Highlights of Brazil & Argentina

(15 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, Buenos Aires, El Calafate, Bariloche

This private tour features the cultural and natural highlights of Brazil and Argentina.

Begin in Rio de Janeiro, the most beautiful city in Brazil. With your private guide and driver, experience the best of Rio's vibrant culture and spectacular landscapes. Venture up Corcovado Mountain for panoramic views over the city. Stroll through the bohemian Santa Teresa neighborhood. Browse local art galleries. See the highlights of the historic center of Rio. Experience samba at an atmospheric local club. Visit the lush botanical gardens. One day, learn about Brazilian cuisine during a private cooking class, shop for local fashions in top boutiques, take the cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, visit an NGO to learn about life in a local favela (shantytown), or enjoy a bicycle tour along Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. Artisans of Leisure can also arrange additional touring in and around Rio upon request, such as visiting noted museums, taking private samba lessons or seeing iconic buildings designed by renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

Continue to Iguazu Falls, one of the most spectacular natural attractions in the world. Stay at Belmond Hotel das Cataratas, a grand historic hotel surrounded by jungle and wildlife that's a short walk from the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls. With your private guide, venture onto catwalks to see the most breathtaking sections of the waterfall, such as the thundering Garganta del Diablo ("Devil's Throat"). Also enjoy a private boat excursion to the base of the falls. Alternatively, stay in a private villa at Awasi, an exclusive luxury lodge in the rainforest on the Argentine side of the falls. Tour both side and enjoy optional lodge-based activities such as kayaking on the river, hiking and birding in the rainforest, seeing the UNESCO-listed ruins of Jesuit missions or visiting a local indigenous community. Upon request, we can also arrange scenic helicopter flights over Iguazu Falls.

Fly to vibrant Buenos Aires. With your own private guide and driver, visit the city's most evocative neighborhoods such as San Telmo, La Boca, Palermo and Puerto Madero, and see highlights around the city such as the Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada and Recoleta Cemetery. Visit local museums according to your interests, such as the Evita Museum or MALBA, a museum of Latin American art. One evening, attend a top-rated tango performance at an intimate, upscale dinner theater. If desired, take a private excursion to San Antonio de Areco and an estancia in the pampas to learn about gaucho culture and experience the traditional estancia lifestyle. Alternatively, take a private excursion to Tigre and the Parana River Delta to enjoy a relaxing private cruise on the canals of this "rural Venice," passing gardens and upscale vacation houses. Also enjoy time to take advantage of the exciting contemporary art and design scene, world-class restaurants and great shopping. All touring is flexible and can be customized to incorporate special interests such as art, tango, polo, Jewish history, family activities, adventure, gastronomy and more.

Then, fly to El Calafate to experience southern Patagonia's vast open steppe and the impressive peaks, glaciers and pale blue lakes of Los Glaciares National Park. One day, visit magnificent Perito Moreno Glacier—one of the few advancing glaciers in the world—to see (and hear!) icebergs calving from it, and perhaps enjoy a shared cruise or opt to take a guided trek on top of the glacier itself. If desired, also enjoy exciting lodge-based activities, such as hiking, mountain biking, birdwatching and horseback riding.

Continue to Bariloche, a resort town in the beautiful Lake District of northern Patagonia. Stay in the legendaryLlao Llao Hotel, and enjoy spectacular views of the mountains and lakes in the surrounding national park. With your guide, enjoy a private cruise on the deep blue waters of Lake Nahuel Huapi, learn about the indigenous history of the area, and dine on a gourmet meal of local food and wine on a private, secluded beach. Also enjoy an easy hike or scenic drive through the forest. During leisure time, enjoy scenic walks, soak in the sun on the private beach, kayak on a quiet lake, or simply relax at Llao Llao and enjoy the hotel's wonderful facilities and expansive views.

The tour concludes with one night in Buenos Aires.