South America Highlights

Day 1 Arrival Santiago (City Tour)

Santiago is an architectural collage of old Spanish colonial charm, European elegance, and North American suburbia. Founded in 1541, it is today one of the continent’s most modern cities, serving as gateway to Chile’s Central Valley and connecting point for trips around the country. Meeting services upon arrival, your guide will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. We suggest a few hours rest and lunch at the restaurant or poolside. In the afternoon, you’ll set out to discover Santiago’s secrets. The historic quarter is first stop: Cobblestone walkways, historic buildings, La Moneda Palace and, of course, the very heart of the city the Plaza de Armas. Then, for modernity and glamour, on to residential districts -Providencia, Las Condes, and Vitacura. We finish atop San Cristobal Hill for a magnificent panoramic view of the city. Evening free.(B)

Day 2 Santiago (wine region)

This morning we drive to the Central Valley to experience first-hand some of Chiles best vineyards. First, the Cousino Macul Winery and then on to Pirque, a picturesque village and home to the renowned cellars of Concha y Toro. For lunch, we will have a typical South American barbecue at a countryside restaurant.(B,L)

Day 3 Santiago / Puerto Montt / Puerto Varas

This morning we transfer to the airport for the flight to Puerto Montt, a quaint fishing village that is the gateway to the Lake District. Upon arrival, visit of this neat Nordic appearing city settled by German colonists in 1852. A brief tour visiting Costanera Avenue, the Cathedral, Observation Point for a panoramic view of the city. On to Tenglo Island and the colorful fishing village of Angelmo, known for inspiring Chilean artists by the colorful scene of the fishing boats. Continue to the quaint village of Puerto Varas, also known as the City of Roses and our hotel Cabanas del Lago situated on a hill overlooking Lake Llanquihue and the town of Puerto Montt with unparalleled vistas of the lake and the Osorno and Cabulco Volcanoes.(B)

Day 4 Puerto Varas / Lake district / Bariloche

Our first Lake District excursion is the first leg of the legendary Lake Crossing, a full-day adventure crossing the Andes into Argentina. Early in the morning we drive beside the serene shores of Lake Llanquihue to Petrohue, site of roaring Petrohue Falls. We next board a comfortable catamaran and start navigating the emerald waters of Lake Todos Los Santos against a backdrop of towering, snow-capped peaks and volcanoes. We stop at Peulla for lunch, and we continue to cross the border from Chile into Argentina at the Perez Rosales Pass to Puerto Frias. Our journey continues over the crystalline blue waters of Lake Nahuel Huapi, passing Victoria Island, as we arrive at Puerto Panuelo Pier. Continue to Bariloche for overnight. (B)

Day 5 Bariloche (Short Circuit Excursion)

Today a circuit excursion from Bariloche to the Southwest skirting Lake Nahuel Huapi driving along winding paved road. Crossing the residential district we make our way to Playa Bonita located near Huemul Island . Continuing along scenic landscape to visit Campanario Mountain and the chair-lift that will take us to the summit at an altitude of about 3,465 feet from where breathtaking views of lakes Nahuel Huapi and Moreno , St Peter peninsula, Llao-Llao , Victoria Island and Otto, Lopez and Cathedral mountains as well as Bariloche. We make our way back passing the post-card setting of Llao-Llao peninsula and Puerto Pañuelo with stops for picture taking before returning to our hotel for overnight.(B)

Day 6 Bariloche / Buenos Aires

Welcome to Argentina’s capital, often referred to as the Paris of South America, a mosaic as varied and diverse as its culture. Built in the 19th Century, an era of plenty for the wealthy gaucho land barons of Argentina, this city of 10 million is a kaleidoscope of intimate places, events and interactions, each with a slightly different shade, shape, and character. More European than South American in flavor, Buenos Aires boasts bustling streets, grand avenues, old-time cafes and stylish restaurants. It's a city of tragedy and elation; a vibrant, cosmopolitan capital where locals are renowned for their flair and cockiness, even in times of adversity. The city's neighborhoods are small and highly individualized each with its own characteristic colors and forms. Meeting services upon arrival and transfer to the Pestana hotel for overnight. (B)

Day 7 Buenos Aires (City Tour, Dinner & Show)

This morning we begin our indoctrination of Buenos Aires making our way along the 9th of July Avenue (Avenida 9 de Julio) with its eight lanes divided by small green squares with old leafy trees and enriched by sculptures and fountains, considered as widest boulevard in the world. We pass Plaza de la Republica with Buenos Aires’ signature Obelisk projecting upwards as a symbol of the city. Next we visit the picturesque and colorful port section of La Boca, a picturesque neighborhood at the mouth of the Riachuelo River where the city’s first settlers landed; filled with Italian restaurants, and some streets, such as the Caminito, are lined with wooden houses painted in bright colors. Continue to San Telmo, also a center for immigrant settlers that maintain its heritage and architectonic patrimony untouched. We pass along the Palermo District with its elegant residences framed by wide green areas; reaching finally the district of Recoleta, the chic, most sophisticated neighborhood in the city, home to the Recoleta Cemetery, a necropolis of elaborate mausoleums, including that of Eva Peron. We conclude our tour along the modern district of Puerto Madero, a revitalized section of the city once an abandoned old dilapidated port now boasting elegant houses, offices, lofts, luxurious hotels and restaurants. This evening will be a special treat as we step into the Buenos Aires night to Esquina Carlos Gardel, with over 100-year history. Here you’ll enjoy superb cuisine amid this exquisitely decorated Art Nouveau style ambience, recreating the sophistication of old Buenos Aires. Enjoy dinner sampling the famous Argentine beef followed by a show where we are mesmerized by sensual national dance…The Tango (B,D)

Day 8 Buenos Aires (Fiesta Gaucha Tour)

Full day excursion along the famous Argentine rolling plains of the pampas, one of the most fertile natural prairies of the world, famous for its meat and cereal production, to visit to a typical "Estancia" (Argentine Ranch) for a “Fiesta Gaucha” (Barbecue Party) for a first hand view of the Argentine “gaucho” (cowboy) who will demonstrate their "criollo" horsemanship, along with folkloric music and dances. Welcome drink, lunch including all beverages and an afternoon mate. (B,L)

Day 9 Buenos Aires / Iguassu

Today we embark on a different kind of adventure as we make our way to Iguassu Water Falls, one of the World’s true Natural Wonders. Here you will be treated to a sensational sound and light show brought to you courtesy of Mother Nature. A show with no intermissions - 275 separate waterfalls, spanning two-miles, wider than Victoria, higher than Niagara and more magnificent than both. Upon arrival we transfer hotel for overnight.(B)

Day 10 Iguassu / Rio de Janeiro (Combined tour Brazil Falls + Macuco Safari)

More than just a thundering water falls, Iguassu is also a national park of tropical forests sheltering more than 1,100 species of birds and mammals. This morning we begin our visit the Argentine side of the falls including the national park and "Devil's Throat", one of the most impressive lookout points where 14 separate falls cascade down 350 foot cliffs. We cross the bridge as we transfer to the Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls for an unforgettable guided walking tour of the Brazilian side of the falls offering the best vantage points to appreciate the wondrous spectacle. Next we join the Macuco Safari excursion combining nature and adventure. You are seated in an open trailer towed by jeep as we make our way through the forest viewing the exotic flora and fauna of the exotic remnants of the Atlantic Rainforest. At the end of the drive we walk through an old Indian track ending at the river shore along the Macuco Falls where we board zodiacs and travel upstream of the Iguassu River close to the thundering waters of the Iguassu falls. After we complete the tour we will transfer to he airport for our flight to Rio de Janeiro. Rio … the very sound of it evokes images of sun, fun and rhythm of the sensuous samba. Blessed with a wonderful natural setting, nestled among towering hills and the sea, watched from above by Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado Mountain, and surrounded by tropical forests and lagoons, Rio de Janeiro has transformed into one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Meeting services upon arrival and transfer to the Hotel.(B)

Day 11 Rio de Janeiro (Corcovado & Sugarloaf Mountains)

This morning we drive through the fashionable Lagoa District to the base of Corcovado Mountain for a short train ride to the summit. Here, at 2,400 feet above the city stands one of South America's most famous landmarks, the 125-foot statue of "Christ the Redeemer". The panorama of the city below is testament to why most visitors consider Rio to be one of the most spectacular and beautiful cities in the world. Continue to have lunch at one of Rio’s famous Churrascaria’s (barbecue house) for a sampling of Brazil’s appreciation for beef and fun eating. Here you’ll be introduced Brazil’s national cocktail, the “Caipirinha”, a traditional Brazilian drink prepared with “cachaça” (made of sugar cane), once Brazil's best-kept secret, now it's the connoisseur's cocktail of choice from New York City to Miami. Continue our tour this afternoon as we drive along Copacabana and Ipanema, two of the world's most famous beaches as we make our way to Flamingo Park where we board the cable cars to ascend to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain - 1,200 feet of sheer rock overlooking Guanabara Bay for a breathtaking view of the beaches and sunset. Balance of day at leisure and overnight at the hotel. (B, L)

Day 12 Rio de Janeiro (Rio by night Dinner & Show)

Day free to explore this magical city on your own. Known to Brazilians as the “Cidade Maravilhosa” (Marvelous City), Rio offers world-class restaurants, shopping, and varied active sports. Beaches are an integral part of the Rio’s envied lifestyle, highlighted by two of the world’s most famous -- Copacabana and Ipanema. The marvelous city’s pulsating nightlife ranks among the best in the world. This evening a special treat as we set out for the Rio by night Tour. First stop for dinner at one of Rio’s best restaurants, followed by a Brazilian Extravaganza show at Plataforma where you will be treated to the contagious rhythms of the Brazilian samba with the percussion instruments unique to Brazil. The show consists of lavishly and colorfully costumed dancers and musicians presenting the richness of the nation's musical and cultural heritage. The grand finale displays some of the dazzling costumes used in the Carnival parade.(B, D)

Day 13 Depart Rio de Janeiro

Day free to shop, relax or take some sun. Evening transfer to the airport for the overnight flight back home. (B)

Remarks

Special rates apply over Carnival, New Year's, and certain holidays. Please inquire.

US Citizens require Brazilian Visa. Other citizens, please inquire.

Ask about our special airfares on American, TAM, LAN or Copa for this package.