South American Explorer with the Amazon

Fly overnight, via São Paulo, to Rio de Janeiro.

Meet your tour manager when you arrive in Rio and transfer to your hotel. Rest and relax, enjoying an included welcome drink at the hotel this evening. Dinner is at leisure tonight.

Begin your South American adventure with a half-day included tour that, as well as introducing downtown Rio, features a cable car ride up Sugarloaf Mountain. The spectacular 360-degree views from atop the mountain are unforgettable.

This evening, enjoy an included drink at a local carioca bar close to your hotel before the chance to take in an optional Roxy Show in town. Housed in a restored 1930s Art Deco cinema, this show combines Brazil’s diversity and cultures through different styles of dance, music and live performances and concludes with a carnival-inspired finale. Dinner is at leisure tonight.

Continue your exploration of Rio today with an excursion to a wonder of the world – the Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Mountain. Drive through lush suburbs to the Cosmo Velho cog-railway station, and journey up to the giant figure, then take the lift or escalator – or brave the stairs – up to the viewpoint. Return to Rio via the famous beach districts of Ipanema and Leblon. This evening, enjoy your final evening in Rio with an included dinner at an authentic Brazilian steak restaurant.

Early this morning, transfer to the airport for a flight to Iguazú Falls, the world-famous cascades which mark the meeting point of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Travel by coach through the lush foliage to your resort hotel on the Brazilian side of the Falls where you'll spend the next two nights.

Later this morning, start your exploration of the UNESCO-listed Iguazú National Park with a scenic walk along a series of foliage-lined pathways that will lead you to the Falls. Watch the region's untouched ecosystems in action as you pass verdant forests and flourishing wildflowers which are constantly fed by moisture from the magnificent nearby waterfalls. Walk out over the footbridge, and ride the panoramic lift, to enjoy the sweeping views across Iguazú's 275 plunging cataracts.

Dinner will be served back at the hotel later this evening.

Cross the border into Argentina this morning and witness a different side to the Falls. Still within the boundaries of the Iguazú National Park, the Argentinian side is a stunning jungle refuge for big cats, monkeys, tapirs and countless colourful bird species. Here, you’ll enjoy a choice of fascinating guided walks, accompanied by a park ranger, as well as a 25-minute train ride to see the most spectacular of the torrents – the famous Devil’s Throat – from a series of walkways and footbridges.

This evening, return to the hotel and find dinner at your own leisure.

Take the morning at your own pace today or embark on an optional helicopter flight above the magnificent Iguazú Falls. On this 10-minute flight, you'll enjoy unrestricted views of the falls and their surrounding rainforest before travelling back to the hotel for a quick refresh ahead of this afternoon's flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, meet your Argentinian tour manager and transfer to your hotel.

This evening, enjoy dinner at your own leisure.

Today you'll enjoy a guided introduction to Buenos Aires. See Plaza de Mayo’s parliament buildings, the tango district of San Telmo, the famously colourful La Boca district, the chic Puerto Madero riverside area and La Recoleta – the Argentinian capital's most elegant neighbourhood.

Return to the hotel at the end of a wonderful day, and settle in for a captivating tango show with dinner this evening.

Discover more of the enthralling Buenos Aires under your own steam today, or join an exciting optional excursion into the pampas grassland

Leave Buenos Aires and drive to San Antonio de Areco, the heart of Argentina's 'gaucho' traditions. Arrive at El Ombu de Areco, a traditional, 741-acre ranch dedicated to agriculture and animal farming. Here, the ranch's impressive late-colonial style mansion, built by Lieutenant-General Pablo Riccheri in 1880, and its magnificent “casco” promise an unforgettably immersive taste of Argentine culture.

Enjoy a horseback ride through the grounds, or if you'd prefer, follow the same route on foot, before settling in for a traditional asado (BBQ lunch) that includes fine meats, salads, wine, and dessert. Later this afternoon, enjoy an intimate folklore show as a gaucho plays the guitar and see a horse-riding skills demonstration.

However you choose to spend your day, return to your Buenos Aires hotel for the evening.

Enjoy a day at leisure in Buenos Aires, perhaps revisiting some attractions or places of interest from the city tour, before transferring to the airport for your flight to Lima.

Meet your guide and transfer to your hotel in Lima for a good night’s rest.

A guided sightseeing tour brings to life the Peruvian capital. Founded by conquistador Francisco Pizarro, Lima is a thriving city of some nine million inhabitants that boasts a number of UNESCO-listed historic treasures, legacies of Spanish colonialism.

This evening, choose from a vast selection of dining opportunities: Lima is renowned as one of South America's liveliest culinary centres.

Today you'll fly east from Lima to the Inca stronghold of Cusco. From here you'll travel by coach into the fabled Sacred Valley of the Incas, where highlights will include a visit to the tiny Andean town of Ccaccaccollo, where the ancient Inca techniques of weaving and fabric-dyeing live on.

Continue your exploration of the Sacred Valley, today. Visit Pisac, with its substantial Inca ruins and colourful market, and Ollantaytambo, home to the remains of a monumental Inca fortress from which the Inca organised resistance against Hernando Pizarro (conquistador brother of Lima’s Francisco). You’ll then spend a second night in the Valley, in preparation for tomorrow’s extraordinary day.

Today is sure to be a highlight of your holiday as you travel by narrow-gauge railway to the spa town of Aguas Calientes. Take in the panoramic views of the astonishing Andean scenery through the enormous windows of your comfortable, modern Vistadome carriage, and then transfer to the bus for the final leg of your journey, zig-zagging up through the jungle to Machu Picchu, the breath-taking Lost City of the Incas.

This extraordinary mountaintop citadel in the heart of the Andean jungle is an absolutely unforgettable place, part military outpost, part secret retreat of Inca rulers or estate built in honour of Inca chief Pachacuti.

At the end of the day, you’ll travel back to Cusco via Aguas Calientes for a two-night stay in the ‘archaeological capital of South America’.

The Incas called Cusco the 'Navel of the World' and its citadel, supposedly shaped like a puma, was an intricate maze of palaces and gilded temples upon which the conquering Spanish built their colonial city.

Cusco remains one of the world’s most enthralling settlements, and today's guided tour will bring to life the city’s fascinating history and most important landmarks, including the Coricancha Temple, built on the site of the Inca Temple of the Sun, and the magnificent Cathedral Plaza de Armas. You'll also have the chance to explore the ancient archaeological sites of Sacsayhuaman, a fortified citadel founded by Emperor Pachacuti, and Quenco.

This afternoon will be at your leisure, and you can choose to take a walk through colourful San Pedro Market, with its stalls selling local produce, clothing and crafts, before spending a second evening in the city.

You'll have a very early start, this morning, as you board your well-appointed coach for the 10.5-hour journey through the high Andean plains to Puno. Alternatively, you may choose to take the PeruRail Titicaca Train (supplement applies). As you travel through the startling landscape, you'll make plenty of stops, including for a gourmet lunch, and arrive in lakeside Puno late this afternoon to spend the first of two evenings in the colourful capital of Peruvian folklore.

Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake and the mythological birthplace of the Inca civilisation, awaits today on an unforgettable cruise. While traversing this spectacular lake keep an eye out for its shore-side and island communities, where a unique way of life has been preserved for centuries, and the vibrant Andean wildlife. Exploring Titicaca’s waters, you’ll travel by boat to the floating island homes of the Uros people, stepping aboard their reed-bound, man-made islands to learn how they maintain their traditions and way of life. You’ll then cruise to Taquile Island, where an uphill walk will be rewarded with time to peruse its renowned local craft shops. You can also enjoy a traditional Taquile lunch and will have the opportunity to learn more about the diverse peoples and cultures of the lake. At the end of the day, you'll cruise back to Puno to spend a second evening here.

Board the coach early this morning and journey west from Titicaca, heading towards the startling, scenic landscape of the Aguada Blanca National Reserve, past herds of vicunas and alpaca, and the Inca farming terraces that are still worked today.

We'll have an early start today, as we drive to the spectacular viewpoint at Cruz del Condor. Here, with luck, you'll catch sight of the enormous, majestic condors that make the Colca Canyon their home gliding on the swirling winds and thermals.

This afternoon, you’ll arrive in the beautiful city of Arequipa, in its dramatic setting beside the Chile River beneath three snow-capped volcanoes.

Today you’ll enjoy a tour of White City, Arequipa, with its elegant main square Plaza de Armas, lined on one side by the great cathedral, and surrounded by 19th-buildings constructed of white volcanic stone. You’ll also visit the extraordinary ‘town within a city’, the narrow streets, cloisters and hidden quarters of the Monasterio Santa Catalina, to discover the convent's fascinating religious art and architecture..

This afternoon, you'll head to Arequipa airport to catch your flight to Lima for a last night in the capital.

As some of your new-found friends return home, you'll head to Lima airport to board your flight to Puerto Maldonado, on the south-eastern edge of the Amazon Basin. From here you'll head upstream by boat to the Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica or the Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción (depending on your departure date), your home for the next three nights.

After breakfast today you'll head out to Lake Sandoval, located in the famous Tambopata National Reserve. Board canoes to explore this beautiful oxbow lake, home to endangered giant river otters, red howler monkeys, red-bellied macaws, anacondas, side-neck turtles, black caimans and more.

Return to the lodge for a well-earned lunch, then head out on the Anaconda Walk, a walkway that traverses a 200-metre-long wooden bridge over a swamp, and trace a path through the treetops on the Canopy Walk. On the Anaconda Walk, you'll be sure to see a wide array of amphibians, birds, mammals, trees and other interesting jungle flora in their natural habitat. There will also be a good chance of spotting snakes here – perhaps even the massive anaconda!

Later on, take on the Canopy Walk to experience the rainforest from above. As you wander along this mile-long network of bridges, you'll get a closer look at the forest's native wildlife from a series of secluded viewing platforms. From each vantage point, keep an eye out for the colourful toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, monkeys and sloth that call these trees home.

After an early breakfast you'll head to a nearby traditional Amazonian farm, where you'll learn all about local cultivation techniques and visit a botanical garden to see the immense variety of medicinal herbs grown by the inhabitants of the forest.

Next, head back to the lodge for lunch and a brief afternoon siesta before venturing out on the Cocha water excursion. Step aboard a dugout canoe on the beautiful lake near the lodge, and enjoy an easy-going experience on the open water with the chance to take part in some catch-and-release fishing. The scenery here is wonderful, and we can see many birds including hoatzins (skunk birds), fly catchers, and gray-necked woodrails.

Returning to shore, the tour will then continue to the Fitzcarrald steamboat wreck, inspiration for Werner Herzog's award-winning film, Fitzcarraldo. Here you can spot some fascinating wildlife in a specially constructed hide, before returning to the lodge for dinner.

Today, you'll check out from the lodge and fly to Lima, where you'll have the rest of the day at leisure.

Spend the morning at leisure before heading to the airport for an overnight flight back to the UK later this afternoon.

Land early this morning at the end of a truly unforgettable South American adventure.