First of all, congratulations on your anniversary - we are 25 years this year also - wonderful!
In 2019 we did Galapagos and Macchu Picchu with one of those make your own trip agencies (Galapagos and Machu Picchu Trips – Detour) I believe it was the Family Adventure one as we took our teenagers (I think they were 17 and 15 at the time). The Galapagos was not a cruise but we visited three islands I think - such a lovely trip and we enjoyed seeing the various flora and fauna immensely. The snorkeling was the best I’ve ever done (compared to Hawaii, Mexico, Thailand). Coming from the SF Bay Area the altitude sickness was something we were nervous about. We got the prescription pills from Kaiser and my husband and daughter never took any (they normally don’t get car sick, etc) but my son and I both took them for a couple days (they are anti-diuretic) - I had a little bit of tiredness that was ok once we slept it off and my son claimed to be a bit dizzier when we did a bike riding activity that day, but was ok in a couple days. We did the PeruRail train in and one-day (seven mile?) Macchu Picchu hike - very doable and enjoyable. The whole trip was memorable and fun and we are so glad we had the opportunity to do it.
Not sure how the political state of Peru is now so hope that your agency is able to assist to make sure everything goes smoothly.
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Thank you for that link! That itinerary is nearly exactly what we would like to do, except I think I would rather be land based and not do a cruise in the Galapagos. The itinerary is really good though I would probably make a couple of modifications.
Really great feedback everyone! Thanks!
I believe you can work with the tour agency to do exactly what you want to do (for us it was just the four of us, parents and teen kids) and we also did not want to do cruise in Galapagos, but stayed on several of the islands. We had a one guide assigned to us for the Galapagos portion and then another one that met us in Cusco and took us on our bike ride, activities, Heavenly Valley, hiking and then to Macchu Picchu and the hike there. They were both wonderful, informative and this was one trip that we all would not mind to do again (in pieces or otherwise) as there is so much to see and learn.
Again, if you are susceptible to altitude sickness the other remedy that seems to work is taking the mix-in powder https://acli-mate.com/ (you can get it on Amazon). Going to Boulder my first time from the SF Bay area, my family was all fine but I myself felt pretty horrible (headachy, dizzy, bed-ridden!) the first visit but the next time I was prepared with my packets (similar to Emergen-C powder packets) and felt so much better.
With 10-11 days, I’m not sure I’d try to tackle multiple of these locations. We spent 10 days in Lima, Cusco, and Aqua Caliente/Machu Pichu and certainly could have visited many more sites when in Cusco. There are many, many sites within the town and within a day trip.
We also spent 9 days in just Quito and Galapagos and came nowhere near exhausting what we could have seen.
We didn’t look at Lake Titicaca, but a quick web search makes it not look like a day trip.
Fwiw, none of us had issues going from a few days at sea-level Lima to Cusco. Machu Pichu is much lower than Cusco.
We did have sea sickness issues in the Galapagos. As did most of the boat. We changed plans one day to stay on our home island.
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Thanks, definitely have to consider our time frame.
You are all a goldmine of great info!
Last I heard Peru was having unrest. We know a travel agent whose clients have had their tours cancelled to Peru. I’d say go for the Galapagos instead…
But I’d talk to a travel agent or tour company and see what they say. I’d also take out travel insurance.
Of course, I’ve now spent many hours now doing research about Peru and Ecuador.
I looked at a Facebook page run by a local in Cusco and various tourists in the area. It had a lot of good info about day to day developments. People seem to be having no issues getting to the major tourist sites in and around Cusco, but other parts of the country are unpredictable. Consulate advice from Canada and Australia is to avoid nonessential travel, but the UK hasn’t issued that advice.
All the same, at this point we are now leaning to just doing the Galápagos. Our time frame is limited and while I have a feeling we could go to Peru and things will work out fine, the uncertainty at the moment is a major deterrent.
Any other must-sees in Ecuador?
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Galapagos is wonderful and as many have said, you will have no trouble finding more things to discover than you have time for in this unique place. I could imagine since end of March is coming up very soon that you are figuring out flights and will just need to schedule shots (yellow fever I think for Ecuador) in time. Wishing you a great trip!
It can be hard when you have to switch gears on vacation planning. But I would have done same thing. Probably visitors would be safe, but it would be stressful worrying about it.
So true! Even if the visitors are safe, the worry can take away from having a fun vacation. Also, as was mentioned above things are unpredictable. Cusco could be fine one day and not be fine the next. And things can deteriorate quickly with little to no warning. You could be all set to go on a tour, and then the day before you travel your tour gets cancelled because the situation gets worse. I’d say go somewhere like the Galapagos which is fine!
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I was in Peru in January and we had to be “evacuated” from Machu Picchu. I put that in quotes because I guess technically that is what happened but it sounds way more dramatic than it felt at the time! (Armed policemen in the bed of the pick up trucks escorting our bus from the train station aside). It turned out we visited MP on the last day it was opened for at least a month! So, while we felt safe the entire time we were in Lima, Cusco, and MP, it was stressful never knowing if our plans were going to change at the last minute. And Titicaca is definitely out for any travel plans for quite sometime. Sounds like you found the FB page Explore Cusco and Peru, which I would have recommended as a great source of current information. All said, I think you made the right decision to save MP for another time!
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Several days in the heart of the Old Town section of Quito is certainly worth the time, IME.
Just from what I’ve read, I’d probably stay clear of Peru for at least a little while
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Back in the day, S spent a semester abroad in Eucador. I visited, and was able to go on his study abroad trip to the Amazon basin. We took a bus across the Andes to Tena, and from there were transported to the Swiss Lodge by boat. The next day, donning provided rubber boots, we spent the day on rivers and hiking, learning about the biology of the area. It was fantastic. The lodge can be googled.
Also on that visit, S and I spent a few days in Otavalo which has a famous market. I wanted to visit some of the higher altitude areas in the mountains, but time ran out. We did find interesting places to hike into volcanic calderas.
Near Quito, I really appreciated visiting Mitad del Mundo, on the equator. There was a nearby museum which described the many ethnic groups that populate Ecuador. Some friends are very happily wintering in Cuanca, which is described as a higher altitude and historic city. Other friends winter on the coast north of Guayaquil, where apparently the beaches are beautiful. Look for cloud forest lodges on line, of which there are a number. Cloud forests are a certain band within the Andes with amazing bird life and ecology and these lodges offer tours of the habitat and look gorgeous.
I was so impressed with Ecuador when I visited and very much hope to return at a point.
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I went in 2015. We did not start our trip in Cusco. If I recall correctly, we flew into Lima and connected to Cusco. I hired a driver in Cusco (perhaps a tax., I don’t remember) and we drove straight down to Sacred Valley. We spent several nights to acclimate in Sacred Valley, where there is lots to see and do, and from the, took the train to the base of Machu Picchu. From the train, we hiked up (about three hours?). At the top, there is a very nice Belmond hotel where you can rest, eat etc., after the hike.
In Sacred Valley, we stayed at San Agustin Monasterio, which, at the time was fabulous, and very inexpensive. The food was amazing and the service superb.
On the return, we stayed in Cusco for two nights; seven years ago, I liked Cusco and would go back. We then spent a few nights in Lima (not such a fan) before leaving back home.
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What a delightful decision to be pondering!! Have fun! Very cool, whichever.
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Side note - if you go to Mitad del Mundo, which is recommended, be sure to hunt down the actual equator. Surveying back when it was established wasn’t as precise as GPS is today.
STEM folks will be amused at the “Coriolis effect” demonstrations of swirling water and eggs standing on end. 
If going to Machu Pichu, don’t miss the hike to Huayna Picchu - the large peak in the background of most MP photos. Don’t let the “stairs of death” scare you off - they’ll get your attention, but not quite as bad as the name.
With the new requirements for guided tours, I’m not sure
how this works today. But when we went, it required registration well in advance, on a Spanish website, as slots sold out fast. But it’s well worth the effort.
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