The Best of Brazil, Argentina and Chile

With a few days in the 'Marvellous City', you can explore and enjoy Rio at your leisure. You'll have a full set of recommendations and advice from us on how best to make the most of the city.

You'll be met at your hotel by your expert, English-speaking Carioca guide and a private vehicle will be waiting to start your city tour of Rio. Your guide will tailor the tour to how you wish, taking into account your pace and preference. You'll enjoy a tour of the Santa Teresa neighbourhood, often referred to as the Montmartre of Rio, set into the hills close to the centre of town, which still retains a rich cultural atmosphere of art, music and history. Then you'll head over to the historic centre of Rio where your guide will escort you through the narrow 19th-century streets at your required pace, stopping at the magnificent Baroque churches and the ruins of the old port from where most of Brazil’s gold left for its long journey to Europe. Next, you'll choose between visiting Christ the Redeemer or Sugar Loaf Mountain, Rio’s most famous attractions. At 710 metres above the centre on the Corcovado Hill, the statue of Christ is surrounded by wide, open terraces from where you can get unbeatable vistas of the city's impressive littoral, the southern neighbourhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema, the lagoon, the Sugar Loaf and the town of Niterói. Sugar Loaf Mountain is a massive granite rock, which sits 396 metres tall and is one of the city’s most emblematic landmarks, adorning many a postcard.

The Christ the Redeemer statue is Rio’s most famous attraction with his arms stretched out, he looks to be blessing the entire city. At 710 metres above the centre on Corcovado Mountain, the statue is surrounded by wide, open terraces from where you get unbeatable vistas of the city's impressive littoral, the southern neighbourhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema, the lagoon, the Sugar Loaf and the town of Niterói.

The faded grandeur of this part of the city, often referred to as the Montmartre of Rio, set into the hills close to the centre of town, still retains a rich cultural atmosphere of art, music and history. Mansions line the narrow streets, and you can stop for a drink or lunch at one of the many charming restaurants, bistros and cafes that populate Santa Teresa. Your guide will also take you to the Ruins Park, a cultural centre in the remains of a 19th-century house, which has a Belvedere that commands some of the best views over Rio de Janeiro.

Your guide will escort you through the narrow 19th-century streets at your required pace, stopping at the magnificent Baroque churches and the ruins of the old port from where most of Brazil’s gold left for its long journey to Europe. You'll also see many other culturally interesting and historical attractions that illustrate the city’s rich and varied heritage.

This massive granite rock, 396 metres tall, is one of the city’s most emblematic landmarks, adorning many a postcard. You'll take the cable car with your guide from the Guanabara Bay entrance in the Urca District. At the top, the view of Rio de Janeiro and its neighbourhoods sprawled over the bays and coves, is quite spectacular.

Join Felipe and Isabela in their home for an evening cooking and caipirinha-making class. This is a fantastic opportunity to get under the skin of Rio de Janeiro, find out how the locals live, learn a new dish and be taught the secrets of making an authentic Brazilian caipirinha. Begin your evening with a cocktail masterclass, before preparing a traditional Brazilian dish. Enjoy your meal out on the terrace with a bottle of wine and a view of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue.

Enjoy this stunning natural wonder of the world, with a private tour, a boat safari or a hike through the surrounding national park.

Enjoy this stunning tour of the falls, where you'll get a chance to really get up close to the chutes.

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel and bring you by private vehicle to the entrance of the park on the Argentinian side. You'll then be taking the rest of the tour mainly on foot, exploring the various wooden walkways that lead through the national park close up to the many chutes of the falls.

One of the most spectacular sights of the falls is the Devil's Throat, which sees the largest flow of water. In order to visit the Devil’s Throat, you must board the train at the Main Station or at the Cataratas Station, close to the Upper Circuit. For those who love trekking, there's the one-kilometre-long Sendero Verde (Green Trail) that connects the Visitors Centre to the Cataratas Station and to the Upper Circuit.

Once you're at the Devil’s Throat Station, you'll have to walk for 1.100 meters on a flat walkway built over the Upper Iguassu River. This walkway crosses several islands and once you get to the end of the walkway, you'll be surprised by a strategic lookout point resting on the side of the gorgeous Devil’s Throat.

You'll venture up the river in a boat, which is specially prepared to get to the base of Iguassu Falls, allowing you to admire the chutes up close. Whirlpools, waves and currents are provoked by the falls, making this an unmissable part of any visit to the park.

Your guide will bring you to the starting point, where large trucks, specially adapted for this tour, will take you and the other visitors to explore a six-kilometre-stretch in the humid subtropical forest as far as the banks of the Iguazu River, downstream from the falls. From here, you'll board special high-powered Zodiac boats that will take you, at high speed, to enjoy one of the most unforgettable experiences in the region. After this incredible trip, you'll get off the boat at the base of the falls on the walkway that connects to the lower visitation circuit of the falls. This tour can be started in the reverse direction, from this walkway downwards ending with the jungle truck ride.

Spend your time relaxing and exploring this wonderful city. You have our top recommendations for activities, restaurants and shopping so that you can make the most of your time here.

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and bring you (with a private vehicle) on a fascinating private tour of the elegant turn-of-the-century districts that earned Buenos Aires the soubriquet of 'the Paris of South America'. The tour includes a trip to La Boca district in the south and then up to the charming cobbled alleys and colonial architecture of San Telmo and along to the Plaza de Mayo, up the leafy Avenida de Mayo towards the imposing grandeur of the Palace of Congress and then on to the historically fascinating Recoleta Cemetery. You'll also discover the facts, stories and anecdotes that make up the colourful tapestry of the history of Buenos Aires.

Visit the epicenter of political life in Buenos Aires, a landmark dedicated to the country's independence from Spanish rule. Your guide will fill you in on its history and recurring importance.

Located on the western side of the Plaza de Mayo, this is the Argentine National Congress and the legislative branch of the government of Argentina, made up of the senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

This is where the famous Caminito Street lies, scarcely 100 metres long, yet very much an emblematic post-card of the city. Designed by the Italian-Argentine artist, Benito Quinquela Martín, it's a short yet busy pedestrian alley of brightly-painted houses that cluster above the cobblestones. The sheets of corrugated-iron shimmer with glossy blues, reds, yellows and greens and recall the original colours of the leftover paint with which the dockworkers painted their homes in the 19th century.

It might seem strange to visit a cemetery, but Recoleta doesn't fail to impress. Many mausoleums and tombs are the work of famous artists and 70 graves have been declared national monuments, but perhaps the most famous for visitors is the tomb of Evita Perón.

Enjoy your stay in southern-most city in the world, visiting national parks, taking cruises and experiencing the wildlife.

The Tierra del Fuego National Park is easily accessible from nearby Ushuaia and doesn't impose a long journey.

With experienced guides, it's possible to know the spots where the mountains are accessible from close to the sea, and where freshwater rivers and lakes coexist with the sea. On this tour, you'll walk through the woods and travel by motor boat alongside the very pretty panoramic Lapataia Bay to Round Island.

Along the way, you'll discover unique geology and ecology, and have some great opportunities for hiking and photography.

It's up to you how you want to spend your time in Argentina's Glacier Region, and we can organise several private or shared tours according to your interests and time should you like to.

This is a tour of the magnificent Perito Moreno National Park and its humbling glacier, complete with a private 4WD vehicle and an expert guide.

Beginning with a scenic drive through the National Park followed by an guided-tour along the specially built in walkways facing the glacier, various optional additions can be made to this tour such as the nautical boat safari, minitrekking or Big Ice trekking. Talk to your travel designer about your individual preferences.

Arriving at the humbling sight of the vast Perito Moreno Glacier, your guide will then take you on a tour along the specially built walkways. These give you superb viewpoints and photo-taking opportunities while your guide brings to life the environmental and local importance of the glacier.

Enjoy an incredible boat ride to get up close to the tremendous Perito Moreno Glacier.

Depending on the lodgings you have chosen and your individual preferences, your Travel Designer can design a programme of activities featuring a whole host of different and diverse ways to explore and encounter Torres del Paine.

Enjoy a night in Santiago - you'll have our list of recommended restaurants and attractions to make sure you make the most of your time here.

South of Santiago lies Chile's rich central valleys and numerous vineyards. Your choice of daily activities and excursions will depend on the hotel or lodge chosen, but just speak to our Latin America Travel Designers about selecting the best one for you.

Spend your time enjoying the beautiful Mendoza region. Visit wineries, enjoy the restaurants or simply relax at your hotel.

An expert local guide will collect you from your hotel and bring you for an enjoyable sample of the different wineries in the Mendoza area.

The Central Valley or Primera Zona (the closest to the city of Mendoza) includes the counties of Luján de Cuyo, Maipú, Guaymallén and Godoy Cruz. This is the home of malbec and where some of the most prestigious Argentine wineries are located. Originally from Bordeaux, France, this variety found the ideal place to prosper in Mendoza given the agro-climatic conditions of the area.

This is a private tour and can be entirely specialised to your requirements, just let your Travel Designer know if you have any special requests.

During the tour, you'll visit three different wineries, we suggest a mix of smaller, boutique establishments and the larger operations, to give you a chance to see the contrasts and differences. During the visit, you'll always be accompanied by your private guide, though during the visits and tastings themselves, you'll also be with the wineries' own guide (and there may be other guests). We can arrange for visits to be entirely private if you prefer.

Finally, in the afternoon, you'll stop at one of the top Bodega restaurants (such as La Tupina or Ruca Malen) for a chance to really enjoy the wine as it is meant to be; with great food. You have a gourmet tasting lunch paired with wines from the Bodega.

Your first sighting on this exciting Andes tour will be the Pre Mountain Range and the snowy Cordillera Frontal. While driving between these two different ranges, you'll witness the scenic Potrerillos Lake before arriving at the Vallecitos ski resort.

Once you have left the ski resort, you'll begin trekking into a gorge with the prominent sights of Mount Franke and San Bernardo surrounding you. Following a water stream, you'll approach the first flat land where many a water spring and the grand mount Vallecitos are found, making it the ideal place to enjoy a tasty lunch.

If the mood takes you, after lunch you'll have the option of trekking for a further hour towards a wide valley filled with earth and stones. This area is sometimes covered in snow throughout the winter months so you may be required to track with snow shoes here.

Enjoy your evening in this lively city. You'll have our list of recommendations as well as private guides on hand to enjoy the best of your stay.