Overview
Departs TBA
“Amigos Travel South America” has been carefully designed for its travellers in a very extensive 29 day program made for you to see the Highlights of South America at a sensible pace! It has been planned very carefully to ensure that you have adequate time in the most important places and done in an order to minimise the effects of altitude. In this program, you will visit Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Iguassu Falls, the Amazon Rainforest, the Amazon River, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Santiago & MUCH MORE.
We feel it is important to include as much as possible at the outset, but more importantly, we purchase ground services and accommodation on quality, reliability and safety. When joining us on this tour you only need to be carrying money for personal spending, meals not included, souvenirs and any extras that are detailed at the end of the itinerary.
Accommodation has been based on good quality 4* hotels, with the exception of the Amazon jungle lodge which is basic. Quad rooms are extremely rare in Latin America so for families of 4, we will usually have 2 x doubles with interconnecting doors where possible.
In order to enjoy this amazing destination, we intend to limit the group size to a maximum of 28 (7 or 8 families). If you decide to come with us, please contact us now and reserve your place without delay. This is a family friendly trip, however we recommend that children are 13 years or older.
Please call us for pricing! 1300 264 467
Please note: Price may increase each year
Itinerary
This morning we will depart Sydney on our LATAM flight to South America with a brief stop in Auckland. As we cross the International Date Line we ‘gain’ a day so will arrive in Santiago also on Saturday where we connect with our flight onto Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital. On arrival early this evening we will be met and taken to our city hotel for four nights. Meals inflight
Day 2 :
Day 2 - Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and is the most fashionable city in South America, with many beautiful parks and plazas. After breakfast, we will have a brief South American orientation meeting and then the remainder of the morning is at leisure to relax after our flight from Australia. Later this afternoon we will be taken on a private city tour taking in the Government House (where Eva Peron sang from the balcony), City Hall, the House of Congress, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the world famous Colon Theatre, Avenue 9th July (the widest street in the world) and the historic La Boca District with its famous Boca Juniors Stadium. Tonight you may wish to join us as we will go to one of the most traditional Argentine style BBQ restaurants for dinner. (B)
Day 3 :
Day 3 - Buenos Aires
Today is at leisure in Buenos Aires to soak up the cosmopolitan feel of this amazing city and to take advantage of its fabulous shopping district. Fine furs, leather and cashmere are of especially good value. Tonight we will have dinner and a show at the city’s superior Tango Cabaret. (BD)
This morning we will be taken by road on a tour out of the city into the fertile grass land (The Pampas) that surround Buenos Aires. We will be driven to a local town where we will discover some Argentine traditions before continuing to a traditional Estancia (cattle ranch). We will have the option of going for a light horse ride through part of the property which is led by one of the Gauchos. You may prefer a horse and carriage ride or alternatively a walk to explore and appreciate the location. We will then enjoy an Asado (typical Argentine BBQ), followed by a demonstration of the gaucho horse taming skills. We will be returned to our hotel this evening. (BL)
This morning we will be transferred to Buenos Aires International airport to connect with our flight to Rio de Janeiro. On arrival in Rio we will be met and taken to our hotel located right in Copacabana Beach for four nights. Rio de Janeiro sweeps twenty kilometres along the narrow alluvial strip between the mountains and the sea. The combination of the dark blue sea, studded with rocky islands, with the tumbling wooded mountains and expanses of bare grey rock which surround the city is very impressive. Brazilians say: “God made the world in six days, the seventh He devoted to Rio”. This afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the ambiance of the sidewalk cafes and bars of Copacabana. (B)
Day 6 :
Day 6 - Rio de Janeiro
This morning we will be taken on a tour to Corcovado and the Statue of Christ. The tour passes by Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon to Cosme Velho, where the modern funicular train is boarded for the 20 minute ride high up to the top of the 770 metre high Corcovado Mountain. The “Christ the Redeemer” statue is one of Rio’s most famous landmarks. It is 37 metres high, weighs 1,100 tons and has a 360 degree view of the entire Rio area below, encompassing the city, the bay, the mountains and the sea within a circle of up to 160 km. The Tijuca Rain Forest and the famous beach suburbs of Barra and Sao Conrado are visited on the way back to our hotel. Tonight we will be taken to a local traditional Samba show. (B)
Day 7 :
Day 7 - Rio de Janeiro
This morning we will be taken on a tour to “The Sugar Loaf”, located uniquely above the entrance to Guanabara Bay. It is reached by a spectacular 2-stage cable car ride that offers a beautiful look at the city and its beaches from a vantage point high above Rio City. We then tour through the old part of Rio that includes the historical district of Lapa and a tour into Maracana Stadium – the worlds largest stadium that, prior to its 2013 renovation, has held over 200k spectators. This afternoon is at leisure. (B)
Day 8 :
Day 8 - Rio de Janeiro
Today is at leisure, however we are presently investigating some other options such as a local soccer game. Tonight we will be taken to one of Rio’s most traditional restaurants for dinner. (BD)
This morning we will be collected from our hotel and transferred back to the airport for our flight to the Iguazu Falls, considered by many as the most impressive in the world and surpassing in grandeur both Niagara and Victoria. Some 275 separate cascades fall in a wild array of spray over a winding three kilometre cliff frontage into a gorge sixty metres deep. One of the most spectacular of the falls is aptly named “The Devil’s Throat”! We will be met from our flight and taken to our well located hotel for 2 nights. We will take an amazing walk along the Brazil side of the falls on specially built gantrys that take us over the water to the very edge of this natural wonder of the world. (B)
Day 10 :
Day 10 - Iguassu Falls
This morning we will be taken by road across the border into Argentina to visit the Argentine side of the falls – a very different perspective from the Brazil side, but equally impressive. We will be taken on an informative drive through the dense tropical rainforest to the river where we will board our powerful boat for an incredibly spectacular ride up the Iguassu River to the base of the falls. (B)
Day 11 :
Day 11 - Iguassu Falls / Lima
Today is at leisure to further explore the falls or just relax around the pool in this tropical paradise. There may be the option to take an impressive helicopter flight over the falls, or visit an impressive bird park for those interested. Late this afternoon we are transferred to the airport for our flight to Lima, Peru. On arrival into Lima late tonight we will be met and taken to our hotel for three nights. Lima, "The City of the Kings" is a very beautiful city. It was the first seat of Government of Spain in 1533 and still has many perfectly preserved buildings from this Colonial period. It is also famous for its fine gold and silver. (B)
Day 12 :
Day 12 - Lima
This morning is at leisure to relax after yesterday’s flight. This afternoon we will be taken on a city tour of Greater Lima. We will be taken to visit the three distinct historical periods of the city: Pre-Columbian, Colonial and Modern. The tour visits the Santo Domingo Convent, the Government Palace and the Plaza de Armas (Main Square). We have then arranged a visit to the Casa Aliaga, one of South Americas oldest Spanish homes and still inhabited by the original family.
Count Gonzalo de Aliaga is a direct descendant of the Spanish Royals, and his family have lived in this mansion since the 1500’s. It is through Lews friendship with this family that we can visit this “living museum”. We will then drive by the elegant residential tree-lined avenues of San Isidro and Miraflores to Parque Salazar to enjoy spectacular views of the western side of the Pacific Ocean. (B)
Day 13 :
Day 13 - Lima
This morning we will visit one of Lima’s symbolic markets. Here we can appreciate the amazing variety of fish, exotic fruit and vegetables used in Peruvian food. We will then have an amazing lunch overlooking the Huaca Pucllana, a massive 2000 year old adobe pyramid which has recently been painstakingly restored. It is built with seven staggered platforms and served as an important ceremonial and administrative center of the ancient civilization that inhabited the Central Coast of Peru. After lunch, we visit the Larco Herrera Museum, regarded as Peru’s best museum showcasing the ancient culture of Peru. It is a privately owned museum located in an 18th-century vice-royal building built over a 7th-century pre-Columbian pyramid. (BL)
Early this morning we will be transferred to Lima Airport for our flight to Iquitos, deep in the Amazon Basin. We will be met on arrival in Iquitos and transferred to the river where we will board our powerful speed boat that takes us into the jungle to our remote Jungle Lodge. Enroute to the lodge, we pass the jungle town of Indiana. Originally a Franciscan mission, Indiana has grown into a large river community with its own market, high school and small hospital. Our lodge is located 80km down the Amazon River from Iquitos and deep in primary jungle. Our stay here is for three nights. This afternoon we will hike in the beautiful primary rainforest reserve which includes many huge trees festooned with epiphytes. We hope to be able to have our children join in the soccer game that happens most afternoons on the banks of the Amazon with the local children.
After dinner there may be local flute or guitar music for us to enjoy at the “jungle” bar while we listen to guides relating some of the many legends of the Amazon forest. (BLD)
Day 15 :
Day 15 - Amazon Lodge
Early this morning we travel by boat on a full day excursion down the Amazon and up the Napo River, one of the Amazons major tributaries to the Sucusari Reserve. Here you can climb and walk the Amazon Canopy Walkway, one of the longest treetop walkways in the world through primeval forest in an area named by scientists as the "Biodiversity Capital of the World".
We will walk through virgin forest with its canopy of vegetation embellished with wild orchids and bromeliads. The birdlife is particularly rich in this area and you may see monkeys and marmosets.
Your expert guide will highlight the various plant, animal and bird life of the jungle. The local Shaman will explain the medicinal properties of many of the Amazonian plant species that are used by the locals. We then return by boat back to the lodge for dinner. (BLD)
Day 16 :
Day 16 - Amazon Lodge
After breakfast this morning we will have a morning boat ride to look for dolphins, fish for piranha and walk along a river beach before lunch. This afternoon you may choose to hike in the beautiful primary rain forest reserve surrounding the lodge which includes many huge trees festooned with epiphytes. (BLD)
* The details and order of activities in the Amazon may change due to weather conditions
This morning we will travel back up river to Iquitos where we take our flight to Cuzco - "The Inca Capital" as it is known. On arrival, we will be met by our private vechicle and driven through Cuzco and down to the Sacred Valley of the Incas to our hotel, where we will have 3 nights accommodation. (B)
Day 18 :
Day 18 - Sacred Valley - Pisac
After breakfast this morning we will drive to the famous and traditional Pisac Market. Here we will have time to bargain with the local Indians for their fabulous artifacts and weavings. Lunch today will be at beautiful Colonial Hacienda in the valley. (BL)
This morning we will travel to Moray, a fantastic place where circular and semi-circular agricultural terraces were built into the top of a limestone hill overlooking the Urubamba Valley and were used by the Incas as a botanical laboratory. Apart from their agricultural function, some believe they have a mystical meaning that we have yet to unlock. Close at hand is the Colonial village of Maras, famed for its salt pans where one of the finest salts in the world is extracted… Maras salt. We will then visit the Inca Fortress city of Ollantaytambo. Dominated by two massive Inca ruins, the quaint village of Ollantaytambo is the best surviving example of Inca city planning, with narrow cobblestone streets that have been continuously inhabited since the 13th century. (BL)
After an early breakfast we will be transferred to Ollanta Train Station for our excursion to Machu Picchu. We will follow the Urubamba River on one of the world’s great train journeys. Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas” is undoubtedly the best known and most spectacular archeological site on the continent and is a must for all visitors to Peru. Our archeologist guide will take us on an amazing walk through this “wonder of mankind”. Lunch is supplied at Machu Picchu and for the next 2 nights we will stay in a wonderful hotel in the township of Aguas Calientes, located just below the ruins - an absolute highlight in itself! (BL)
Day 21 :
Day 21 - Machu Picchu
We have this morning free to further explore the ruins of Machu Picchu or climb the peak behind the ruins, Huayna Picchu. We return to Aguas Calientes for lunch and the afternoon at leisure. You may wish to soak in the hot springs this village is named after. (B)
Day 22 :
Day 22 - Machu Picchu / Cuzco
After breakfast this morning we will take our train to Ollanta, where we will be met and transferred to Cuzco by road. Cuzco is the archeological capital of the Americas and the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city. Massive Inca-built stone walls line most of Cuzco’s central streets to form the foundations of Colonial and modern buildings. The streets are stepped, narrow and filled with Quechua-speaking descendants of the Inca Civilization. (B)
Day 23 :
Day 23 - Cuzco
This morning we will walk to a chocolate making centre. Peru is a producer of many of the finest cacao varieties in the world. We will learn all the steps to make chocolate, from the harvest of the cacao in the plantation to the production of a chocolate bar. We will roast the cacao beans, peel them and grind them to produce a paste.
This cacao paste was used to prepare the first known cacao drink, the traditional hot chocolate. We will be able to take our own chocolate home. This afternoon we will be taken on a comprehensive tour of Cuzco. We will visit the Koricancha (Temple of the Sun). We visit the lookout of San Cristobal from where we have a beautiful view of the city. We also visit the Plaza de Armas (Main Square) and some of the very important Inca Ruins outside the city of Cuzco. (B)
Day 24 :
Day 24 - Cuzco
Today is at leisure to further enjoy this amazing town. (B)
Day 25 :
Day 25 - Cuzco / Lima / Santiago
This morning we will be transferred to the airport for our flight to Lima where we will be in transit for our ongoing flight to Santiago. On arrival into Santiago we will be met and transferred to our hotel for 2 nights. (B)
Day 26 :
Day 26 - Santiago
Today we take you on a tour of Santiago and we visit the historical part of the city. Chile has some of the world’s best seafood, so tonight you may wish to join us at one of the city’s well known restaurants. (B)
Day 27 :
Day 27 - Santiago
This morning we will be taken out of the city where we will visit one of Chiles famous vineyards. Evening transfer back to Santiago Airport for our flight home departing just after midnight to Sydney. (B)
Day 28 :
Day 28 - Santiago / Sydney
In Flight
Day 29 :
Day 29 - Sydney
Our flight arrives back into Sydney this morning.
Welcome Home!
Price Includes:
- • Economy-class airfares throughout.
- • Accommodation in comfortable hotels (4+ *) with private facilities (except the Amazon which is basic, but still with private facilities).
- • All airport transfers as described with English speaking guides.
- • All city and sightseeing tours as described with English speaking guides.
- • All admission fees on such tours.
- • Meals as indicated: B = breakfast L = lunch D = dinner
- • All ground transportation as described.
- • All touring vessels.
- • Re-confirmation of all onward flights
- • Re-confirmation of all onward flights
Price Not Including
- • Passport & Visa Costs.
- • Excess baggage.
- • Items of a personal nature.
- • Travel Insurance.
- • Tipping.
- • Single Supplement
- • Business Class Upgrades