Grand Tour of South America
22 days from £5,099 per person
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Driving through the dramatic landscapes of the Andes from Chile to Argentina.Summary
The mysterious Inca city of Machu Picchu. Breathtaking Iguazu Falls. The stunning lake-lands of Chile and Argentina. Exhilarating Rio de Janeiro. Our epic journey through four South American countries covers myriad iconic sites. But aside from the heady highlights, there’s a rich culture and colonial elegance to unearth - and some of the most amenable locals you’ll meet on your travels. Soak it all up with a glass of the local firewater and an empanada or two.
Your holiday includes:
16 excursions and visits
- City tours of Lima, Cuzco, Santiago, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro (including Corcovado and Sugarloaf Mountain)
- Visits to Sacred Valley (including fortress of Ollantaytambo and Pisac village); Sacsayhuaman ruins; Lake Llanquihue; Vicente Perez Rosales National Park; and Nahuel Huapi
- Excursions to Machu Picchu; Valparaiso & Viña del Mar
- Winery tour and tasting
- Puerto Montt orientation tour
- 2 visits to Iguazu Falls
Plus:
- 19 nights in hotels and 2 in flight (accommodation as specified or similar)
- International and regional flights as detailed. Prices are based on return flights with LATAM Airlines from London Heathrow via Sao Paulo. Supplements may apply from other airports
- 22 meals: 19 breakfasts (days 3-21) 2 lunches (days 5 and 9) 1 dinner (day 20)
Plus
- Portable audio headset system on excursions
- Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service
- Titan tour manager and local guide
- Travel in destination by coach
- Porterage
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Day 1 UK - In flight
Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Lima.
In flight
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Lima
On arrival in Lima, we’ll transfer to our hotel.
Jose Antonio Hotel (4-star) or Four Points by Sheraton Miraflores (4-star), Lima
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Lima
Our first full day in this seaside city, and we’ll waste no time in seeing what makes this city so special on a guided walking tour. We’ll start in this historic heart - Plaza Mayor - which has been painstakingly resorted and renovated in recent years. Dotted with palm trees and brightly coloured colonial buildings, it’s delightful to wander. The 18th-century cathedral is a highlight. We’ll then continue by coach to visit the Archbishop’s Palace and the baroque Government Palace. At the San Francisco Monastery, the Mudéjar-style interior is beautiful and wall-to-wall library of parchment dating back to the 15th century is fascinating. We’ll also stop by the Larco Museum, which details the development of pre-Columbian societies. The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore.
Jose Antonio Hotel (4-star) or Four Points by Sheraton Miraflores (4-star), Lima
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Lima - Sacred Valley
Our stay in Lima is short and sweet because today we venture into the Inca heartland of Peru and ancient Andean culture. We’ll head to the airport for our flight to Cuzco, the one-time capital of Incan civilisation, nestled in the Andean highlands. Surrounded by mountains at every angle, you’ll have the feeling you’ve been transported to a fairytale world of Inca myth and legend (or maybe that’s just the altitude). We continue our journey to the Sacred Valley, a river-carved area of flat, fertile land dotted with fortresses that have stood for hundreds of years. The well-preserved fortress of Ollantaytambo is particularly impressive - a 16th-century stronghold of Inca resistance against the Spanish. We’ll also stop by Pisac for its fun, lively market and stone Inca buildings, before checking into our hotel.
Sonesta Posadas Yucay Hotel, Sacred Valley (3-star)
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Machu Picchu
One of the standout highlights of Latin America - and world travel - is Machu Picchu. Every aspect of our day is exceptional and memorable. We’ll start with the train that winds its way up the Sacred Valley for your first breathtaking sight of the legendary mountaintop city. As we explore the ruins together with a guide, it’s difficult to conceive the excitement of American archaeologist Hiram Bingham - the first ‘outsider’ to experience its majesty since its abandonment at the time of the Spanish Conquest. There’s plenty of time to appreciate the glory of this Inca citadel before we retrace our steps back into the Sacred Valley.
Sonesta Posadas Yucay Hotel, Sacred Valley (3-star)
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Sacsayhuaman - Cuzco
We discover the ruins of another Inca fortress at Sacsayhuaman. Soak up the wonderful, panoramic vantage point on Cuzco and the surrounding plains and mountains. Imagine some 400 years ago, Inca warriors would have launched forays against Spanish-controlled Cuzco. The blocks used in its mighty walls demonstrate the masterful stonework of that civilisation - they weigh 200 tonnes, but they fit together so precisely that not even a piece of paper could fit between them. Back in Cuzco, we’ll enjoy a city with some time at leisure. This fascinating old city makes sure the old Incan ways are not forgotten. Colourful textiles, wild fiestas and carnivals keep the past vivid. The views surrounding the city are beautiful, from the Andean peaks to the Amazon lowlands.
Xima Cusco Hotel (4-star)
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Cuzco - Santiago
We say goodbye to Peru as we fly south via Lima to Santiago, Chile’s capital city. On arrival, we’ll transfer to our hotel. Day 8 Santiago. Though it may not quite enjoy the reputation of many of the continent’s other illustrious cities, Santiago is a delight to explore - a city of colonial buildings sitting cheek by jowl with modern towers, all framed by the majestic, snow-capped peaks of the Andes. Our tour commences at the National Museum, and also takes in Santiago’s historic centre, the bohemian Bellavista district and San Cristobal Hill, where we’ll enjoy superb city and mountain views. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Plaza San Francisco, Santiago (5-star)
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Santiago
Though it may not quite enjoy the reputation of many of the continent’s other illustrious cities, Santiago is a delight to explore - a city of splendid colonial buildings sitting cheek by jowl with modern towers, all framed by the majestic, snow-capped peaks of the Andes. Our tour commences at the National Museum, and also takes in Santiago’s historic centre, the bohemian Bellavista district and San Cristobal Hill, presenting superb city and mountain views. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Plaza San Francisco, Santiago (5-star)
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Valparaiso - Viña del Mar
A full-day excursion north of Santiago introduces two contrasting cities. Valparaiso, Chile’s main port city built over 42 hills, has a strong British character from the 19th century days of empire when Britain was Chile’s biggest trading partner. The port’s turbulent past included piratical raids and, over many years, heavy fortifications were established to protect the city and its cargoes. The historic quarter is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Viña del Mar could scarcely be more different - a popular, yet peaceful summer resort noted for its fine beaches, pristine parks and private gardens. En route back to Santiago, we stop at an award-winning winery for a brief tour and a tasting session with an expert sommelier.
Plaza San Francisco, Santiago (5-star)
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Santiago - Puerto Varas
Today we fly to Puerto Montt, gateway to Chile’s ominous volcanoes, glacial lakes and sprawling national parks. We’ll take a quick tour of the city, stopping to enjoy the views of Angelemo Bay and Reloncavi Bay. We’ll then continue to the charms of Puerto Varas, nestled on the banks of the vast Lake Llanquihue - one of the largest lakes in Latin America. A truly magnificent setting for our stay.
Cabanas del Lago, Puerto Varas (4-star)
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Vicente Perez Rosales National Park - Nahuel Huapi National Park - San Carlos de Bariloche
Get set for a day of scenic exploration. Our unforgettable journey takes us across lakes and through the dramatic Andes Mountains into Argentina and the city of San Carlos de Bariloche. We’ll trace the south shore of Lake Llanquihue to the small town of Petrohue. From here, we’ll board a catamaran, crossing Lake Todos los Santos in Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. We stop in Peulla with free time, then continue onwards and upwards by road across the Andes and the Perez Rosales Pass into Argentina. We’ll cruise across two further lakes - Lake Frias and the immense, glacier-carved Lake Nahuel Huapi - before finally arriving in San Carlos de Bariloche, the Argentine Lake District’s favourite hub.
Hotel Edelweiss, San Carlos de Bariloche (4-star)
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San Carlos de Bariloche
You’ll wake up to the generous views of the lakes this morning and we’ll waste no time getting to know this beautiful region. As we explore, you might get the feeling you’re in a European alpine resort, thanks to the influence of the Swiss, Austrians and Germans who once settled here. We’ll stop at the foot of the Campanario Mountain, the Llao Llao peninsula and the Angostura River, in the shadow of the Lopez Mountains. The afternoon is yours to explore. As you’ll see, there are plenty of hilly hiking trails to explore - or perhaps stop by a local chocolatier for a taste of Argentina’s best chocolate.
Hotel Edelweiss, San Carlos de Bariloche (4-star)
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San Carlos de Bariloche - Buenos Aires
We’ll have the morning to gulp in the last of that fresh mountain air before we board our flight to one of the world’s most iconic cities, beautiful Buenos Aires.
Pulitzer Hotel, Buenos Aires (4-star)
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Buenos Aires
The ‘Paris of the South’, Buenos Aires is a city of simmering excitement and a tango heartbeat. A glimmer of its European past is barely buried under its lively Latino present. Sweeping green spaces are interspersed with grand French and Italian-style architecture, colourful street art decorates traditional neighbourhoods. You’ll be hooked on this city before you even realise it’s happened. We’ll spend the morning on a tour of the best bits. The leafy Plaza de Mayo is lined with grand buildings including Casa Rosada, Cabildo and the Metropolitan Cathedral. We’ll continue to one of the city’s most desirable residential districts, San Telmo, before exploring La Boca, a district famous for its colourful tin houses and Italian immigrant history. Finally, we’ll visit the walled cemetery of Recoleta to view the elaborate mausoleums and resting places of Argentinean luminaries, including Eva Peron.
Pulitzer Hotel, Buenos Aires (4-star)
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Buenos Aires
You can choose to spend today at leisure to explore the city further, or you might like to opt in for a typical Argentinean experience. On our optional day trip to a traditional Estância, you’ll learn about the daily life of the gaúcho, South America’s answer to the cowboy.
Pulitzer Hotel, Buenos Aires (4-star)
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Iguazu Falls
The World Heritage Site of Iguazu Falls is world famous. A series of 275 distinct waterfalls, watching the water thunder in front of you is a surreal experience. We’ll take a flight from Buenos Aires today to see this stunning natural border dividing Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Taller than Niagara and twice as wide, Iguazu Falls are an unrivalled spectacle in the Americas. We’ll take in the unforgettable Argentinean side of the falls today, watching the thunderous cascades set against a lush jungle backdrop, before crossing into our fourth and final country on our tour, Brazil.
Hotel Bourbon Cataratas, Iguazu Falls (4-star)
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Iguazu Falls
A further day to snap even more photos of Iguazu Falls, this time on the Brazilian side, where carefully constructed walkways and viewing points yield breathtaking panoramic vistas - a photographer’s delight! Relax or explore independently this afternoon.
Hotel Bourbon Cataratas, Iguazu Falls (4-star)
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Rio de Janeiro
We fly to Rio de Janeiro today (possibly indirect). Upon arrival, we transfer to our hotel.
Windsor Excelsior, Rio de Janeiro (4-star)
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Rio de Janeiro
The ‘samba city’ of Rio de Janeiro is another ‘must-see’ of world travel. Our full day tour includes a cog-train ride through the Tijuca Forest to the summit of ‘hunchback’ Corcovado Mountain, appreciating far-reaching views from virtually the same perspective as the iconic Statue of Christ the Redeemer, recently voted one of the ‘New Seven Wonders of the World’. We also pass some of the famous beaches and ascend the equally iconic Sugarloaf Mountain by cable car for more outstanding city views, this time with Christ the Redeemer in sight.
Windsor Excelsior, Rio de Janeiro (4-star)
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Rio de Janeiro
Free to relax and make your own discoveries in Rio before a farewell dinner at a popular churrascaria restaurant this evening.
Windsor Excelsior, Rio de Janeiro (4-star)
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Day 21 Rio de Janeiro - In flight
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
In flight
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Day 22 UK
Upon arrival, your Titan vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.
Arrive Home
