Cultures & Contrasts of South America & Machu Picchu extension
Day 1 - Board your overnight flight
Day 2 - Arrive Rio de Janeiro (3 nights) Welcome to spectacular Brazil! Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, where rooms are ready for early check in. The rest of the day is free. This evening, relax over a delicious BBQ dinner followed by a colorful Folklore and Carnival show. (Highlight Dinner)
Day 3 - Rio de Janeiro Take a full day tour of Rio. Start with a cog-train ride through Tijuca Forest and up Corcovado Mountain. Disembark and walk up to the top lookout where the towering statue of Christ the Redeemer stands. Then, head to a seafood restaurant for lunch. Afterward, pass by Rio's world-famous beaches, Ipanema and Copacabana, to board a cable car for a two-staged ascent up Sugar Loaf Mountain. Enjoy the splendid views of the city. Drive past the Candelaria Church, Saint Sebastian Cathedral, Lapa Arches, Municipal Theatre and the Sambadrome, site of Rio's famous Carnival Parade. Your evening is free. (Breakfast / Lunch)
Day 4 - Rio de Janeiro A full free day. For shoppers, jewelry, art and crafts are always good buys. Sightseers can choose between two tours. A full day schooner cruise or a half day jeep excursion through a rainforest (both own expense). (Breakfast)
Day 5 - Rio de Janeiro — Iguassu Falls Transfer for your flight to Iguassu Falls. This afternoon, your Tour Director will show you the magnificent Falls. The thundering roar and plunging cascades of water make this one of nature's wonders. (Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 6 - Iguassu Falls — Buenos Aires (4 nights) On the Argentine side of the Falls, board the Ecological Train and ride to a splendid viewpoint to see the Devil's Throat. Transfer for your flight to Buenos Aires. On arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. This evening, delight in dinner and a performance of the Tango. (Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 7 - Buenos Aires Start sightseeing with views of the Plaza de Mayo, including the Casa Rosada, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and Cabildo. On to San Telmo and colorful La Boca. Drive down Avenida 9 de Julio and see Teatro Colon. After viewing Palermo Park make a guided visit of Evita's Museum, which tells the story of this larger than life icon. Finally, visit the Recoleta Cemetery, where you will find the graves of many of Argentina's leaders, including Evita Peron. The balance of the day is at leisure. (Breakfast)
Day 8 - Colonia del Sacramento excursion Transfer to the Buenos Aires Pier for the hydrofoil ride to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. Founded in 1680 by Portuguese explorers, Colonia has a delightful colonial ambience, with twisting cobblestone streets and colorful houses. The well-preserved historic quarter was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. See the city on a tour, and then explore on your own. There are museums, arts and crafts shops, and cafés, all vying for your attention. Later this afternoon, return by hydrofoil to Buenos Aires, where the rest of the day is at leisure. (Breakfast / Lunch)
Day 9 - Buenos Aires A full day free. Your Tour Director has many suggestions, including a day trip to the Pampas to learn the daily life of the Gaucho (Argentine cowboy) or a fun and Tango lesson. For shoppers, the downtown area is full of gallerias and boutiques. (Breakfast)
Day 10 - Buenos Aires — Bariloche (2 nights) Fly to Bariloche, the heart of Patagonia's scenic Lake District. The balance of the day is at leisure. For chocolate lovers, you will find small chocolate factories located throughout town. (Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 11 - Bariloche Sightseeing takes you along the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi. See Playa Bonita, then travel through stunning scenery to Campanario Mountain. Take a chairlift ride to a lookout point at the summit. Travel to the Lao Lao Peninsula and over the Angostura Bridge for the splendid view. The rest of the day is free. (Breakfast)
Day 12 - Bariloche — Puerto Varas Coach to Villa La Angostura and take a catamaran ride to the Quetrihúe Peninsula. Here, step into the silence of the forest of ancient Arrayanes trees. Return to Villa La Angostura. Board a coach and travel along the lakes and through the splendid scenery of the Andes. Continue to the border with Chile, and on to Puerto Varas. (Breakfast / Lunch)
Day 13 - Puerto Varas — Puerto Montt — Santiago (3 nights) Stop at an observation point for a beautiful view of the seaport city of Puerto Montt. Continue through the center of town, seeing the square, cathedral and seafood market. Then transfer for your flight to Santiago. On arrival you are transferred to your hotel. (Breakfast)
Day 14 - Santiago Sightseeing in Chile's capital city begins in the older residential area, passing the Club Hípico, the Parque O - Higgins and the Cousiño Palace. Visit the Plaza de Armas and the cathedral. At the fascinating Pre-Colombian Art Museum, view one of the most complete collections of ceramics, ancient textiles and relics of American culture in the world. Stop at the Central Market, dating back to the 1800s. Finally, cross the Mapocho River to San Cristóbal Hill for splendid views of the city. This afternoon your Tour Director will suggest an optional tour to the Maipo Valley, Chile's premier wine growing region. (Breakfast)
Day 15 - Santiago and Optional Valparaiso and Viña del Mar Excursion A free day to do as you please. Check with your Tour Director for ideas. There is an optional outing to the beautiful coastal region including the historic port of Valparaiso and the chic seaside resort of Viña del Mar. Tonight, savor Farewell Dinner at a favorite restaurant, complete with traditional music and dance. (Breakfast / Farewell Dinner)
Day 16 - Santiago — Lima Transfer for your flight to Lima. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by an English-speaking host and transferred to your hotel. Then a city tour shows you the Cathedral, the Church of San Francisco, and more. (Breakfast)
Day 17 - Lima — Cuzco — Sacred Valley (2 nights) Fly to Cuzco this morning. Head into the scenic Sacred Valley and stop at the market in Pisac. There is time to bargain for Peruvian arts and crafts before driving across the Valley. This is one of the most beautiful areas found anywhere in the world. At Ollantaytambo, a walking tour introduces you to the quaint village. Just outside of town, admire the ruins of a mighty Inca fortress. Later, travel to your hotel in Urubamba. (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
Day 18 - Machu Picchu excursion An exciting day, as you transfer from the train station for a full day tour to Machu Picchu. Your guide will show you the "Lost City of the Incas," a stone city constructed with an incredible technique for its era, and even for present times. There is time to stroll through the ruins on your own before returning to the Sacred Valley. (Breakfast / Lunch)
Day 19 - Sacred Valley — Cuzco This morning, transfer back to Cuzco. Relish lunch upon arrival, then a half-day tour shows you the best of the city. See the archaeological remains from Inca times and the Colonial era treasures from Spanish times. Visit Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay, the Temple of the Sun, the Koricancha, Qenqo and Pucapucala. (Breakfast / Lunch)
Day 20 - Cuzco — Lima Transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel where the rest of the day is free. (Breakfast)
Some guests will transfer to Lima airport in the late evening of for an overnight flight back to the USA.
Day 21 - Arrive USA
Day 22 - NOTE: U.S. passport holders must obtain a visa to enter Brazil.
NOTE: All passengers with passports from Australia, United States, Canada and Mexico must pay a reciprocity tax before entering passport control in Santiago.
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