Erin Correia's 16-day Peru and Ecuador Itinerary

Today is the day to book your flight to Lima. Upon retrieving your bags and completing customs formalities, make your way across the street to the cozy and conveniently situated Costa del Sol Hotel.

The Andean heritage is on full display in Cusco, the Andean capital. You will have the opportunity to explore the witches' market and Cusco's biggest open market throughout the afternoon. Travel to Cusco to see the Center for Traditional Textiles, a nonprofit with a mission to preserve the region's weaving traditions, after sampling some of the city's most distinctive cuisine.

Start your day with a trip to a breathtaking region of Peru. While exploring one of the area's fantastic textile markets, you can put your haggling abilities to the test with the friendly locals. Alternatively, you may go on a hike to the awe-inspiring Pisac ruins or a leisurely stroll through rural areas to the less-visited hamlet of Maras, which is home to active pre-Columbian salt mines. Explore the Inca-built terraces of Moray, a site that may have served as a seed bank for new crop species. Ollantaytambo, the "living Inca city," will be your destination and a place to rest your head at the end of the day.

See the Ollantaytambo ruins and town first thing in the morning. Ollantaytambo was a royal estate in the Inca Empire and a haven for the royal family following the 1537 Spanish conquest of Cusco. The town is still built out as it was during the Incan reign, so tourists can glimpse the past which still remains within its confines, and the ruins exhibit enormous terraces and well-preserved architecture. Take the train to Machu Picchu afterward, and then go downstream along the Urubamba River as it empties into the Amazon. Explore the Inca priests' baths via the ancient pipes that carry water from the mountains below. You are cordially invited to plunge your hands into the refreshing water as guests. The hamlet of Aguas Calientes, situated at Machu Picchu's base, will be your final destination after your guided tour of the Inca citadel. Indulge in a meal at one of the numerous world-class restaurants in the area or unwind in the hot springs after a day of touring a mystical ancient site.

Before the Inca Trail hikers arrive, this is your chance to listen to the echoes of the city's long-gone residents as you watch the sunrise at Machu Picchu. The sacred summit of Huayna Picchu may be reached by booking a permit, or you can hike to the Sun Gate and take in the ruins from above, or you can trek through the verdant cloudforest to the Temple of the Moon. After lunch, you and your guide will take the train back to Cusco.

You can take it easy and explore today, either with your guide or yourself. The surrounding ruins and chapels are open to the public, and you can see construction pieces the size of pickup trucks at the massive Sacsayhuaman ruins, which are visible from Cusco. Cafes and restaurants line these picturesque lanes, and you can people-watch as you meander around Cusco's lively Plaza de Armas or peruse the local markets for love potions.

Your transfer to the airport for your journey to Quito will take place this morning. Someone will be waiting to take you to your hotel in Quito when you arrive. Free time today.

A flight to the Galapagos Archipelago departs from Quito first thing in the morning. A representative will collect you from the airport and take you directly to your yacht. Mosquera Islet, between North Seymour and Baltra Island, will be your landing spot in the afternoon. A big group of sea lions call this sandy, flat island home. You can also see herons and lava gulls, among other shorebirds, at this location. The vast space is yours to explore because the islet does not have a trail. Sand and desolate lava rock cover the majority of the island.

Head out to Santiago Island first thing in the morning, making a pit break at Egas Port—a beach with black volcanic sand that Darwin visited in 1835. The strange yellow-crowned night heron is only one of many animals that call the Santiago shore's distinctive and visually stunning layered landscape home. Other marine creatures include starfish, lobster, and marine iguanas, which may be seen feeding on algae beds with Sally light-foot crabs. Rábida Island is a great place to see sea lion colonies in the afternoon, and its distinctive beaches are covered with dark-red sand. Because of its varied volcanic landscape, Rabida is thought of as the Galapagos Islands' epicenter.

Urbina Bay's black volcanic sand beach is a great place to spot giant tortoises, land iguanas, and the rare flightless cormorant first thing in the morning. Snorkeling, where you can swim with tropical fish, sea lions, and sea turtles, follows a brief hike inland. Visit Tagus Cove in the afternoon to get some insight into the island of Isabela's geological history. If you want to see volcanic landforms and lava fields up close, you should take the path that goes to Darwin's salt-water crater lake.

Stop by Espinosa Point on Fernandina Island to see some of the Galapagos' most unique marine life. Afternoons are perfect for a trip to Isabela Island's Vicente Roca Point, where you may see a variety of aquatic creatures. Take advantage of the chance to go snorkeling in the Bolivar Channel, one of the world's most abundant marine preserves. Nazca and blue-footed boobies, noddy, brown pelicans, penguins, and flightless cormorants are just a few of the sea and coastal bird species you might see during a dinghy ride around the coast. Deep snorkeling is at its best in this area of the Galapagos because of the plethora of marine life brought about by the upwelling of cold water currents.

As you stroll through a rare Scalesia woodland in the world-renowned Pit Craters, keep an eye out for vermilion fly catchers. This is a fantastic chance to see enormous tortoises up close. Afternoon excursions to Bartolome Island reveal a lunar-like scenery that is sure to captivate. After that, spend some time at the beach snorkeling with a diverse array of fish, sea turtles, and the world-famous Galapagos penguins.

Get on the road this morning and head east of Santa Cruz Island to South Plaza Islet. In this magnificent cactus forest, you will see a population of about 300 land iguanas, which are a vibrant shade of yellow and red. Go on to North Seymour Island next. The ocean floor is covered with layers of lava that produced this continent through a sequence of underwater volcanic eruptions. Explore the area on foot while seeing huge boobie and swallow-tailed gull nesting colonies; if you're lucky, you might even see the native Galapagos snake.

We begin our day with a strenuous climb over rocky terrain as we make our way to Pitt Point. Perhaps no other place on the Galapagos can you witness all three booby species in one place, not to mention two kinds of frigate birds and a colony of sea lions. Stop by Cerro Brujo in the afternoon. It's a tuff cone that's eroding and has a lovely white sand beach where you can go snorkeling and sunbathing. Migratory birds such as white-cheeked pintails, sandpipers, whimbrels, ruddy turnstones, and black-necked stilts can be spotted in a nearby lagoon.

You will have the opportunity to learn about the conservation efforts of the National Park during your morning tour to the San Cristobal Giant Tortoise Breeding Center after touching down at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. To top it all off, you may stop by the harbor of the village for a drink or some souvenir shopping. Return to Quito by taking a shuttle to the airport after your visit.

Make sure you get back to the airport before your aircraft takes off. (If a red-eye flight leaving on the evening of Day 15 works better with your schedule, that is also an option.)