A Cultural Extravaganza: Peru, Argentina, Brazil

Upon arrival in Lima, we will be met by our local representative and transferred to our hotel with check in assistance. The balance of our day is at leisure.

A full day tour will give us an in depth insight into the cultural heart of Peru. Not only is Lima the national capital, it is also the financial and business hub for the country. Our tour will take us to both the colonial and modern sections of this “City of Kings.” We will be driven to the Plaza Mayor, where we will appreciate the Government Palace, the Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace and the City Hall. Then, we are off to visit the XVII century church and cloister of San Francisco, a world cultural heritage. The tour continues to the modern residential suburb of San Isidro and to downtown Miraflores, with its Park of Love to enjoy a splendid view of the Pacific Ocean. Finally, drive to the Larco Herrera Museum, to vie the world's largest private collection of Peruvian pre-Columbian art that comprises approximately 45,000 pieces of gold, silver, ceramics, textiles, stone, wood, with unique pieces in each material and collected by the Peruvian archaeologist Rafael Larco Herrera.

Founded in 1926, the Larco Museum showcases remarkable chronological galleries providing an excellent overview on 3000 years of development of Peruvian pre-Columbian history.
Located in a unique vice-royal mansion of the 18th century built over a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid is surrounded by beautiful gardens. Larco features the finest gold and silver collection from Ancient Peru, and the famous erotic archaeological collection, one of the most visited Peruvian tourist attractions. For an unforgettable experience, Larco is one of the few museums in the world where visitors can also choose to enter the storage area with its 45.000 classified archaeological objects.
Its masterpieces are considered worldwide icons of Pre-Columbian art, after being exhibited in the world's leading museums.

Tonight we will enjoy our “Welcome to Peru” dinner at the XV11 century colonial mansion, Casa Hacienda Moreyra. 

This morning we transfer to the airport for our flight up to historic Cusco. Upon arrival in Cusco, we will be met and transferred to our hotel to relax and allow time for our bodies to acclimatize to the high altitude. This afternoon, we join our guide for a walking tour of the town – the ancient capital of the Inca Empire and the oldest city in the western hemisphere! Cusco, located in southern Peru, is a city with perhaps the most beautiful views in the world. It is surrounded by six mountains, some more than 6,000 meters high. As we stroll along the ancient stone-walled streets, our guide will give us some insights into the daily lifestyle of the Inca people and how they adapted to this remote environment. We will see how massive Inca-built walls line steep, narrow cobblestone streets and form the foundations of modern buildings. The plazas are thronged with Quechua-speaking descendants of the Incas, and ancient treasures are carefully guarded inside colonial mansions and churches. Our tour includes visits to the Cathedral, Santo Domingo Church and the Plaza de Armas. 

This morning we transfer to Urubamba Valley, also known as the Sacred Valley of the Inca. En route to our accommodation we will visit the Urubamba River for a sacred shaman ritual. This ceremony will take place by the Urubamba which is selected for its scenic beauty and its harmony with nature. The ceremony is divided in three stages – the Coca Lecture is a ritual about future love, health, etc. – the Ceremony of Offering to the Pachamama (Mother Earth) and los Apus (Sacred Mountains) where these protected divinities are asked for health, protection, work, love, etc – and Cleaning and Healing is performed by the shaman with sacred Andina plants. At the end of the ceremony your body will be full of energy. The ceremony is ended with an offering to the river.

About the Sacred Valley:

The Urubamba Valley is also known as “El Valle Sagrado de los Incas”, or the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is a laid back valley near Cusco with a very pleasant climate perfectly suited for farming. Ancient ruins, gentle mountain slopes and scattered farming towns define the valley. The same properties that make the valley attractive for today’s tourist were also the reason why the Inca chose this valley for their permanent settlements. The valley also served as a gateway to the jungle and was easily defendable by Ollantaytambo to the northwest and Rumicolca to the southeast.

Moray's ruins are located at 3,450 meters, where we can see pre Inca and Inca ruins, such as circular platforms used as agricultural terraces with a complex system of irrigation that reach three sectors. These ruins were discovered in1930. The site that the Quechua named "muyus" is the deepest pit whose depth is 150 meters; the height of the platform is around 1.80 meters. These ruins belong to the Inca age; they used to be an agricultural experimentation center so the Incas re-created micro climates in every terrace. After visiting Maras, we will start walking down to Salineras, a hydraulic engineering wonder and a must for photographers. The saltpans on overhanging cliffs command spectacular views of the Andean mountains and the Urubamba river valley below. The mine has been working since the Inca times. We will also visit the Inca town of Ollantaytambo, amazing because it is built on top of real inka houses and the little streets and water channels are the original ones. The Ollantaytambo fortress embraces majestically its town, with its thousands of terraces, squares and temples. This site is absolutely unique because it is possible to view the different types of Inka architecture.

We are up early for our transfer to Ollantaytambo Station for a train ride (in the Vistadome carriage) through the Sacred Valley of Urubamba to the "Lost City of the Incas," Machu Picchu. Perched 8,200 feet above the valley, it was hidden by mountains and semi-tropical jungles for 400 years until discovered by Hiram Bingham of Yale University in 1911. Archaeologists believe that the Inca "Virgins of the Sun" took refuge from the Spanish Conquistadors here. A buffet lunch will be served at the mountaintop Orient Express Sanctuary Lodge. We will overnight in the town of Aguas Calientes at the mountain’s base.

Today there will be lecture at Machu Picchu. This talk will be presented by Dr. Fernando Astete - Chief Archeologist of the Machu Picchu ruins (with translator). The rest of the day is at leisure to explore Machu Picchu on your own.

We have the morning at leisure to explore Machu Picchu on your own (entrance ticket to the ruins included). Afternoon we will take the Vistadome train service back to Cusco. Upon arrival at Poroy train station, we will be transferred to our hotel.

The tour starts at the impressive Colonial Cathedral in Cusco which contains over 400 paintings from the Cusquena School and several beautiful altars. Then you will visit the Temple of the Sun, the main religious center of the Incas dedicated to the Sun Cult and according to the chronicles, the walls were entirely covered with gold. After this you will visit the nearby archeological sites: Sacsayhuaman, the Royal House of the Sun and one of the greatest stone monuments in Incan architecture; Qenqo Amphitheater, a well known Incan temple that dominates the whole area; Tomachay, located 8 km from Cuzco and 1 km from Puca Pucara, the name comes from two Quechua words - Tampu, meaning collective housing and Machay, which means a resting place; Puca Pucara, (Reddish Fortress) which takes its name from the color of the soil found in the area.

We transfer to the airport this morning for our flight via Lima to Argentina and its capital Buenos Aires. This capital city is a complex, energetic, and seductive city stretching along the Rio de la Plata. European immigrants to Buenos Aires, mostly from Spain and Italy, brought with them the warm ways of Mediterranean culture, where friends, family, and conversation were the most important things in life. Stroll through the neighbourhoods of Recoleta or Palermo, full of buildings with marble neoclassical facades on broad tree-lined boulevards, or tour the historic 9 de Julio Avenida, which was designed to rival Paris' Champs Elysées. The city is also well known for its colourful neighbourhoods that are small and highly individualized, each with its own characteristics.

After breakfast we begin a fascinating 3-hour tour of the elegant turn-of-the-century districts that earned Buenos Aires the soubriquet of the Paris of South America. From the charming cobbled alleys and colonial architecture of San Telmo along to the Plaza de Mayo, dominated by the Casa Rosada (Government House), the Nación Bank, the Cathedral and original Parliament House, up the leafy Avenida de Mayo towards the imposing grandeur of the Palace of Congress and then on to finish at the historically fascinating Recoleta Cemetery, you will discover the facts, stories and anecdotes that make up the colourful tapestry of the history of Buenos Aires. The city tour will also include entry to the Eva Peron Museum. Evita, a larger than life icon, now has her own museum housed in a mansion constructed for the Carabassa family during the first decade of the 20th century. This beautiful building was declared a National Historical Monument in 1999.

In the evening Enjoy a typically Argentine first-class meal, be it the traditional steak, chicken or Patagonian lamb with a mouth-watering array of salads as well as any of a number of excellent pasta dishes before settling down for a two-hour tango show which includes some of the best-loved songs, music and dances performed by skilled musicians and dancers.

We will also explore the colourful neighborhood of La Boca, the soul of the city and the place where tango was born. This picturesque district sits on the river mouth of the Riachuelo, and is home to the famous Caminito Street, scarcely 100 metres long, yet very much an emblematic post-card of the city. Designed by the Italian-Argentine artist Benito Quinquela Martín at a disused rail port terminal just beyond the iron cantilevered Puente de la Boca which bridges the river, it is a short yet busy pedestrian alley of brightly-painted houses which cluster above the cobblestones. The sheets of corrugated-iron shimmer with glossy blues, reds, yellows and greens and recall the original colours of the leftover paint with which the dockworkers painted their homes in the 19th century. Below these precarious structures, a man in a trilby hat and a white silk scarf knotted around his neck intones one of the best-known of all tangos, Caminito, as his fingers rhythmically knead the bandoneon, originally the Genovese version of the accordion. Perhaps there will also be a couple of dancers clasped together, lost in the intricately subtle moves that the music demands. While in surrounding streets you can buy souvenirs to suit all tastes, in the Caminito street itself there are oil and watercolours for sale, painted by local artists and depicting classic scenes from Buenos Aires life. Expect to bargain for these, for not only is the conversation that stems from this a national pastime, it is also considered to be good manners.

Today we’ll experience a colourful and fun day at an estancia on the outskirts of Buenos Aires with the opportunity to try out your own equestrian skills before watching the experts. After arriving at the estancia and sampling the traditional empanadas, meat pasties which are either oven-baked or deep fried, you may visit the grounds on foot or take the opportunity to ride round on horseback, enjoying the comfortable sheepskin cushioning the saddle with the reins resting in one hand. The gaucho riding style has developed over the centuries with comfort as the main priority as they spent –and still do- many hours in the saddle, buckling their blankets, sheepskins and ponchos over the saddle to be used as sleeping mat and blanket at night. The very pace of the horse itself is gentle, with a particular easy loping canter which both horse and rider can keep up for hours if necessary. After a short ride, lunch is served at long trestle tables where everybody sits down together to enjoy the famous asado with slabs of tasty beef and ribs roasted slowly over a charcoal or wood fire, preceded by chorizo sausages or morcilla (black sausage) washed down with Argentine wines. After lunch, the gauchos invite you to share in some of their time-honoured customs of folksong and dance. Wearing the typical bombacha de campo -the cuffed pleated trousers- calf-length boots and wide leather belt, the gauchos dance opposite their chinas who swirl from side to side in their long ruffled dresses, in a display of courtship and chivalry. After this, the entertainment shifts location to a neighbouring field for an impressive show of the skills that are in fact part and parcel of the gaucho’s animal-herding job, combining precision with speed. The tour is shared with other visitors.

Just 20 miles north of Buenos Aires lies the town of Tigre, named after the South American tiger or wildcat which once roamed the dense tropical forests of the region. The port town was founded in the early 1800’s welcoming vessels of all sizes which shipped wood and fruit to Buenos Aires. Towards the late 1800s, the town started to develop its tourist potential which has increased steadily over the decades. From the boatyards to the elaborate rowing clubhouses constructed by immigrant populations of the 19th century, the Belle Epoque left its mark with the ornate architectural style of the period, endowing the town with an eclectic and fun personality. One of the town’s main attractions is the Fruit Market, a complex of stalls, galleries and stands which swarm over the quays, a magnet for tourists and shoppers keen to sample the wares of the craftsmen from the many neighbouring islands; wickerwork baskets; exotic plants and flowers; furniture carved from local wood; home-made candles, honey and oils; a mouth-watering array of fruit from kakis and passion fruit to every imaginable variety of citrus. Today’s half day tour begins with the train ride from Maipú station in the suburb of Olivos. El Tren de la Costa is a modern and comfortable train which runs on the old coastal railway line built by the English in the late 1800s, one of three which used to originate in the main downtown Retiro train-station. From the renovated Delta station at the end of the line, it is a short walk to the pier where the long wooden launches depart for different islands, carrying schoolchildren, visitors, weekend home owners and sometimes even chickens or other farmyard animals. The launches chug past luxury yachts and the market barges carrying all kinds of provisions as well as dredgers and fishing canoes, allowing for a unique glimpse into life on the river.

After our Tigre tour we will be dropped in the old district of San Telmo where we can experience the celebrated antiques market. The narrow cobbled streets and colonial architecture conjure up the essence of Buenos Aires a hundred years ago. The fair is held every Sunday from late morning until late afternoon in Plaza Dorrego, a large raised square packed with stalls selling anything from beer coasters, old magazines and other curious knick-knacks to crystal goblets, chandeliers and Victorian gold jewellery. Once again, the bargaining proviso holds in good stead. In the surrounding streets, performance artists sing and dance tango, hold puppet shows and pose for interminable periods of time as living statues. Behind them, entrances to art galleries and yet more antique and curiosity shops invite you in to finger worn chamois gloves, admire marble statues and pore over postcards of Buenos Aires in the 1950s.

Our morning and afternoon are at leisure. This evening we will enjoy wine tasting and dinner at La Cava de El Querandi, a cozy restaurant in the historic heart of Buenos Aires. The restaurant is located in a recently restored historic house dating from 1867.

Welcome to world renowned Rio de Janeiro. We arrive at the start of the world famous Carnaval, the largest pre-lent celebration in the world. Although Carnival (Carnaval in Portuguese) is celebrated in towns and villages throughout Brazil and other Catholic countries, Rio de Janeiro has long been regarded as the Carnival Capital of the World. The Rio Carnaval is not only the biggest Carnival, benchmark against which every other carnival is compared but also one of the most interesting artistic events on the globe. Everyone has heard of the Rio Carnaval. Foreign visitors to it alone number around 500,000 every year. On arrival, we are met and transferred to our hotel.

Tonight we enjoy a “Welcome to Rio” dinner at a local restaurant.

A great day of touring the famous landmarks that we have all seen on T.V. and read about in magazines and now in person! A cogwheel train will take you up the 710 metres to the statue of Christ. The 20-minute ride gives you just enough time to prepare yourself mentally for what is waiting at the top. In the meantime, enjoy the lush scenery and take in some of that fresh mountain air of the Tijuca Forest. But keep your eyes open: every so often you can catch glimpses of Rio way below. Finally at the top of several flights of steps you are beneath the almost 40-metre tall statue of Christ with the whole of Rio at your feet. The spectacle is truly incredible.

After lunch in a local restaurant, we head to the Urca district for our visit to Sugar Loaf. The cable car trip is in two stages: The first goes to Urca Hill, 220 metres high, and then a short walk to the other side will lead us to the second station for the next part of the ride, up to the top of Sugar Loaf itself. The top of Sugar Loaf, 396 metres high, has been landscaped and includes several pathways and a bar.

The Rio Carnival officially opens with the delivery of the key of the city to the Carnival King (Momo). When King Momo sambas, everything - sequins, feathers and flesh and all people around should also samba with him. He opens all major Carnival events including the Samba Parades.

7:00pm - Children’s Samba Schools Parade
The children's samba schools parade opens the Rio de Janeiro carnival on the Friday night of carnival, when entry to the Sambodrome is free. Each school parades with between 1000 and 2000 children, with floats and costumes made by the children, a bateria (samba drum orchestra) of children, with hundreds of adults helping them along. Behind the show of the parade, the children's samba schools have a serious purpose. They are educational and social projects designed to complement a formal school education, particularly for young people of 14 - 21 years of age, and to train them up to professional standards in the crafts practiced in a samba school.

Before the festivities start each day we have free time to explore on our own. There is so much or so little to do… shop til you drop in all the stores and boutiques, discover some of the unique neighborhoods, head to one of the famous beaches such as Copacabana or Ipanema and soak up the sun… the choice is yours! B

7:00pm - Official Costume Competition in Hotel Gloria
This is a very traditional Carnival event in Rio with the best, biggest and most original costumes of the year (mainly the so called destaques). It offers you the chance to see the best costumes of the principal samba schools before the Samba Parade, at close hand. There are also entrants with costumes only made especially for this event. This is a big night with 900 people attending and it takes place in the halls of Hotel Gloria, one of the best and smartest hotels in Rio.

8:00pm - Street Band Competition in Av. Rio Branco, Centro (Downtown)
Carnival street bands play music in the streets, revelers joining in, drinking and dancing away. All you have to do is to turn up and join in. It is all free. There can be as many as 300 bands taking to the streets. The biggest band procession takes place on Av. Rio Branco, Downtown (Centro). From Saturday to Tuesday you can see the greatest variety of street bands there, and it is where the merry-making is at its wildest with traditional groups such as Cordão do Bola Preta, Cacique de Ramos, Bafo da Onça, to mention just a few. A visit at the end of the afternoon is always entertaining.

9:00pm - Parade of the Samba Schools in the Access Group
There are 10 large and important samba schools in this group, ranking after the best 12 schools in the Special Group. The champion of this parade ascends to the Special Group.

11.00pm - The Magic Ball at Copacabana Palace Hotel (Optional)
This legendary ball is not just the high point of the night but also the most famous Carnival ball; the natural choice for glamour and sophistication. Luxury costume or black tie/evening dress is required, and a number of international and local VIPs are always among the guests. Tickets include buffet dinner and free bar and are priced between USD$500 - $1500.

9:00pm - Parade of the Samba Schools in the Special Group
This is the THE PARADE, the high-point of the Rio Carnival -- the must-see show which has made Rio de Janeiro the Carnival Capital of the world. The whole Carnival world revolves around the next 2 nights, and we are part of the audience for tonight’s festivities. The costumes are extremely imaginative, colorful, elaborate and detailed. They are truly original,designed and made from scratch each year. They have mirrors, feathers, metallic cloth, silk and sometimes gems or coins. These costumes take months to make. The work starts roughly 8 months in advance. Each samba school has its own distinctive colors (of its flag) and costume style. The color scheme is reflected in many parts of their parade. The biggest and most elaborate costumes are worn by the main floatees (destaques), members chosen with honor by the samba schools to wear these special costumes.

We transfer to the airport today to connect with our flights home.