Your Itinerary
Day 1Miami
Board your flight for your vacation.
Day 2Arrival in Manaus, Brazil
Arrive in Manaus this afternoon, then meet for guided city sightseeing of Manaus to view the vestiges of its glory days during the rubber boom. Your first stop will be the famous Opera House, built in 1896 with materials imported from Europe. Next, visit the Museum of Natural Sciences before a stroll through a bustling local market. (B)
Day 3Manaus–Amazon Jungle
Today your “Meeting of the Waters” tour passes by the impressive British-built Custom House and the floating port. Cruise along the chocolate-colored Rio Negro to its confluence with the yellow-gray Rio Solimões, where the two rivers form the mighty Amazon. For four miles the differently colored bodies of water flow side by side and never mix! After lunch on the river, explore a Jungle Island (if water levels permit) with fascinating native flora and fauna. Later this afternoon, arrive at the Ecopark Jungle Lodge on the banks of the Rio Negro inside the Amazonian rainforest. (B,L,D)
Day 4Amazon Jungle
Accompanied by a Naturalist, enjoy a guided jungle walk that introduces you to the flora and fauna that thrives in the Amazon. After lunch, sail up the river to visit a Caboclo’s native Amazon village to learn about their traditions and culture. Also try your hand at piranha fishing! Later, visit the Monkey Jungle Reserve, where researchers work to rehabilitate captive primates and reintroduce them to the jungle. Here, you have the opportunity to see a feeding of spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys, woolly monkeys, and capuchin monkeys. This evening you may wish to venture back out on canoe with your Naturalist into the flooded forest to appreciate the jungle at night, with the possibility to spot small alligators and other night creatures. (B,L,D)
Day 5Amazon Jungle–Rio de Janeiro
This morning, depart the Ecopark for a midday flight to fabulous Rio. (B)
Day 6Rio de Janeiro
Welcome to South America’s capital of glamour—Rio de Janeiro! An included city tour takes you to bustling downtown Rio, where modern office towers stand next to relics of the Portuguese colonial past. View the Sambodromo and the Cathedral before visiting 300-foot-high Sugar Loaf Mountain. Ascend by cable car to its summit, where you can savor spectacular vistas of the city and beaches. The afternoon and evening are at leisure. (B)
Day 7Rio de Janeiro
Your Local Host will be available with suggested activities during your free time. Tonight, you may opt to join an outing to a fun churrascaria for a feast of barbecued meats marinated and roasted over charcoal in true Brazilian style, followed by a Samba show, where the sheer vitality of this country explodes in a colorful extravaganza. (B)
Day 8Rio de Janeiro
Enjoy a full day at leisure. Your Local Host will suggest an optional Jeep tour to the rainforest in the middle of the city, Tijuca National Park and its bird sanctuary. This afternoon, you may elect to discover historic Petropolis, a mountain resort and site of the former summer palace of Emperor Dom Pedro II. (B)
Day 9Rio–Iguassu Falls
Fly to Iguassu Falls at the crossroads of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. This masterpiece of nature encompasses 275 separate falls and spans almost two miles. The afternoon is dedicated to enjoying the spectacle of this 2-mile-wide torrential downpour. With some cataracts as high as 250 feet, it’s nothing short of hypnotic. The clouds of spray, the incessant roar, and the surrounding luxuriant tropical growth make this an unforgettable natural wonder. (B)
Day 10Iguassu Falls
This morning, take the Ecological Jungle Train and tour the Argentine side of Iguassu Falls with numerous walkways that wind under the crashing water. (B)
Day 11Iguassu Falls–Buenos Aires
Fly to Buenos Aires, proud capital of the vast country that occupies most of the southern part of the continent. After arriving at your central hotel, you will have time to become acquainted with the “Paris of South America” and its wide boulevards and outdoor cafés. Enjoy an evening at leisure. (B)
Day 12Buenos Aires
Included sightseeing this morning starts in the colorful La Boca district, site of the city’s first port. Take a short walking tour of this unique neighborhood, 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, which houses San Martin’s Mausoleum. Drive past the ornate Colon Opera House before reaching the Cemetery of the Recoleta, burial site of Eva Peron. Spend the afternoon at leisure. This evening, perhaps savor the city’s atmosphere on an optional dinner at a local restaurant followed by a performance of Latin America’s most sensuous dance—the Tango! (B)
Day 13Buenos Aires
Today is at leisure. Your Local Host will suggest an optional excursion to the Pampas. Experience 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)
Days 14-15Buenos Aires
Spend two full days at leisure. Consider an optional tour to the famous markets of Buenos Aires: La Boca, San Telmo, and the Recoleta. (B)
Day 16Buenos Aires–U.S
Your homebound flight departs late this evening. (B)
Day 17Miami
Arrive home.