Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, Buenos Aires, Cusco & Machu Picchu - 11 Days

Day 1: Arrival in Rio de Janeiro

Upon arrival at the Rio de Janeiro airport, meet our representative for a transfer to your Rio de Janeiro hotel.

Depending on your flight arrival time, you may have time to start exploring Rio de Janeiro on your own. Or just take it easy and enjoy the amenities at your hotel.

Day 2: Christ The Redeemer Half-Day Tour

Today, you’ll visit Rio’s most distinctive and cherished landmark, the Christ the Redeemer statue, which is the tallest Art Deco statue of its kind. To get there, you’ll drive to the bottom of Corcovado Mountain and ride through the

Tijuca Rainforest to a viewing platform where you can stand at the feet of the impressive statue and appreciate the iconic Rio city skyline, including Sugar Loaf mountain and the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana.

After the tour, you’ll be dropped off at your hotel to spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

Day 3: Arrival in Puerto Iguazú

Enjoy breakfast at your Rio hotel and then transfer to the airport for your flight to Puerto Iguazu. Upon arrival, meet our representative for the ride to your Iguazu hotel.

You have the rest of the afternoon to enjoy the amenities at your hotel or do some independent exploration of Puerto Iguazu.

Day 4: Iguazú Falls Tour

Experience the thrilling majesty of waterfalls that sound like thunder of this full-day tour of Iguazu Falls. Arriving through Argentina's national park entrance, you’ll see two sides of the waterfall system: from above on a hike to footbridge with panoramic views and from below on jungle trails that will take you to the base of the falls. Be prepared to get drenched by mist! The tour also includes a ride on the Ecological Jungle Train to the Devil’s Throat, an 80-meter canyon that marks the end of the Iguazu River in the Brazil and the start of the Parana River in Argentina.

After the tour, you’ll be returned to your hotel to get some rest before the next day’s transfer to Buenos Aires, one of South America’s most exciting cities.

Day 5: Arrival in Buenos Aires & Tango Show

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel and then transfer to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, meet our representative for the drive to your Buenos Aires hotel.

Buenos Aires is unique among South American cities. Some say it looks like a European city, but spend some time exploring the neighborhood streets, cafes, and parks and you’ll quickly see that the porteño character is one-of-a-kind.

In the evening, you’ll be picked up from your hotel for a gourmet dinner at one of the city’s most exclusive tango houses, Tango Porteño, located near the Obelisk and the historic Teatro Colon opera house. Featuring a live orchestra and an ensemble of professional dancers, the performance itself is a stunning re-creation of the 1940s, the golden age of tango in Buenos Aires.

After dinner, return to your hotel to rest or go out to sample Buenos Aires’s legendary nightlife. Perhaps you’ll want to try out some new tango moves.

Day 6: Buenos Aires City Tour

Great better acquainted with this lively city on a half-day tour to all the must-see sights. You’ll begin on the main square, called Plaza de Mayo in honor of the start of Argentina’s independence movement from Spain in 1810. The plaza is surrounded by the Presidential Palace, also known as the Casa Rosada (Pink House); as well as the Buenos Aires Cabildo (first colonial government house now a museum) and the Metropolitan Cathedral where Pope Francis gave Mass for 20 years as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. The tour continues through the neighborhoods of Puerto Madero, La Boca, San Telmo, Palermo and Recoleta - each destination highlighting a different aspect of the city and its development.

At the end of the tour, you’ll be dropped off at your hotel, where you can rest and relax, and then pack your bags before your flight to Peru tomorrow.

Day 7: Arrival in Cusco

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flights from Buenos Aires to Lima to Cusco. Upon arrival, meet our representative for a transfer to your Cusco hotel.

Spend the remainder of the day at your leisure. Visit a museum, people-watch on the Plaza de Armas, or find a cafe where you can relax. In the evening, choose among Cusco’s many options for casual or fine dining.

Day 8: Cusco City Tour

This morning you’ll have time to explore Cusco on your own. Visit the Pre-Columbian Art Museum (MAP) or Casa Concha (Machu Picchu Museum). You can also explore the vendor stalls at San Pedro Market or browse artisan workshops and art galleries in the San Blas neighborhood.

After lunch, meet your guide for an afternoon tour of Cusco’s must see sights. You’ll start on the Plaza de Armas, where your guide will begin to tell you about the history of South America’s oldest continuously inhabited city. You’ll enter into the Cusco Cathedral, formerly the site of a temple to the Inca creator deity Viracocha and today a treasure trove for religious art produced by native artisans in the years after the Spanish Conquest. You’ll continue to Santo Domingo Monastery, which was also constructed on the site of an Inca temple, Qoricancha or the Temple of the Sun. The building of the church atop the ruins ironically preserved parts of the Inca structures, which were revealed intact after a devastating earthquake in 1950 crumbled the Spanish construction. Next, you’ll visit the Inca ruins outside of Cusco, beginning at the fortress of Sacsayhuaman (site of an important battle between Inca and Spanish troops), and wrapping up the day with stops at Q’enko, Puka Pukara, and Tambomachay.

At the end of the tour, you’ll be returned to your hotel in Cusco. Hit the town to see Cusco by night or enjoy a quiet evening in.

Day 9: Sacred Valley Tour

After breakfast, meet your guide for a tour of the Sacred Valley, which in Inca times was littered with royal palaces and temples and today is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes. Your first stop is Pisac town, with its famous market and impressive hilltop ruins. At the market, your guide will point out local products like potatoes, giant corn, and natural dyes, and you’ll have a chance to browse the souvenir stalls for one-of-a-kind gifts. Next, you’ll drive up the hill to the Pisac ruins, which sprawl across a narrow mountain ridge and most likely protected the southern entrance to the Sacred Valley. You’ll continue down the road to Urubamba and stop for lunch (not included) at a buffet restaurant serving Peruvian specialties. The final stop is in Ollantaytambo, where you’ll climb to the top of the fortress ruins for panoramic views across the former Inca heartland.

At the end of the tour, you’ll be dropped of at your hotel in Sacred Valley.

Day 10: Machu Picchu Tour

Take an early train to Machu Picchu, traveling for 2 hours along a path that follows the banks of the Urubamba River and descends dramatically from the Andean highlands to the cloud forest. On clear days, you can glimpse the glacier-capped peaks that rise over the valley. Upon arrival at the train station, meet our representative for a transfer to the bus stop and the 25-min shuttle ride to the ruins.

Meet your guide at the ruins entrance for a 2-hour tour of Machu Picchu. You’ll visit the primary temples and palaces of the Inca citadel and then you’ll have time to explore the ruins on your own. Take an optional hike to the Sun Gate (entrance from the Inca Trail) or to the Inca Bridge.

In the late afternoon, return to the train station for the trip back to Cusco.

Day 11: Departure from Cusco

Grab breakfast in the morning and then meet our representative for a transfer to the Cusco airport and the start of your journey back home.