SOUTH AMERICAN ESCAPE W/ PERU EXTENSION
Day 1 - (Sat.) Board your overnight flight to South America. Day 2 - Arrival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Sun.) Welcome to South America's largest and most populous country. Rooms are ready so that you can freshen up and rest before taking a first look at Rio. This evening, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a drive along famous Ipanema and Copacabana Beaches to the base of 1,300-foot SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN. Ascend by cable car to its summit, where you can savor spectacular vistas of the city while toasting your upcoming vacation with caipirinhas, a favorite Brazilian cocktail. Enjoy a WELCOME DINNER at a popular local restaurant. (D) Day 3 - Rio de Janeiro. (Mon.) The city's landmark, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, crowns CORCOVADO MOUNTAIN, a rounded peak rising 2,300 feet from the bay below. A scenic ride by cog railway leads to the top, where a breathtaking 360-degree panorama affords sweeping views. From here, proceed to bustling downtown Rio, where modern office towers stand next to relics of the Portuguese colonial past. View the Sambodromo and visit the CATHEDRAL. The afternoon and evening are at leisure for you to experience this vibrant city on your own. Tonight, you may opt to join in a fun outing to a churrascaria for a feast of barbecued meats marinated and roasted over charcoal in true Brazilian style, followed by a samba show where the sheer vitality of this country explodes in a colorful extravaganza. (B) Day 4 - Rio de Janeiro. (Tue.) Enjoy a full day at leisure to fill as you wish. This morning, you may choose to join the optional Jeep tour to visit the Botanical Gardens with its splendid orchid exhibit, and the bird sanctuary in Tijuca National Park. This afternoon, sightseers might elect to discover historic Petropolis, a mountain resort and the site of the former summer palace of Emperor Dom Pedro II. (B) Day 5 - Rio de Janeiro - Iguassu Falls. (Wed.) Fly to IGUASSU FALLS. The afternoon is dedicated to enjoying the magnificent panorama of waterfalls. The spectacle of this 2-mile-wide torrential downpour - with some cataracts as high as 250 feet - is nothing short of hypnotic. The clouds of spray, the incessant roar, and the surrounding luxuriant tropical growth make this an unforgettable natural wonder. (B,D) Day 6 - Iguassu Falls - Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Thu.) Take a morning tour of the Argentine side of the Falls before your flight to Buenos Aires, proud capital of the vast country that occupies most of the southern part of the continent. After arriving at your central hotel, an orientation walk acquaints you with the "Paris of South America" and its wide boulevards and outdoor cafés. Enjoy an evening at leisure. (B) Day 7 - Buenos Aires. (Fri.) Your included sightseeing this morning starts in La Boca, a colorful district and site of the city's first port. Take a short walking tour of this unique neighborhood at the mouth of the river and then on to San Telmo - famous for its late-colonial buildings and a popular gathering spot for artists. At the Plaza de Mayo, see La Casa Rosada (the President's Pink House) and the METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL, which houses San Martin's Mausoleum. Drive past the ornate Colon Opera House before reaching THE CEMETERY OF THE RECOLETA, the burial site of Eva Peron. Spend the afternoon at leisure. This evening, savor the atmosphere of this cosmopolitan capital on your FAREWELL EVENING EXCURSION with dinner at a local restaurant followed by a flawless performance of Latin America's most sensuous dance - the tango! (B,D) Day 8 - Buenos Aires. (Sat.) Today is at leisure, or consider an optional excursion to the Pampas. Experience the atmosphere of Argentine country life as you visit an estancia (ranch). Get acquainted with the lifestyle of the gauchos and enjoy a barbecue lunch and the warm hospitality of your hosts before returning to the city. (B) Day 9 - Buenos Aires - Lima, Peru. (Sun.) A morning flight takes you to Lima, Peru. This afternoon a guided sightseeing tour focuses on Lima's colonial heritage. See the 18th-century SAN FRANCISCO MONASTERY with its unique cloisters, the Government Palace, and CATHEDRAL situated around the vast Plaza de Armas. Then, take a short drive to the seaside suburb of Miraflores. Later, tour the GOLD MUSEUM with its dazzling collection of pre-Columbian gold jewelry and fascinating artifacts. (B) Day 10 - Lima - Cuzco'Sacred Valley. (Mon.) Fly to Cuzco, the impressive Andean city that was once the capital of the Inca Empire. Spend the day in the Sacred Valley of the Incas with a visit to the Inca baths of TAMBOMACHAY and the semi-circular Kenko Amphitheater with its stone altars and labyrinth of passages. Stop at the ancient site of Puca Pucara before reaching the TEMPLE OF SACSAYHUAMAN, perched on a hillside overlooking Cuzco. It remains unfathomable how and when this fortress of gigantic stones - with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons - was built. Continue to Pisac, an old mountain village where you will have the opportunity to visit a home, meet some of the locals, and experience their way of life. Enjoy free time here to shop for local wares such as alpaca sweaters and blankets, jewelry, or hand-painted ornamental dishes and vases. Stay in the Sacred Valley tonight, with dinner at the hotel. (B,L,D) Day 11 - Sacred Valley - Machu Picchu'Sacred Valley. (Tue.) Visit the Inca Fortress of OLLANTAYTAMBO this morning before boarding a TRAIN for a short journey through the lush Urubamba Valley. Then transfer to a motorcoach for the ascent to legendary MACHU PICCHU, "The Lost City of the Incas." Your Local Guide will bring you closer to the mysteries still hidden in these amazing structures. Later this afternoon, return to the Sacred Valley. (B,L,D) Day 12 - Sacred Valley - Cuzco. (Wed.) Journey to Cuzco and learn more about the Incas on your guided tour, with visits to the imposing CATHEDRAL and the SANTO DOMINGO MONASTERY. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant accompanied by ANDEAN FOLKLORIC MUSIC. (B,D) Day 13 - Cuzco - Lima. (Thu.) A short morning flight returns you to Lima where the remainder of your day is free to explore at your leisure. (B) Day 14 - (Fri.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B) |
