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Luxury Rio, Iguazu Falls, Buenos Aires and the pampas

Trips to Tailor

11 days from £7,990

per person
Based on two people sharing & excluding flights
A mix of urban elegance and magnificent natural landscapes: includes first class accommodation in Brazil and Argentina’s top two cities, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires; Iguazú Falls, and a top-of-the-range estancia in cattle country.  
What to expect
Itinerary

Explore the tour day by day, from the highlights to the quieter moments in between. Here’s how each day unfolds and what to expect along the way.

Day 1 - Rio de Janeiro
Arrive in Rio de Janeiro. Transfer to hotel, the famous Copacabana Palace.

Transfer to your hotel the prestigious Copacabana Palace slap bang in the middle of Copacabana beach’s famous promenade. Rio is the most romantic, intriguing and beautiful city on the continent. Sumptuous apartments overlook the sparkling bays against the backdrop of half-built slum dwellings, favelas, which cling precariously to the hillsides. Rio has an awesome bay-side location among near-vertical granite mountains. Here,tropical foliage swoops down to white-to-toffee coloured sandy beaches in turn battered by the huge waves of Atlantic surf.

Christ the Redeemer over Rio
Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, cariocas landscape listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, general view with the Christ of Corcovado (O Cristo Redentor), (aerial view)

Belmond Copacabana Palace is Rio’s most iconic hotel, oozing refinement and luxury and now owned by the prestigious Belmond group.

One of the oldest buildings on Copacabana’s beachfront strip, the fine neo-classical façade sets the tone for this sumptuous property. Assuredly first class in its facilities and attitude to its guests, the hotel offers old-fashioned, attentive service.

Each of the rooms and suites is unique, varying in size and view. We recommend splashing out on a sea view room  or suite to make the experience extra special.

The swimming pool is the finest of any hotel in the city, and its terrace – the setting for Brazil’s most indulgent breakfast – is a delightful place to relaxing between sightseeing, shopping, dining and people-watching.

Day 2
Guided excursion up Sugar Loaf mountain, Corcovado mountain and Tijuca.

Private excursions by car to the two iconic sights of Rio: the Sugar Loaf mountain and Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado mountain.  You climb aboard a cog railway to the statue of Christ the Redeemer, where you can survey the city. The ride up the steep hill is worth the trip in itself: you are enveloped in dripping vegetation laden with tropical flowers and exotic fruits. But the panoramas at the peak on a clear day are stupendous: the whole of the city is laid out before you, with the beaches, Sugar Loaf and Niteroi Bridge easily spotted.

You’ll also visit Sugar Loaf mountain, ascending by cable car: from the summit you can survey Copacabana beach, Botafogo Bay with its bobbing sailboats and yachts, and at sunset watch the city prepare for nightfall as twinkling lights penetrate the purple haze as dusk falls. First thing in the morning is a good time too.

Gondola up over Rio De Janeiro

Belmond Copacabana Palace is Rio’s most iconic hotel, oozing refinement and luxury and now owned by the prestigious Belmond group.

One of the oldest buildings on Copacabana’s beachfront strip, the fine neo-classical façade sets the tone for this sumptuous property. Assuredly first class in its facilities and attitude to its guests, the hotel offers old-fashioned, attentive service.

Each of the rooms and suites is unique, varying in size and view. We recommend splashing out on a sea view room  or suite to make the experience extra special.

The swimming pool is the finest of any hotel in the city, and its terrace – the setting for Brazil’s most indulgent breakfast – is a delightful place to relaxing between sightseeing, shopping, dining and people-watching.

Day 3
At leisure in Rio.

At leisure to soak up your sumptuous surroundings – visit the hotel spa or relax by the pool: at 25m long it is one of the largest in Rio and its elegant terraces are an oasis of peace within the hubbub of the city. The chic boutiques of Ipanema are a stroll away along the beachfront. The quarters of Leblon, the smartest part of town, and Lagoa – the shores of this attractive urban lagoon – have excellent restaurants and night clubs with world class performers. The prestigious Botanical Gardens are an oasis of calm with a colonnade of regal palms.

Belmond Copacabana Palace is Rio’s most iconic hotel, oozing refinement and luxury and now owned by the prestigious Belmond group.

One of the oldest buildings on Copacabana’s beachfront strip, the fine neo-classical façade sets the tone for this sumptuous property. Assuredly first class in its facilities and attitude to its guests, the hotel offers old-fashioned, attentive service.

Each of the rooms and suites is unique, varying in size and view. We recommend splashing out on a sea view room  or suite to make the experience extra special.

The swimming pool is the finest of any hotel in the city, and its terrace – the setting for Brazil’s most indulgent breakfast – is a delightful place to relaxing between sightseeing, shopping, dining and people-watching.

Day 4 - Iguazu Falls
Transfer to airport and fly to Iguazú falls.

Transfer to the airport for the 2hr flight to Foz do Iguaçú. You’ll be driven to the Hotel das Cataratas, the only property in the sub-tropical national park in which the Iguazú Falls are situated. A mock-colonial building which was once a museum, it’s a very elegant hotel, sitting a short stroll from the falls themselves. Here there’s a broad panoramic view of these colossal falls, and there are some excellent opportunities to photograph the full sweep of the water.

The Iguazú Falls are unquestionably one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena in the world. A total of 275 falls thunder over a 60m high rust-coloured cliff surrounded by dense tropical forest. The U-shaped Devil’s Throat is the most dramatic sight, here the frothing water of the Iguazú river crashes over a 1.5km-wide precipice and columns of vapour are thrown skyward. Elsewhere the river flows decorously through the rainforest breaking up into dozens of smaller cascades. You can usually spot toucans and many other exotic birds perched in the foliage above the tumultuous waters.

View over Iguazu Falls in Brazil.
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Belmond das Cataratas

Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas offers one of the most spectacular settings in South America, directly in front of the Iguazú Falls.

Uniquely, this hotel offers the opportunity to explore this Brazilian park when it is closed to the public, giving secluded access to this monumental natural wonder throughout the evening, night and early morning.

There is a panoramic view of the falls, which comprises of 275 separate cataracts plunging over a 3km granite precipice, a few steps from the hotel. Bright guestrooms are a stylish mix of tropical and Portuguese influences, some with partial waterfall views.

The hotel’s pink exterior and mock-colonial design has the elegance of a refined bygone era. The garden is dotted with palms, a supremely relaxing place to unwind after a day exploring the walkways around the falls. There are two restaurants: one a casual buffet-style affair beside the sunny outdoor pool and the other offering à la carte dining in front of the falls.

Day 5
At leisure at the falls.

At leisure to enjoy the hotel’s facilities or take an excursion to the quirky bird park, or take part in any of the active adventures in the rainforest.

Belmond das Cataratas

Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas offers one of the most spectacular settings in South America, directly in front of the Iguazú Falls.

Uniquely, this hotel offers the opportunity to explore this Brazilian park when it is closed to the public, giving secluded access to this monumental natural wonder throughout the evening, night and early morning.

There is a panoramic view of the falls, which comprises of 275 separate cataracts plunging over a 3km granite precipice, a few steps from the hotel. Bright guestrooms are a stylish mix of tropical and Portuguese influences, some with partial waterfall views.

The hotel’s pink exterior and mock-colonial design has the elegance of a refined bygone era. The garden is dotted with palms, a supremely relaxing place to unwind after a day exploring the walkways around the falls. There are two restaurants: one a casual buffet-style affair beside the sunny outdoor pool and the other offering à la carte dining in front of the falls.

Day 6 - Buenos Aires
Transfer to airport and fly to Buenos Aires.

Transfer to the airport to fly to Buenos Aires. The Argentine capital is an elegant, cultured and cosmopolitan city famed for its interesting museums and the fascinating port district of La Boca, with its cobbled streets and brightly painted houses. It was here that the tango was born, and Diego Maradona honed his footballing skills.

The centre of town is home to the colonial heartland, government buildings and churches, as well as chic shopping districts, which have a nostalgic Parisian feel. The bohemian quarter of San Telmo is full of quaint old houses interspersed with antiques shops, tango bars and classy restaurants. Slightly further out of the centre is the Recoleta district, even more evocative of the French influence, where Evita Perón was laid to rest.

You’ll be staying at the Alvear Palace there, in Recoleta, a smart residential quarter in Buenos Aires with much belle époque and Italianate architecture including the classic hotel itself. Service is impeccable (there are personal butlers) and the restaurant is superb. It is both formal and friendly.

ARG_NationalCongressBuenosAires_shutterstock_Free

Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt is an oasis of relaxation in the heart of Buenos Aires’ classy Recoleta district.

The hotel has two distinct sections, the elegant and beautifully restored Palacio Duhau which has most facilities, and the modern Edificio Posadas with most of the guest rooms. This successfully combines contemporary interior design with classical architectural elegance.

The hotel has a choice of restaurants, a cheese wine cellar and a convivial, wood-pannelled bar and a 25m indoor pool.

Day 7
Guided city tour with Teatro Colón.

Your guided city tour takes you along Avenida 9 de Julio, one of the widest boulevards in the world and studded by the Obelisk, an emblematic symbol of the city. Along this majestic highway is the 19th century Teatro Colón (guided tour included) which, in terms of its architecture and design, as well as its excellent acoustics, is considered one of world’s best.  On to the Plaza de Mayo, enclosed on three sides by the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Town Hall and the Casa Rosada, the presidential palace. The tour continues to bohemian, arty La Boca, which was settled and built by Italian immigrants and has streets lined with brightly painted corrugated iron-clad houses.  Visit the district of Recoleta.

Colourful houses in Buenos Aires, Argentina
La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt is an oasis of relaxation in the heart of Buenos Aires’ classy Recoleta district.

The hotel has two distinct sections, the elegant and beautifully restored Palacio Duhau which has most facilities, and the modern Edificio Posadas with most of the guest rooms. This successfully combines contemporary interior design with classical architectural elegance.

The hotel has a choice of restaurants, a cheese wine cellar and a convivial, wood-pannelled bar and a 25m indoor pool.

Day 8
At leisure; evening tango show with dinner.

At leisure in Buenos Aires.  Stroll round Puerto Madero, the refurbished port district where former dock installations and features have been preserved alongside a string of excellent restaurants and loft conversions. Beyond the city limits, consider a   trip across the River Plate to Colonia in Uruguay.  Travel along a forest-fringed estuary, dotted with upmarket residences, to this peaceful little port, where you can wander among cobbled streets lined by colonial houses, or have a meal or drink in the yacht club.

Alternatively, venture into the watery delta to the small town of Tigre, set on the banks of the Luján river. Have lunch at one of the restaurants on the shores of the Río Paraná, while watching fishermen at work and river-craft gliding by.

Evening guided visit to a tango show with dinner. The passage of time has given respectability to a dance once confined to the seedy underworld bars of the red-light La Boca district. Nowadays, a number of ‘tango houses’ offer a dinner and show as an evening out – prior to the performance you can even try out a few steps yourself as an informal group tango lesson is included. La Gala is an intimate venue with a French colonial style complete with crystal chandeliers and a refined ambience.

Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt is an oasis of relaxation in the heart of Buenos Aires’ classy Recoleta district.

The hotel has two distinct sections, the elegant and beautifully restored Palacio Duhau which has most facilities, and the modern Edificio Posadas with most of the guest rooms. This successfully combines contemporary interior design with classical architectural elegance.

The hotel has a choice of restaurants, a cheese wine cellar and a convivial, wood-pannelled bar and a 25m indoor pool.

Day 9 - San Antonio de Areco
Transfer to estancia in the pampas.

Transfer by road to the Estancia. Located 10 mins’ drive from the small gaucho town of San Antonio de Areco. It projects a real feel for estancia history, harking back to more opulent times when they were the backbone of a thriving economy.

Outdoor pool in Estancia La Bamba

Beautiful Estancia La Bamba de Areco is set within its own parkland near the gaucho town of San Antonio de Areco. The estancia has been refurbished to an extremely high standard, listed in the prestigious Relais & Chateaux portfolio.

The crimson colonial-style building is attractive, while the property’s classic ambience blends effortlessly with its contemporary décor and furnishings. It has even been used as a location in several period films.

Guestrooms are simple and tasteful, varying in size and layout. Each room has different antique furniture, but they follow the same colour scheme of dark wood against white walls and white bedspreads.

There is an attractive swimming pool to enjoy during the warmer months. Other activities include walking within the grounds, bird-watching, horse-riding and carriage rides in the surrounding pampas. The resident gauchos are sure to impress with their equestrian skills.

Day 10
At leisure on the estancia.

At leisure at La Bamba. There’s a lovely outdoor swimming pool (open in summer) with views over parkland and sun loungers, games room and small library. Activities include horse-riding (accompanied by the resident gaucho), bird-watching and carriage rides in the surrounding pampas. The estancia offers a peaceful wind-down to its guests, but does accept day visits by small groups with entertainment laid on for them.

Outdoor pool in Estancia La Bamba
Outdoor pool in Estancia La Bamba

Beautiful Estancia La Bamba de Areco is set within its own parkland near the gaucho town of San Antonio de Areco. The estancia has been refurbished to an extremely high standard, listed in the prestigious Relais & Chateaux portfolio.

The crimson colonial-style building is attractive, while the property’s classic ambience blends effortlessly with its contemporary décor and furnishings. It has even been used as a location in several period films.

Guestrooms are simple and tasteful, varying in size and layout. Each room has different antique furniture, but they follow the same colour scheme of dark wood against white walls and white bedspreads.

There is an attractive swimming pool to enjoy during the warmer months. Other activities include walking within the grounds, bird-watching, horse-riding and carriage rides in the surrounding pampas. The resident gauchos are sure to impress with their equestrian skills.

Day 11 - Buenos Aires
Transfer to Buenos Aires airport for your international flight home.
Luxury Rio, Iguazu Falls, Buenos Aires and the pampas full itinerary
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Overview
Places Visited

The places you’ll stay and explore on this tour. Here’s a closer look at each one and what makes it worth the trip.

Waking up to your first view of Copacabana Beach is one of Brazil’s great travel moments, and Rio only builds from there. Granite peaks, rainforest-covered hills and golden sand meet a city that never quite sits still: samba spilling out of bars, football on the beach, Carnival taking over the streets once a year.

Rio de Janeiro

Experience one of South America’s most awe-inspiring natural wonders, where immense waterfalls plunge through subtropical rainforest alive with birds, butterflies and other wildlife. The Brazilian side of Iguazú Falls offers sweeping panoramic views, exhilarating adventures and an unforgettable perspective on this extraordinary landscape.

Iguazu Falls – Brazilian Side

Walk the spray-soaked catwalks that carry you out over the falls, take the ecological train through the jungle to the Devil’s Throat and ride a speedboat into the base of the cascades. The Argentinian side of Iguazú puts you closer to the water than anywhere else, deep inside the national park and its wildlife-rich forest.

Iguazu Falls – Argentinian side

Discover Argentina’s elegant and energetic capital, where grand European-style architecture, vibrant neighbourhoods, world-class cuisine and the passion of tango come together to create one of South America’s most captivating cities. Dynamic, stylish and nostalgic in equal measure, Buenos Aires is a destination worthy of a trip in its own right.

Buenos Aires

Watch a gaucho work a herd, learn the story of Argentina’s cowboys in the town that guards their traditions, and sit down to an asado under an enormous sky. Stretching south and west from Buenos Aires, the pampas are the flat, fertile plains at the heart of the country’s identity.

The Pampas
Overview
Highlights

This luxurious taste of Brazil and Argentina starts in Rio, where you stay at the Belmond Copacabana Palace, which faces the blue green rollers of the Atlantic Ocean breaking onto Copacabana beach – the heart of Rio’s beach life. At Iguazú Falls, you will step out of your room at Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas to the roar of water crashing over granite cliffs fringed by tropical rainforest.  

Move on to Buenos Aires, a city oozing culture and nostalgia. To suit this mood you stay at one of the continent’s finest traditional properties, the classic Alvear Palace, which numbers presidents, royalty and celebrities among its guests.  Having explored a few of the attractions and savoured cutting edge cuisine at top restaurants and perused classy boutiques you head off back into the countryside. Unwind for a few days at an elegant estancia in the cattle plains of the pampas.

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Juliet Ellwood

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All of our experts have lived or travelled extensively in Latin America, so you will receive unrivalled advice based on unique personal experiences.

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What you need to know
Essentials

The practical detail for this tour, all in one place. Transport, accommodation, what’s included and what to pack, so you know exactly what to expect before you go.

Argentina information
Brazil information
What's included in the price
Services of our team of experts in our London office
Services of Journey Latin America local representatives and guides
All land and air transport within Latin America
Accommodation as specified
Meals as specified
Excursions as specified, including entrance fees
Taxes and compulsory charges
Included Excursions
Full-day tour with, Corcovado mountain and Tijuca forest and cable car up Sugar Loaf mountain
Tour of Argentine side of Iguazú Falls
Guided city tour of Buenos Aires with visit to Teatro Colón
Tango show with dinner, Buenos Aires
Activities at the estancia
What's not included in the price
Tips and gratuities
Meals other than specified
International flights within Latin America
Optional excursions
The latin america specialists

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Rosie Kay
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Rosie embarked on a year-long backpacking trip across Latin America. She is excited to share her knowledge and experiences with others.

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Finn Clennett
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Finn discovered his passion for travel on an extensive 18-month trip to Latin America, experiencing the vibrant Carnaval in Rio, the end-of-the-world city of Ushuaia, trekking the Andes and volunteering on the Galápagos Islands.

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What to do

Things to do

We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.

Reach the top of Sugar Loaf mountain to enjoy views over Copacabana and Christ the Redeemer over Botafogo Bay, especially glorious at sunset.

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Explore the walkways of the Brazilian side of the falls for extraordinary panoramic views and the opportunity to venture right into the gaping mouth of Iguazú’s most dramatically impressive section.

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Roam enormous aviaries to see parrots, toucans and other exotic bird life in a jungle setting.

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Explore the walkways of Argentina’s Iguazú National Park to see the falls from a multitude of angles, including the chance to stand on the precipice and watch the water plummet down to earth right beneath your feet.

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Tango

Don’t miss the chance to see the passionate tango performed live in Buenos Aires’ most atmospheric quarter.

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Where to stay

Accommodation

Browse our unrivalled portfolio of accommodation. Every option has been carefully chosen by our team of travel experts, so you can rest assured that you will relax in utter comfort

An iconic Rio institution with the city’s best pool and an assuredly first-class approach to facilities, style and service.

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The only hotel in Brazil’s Foz do Iguaçu National Park, directly in front of the waterfalls with private access to the park outside opening hours.

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This luxurious estancia has the nostalgic ambience of a grand country house in Argentina’s Las Pampas.

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Stay more
Holiday extensions

If there’s somewhere you particularly want to go that isn’t included in this tour, we can add on an extension to take you there.

Buzios

Head along the Atlantic coast from Rio, passing lagoons and wild, surf-lashed beaches to the chic beach village of Búzios. The low-key, but upmarket, European-style resort is renowned for art shops and fine dining. Here a peninsula of cliffs and low hills is dimpled with little coves and speckled with boutique-style hotels. Day 1: Transfer…

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Something special in mind?
Our specialists know the best and most unusual places to stay across Latin America.
Sally Dodge
Travel Expert

A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

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Level definitions

Essential
What it means

Stay in comfortable, well-located hotels chosen to keep you close to the action. These are reliable, practical places with everything you need for a good night’s sleep, sometimes a smaller or family-run find, sometimes a larger, more functional hotel. It’s a straightforward style of stay that keeps costs down and leaves more of your budget for the experiences themselves.

Premium
What it means

Return each evening to well-appointed hotels chosen for their comfort and setting. Rooms are spacious and properly equipped, with all the mod cons you’d expect, and facilities to include a restaurant, a bar or lounge, and often a pool or spa to unwind in. It’s an easy, comfortable style of travel, with somewhere relaxed to look forward to each day.

Essential
What it means

Settle into stylish hotels picked for their character, setting and service. That might be a luxurious city hotel like the Loi Suites in Buenos Aires, or somewhere with a setting you won’t forget, a former estancia on the Patagonian steppe or a lodge at the foot of Machu Picchu. This is our most memorable style, where the hotel becomes part of the journey itself.

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