Brazil: Rio de Janeiro and Iguaçu Falls
Argentina: Buenos Aires.
the Mendoza Wine Country and Patagonia
Suggested travel time: Mid-November
Check out our suggested itinerary below and let's get a group together! This itinerary can be scheduled for a tour led by Tour Director, Sandy Gregory, or customized for independent travel with our Concierge Travel Services.
Please inquire
Argentina: Buenos Aires.
the Mendoza Wine Country and Patagonia
Suggested travel time: Mid-November
Check out our suggested itinerary below and let's get a group together! This itinerary can be scheduled for a tour led by Tour Director, Sandy Gregory, or customized for independent travel with our Concierge Travel Services.
Please inquire
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Please join Tour Director Sandy Gregory for this wonderful adventure to South America, or contact us to help you create your own independent travel experience with our Concierge Travel Services.
Suggested time to travel: November - December |
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Brazil: 2 nights Rio de Janeiro 2 nights The Iguaçu Falls Argentina and Patagonia: 4 nights Buenos Aires 2 nights Mendoza 2 nights El Calafate Think about adding more adventure in Patagonia |
Day 1. Brazil: Welcome to Rio de Janeiro |
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The bustling city of Rio de Janeiro has been one of Brazil’s most popular and frequented tourist destinations for decades. Its vibrant city centre is bursting with culture and pulsating with a deep sense of history and heritage. Rio, as it is commonly known, is the second largest city in Brazil and the third largest metropolis in the whole of South America.
Whether it is the statue of Christ perched atop Corcovado mountain or the Sugarloaf cable car, the hoards kite-surfing off Barra beach or dancing to samba on the smooth slopes of Pedra do Sal rock, this is a city and landscape turned playground, where life isn’t taken too seriously and the twists and turns of the daily political and economic soap opera has ingrained a rueful cheeriness and creativity in its people.
Set along the famous Copacabana Beach, our hotel is minutes from popular restaurants, local shops and famous nightlife. Flights arrive in the morning, but it's not a huge time change from the United States. Check-in is at 3:00, so if you feel like you will need a rest before our activities begin, we suggest you book a pre-tour room so you can check in upon arrival. As you all arrive, we will have lunch along the boardwalk and enjoy a local caprianah while we wait for our rooms to open.
4:30: We begin our time in Rio with SAMBA! No music defines Rio de Janeiro better than samba. It’s the rhythm that endlessly courses down the city’s streets, putting a subtle shake in anyone’s hips. There is no better place to learn the tricky steps of samba than Rio de Janeiro, a city that’s home to some of the world’s most renowned samba dancers. We’ll begin our evening with a 1-hour private Samba lesson before we head to dinner.
Included Welcome dinner.
Overnight in Rio, 2 nights.
Whether it is the statue of Christ perched atop Corcovado mountain or the Sugarloaf cable car, the hoards kite-surfing off Barra beach or dancing to samba on the smooth slopes of Pedra do Sal rock, this is a city and landscape turned playground, where life isn’t taken too seriously and the twists and turns of the daily political and economic soap opera has ingrained a rueful cheeriness and creativity in its people.
Set along the famous Copacabana Beach, our hotel is minutes from popular restaurants, local shops and famous nightlife. Flights arrive in the morning, but it's not a huge time change from the United States. Check-in is at 3:00, so if you feel like you will need a rest before our activities begin, we suggest you book a pre-tour room so you can check in upon arrival. As you all arrive, we will have lunch along the boardwalk and enjoy a local caprianah while we wait for our rooms to open.
4:30: We begin our time in Rio with SAMBA! No music defines Rio de Janeiro better than samba. It’s the rhythm that endlessly courses down the city’s streets, putting a subtle shake in anyone’s hips. There is no better place to learn the tricky steps of samba than Rio de Janeiro, a city that’s home to some of the world’s most renowned samba dancers. We’ll begin our evening with a 1-hour private Samba lesson before we head to dinner.
Included Welcome dinner.
Overnight in Rio, 2 nights.
Day 2. A Day in Rio |
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Rio is all about the views. The statue of Christ the Redeemer stands with open arms, watching over the city below. Standing at its base, you can’t help but feel small beneath its towering presence — 98 feet of carved soapstone rising from the 26-foot pedestal, the outstretched arms spanning nearly 92 feet across. From these vantage points, Rio unfolds in every direction: the emerald sweep of the Tijuca Forest, the deep blue of the Atlantic Ocean, and the endless mosaic of the colorful favelas climbing the hillsides that surround the city. Capuchin, The Redeemer, is there just waiting to snatch your phone.
When you step out of the cable car onto Sugarloaf Mountain, the city spills across the hills. The name “Sugarloaf” comes from the 16th-century Portuguese sugar trade: refined sugar was molded into conical loaves for shipping, and the mountain’s shape reminded people of those loaves.
The rest of the day is yours to enjoy this festive city.
When you step out of the cable car onto Sugarloaf Mountain, the city spills across the hills. The name “Sugarloaf” comes from the 16th-century Portuguese sugar trade: refined sugar was molded into conical loaves for shipping, and the mountain’s shape reminded people of those loaves.
The rest of the day is yours to enjoy this festive city.
Day 3. To the Iguacu Falls |
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This morning we’ll be transported to the airport for our included flight to Iguaçu. Straddling the border between Brazil and Argentina, nearly 300 waterfalls stretch across the horizon like a giant colosseum. The walkways offered panoramic views that left us torn between pulling out our I-phones from under our rain ponchos or just staring in wonder, knowing nothing could truly capture it. Bright butterflies drifted through the mist, and flashes of color from toucans, parrots, and other tropical birds swept across the trees, adding even more magic to the sound of the falls. It is exhilarating, humbling and almost spiritual — a reminder of just how small we are beside the power and majesty of the natural world. You will leave soaked, awestruck and completely alive.
Brazilian Falls: Our trip begins at the Iguaçu National Park where we will drive through the lush, subtropical vegetation of the park en route to the falls. We'll then stroll the trail descending the canyon that offers a panoramic view of the more than 240 falls.
Optional Helicopter Ride, you can really appreciate the scale from above — hundreds of separate cascades tumbling into the gorge, mist drifting upward, and rainbows forming where sunlight meets spray.
Included dinner. We'll enjoy an included dinner buffet before we cross the border to the Argentinian side and check in to our luxury hotel.
Overnight in Iguacu, Argentina side, 2 nights. Our luxury hotel is located on the Argentina side of the park and a front-row seat to one of the world's greatest natural wonders. From your window, you will see the falls. There is a spa and the largest swimming pool we have ever seen.
Brazilian Falls: Our trip begins at the Iguaçu National Park where we will drive through the lush, subtropical vegetation of the park en route to the falls. We'll then stroll the trail descending the canyon that offers a panoramic view of the more than 240 falls.
Optional Helicopter Ride, you can really appreciate the scale from above — hundreds of separate cascades tumbling into the gorge, mist drifting upward, and rainbows forming where sunlight meets spray.
Included dinner. We'll enjoy an included dinner buffet before we cross the border to the Argentinian side and check in to our luxury hotel.
Overnight in Iguacu, Argentina side, 2 nights. Our luxury hotel is located on the Argentina side of the park and a front-row seat to one of the world's greatest natural wonders. From your window, you will see the falls. There is a spa and the largest swimming pool we have ever seen.
Day 4. A Day in the Iguacu Falls |
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This morning we walk out of hotel to view the falls from the Argentinian side.
Optional boat ride to the base of the falls. From the boat, the experience shifts from grand to up-close. You slip along the river, hear the growing roar, and feel the cool mist long before you reach the main drop. When the boat edges in near the base of the falls, the water rushes around you, and then you get soaked. You feel the strength of the falls and the thrill of being part of it.
The rest of the day is yours to enjoy the beautiful resort. Swim, have a spa treatment and enjoy the lovely restaurant.
Optional boat ride to the base of the falls. From the boat, the experience shifts from grand to up-close. You slip along the river, hear the growing roar, and feel the cool mist long before you reach the main drop. When the boat edges in near the base of the falls, the water rushes around you, and then you get soaked. You feel the strength of the falls and the thrill of being part of it.
The rest of the day is yours to enjoy the beautiful resort. Swim, have a spa treatment and enjoy the lovely restaurant.
Day 5. Flight to Buenos Aires and Tour of the South Side |
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Often called the “Paris of South America,” Argentina’s capital blends European sophistication with unmistakable Latin soul.
We'll begin with lunch at the San Telmo market and then spend the afternoon visiting May 25 Square, the historic heart of Argentina, the Pink House stands watch as the white kerchiefs of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo circle in silent testimony — a reminder of the military's dictatorship’s disappeared and the enduring fight for memory, justice, and truth. We are then on to La Boca, bursting with color, street art, and the spirit of football that defines local pride.
Tonight: TANGO! Private tango lesson followed by included dinner and Tango show. Few art forms capture the soul of a people quite like tango does for Argentina. Born in the working-class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires in the late 19th century, tango emerged as a dance of longing — a poetic expression of love, loss, and resilience. It’s not merely a dance to watch, but one to feel.
But first: our own tango lesson. This will be a (tequila-fueled) study in delightful chaos. Tango isn’t about perfection — it’s about connection: to the music, to your partner, and to the moment. Our instructors, who somehow will keep a straight face, will reminded us, “In tango, there are no mistakes, only new steps.” We will continue our evening with a dinner show ... showing us how it's supposed to be done.
Overnight in Buenos Aires
We'll begin with lunch at the San Telmo market and then spend the afternoon visiting May 25 Square, the historic heart of Argentina, the Pink House stands watch as the white kerchiefs of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo circle in silent testimony — a reminder of the military's dictatorship’s disappeared and the enduring fight for memory, justice, and truth. We are then on to La Boca, bursting with color, street art, and the spirit of football that defines local pride.
Tonight: TANGO! Private tango lesson followed by included dinner and Tango show. Few art forms capture the soul of a people quite like tango does for Argentina. Born in the working-class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires in the late 19th century, tango emerged as a dance of longing — a poetic expression of love, loss, and resilience. It’s not merely a dance to watch, but one to feel.
But first: our own tango lesson. This will be a (tequila-fueled) study in delightful chaos. Tango isn’t about perfection — it’s about connection: to the music, to your partner, and to the moment. Our instructors, who somehow will keep a straight face, will reminded us, “In tango, there are no mistakes, only new steps.” We will continue our evening with a dinner show ... showing us how it's supposed to be done.
Overnight in Buenos Aires
Day 6: A Day in Buenos Aires - North Side |
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Today, our journey takes us to the northern neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, focusing on Recoleta and Palermo, the heartbeats of the city often named as the “Paris of South America”. Our day begins with a visit to one of Buenos Aires’s jewels, the Colon Theater, renowned globally for its impeccable acoustics. During our private tour, we’ll wander through its grand halls, uncovering tales of its history and construction.Venturing further north, we’ll delve into Recoleta, where affluent families sought refuge after a yellow fever outbreak, erecting opulent mansions, designing big avenues & parks, and embracing a “Parisian” lifestyle. The area’s dedication to green spaces birthed iconic sites like Bosques de Palermo and El Rosedal. Our exploration continues with a visit to Recoleta Cemetery, a breathtaking final resting place for influential figures in Argentina’s history, including Eva Peron. Palermo awaits, a sprawling neighborhood renowned for its verdant parks and vibrant culinary scene.
Included 5-course Lunch + Wine Pairing: The Asado Experience. Discover the Asado tradition, served with a twist. We will enjoy this private experience, dining on Argentine Asado classics. While seated at the bar you’ll see, feel and experience different grill cooking techniques. Argentine’s Asado is unique but always includes the best cuts of meat available and fire roasted seasonal vegetables. The chefs have designed the tasting menu to combine new grill techniques with tried-and-true Argentine recipes, that elevate the Asado to new heights. The wine pairing menu has been designed to best enhance the flavors of the ingredients, while presenting you with some of the best boutique wines from Argentina.
The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure.
Overnight Buenos Aires
Included 5-course Lunch + Wine Pairing: The Asado Experience. Discover the Asado tradition, served with a twist. We will enjoy this private experience, dining on Argentine Asado classics. While seated at the bar you’ll see, feel and experience different grill cooking techniques. Argentine’s Asado is unique but always includes the best cuts of meat available and fire roasted seasonal vegetables. The chefs have designed the tasting menu to combine new grill techniques with tried-and-true Argentine recipes, that elevate the Asado to new heights. The wine pairing menu has been designed to best enhance the flavors of the ingredients, while presenting you with some of the best boutique wines from Argentina.
The rest of the day is yours to enjoy at your leisure.
Overnight Buenos Aires
Day 7: To Mendoza |
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Private transfer from our hotel to the airport. Private transfer from the airport in El Calafate to your hotel.
We’ll have time for lunch (not included), check-in and relax.
Blessed by rich sunlight and a panoramic snow-caped mountains, Mendoza dominates Argentina’s wine-making industry and is one of the most successful wine regions worldwide. Surrounding the beautiful city of Mendoza and lying just to the east of the towering Andes, the province accounts for over 70% of the nation’s wine production and is the world’s sixth largest producer of grapes.
Mendoza a charming small town and the epicenter of the Argentine wine country. Here, amidst leafy, tree-lined streets and fields of grapevines you will find quaint Art Deco buildings, manicured parks & plazas, and of course, world class wine and food, all with the impressive backdrop of the snow-capped Andes looming behind. Mendoza, the hub of Argentina’s wine-making industry, is a city for food and wine lovers. Restaurants, cafes and bars all have outdoor seating tucked under the shade of Mendoza’s leafy trees.
We'll have time to relax in town after check-in.
Tonight: 5:15 departure to our Sunset Horseback Ride and Campfire Dinner. No trip to Mendoza is complete until you ride a horse with a gaucho. Against the backdrop of the Andes mountains, we'll don our ponchos and trot along peaceful rows of grapevines, feeling the fresh mountain air and taking in stunning views before we enjoyed the evening asado. Riding is optional, and non-riders are treated to an empanada-making class. We prepared the empanadas while ribs, sausages and steaks sizzled over open flames. As the sun goes down, we will eat, laugh, sneak in a few Advils, and drink a little local Malbec.
We’ll have time for lunch (not included), check-in and relax.
Blessed by rich sunlight and a panoramic snow-caped mountains, Mendoza dominates Argentina’s wine-making industry and is one of the most successful wine regions worldwide. Surrounding the beautiful city of Mendoza and lying just to the east of the towering Andes, the province accounts for over 70% of the nation’s wine production and is the world’s sixth largest producer of grapes.
Mendoza a charming small town and the epicenter of the Argentine wine country. Here, amidst leafy, tree-lined streets and fields of grapevines you will find quaint Art Deco buildings, manicured parks & plazas, and of course, world class wine and food, all with the impressive backdrop of the snow-capped Andes looming behind. Mendoza, the hub of Argentina’s wine-making industry, is a city for food and wine lovers. Restaurants, cafes and bars all have outdoor seating tucked under the shade of Mendoza’s leafy trees.
We'll have time to relax in town after check-in.
Tonight: 5:15 departure to our Sunset Horseback Ride and Campfire Dinner. No trip to Mendoza is complete until you ride a horse with a gaucho. Against the backdrop of the Andes mountains, we'll don our ponchos and trot along peaceful rows of grapevines, feeling the fresh mountain air and taking in stunning views before we enjoyed the evening asado. Riding is optional, and non-riders are treated to an empanada-making class. We prepared the empanadas while ribs, sausages and steaks sizzled over open flames. As the sun goes down, we will eat, laugh, sneak in a few Advils, and drink a little local Malbec.
Day 8. The Mendoza Wine Country - Lujan de Cuyo |
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An experience designed for wine lovers, today we explore the wine country of Lujan de Cuyo, the first areas of Malbec plantations in Mendoza. Lujan de Cuyo is the premier wine growing region in Argentina and where the most famous wineries are located, situated amidst the country’s finest vineyards with the snow-capped Andes in the distance. Lujan de Cuyo is considered the high zone (above the Mendoza River) and houses century old wineries, some of the oldest in all of Mendoza.
Overnight in Mendoza
Overnight in Mendoza
Day 9. To Patagonia |
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This morning, we fly from Mendoza to El Clafate.
Today is a long day with 2 flights to get to the southern-most part of Argentina.
Our South American Tour finishes in Patagonia. El Calafate is the small, charming gateway to the vast landscape called the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Snow-dusted peaks rise in jagged silhouettes against the sky. Strong winds move you along with a persistent, whispering force.
We'll toast our arrival at the Glaciarium, a story about ice, time, and our changing planet. This small museum tells the story of area's history, past ice ages, and how glaciers have shaped our planet — carving valleys, reshaping landscapes, and influencing climate. We learned about the people who first explored and studied these brutal, icy lands — explorers, pioneers, and glaciologists. We, of course, we'll get into the spirit at the museum's Ice Bar.
Tonight: Included dinner at the hotel.
Overnight in El Calafate 3 nights.
Today is a long day with 2 flights to get to the southern-most part of Argentina.
Our South American Tour finishes in Patagonia. El Calafate is the small, charming gateway to the vast landscape called the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Snow-dusted peaks rise in jagged silhouettes against the sky. Strong winds move you along with a persistent, whispering force.
We'll toast our arrival at the Glaciarium, a story about ice, time, and our changing planet. This small museum tells the story of area's history, past ice ages, and how glaciers have shaped our planet — carving valleys, reshaping landscapes, and influencing climate. We learned about the people who first explored and studied these brutal, icy lands — explorers, pioneers, and glaciologists. We, of course, we'll get into the spirit at the museum's Ice Bar.
Tonight: Included dinner at the hotel.
Overnight in El Calafate 3 nights.
Day 10. Estancia Cristina |
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We will wake up to a beautiful view of Lago Argentina, a sense of adventure and prepare backpack full of layers.
The boat across Lago Argentino is something out of an old explorer’s diary: turquoise waters stretch on for miles only interrupted by the icebergs, each one a jagged sculpture that has broken off the glacier to float along until it melts into the lake.
We will disembarked and take a 4x4 ride, called the "Patagonian Massage", to bump and wind us up to the trailhead. There, we will hike to the Upsala Glacier, immense and unyielding, a vast frozen cathedral that stretches across the horizon. We are then back down on the Jeeps to the ranch for a lovely included lunch surrounded by the old ranch buildings — weathered and whitewashed — standing against the mountain backdrop like they’d seen it all.
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure.
The boat across Lago Argentino is something out of an old explorer’s diary: turquoise waters stretch on for miles only interrupted by the icebergs, each one a jagged sculpture that has broken off the glacier to float along until it melts into the lake.
We will disembarked and take a 4x4 ride, called the "Patagonian Massage", to bump and wind us up to the trailhead. There, we will hike to the Upsala Glacier, immense and unyielding, a vast frozen cathedral that stretches across the horizon. We are then back down on the Jeeps to the ranch for a lovely included lunch surrounded by the old ranch buildings — weathered and whitewashed — standing against the mountain backdrop like they’d seen it all.
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure.
Day 9: El Calafate - Los Glaciares National Park - Perito Moreno Glacier |
Today we head to the otherworldly Perito Moreno Glacier with it’s blue ice, turquoise water and virgin white snow. Located in Los Glaciares National Park, less than an hour drive from El Calafate, this mass of ice rises above the surrounding lake, and is larger than the entire city of Buenos Aires. Its face, a vast splintered wall of ice, reaches out and almost touches all those that have traveled to witness its beauty. As the heat from the morning sun penetrates, loud cracks thunder out across the abyss as all heads swivel, desperate to catch sight of the fracturing glacier giving birth to yet another giant iceberg.
We will begin with a boat ride to the base of the glacier to feel the scale from 900 feet away. Up close, you can see deep crevices glowing a pure electric light blue. We will then walk along the viewing platforms.
And of course, there's included lunch, with a picture perfect window looking out to the north face of the glacier.
Tonight: Farewell dinner in El Calafate
We will begin with a boat ride to the base of the glacier to feel the scale from 900 feet away. Up close, you can see deep crevices glowing a pure electric light blue. We will then walk along the viewing platforms.
And of course, there's included lunch, with a picture perfect window looking out to the north face of the glacier.
Tonight: Farewell dinner in El Calafate
Day 10: Back to Buenos Aires for flights out. |
Transfer Hotel – Airport
Group Flight Calafate (FTE) - Buenos Aires (AEP)
Buenos Aires. Arrival at AEP and Transfer to EZE Airport for international connection.
End of Services.
Please let us know your flight information and whether you will need an airport hotel to connect the next morning.
Group Flight Calafate (FTE) - Buenos Aires (AEP)
Buenos Aires. Arrival at AEP and Transfer to EZE Airport for international connection.
End of Services.
Please let us know your flight information and whether you will need an airport hotel to connect the next morning.
HUNGRY FOR MORE ADVENTURE? THINK ABOUT ADDING THESE OPTIONAL POST-TOUR EXCURSIONS
If your a hiker, think about adding Torres del Paine National Park, the heart of Patagonia, declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Our lodge is located at the center of the Torres del Paine National Park, in the heart of Patagonia. Its architecture was planned in a way that blends in with its natural surroundings. Pricing will include accommodation, transfers, meals and beverages, and a menu of more than 40 exploration routes designed by their outdoors team. Our treks and horseback rides include mountains, turquoise lakes, glaciers, lenga tree forests, viewpoints, prairies and rivers, in addition to the most iconic spans of the trekking circuit known as “W”. Their hikes and walks have different length and difficulty levels. Those that take the full day give have lunch in the middle of nature, while those that take half a day allow you to come back for a different exploration during the afternoon. Horseback riding is meant for beginners, advanced, and expert riders; therefore, there are no excuses for not living the Patagonian experience riding through the Park.
If you need to see the penguins, think about adding Ushuaia with a stay at Estancia Harberton. Even more wild beauty and short boat rides to see the penguins. This is also the gateway to the Antarctic Cruises. Truly then end of the world.
Please contact us for details and pricing.
If you need to see the penguins, think about adding Ushuaia with a stay at Estancia Harberton. Even more wild beauty and short boat rides to see the penguins. This is also the gateway to the Antarctic Cruises. Truly then end of the world.
Please contact us for details and pricing.