Inside Tracks in Argentina & Brazil

Explore the Inside Tracks in Argentina and Brazil on this incredible 8 night escorted tour. Rest your head in Buenos Aires’ well-heeled Recoleta, take a private tour of the famed Teatro Colón, zoom close to Iguazu Falls on a Zodiac tour, visit Rio’s treasured landmark, Christ the Redeemer and sip a sundowner atop Sugarloaf Mountain.

What's Included:

• No single supplements if booked early
• Five-star luxury accommodation
• Resident tour director & English-speaking expert local guides
• Airport meet & greet, & return private transfers
• Entrance fees, taxes & tips, & excursions as stated
• Domestic flights
• Porterage (two pieces of luggage per person)
• Welcome & farewell dinners
• 8 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 2 dinners
• Bottled drinking water
• Wifi in accommodation

Day 1: Arrive Buenos Aires, Argentina

Land in Argentina’s cosmopolitan capital, Buenos Aires, and transfer to the city centre for a walking tour around Recoleta, including a light lunch at La Biela. As far as city boroughs go, few can compete with Recoleta’s leafy plazas, European architecture, and beautiful cemetery. Aside from igniting postcode envy, this classical neighbourhood is where the city’s well-heeled crowd comes to shop in boutiques and dine on Michelin star-worthy tasting menus. Tonight, return to your hotel, renowned for showcasing local artworks, for a glass of Malbec before dinner.

Day 2: Buenos Aires

Spend the morning visiting 16th-century Plaza de Mayo, the city’s political heart, then La Boca, a colourful neighbourhood with an equally vibrant history. Wander through Recoleta’s cemetery to see Eva Perón’s ornate resting place as well as the tombs of other celebrated figures. The pièce de résistance is a private, guided tour of the Teatro Colón, which hosted the likes of Pavarotti and Maria Callas, lit by a 700-bulb chandelier. Tonight, enjoy an intimate tango performance at the Philippe Starck-designed Faena Hotel. Get up close to the dancers moving sensually around the cabaret-style setting.

Day 3: Buenos Aires

Today, Design your Day® – giving you the freedom to choose the experience that is best suited to you. Select from the following options:

Option 1: Visit two up-and-coming art galleries.

Option 2: Cook Argentinean classics at Bajollave – a ‘closed-door’ restaurant.

Option 3: Enjoy a tango lesson and stroll around San Telmo.

Day 4: Buenos Aires – Iguazu Falls, Brazil

Fly to Iguazu Falls, a natural wonder straddling both Argentina and Brazil. After landing, head to the Argentinean side for a train ride that circuits the mist-shrouded waterfalls. You’ll have world-class views of its curtain-like sheets of water. The most impressive is the Devil’s Throat, a series of thundering cataracts which you can view from a platform. Cross the border into Brazil to your jungle retreat. When the park closes at 18.00 to visitors who aren’t staying at the hotel, you will have the Falls to yourselves.

Day 5: Iguazu Falls

It’s impossible to soak up the Falls all in one day, so today you have the chance to investigate further. You’ll have the option to zoom on a Zodiac boat along a three-kilometre stretch of the Iguazu River, and get as close to the Falls as possible. Will you get wet? Very. So make sure to don quick-drying clothes. Tonight, foodies can opt to visit the home of a prestigious chef for a private dinner (at an additional cost). Learn about native ingredients as you dine by candlelight.

Day 6: Iguazu Falls – Rio de Janeiro

Pop into the bird park to see rainforest-dwelling toucan and macaw before your transfer to Iguazu Falls airport. Fly to Rio, a city famed for its flamboyant Carnival, sultry samba, and ridiculously good-looking cariocas. The architecture is equally handsome, from the towering statue of Christ the Redeemer to the colourful 215-step Selarón staircase. After checking into your hotel, The Fairmont Rio de Janeiro, take a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, where from the summit you can toast the sunset with a caipirinha.

Day 7: Rio de Janeiro

Today, Design your Day® – giving you the freedom to choose the experience that is best suited to you. Select from the following options:

Option 1: Explore artsy Santa Teresa, Visit an artist’s workshop and finish the day with a cachaça tasting.

Option 2: Go behind the scenes and get a taste of carnival.

Option 3: Enjoy a bike ride along the patterned promenades of Rio’s iconic beaches.

Day 8: Rio de Janeiro

It’s your last full day, so why not celebrate on a private yacht? From sparkling blue waters, look back at Sugarloaf Mountain for a different take. You’ll cruise past islands and forts, stopping for dips along the way. Brazil’s love of meat is eternalised in its restaurants. In the evening, dine at a churrascaria (barbecue restaurant), where carnivores can tuck into melt-in-your-mouth cuts.

Day 9: Depart Rio de Janeiro

Be sure to take one last look at the Corcovado Mountain as you bid farewell to Brazil and are chauffeured to Rio airport. You’ll take the scenic route along the foothills of the Tijuca Forest and through traditional Brazilian neighbourhoods.