: the two shorter island-hopping tours. Seventeen to 22 days: Best of Peru & Galapagos, Galapagos & Inca Trail, the flight-inclusive tours or Majestic Peru. Three weeks or more: the longer Inca Trail combinations and Galapagos Cruise & Peru in Depth.
By budget. Machu Picchu & the Galapagos on Land, Galapagos & Inca Trail and Best of Peru & Galapagos are the least expensive, the longer island-hopping trips sit in the middle, and the cruise and flight-inclusive tours cost the most. Live prices are in the table above.
By fitness. Most tours are rated medium. Galapagos & Inca Trail is rated high, and every Inca Trail tour involves three nights camping. The train-based tours are gentler, but all include time at altitude in Cusco.
By travel style. Small groups of up to 12 or 16 on most tours; larger groups on the flight-inclusive tours. Choose a cruise to live aboard, or island-hopping to sleep on land.
When to go
Many island-hopping and Inca Trail combinations depart all year. The cruise tours have only a few departures a year, and the flight-inclusive cruise tours run in spring and autumn. The months for each tour are in its fact panel above.
Before you travel, check the FCDO travel advice for Peru and Ecuador, including entry requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to cruise or island-hop in the Galapagos?
Island-hopping tours stay in hotels and travel between islands by motorboat, and are generally less expensive. Cruise tours live aboard for three to eight nights. Pages of both kinds warn that they are not for you if you get seasick.
Which tours include the Inca Trail?
Galapagos & Inca Trail Adventure, Galápagos & Peru Adventure, Ecuador, Galápagos & Peru Explorer, Peru & Galápagos and Galápagos Cruise & Peru’s Land of the Incas, each with three nights camping. The others reach Machu Picchu by train.
How long do I need for Machu Picchu and the Galapagos?
At least 15 days on our tours; 17 to 18 days gives a week on the islands or time for the Inca Trail.
Which tours include flights from the UK?
Peru, Ecuador & Galápagos, Footsteps of the Incas and the Galapagos Expedition Cruise & Machu Picchu. Several others include the flights to the islands, and we can arrange your international flights.
Which Galapagos islands do the tours visit?
Island-hopping tours usually stay on San Cristóbal, Isabela and Santa Cruz. Cruise itineraries vary; one includes landings on Isabela and Fernandina.
Is altitude a problem?
Several tour pages say they are not for you if you are unsure about altitude, as Cusco and the Andes are high.
Machu Picchu and the Galapagos?
Tell us how long you have and whether you would rather cruise or island-hop, and a Travelisto specialist will compare the tours with you.
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Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
