Southern Highlights – Buenos Aires to Rio

Meet your guide in Argentina’s diverse capital, Buenos Aires, and join the rest of your group for a tour of the city sights. You’ll visit the famous Plaza de Mayo, where Eva Peron made speeches from the balcony of Casa Roasada, and the colourful districts of La Boca and San Telmo. You simply can’t leave Buenos Aires without catching a tango show of some kind, whether it is an energetic street performance or a dinner show at a hotel or a theatre, it’s an impressive and evocative display of dance and expression.

Fly north to Foz do Iguaçu and admire the mighty Iguassu Falls, checking out the views from both the Argentina and Brazil sides. In your free time, meet the parrots and toucans in the Bird Park, get closer to the plunging water on a boat trip to the Devil’s Throat, or join the birds as you soar high above the spray of the thundering Iguassu Falls on a thrilling helicopter ride, allowing you to appreciate the sheer scale of the waterfall (all optional, extra cost).

Fly on to pretty Paraty, whose jungle-covered islands are ripe for exploring, snorkelling and beach lazing. Stop off at a cachaça distillery along the way and see how sugarcane is used to create this popular spirit, used in Brazil’s national cocktail, the sweet yet sour caipirinha. Alternatively you can take a boat to a nearby island – there are 65 to choose from! Learn more about the local culture with a visit to an Afro-Brazilian community, where you can watch how they make handicrafts and see traditional dancing, or even have a go yourself.

Soak up the vibe in energetic Rio de Janeiro and check out the view from the top of Corcovado Mountain, where the Christ the redeemer statue stands with arms outstretched. Grab an iced caipirinha and laze on the long sweep of sand that makes up Copacabana beach, watch the locals playing football or cool off in the waves. You could choose to explore Tijuca National Park, one of the largest urban parks in the world, or perhaps watch a colourful samba show (both optional, extra cost).