Galápagos & Machu Picchu Honeymoon

Fly with Air Europa from London Gatwick to Quito via Madrid (Business Class on request). Met at Mariscal Sucre International Airport and transferred privately to Casa Gangotena, the most beautiful hotel in Quito's UNESCO old town. Settle in with a glass of Champagne in the rooftop terrace, San Francisco Plaza framed below.

A gentle day after the long flight. Late breakfast on Casa Gangotena's terrace, then a private walking tour of the colonial centre, La Compañía, the Cathedral, the Independence Plaza, paced for jet lag. Lunch at Casa Gangotena's celebrated restaurant. Afternoon free for a chocolate-tasting at República del Cacao or simply for rest before the early Galápagos flight.

Private transfer to the airport for your flight to Baltra. Met on arrival by your Pikaia naturalist guide and transferred up to the highlands, the property sits inside a giant-tortoise reserve at 450m, with panoramic ocean views and just 14 suites. Afternoon walk among wild Galápagos giant tortoises in the lodge grounds, sunset toast on the terrace.

Meet at the dock for a Pikaia private yacht day to one of the uninhabited islands (Bartolomé, North Seymour, South Plaza or Santa Fe, subject to permit rotation). Hike, snorkel among sea lions, reef fish and Galápagos penguins, and meet the archipelago's extraordinary endemic wildlife, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies, marine iguanas. Lunch on board, return to Pikaia in the late afternoon.

A flexible morning at Pikaia or down at Tortuga Bay, where Playa Brava's long crescent beach and the sheltered Playa Mansa lagoon offer some of the finest swimming in the islands. After lunch, visit the Charles Darwin Research Station to learn about the conservation programmes protecting the archipelago's endemic species. Farewell dinner at Pikaia's open-air restaurant.

Transfer to Baltra Airport for your flight to Guayaquil, then connect onward to Lima. Met on arrival and transferred privately to Belmond Miraflores Park, a 1990s landmark with vast suites and Pacific views from every floor. Early evening, a quiet walk along the Malecón to watch the surfers, then your first Peruvian dinner at Maido or Astrid y Gastón (subject to availability and reservation in advance).

Morning private tour of historic Lima, the Cathedral, the San Francisco Convent and catacombs, the Plaza Mayor. After lunch, transfer to the airport for your flight to Cusco. On arrival, your driver meets you for the short transfer to Belmond Hotel Monasterio, a former 16th-century monastery with original cloisters, an in-house chapel and oxygen-enriched rooms to help with the 3,400m altitude. Quiet evening to acclimatise.

A private tour of Cusco with a specialist Inca-history guide. Visit the Cathedral and Koricancha, the Temple of the Sun, whose original stonework underpins the colonial church above. Continue to the archaeological sites that ring the city: Kenko, Puca Pucara, Tambomachay and the megalithic fortress of Sacsayhuamán. Lunch at MAP Café in the Museo de Arte Precolombino. Afternoon at leisure for spa treatments at the Monasterio.

A morning visit to Pisac's artisan market for alpaca textiles and silverwork, then on to the living Inca town of Ollantaytambo to climb the terraces and feel the original urban grid still intact. Late afternoon, board the Vistadome train from Ollantaytambo for the panoramic journey down into the cloud forest, arriving in Aguas Calientes for two nights at Sumaq Machu Picchu, the most romantic property in town, with its own spa and gourmet restaurant.

Early start for the bus up to Machu Picchu before the day crowds arrive. Private guided exploration of the citadel, the Sun Temple, the Royal Mausoleum, the agricultural terraces and the Intihuatana stone, with time to walk to the Sun Gate or the Inca Bridge as you prefer. Return to Aguas Calientes for the afternoon at leisure. Sumaq Machu Picchu arranges a private candle-lit dinner in honour of your honeymoon, with a tasting menu of contemporary Peruvian cuisine.

Vistadome train back to Cusco for your domestic flight to Lima, connecting to your Air Europa flight back to London Gatwick via Madrid. Arrive home the following day. We arrange in-airport assistance throughout for a seamless return.