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Beautiful downtown Santiago at dusk

South American Three City

Example 10 Day Tour
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Explore three of South America's most vibrant cities- Santiago, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro. Take in the sights, sounds, food, and culture of these unique jewels. Taste the wine and visit the coast of Chile. Watch and listen to the rhythm of the tango in Buenos Aires. Enjoy the sun and soul of Rio de Janeiro with its beaches, samba, and monuments. This itinerary includes free days and optional activities so small groups can arrange guided excursions or explore on your own.
La Moneda Palace in Santiago that is visited during Santiago City TourEveryone dances in the streets of Buenos AiresRioA tour of Rio includes a trip to Corcovado MountainMargy and I in the square-SantiagoBuenos Aires ParkLa Casa RosaA sun-lit cityBuenos AiresSantiagoCasa Rosada in Buenos Aires on Argentina tourBuenos AiresPlaza De Mayo, Buenos AiresLa Boca neighborhood in Buenos AiresStreet musicians in Bueno AiresChrist the RedeemerRioView of Rio from Christ the Redeemer statue during rio city tourBeautiful downtown Santiago at dusk
Highlights
  • Choose from winery tours, beaches, or a culinary tour in Santiago
  • Attend an intimate tango show at La Ventana
  • Ascend Corcovado Mountain to visit the 125 ft statue of Christ the Redeemer
  • Explore Rio de Janeiro's world famous beaches, Ipanema & Copacabana
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrive Santiago

Arrive into Chile’s metropolitan hub and be transferred to your comfortable hotel. This afternoon, explore the beautiful city of Santiago with a private guide! Visit historic downtown, including La Moneda, and the main square. The tour also includes famous Cerro Stana Lucia; make your way through the web of pathways and lush landscaped plazas. Finish your Santiago tour exploring the residential areas of Bellavista, Providencia and Las Condes.

Day 2-3: Regions around Santiago

Santiago is in close proximity to both the Andes and the Pacific coast, and its location provides travelers with great options for excursions. These days are free to explore the city of Santiago or the surrounding regions.

Suggested Optional Tours (Click here for details)

  • Wineries - Chile is recognized internationally for its wines, and half and full day trips can be arranged to the wineries outside of Santiago and in the nearby Maipo Valley. Discover the technical aspects that go into making a good wine - and taste the results! Visit the Cousino Macul winery that is only 20 minutes from Santiago and home to one of the oldest and finest wine cellars in Chile or travel to the Maipo Valley and see Concha y Toro’s impressive Pirque vineyard and hear the "Casillero del Diable Legend," a tale that has made Chilean wines famous throughout the world. Our premium wine tour focuses on the wineries of the Maipo Valley, including Almaviva and Antiyal.

  • Viña del Mar and Valparaiso - This chic beach region is a great place to spend an afternoon. Fashionable shops are found throughout downtown. Enjoy local Chilean cuisine along the shoreline. Our tour continues to Valparaiso. Valpo is Chile's principal port and second-largest city. Located on the narrow strip of land between the waterfront and the nearby hills, its cobblestone streets lead you through a labyrinth of colonial buildings, churches, and museums. As an alternative to visiting Vina del Mar, combine a trip to Valparaiso and Isla Negra, home to the Nobel Prize winning poet, Pablo Neruda.

  • Santiago Culinary Tour - If you choose to stay in the city, why not cook and eat? This morning, meet your guide and head out to "La Vega Central", fruit & vegetables market of Santiago,and the nearby "Mercado Central", the fish market of Santiago. With your guide/chef/sommelier, you will wander the stalls, discussing a menu, and begin shopping for your ingredients for lunch. With a full shopping bag, arrive to the chef's kitchen and prepare lunch (appetizers, main dish, dessert) while relaxing with cocktails. Sit down to enjoy your masterpiece with fine wine carefully selected by your chef. Transfer back to your hotel.

Interested in active excursions? We can arrange full day treks, whitewater rafting, and horseback riding in the Andes outside of Santiago.

Day 4: Welcome to Argentina!

This morning you will fly from Chile to Argentina. Arrive and transfer to your comfortable hotel. Settle in and prepare to view the city after lunch. Downtown Buenos Aires combines history, culture and architecture. This private tour includes a bilingual tour guide and visits to typical neighborhoods like La Boca, Palermo, Recoleta, and the Colon Theater, the National Congress and the Presidential Palace. Experience the highlights of Buenos Aires, and appreciate this great city.

It is hard to imagine a visit to Buenos Aires without attending a tango show. At La Ventana, experience this intimate dance that unifies the city and its people together in a passionate embrace. The tango expresses the heart and the spirit of Argentina.

Day 5-6: Buenos Aires Free Days

The next two days are free days for you to explore Buenos Aires, and we can help arrange excursions in and around the city, such as a trip to the Tigre Delta, a nearby estancia, or even tickets to a local soccer game. If the previous night's tango show was inspirational, we can arrange tango lessons!

Suggested Optional Tours (Click here for details)
 

  • Estancias- The region of Buenos Aires is quite beautiful and has a storied past with the gauchos, and you can enjoy a trip to one of the estancias in the region. Watch the Argentine cowboys at work wrangling livestock and stroll around the beautiful grounds of these old ranches. Enjoy a traditional Argentinean barbeque of the some of world's finest beef, raised free-range on the estancia as well as fresh vegetables from the garden. Full day or multi-day trips with overnight stays at an estancia can be arranged.

  • Colonia del Sacramento- Full day and overnight trips to Colonia, Uruguay, are possible by taking the one-hour ferry from Buenos Aires. Founded in 1680 by the Portuguese, this old colonial town is renowned for its cobbled, windy streets and colorful houses reminiscent of old Lisbon. A visit to the historic center is like a walk back in time with its small bars, excellent restaurants, art and craft shops, museums, and a large yacht harbor. Full day or 2 day/1 night trips can be arranged.

  • Just north of Buenos Aires, the island city of Tigre is a region Argentine travelers should not miss. A serene riverside train ride takes us into Tigre. Visit the famous fruit market. Rustic weaves, cane and willow furniture, sugary sweets, exotic flowers and, of course, numerous varieties of native fruit tempt you as you make your way through this bustling market. A guided ferry tour of the beautiful Delta ends this excursion.

Day 7: Fly Brazil

Take a morning flight to Rio de Janeiro and transfer to your hotel. Arrive in Rio de Janeiro and transfer to your hotel in the famous Copacabana neighborhood. Spend your time today discovering Rio’s world famous beaches - Ipanema and Copacabana - and sipping agua de coco (green coconut water) or a caipirinha (a drink made with lime juice and cachaça, sugar cane liqueur).

Day 8: Christ the Redeemer & Corcovado

Meet your guide at the hotel for a half-day visit to Rio de Janeiro’s most popular attraction – the 125 foot statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Mountain that stands over Rio de Janeiro. Begin the ascent of the mountain in a cogwheel train through the lush Tijuca Forest, a national park and the world's largest urban forest. Arrive to the base of the statue where you will truly appreciate the size of one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The views from the observation platforms are spectacular and provide insight of how the city of Rio has grown around and up the seemingly inhospitable natural rock features along the coast. Rio spreads out below you, revealing Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches, the famous Maracana Stadium, and the luxurious Botafoga Bay. And it is impossible to ignore the favelas, Rio's hillside communities.

Return by train and explore the coast with your guide as you drive along Sao Conrado, Ipanema & Copacabana Beaches. Your afternoon is free to relax on the beach, shop in Copacabana's boutiques, or enjoy caipirinha, Brazil's national drink, at a beachfront cafe. Additional activities such as boat or helicopter tours, a visit to a favela, samba lessons, or a trip to the coastal hotspot of Buzios can be arranged.

Day 9: Sugarloaf Mountain

Sugarloaf Mountain got its name from Portuguese sailors who felt the granite monolith's resembled a traditional block of sugar. Today's tour gives a different perspective of Rio, you and your guide will take the cable cars that climbs to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. From the peak, the entire cidade maravilhosa (marvelous city), coastline, and Atlantic Ocean spread out below you. Descend by cable car and do a driving tour of Rio de Janeiro's city center to see the famous Sambadrome, the Teatro Municipal, and the modern-styled Cathedral. Please note that this half-day excursion can be arranged on any day and is a good option for the evenings to enjoy the sunset over Copacabana Beach if you would prefer. The remainder of your day is free to relax, take in the sights of Rio's beaches, or for an optional excursion during this custom Brazil tour.


Suggested Optional Tours
Rio's Nightlife - Music, food, and Brazil's openess to share their culture and love of life are key ingredients for Rio's nightlife. Begin the evening at a traditional Brazilian barbecue house before heading to Plataforma 1 for a musical show with samba, costumes, and dancing that provides a taste of Carnaval's energy and flair.

Explore the Atlantic - Travel by bus from Rio towards Santos and enjoy the coastal views on your way to the fishing village of Itacuruca. Embark on a schooner and head out into Sepetiba Bay. After an hour of sailing, arrive to an island for lunch and sample regional cuisine. Spend the afternoon swimming and relaxing on the beach before returning by boat to Itacuruca and then transferring to Rio in the early evening.

Day 10: Return Home

  • 1 Breakfast
Take a morning stroll on the beach or a swim. Transfer to the airport for a flight home or to your next destination. Contact us to extend your trip to nearby Ilha Grande, Buzios, or Paraty.

Accommodations

Carles Hotel

Rio de Janeiro - Hotels

Santiago - Hotels

Dates & Prices

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Per person starting at
$2,340 2-3 travelers

Notes

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Rates may vary based on current exchange rate.

Included
  • 6 Breakfasts, 1 Dinner
  • 9 Nights Accommodations
  • 2 Days Locally Hosted Guide Service
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Entrance fees
  • Bilingual guide
  • Bottled water on the excursions
  • Pick-up/drop-off from accommodation
  • Guided City Tour
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Buenos Aires Hotel tax (up to $2 per person/night) - paid at checkout
  • Internal Flights: Santiago - Buenos Aires - Rio de Janeiro

Map

When to Go

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Good to ideal period to travel, and many people choose to visit at this time.
Chance for unpredictable weather but with fewer visitors.

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Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen

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