Day 1

Arrive Manaus

Fly to Manaus (not included in holiday price on pre-trip extension), the Brazilian gateway of the Amazon. You’ll be transferred to your hotel before embarking on a city tour that will reveal the wealth of the city’s former rubber barons. Visit the grand Palacio Rio Negro with its displays reflecting traditional Amazonian culture, then discover the floating harbour and nearby Customs House. Admire the metallic architecture of the vibrant Mercado Municipal, based on the Les Halles marketplace in Paris and see the Renaissance opera house, constructed during the city’s golden age.

Trip Summary Accomodation Icon Hotel - Quality

Day 2

The River of Manaus

We journey upstream today to see first-hand the tremendous 'Meeting of the Waters'. Watch how the dark waters of the Rio Negro merge with the sandy brown water of the Solimões and then flows eastward to the Atlantic. After lunch, consider joining an optional canoe trip down a smaller tributary and try your hand at piranha fishing, or simply immerse yourself in your jungle surrounds. Later, we transfer to our lodge on the banks of the Rio Taruma.

Trip Summary Accomodation Icon Hotel - Amazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3

The Diverse Fauna of the Amazon

Walk beneath the towering canopy of the world’s largest rainforest – the life-source of Planet Earth and an area of exceptional biodiversity. We’ll embark on a guided walk this morning with our Local Specialist, keeping a keen eye out for shy capybara or the giant coils of the anaconda as it naps on the branches of a tree. Connect With Locals as you immerse yourself in the culture, rituals and heritage of the native Amazonians gaining first-hand insight into their day-to-day lives, then return to your lodge for dinner against the backdrop of cicadas, bulldog bats and Screaming Piha, the signature sound of the Amazon.

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4

From the Amazon to Rio de Janeiro

Visit Monkey Forest, a rehabilitation centre and wildlife refuge, as your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Then return to Manaus Airport as your Amazon experience comes to an end. Fly to Rio de Janeiro and meet a local host who will take you to your hotel where you’ll enjoy superb ocean views of Copacabana beach and its beautiful people, just minutes from downtown Rio. This evening, we enjoy a festive Welcome Reception with our Travel Director and fellow travellers.

Trip Summary Accomodation Icon Hotel - Arena Copacabana

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast, Welcome Reception

Day 5

Rio de Janeiro Sightseeing and At Leisure

The rhythm of Rio is yours to explore this morning. Join your Local Specialist to delve into the captivating contrasts of Brazil’s cidade maravilhosa (marvellous city). See the 18th-century Carioca Aqueduct, colonial Candelaria Church, and the home of the Rio Carnival, the Sambodromo. Journey high above Guanabara Bay and summit Sugarloaf Mountain via cable car for a 'pinch me moment' of inspiring bay and city views. Spend the evening at leisure.

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast

Day 6

Rio de Janeiro Sightseeing and At Leisure

Hands outstretched, the iconic Christ the Redeemer welcomes you to the hunched outcrop of Corcovado, sharing his impressive panoramic view of a city that loves to celebrate. This afternoon, soak in the shores of Copacabana and Ipanema. Kick back and watch tanned sun-worshippers playing volleyball and sip a caipirinha or two, which you’ll learn to mix this evening, followed by a sizzling barbecue at a local churrascaria Regional Dinner. Bom proveito! 

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast, Regional Dinner

Day 7

Rio de Janeiro – Iguassu Falls

Spend your lazy moments in Rio soaking up the laid-back carioca life before you Connect With Locals at a local Samba School to see their preparations for Carnival Week. You’ll learn how to sway those hips to the tunes of Mais que nada and The Girl from Ipanema during your visit. From the intoxicating beat of Rio to the thundering roar of Iguassu, we fly to the magnificent falls that straddle the borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. This evening, we’ll enjoy dinner together, pondering Rio’s party vibe and the inspiring force of nature nearby.

Trip Summary Accomodation Icon Hotel - Bourbon Cataratas Resort Iguassu Falls

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8

Iguassu Falls Sightseeing and At Leisure

The tropical jungle and waterfall landscapes of the UNESCO-listed Iguassu National Park provide sanctuary for rare wildlife, bird and plant species, which share their home with us today as we explore the Brazilian side of the falls with a Local Specialist. We’ll walk through the rainforest to the base of the falls before indulging in lunch at a local restaurant against the impressive backdrop of the falls. Spend the afternoon at your resort relaxing or join one of our optional experiences, including a jetboat ride (WAIVER REQUIRED) to the base of the falls or a visit to a tropical bird reserve, home to more than 500 species of birds.

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast, Lunch

Day 9

Iguassu Falls – Buenos Aires

Crossing the Argentinian border, we join our Local Specialist for a walk along the long catwalk suspended above the swirling waters of the Iguassu River. View the chaotic crush of water pouring down Devil’s Throat Falls, then board an open-air ecological jungle train for a different perspective of the mighty cascades. Our Iguassu adventure at its end, we’ll board a flight to Buenos Aires, South America’s most stylish city and home to the melancholic Tango.

Trip Summary Accomodation Icon Hotel - Alvear Art

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast

Day 10

Buenos Aires Sightseeing and At Leisure

Our day together is spent on a paseo with a Local Specialist. We’ll walk through the wide boulevards of this beautiful capital admiring the spirit of a city whose European and Latin American influences can be seen around every turn. This evening, we linger over a delicious Regional Dinner and Dive Into Culture watching the passionate, fiery and precise steps of some of Buenos Aires’ most talented Tango dancers. 

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast, Regional Dinner

Day 11

Buenos Aires At Leisure

Get under the skin of Buenos Aires today - a full day to pursue your own interests in the 'Paris of South America'. Delve into the treasures of artisan markets and the patio shops of rustic colonial buildings in San Telmo or enjoy delicious dulce de leche ice-cream at the famous Café Tortoni. Feeling adventurous? Consider an optional trip into the countryside to a traditional estancia (ranch) - a unique opportunity to share a drink with the local gauchos (cowboys) and learn about their lives. Admire their consummate horsemanship during a lively equestrian show before sitting down to a traditional parrillada (barbecue) lunch. Tonight, we Connect With Locals, joining a local family in Palermo Soho for a Be My Guest experience with a Farewell Dinner of delicious family dishes paired with local wine. Learn the secrets of kneading country bread and see how typical Argentinian crafts are made. 

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast, Be My Guest

Day 12

Fly to Santiago

It’s time to say goodbye to your fellow travellers as your trip comes to an end. Head to Buenos Aires and fly to Santiago International Airport (flight not included in holiday price). Stay the night in Chile's vibrant capital of Santiago before heading on to your Easter Island extension tomorrow.

Trip Summary Accomodation Icon Hotel - Holiday Inn Santiago Airport

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast

Day 13

Voyage to Easter Island

Fly to Easter Island (flight not included in holiday price) and connect with the legend and lore of one of the world’s most remote and remarkable islands, delving into the ancient culture of the Rapa Nui who once prospered on this land. Our first stop on this mystical adventure is Ahu Akivi, where we’ll enjoy a private guided excursion with our Local Specialist to view its seven Moai statues, facing the ocean. Learn about their astronomically precise location and how they were placed there to use their mana to protect the inhabitants of the nearby village. Continue to ancient Ahu Hanga Poukura to see the tumbled Moai statues that stand as a testament to ancient battles. Then, visit the Puna Pau quarry with its red scoria stone.

Trip Summary Accomodation Icon Hotel - Taha Tai

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast

Day 14

The Maoi of Easter Island

Embark on a privately guided excursion with our Local Specialist to the southern coast and witness the perfectly preserved ceremonial Ahu Vaihu in the bay of Hanga Te'e. Set out with your boxed picnic lunch and proceed to Rano Raraku, a quarry of almost 900 stone statues - 397 of them still located at the slopes of the Rano Kau volcano. Visit Ahu Tongariki, the largest ahu on the island, then continue to the eastern coast and visit Ahu Te Pito Kura with its Paro Maoi, the largest maoi statue ever erected. Afterward, visit scenic Anakena beach, where the king first set foot on the island.

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast, Lunch

Day 15

On the Slopes of Rano Kau

Journey to the UNESCO-listed Rapa Nui National Park. Join a private excursion with our Local Specialist up the extinct Rano Kau volcano. Admire views of the island from its slopes, then drive to the village of Orongo, where you’ll view petroglyphs revealing the local culture. Later, catch a glimpse the three islets of Motu Nui, Motu Iti and Motu Kao Kao on the opposite coast. Then it’s on to Ahu Vinapu for further evidence of the pre-Incan architectural influence. Our final stop is at the Ana Kai Tangata to view the ornate cave paintings from its mouth. Return to your hotel this afternoon before being transferred to the airport. Airport arrival is at 12 p.m., please be aware when booking your flights. 

Trip Summary Meals Icon Included Meals - Breakfast