Meet your local guide on arrival at Santiago airport and enjoy a half-day city tour of this cosmopolitan city. Stunningly set against the snow-capped Andes, this cosmopolitan city mixes glass high-rises, colonial-era buildings and ornamental parks. View the 16th-century San Francisco Church, take photos at the Club Hípico, one of South America’s most famous and beautiful race courses, and pass the Palace Cousiño, Plaza de la Constitución and other landmarks on route to the Plaza de Armas, home to the Metropolitan Cathedral, City Hall, and National History Museum. Next, enjoy the city views from the gardens of Santa Lucia Hill, the site of the city’s founding in 1541, and discover charming residential neighborhoods before visiting a lapis lazuli store. Browse the jewelry and handicrafts made with this blue treasure — Chile’s national stone — before finishing at the Parque Arauco, a stylish mall offering fashionable restaurants and stores or at your hotel. After checking in at your hotel this afternoon, enjoy some free time to relax and recharge before dinner at a local restaurant.

Following breakfast, set off for Viña del Mar, a seaside resort north west of Santiago dubbed the ‘Garden City’ for its verdant parks. Take a tour of this Pacific-facing gem to admire its manicured seafront, colonial mansions, and celebrated Flower Clock—a working clock made from colorful flowers. Afterward, opt to have lunch (own expense) at one of the many seafood restaurants before savoring the Pacific views on a coastal drive to the nearby port city of Valparaiso. Famous for its UNESCO-listed hillside quarter of brightly colored houses, this picture-perfect place begs to be captured on camera. Explore the picturesque Cerro Alegre neighborhood to see its quaint houses, funiculars, street art, and cobbled roads—all descending steeply to the sea—and visit the main square of Sotomayor Plaza to view its grand architecture and Monument to the Heroes of Iquique—the fallen Chilean soldiers of the 1879 War of the Pacific. Your tour then ends back at your Santiago hotel.

Today, transfer to the airport for your flight to Rio de Janeiro. On arrival in Brazil, travel to your 5-star hotel and spend the rest of your day as you please, perhaps enjoying the hotel amenities or discovering Rio independently. Tonight, savor dinner at a restaurant within strolling distance of your accommodation.

Wake up to Rio this morning: one of the world’s most colourful and exhilarating cities. Spectacularly located between Sugar Loaf Mountain, forested peaks, and golden beaches like Ipanema and Copacabana, this captivating city offers irresistible scenery and an unquenchable zest for life.

After breakfast, enjoy a full day of sightseeing including an excursion to Mount Corcovado, the 710-meter peak crowned by the Christ the Redeemer statue. Delve first into the charming Cosme Velho quarter with its faded mansions and hidden gardens before riding the cog train up through the Tijuca forest to the Corcovado viewing platform. Marvel at the bird’s-eye views over the city below, and awe at the remarkable Christ statue, standing 98 feet high, with its arms spanning 92 feet. Later, return to your hotel and relax over dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Another day of sightseeing beckons after breakfast today, with visits to Sugar Loaf Mountain and Rio’s beaches. After passing the stunning Botafogo and Vermelha beaches in the elegant Urca neighborhood, take the two-stage cable car journey up to Sugar Loaf, the 393-meter rock pinnacle at Guanabara Bay. Alight at the first stop of Morro da Urca to visit its gardens and viewpoints, and then continue to the summit to experience the breathtaking panoramas over the city, its beaches, and Corcovado.

After descending, head to Copacabana beach, one of the planet’s most iconic beaches. Admire this 3-mile sandy sweep fringed by palm trees and high-rises, and take in the bustling beach life with locals playing volleyball, sunbathing, strolling, and swimming.

Round off today at a glittering samba dinner show, savoring classic Brazilian dishes as you watch an electrifying show of samba, capoeira, forro, and other local dance styles.

Leave for the airport after breakfast and fly to Iguassu, home to the spectacular Iguassu Falls that straddle the Argentine-Brazilian border, for a 2-night stay. On arrival, transfer to your 5-star accommodation before spending the balance of the day as you please and enjoying a hotel dinner tonight.

Today is devoted to the awe-inspiring Iguassu Falls, one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. Higher and almost twice as wide as Niagara, the falls are composed of 275 individual cascades set in a stunning crescent formation.

Start by viewing the falls from the Brazilian side, getting close to the roaring waters and feeling their spray. Then, use a combination of a train and jungle walking trails to travel to the Argentinean side. Here, visit the observation points to marvel at the astounding power of the falls from different points, including the epic Garganta do Diabo (Devil’s Throat).

Tonight, visit a local restaurant for a mouth-watering Brazilian barbecue dinner of meat cuts, ribs, and sides complemented by a dazzling folklore show featuring Brazilian, Argentinean, and other Latin American dances and rhythms, including the samba and tango.

After breakfast, fly to Argentina’s capital and transfer to your hotel for three nights. After checking in, the time is yours to explore and enjoy Buenos Aires at leisure. Tonight, cap your day with an exciting tango dinner show, feasting on Argentinean specialties and wine as you enjoy displays of this passionate dance form.

This morning, enjoy a half-day tour of this charismatic port city, often referred to as the ‘Paris of the Americas.’ Start with a drive along the iconic 9 de Julio Avenue, passing highlights including the Obelisk and Colon Opera House. Explore the pretty San Telmo quarter, and visit the Plaza de Mayo, home to the Casa Rosada (Government House), Cabildo, Town Hall, and Metropolitan Cathedral, the burial place of Argentina’s liberator, General San Martin. Other highlights include colorful La Boca, arty Palermo, the Plaza de Los Dos Congresos, and the aristocratic Recoleta district, whose cemetery is dominated by grandiose tombs, including that of Eva Peron.

Next, set out to visit Tigre, a picturesque delta region of charming towns, waterways, and islands north of Buenos Aires. On route, see Buenos Aires’ Avenida Libertador and Quinta de Olivos, the official presidential residence, and stop at the Victorian-style San Isidro train station to browse its handicrafts shops. Continue to Tigre and take a scenic cruise around the Rio de Parana Delta, passing islands, stilted houses, and subtropical forest. Finally, return to your Buenos Aires hotel for dinner at a restaurant this evening.

Today, escape the city to experience the Argentinian countryside and the life of its ‘gauchos’—the cowboys of the vast Pampas grasslands. Soak in the views of the plains as you travel northwest to the rural town of Los Cardales and arrive at the beautiful Estancia Santa Susana Ranch. After a welcome from traditionally dressed gauchos, graze on tasty handmade empanadas (small meat pastries) and enjoy a walking—or if you wish, horseback—tour of the ranch’s working barns, museums, and church to learn about the traditions and ways of this classic form of livestock farming.

Sit down to a traditional ‘asado’ barbecue of juicy Argentine steak and grilled meats teamed with dessert, beverages, and coffee, and afterward, watch a breathtaking show of the gauchos’ horseback skills, including ‘corrida de sortija,’ where galloping riders try to loop hanging metal rings onto twigs.

After the equestrian displays, enjoy a regional folk dancing and tango performance as a finale before returning to Buenos Aires and marking the end of your tour with a delicious farewell dinner at your hotel.

After breakfast, travel to Buenos Aires airport for your return flight to the USA.

Meal Code:
AB=American Breakfast, B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner at Local Restaurant, DH=Dinner at Hotel, DP=Dinner Party, DS=Dinner & Show