Day 1: Arrive in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Welcome to South America’s largest and most populous country. This afternoon, meet your Tour Director and fellow traveling companions for a drive along famous Ipanema and Copacabana Beaches to the base of 1,300-foot-high SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN. Ascend by cable car to its summit, where you can savor spectacular vistas of the city. Next, enjoy a special COCKTAIL PARTY on the beach, toasting the start of a memorable vacation with caipirinhas, a favorite Brazilian cocktail. Enjoy a welcome dinner at the hotel. (D)

Day 2: Rio de Janeiro.
Today, visit the statue of Christ the Redeemer crowning CORCOVADO MOUNTAIN, a rounded peak rising 2,300 feet from the bay below. Take the scenic cog railway ride to its top, where a 360-degree panorama affords sweeping views. Proceed to bustling downtown Rio. View the Sambodromo and visit the CATHEDRAL. This evening, it’s off to a CHURRASCARIA for a feast of barbecued meats marinated and roasted over charcoal in true Brazilian style. Later, experience a SAMBA SHOW, where the sheer vitality of this country explodes in a colorful extravaganza. (B,D)

Day 3: Rio de Janeiro.
A day of leisure or you may wish to enjoy a Guanabara Bay cruise, offering spectacular views of Rio and its beaches. This afternoon, consider an optional trip to historic Petropolis, once the former summer palace of Emperor Dom Pedro II and now a mountain resort. (B)

Day 4: Rio de Janeiro.
This morning, try an optional Jeep tour to the Botanical Garden with its orchid exhibit, and Tijuca National Park to view native flora and fauna. Spend an evening at leisure. (B)

Day 5: Rio de Janeiro–Iguassu Falls
. A flight from Rio takes you to IGUASSU FALLS. Experience the clouds of spray, the incessant roar, and the surrounding luxuriant tropical growth that make this an unforgettable natural wonder. Spend the afternoon enjoying the magnificent panorama of waterfalls from the Brazilian side. Your Local Guide introduces the spectacle of this 2-mile-wide torrential downpour, with some cataracts as high as 250 feet, which is nothing short of hypnotic. (B,D)

Day 6: Iguassu Falls–Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Take the ECOLOGICAL JUNGLE TRAIN and enjoy a closer perspective on a walking tour of the Argentine side of the falls. Then, on to Iguazu International Airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. After arriving, an orientation walk acquaints you with the “Paris of South America” and its wide boulevards and outdoor cafés. (B)

Day 7: Buenos Aires.
Your sightseeing starts in La Boca, a colorful district and site of the city’s first port. Take a short walking tour of this unique neighborhood and then on to San Telmo, famous for its late-colonial buildings and a popular gathering spot for artists. At the Plaza de Mayo, see La Casa Rosada (the President’s Pink House) and the METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL, housing San Martin’s Mausoleum. Drive past the ornate Colon Opera House before reaching the CEMETERY OF THE RECOLETA, burial site of Eva Peron. Savor the atmosphere of this cosmopolitan capital on the included evening excursion: dinner featuring Argentine steaks and other specialties topped off by flawless PERFORMANCES of Latin America’s most sensuous dance—the Tango! (B,D)

Day 8: Buenos Aires–Uruguay–Buenos Aires.
Today, visit another South American country—Uruguay. Travel by CATAMARAN to the World Heritage City of Colonia del Sacramento. Founded by Portuguese settlers from Brazil in 1680, this town held a strategic position as a smuggling outpost for transporting British goods across the Rio de la Plata into the Spanish colonies throughout the 17th century. Today, its charm lies in its narrow streets and colonial buildings. Enjoy a guided TOUR and lunch. (B,L)

Day 9: Buenos Aires.
Enjoy a full day at leisure, with an optional excursion to the Pampas. Experience the atmosphere of Argentine country life as you visit an estancia (ranch). Get acquainted with the lifestyle of the gauchos and enjoy a barbecue lunch and the warm hospitality of your hosts before returning to the city. (B)

Day 10: Buenos Aires–Bariloche.
Fly south to Bariloche in Patagonia on the shores of fjord-like Lago Nahuel Huapi in the heart of Argentina’s Lake District. Arrive in the early evening, with time to enjoy a leisurely stroll through the picturesque town center. See the city hall, the clock tower in Municipality Square, and the famous chocolate factories. (B,D)

Day 11: Bariloche.
This chic alpine resort boasts some of the most glorious scenery in the country. Cameras should be ready for today’s chairlift ride to a lookout point at CERRO CAMPANARIO. You’ll want to capture the vistas of surrounding lakes and Andes mountain peaks. The tour continues with a leisurely drive around the Llao Llao Peninsula, Lago Moreno, and Lopez Bay. (B,L)

Day 12: Bariloche–Puerto Varas, Chile.
Set out today for your ANDES LAKE CROSSING! Board a boat for the CRUISE across Lago Nahuel Huapi to Puerto Blest. Proceed by motorcoach and see emerald lakes, thick pine forests, and the snowcapped peaks of the Andes Mountains. Look out for soaring Osorno Volcano as you cross Lago Todos los Santos by CATAMARAN. Skirt the southern shore of Lago Llanquihue on the way to Puerto Varas. Drive to your hotel along the rosebush-lined streets of this lakeside resort. (B,L,D)

Day 13: Puerto Varas–Puerto Montt–Santiago
. Your morning tour of the nearby seaport of Puerto Montt in Chilean Patagonia takes you to the harbor brimming with fishing vessels and along a busy waterfront lined with seafood stalls. Transfer to the airport for your flight north to Santiago. Perched between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, Santiago has evolved as the country’s political, commercial, and cultural capital. Tonight, dinner is at the hotel. (B,D)

Day 14: Santiago.
Today your Local Guide traces the city’s history and heritage. Start at La Moneda, the official Government Palace, before heading to the Plaza de Armas, the main square, with a visit to the 18th-century CATHEDRAL. This afternoon offers an optional excursion to the Undurraga Winery, where you will learn how some of South America’s wines are produced. This evening, you may opt to join a Chilean Folkloric Dinner Show. (B)

Day 15: Santiago.
The day is free for independent activities. You may want to take advantage of an optional excursion to the beautiful coastal region west of Santiago. Drive through the undulating hills of Chile’s wine country to the historic port of Valparaiso, and continue along the coast to nearby Viña del Mar. This chic seaside resort with palm tree-lined avenues and lovely villas truly deserves the sobriquet “Pearl of the Pacific.” Tonight your Tour Director hosts a special farewell dinner to celebrate a great touring adventure. (B,D)

Day 16: Santiago–Lima, Peru.
Fly to Lima this morning, where sightseeing focuses on its colonial heritage. See the 18th-century SAN FRANCISCO MONASTERY with its unique cloisters, the Government Palace, and cathedral situated around the vast Plaza de Armas. Then, take a short drive to the seaside suburb of Miraflores. Later, tour the LARCO HERRERA MUSEUM with its dazzling collection of Peruvian artifacts. (B)

Day 17: Lima–Cusco–Sacred Valley.
Fly to Cusco, the impressive Andean city that was once the capital of the Inca Empire. Spend the day in the Sacred Valley of the Incas and visit the semi-circular KENKO Amphitheater with its stone altars and labyrinth of passages. Stop at the ancient site of PUCA PUCARA before reaching the TEMPLE OF SACSAYHUAMAN, perched on a hillside overlooking Cusco. It remains unfathomable how and when this fortress of gigantic stones—with some blocks weighing more than 350 tons—was built. Continue to PISAC, an old mountain village where you will have free time to shop for local wares such as alpaca sweaters and blankets, jewelry, or hand-painted ornamental dishes and vases. Stay in the Sacred Valley tonight, with dinner at the hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 18: Sacred Valley–Machu Picchu–Sacred Valley.
Board a TRAIN for a short journey through the lush Urubamba Valley. Then, transfer to a motorcoach for the ascent to legendary MACHU PICCHU, the “Lost City of the Incas.” Your Local Guide will bring you closer to the mysteries still hidden in these amazing structures. Later this afternoon, return to the Sacred Valley. (B,L,D)

Day 19: Sacred Valley–Cusco.
Visit the Inca Fortress of OLLANTAYTAMBO followed by the opportunity to visit a home, meet some of the locals, and experience their way of life. Return to Cusco, where you will learn more about the Incas on your guided tour, with visits to the imposing CATHEDRAL and the SANTO DOMINGO MONASTERY. Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant accompanied by ANDEAN FOLKLORIC MUSIC. (B,D)

Day 20: Cusco–Lima.
A short morning flight returns you to Lima, where the remainder of your day is at leisure to explore on your own. (B)

Day 21: Lima.
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)