Grand Tour of South America: Argentina, Chile & Peru

(27 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Bariloche, El Calafate, Torres del Paine, Santiago & Valparaiso, Atacama Desert, Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco

This exclusive, comprehensive private South America tour was designed for travelers who want to experience the best of Argentina, Chile and Peru. It features the top highlights in each country, including spectacular natural attractions, wonderful cities and incomparable Inca ruins. Completing the experience are private touring with expert local guides and accommodation at the finest and most exclusive hotels, lodges and resorts in each destination.

Begin in vibrant Buenos Aires, Argentina. With your 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 the MALBA museum of Latin American art. One evening, attend a top-rated tango performance at an intimate, upscale dinner theater. Also enjoy time to take advantage of the exciting contemporary art and design scene, world-class restaurants and great shopping. One day, take a private excursion to an estancia (ranch) in t he 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, passing gardens and vacation houses.

Next, fly to Iguazu Falls, one of the most spectacular natural attractions in the world. Stay in a private villa at Awasi, an exclusive luxury lodge in the rainforest on the Argentine side of the 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 venture to the Brazilian side for a private boat excursion to the base of the falls. Depending on timing and interests, relax in your private plunge pool at Awasi or enjoy additional 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. Alternatively, 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. Upon request, we can also arrange scenic helicopter flights over Iguazu Falls.

Continue to Bariloche, a resort town in the beautiful Lake District of northern Patagonia. Stay in the legendary Llao Llao Hotel, and enjoy spectacular views of the mountains and lakes in the surrounding Nahuel Huapi National Park. With your guide, enjoy activities according to your interests, such as walks in the native forest, a private cruise on the deep blue waters of Lake Nahuel Huapi, and a gourmet meal of local food and wine.

Next, 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 opt to take a guided walk on top of the glacier itself. If desired, also enjoy exciting lodge-based activities, such as hiking, mountain biking, birdwatching and horseback riding.

Transfer overland to Torres del Paine National Park in the southern Patagonia region of Chile. One of the most spectacular landscapes in South America, the park is a wonderland of spiky mountains, blue glaciers, sapphire lakes and dense forests. Choose daily excursions according to your interests, such as scenic walks and hikes, wildlife viewing, bird watching, photography safaris, kayaking and boat rides on glacial lakes, visiting a typical estancia, barbecue lunches, mountain biking and horseback riding.

Continue to Santiago, a historic city with unforgettable views of the Andes mountains. Take an excursion to Valparaiso, stopping en route for wine tasting at a top winery in the Casablanca Valley, one of Chile's best regions for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. Continue to Valparaiso, an unusual city built on hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Explore the labyrinthine streets of the most colorful cerros (hills), visit notable museums, and perhaps take one of the funiculars that connect the upper and lower parts of the city.

Next, visit the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, a vast region of remarkable landscapes, including salt flats, sand dunes, hot springs, geysers and volcanoes. Choose from daily excursions and activities such as seeing the Valley of the Moon, exploring different sections of the National Flamingo Reserve, walking on sand dunes, bathing in hot springs, stargazing in the incredibly clear and dark night sky, visiting traditional villages, seeing pre-Columbian fortresses, learning to identify ancient petroglyphs, mountain biking, horseback riding and venturing to the altiplano at dawn to watch the El Tatio geysers erupt.

Return to Santiago and enjoy private touring of highlights such as the Plaza de Armas, Mercado Central, La Chascona (Pablo Neruda's house), the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, beautiful colonial architecture, exclusive shops and historic neighborhoods.

Next, fly to Lima, the cosmopolitan Peruvian capital and the heart of the country's burgeoning food scene. During private, insider-led cultural touring of Lima’s impressive historic district (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), see a spectacular pre-Columbian art collection, and browse boutiques for high-quality local goods such as crafts and cooking utensils. If desired, take a private tasting tour of the city, stopping at a vibrant market and local cafes to sample indigenous produce and local snacks. Learn to make Peru's iconic ceviche (marinated fish) and pisco sour during a private cooking class, and then have lunch at one of Lima’s top restaurants. Also enjoy reservations at Lima's most acclaimed restaurants.

Next, fly to Cusco, and transfer through the beautiful countryside to the Sacred Valley (Urubamba Valley), a river valley with the high peaks of the Andes towering overhead. During private touring with your own guide and driver, experience the best of the local culture, such as visits to indigenous markets and villages, meetings with renowned local weavers and artisans, and tours of outstanding archaeological sites such as Ollantaytambo, Moray and Pisac. Perhaps also visit terraced salt evaporation ponds at Maras to learn how this natural resource is harvested by local people. Upon request, additional activities can also be incorporated, such as pottery or weaving workshops, a Nuevo Andean cooking lesson, a traditional pachamanca dinner, and active touring including day treks, rafting, horse-back riding or mountain biking.

Continue to Machu Picchu and spend one night near the ruins. Your private guide will teach you about the fascinating history of the site and ensure that you have the opportunity to explore the grounds after most tourists have left. Spend the following day exploring the ruins with the option to hike trails to stunning viewpoints around the site.

Continue to Cusco on the luxury Hiram Bingham train. An oxygenated room will be arranged at the city’s most luxurious and distinguished hotel. Your guide will lead you through the narrow cobblestone streets as you learn about the fascinating Incan and Spanish history in the city. During your tour, visit markets, galleries, boutiques and the best artisan workshops. Also opt to see important archaeological sites just outside of the city. In the evenings, enjoy dining reservations at Cusco’s top restaurants. Additional activities can also be arranged, upon request, such as a meeting with a local art expert or an evening cultural performance. Upon request, Artisans of Leisure can also arrange a day excursion to beautiful Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain (also known as Tres Rainbows), where mineral deposits create colorful stripes on the dramatic, undulating alpine landscape. (This location is different from the more remote and more crowded Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain.)

On the final day, fly back to Lima, where you will be assisted to the international terminal for your onward flight.

All touring is flexible and customized to your interests, and accommodation is in top rooms at the best luxury lodges and hotels in each destination.

Booking Information >

All Artisans of Leisure tours are private and depart daily.

Please Contact Us for more information regarding the above tour, or to begin customizing your own itinerary.

The Artisans of Leisure Style of Travel:

• Private touring with your own personal guides and drivers
• Preferred rooms in the very best luxury hotels
• Firsthand, sophisticated destination knowledge and recommendations from our travel specialists
• Itineraries that are customized according to your interests and schedule
• Artisans of Leisure upgrades and amenities
• A seamless travel experience, including all logistics, skipping lines during touring whenever possible, restaurant and spa reservations, performance tickets, private airport transfers, internal transportation, VIP and fast-track airport assistance in many destinations
• Around-the-clock support in each destination during your trip
• Unique, insider travel experiences and access to the Artisans of Leisure network of experts around the world