Highlights Of South America - 21 Days

Monday. Welcome to Brazil! Upon arrival at the airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Copacabana. The rest of the day is at your own leisure to explore the beautiful stretch of Copacabana beach.

Today, we have an included tour exploring the city of extremes, we witness the glamourous apartments of Rio’s rich and famous against the back drop of the favelas and half-built shanty towns that cling onto the hillsides. The highlights of the city include the Zona Sul beaches and Rodrogo de Freitas lagoon as well as the cathedral, Sambodromo and Maracana. Then we take a cable car up to Sugarloaf Mountain and enjoy spectacular views of the city, its beaches, and the mountains beyond. There is also a lovely nature walk around the foot of the mountain should you wish to continue to explore or grab a beer in the village quarter of Urca, home to TV stars. On day 3 we board the steep rack-and-pinion railway which takes us through tropical Tijuca National Park, the largest urban forest in the world, and all that is left of the rainforest that once surrounded Rio de Janeiro. Reach the top of Corcovado mountain and experience the majestic gaze of Christ the Redeemer, which overlooks the city with open arms. The afternoon is at leisure. You can walk from the top of the staircase up to the quiet hill-top neighbourhood of Santa Teresa, with many quaint cafes and shops lining the cobblestone streets or there is the optional excursion along the Avenue of the Royal Palms in hopes of catching a glimpse of the toucans and marmosets that frequent the park.

Rio de Janeiro - Foz do Iguacu. The Brazilian town of Foz do Iguacu is our base for visiting the famous Iguazu Falls - the most magnificent waterfalls in the world. A total of 275 falls thunder through dense forest over a 2.5km stretch along the border of Brazil and Argentina and we will view the falls from both sides. On the Brazilian side you can see the falls by walking through the rainforest and along catwalks above and below the rushing water. You can also visit a very interesting bird park nearby, perfect for that must-have photo with a toucan! We revisit the falls from the Argentinean side on day 5. From the national park, we board a little natural-gas-powered train which takes us to the Cataratas Station where we begin the Upper Walk witnessing causeways link dozens of basalt islands at the top of the rock, a sight which will take your breath away! We then continue onto the famous "Devil's Throat" where fourteen falls plummet with such force that there is always a massive cloud of spray overhead.