¡Bienvenidos a Buenos Aires! Argentina’s capital is known for its arts scene and rich architectural heritage. Arrive at Ezeiza Airport (EZE) and meet your transfer to your hotel, situated on the impressive Avenida 9 de Julio. This evening, gather with your fellow travellers for a three-course welcome dinner and tango show at Café de los Angelitos.
Three-course welcome dinner and tango show
Enjoy breakfast before setting off to explore Buenos Aires. Visit Buenos Aires’ oldest public square, the Plaza de Mayo, and gaze upon the pink facade of the Presidential Palace or ‘Casa Rosada’. Admire the historic town hall, the Cabildo, dating back to the 17th century, and marvel at the grand neoclassical Metropolitan Cathedral.
Stroll through Plaza San Martin, then wander down Avenida Alvear to the Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar – one of the city’s oldest churches.
Pay a visit to the grave of Eva Peron – former First Lady and beloved Argentine actress – on a trip to La Recoleta Cemetery before making your way to the riverside barrio of Puerto Madero. Pass through the San Telmo neighbourhood, known for its stylised murals and street markets. Continue south to the port area of La Boca and stroll the Caminito, where dancers keep the tradition of tango alive in the streets from which it originated. Then return to your hotel this evening.
Rise for breakfast, then depart for the historic town of San Antonio de Areco and a day in gaucho country. These nomadic horsemen, iconic figures in Argentina for centuries, would ride through the region, working at one ranch before travelling onward to the next. Take a tour of the village then make your way to the Estancia ‘El Ombu de Areco’.
Named for the resident ombu tree – a mainstay of the Pampas grasslands – this late-colonial house features a covered gallery and cascading steps. Climb into the saddle or hop into a carriage to ride across the grounds. For lunch, tuck into a typical Pampas barbeque of fine meats, then relish your dessert with a folk music performance and gaucho horse demonstration. Return this evening to your Buenos Aires hotel for a restful night.
Check out of your Buenos Aires hotel and head to the airport for your onward flight to Puerto Iguazu, where you’ll meet your guide. Waste no time as you set out to see the jaw-dropping Iguazu Falls. Marking the Triple Frontier – where the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet – this humbling natural wonder is composed of around 275 dramatic cascades. With over 80% of the waterfalls on the Argentine side of the border, your visit to Iguazu National Park is the prime introduction to this spectacle.
Take a train through the park, stopping to admire the falls and following the walkways to the top for an incredible view. This place is home to many endemic species, including the giant otter, and you can appreciate the natural beauty on your way to the ultimate Iguazu experience – a trip to the suspended platform at the brink of the ‘Devil’s Throat’ waterfall.
Later, cross the border into Brazil and check in at your stunning hotel for the evening.
Iguazu Falls visit
Fill up with breakfast at your Foz do Iguacu hotel, then join a safari through the national park. Follow your guide along the walkways of the Brazilian side of the falls, then board an open-sided jeep for a drive through the jungle in search of the diverse local wildlife. Transfer to a boat for a thrilling ride into the spray of the waterfalls, taking one last chance to admire them from a different perspective.
Later, transfer back to your hotel for an evening at rest.
Iguazu Falls wildlife safari
This morning, it’s time to transfer to the airport for your flight to Rio de Janeiro, known as the holiday capital of Brazil.
Check-in at your well-appointed hotel on Copacabana Beach, then join your local guide for the journey to Sugarloaf Mountain – so named for its resemblance to the traditional form of refined sugar. Take the cable car to the top of this 395-metre-high rock, offering incredible 360-degree views of the city, green islands and surrounding mountains.
This morning, travel along the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and take the small train up Corcovado Hill to the towering figure of Christ the Redeemer – a statue named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Weave through the Tijuca National Park, the largest urban forest in the world, and stand in wonder at the views from the top.
This afternoon, make your way to Samba City for a tour of the Carnival. Witness the production process of these vibrant and detailed costumes and floats, visiting warehouses and exhibitions detailing the history of samba and the world-famous Carnival parade.
Welcomed with a refreshingly zesty caipirinha – Brazil’s national cocktail – you’ll have the chance to don the carnival costumes and feel the music of the world’s biggest carnival celebration.
Today is yours for the taking, with the sprawling wonder of Rio at your feet. Wander the streets in search of mouthwatering feijoada or churrasco, then sink your toes into the sands of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. With your centrally located hotel, you can spend your afternoon soaking up the South American sun.
Wave goodbye to Brazil and take your flight to Lima, Peru’s coastal capital.
Upon arrival you’ll be transferred to your hotel in the heart of the city’s shopping district for an evening at leisure.
Take the morning to explore Lima, starting at the Main Square, where you’ll admire the Government Palace and the City Hall – a collection of structures demonstrating the city’s colonial influence.
Step inside the chapels of the Cathedral of Lama, uncovering Peru’s religious history as you study the varied architectural styles evident in the cathedral’s construction. Continue to the 17th-century San Francisco Convent and descend into history in the catacombs below.
Follow your guide on a tour of the renowned Museo Larco, home to a collection of approximately 45,000 pre-Columbian objects. From glittering gold and shining silver jewellery to erotic ceramic art, the museum’s collection covers over 3,000 years of Peruvian history. Later, return to your hotel and spend the rest of your day freely.
After breakfast, it’s time to transfer to the airport for your flight to Cusco.
Upon arrival, you will travel approximately 90 minutes north to the Sacred Valley. Stop along the way to explore the town of Pisac, known for the fine jewellery, ceramics and textiles that fill its artisan markets.
Continue to Hacienda Huayoccari, a traditional farming estate distinguished by its views over the Sacred Valley. Savour a lunch of farm-fresh produce, drawing on the culinary traditions of Peru – expect trout and tuna causa, Andean white corn soup and pork chops with fava beans.
Continue to your hotel in Urubamba, the heart of the Sacred Valley. After checking in, you’re free to acclimatise and discover this UNESCO World Heritage-listed city.
After breakfast, drive through the Urubamba Valley and visit Emperor Pachacuti’s colossal stone fortress-temple of Ollantaytambo. Notable as a site where the invading Spanish lost a major battle against the Inca, your tour will take you through the ruins of the archaeological complex and its imposing fortifications.
Visit an organic farm to learn more of the region’s major crops and cultivation practices, then sit down to a traditional pachamanca meal, cooked under hot stones in an earthen oven.
This afternoon, continue to the Salt Pans of Maras – a collection of thousands of shallow salt pools that mark over 500 years of continuous salt extraction.
Later, return to your accommodation for a peaceful evening.
Enjoy a hearty breakfast, then transfer to Ollantaytambo train station for your Vistadome service to Machu Picchu. Admire the Andes from your glass-roofed carriage, before arriving in the Peruvian town of Aguas Calientes.
Take the bus up to the citadel, then follow your guide through one of the New Seven Wonders of the World as you unearth the archaeological treasures of the ‘Lost City of the Incas’.
Later, transfer back to the train for another journey through the valley on your way to Cusco, the heart of the Inca Empire. Check in at your central hotel and spend your evening unwinding after a day of ancient adventure.
Set high in the Peruvian Andes, kick off the day with a guided tour of Cusco. Discover the archaeological remains of Sacsayhuaman citadel and study the precise stonemasonry required to construct this elevated site. Return to the city centre for a stroll through the Main Square, where you’ll stand in awe of Cusco Cathedral, built atop an Inca Palace and combining Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance styles.
Round out your tour at the Temple of the Sun, Coricancha, known for being one of the most important temples of the Inca capital.
This evening, bid farewell to Peru with a dinner of Peruvian cuisine at MAP restaurant, situated in the central courtyard of the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art.
Rise early for an energising breakfast, then transfer to the airport for your flight to Santiago via Lima.
Take a private transfer to your central hotel, situated in the prestigious Barrio El Golf, known as ‘Sanhattan’. Here, you may spend your evening at leisure in your accommodation, or hit the pavement to discover a neighbourhood of delicious cuisine and a thriving live arts scene.
Get acquainted with Santiago as you take a guided tour through heritage buildings and cobbled streets, starting at its historic centre. From the Plaza de Armas, your guide will lead you through the civic district to the colonnades and soaring ceilings of the Metropolitan Cathedral and onward to the Palacio de La Moneda, the seat of the President of Chile.
Delve deeper into the structures of Santiago’s oldest neighbourhoods, then take the cable car up San Cristobal Hill for a look at the Virgin Mary statue and views of the cityscape.
Rise and shine for your transfer to the surrounding Maipo Valley wine region. This valley sits alongside the steady-flowing Maipo River. Visit the renowned Santa Rita Winery, founded in 1880 by Domingo Fernandez Concha and declared a national monument.
Taste the finest Chilean wine, including the coveted cabernet sauvignon, as you learn about the traditional use of French and American oak barrels and the modern production techniques that give these wines their distinct body. Later, return to your Santiago hotel for your final evening spent at leisure.
Maipo Valley wine tasting
After one last breakfast, it’s time to meet your transfer to Santiago Airport (SCL) where your grand tour of South America concludes.
