2012: GRAND TOUR OF SOUTH AMERICA W/ BUZIOS & THE GALAPAGOS (ISGO)
25 days from Rio de Janeiro to Quito, or 26 days incl. travel
Buffet breakfast daily (B), 6 lunches (L), 5 three-course dinners (D); Local Host service in each city; Sightseeing with a Local Guide and transportation as outlined in the day-by-day itinerary (inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE).
Call (888) 444-0515 for more information or to book today! Mention code 10579872
- Tour Operator
- Monograms
- Offer
- Offer valid through 3/31/2012
- Duration
- 25 Days
- Escorted
- Escorted - No
| Day | Destination | Description |
| Day 1 | Rio de Janeiro | Arrive in Rio de Janeiro, where you will be met by your Local Host and transferred by private car on a leisurely drive to the sophisticated coastal town of Buzios. Once a sleepy fishing town, Buzios was made famous when French starlet Brigitte Bardot stumbled onto its sandy beaches in 1964. Today, it's considered Rio's premier beach resort, offering paradise for those who appreciate an all-season climate, fine restaurants, arts, and ecology. |
| Day 2 | Buzios | Enjoy a day at leisure to relax. Perhaps explore one of its 26 beaches, and see how this peninsula resembles a small island and is often likened to Saint Tropez. (B) |
| Day 3 | Rio de Janeiro | Enjoy free time this morning before your transfer back to Rio de Janeiro, South America's capital of glamour! 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 4 | 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 5 | Rio 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 6 | 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 7 | Iguassu 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 8 | 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 cafes. Enjoy an evening at leisure. (B) |
| Day 9 | Buenos 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 10 | Buenos 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) |
| Day 11 | Buenos Aires-Lima | Transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima, where you will be met by your Local Host. (B) |
| Day 12 | Lima | Your included city TOUR focuses on Lima's rich colonial history as well as the modern city. Lima was the bastion of Spanish South America from its founding in 1535 until the independence of the South American republics in the early 19th century. See the Cathedral, where the remains of Francisco Pizarro are sealed in a wooden coffin and with its eerie burial crypts. (B) |
| Day 13 | Cusco | Fly to Cusco high in the Andes. Your guided TOUR visits the Santo Domingo MONASTERY, previously the Koricancha Temple, one of the most important temples devoted to worship of the sun. It is said it was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature. In the Plaza de Armas, see the Cathedral before taking a short drive outside the city to the ruins of SACSAYHUAMAN with its intricate stone walls, amphitheatre of KENKO, and the Red Fortress of PUCA PUCARA. (B) |
| Day 14 | Cusco | Today, a short drive into the Urubamba Valley, the Sacred Valley of the Incas, brings you to AWANAKANCHA, where you will learn about the importance of the alpaca (llama) for Inca cultures as well as the ancient weaving techniques still in use today. Continue to the market town of PISAC. Handmade rugs, alpaca sweaters, and jewelry can be bought here at bargain prices. At the other end of the valley, visit OLLANTAYTAMBO. Here, some of the finest examples of Inca masonry can be seen. Tonight, try out area cuisine at one of the many Cusco restaurants recommended by your Local Host. (B,L) |
| Day 15 | Machu Picchu | Board a TRAIN bound for MACHU PICCHU and cut a path through the Sacred Valley to this 'Lost City of the Incas,' discovered by American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911. On a guided tour, explore this intact fortress with its temple remains, holy houses, and mile-long aqueduct. For hikers, a brisk one-hour walk leads to the Sun Gate, the ancient entrance used by the Incas, or hike to the peak of Huayna Picchu. (B,L,D) |
| Day 16 | Cusco | A morning at leisure in Machu Picchu allows you to wake up early to see the sunrise over MACHU PICCHU. Return to Cusco, where your Local Host will recommend options for your free time. Perhaps visit the Inca Museum or wander through the artisan district of San Blas. (B) |
| Day 17 | Lima | Fly to Lima, where the remainder of the day is at your leisure. (B) |
| Day 18 | Lima-Quito | Fly to Quito, where you will be met by your Local Host. (B) |
| Day 19 | Quito | Your included city TOUR showcases the rich legacy left by the Incas and, later, the Spaniards. See Independence Square dominated by its formidable Cathedral, San Francisco Plaza Church, and the BASILICA with its marvelous stained-glass windows. (B) |
| Day 20 | Quito-Baltra (Embarkation)-Galapagos Cruising: Santa Cruz Island | Fly to Baltra in the Galapagos. Upon arrival, transfer to Santa Cruz Island, where you will embark the Santa Cruz and enjoy five days of cruising among various Galapagos Islands. Visit Las Bachas on SANTA CRUZ ISLAND, where abandoned WWII military barges can be found. Today, it is an important nesting area for the East Pacific Green Sea Turtle. You will also see brackish lagoons just steps away from the sea and the white-sand beach, a feeding ground for various wading birds-from stilts to flamingos. This evening, a lecture led by your onboard Naturalist will prepare you for tomorrow's adventure. (B,L,D) |
| Day 21 | Cruising: James Island | After breakfast, join your Naturalist for a short panga ride to Espumilla beach on JAMES ISLAND. In the nearby mangrove forest, watch where you step, as this is common nesting area for sea turtles. Also keep an eye out for Galapagos finches, marine iguanas, and sea lions, as well as flamingos and pintail ducks in the nearby lagoons. This afternoon, land at Puerto Egas, known for its black-sand beach and landscape of tuff-stone layers and lava flows. This is a great opportunity to see land and marine birds as well as a colony of fur sea lions and marine iguanas. You have the chance to snorkel or swim from the beach, or ride on the glass-bottom boat. (B,L,D) |
| Day 22 | Cruising: Rabida & Bartolome Islands | Disembark at RABIDA ISLAND on a red-colored beach, formed from the unusually high content of iron in the volcanic material. Here, your Naturalist points out large colonies of sea lions, marine iguanas, mockingbirds, yellow warblers, and several species of Darwin's finches. This is a wonderful place to snorkel from the beach, due to the unique combination of underwater species and submarine landscapes. At BARTOLOME ISLAND, hike to the summit for a stunning view of two beautiful bays and fascinating formations of lava flows and spatter cones, including iconic Pinnacle Rock. You will also have the chance to snorkel and possibly see Galapagos penguins in tropical waters and even some sharks! (B,L,D) |
| Day 23 | Cruising: Tower Island | Upon arrival at TOWER ISLAND, your visit to Prince Philip's Steps begins with a scenic panga ride along the cliffs to see the large number of shore and seabirds nesting in the cliffs' ledges. Disembark at the base of Prince Philip's Steps and climb up the stairs to a trail where birdlife abounds. A walk with your Naturalist reveals large colonies of masked boobies, blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, storm petrels, and even short-eared owls. In the afternoon, disembark at Darwin Bay to observe thousands of birds-mainly, frigatebirds, redfooted and masked boobies, gulls, herons, finches, and mockingbirds. Return to the beach for swimming and snorkeling in this beautiful natural harbor. (B,L,D) |
| Day 24 | Cruising: San Cristobal Island (Disembarkation)-Quito | After breakfast, depart for Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, where Charles Darwin first set foot in the Galapagos back in 1835. This island is home to seabirds like blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, herons, frigatebirds, and various shore birds. Also watch for the Chatham mockingbird and Chatham lava lizard-both species are endemic to this island and seen nowhere else in the Galapagos. Head to the airport for your return flight to Quito. (B) |
| Day 25 | Quito | Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B) |
- Dates/Pricing
