A thirteen-day journey linking the best of Peru and Brazil by domestic flight.
The circuit opens in Lima, the City of Kings, with a tour of its historic centre and museums. It continues in Cusco, with the Sacsayhuamán archaeological park and a full day at Machu Picchu by tourist train, then crosses the highlands to Puno for Lake Titicaca and the floating Uros Islands. In Brazil, two nights in Foz do Iguaçu take in the Brazilian side of the falls; then Rio de Janeiro with Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer, and finally the beaches of Búzios. Accommodation is offered in the 4-star category, with each leg connected by domestic flights.
Highlights
Machu Picchu by tourist train
Cusco and the Sacsayhuamán archaeological park, with Kenko, Tambomachay, Puka Pukara and the Coricancha
Lake Titicaca and the floating Uros Islands
Iguaçu Falls from the Brazilian side
Rio de Janeiro: Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer
The beaches of Búzios
Day-by-day itinerary
Day1
Day 1: Arrival in Lima
Arrival in Lima, where you are met and transferred to the hotel. Lima, rich in monuments from the Inca era and the Spanish colonial period, is home to numerous museums; the pre-Inca ruins of Pachacamac lie nearby, and its craft markets offer fine, inexpensive souvenirs.
Day2
Day 2: Lima
After breakfast, a private guided tour of Lima, the City of Kings. It begins at the Parque del Amor in Miraflores, overlooking the Pacific, then a panoramic drive through Miraflores and San Isidro, past the Huaca Pucllana and Huaca Huallamarca pyramids, to the historic centre and its main square, framed by the Government Palace, the Municipality, the Archbishop's Palace and the Cathedral, where Francisco Pizarro is buried (entrance included). It continues to the Monastery of Santo Domingo and the Larco Museum (entrances included). Duration about 4 hours; the rest of the day is free.
Day3
Day 3: Lima – Cusco
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Cusco (airfare not included). On arrival, transfer to the hotel to acclimatise (Cusco lies at about 3400 m). In the afternoon, a guided tour of the Sacsayhuamán archaeological park: the Sacsayhuamán fortress with its enormous stone blocks, Kenko with its sacrificial altar, the sacred fountains of Tambomachay and the Puka Pukara watchtower; then the Coricancha temple of the Sun, beneath the Santo Domingo Monastery (tickets to the park's four ruins and to the Coricancha included).
Day4
Day 4: Machu Picchu
After breakfast, transfer to the railway station (from 2 January to 30 April, the Vistadome and Expedition trains depart only from the Pachar and Ollantaytambo stations in the Sacred Valley). A tourist train reaches the foot of Machu Picchu; a bus then climbs the winding road (about 25–30 minutes) to the 'lost city of the Incas' (2490 m). After a guided visit of about 2.5 hours there is free time; then descend by bus for a buffet lunch, and return by train and transfer to Cusco.
Day5
Day 5: Cusco – Puno
After breakfast, transfer to the bus station and journey to Puno by tourist bus (shared group, English-speaking guide) across the Peruvian highlands. Stops at the church of Andahuaylillas, the temple of Wiracocha at Raqchi, a buffet lunch, the La Raya pass — the natural border between Cusco and Puno — and the museum at Pukara. Total duration about 10 hours; overnight in Puno (3827 m).
Day6
Day 6: Lake Titicaca and the Uros Islands – Lima
After breakfast, a private tour with an English-speaking guide on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, visiting the reed-built Uros Islands, home to the Aymara who preserve their traditional way of life. Duration about 3 hours. Afterwards, transfer to Juliaca airport and flight to Lima (airfare not included), where you are met and transferred to the hotel.
Day7
Day 7: Lima – Foz do Iguaçu
After breakfast (check-out no later than 12:00 in most Lima hotels), transfer to the airport and flight to Foz do Iguaçu. On arrival, you are met and transferred to the hotel. The Iguaçu Falls, on the border of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, comprise 275 waterfalls that plunge into the 'Devil's Throat' gorge within a national park of unique flora and fauna.
Day8
Day 8: Foz do Iguaçu — Brazilian side
After breakfast, a guided excursion to the Brazilian side of the Iguaçu Falls. Walkways along the canyon of the Iguaçu River lead past many falls to the most powerful of all, the 'Devil's Throat', amid rainbow spray and sweeping landscapes.
Day9
Day 9: Foz do Iguaçu – Rio de Janeiro
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Rio de Janeiro, where you are met. A city tour follows, taking in Sugarloaf: from Praia Vermelha a cable car rises to Morro da Urca and then to Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar), with views of the Leme, Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon and Flamengo beaches, Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer, Tijuca Park, Guanabara Bay and the Rio–Niterói bridge. Time permitting, the historic part of the city; the guide accompanies you back to the hotel.
Day10
Day 10: Rio de Janeiro — Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer
After breakfast, excursion to Corcovado hill and the Christ the Redeemer statue at 710 m, reached through gardens of tropical trees. After enjoying the sweeping view of Rio de Janeiro, return to the hotel.
Day11
Day 11: Rio de Janeiro – Búzios
After breakfast, transfer to Búzios (without guide) and check-in. A fishing village 177 km north of Rio de Janeiro, Búzios charms with its scenery, exotic vegetation and beaches of warm yellow sand and clean ocean water, forest-clad hills and colourful sunsets.
Day12
Day 12: Búzios
After breakfast, a free day. Búzios offers excellent conditions for diving, surfing, water-skiing and kayaking; buggies can be hired to explore the beaches and the town. Several viewpoints give sweeping views of the ocean and the hills, and boat trips run along the coast, with swimming and the local caipirinha. In the evening, shops, bars and restaurants come to life along the main pedestrian street.
Day13
Day 13: Departure
After breakfast, at the appointed time, transfer to the airport (without guide) for your international flight home.
Suggested hotels
Casa Andina Premium Miraflores
Superior
Lima
4-star option in Lima (3 nights).
Casa Andina Premium Cusco
Superior
Cusco
4-star option in Cusco (2 nights).
Casa Andina Premium Puno
Superior
Puno
4-star option in Puno (1 night).
Viale Cataratas
Superior
Foz do Iguaçu
4-star option in Foz do Iguaçu (2 nights).
Arena Leme
Superior
Rio de Janeiro
4-star option in Rio de Janeiro (2 nights).
Portobay Búzios
Superior
Búzios
4-star option in Búzios (2 nights).
Essential, Premium and Luxury categories available. Final accommodation is confirmed by date and availability.
What's included
Included: Accommodation in standard rooms in the listed hotels as per the programme (12 nights)
Included: Breakfast at the hotel
Included: All transfers with driver
Included: Tourist train to Machu Picchu and the round-trip bus up to and down from the citadel
Included: Cusco – Puno tourist bus with an English-speaking guide
Included: Buffet lunch on the Machu Picchu day and on the Cusco – Puno day
Included: Guided excursions in Lima, Cusco, Puno, Machu Picchu, Rio de Janeiro and Foz do Iguaçu
Included: Group tours in Puno and Machu Picchu
Included: Entrances: Lima Cathedral, the Santo Domingo Monastery and the Larco Museum; the Cusco archaeological park (four ruins) and the Coricancha temple
What's not included
Not included: International airfare
Not included: All domestic flights (Lima – Cusco, Juliaca – Lima, Lima – Foz do Iguaçu, Foz do Iguaçu – Rio de Janeiro); fares may vary depending on the time of booking
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
Optional services
Optional, at extra cost:
Bird Park — Visit to the bird park next to the Iguaçu National Park, with large aviaries where extraordinarily colourful birds fly and walk freely amid the tropical forest.
Optional, at extra cost:
Helicopter flight over the falls — Scenic flight over the Iguaçu Falls, with a breathtaking bird's-eye view of the power and beauty of the cascades.
Optional, at extra cost:
Helicopter flight over Rio de Janeiro — Scenic flight offering aerial views of the ocean, the mountains, the white sandy beaches and the whole city, including Christ the Redeemer, the Botanical Garden, the lagoon, Niemeyer Avenue and the Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, as well as Sugarloaf.
Optional, at extra cost:
Seafood dinner at the Marius restaurant — Seafood dinner at the well-known Marius seafood restaurant in Rio de Janeiro.