SOUTH AMERICAN ODYSSEY WITH AMAZON EXTENSION
Day 1 - (Thu.) Board your flight to South America. Day 2 - Arrival in Manaus, Brazil. (Fri.) Rooms are ready for immediate check-in. After some time to rest, meet up for guided city sightseeing of Manaus to view the vestiges of its glory days during the rubber boom. Your first stop will be the famous OPERA HOUSE, built in 1896 with materials imported from Europe. Next, visit the MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCES before a stroll through a bustling LOCAL MARKET abundant with local foods and wares. (D) Day 3 - Manaus - Amazon Jungle. (Sat.) Today, your "Meeting of the Waters" tour passes by the impressive British-built Custom House and the floating port. CRUISE along the chocolate-colored Rio Negro to its confluence with the yellow-gray Rio Solimões, where the two rivers form the mighty Amazon. For four miles the differently colored bodies of water flow side by side and never mix! After lunch on the river, explore a JUNGLE ISLAND (if the water level is not too low) with fascinating native flora and fauna. Later this afternoon, arrive at the Ecopark Jungle Lodge situated on the banks of the Rio Negro inside the Amazonian rainforest. (B,L,D) Day 4 - Amazon Jungle. (Sun.) Accompanied by a naturalist, enjoy a guided JUNGLE WALK introducing you to the flora and fauna that thrives in the Amazon. After lunch, depart the lodge in a motorized canoe to visit a Caboclo's NATIVE AMAZON VILLAGE to learn about their traditions, costumes, and culture. Also try your hand at pirahna fishing! This evening you may wish to venture back out on canoe with your naturalist into the flooded forest to appreciate the sounds of the jungle at night, with the possibility to spot small alligators (or other night creatures). (B,L,D) Day 5 - Amazon Jungle - Rio de Janeiro. (Mon.) This morning, visit the MONKEY JUNGLE RESERVE, where researchers work to rehabilitate captive primates and re-introduce them to the jungle. Here, you have the opportunity to see a feeding of spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys, woolly monkeys, and Capuchin monkeys. Depart the Ecopark for a midday flight to fabulous Rio to join day 1 of your Brazil vacation for an overnight in Rio. (B) Day 6 - Rio de Janeiro. (Tue.) Today is a free day in Rio to explore as you please. This evening, meet your fellow traveling companions for caipirinhas at SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN followed by a WELCOME DINNER. (B,D) Day 7 - Rio de Janeiro. (Wed.) Today, visit the statue of Christ the Redeemer crowning CORCOVADO MOUNTAIN, a rounded peak rising 2,300 feet from the bay below. Take the scenic cog railway ride to its top, where a 360-degree panorama affords sweeping views. Proceed to bustling downtown Rio. View the Sambodromo and visit the CATHEDRAL. This evening, it's off to a churrascaria for a feast of barbecued meats marinated and roasted over charcoal in true Brazilian style. Later, experience a SAMBA SHOW, where the sheer vitality of this country explodes in a colorful extravaganza. (B,D) Day 8 - Rio de Janeiro. (Thu.) A day of leisure or you may wish to enjoy a Guanabara Bay cruise, offering spectacular views of Rio and its beaches. This afternoon, consider an optional trip to historic Petropolis, once the former summer palace of Emperor Dom Pedro II and now a mountain resort. (B) Day 9 - Rio de Janeiro. (Fri.) This morning, try an optional Jeep tour to the Botanical Gardens with its splendid orchid exhibit, and Tijuca National Park to view native flora and fauna. Spend an evening at leisure. (B) Day 10 - Rio de Janeiro - Iguassu Falls. (Sat.) A flight from Rio takes you to IGUASSU FALLS. Experience the clouds of spray, the incessant roar, and the surrounding luxuriant tropical growth that make this an unforgettable natural wonder. Spend the afternoon enjoying the magnificent panorama of waterfalls from the Brazilian side. Your Local Guide introduces the spectacle of this 2-mile-wide torrential downpour, with some cataracts as high as 250 feet, which is nothing short of hypnotic. (B,D) Day 11 - Iguassu Falls - Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Sun.) Enjoy a closer perspective with a walking tour of the Argentine side of the Falls. Then on to Iguazu International Airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. After arriving, an orientation walk acquaints you with the "Paris of South America" and its wide boulevards and outdoor cafés. (B) Day 12 - Buenos Aires. (Mon.) Your sightseeing starts in La Boca, a colorful district and site of the city's first port. Take a short walking tour of this unique neighborhood 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, housing San Martin's Mausoleum. Drive past the ornate Colon Opera House before reaching THE CEMETERY OF THE RECOLETA, the burial site of Eva Peron. Savor the atmosphere of this cosmopolitan capital on the included evening excursion: dinner featuring Argentine steaks and other specialties topped off by a flawless PERFORMANCE of Latin America's most sensuous dance - the tango! (B,D) Day 13 - Buenos Aires - Uruguay - Buenos Aires. (Tue.) Today, visit another South American country - Uruguay. Travel by CATAMARAN to the World Heritage City of Colonia de Sacramento. Founded by Portuguese settlers from Brazil in 1680, this town held a strategic position as a smuggling outpost for transporting British goods across the Rio de la Plata into the Spanish colonies throughout the 17th century. Today, its charm lies in its narrow streets and colonial buildings. Enjoy a guided tour and lunch. (B,L) Day 14 - Buenos Aires. (Wed.) Enjoy a full day at leisure, with 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 15 - Buenos Aires - Bariloche. (Thu.) Fly south to Bariloche in Patagonia on the shores of fjord-like Lago Nahuel Huapi in the heart of Argentina's Lake District. Arrive in the early evening, with time to enjoy a leisurely stroll through the picturesque town center. See the city hall, the clock tower in Municipality Square, and the famous chocolate factories. (B,D) Day 16 - Bariloche. (Fri.) This chic alpine resort boasts some of the most glorious scenery in the country. Cameras should be ready for today's chairlift ride to a lookout point at CERRO CAMPANARIO. You - ll want to capture the vistas of surrounding lakes and Andes mountain peaks. The tour continues with a leisurely drive around the Llao Llao Peninsula, Lago Moreno, and Lopez Bay. (B,L) Day 17 - Bariloche - Puerto Varas, Chile. (Sat.) Set out today for your memorable ANDES LAKE CROSSING! Board a boat for the CRUISE across Lago Nahuel Huapi to Puerto Blest. Proceed by motorcoach through pristine wilderness adorned by emerald lakes, thick pine forests, and snowcapped peaks of the Andes Mountains. Look out for soaring Osorno Volcano as you cross Lago Todos los Santos by CATAMARAN. Then take pictures of the thundering PETROHUE RAPIDS and skirt the southern shore of Lago Llanquihue on the way to Puerto Varas. Drive to your hotel along the rosebush-lined streets of this lakeside resort. (B,L,D) Day 18 - Puerto Varas - Puerto Montt'Santiago. (Sun.) Your morning tour of the nearby seaport of Puerto Montt in Chilean Patagonia takes you to the harbor brimming with fishing vessels and along a busy waterfront lined with seafood stalls. Transfer to the airport for your flight north to Santiago. Perched between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, Santiago has evolved as the country's political, commercial, and cultural capital. Tonight, dinner is at the hotel. (B,D) Day 19 - Santiago. (Mon.) Today your Local Guide traces the city's history and heritage. Start at La Moneda, the official Government Palace, and nearby SAN CRISTOBAL HILL with its landmark statue of the Virgin Mary. Your tour ends at the Plaza de Armas, the main square, with a visit to the 18thcentury CATHEDRAL. This afternoon offers an optional excursion to the Undurraga Winery, one of the oldest in Chile, where you will learn how some of South America's wines are produced. This evening, you may opt to join a Chilean Folkloric Dinner Show. (B) Day 20 - Santiago. (Tue.) The day is free for independent activities. You may want to take advantage of an optional excursion to the beautiful coastal region west of Santiago. Drive through the undulating hills of Chile's wine country to the historic port of Valparaiso, and continue along the coast to nearby Viña del Mar. This chic seaside resort with palm tree-lined avenues and lovely villas truly deserves the sobriquet "Pearl of the Pacific." Tonight, your Tour Director hosts a special FAREWELL DINNER to celebrate a great touring adventure. (B,D) Day 21 - Santiago - Homebound Flight. (Wed.) Enjoy a full free day to catch up on last-minute souvenir shopping. Your homebound flight departs late this evening. (B) Day 22 - (Thu.) An early morning arrival is ideal for making homebound connections. |
