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Impressions of South America

9 Day South America Tour of Argentina, Brazil | Operated by Trafalgar

  • 9 Days

  • 2 Countries

    Brazil, Argentina

  • 3 Cities

    Rio de Janeiro, Iguassu Falls, Buenos Aires

  • 12 Meals

    1 Welcome Reception, 8 Breakfasts, 2 Regional Dinners, 1 Lunch

  • Pace: Comfortable

    Mainly 2–3-night stays in each location. Comfortable travel days with numerous stops. Requires 1-3 miles of walking per day that might involve some uneven surfaces, such as cobblestones and stairs.

Trip Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Rio de Janeiro

Launch your leisurely exploration of South America to the sultry beats of the Bossa Nova and Samba. A local host will take you to your hotel where you’ll enjoy superb ocean views of Copacabana beach and its beautiful people, just minutes from downtown Rio. This evening, we enjoy a festive Welcome Reception with our Travel Director and fellow travelers.

Hotel: Windsor Excelsior Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
Included Meals: Welcome Reception
Notes
Day 2: Rio de Janeiro Sightseeing and At Leisure

The rhythm of Rio is yours to explore this morning. Join your Local Specialist to delve into the captivating contrasts of Brazil’s cidade maravilhosa (marvelous city). See the 18th-century Carioca Aqueduct, colonial Candelaria Church, and the home of the Rio Carnival, the Sambodromo. Journey high above Guanabara Bay and summit Sugarloaf Mountain via cable car for a 'pinch me moment' of inspiring bay and city views. Spend the evening at leisure.

Hotel: Windsor Excelsior Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
Included Meals: Breakfast
Iconic Experience: Sugar Loaf Mountain by Cable car Journey high above Guanabara Bay first to Urca hill and then the top of Sugarloaf at 1,299 feet above sea level for views of Botafogo cove, Copacabana, and Guanabara Bay. Take in all the dramatic views with plenty of photos knowing you’re a part of history. This Cable Car linking Urca hill to Sugarloaf Mountain built in 1912 was the first Brazilian cable car and the third in the world. You’ll also learn the story of the name Sugarloaf, the most popular version saying that from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, at the peak of sugar cane production, the mounds of refined sugar resembled the shape of the mountain itself. A sweet story with a stunning view.
Notes
Day 3: Rio de Janeiro Sightseeing and At Leisure

Hands outstretched, the iconic Christ the Redeemer welcomes you to the hunched outcrop of Corcovado, sharing his impressive panoramic view of a city that loves to celebrate. This afternoon, soak in the shores of Copacabana and Ipanema. Kick back and watch tanned sun-worshippers playing volleyball and sip a caipirinha or two, which you’ll learn to mix this evening, followed by a sizzling barbecue at a local churrascaria Regional Dinner. Bom proveito! 

Hotel: Windsor Excelsior Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
Included Meals: Breakfast, Regional Dinner
Dive Into Culture: Caipirinha Demonstration At dinner there will be a mixology demonstration where you will learn how to mix a caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil.
Iconic Experience: Visit Corcovado and the iconic Christ the Redeemer Climb into the clouds to the top of Corcovado Mountain to visit the iconic Christ the Redeemer. You’ll ride the Corcovado Railway, the first electrified railroad in Brazil, and an icon itself. The railway is actually older than the monument and even transported the pieces of the monument. The train has taken popes, kings, princes, presidents, artists, scientists - and now you - since its start in 1884. You’ll feel good about your travels too knowing that this electric train doesn’t pollute the surrounding Tijuca National Park. As you ascend 2,379 feet, consider the history of Christ the Redeemer built from 1926-1931, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and one of the most famous Art Déco sculptures. Gaze out the window at the views of the Rio de Janeiro and, at the top, stand beneath the famous statue’s feet looking up to its top of 98 feet high.
Notes
Day 4: Rio de Janeiro – Iguassu Falls

Journey into some of South America’s most beautiful natural landscapes taking a flight from Rio to Iguassu Falls, the UNESCO-listed magnificent falls that straddle the borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Explore the Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls, 'Big Waters', in Iguassu National Park with a Local Specialist. Hike to the cascading falls through giant clouds and sprays of water feeling refreshed in the humidity. You’ll learn that while hot and humid, this lush micro-climate supports diverse fauna in its subtropical rainforest of over 2,000 species of vascular plants. Conclude your day crossing the border to Argentina to your hotel.

Hotel: Hotel Mercure, Argentina
Included Meals: Breakfast
Iconic Experience: Visit the UNESCO-listed Iguassu National Park Join a Local Specialist who will guide your exploration of the Brazilian side of the falls in this massive park spanning the border between Argentina and Brazil. The region hosts a variety of wildlife including tapirs, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots, jaguars, caymans and 400 species of birds - so be on the lookout for that special photo-op. Given Iguassu’s support of extreme habitats and diverse species, it’s no wonder it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Notes
Day 5: Iguassu National Park Argentinian side with local specialist

Get a different perspective of grandeur on the Argentinian side of the falls at the Devil's throat. Your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience finds you paying a visit to the Guarani community of Fortín M'bororé who open their doors to reveal the secrets of the jungle, their natural medicine, culture, songs, dances, crafts, philosophy and beliefs. Discover with the Guarani the "Spirit of the Trees", a walk where you learn to walk through the interior of the Jungle guided by aboriginal experts. This afternoon, join an optional experience on Gran Aventura boat tour or an Argentinean experience learning about Argentine culture, tasting local dishes in a five-course dinner, sampling four Argentinean wines and mingling with travelers from around the world.

Hotel: Hotel Mercure, Argentina
Included Meals: Breakfast
Iconic Experience: Explore Iguassu National Park on the Argentinian side Join a local specialist for a walk along the long catwalk suspended above the swirling waters of the Iguassu River. View the chaotic crush of water pouring down Devil's throat falls. Then board an open-air ecological jungle train for a different perspective of the mighty cascades.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®: Visit of the Guarani Community Visiting the ancestral Guarani community for an immersive MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Join the Guarani for a jungle walk, first greeted by an aboriginal "guide" who leads you through trails that surround and crisscross the village. Learn about the beliefs, myths, legends and the virtues of medicinal plants and their uses before visiting the temple in the heart of the jungle discovering the initiation and baptism rituals of the tribe. See the plantations, their homes and their hunting traps for different kinds of animals that they used in ancient times. Your visit ends with a display of handicrafts using resources such as wood, lianas, seeds, etc.
Notes
Day 6: Iguassu Falls – Buenos Aires

Take a flight from Iguassu Falls to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. Check into your hotel located in the heart of the cultural center at the historic Plaza San Martin and, with the rest of the day free, perhaps take a stroll around this upscale part of the city. This evening dive into culture watching the passionate fiery and precise steps of some of Buenos Aires most talented tango dancers. Here at El Viejo Almacen in the neighborhood of San Telmo, you’re in the most classic house of tango putting on shows since 1969 and preserving the architecture and atmosphere of Tango culture.

Hotel: Alvear Art Hotel, Buenos Aires
Included Meals: Breakfast, Regional Dinner
Dive Into Culture: The Beautiful Dance of Tango Experience the beauty of the Tango and learn about its traditions.
Notes
Day 7: Buenos Aires Sightseeing and at Leisure

Take in the sights of Buenos Aires on a City Tour to the pink palace, cathedral and La Boca neighborhood. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and explore this exciting city on your own or join one of our tempting optionals. Head to the northern outskirts of Buenos Aires to the lush countryside of the Tigre Delta, a popular weekend getaway of scenery, summer residences, yachting and a chance to see another way of Argentine life. Or venture on a wine tasting trip to “El Querandi,” a big house located in the historical district and considered a living testimony of the city originally founded as a bar in 1920.

Hotel: Alvear Art Hotel, Buenos Aires
Included Meals: Breakfast
Iconic Experience: Buenos Aires City Tour Embark on a Buenos Aires City Tour with a Local Specialist. Walk through the wide boulevards of this beautiful capital admiring the spirit of a city whose European and Latin American influences can be seen around every turn. See the pink palace, the seat of the Argentine national government and president's office whose balcony Juan and “Evita” Perón addressed the people in the 1940s and 1950s. Visit the cathedral and wander through the lively and colorful La Boca neighborhood lined with restaurants, street artists and local art around every corner.
Notes
Day 8: Buenos Aires at Leisure

Leave Buenos Aires to San Antonio de Areco, the heart of the gaucho traditions in the pampas region, for a tour along its quaint streets lined with silversmiths. Take part in a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience visiting a local project of the Local Association for disabled people who are keeping up the tradition of making the alpargatas shoes. Appreciate more artisans paying a visit to a local artist's studio observing how masterpieces are created. Cap off your day with a Be My Guest Experience, complete with sizzling asado steak, at a family-owned gaucho ranch where your watch cowboys show off the horsemanship accompanied by music and dance.

Hotel: Alvear Art Hotel, Buenos Aires
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Dive Into Culture: Visit San Antonio de Areco Uncover San Antonio de Areco, the heart of the “gaucho” traditions in the “pampas” region. Walk around the small village’s cobblestoned streets appreciating its quaint historical center. See the main square, the church, and meet some of the locals along the way. Also known as the ‘Cradle of Tradition’ the colonial town was founded over 280 years ago and is filled with old bars (“pulperías”) and artisan shops with over 30 silversmiths. Known as “platería criolla”, the traditional Argentinean silverworks include knives, jewelery and other traditional items.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®: Visit a project of the Local Association for Disabled People Visit a workshop where people with special abilities manufacture in an artisanal way the traditional shoe of the gauchos: "alpargatas", still used in the countryside and by many rural workers. Learn about the production process. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience helps the association to support youth and adults develop their abilities to make these traditional shoes and is the only factory offering disabled people job opportunities.
Dive Into Culture: Visit a Gaucho Painter Atelier Visit a gaucho painter’s studio to view his works, appreciate the diverse subjects of his paintings, learn the history of the gaucho town followed by a fascinating drawing demonstration.
Be My Guest: Gaucho Ranch Experience with a Local Family Visit a family-run gaucho ranch for an energizing event of food, drink, music, dance and horseback riding demonstrations. Kick off with a lunch of empanadas, salads, asado meat of sausages, chicken and beef and drinks followed by flan with dulce de leche for dessert. You’ll even learn how to grill the asado. Discoveries continue over a demonstration of gaucho´s skill with horses and a lively show. Take time to wander among the historic, 150-year-old building past the cows and horses before taking home your keepsake leather accessory gift typical of this region.
Notes
Day 9: Depart Buenos Aires

Our South America adventure comes to an end this morning. Say a fond hasta luego to Buenos Aires and newfound friends, transferring to the airport for your flight home or choose to extend your stay.

Included Meals: Breakfast
Notes
This itinerary is for reference only. Upon booking with GET, guests will receive tour documents which will list all confirmed hotels and itineraries based upon the guest's departure date.

Price Includes

What's Included
  • - An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
  • - Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
  • - All porterage and restaurant gratuities
  • - All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
  • - Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
  • - Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
  • - Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
  • - Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
  • - A Trafalgar bonus all Intra-Air Flights: Rio de Janeiro to Iguassu and Iguassu to Buenos Aires, including porter service at all airports
  • - Optional Experiences and free time
  • - On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.
Dining Summary
  • - 1 Welcome Reception (WR)
  • - 8 Breakfasts (B)
  • - 2 Regional Dinners (RD)
  • - 1 Lunch (L)
Iconic Experience
  • Journey high above Guanabara Bay first to Urca hill and then the top of Sugarloaf at 1,299 feet above sea level for views of Botafogo cove, Copacabana, and Guanabara Bay. Take in all the dramatic views with plenty of photos knowing you’re a part of history. This Cable Car linking Urca hill to Sugarloaf Mountain built in 1912 was the first Brazilian cable car and the third in the world. You’ll also learn the story of the name Sugarloaf, the most popular version saying that from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, at the peak of sugar cane production, the mounds of refined sugar resembled the shape of the mountain itself. A sweet story with a stunning view.
  • Climb into the clouds to the top of Corcovado Mountain to visit the iconic Christ the Redeemer. You’ll ride the Corcovado Railway, the first electrified railroad in Brazil, and an icon itself. The railway is actually older than the monument and even transported the pieces of the monument. The train has taken popes, kings, princes, presidents, artists, scientists - and now you - since its start in 1884. You’ll feel good about your travels too knowing that this electric train doesn’t pollute the surrounding Tijuca National Park. As you ascend 2,379 feet, consider the history of Christ the Redeemer built from 1926-1931, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and one of the most famous Art Déco sculptures. Gaze out the window at the views of the Rio de Janeiro and, at the top, stand beneath the famous statue’s feet looking up to its top of 98 feet high.
  • Join a Local Specialist who will guide your exploration of the Brazilian side of the falls in this massive park spanning the border between Argentina and Brazil. The region hosts a variety of wildlife including tapirs, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots, jaguars, caymans and 400 species of birds - so be on the lookout for that special photo-op. Given Iguassu’s support of extreme habitats and diverse species, it’s no wonder it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
  • Join a local specialist for a walk along the long catwalk suspended above the swirling waters of the Iguassu River. View the chaotic crush of water pouring down Devil's throat falls. Then board an open-air ecological jungle train for a different perspective of the mighty cascades.
  • Embark on a Buenos Aires City Tour with a Local Specialist. Walk through the wide boulevards of this beautiful capital admiring the spirit of a city whose European and Latin American influences can be seen around every turn. See the pink palace, the seat of the Argentine national government and president's office whose balcony Juan and “Evita” Perón addressed the people in the 1940s and 1950s. Visit the cathedral and wander through the lively and colorful La Boca neighborhood lined with restaurants, street artists and local art around every corner.
Dive Into Culture
  • At dinner there will be a mixology demonstration where you will learn how to mix a caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil.
  • Experience the beauty of the Tango and learn about its traditions.
  • Uncover San Antonio de Areco, the heart of the “gaucho” traditions in the “pampas” region. Walk around the small village’s cobblestoned streets appreciating its quaint historical center. See the main square, the church, and meet some of the locals along the way. Also known as the ‘Cradle of Tradition’ the colonial town was founded over 280 years ago and is filled with old bars (“pulperías”) and artisan shops with over 30 silversmiths. Known as “platería criolla”, the traditional Argentinean silverworks include knives, jewelery and other traditional items.
  • Visit a gaucho painter’s studio to view his works, appreciate the diverse subjects of his paintings, learn the history of the gaucho town followed by a fascinating drawing demonstration.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
  • Visiting the ancestral Guarani community for an immersive MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Join the Guarani for a jungle walk, first greeted by an aboriginal "guide" who leads you through trails that surround and crisscross the village. Learn about the beliefs, myths, legends and the virtues of medicinal plants and their uses before visiting the temple in the heart of the jungle discovering the initiation and baptism rituals of the tribe. See the plantations, their homes and their hunting traps for different kinds of animals that they used in ancient times. Your visit ends with a display of handicrafts using resources such as wood, lianas, seeds, etc.
  • Visit a workshop where people with special abilities manufacture in an artisanal way the traditional shoe of the gauchos: "alpargatas", still used in the countryside and by many rural workers. Learn about the production process. This MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience helps the association to support youth and adults develop their abilities to make these traditional shoes and is the only factory offering disabled people job opportunities.
Be My Guest
  • Visit a family-run gaucho ranch for an energizing event of food, drink, music, dance and horseback riding demonstrations. Kick off with a lunch of empanadas, salads, asado meat of sausages, chicken and beef and drinks followed by flan with dulce de leche for dessert. You’ll even learn how to grill the asado. Discoveries continue over a demonstration of gaucho´s skill with horses and a lively show. Take time to wander among the historic, 150-year-old building past the cows and horses before taking home your keepsake leather accessory gift typical of this region.

Optional Experiences

Optional Experiences are subject to change. Your Travel Director will supply you with a final list of Optional Experiences available on your trip. Optional Experiences cannot be booked online; they can be purchased during your trip through your Travel Director.

Santa Teresa including Selarón Steps (Available on Day 2)

Drive to the charming Santa Teresa hilltop neighborhood. Walk around the winding narrow streets filled with colorful buildings, artists, and a bohemian ambiance. Pass by the “Largo das Neves” plaza and the “Nossa Senhora das Neves” Church. Then, walk towards the municipal park “Parque das Ruínas” where you can see an old historic mansion with art exhibitions and spectacular views of Rio and Guanabara Bay. End your tour at one of the city’s top attractions: the Selarón Steps. Made by Jorge Selarón, the 215 colorful steps are covered in bright ceramic mosaics.

Adult Price: $40 Child Price: $40 Ginga Tropical Show (Available on Day 2)

Ginga Tropical celebrities the diversity and culture of the Northeast, Amazon, Pampas, Bahia and Rio De Janeiro though music and dance. Bohemian culture, folklore and mystical rituals are represented by the drummers and beautiful dancers dressed with carnival costumes.

Adult Price: $131 Child Price: $131 Botanical Garden & Tijuca Forest by Jeep (Available on Day 3)

The 140-hectare Botanical park lies at the foot of the Corcovado Mountain, far below the right arm of the statue of Christ the Redeemer and contains more than 6,000 different species of tropical and subtropical plants and trees; it also houses monuments of historical, artistic and archaeological significance and an important botany research center. Following the visit, you will head to Tijuca Atlantic Forest with the opportunity to visit Chinese View, a magnificent gazebo from where you are able to see beaches and tourist attractions. Afterwards, on the way back to the pier you will stop at Pepino Beach along the way to witness the hang gliders.

Adult Price: $70 Child Price: $70 Journey through a Bird Park (Available on Day 5)

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER at this family-owned park that is home to more than 900 native birds from 150 species. Enjoy a self-guided walking tour along a well-marked trail through subtropical forests. Enter aviaries to get more of an up close and personal view of the birds.

Adult Price: $40 Child Price: $40 Dinner and Show at Churrascaria Rafain (Available on Day 5)

Journey through South America Culture with a folkloric performance of Samba, Tango and Paraguayan music while enjoying a traditional Brazilian barbecue dinner.

Adult Price: $113 Child Price: $113 Explore Macuco Safari (Available on Day 5)

Begin this adventure in open-air wagons as you work your way through lush sub-tropical forests. Then hike down the canyon where the Macuco Falls tumble over basalt cliffs into the Iguassu basin. Here, board a custom-designed inflatable motorboat for a 20-30 minute exhilarating ride to the base of the falls. 

Adult Price: $132 Child Price: $132 Gran Aventura (Available on Day 5)

Departing from the Operative Center or from the Visitors’ Center, we shall enter the jungle by the Yacaratiá trail in trucks specially designed for this environment. Bilingual guides (Spanish and English) will introduce the place’s natural and cultural resources. This 5 kms long stretch ends at Puerto Macuco. At its dock, visitors shall board on the boats that shall be sailing in the Lower Iguazu River for as long as 6 kms, heading towards the waterfalls area, enjoying plentiful rapids.Upon reaching the Tres Mosqueteros Fall, visitors shall be able to see the falls of both the Argentine and Brazilian sides crowned by the view of the Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat). Afterwards, the most exciting point comes when facing the incomparable San Martín waterfall, the second in dimension and the hugest any boat may face. After that we’ll navigate 6km down river until Puerto Macuco from where, after walking up hill 150 mts we’ll ride the trucks 6Km back to our Operative Center.

Adult Price: $58 Child Price: $58 The Argentine Experience (Available on Day 5)

Learn about Argentine culture, taste fantastic local dishes, drink exceptional wine, and mingle with fellow travelers from around the world, in a fun setting. Get a taste of the best local cuisine. Savor a 5-course dinner, paired with four exceptional wines from all the regions from Argentina.

Adult Price: $54 Child Price: $54 Wine Tasting (Available on Day 7)

Leave your hotel and drive to “El Querandi”, a big house located in the historical district and considered a living testimony of the city. It was originally founded as a bar in 1920 and it was restored in 1992. “La Cave”, experience a wine tasting with local wines and their exquisite flavors.

Adult Price: $38 Journey to Tigre Delta (Available on Day 7)

Head to the northern outskirts of Buenos Aires to the lush countryside of the Tigre Delta on this outing. This area is a popular weekend getaway for Buenos Aires residents. The delta features pretty scenery, lovely summer residences, relaxing vibe, yachting and a chance to see another way of Argentine life. 

Adult Price: $74 Child Price: $74 Journey to Tigre Delta (Available on Day 8)

Head to the northern outskirts of Buenos Aires to the lush countryside of the Tigre Delta on this outing. This area is a popular weekend getaway for Buenos Aires residents. The delta features pretty scenery, lovely summer residences, relaxing vibe, yachting and a chance to see another way of Argentine life. 

Adult Price: $74 Child Price: $74 Day at El Ombu de Areco Ranch (Available on Day 8)

Leave Buenos Aires and drive 110km (69mi) to San Antonio de Areco, the heart of the gaucho traditions. Arrive at El Ombu de Areco, a traditional, 300-hectare (741-acre) ranch dedicated to agriculture and animal farming. The late-colonial style mansion, built in 1880 by Lieutenant-general Pablo Riccheri, and its magnificent casco create and unforgettable setting. Indulge in a declicious and typical barbecue lunch asado that includes fine meats, salads, wine and dessert. Enjoy a full day horseback riding, or walk along the Areco river. Then, enjoy an intimate folklore show as a gaucho plays the guitar, and see a horse skills demonstration. 

Adult Price: $200 Child Price: $200