Home city to Buenos Aires, Argentina

Depart your home city for an overnight flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

Buenos Aires

Afternoon arrival in Buenos Aires. Transfer to the hotel for check-in. Afternoon at leisure. Welcome dinner. 

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the most cosmopolitan city in South America. It has been called the Paris of South America and the cradle of the tango. We have included all the major highlights of the city. We will explore the rakish district of La Boca, where the early Italian immigrants settled. This is a real paradise for shoppers. Evening at leisure.

Buenos Aires to Ushuaia

Morning transfer to the airport for our flight to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost city in the world. In the afternoon a train ride will take us to the ends of the world, to the last corner of the Island of Tierra del Fuego. Beyond is Antarctica. We will be surrounded by a forest of nothofagus, a species of plants that millions of years ago migrated from Antarctica, when the continent was still with warm weather.

Ushuaia

Navigation on the Beagle Chanel (The channel was named after Fitzroy and Darwin’s ship, the Beagle, who took them around the world in an epic voyage that lasted five years. We sail the Beagle Channel, passing by the Lighthouse at the End of the World, which inspired Jules Verne to write, in 1901 the famous novel “The Lighthouse at the End of the World”. We will visit the oldest ranch, called Puerto Harberton. Nearby we will sport lots of Magellanic Penguins. The ranch was donated by the Argentine Government to Mr. Thomas Bridge, an Anglican priest who colonized Tierra del Fuego in 1886. Today we are following the steps of Ferdinand Magellan, Sir Francis Drake, and the early discoverers of the 16th century. When Charles Darwin visited Patagonia, he wrote in his journal; “Why this barren land possesses my mind? I find it hard to explain… but it might partly be because it enhances de horizons of imagination.”

Ushuaia to El Calafate

Morning transfer to the airport for a short flight takes us to El Calafate, the capital of the icefields of Patagonia. El Calafate was created in 1927 when the Argentine government wanted to populate the harsh Patagonian Steppe. After checking in at our quaint hotel, located downtown, we have time for some shopping and relaxation. The main street is lined with restaurants and shops. Here you will find the best ice cream!!!

El Calafate

The adventure of a lifetime awaits us.  Today we sail the iconic Perito Moreno Lake and admire the majestic glacier dripping into the lake from the top of the Andes.  Not far from El Calafate Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid crossed the Patagonian steppe escaping the Pinkerton detectives after robbing the bank of London and South America in Rio Gallegos, the capital of the Santa Cruz Province.

El Calafate

Today’s full-day tour is a National Geographic experience. We cross the Andes by bus, to enter the Paine National Park in Chilean territory. Of all the Patagonian parks, this is one of the most awe-inspiring places on earth. The Andes seems to be cut by hand. The mountains show a chromatic display of colors never seen before in the Andean range.  The park is hidden in a corner of the majestic snow-capped Andes mountains. Return to our hotel for overnight.

El Calafate to Buenos Aires

Mid-morning, we fly to Buenos Aires. Check in at a hotel in downtown Buenos Aires. Free time for an optional lunch. Our hotel is a block away from Florida Street, an “open mall” 11 blocks long. Hundreds of boutiques line this pedestrian street. The best buys are leather articles, semi-precious stones, and clothing.

Evening dinner and tango show. The tango is the heart of soul of Buenos Aires. The tango originated in the streets of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, Uruguay, in the 1880’s. The traditional dances and music from Spain, Africa, Italy, and Poland influenced the creation of the tango.  The early European immigrants brought their different cultures and melted one with the others to form the tango, the most passionate music and dance in the world.

Buenos Aires to Iguazu Falls

A one hour and forty-minute flight takes us to the splendorous Iguazu Falls, one of the wonders of the world. We cross from Argentina to Brazil and stay at the five- star Belmond das Cataracts Hotel, situated across the street from the waterfalls. There are 275 waterfalls almost two miles in length. The tallest drop is the one called The Devils Throat at 240 feet high. In the afternoon a nautical Safari takes us through the Atlantic Forest to reach a pier. We embark on a raft and run the rapids up to where the falls crashes on the lower part of the Iguazu River, which divides Brazil from Argentina. The raft passes through the mist of the highest cataract. The view is majestic, and the experience is one of the most exhilarating of our trip.

Iguazu Falls to Buenos Aires

Afternoon flight to Buenos Aires. Check in at the Libertador hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure.

Buenos Aires to Santiago, Chile

Morning transfer to the airport. After a short flight over the Andes mountains, we land in Santiago de Chile. Afternoon at leisure to explore Santiago on your own.

Santiago to Easter Island

Morning flight to Easter Island--one of the most remote small islands in the world, lost in the expansive Pacific Ocean. The Island is closer to Tahiti than it is to Chile, but it is part of the Chilean territory. It was the first island declared a UNESCO HERITAGE SITE.  Giant Moais dot the landscape of the island. The Moais are monumental statues built by an unknown civilization. The famous explorer Thor Heyerdahl sailed in a raft to the islands. He wrote the book RAPA NUI. Rapa Nui is the original name of the island. Our stay is close to the small town of Hanga-Roa, the capital of the island. We will stay in a charming typical hotel. We won’t find any McDonalds or other fast-food places on this island.

Easter Island

For two days we will visit extinct volcanoes, the giant moais standing like ancient sentinels along the Pacific coast, the beautiful Anakena Beach, volcanoes and caves with hieroglyphs dating back centuries. By the time we end our tour of Easter Islands we will have traveled almost 18,000 miles around the South American continent. Those who take the post tour to Peru, Cuzco, and Machu Picchu, will add almost another 1,000 miles. This does not include the excursions, navigation, and bus rides to see the less traveled wonders of South America. It is truly an adventure of a lifetime.

Easter Island to Santiago

Morning at leisure.  Afternoon transfer to the airport for the fight back to Santiago.  Evening arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Santiago to U.S.A.

Morning city tour with lunch. The great capital city of Chile sits at the foot of the Aconcagua, the tallest peak in the western hemisphere. Santiago, like many other great capitals in South America, has been the center of revolutions and sometimes violent demonstrations.  On September 11th,1973 a military coup overthrew the president of Chile. It took years to heal and overcome the difficulties in shaping a modern democracy. Chile boasts of now being the most solid economy in South America. Evening transfer to the airport.

**Those going on the optional extension to Peru, will get a transfer to the airport for your flight to Cusco for an early afternoon flight.**

Arrival in your home city.

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**OPTIONAL POST Peru Tour - March 20 - 26, 2024 

$3,760.00 per person/based on double occupancy (Price requires 20 people) - International flights from Lima to the U.S. NOT included

$ 4,644.00 per person/based on single occupancy

• Meet and greet service by our representatives at airports
• 6-Nights Accommodations including daily breakfast
• Airfare from: Santiago, Chile to Lima, Cuzco/Cuzco to Lima
• All sightseeing tours as mentioned in the itinerary and entrance fees
• English-speaking tour guides
• Round trip train to Machu Picchu - includes 2 entrances
• Tipping for local guides and drivers

Day 1: Wednesday, March 20, 2024 - Santiago to Cuzco, Peru

Departure flight from Santiago to Cuzco, the former capital of the Inca Empire. Upon arrival we will lodge in the historical hotel Palacio del Inca, a former residence of the family of Conquistador Pizarro. Overnight.  Cuzco was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.  There is no other city that surpasses the history and architecture of Cuzco. The traditions of the past are part of the present-day lifestyle of the descendants of the Incas.

Day 2: Thursday, March 21, 2024 - Cuzco 

Half-day tour visiting the ancient fortress of Sacsayhuaman. The introduction to the capital of the former Empire of the Incas includes a visit to the Temple of the Sun, the 17th century old cathedral built over an Inca Palace and palatial buildings, convents and monasteries now converted into hotels. The cathedral exhibits a valuable collection of art of the Cuzco School of painting. The best piece in the collection is a painting of the Last Supper, showing Christ and the apostles seated at a table. The emblems of the supper are a guinea pig, tropical fruits and glasses with Chicha Morada, the fermented corn drink that is offered in restaurants even these days.

Day 3: Friday, March 22, 2024 - Cuzco to Sacred Valley 

Early morning full day excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Today, immerse in a world and culture unknown to modern civilization. We explore the Pisaq Indian Market and the only Inca town untouched by the Spanish conquistador: Ollantaytambo, situated at the foot of the massive fortress of the same name. You can climb this fortress for a view of the Sacred Valley. Overnight will be in a former colonial convent converted into a hotel. Lunch will be in a restaurant where we will be served delicious meals of the typical Peruvian cuisine.  A horse Paso show will demonstrate for us the dexterity of the famous “Peruvian Caballos dePaso”, similar to the Lipizzaner in Vienna.

Day 4: Saturday, March 23, 2024 - Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu

Today we experience a bus and train ride to Machu Picchu, the quaint town at the foot of Machu Picchu citadel. This tiny Inca village with indigenous markets and hot springs. It is crossed by the Urubamba River, sacred to the Incas. The town is surrounded by the amazing Andes that seem to explode up to the sky, lending itself to the beauty of a place so far from modern civilization.  The river divides the city in two parts. The train station is our arrival point and the beginning of the exploration of the Lost Citadel of the Incas. Our stay will be at the luxury Sumaq Hotel.

Day 5: Sunday, March 24, 2024 - Machu Picchu to Cuzco

We re-enter the citadel to explore places not seen during the day of arrival. Late afternoon transfer to the train station for a bus and train ride to Cuzco. We will have time to visit the Aguas Calientes Market and bargain with the locals while shopping for textiles, jewelry, and clothing made of llama or vicuna wool. Late evening arrival in Cuzco and to our hotel.

Day 6: Monday, March 25, 2024 - Cusco to Lima

A short flight will take us to Lima, the capital city of Peru. Check-in at the selected hotel. Afternoon city tour of Colonial Lima, visiting the metropolitan cathedral where conquistador Pizarro is buried.  We will walk around the main square where the government palace and the city hall are located. A short walk will take us to the San Francisco convent, for a visit to the famous catacombs. The convent has a unique library with manuscript books and a fabulous art collection. Overnight in Lima.

Day 7: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 - Lima to U.S.A.

Early morning departure back to the U.S.

CASH DISCOUNT of $100.00 for final payment by check

TOUR ID#9224C03