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South America Highlights

11 days from only £2,569pp

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Home / Worldwide Tours / South America Highlights

Sugarloaf Mountain | Brazil | Riviera Travel | escorted tour

South America Highlights

11 days from only £2,569pp

Experience more with so much included

Marvel at the breathtaking Iguazu Falls from the Argentinian and Brazilian sides
Be astounded at the iconic panorama of Rio de Janeiro from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain and the foot of Christ the Redeemer
Enjoy a wonderful evening’s entertainment at a typical tango show
Guided tour of cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, the ‘Paris of South America’
Discover Argentina’s ‘pampas’ or plains on our visit to a typical ‘estancia’
Return scheduled flights from the UK
Stay in hand-picked 3-star superior and four-star accommodation with daily breakfast and four meals
The services of our experienced and insightful tour manager throughout

Selected departures from February to November 2020

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At a Glance

8 nights in 3-star superior and 4-star hotels

Return flights & transfers

12 meals: 8 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 1 dinner

Programme of daily tours & visits

Expert tour manager

Inclusive of all local taxes

Checked Luggage

Overview

Argentina, the second-largest country in South America, is known for its gauchos (cowboys), its huge steaks, its excellent wines, and the invention of the tango. We’ll sample all of these during our three-night stay in Buenos Aires – sophisticated, cosmopolitan and the most ‘European’ of the South American capitals. With its wide tree-lined avenues, café culture and upmarket boutiques, Buenos Aires cannot fail to surprise and delight you.

Iguazu Falls may not be as well-known as Niagara or Victoria Falls, but it outshines them all in its sheer scale and majesty! Spanning the border between Argentina and Brazil, each side has its own particular attractions. Don’t miss the chance to experience the falls from below on our exciting optional jetboat trip.

And finally, there’s Rio, arguably the most spectacularly sited city on the planet. The ‘Cidade Maravilhosa’, or marvellous city, is an intoxicating fusion of samba rhythms, vast stretches of beaches, beautiful people, lush forests and extraordinary granite peaks. Somehow everything seems bigger, brighter, louder and more colourful when you’re in Rio! We stay at the northern end of Copacabana beach, from where the wide swathe of the whole bay stretches before you. Copacabana and its sister, Ipanema beach, are the playgrounds of the city and the people-watching is simply fascinating. Of course, we’ll also get to the top of two of Rio’s most famous peaks, Sugarloaf Mountain and the Corcovado peak with its awe-inspiring 100ft statue of Christ the Redeemer.

Needless to say, South America is a vast continent with a huge variety of incredible places to see and things to do, which are simply impossible to cover on one trip. We have hand-picked the real ‘stand-out’ experiences that encapsulate the culture, history, cuisine, monuments and scenic wonders in this once-in-a-lifetime, two-country tour.

Your Itinerary

DAY 1DEPARTURE

DEPARTURE

Arrive at the airport for your overnight flight to Buenos Aires, via São Paulo.

South America Highlights route map

DAY 2ARRIVE IN BUENOS AIRES

ARRIVE IN BUENOS AIRES

We land in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Our hotel for the next three nights with breakfast is the centrally located four-star 725 Continental.

Buenos Aires

DAY 3PAMPAS RANCH

PAMPAS RANCH

After breakfast, we drive out of the city to the Pampas plains to the west of Buenos Aires. Our destination is the Estancia Santa Susana, originally created by Irish migrants and today still a working ranch spread across almost 3,000 acres. The original house is beautifully preserved and gives a fascinating insight into life here during the late 19th century. The ranch has plenty of horses and in true gaucho tradition, you’ll see them showing off their equestrian skills. An excellent lunch is included featuring Argentinian beef on the barbecue, which you can enjoy with local songs and dances.

Horses in the Pampas plains

DAY4BUENOS AIRES & TANGO SHOW

BUENOS AIRES & TANGO SHOW

Today we explore the fascinating metropolis of Buenos Aires. Known as the Paris of South America, with its wide tree-lined avenues, squares, parks and grand public buildings, it exudes an unmistakable style. We’ll visit the Plaza de Mayo and the pink-coloured Presidential Palace, from where Evita Peron used to speak to huge rallies. We’ll see the colourful barrios (districts) of San Telmo and La Boca, and also visit Recoleta Cemetery to see Evita Peron’s final resting place. This evening we enjoy a visit to one of the city’s best tango shows, with dinner included.

Presidential Palace, Buenos Aires

DAY 5FLY TO IGUAZU FALLS

FLY TO IGUAZU FALLS

This morning we take the short flight to Iguazu Falls, arriving in the mid-afternoon. We stay for two nights with breakfast at the four-star Mercure Iguazu Hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure, so perhaps relax around the pool at your hotel.

Iguazu Falls

DAY 6IGUAZU FALLS

IGUAZU FALLS

The Argentinian side of the falls is known for its numerous viewpoints over the many small and large falls, which are easily accessed by wooden boardwalks through the lush forest surrounding the falls. We also catch the charming open-sided ‘jungle train’ to the head of the falls. For the more adventurous, there is the option to take a jetboat ride to the foot of the falls on the Iguazu river – you will get seriously wet!

Iguazu Falls

DAY 7FLY TO RIO DE JANEIRO

FLY TO RIO DE JANEIRO

We cross the border to the Brazilian side of the falls, visiting the stunning Devil’s Throat balcony viewpoint, where you are literally surrounded by falling water! There’s also the option of arranging a helicopter flight over the falls. In the afternoon, we take the short flight to Rio de Janeiro, where we stay three nights with breakfast at the new three-star superior Arena Leme Hotel, perfectly located right on Copacabana beach. All our rooms have stunning sea views.

Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro

DAY 8RIO DE JANEIRO

RIO DE JANEIRO

Today we visit the statue of Christ the Redeemer, one of the highlights of the tour. Reached by a Swiss-built cog railway through the Tijuca Forest National Park, the granite peak stands at 2,300ft, with the statue itself a further 100ft tall. The views in all directions are simply outstanding. On return to sea level, we take a walk through Rio’s charming Botanical Gardens before our included lunch of Brazilian barbecued meats (a vegetarian option is available).

Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro

DAY 9RIO DE JANEIRO

RIO DE JANEIRO

This morning we board the breathtaking two-stage cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, which overlooks some of Rio’s most spectacular bays and beaches. We follow this with a tour through the centre of Rio and an included lunch at one of the city’s most iconic restaurants, the beautiful belle-époque Confeitaria Colombo.

Cable car and view of Rio from Sugarloaf Mountain

DAY 10RETURN FLIGHT

RETURN FLIGHT

Transfer to the airport for your return flight via São Paulo.

DAY 11ARRIVE HOME

ARRIVE HOME

We arrive home after a truly memorable tour.

South American Highlights

Christ the Redeemer in blue morning light atop Sugarloaf Mountain, Brazil

Price Includes

The price of this holiday is per person, based on two people sharing a twin room. Single rooms are subject to availability at the relevant supplement. The price includes:

Scheduled flights to Buenos Aires via Sao Paolo, from Buenos Aires to Iguacu, from Iguacu to Rio
Return flights from Rio de Janeiro via Sao Paolo
Eight nights’ accommodation
Daily breakfast and four meals
All tours as mentioned
All transfers
Hotel porterage of one item of luggage per person
The services of a Riviera Travel tour manager

Included excursions: entrances to estancia and Tango show in Buenos Aires, city tour, Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer peak & Botanical Gardens in Rio

Useful Information

Fact File

Countries: Brazil, Argentina
Languages: Portuguese, Spanish
Currencies: Brazilian Real, Argentine Peso
Flight times: Approx. 11 hrs 45 mins from London to Sao Paulo and 5 hrs 15 mins from Sao Paulo to Lima
Time zone: GMT-5
Deposit: £200 per person

Visa Information

UK Citizens do not require a visa to enter Brazil or Argentina however must have a valid passport. For the most up-to-date passport and visa information visit https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/brazil/entry-requirements and https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/argentina/entry-requirements

We are unable to accept responsibility if you are unable to travel because you have not complied with any passport/entry/immigration requirements.

Health

There is a fair amount of walking involved throughout this tour, and as many places we visit as part of this itinerary are in national parks and historical areas, we cannot expect or guarantee the terrain to be flat and even. Whilst this should not pose any difficulty for clients who are in good health, please consider any mobility requirements personal to yourself. If you would like to discuss mobility related queries, please contact our reservations department.

A Yellow Fever vaccination is recommended when travelling to some areas of South America. Some areas are also considered to have a high risk of Zika virus transmission. Pregnant women are advised to postpone non-essential travel until after pregnancy. We recommend you contact your GP or local health professional to obtain further information.

For useful information on travelling to a Yellow Fever Zone and for other travel health advice visit nathnac.net
For general travel advice and tips please go to travelaware.campaign.gov.uk

Mobility

We want to ensure you make the correct choice before you book your holiday with us. If you have any concerns regarding the suitability of the holiday due to reduced mobility we would encourage you to call us to discuss these concerns. General information on mobility in connection with our tours can be found here.

Transfer Times & Connecting Flights

Connecting Flights

Flights with LATAM from London Heathrow will connect in São Paolo on both the outbound and inbound journeys. Please contact us if you would like timings and/or further information on the connecting flights. All flight details will be listed in your booking confirmation.

Transfer Times

All transfer times listed here are approximate, and dependent on traffic. If you have a question regarding transfer times please don't hesitate to contact us.