Compare Southamerica Deluxe by SouthAmerica.travel

Day 1: Arrival in Lima

Your guide will be waiting for you at the Lima Airport to take you to your hotel in Miraflores, a beautiful and upscale centrally located neighborhood.  Spend the rest of the day at your leisure and start exploring the capital of Peru. Enjoy some authentic Peruvian cuisine, we recommend ceviche, a delicious seafood dish. In the evening wander towards the water to Larcomar and choose from a variety of restaurants, all overlooking the ocean.

Day 2: Lima City Tour

Wake up early today and meet your guide for a full day city tour through the “City of Kings.”  Lima was once the second capital of the Spanish Empire and has an abundance of historical significance scattered throughout the city. Admire the Spanish influenced architecture of the recently restored balconies overlooking the plazas. Walk through the historic center of Lima to the Monastery of San Francisco, which houses magnificent colonial art. Then visit one of the oldest libraries in Latin America. Finish your day at the impressive Larco Museum, an 18th-century royal mansion, famous for its impressive gold and silver collection and pre-Colombian art that pre-dates the Incan Empire. Relax in the beautiful garden before returning to your hotel.

Day 3: Pisaq Market & the Sacred Valley Tour

After breakfast transfer to the airport to catch your flight to Cuzco. Upon arrival, your guide will be waiting for you to transfer you down into the Sacred Valley. Today you will visit Pisaq Market, Peru’s famous indigenous market, where you can purchase local artisans, handmade textiles, handicrafts, and fresh food. Enjoy lunch at the market before touring the nearby Pisaq ruins. Continue on towards Ollantaytambo, located in the center of the Sacred Valley. Visit the impressive Ollantaytambo ruins where you will see large agricultural terraces built into the hillside overlooking the town. Spend the night in this serene town.

Day 4: Train to Machu Picchu & Ruins Tours

Enjoy an early breakfast before heading to the train station where you will take a scenic train ride to Aguas Calientes. From Aguas Calientes, take a short shuttle bus winding up the mountain to the breathtaking Machu Picchu. Your guide will be waiting for you at the entrance to take you on a tour through the ruins.  Ponder the mystery of Machu Picchu and what once was, admire the impressive architecture and beautiful landscapes of the valley. Visit the Watchman's Hut, the Inca Bridge, and the Temple of the Sun.

In the evening return to Aguas Calientes where you will spend the night.

Day 5: Machu Picchu Tour & Return to Cusco

Today you have the morning on your own, consider waking up in time to see the sunrise above Machu Picchu, hike Huayna Picchu, or relax at your hotel and head up to the ruins at your leisure. In the afternoon, you will take a train ride back to Cuzco where you will spend the night at our recommended hotel near the Plaza de Armas. You may want to go shopping for some souvenirs or enjoy the traditional Peruvian dish cuy, which is actually guinea pig.

Day 6: Cysco City Tour

After breakfast, meet your guide at the hotel for your half-day city tour where you will see the impressive highlights of Cuzco including, the Cathedral, the Inca Temple of the Sun called Korikancha, the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, Tambomachay and Qenqo. Spend the afternoon on your own and explore what once was the capital of the Incan Empire.

Day 7: Free Day in Cusco

Enjoy a free day in Cuzco. Walk around the picturesque city center to see sweeping views of the brick houses tucked far up into the rolling hills. If you haven't already done so, buy some souvenirs in town for your friends and family.  Enjoy a coffee at one of the many coffee shops and people watch, or even spend a few Soles to take a photo with a baby llama.  If you are ready for some relaxation, opt for a massage at a nearby spa.  There are plenty of other museums and activities in Cuzco, so relax and enjoy your last full day in this historical city.

Day 8: Buenos Aires City Tour

Fly into the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires. Your guide or driver will meet you at the Buenos Aires International Airport (EZE). Once you've passed through customs and retrieved your bags, transfer to your hotel.

Take a guided tour of Buenos Aires, which is famous for its European-style architecture and culture, its tango dancing, and its delicious red wine and beefsteak. Visit the bohemian neighborhood of San Telmo, where every Sunday tango dancers and buskers perform live music as painters and artisans display their products. Visit La Boca and the colorful ‘Caminito,’ boasting ‘conventillos’ built by Italian immigrants that arrived in the city at the beginning of the 20th century.

Go to the north of the city, driving along 9 de Julio Avenue to see the Obelisk and the Colon Theater, and admire Recoleta, with its world-famous cemetery, where the body of ‘Evita’ Duarte de Perón is buried. Finish off in Puerto Madero, arguably the most romantic spot in the city, many couples attach locks on the Women Bridge in hopes that their love lasts forever.

Note: Entrance fee to Recoleta Cemetery is to be paid directly on the spot.

Day 9: Tigre Tour & Tango Show

Wake up early to leave Buenos Aires city and take a half-day tour to El Tigre. This town, in Buenos Aires province, is a haven for porteños who want to get away from the rush of urban life and connect with nature. Its lush vegetation, zigzagging rivers and fauna make you forget you are only a few miles from one of the most populated cities in South America.

Board a catamaran boat and sail through the delta, passing by small islands with picturesque houses built on long sticks due to the frequent floods of the river.

Return to your hotel and get ready for your evening event: a tango dinner show! This dance originated in Buenos Aires in the late 19th century and was declared a UNESCO Intangible Heritage shared by both Argentina and Uruguay. Watch couples exchange flirty glances and perform complex dance moves by the alluring sounds of a bandoneon as they perform this enchantingly sensual dance. Afterwards, return to your hotel to spend your last night in Buenos Aires.

Day 10: Iguazu Falls: Argentina side

Depart from the Buenos Aires Domestic Airport (AEP) and fly to Puerto Iguazu, the town on the Argentine side of the Iguazu Falls. The Iguazu Falls are an enormous series of waterfalls that run along the northern border of Argentina and the southern border of Brazil. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Iguazu Falls are a natural wonder that will take your breath away.

Today’s tour to the Argentine side of the falls will allow you to feel the marvel and astonishment Guaranis felt when the choose to name the falls. Walking through the catwalks and admiring the falls from atop helps you gain an idea of their size, which are even taller than Canada’s Niagara Falls. Keep an eye open to spot wildlife, including 88 types of butterfly and coatis, South American mammals similar to raccoons.

After the tour, your guide will acompany you as you cross the border and rest at your hotel on the Brazilian side.

Day 11: Iguazu Falls: Brazilian side

 ‘Iguazú’ means ‘Big Falls’ in Guarani, the local indigenous language. Begin your exploration in Foz do Iguaçu, located on the Brazilian side. Brazil offers the best panoramic views of the waterfalls from ground level. The highlight of the Iguazu is the Devil’s Throat, a U-shaped waterfall measuring up to 490 ft wide and 2,300 ft long.

After a half day of exploration, go back to your hotel to spend the last night in Iguazu Falls.

Day 12: Arrive to Curitiba

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before boarding your short flight from Foz do Iguaçu to Curitiba.

Arrive in Curitiba, the capital of the State of Paraná and go on a city to understand Curitiba as a model for successful urban planning. Curitiba is considered one of the best examples of urban planning in the world, the city went from 20,000 people to 200,000 people in just 22 years. Drive down to the coast along the Via Graciosa - the historic cobblestone road. This drive offers you verdant views of the Atlantic Rainforest.

Day 13: Train tour fi the Atlantic Rainforest

Enjoy a full day of sightseeing in Curitiba, including a train ride through the Atlantic Rainforest. After an early start, visit the main sights in the city, including Tiradentes Square, the Cathedral, the University, the Theater Guaíra, the Museum of Oscar Niemeyer, the German Woods, the Wire Opera House, the Tanguá Park, the Tingüi Park, and finally the Botanical Garden. Once you've had your fill of this unique city, travel along the Estrada da Graciosa to Morretes. Have a delicious ""barreado"" lunch in this pleasant town. In the afternoon, take the train back to Curitiba, passing through the lush tropical vegetation of the Atlantic Rainforest, a subtropical rainforest in southern Brazil. The train has wide windows, drinks and snacks included in your ride.

Day 14: Transfer to São Paulo & City Tour

Today's journey begins with a flight from Curitiba airport to the domestic São Paulo Airport. Meet your guide and start your half-day sightseeing tour of São Paulo. Visit the historical district and its landmarks such as Paulista Avenue, the Liberdade Japanese district, the Sé Cathedral, Patio do Colégio, where São Paulo was founded by the Jesuits and the financial district of São Paulo with it’s Art Deco and neo-baroque architecture.

Day 15: Rio de Janeiro & Corcovado Mountain

After breakfast in the hotel, transfer to the São Paulo airport to fly to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil's most marvelous city. Your driver will pick you up and take you to your hotel.

Rio is home to one of the seven new natural wonders of the world: the Statue of Christ the Redeemer. Today’s tour offers you the chance to admire this impressive statue and the lush Tijuca Forest. Take a ride on a train cog to head to the top of the Corcovado Mountain, from where you can take in breathtaking panoramic views of the bay, the city, and the Christ the Redeemer statue.

Day 16: Rio de Janeiro City Tour

Discover the highlights of the Carioca on a city tour. First start with a tour of Sugarloaf Mountain, a granite peak of 395 m (1,296 ft) overlooking the Guanabara Bay. To get to the top, take a cable car to Urca Mountain and then to the summit, where you'll have breathtaking views of the city, the bay, the beaches, and the forests.

Descend to visit the sambadrome, where hundreds of visitors from Brazil and other parts of the world watch amazing dancers in colorful attires parade during Carnival. Stop to see other landmarks of the city, such as the Cinelândia Square with its historical buildings, the Municipal Theater, the National Library, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the National Museum of Fine Arts.

Spend the afternoon at your leisure to relax on the beach or get in touch with your friends and family.

In the evening, head to the Copacabana Palace and enjoy a Brazilian BBQ dinner next door at the Churrascaria Palace.

Day 17: Salvador da bahia

You will be escorted to the airport to fly to Salvador da Bahia, Brazil's original capital. This beautiful, traditional city is located in the North of Brazil, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Stroll along the colonial streets of the city, or relax in the hotel's swimming pools

Day 18: Salvador City Tour

After breakfast, enjoy a 4-hour Salvador historical tour. Start in the Pelhourinho, the historic center of downtown Salvador, where you can walk along cobblestone streets, see the Pierre Verger Foundation, and visit a photography exposition about the first Africans brought to Salvador. Then visit the Bahianas Memorial, a tribute to African women of the Bahia region, and the Nossa Sra. Do Rosario Church, which was built by African slaves. Next, visit the Benin House to learn about the slaves that came from Benin to Brazil.

Day 19: Free day in Salvador

Spend the day at your leisure and enjoy the sights of Salvador.

Day 20: Transfer to Manaus

After breakfast, your guide will meet you at the airport for your flight to Manaus, the capital of Brazil’s Amazonas State. Upon arrival in Manaus, you will be escorted to your hotel. Manaus is the perfect starting point for your Amazon adventure. The city sits along the bank of the Rio Negro, where the river joins with the Solimões River.

Day 21: Arrival at the Amazon Lodge or Cruise

Today your Amazon tour begins. Choose between an Amazon River Cruise or an Amazon Lodge. We highly recommend that all of our clients go on the Tucano Amazon River Cruise. This small and intimate cruise ship travels further up the Rio Negro and allows you to see more wildlife. The Tucano River Cruise has the most scheduled stops and excursions along the Rio Negro - you can see the changing landscapes and flora and fauna along the way. Today you may have some free time in the morning to explore Manaus on your own or you can take a city tour. In the afternoon, you will meet your guide who will take you on your adventure through the Amazon. Talk with your guide and plan out the activities you would like to do over the next few days. We always recommend going on a night safari to see the nocturnal fauna of the Amazon such as alligators, bats, and frogs.

Day: 22-25 Amazon Excursion

All meals and excursions are included with the lodge or cruise. Your guide will take you on various excursions every day including, hiking through the jungle, visits to local villages, canoe rides and so much more. Over the next 4 days, you are likely to see an abundant amount of flora and fauna. Your guides are naturalists experts with extensive knowledge in medicinal Amazonian practices, they know where to spot wildlife like the macaws, parrots, and different monkeys.

In the evening, you will enjoy delicious dinners and drinks. You will even have the option to attend informational sessions to learn more about the Amazon, some lodges and cruises even offer entertainment like dancing and live music.

Day 26: Transfer back to Manaus

After breakfast, say goodbye to your guides and take a transfer back to Manaus. Along the way, enjoy a tour through the ""Meeting of the Waters,"" where the Rio Negro and Rio Solimoes run side by side without mixing. Once in Manaus, head to the airport for your flight home."