Tale of Two Cities

Detailed Itinerary

Day One – Arrival in Brazil

You’ll land in Brazil on an evening flight as you begin your holiday in Rio! We’ll be there to meet you at the airport and drive you to your hotel in the stylish Copacabana area of the city - once you’re settled in, you might want to take a walk along the waterfront or take in an evening meal. Of course, if you'd like to start your holiday to Rio in style, then Copacabana is a great place for a night out...

Day Two - Tour of Corcovado and Tijuca National Park

You'll have some free time this morning to recover from your journey, and then this afternoon we will pick you up from your hotel and begin your holiday in Rio as we drive through the city to the base of Mt. Corcovado. Here we will board a funicular railway which carries us up through the dense Tijuca Atlantic Rainforest to the top of the mountain and the base of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue that has become one of the most famous symbols of Rio, and indeed Brazil. The views over the city from the top are absolutely amazing and it's the perfect way to get your bearings and pick out where to visit next. (Breakfast included)

Day Three - Sugarloaf Mountain Tour

You’ll have a free morning to explore Copacabana, and then after lunch we’ll pick you up from your hotel and take you for a tour through downtown Rio. You will pass the famous Sambadrome, which is the heart of Rio’s annual Carnaval celebrations, and the Metropolitan Cathedral, which stands like an immense 80-metre-high pyramid. We will also enjoy some of the republican and old colonial buildings such as the Municipal Theatre, the National Library and the National Museum of Fine Arts. We will finish this section of the tour in the neighbourhood of Urca, at the foot of one of the real highlights of a holiday to Rio: the iconic Sugar Loaf Mountain, where we will board a cable-car heading first to Urca Hill. Here, at a vantage point of 215 meters, we’ll have beautiful views of Guanabara Bay and its islands, the Rio-Niterói Bridge, and Corcovado Mountain. A second cable car takes us the all the way to the top of Sugarloaf, from where you can enjoy the amazing view of Rio spread before you, with its hills, beaches, favelas and bays. (B)

Day Four - Free Day on Holiday in Rio

A holiday in Rio just wouldn't be a holiday if you don't have a chance to just relax and let it all sink in, so today is all yours - you could head to some of Rio's other neighbourhoods, such as Ipanema or the bohemian Leblon area. You could take a trip to the Maracana or head up into the hills to the arty Santa Teresa area, or even just relax in Copacabana and go for a stroll along the beach... (B)

Day Five – Fly to Iguazu

You’ll have time for breakfast at the hotel this morning before we pick you up and take you back to the airport to catch a short flight inland to the town of Foz do Iguacu, on the border with Argentina. We'll be there to meet you and take you to your hotel in this small town, which is the base for visits to the amazing Iguazu Falls. Since you’ll be arriving in the early evening, you will have some time to wander around and soak in the laidback atmosphere of Foz. (B)

Day Six - Iguazu Falls (Brazil side)

This morning we will take you for your first visit to the incredible Iguazu Falls. Higher than Niagara Falls, and wider than Victoria Falls, Iguazu will take your breath away with its spectacular beauty and awesome power. We will visit today from the Brazilian side, where a long walkway along the canyon top allows you to appreciate the true scale of Iguazu from above. You'll get some fantastic photos, as you work your way along to a viewpoint giving you a panoramic vista of the famous Devil's Throat, where 14 separate falls combine in a single 350-foot drop, sending spray over 100 feet into the air for a dramatic permanent rainbow. (B)

Day Seven - Iguazu Falls (Argentina side)

Today we will re-visit Iguazu Falls, but this time from the Argentinian side, where a system of walkways projecting out into the middle of the waterfall system allow you to really feel the power of the waterfalls all around you. It’s a fantastic way to get up close and personal with this awesome natural spectacle. After spending the morning re-visiting the falls, we will take you on to the airport on the Argentinian side of the border for a short flight south to Buenos Aires. You’ll arrive this evening in one of the world’s great cities, and we’ll meet you and take you to your hotel in the centre of town. You’ll be having a full city tour tomorrow, but you’re just a few blocks from all the main sites, as well as from restaurants and cafes, so you’re perfectly placed to head out and start soaking up the Buenos Aires atmosphere... (B)

Day Eight – Tour of Buenos Aires

Today we’ll be taking you for a tour of the major sights in the city. We will visit the historic centre, including the famous Plaza de Mayo where the demonstrations by mothers of the ‘disappeared’ against the military government took place, as well as the Casa Rosada from whose balcony Evita addressed the crowds below. We will also visit the beautiful Cathedral before heading to the tango districts of San Telmo and La Boca, also home to the famous Boca Juniors football team. We will also visit the exclusive Palermo and Recoleta areas, with their leafy avenues and grand houses, superb restaurants and boutique shopping before ending up in the riverside district of Puerto Madero to enjoy some superb Argentinean food... (B)

Day Nine - Free time on Holiday in Buenos Aires

We’ve left you with a free day in Buenos Aires, so you’re not rushing around too much. There’s so much to see and do here that those who like to stay busy can explore the historical and cultural sights while others can sit back with a glass of wine or perhaps some excellent Argentinean ice-cream and relax. (B)

Day Ten - Last Day on Holiday in South America

Sadly, it’s time to say goodbye to Buenos Aires today, as we pick you up from your hotel and take you back to the airport for your international flight home. (B)

What's Included?

Our standard price for this holiday in Rio, Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls is £1795 per person, which is based on two sharing a double or twin room in our standard hotels.

That price includes all your accommodation, internal transport, transfers, tours, guides and entrance fees, plus breakfast every day.

We don't have any "local payments" or sneaky charges: everything you have read about on this itinerary is included in that price. And because everything we do is tailor-made, we don't have fixed departure dates or minimum numbers for our trips. Outside of national holidays or other special events, this price is valid for the whole of 2020.

International flights

So with the exception of a few meals, everything on your holiday is included. What we don't include as standard is your international flights, because with these you have a huge range of options depending on the date you want to travel, the route you want to fly, and your preferred departure airport in the UK.

We aren't tied to any particular airline, and we will be delighted to discuss all options with you, or you can even book the flights yourself if you prefer: it's totally up to you.