Day By Day In South America

DAY ONE:  RIO DE JANIERO. At 3:30 pm, meet your Tour Director for a drive along Ipanema and Copacabana beaches to the base of 1,300-foot-high Sugarloaf Mountain. Ascend by cable car to its summit, where you can take in spectacular vistas of the city. Next, toast the start of a memorable vacation at a welcome cocktail party with caipirinhas, a traditional Brazilian cocktail made with fresh lime, cachaça, and sugar. Deliciosa!

DAY TWO: RIO DE JANEIRO. The city’s landmark, the statue of Christ the Redeemer, crowns Corcovado Mountain, a rounded peak rising 2,300 feet from the bay below. A scenic ride by cog railway leads to the top, where a breathtaking 360-degree panorama affords sweeping views. From here, proceed to bustling downtown Rio, where modern office towers stand next to relics of the Portuguese colonial past. View the Sambodromo and visit the Cathedral. Tonight, it’s a fun outing to a churrascaria for a feast of barbecued meats marinated and roasted over charcoal in true Brazilian style. (Breakfast, Dinner)

DAY THREE:  RIO DE JANEIRO. A full day at leisure to enjoy Rio. Relax on one of the world-famous beaches or take advantage of the world-class shopping or fine dining. (Breakfast)

DAY FOUR:  RIO DE JANEIRO TO IGUAZU FALLS. A flight from Rio takes us to Iguassu Falls. Experience the clouds of spray, the incessant roar, and the surrounding luxuriant tropical growth that make this an unforgettable natural wonder. Head into Brazil’s Iguassu National Park to enjoy the magnificent panorama of waterfalls from the Brazilian side. Your Local Guide introduces the spectacle of this two-mile-wide rushing torrent. With some cataracts as high as 250 feet, Iguazu Falls is nothing short of hypnotic. (Breakfast, Dinner)

DAY FIVE: IGUAZU FALLS. Today,we journey across the Brazilian border by motorcoach to the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls, where we will enjoy a closer perspective on a walking tour of the falls. Meander along the walkways from atop the falls and enjoy an exhilarating view, looking over the falls' precipice as the water plunges to the rocks below. We will walk through the rainforest on the lower falls trails that will bring us up close to some of the smaller cataracts. Return to the hotel, where the rest of the day is at your leisure. (Breakfast)

DAY SIX: IGUAZU FALLS TO BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA. This morning, cross the Brazilian border into Argentina by motorcoach to transfer to the Cataratas del Iguazu International Airport for our flight to Buenos Aires. After arriving, acquaint yourself with the “Paris of South America” and its wide boulevards and outdoor cafés. (Breakfast)

DAY SEVEN:  BUENOS AIRES. Dining, Dancing, Dazzling . Our sightseeing starts in La Boca, a vibrant district and site of the city’s first port. Take a short walking tour of this unique enclave and then on to San Telmo, famous for its late-colonial buildings and a popular gathering spot for artists. At Plaza de Mayo, see La Casa Rosada (the President’s Pink House) and the Metropolitan Cathedral, housing San Martin’s Mausoleum. Drive past the ornate Teatro Colón opera house before reaching Recoleta Cemetery, burial site of Eva Perón. Next, learn how to make a traditional Argentinean dish with an empanada cooking class. The Tango and Argentina go hand in hand, and tonight, you will visit a local milonga (tango house), where professional tango dancers teach the traditional techniques of the Argentine Tango. After your lesson, enjoy dinner featuring Argentine steaks and other local specialties. Top off the evening when the professionals delight you with a Tango Show featuring the dance as it has evolved through the ages! (Breakfast, Dinner)

DAY EIGHT:  BUENOS AIRES. Bring on your inner gaucho today as we head into the heart of the pampas (grasslands). Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of rural, country life at a working Argentina estancia (ranch). After a traditional welcome with empanadas and local beverages, get acquainted with the lifestyle of real gauchos (cowboys) on a carriage ride through the pampas. Later, at lunch, enjoy an authentic feast, complete with world-renowned Argentine beef, salad, desserts, and live music and dance by the gauchos themselves. Top off the day with an equestrian demonstration by the gauchos before saying ‘adios’ to the countryside and heading back to the city. (Breakfast, Lunch)

DAY NINE: BUENOS AIRES. Safe travels until we meet again on another YMCA Alumni Travel Club adventure.  Your trip ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)