EXPLORE USA -05
South America Tour (18Days/17Nights)
Day 01
Arrival at Argentina.
Café Tortoni
The Café Tortoni is a coffeehouse located at 825 Avenida de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The café itself was Inspired by Fin de siècle coffee houses. Café Tortoni was selected by UCityGuides as one of the ten most beautiful cafes in the world.
Tour of Fiesta Gauche or Colonia De Sacramento Full Day Tour
Stay night in Argentina.
Day 02
Visit the Plaza de Mayo
Several of the city's major landmarks are located around the Plaza: the Cabildo, the Casa Rosada, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires, the May Pyramid, the Equestrian monument to General Manuel Belgrano, the current city hall or municipalidad, and the headquarters of the Nación Bank. The Buenos Aires financial district, affectionately known as la City also lies besides the Plaza.
The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral
The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral is the main Catholic church in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located in the city center, overlooking Plaza de Mayo, on the corner of San Martín and Rivadavia streets, in the San Nicolás neighbourhood. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires and the primatial church of Argentina.
The present building is a mix of architectural styles, with an 18th-century nave and dome and a severe, 19th-century Neoclassical façade without towers. The interior keeps precious 18th-century statues and altarpieces, as well as abundant Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque decoration.
La Bombonera
The Alberto José Armando Stadium is a football stadium located in La Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Widely known as La Bombonera due to its shape, with a "flat" stand on one side of the pitch and three steep stands round the rest of the stadium.
Alvear Avenue.
Avenida Alvear is an upscale thoroughfare in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Located in the neighbourhood of Recoleta, it extends for seven blocks, from the Plazoleta Carlos Pellegrini to Alvear Plaza. The avenue is famous not only for the most exclusive representatives of haute couture, but also for its numerous demi-palaces and extensive presence of the French academy architecture that was so much in vogue in uptown Buenos Aires at the turn of the 20th century.
Stay night in Alvear Avenue
Day 03
Iguaçu Falls
Iguazú Falls or Iguaçu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná. Together, they make up the largest waterfall system in the world. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River rises near the heart of the city of Curitiba. For most of its course, the river flows through Brazil; however, most of the falls are on the Argentine side. Below its confluence with the San Antonio River, the Iguazu River forms the border between Argentina and Brazil.
You can visit Iguacu Falls by Helicopter or Boat
Stay night in Argentina.
Day 04
Moving to Rio de Janeiro
The city boasts world-class hotels, like Belmond Copacabana Palace, approximately 80 kilometers of beaches and the famous Corcovado, Sugarloaf mountains and Maracanã Stadium. While the city had in past had a thriving tourism sector, the industry entered a decline in the last quarter of the 20th century. Rio de Janeiro is an international hub of highly active and diverse nightlife with bars, dance bars and nightclubs staying open well past midnight. The city is an important global LGBT destination, 1 million LGBT tourists visiting each year.
The Farme de Amoedo Street"Rua Farme de Amoedo" is located in Ipanema, a famous neighborhood in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro. The street and the nearby beach, famous tourist spots, are remarkable for their popularity in the LGBT community. Rio de Janeiro is the most awarded destination by World Travel Awards in the South American category of "best destination.
Stay night in Rio de Janeiro
Day 05
Sugarloaf Mountain
There are rock climbing routes on Sugarloaf that are mostly multipitch and are a mixture of sport and trad There are also two other mountains in the area with technical rock climbing, and Morro da Urca Together, they form one of the largest urban climbing areas in the world, with more than 270 routes, between 1 and 10 pitches long.
Maracanã Stadium
Maracanã Stadium officially named Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is an association football stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Bellini’s statue
The monument was commissioned by the comune of Catania to celebrate the native composer of opera, Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835). Designed and sculpted by Giulio Monteverde, and inaugurated on 21 September 1882. Initially, some wished to place the monument in front of the Teatro Massimo Bellini, then in construction, others wished to replace the Statue of the Elephant in Piazza del Duomo.
Lapa Arches
The Carioca Aqueduct is located in the centre of the city, in the Lapa neighbourhood, and is frequently called Arcos da Lapa (Lapa Arches) by Brazilian people. Since the end of the 19th century the aqueduct serves as a bridge for a popular tram that connects the city centre with the Santa Teresa neighbourhood uphill, the Santa Teresa Tramway.
Selaron Stairs
Running from Joaquim Silva street and Pinto Martins street, officially known as Manuel Carneiro street, the steps straddle the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighbourhoods in Rio de Janeiro. There are 215 steps measuring 125 metres (135 yards) long, which are covered in over 2000 tiles collected from over 60 countries around the world.
Stay night in Rio de Janeiro
Day 06
Copacabana Beach
Copacabana beach, located at the Atlantic shore, stretches from Posto Dois to Posto Seis. Leme is at Posto Um. There are historic forts at both ends of Copacabana beach; Fort Copacabana, built in 1914, is at the south end by Posto Seis and Fort Duque de Caxias, built in 1779, at the north end. Hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and residential buildings dot the promenade facing Avenida Atlântica. On Sundays and holidays, one side of Avenida Atlântica is closed to cars, giving residents and tourists more space for activities along the beach.
Copacabana Beach plays host to millions of revellers during the annual New Year's Eve celebrations, and in most years, has been the official venue of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
Rio de Janeiro Botanical Gardens
The gardens house collections that include bromeliads, orchids, carnivorous plants, and cacti. These include Brazil’s largest botanical library and collections of dried fruits, rare Brazilian plants, and many photographs. The painted cast-iron Fountain of the Muses was made in Derby, UK, and until 1895 was sited at Henrique Lage's villa at Largo da Lapa, as part of the landscaping by the English painter John Tydall.
The park contains 140 species of birds, many of which have become accustomed to humans and are consequently much easier to observe than in the wild. These include the channel-billed toucan, rusty-margined guan, slaty-breasted wood rail and the endangered endemic white-necked hawk. Capuchin monkeys and tufted-eared marmosets are also frequently seen in the Botanical Gardens.
Monastery of São Bento
The Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat, is a Benedictine abbey located on the Morro de São Bento in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Mannerist style church is a primary example of Portuguese colonial architecture in Rio and the country.
Stay night in Rio de Janeiro
Day 07
Moving to Peru
The Museo de la Nación
The Museo de la Nación is one of two major museums of Peruvian history in Lima, Peru. It is much larger than the other main museum in Lima, the Peruvian National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History. Currently it is no longer being used as a museum, carrying only very esporadical exhibitions.
The Museum of the Nation housed thousands of artifacts spanning the entire span of human occupation in Peru, including an impressive collection of Moche, Nazca, and Wari ceramics. The museum also houses reproductions of many famous ancient Andean artifacts, most notably the Lanzón from Chavín de Huantar ; a recreation of the burial chamber of the Lord of Sipan and the famous Revolt of the Objects Mural. However,
it is closed and being treated as the office of the Ministry of Culture.
Parque de la Reserva
The Magic Water Tour is currently the world record holder for the largest fountain complex in the world, consisting of 13 distinct fountains, many of which are interactive. All of the fountains are lighted at night, many with continuously changing color schemes. The largest fountain in the Park of the Reserve, named "Magic Fountain” contains a jet which forces water to a height of over 80 m. Additional attractions are the Tunnel Fountain of Surprises, a 35 m walk-thru tunnel of water ; the Children's Fountain, a walk-in automated fountain; and a tunnel connecting the two sections of the park which contains an exhibition highlighting recent public works projects in Lima. The Fantasia Fountain, site of a regularly scheduled laser and picture show, is 120 m in length and contains jets that are synchronized to music. A video showcase of the fountains, in Spanish can be found here
Stay night in Peru
Day 08
Moving to Lima
Visit the Plaza Mayor (Main Square)
Visit the Bodega Y Quadra Museum
shopping mall Larcomar
The Larcomar is a shopping center in the Miraflores district of Lima, Peru owned by Chilean company Parque Arauco S.A. The Larcomar has indoor and outdoor areas, includes a cinema, bowling lanes, a food court, museum, tourist shops, Tony Roma's, T.G.I. Friday's, and Chili's restaurants, book stores, clothing stores, and electronics stores. It is directly across the street from the Marriott hotel.
Miraflores
There are restaurants, stores, a food court, ice cream shops, arcades, bowling alleys, nightclubs, bars, and the most modern cinema in Lima.
The main tourist attractions include an archaeological complex called La Huaca Pucllana, Parque Kennedy, the Iglesia Virgen Milagrosa, Parque del Amor (Lover's Park), the Larcomar mall, and Calle de las Pizzas (Pizza Street). The Calle de las Pizzas, located in downtown Miraflores, is a favourite among the youth, foreigners and locals alike. It is home to many pubs, and as its name implies, offers not only drinks but also varieties of pizzas and other food.
Stay Night in Lima
Day 09
Peruvian Amazonia
Peruvian Amazonia is the area of the Amazon rainforest included within the country of Peru, from east of the Andes to the borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia. This region comprises 60% of the country and is marked by a large degree of biodiversity. Peru has the second-largest portion of the Amazon rainforest after the Brazilian Amazon.
The Peruvian Amazon jungle is one of the most biologically diverse areas on Earth. As a nation, Peru has the largest number of bird species in the world and the third-largest number of mammals; 44% of bird species and 63% of mammal species inhabit the Peruvian Amazon. Peru also has a very high number of species of butterflies, orchids, and other organisms.
Boat Ride Tambopata River
The Tambopata River is a river in southeastern Peru and northwestern Bolivia. Most is in the Madre de Dios and Puno regions in Peru, but the upper parts of the river forms the border between Peru and Bolivia, and its origin is in La Paz department in Bolivia. The Tambopata River is a tributary of the Madre de Dios River and merges into this river at the city of Puerto Maldonado. The river flows through the Tambopata National Reserve.
Stay Night in Lima
Day 10
Tambopata National Reserve.
Tambopata National Reserve protects an area of rainforest which belongs to the moist and wet subtropical forest according to the Holdridge life zone classification. The reserve is of ecological importance as it is part of the Vilcabamba Amboro wildlife corridor, which extends into neighboring Bolivia
Among the mammal species found in the reserve are: the jaguar, the puma, the ocelot, the collared peccary, the giant otter, the Peruvian spider monkey, the jaguarundi, Hoffmann's two-toed sloth, the capybara, the tufted capuchin, the white-lipped peccary, the marsh deer, the red brocket, the brown-throated sloth, the black-capped squirrel monkey, the South American tapir, etc.
Some of the species of fish present in the reserve are: Prochilodus nigricans, Potamorhina latior, Brachyplatystoma flavicans, Piaractus brachypomus, Brycon spp., Schizodon fasciatus, etc.
Some species of birds present in the reserve are: the harpy eagle, the white-necked jacobin, the scarlet macaw, the rufescent tiger heron, the king vulture, the roseate spoonbill, the crested eagle, the razor-billed curassow, the blue-and-yellow macaw, the variegated tinamou, the sunbittern, the red-and-green macaw, the horned curassow, the golden-tailed sapphire, etc.
Vascular plants are represented in the reserve by 1713 species in 145 families. Among the species found in this protected area are: Virola surinamensis, Cedrela odorata, Oncidium spp., Bertholletia excelsa, Geonoma deversa, Epidendrum coronatum, Iriartea deltoidea, Celtis schippii, Spondias mombin, Mauritia flexuosa, Cedrelinga cateniformis, Hymenaea courbaril, Ficus trigonata, Croton draconoides, Inga spp., Attalea tessmannii, Calycophyllum spruceanum, Swietenia macrophylla, Couroupita guianensis, Socratea exorrhiza, Hura crepitans, Manilkara bidentata, Hevea guianensis, Guadua weberbaueri, Ceiba pentandra, etc.
Stay Night in Lima
Day 11
Moving to Cusco.
Sacred Valley
The Sacred Valley of the Incas or the Urubamba Valley, is a valley in the Andes of Peru, north of the Inca capital of Cusco. It is in the present-day Peruvian region of Cusco. In colonial documents it was referred to as the "Valley of Yucay." Stretching from Pisac to Ollantaytambo, this fertile valley is irrigated by the Urubamba River. The Chanapata civilization first utilized this area starting at around 800 BCE because of the rich soil used for agriculture.
Stay Night in Cusco
Day 12
Moving to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu
Most recent archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. The Incas built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later, at the time of the Spanish conquest. According to the new AMS radiocarbon dating, it was occupied from c. 1420–1532. Historical research published in 2022 claims that the site was probably called Huayna Picchu by the Inca, as it exists on the smaller peak of the same name.
Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls.
Intiwatana (solar clock)
Intihuatana at the archaeological site of Machu Picchu (Machu Pikchu) is a notable ritual stone associated with the astronomic clock or calendar of the Inca in South America. They did so as they believed that the Incas' religion was a blasphemy and the religious significance of the Intihuatana could be a political liability. The Intihuatana of Machu Picchu was found intact by Bingham in 1911, indicating that the Spanish conquerors had not found it.
Sun Temple
The use of ashlar masonry made the temple much more difficult to construct, as the Inca did not use any stone with a slight imperfection or break by choosing this masonry type, the Inca intentionally demonstrated the importance of the building through the extent of the labor necessary to build the structure. Through the arduous labor needed to construct buildings with ashlar masonry, this form of construction came to signify the Inca's imperial power to mobilize and direct local labor forces. The replication throughout Andean South America of Inca architectural techniques, such as those employed at Coricancha, expressed the extent of Inca control over a vast geographic region
Stay night in Machu Picchu
Day 13
Moving to Cusco & City tour
A major earthquake on 21 May hit in 1950, and caused damage in more than one third of the city's structures. The Dominican Priory and Church of Santo Domingo, which were built on top of the impressive Qurikancha (Temple of the Sun), were among the affected colonial era buildings. Inca architecture withstood the earthquake. Many of the old Inca walls were at first thought to have been lost after the earthquake, but the granite retaining walls of the Qurikancha were exposed, as well as those of other ancient structures throughout the city. Restoration work at the Santo Domingo complex exposed the Inca masonry formerly obscured by the superstructure without compromising the integrity of the colonial heritage. Many of the buildings damaged in 1950 had been impacted by an earthquake only nine years previously
Stay Night in Cusco
Day 14
Rainbow Mountain Tour
Tourist access requires a two-hour drive from Cusco and a walk of about 5 kilometers (3.1 mi), or a three-and-a-half-hour drive through Pitumarca and a one-half-kilometre (0.31 mi) steep walk to the hill. As of 2019, no robust methods of transportation to Vinicunca have been developed to accommodate travelers, as it requires passage through a valley.
In mid-2010, mass tourism came, attracted by the mountain's series of stripes of various colors due to its mineralogical composition on the slopes and summits. The mountain used to be covered by glacier caps, but these have melted due to climate change approximately 10,000 years ago
Stay Night in there
Day 15
Moving to Puno
Sistine Chapel of the Americas
Its exterior is unadorned by architectural or decorative details, as is common in many Italian churches of the Medieval and Renaissance eras. It has no exterior façade or exterior processional doorways, as the ingress has always been from internal rooms within the Apostolic Palace (Papal Palace), and the exterior can be seen only from nearby windows and light-wells in the palace. Subsidence and cracking of masonry such as must also have affected the Cappella Maggiore has necessitated the building of very large buttresses to brace the exterior walls. The accretion of other buildings has further altered the exterior appearance of the chapel.
Visit Andahuaylillas Church
Visit Pukara Lithic Museum
Stay night in Puno
Day 16
Boat Trip Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is a large, deep, freshwater lake in the Andes on the border of Bolivia and Peru, often called the "highest navigable lake" in the world. By volume of water and by surface area, it is the largest lake in South America. Numerous smaller bodies of water around the world are at higher elevations. For many years, the largest vessel afloat on the lake was the 2,200-ton (2,425 U.S. tons), 79 m (259 ft) SS Ollanta. Today, the largest vessel is most likely the similarly sized train barge/float Manco Capac, operated by PeruRail.
Visit Uros Islands
Stay night in Puno
Day 17
Moving to Lima
Pre-Incan cemetery of Sillustani
Sillustani is a pre-Inca cemetery on the shores of Lake Umayo near Puno in Peru. The tombs, which are built above ground in tower-like structures called chullpas, are the vestiges of the Qulla people, who are Aymara conquered by the Inca Empire in the 15th century.
The structures housed the remains of complete family groups, although they were probably limited to nobility. Many of the tombs have been dynamited by grave robbers, while others were left unfinished.
Stay Night in Lima
Day 18
Move Back to Airport