18-Nights Ultimate South America

Cosmos

Discover some of South America's greatest cities—Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Lima—and some of its most spectacular sites on this South America tour to Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. You'll overnight in Rio de Janeiro, Iguassu Falls, Buenos Aires, Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco, and Lake Titicaca. Highlights of this South America tour include time at Iguassu Falls, one of the world’s most impressive sites. Experience the falls from both the Brazilian and Argentine sides, hear the thundering roar, be amazed at the brilliant rainbows created by the clouds of spray, and stand in awe as you witness these 275 falls spanning nearly two miles! You’ll also be amazed at Machu Picchu, set in a majestic mountainside with ruins dating back to the 15th century. Glimpse the ancient history and culture as you enjoy this stunning and mystical place. Other tour highlights include a visit to the Inca ruins at Ollantaytambo and the Temple of Sacsayhuaman, where stones weighing up to 350 tons piece together to form a complex housing up to 10,000 men. Time in Peru's Lake Titicaca, a lake of floating islands maintained over centuries by the indigenous people, gives you a chance to experience the world's highest navigable lake and to learn about local practices. Guided sightseeing in each of the cities features the must-see sites. In Rio, take the cog railway to the summit of Corcovado to view the famous Christ the Redeemer statue. Your time in Buenos Aires includes a visit to Recoleta Cemetery, burial place for Eva Perón. In Lima, sightseeing focuses on the city's colonial heritage with a visit to the baroque 11th-century San Francisco Monastery. All of this and more are included on this South America tour designed for the value-minded traveler who wants to experience it all!

Featured Destinations

Juliaca
Puno Puno Puno lies on the shores of Lake Titicaca. This area is the cradle of the Aymara civilization and the birthplace of the Inca Empire.
Cuzco Cuzco The Cuzco (Cusco) region of Peru combines Inca legacy with Spanish colonial architecture in an atmosphere at once provincial and sublime. The chaotic marketplaces where campesinos barter grain or potatoes for multi-colored fabric belie the mute spirituality of the Lost Cities, where Inca stonework conveys order and balance. Such diversity enhances this inspiring nine-day adventure. The blue sky radiates with an intensity achieved only at high altitudes (the city of Cuzco lies 11,150 feet above sea level), while the landscape offers its unique pattern of exacting agricultural grids and tangled jungle masses.	Destination Guide
Machu Picchu Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a fortress city of the ancient Incas, in a high saddle between two peaks 50 miles NW of Cuzco, Peru. The extraordinary pre-Columbian ruin consists of five sq. miles of terraced stonework link by 3,000 steps; it was virtually intact when discovered by Hiram Bibghan in 1911.	Destination Guide
Iguassu Falls (Brazilian Side) Iguassu Falls (Brazilian Side) The Iguassu Falls borders the Argentine Province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Parana. The falls divides the river into the upper and lower Iguassu. The thunderous beauty of the falls meaning “big water” has 275 individual drops and was discovered by Spanish Conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca in 1541.	Destination Guide
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Dynamic and bustling, a city which seems never to sleep, Buenos Aires is one of the most exciting cities in Latin America. Tango was born here, restaurants serve an all manner of world cuisine, bars play the latest music, cafés spill on to the streets and nightclubs allow dancing throughout the night. Cultural hub of a society which traces its roots to European immigration, it is famous throughout South America for its theatres, museums and galleries. Gucci, Armani, Prada, to name a few, line the boulevards catering for the fashion conscious porteños, their offerings as stylish as anything found in the cities in Europe or North America.	Destination Guide
Sacred Valley Sacred Valley The Urubamba valley is also named the Sacred Valley. It begins in the Urubamba's village and continues to Macchu Picchu.
Lima Lima Lima, "the City of the Kings," became the effective capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru, established 1560. Today, a visit to Lima may serve as a unique Peruvian experience that offers a glimpse into the Andean world, Spanish tradition and the country's modern aspect. Visit handsome old buildings and baroque churches that testify to the city's religious background and the Plaza de Armas, shared by the realms of the Catholic church, municipality and national government. The pre-Inca ruins of Pachacamac lie a short distance south of the city. Once a ceremonial site, Pachacamac has been the most important religious center of the Andean world since before the age of Christ. Stop and admire The Temple of the Sun and the Moon, Lima's outstanding museums, and Machu Picchu - a "Jewel in the Mist."	Destination Guide
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro Brazilians say that God made the rest of the world in six days, and devoted the seventh to Rio. The jagged Sugarloaf rises from dark blue Guanabara Bay, with legendary beaches like Copacabana and Ipanema in the foreground, forested mountains behind. This great city has an enticing atmosphere of samba and fun, and its locals are as joyous as they are beautiful.	Destination Guide

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