A fifteen-day journey through Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru, linking four countries by domestic flight.
It opens with three nights in Rio de Janeiro, with half-day tours to Corcovado, where the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooks Guanabara Bay, and to Sugarloaf Mountain by cable car. Two nights at the Iguaçu Falls take in both the Brazilian and Argentine sides, including the Devil's Throat. Three nights in Buenos Aires include a panoramic city tour, and two nights in Santiago de Chile add a city tour and a full-day excursion to Viña del Mar and Valparaíso. The circuit closes in Peru, with the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu reached by Vistadome train, the Inca sites around Cusco and a city tour of Lima. Accommodation is in 4-star hotels, and a free day in Buenos Aires leaves room for optional excursions.
Highlights
Corcovado and the Christ the Redeemer statue by cog train
Sugarloaf Mountain by cable car
Iguaçu Falls from the Brazilian and Argentine sides, with the Devil's Throat
Buenos Aires city tour and the Santiago, Viña del Mar and Valparaíso tours
Sacred Valley of the Incas and Machu Picchu by Vistadome train
Cusco (Sacsayhuamán and Qorikancha) and a Lima city tour
Day-by-day itinerary
Day1
Day 1: Arrival in Rio de Janeiro
Arrival at Rio de Janeiro International Airport, where a driver meets you and transfers you to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore the city or relax on its beaches, such as Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon.
Day2
Day 2: Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer
After breakfast, half-day excursion to Corcovado. An eco-friendly cog train climbs through the Tijuca Forest to the summit at 700 m, where the 38 m Christ the Redeemer statue (built in 1931) overlooks the city — the Niterói Bridge, Guanabara Bay, the Botanical Garden, the Maracanã Stadium and Sugarloaf Mountain.
Day3
Day 3: Sugarloaf Mountain and city tour
After breakfast, half-day excursion to Sugarloaf Mountain. A first stop at Urca Hill, with a viewpoint and restaurant, is followed by the cable car to the summit of Sugarloaf, with views of Rio, Copacabana Beach, the bay, the surrounding mountains, ocean islands, the Niterói Bridge and the Christ statue on Corcovado. After descending, the tour continues with a city tour.
Day4
Day 4: Rio de Janeiro – Foz do Iguaçu
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for the flight to Foz do Iguaçu, where a driver meets you and transfers you to the hotel. The Iguaçu Falls lie in the tri-border area between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina; formed by the Iguaçu River, they comprise 275 cascades within Iguaçu National Park, with the Garganta do Diabo (Devil's Throat) reaching 70 m.
Day5
Day 5: Iguaçu Falls — Brazilian side
After breakfast, visit to the Brazilian side of the Iguaçu Falls. Walking trails curve around the canyon of the Iguaçu River, past hundreds of smaller falls, ending in front of the Devil's Throat, the most powerful of them all. At the end of the tour, your guide takes you back to the hotel.
Day6
Day 6: Iguaçu Falls — Argentine side and flight to Buenos Aires
After breakfast, a full-day visit to the Argentine side of Iguazú National Park, with three trails: the Lower Trail (1,700 m) through dense jungle to the Dos Hermanas, Chico, Ramírez, Bossetti, Alvar Núñez, Elena and Lanusse falls; the Upper Trail (1,300 m), an elevated walkway to the top of several waterfalls; and the Devil's Throat, reached by an ecological train and a 1,000 m walk. After the tour, transfer to the airport for the flight to Buenos Aires, where a driver meets you and transfers you to the hotel.
Day7
Day 7: Buenos Aires city tour
After breakfast, half-day panoramic city tour. A drive along Avenida 9 de Julio passes the Teatro Colón and the Obelisk; the tour takes in Plaza de Mayo with the Casa Rosada, the cathedral and the Town Hall, Plaza San Martín, Avenida Alvear and Plaza del Congreso, then Avenida de Mayo and Avenida Corrientes, and the neighbourhoods of La Boca, San Telmo, Palermo, Recoleta and Puerto Madero. Return to the hotel.
Day8
Day 8: Free day in Buenos Aires
Free day to enjoy the city or take optional excursions.
Day9
Day 9: Buenos Aires – Santiago de Chile
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Santiago de Chile, where you are met and taken to the hotel. In the afternoon, a tour of the historic centre — the Main Square, the cathedral, the Central Post Office and the City Hall — the La Moneda Government Palace and Santa Lucía Hill, followed by the modern districts of East Santiago.
Day10
Day 10: Viña del Mar and Valparaíso
Breakfast at the hotel. Full-day group excursion to Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, visiting the Quinta Vergara amphitheatre (home of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival), Avenida San Martín, Avenida Perú, Sotomayor Square, the El Peral funicular and the Yugoslav Corridor. Return to Santiago.
Day11
Day 11: Santiago de Chile – Cusco – Sacred Valley
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Cusco, where you are met and transferred to your hotel in the Sacred Valley.
Day12
Day 12: Sacred Valley
The Sacred Valley was the cradle of Inca civilisation. Its sites include Urubamba, with the country residence of the Inca Huayna Capac; the Pisac archaeological complex; Ollantaytambo, with its ceremonial centre; Chinchero, with a colonial church built over an Inca temple; and Moray, with its amphitheatre-like agricultural terraces. Near Pisac, visit a local handicraft market and the Awanakancha centre, home to llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. Buffet lunch at the Inka House restaurant.
Day13
Day 13: Sacred Valley – Machu Picchu – Cusco
Breakfast. Train through the Sacred Valley, along the Urubamba River, to Aguas Calientes, then a 30-minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu. The Inca city, with its stone temples, houses and fountains set on a ridge between two peaks, remained hidden until Hiram Bingham reached it in 1911. Guided tour. In the afternoon, lunch and return to Cusco by train, then transfer to the hotel.
Day14
Day 14: Cusco – Lima
After breakfast, excursion to the Sacsayhuamán complex, the Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun), the Tambomachay water temple and Puka Pukara (the Red Fortress), a former military outpost. Transfer to the airport for the flight to Lima, where you are met and transferred to the hotel.
Day15
Day 15: Lima
After breakfast, city tour of the colonial centre — the Main Square with its cathedral, the San Francisco Monastery and buildings with traditional wooden balconies — followed by the residential districts of San Isidro, with its olive grove, and Miraflores, with its Central Park and Larco Avenue. Return to the hotel and transfer to the airport for your international departure flight.
Suggested hotels
Arena Leme
Superior
Rio de Janeiro
4-star option in Rio de Janeiro (3 nights).
Viale Cataratas
Superior
Foz do Iguaçu
4-star option in Foz do Iguaçu (2 nights).
474 Buenos Aires
Superior
Buenos Aires
4-star option in Buenos Aires (3 nights).
Novotel Providencia
Superior
Santiago de Chile
4-star option in Santiago de Chile (2 nights).
Casa Andina Sacred Valley
Superior
Sacred Valley
4-star option in the Sacred Valley (2 nights).
Casa Andina Premium Cusco
Superior
Cusco
4-star option in Cusco (1 night).
Casa Andina Premium Miraflores
Superior
Lima
4-star option in Lima (1 night).
Essential, Premium and Luxury categories available. Final accommodation is confirmed by date and availability.
What's included
Included: Accommodation in hotels with breakfast
Included: Transfers and excursions according to the programme
Included: Entrance tickets
Included: Train ticket to Machu Picchu on the Vistadome train
What's not included
Not included: International airfare
Not included: Domestic flights: Rio de Janeiro – Foz do Iguaçu – Buenos Aires – Santiago de Chile – Cusco – Lima
Not included: Airport and tourism taxes and visa fees
Not included: Meals and drinks not mentioned in the programme, and food and drinks during transfers
Not included: Drinks unless explicitly stated
Not included: Tips and gratuities
Not included: Personal expenses and optional excursions
Not included: Travel insurance
Not included: Anything not expressly mentioned as included