Southamerica

Welcome to Rio, wonderful beach city, main tour attraction in Brazil. You will be escorted to your hotel. Free time. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Today you will do a half day city tour: Corcovado. Get an overview of the city today as we tour Rio's best-known landmarks. The city is divided into a north zone and a south zone by the Serra da Carioca, steep mountains that are part of the Tijuca National Park. These mountains descend to the edge of the city center, where both zones meet. Corcovado Christ statue on one of these mountain peaks offers the best way to become familiar with the city’s geographic, as you have views of both zones from the mountain top. The statue Christ the Redeemer with his outstretched arms, gazes down on the Bahia da Guanabara and a favorite on Rio's postcards the Sugar Loaf. We enjoy a sightseeing ride along Rio’s famous beaches Ipanema and Copacabana. Return to your hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Arrive and transfer to the hotel. Breakfast. During the afternoon, you will be picked up to do the Brazilian falls Tour. We will do a Half-day tour to admire the waterfalls from the Brazilian territory. Accommodation.

Breakfast. At proper time you will be pick up to do a full day Argentinean falls tour. We will make the tour to the waterfalls, covering them from the Argentine side. After entering the National Park Iguazu, we will make a long walk along the lowest part of the waterfalls, to later visit the upper part of the footbridges. Return and transfer to the airport to fly to Lima (IGU LIM flight does not work every day, only: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday). Welcome to Lima, the 'City of Kings'. Upon arrival you will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. Free time. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Today you will enjoy a Panoramic city tour. You tour will start in downtown Lima, where you will make a scenic tour of the built-up area, a World Heritage listed by UNESCO. You will go to the Main Square to see the Presidential Palace and the Lima Cathedral, impressive constructions that are still being used. You will also visit Saint Francis' Church, which has an enviable collection of old books and it has an authentic network of catacombs open to the public, among other churches and monuments. Upon your return to Miraflores, you will make a short stop at the Love Park, inaugurated on February 14, 1993 and intensely visited by couples on Valentine's Day each year. Return to the hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast. At proper time, transfer to the Airport to board the flight to Cusco (only transportation). Welcome to Cusco, Capital of the Inca Empire. Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Rest of the morning, free to acclimatize to the altitude. This afternoon we visit the major sites of interest in Cusco. You will start your tour with a visit to the Coricancha, also known as the "Temple of the Sun" (or "Premises of the Gilded One"), the construction of which was ordered by Inca Pachacútec (1438-1471) and was used as base for the construction of the Santo Domingo Convent upon the arrival of the Spaniards. This is when the Sun (Inti, in Quechua) was worshipped during the Inca Empire and at the time of the Incas its walls were fully covered with gold sheets and its courtyards were planted with golden corn and life-size llamas. You will then go to the Cathedral, the most important building on the Main Square and one of the most splendid Spanish colonial churches in America, which is shaped as a Latin Cross and houses about 400 colonial paintings from the Cusco art school, and impressive goldsmith, silversmith and precious stones works. Its construction lasted almost a century; it started in 1560 and ended in 1654. The Ecclesiastical Chapter ordered to extract and transport hundreds of stones from the Sacsayhuamán fortress for this purpose. You will then visit said fortress, en emblematic work of the Incas, which protected the Holy City. Conceived and built by Inca Pachacútec in the 15th century, The Sacsayhuamán complex was built with megalithic blocks, which transportation and construction continue to be a mystery. You will then go to Qenqo, located four kilometers away from Cusco City, an archaeological complex mainly used for religious purposes, and it is believed that agricultural rituals took place there. You will finally visit the vestiges of Puka Pukara, located seven kilometers away from Cusco. Puka Pukara, which means "red fortress", was an architectural complex presumably used for military purposes; it has many rooms, squares, bathrooms, aqueducts, walls and towers, and it is believed that the Incas entourage used it while he rested at Tambomachay. At the end, you will return to your hotel. Return to your hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast. This morning we leave Cusco to head east for a comprehensive exploration of the Sacred Valley. Your tour will start going to the Sacred Valley, where you will visit Awanakancha, a farm of Southamerican camelids and textiles showroom, where local families show the entire traditional process of weaving and making garments. You will then visit the Pisac, a town shaped as a partridge, which is known for two reasons: the craft market established between colonial buildings, and for housing one of the most impressive complex of agricultural terraces of the valley. The market has stands that exhibit and sell products manufactured by the residents of the area. You will then have lunch at the agreed restaurant and will arrive in Ollantaytambo, a typical example of the urban planning of the Incas, whose residents still live in accordance with their old traditions. Inca Pachacutec (1438-1471) conquered the town, destroyed it and built a new one, absorbing it as part of his empire. The Ollantaytambo Fortress is a huge archaeological complex which, although it bears the name of fortress, it was actually a tambo, a leisure city used to accommodate the delegations that traveled long distances. Without a doubt, it is one of the most monumental works of the Inca Empire. Transfer to your hotel in Sacred Valley. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Morning transfer to Ollanta train station. A ½ -hour train ride takes you through the Sacred Valley of the Incas up to Machu Picchu. On arrival a small coach takes you up the steep roads to the entrance of the citadel. Machu Picchu remained for centuries undiscovered by the Spaniards, only to be found in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. The uniqueness of its location and the genius that went into its construction make this Inca archaeological site truly one of the great wonders of the world. At the afternoon you will return to Poroy station, where you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Cusco (only transportation). Accommodation.

Breakfast and check out. Your transfer to Puno will have three stops. You will first stop at Andahuaylillas, a village located 40 kilometers from Cusco, which most important attraction is the church of Andahuaylillas, also called "The Sistine Chapel of America" due to the high quality pieces of art found in it; its structure was built in the sixteenth century on the remains of constructions probably Wari. Today it has an original pipe organ recently restored. Continue your trip to Racchi, where you will find the Temple of Viracocha, an amazing and unique rectangular building, similar to a wall, 30 meters wide and 20 high. It has windows and doors and is thought to have the highest ceiling of the Inca Empire. You will stop for lunch in Sicuani, and then briefly at La Raya, the highest point of the route between Puno and Cusco, over 4,313 masl. From here, 61 kilometers from the city of Juliaca (very close to Puno) you will reach the town of Pucara, where the Museo Litico Pucara Museum is found. Pukara was the first settlement of the highland lake city and developed between 100 and 300BC. Finally you will drive along the final course to the city of Puno. A vehicle and guide will pick you up at the bus station at the agreed time to take you to your hotel. The guide will help you with the check in. Accommodation.

Breakfast at the hotel. Upon your arrival at Puno's lake port, a vessel will take you to the floating islands of the Uros. Uros are an ancestral society that inhabits a series of artificial islands built with totora, a reef that grows in the lake. The islands are built by weaving totoras in the places where they grow the thickest and form a natural layer. They build their totora houses over it and cook in the open air to prevent possible fires. After a one and a half-hour tour, you will continue your trip to the Taquile Island. Unlike other islands, inhabited by Aymara-speaking people in the lake, its residents speak Quechua. It was part of the Inca Empire and it is possible to note vestiges of said culture in their buildings. Nevertheless, when the Spaniards arrived, they forced its residents to get rid of their typical clothes and forced them to wear traditional farmers' clothes. Upon your arrival, you will receive a brief explanation on the island and will attend a cultural activity. You will return to Puno after lunch. Accommodation.

Breakfast and check out. At proper time, transfer to the airport to take the flight to Buenos Aires. Welcome to Buenos Aires. Transfer to your hotel and rest of the day free at leisure. Accommodation.

Breakfast. At a time to be confirmed, we will go to the local, to take a fly to Calafate. Arrive and transfer to hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Full day tour to the National Park Los Glaciares, visiting the Perito Moreno Glacier. This natural monument of extraordinary beauty has been declared by UNESCO as Humanity Patrimony. Once inside the park we will be able to observe the arboreal vegetation of the Patagonia Andean forest, which is mainly from the “notofagus” family. Further on, we will have access to the footbridges of the glacier, with fantastic panoramic viewpoints. In this area there exists a big quantity of glaciers, and the most famous is the Perito Moreno: it has a frontage of 3.12 miles and is 60 metres high above the level of the Argentine Lake, and a total surface that exceeds the one from several big cities of the world. It is one of the few glaciers that are still in full advance. During any season of the year the visitor can enjoy its constant collapses of ice towers that break into multiple ice floes. Close 17,00hr we will be back at hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast. At a time to be confirmed, we will go to the local, to take a fly to Buenos Aires City. On arrival, transfer to hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Today you will enjoy a HD City tour in Buenos Aires. You will discover the magic of Buenos Aires in a city tour in which you will visit the outstanding building of the National Congress, the ancient Council, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Capitol (better known as "Pink House"). The buildings that surround the "Mayo Square" consist of the above mentioned spots. The tour also includes the magnificent areas of Recoleta and Palermo, with their beautiful parks and buildings, the Colon theatre, one of the five most important Opera theatres of the world and many other buildings and palaces of architectural, historical and cultural value. We will visit San Telmo area, one of the most antique districts of the city, as well as the Boca district, with its "caminito"- a picturesque pedestrian street, where you will find its colorful metal sheet tenements. Finally, the tour will lead us to the recently recycled district of Puerto Madero, old area of the Buenos Aires port. Afternoon, transfer to the Ezeiza international airport. End of the trip.