A twelve-day journey linking four destinations across Brazil, Argentina and Chile by domestic flight.
It opens with three nights in Rio de Janeiro, with half-day tours to Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar) by cable car and to Corcovado, where the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooks Guanabara Bay. It continues with two nights at the Iguaçu Falls, visited from both the Brazilian and the Argentine sides, including the Devil's Throat. Three nights in Buenos Aires follow, with a city tour taking in La Boca, San Telmo, Plaza de Mayo, the Obelisco, Recoleta and Puerto Madero, and an evening tango show with dinner. It closes with three nights in Santiago de Chile, with a city tour and a full-day excursion to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar through the Casablanca wine valley. Accommodation is offered in 3-, 4- and 5-star categories, and a free day in Buenos Aires leaves room for optional excursions.
Highlights
Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar) by cable car via Morro da Urca
Corcovado and the Christ the Redeemer statue by train
Iguaçu Falls from the Brazilian and Argentine sides, with the Devil's Throat
Buenos Aires city tour and a tango show with dinner
Santiago city tour and a full-day excursion to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar
Domestic flights Rio de Janeiro – Iguaçu – Buenos Aires – Santiago de Chile
Day-by-day itinerary
Day1
Day 1: Arrival in Rio de Janeiro
Arrival at Rio de Janeiro airport, where a driver meets you with a sign and transfers you to the hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure by the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema.
Day2
Day 2: Sugarloaf and central Rio
After breakfast, half-day tour (about 4 hours) with an English-speaking guide to Sugarloaf. From Praia Vermelha, a cable car rises first to Morro da Urca and then to the summit of Pão de Açúcar, with views over Copacabana, Ipanema, Leme, Guanabara Bay, the Rio–Niterói Bridge and Corcovado. The tour continues by car through central old Rio, past colonial-era churches, monasteries and buildings; time permitting, the Catedral de São Sebastião and the Escadaria Selarón.
Day3
Day 3: Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer
After breakfast, half-day tour (about 4 hours) with an English-speaking guide to Corcovado. A train climbs through the forest to the summit at 700 m, where the 38 m statue of Christ the Redeemer (erected in 1931) overlooks Guanabara Bay, the Rio–Niterói Bridge, the Botanical Garden, the Maracanã stadium and Sugarloaf.
Day4
Day 4: Rio de Janeiro – Iguaçu
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Iguaçu. On arrival a driver meets you and transfers you to the hotel. The falls lie on the Iguaçu River, on the border between Brazil and Argentina, with 275 cascades and viewpoints over the Devil's Throat from both the Brazilian and Argentine sides.
Day5
Day 5: Iguaçu Falls — Brazilian side
After breakfast, excursion to the Brazilian side of the Iguaçu Falls, set within a national park with its own flora and fauna. Walkways along the canyon of the Iguaçu River lead to viewpoints over the falls, where 275 cascades merge towards the Devil's Throat.
Day6
Day 6: Iguaçu Falls — Argentine side and flight to Buenos Aires
After breakfast, excursion to the Argentine side of the Iguaçu Falls. Crossing the Tancredo Neves Bridge, trails through the national park lead beside and beneath the falls, including the Devil's Throat, the largest of them. 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 and tango show
After breakfast, half-day city tour (about 3 hours) with an English-speaking guide: La Boca, San Telmo with the Plaza Dorrego antiques market, Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada, the Obelisco on Avenida 9 de Julio, the Recoleta district with its cemetery and the El Pilar church, Puerto Madero, and the Lezama and Tres de Febrero parks. In the evening, a tango show with dinner and Argentine wines.
Day8
Day 8: Free day in Buenos Aires
After breakfast, free day for independent walks or optional excursions.
Day9
Day 9: Buenos Aires – Santiago de Chile
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Santiago de Chile. On arrival, a driver meets you and transfers you to the hotel.
Day10
Day 10: Santiago city tour
After breakfast, half-day city tour (about 4 hours) with an English-speaking guide. It begins in the centre at the Palacio de La Moneda, built in 1799 and now the seat of government, and the Plaza de Armas with the cathedral, the municipality and the central post office. The tour climbs Santa Lucía hill for a panorama of the city and continues through the modern districts of Vitacura, Las Condes and Providencia, along the Mapocho River.
Day11
Day 11: Excursion to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar
After breakfast, full-day excursion to Valparaíso. The 120 km drive crosses the Curacaví and Casablanca valleys, known for their white wines. In Valparaíso, a UNESCO World Heritage site, visit Plaza Victoria, Plaza Sotomayor with the monument to the heroes of Iquique, and the Paseo 21 de Mayo overlooking the port. The excursion continues to the resort of Viña del Mar and the Quinta Vergara park, with time to walk along the beach before returning to Santiago.
Day12
Day 12: Departure
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your international flight.
Suggested hotels
Best Western Plus Design Copacabana
Standard
Rio de Janeiro
3-star option in Rio de Janeiro (3 nights).
Viale Tower
Standard
Foz do Iguaçu
3-star option in Foz do Iguaçu (2 nights).
Icaro Suites Buenos Aires
Standard
Buenos Aires
3-star option in Buenos Aires (3 nights).
Torremayor Lyon
Standard
Santiago de Chile
3-star option in Santiago de Chile (3 nights).
Arena Leme
Superior
Rio de Janeiro
4-star option in Rio de Janeiro (3 nights).
Vivaz Cataratas
Superior
Foz do Iguaçu
4-star option in Foz do Iguaçu (2 nights).
474 Buenos Aires Hotel
Superior
San Nicolás
4-star option in Buenos Aires (3 nights).
Rooftop terrace
Resto bar
Garden
Conference room
Laundry service
Free WiFi
Galerías Pacífico (~0.4 km)
Av. Corrientes (~0.3 km)
Puerto Madero (~0.8 km)
Galerías Pacífico
NH Ciudad de Santiago
Superior
Providencia
4-star option in Santiago de Chile (3 nights).
Restaurant
Bar
Gym
24-hour reception
Laundry
Parking
El Salvador Metro Station (2 blocks)
Barrio Italia
Parque Bustamante
Costanera Center
Miramar by Windsor
Luxury
Rio de Janeiro
5-star option in Rio de Janeiro (3 nights).
DoubleTree by Hilton Foz do Iguaçu
Luxury
Foz do Iguaçu
5-star option in Foz do Iguaçu (2 nights).
InterContinental Buenos Aires
Luxury
Buenos Aires
5-star option in Buenos Aires (3 nights).
NH Collection Plaza Santiago
Luxury
Santiago de Chile
5-star option in Santiago de Chile (3 nights).
Essential, Premium and Luxury categories available. Final accommodation is confirmed by date and availability.
What's included
Included: Accommodation in the listed hotels or similar (11 nights: 3 in Rio de Janeiro, 2 in Foz do Iguaçu, 3 in Buenos Aires, 3 in Santiago de Chile)
Included: Breakfast at the hotel
Included: Transfers with driver, in a group
Included: Domestic flights: Rio de Janeiro – Iguaçu – Buenos Aires – Santiago de Chile
Included: Half-day Sugarloaf and central Rio tour with an English-speaking guide
Included: Half-day Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer tour with an English-speaking guide
Included: Iguaçu Falls, Brazilian side, group excursion with an English-speaking guide
Included: Iguaçu Falls, Argentine side, group excursion with an English-speaking guide
Included: Half-day Buenos Aires city tour with an English-speaking guide
Included: Tango show with dinner and wine in Buenos Aires
Included: Half-day Santiago city tour with an English-speaking guide
Included: Full-day excursion to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar
What's not included
Not included: International airfare (the domestic Rio de Janeiro – Iguaçu – Buenos Aires – Santiago de Chile flights are included)
Not included: Airport and tourism taxes and visa fees
Not included: Meals 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:
Rio by night (show) — Evening show of samba, capoeira and Latin American dances, with performers in costume. Transfers not included.
Optional, at extra cost:
Guanabara Bay boat trip — Boat trip from Marina da Glória past Botafogo, Flamengo and Urca, with views of Sugarloaf, the Rio–Niterói Bridge, the Museum of Modern Art and the Santa Cruz Fortress. Group boat, minimum 2 people, with an English-speaking guide. Transfers included.
Optional, at extra cost:
Mysteries of Old Rio — Four-hour private tour of the historic centre with an English-speaking guide: the Candelária Church, the São Bento Monastery, the Arcos da Lapa, the Municipal Theatre, Praça XV and the Confeitaria Colombo (food and drinks not included). Minimum 2 people.
Optional, at extra cost:
Helicopter flight — Scenic helicopter flight over Rio de Janeiro, with options from 6 to 13 minutes over Corcovado, the Botanical Garden, Leblon, Ipanema, Copacabana and Sugarloaf.
Optional, at extra cost:
Botanical Garden — Visit to the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, with its alleys, lakes and more than 7,000 plant species, including wild orchids, imperial palms and Victoria water lilies. Private, minimum 2 people, with an English-speaking guide.
Optional, at extra cost:
Favela tour — Tour by jeep through the Rocinha favela, in a group or private, with an English-speaking guide.
Optional, at extra cost:
Hang gliding — Tandem hang-gliding flight from Pedra Bonita in the Tijuca Forest, landing at Pepino beach, with a professional English-speaking instructor. Transfers and GoPro recording included.
Optional, at extra cost:
Rafain show — Dinner at the Rafain Grill, with a buffet of grilled meats and a show of Latin American performers. Drinks not included.
Optional, at extra cost:
Macuco Safari — Jeep safari through the jungle followed by a boat ride to the foot of the falls. Add-on to the Brazilian-side excursion.
Optional, at extra cost:
Bird Park — Visit to the bird park next to the Iguaçu National Park, with large aviaries set in the rainforest. Add-on to the Brazilian-side excursion.
Optional, at extra cost:
Helicopter flight over the falls — Ten-minute flight over the Iguaçu Falls. Minimum 3 people. Add-on to the Brazilian-side excursion.
Optional, at extra cost:
Tigre and the northern suburbs — Excursion through the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires and San Isidro, ending in Tigre with a boat ride along the rivers and canals of its delta. Combined group, with an English-speaking guide.
Optional, at extra cost:
Montevideo (Uruguay) — Full-day excursion to Montevideo, crossing the Río de la Plata by ferry: the port, Plaza Independencia, the city centre, the Old Town and the cathedral, with free time before the return ferry. Private, minimum 2 people, with an English-speaking guide. Ferry tickets included.
Optional, at extra cost:
Fiesta Gaucha — Full-day excursion (about 8 hours) to a ranch 80 km from the city, with gaucho folklore and horsemanship and a traditional Argentine lunch included. Combined group, with an English-speaking guide.
Optional, at extra cost:
Winery tour with wine tasting — Excursion to the Maipo Valley to visit wineries, see the winemaking process and taste Chilean wines. Private, minimum 2 people, with an English-speaking guide.