South America: Four Iconic Destinations

• Getting there

  Fly into Rio de Janeiro, Galeão (GIG) or Santos Dumont (SDU), to arrive on day 1: the arrival transfer is set to your flight. The journey ends on day 10 at Santiago (SCL), so book an open-jaw ticket, into Rio and home from Santiago. Because the flights there and back are yours to choose, you can join from Istanbul, Europe or anywhere in the Americas. The three regional flights in between are included. We can find and book the international flights with you.

  Search flights

• Who the price is for

  Prices are per person sharing a double or twin room: $4,899 for an adult and $3,999 for a child aged 2 to 11. From 12 a traveller pays the adult rate, and an infant under 2 travels on request. A single room is $601 more. Bookings are for 1 to 12 travellers, and 12 places is the most one departure holds; the places still free are shown on each date.

• Children and rooms

  The child rate is for a child aged 2 to 11 sharing a room with two adults. Three people in one room depends on each hotel’s room sizes, so a standard double is never assumed to take three: we confirm the room for every hotel in writing before the booking is final. Entrance fees, park tickets and flights can have their own age rules, which we check with your booking.

• Entry and documents

  Turkish citizens and most European passports enter Brazil, Argentina and Chile for tourism without a visa, for up to 90 days. Brazil asks citizens of the United States, Canada and Australia for an e-visa before they fly. Your passport should be valid for the whole journey, ideally with six months left, and you may be asked for your onward ticket and hotel details. The land border from Brazil into Argentina on day 5 has passport control. If your flights connect through another country, check its transit rules too. A visa exemption is not a guarantee of entry: the border officers decide.

  Visas and entry, by passport

• Health

  Yellow fever vaccination is advised by many health authorities for travel to the Iguaçu area. Ask your doctor or a travel clinic about it and any other vaccines in good time before you go, and bring the medicines you take in your hand luggage.

• Money

  Three currencies: the Brazilian real, the Argentine peso and the Chilean peso. Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere, and in Argentina foreign cards are usually charged at a favourable rate. Carry a little local cash for small purchases and tips; US dollars in clean, recent notes are easy to change.

• Where you stay

  Three nights in a 4 star hotel in Copacabana, one in Foz do Iguaçu and one in Puerto Iguazú, both 4 star and chosen for the parks, two nights in a 4 star hotel in central Buenos Aires and two in a 5 star hotel in Santiago. Double, twin and single rooms. Each hotel is named in your travel documents once the departure is confirmed; any change is to a hotel of the same class and standard.

• Meals and dietary needs

  Breakfast every day from day 2, five lunches (the churrascaria and a restaurant in the centre of Rio, the riverside lunch at Tigre, Chilean food in Santiago and lunch by the sea at Valparaíso) and one dinner, at a churrascaria in Foz do Iguaçu. Drinks with meals are not included. Tell us any dietary needs or allergies when you book.

• Regional flights and baggage

  The three regional flights are booked with a 20 kg checked bag for each traveller; cabin bags follow the airline’s own rules. Rio to Foz do Iguaçu is flown direct where the timetable allows. The airlines, flight numbers and times are set for each departure and sent to you with your documents, along with any change of airport or connection.

• Pace

  Moderate. City walking every day, trails and steps in both Iguazú parks, steep streets and stairs in Valparaíso and three flight days with early starts. Comfortable walking shoes matter more than anything else you pack.

• Weather and what to pack

  The seasons are the reverse of Europe’s: December to February is summer, hot and humid in Rio and at Iguazú, and June to August is cool, with cold mornings in Buenos Aires and Santiago. Bring layers, a light raincoat for the spray at the falls, sunscreen, a hat, insect repellent and comfortable shoes.

• Parks, museums and cable cars

  Iguazú’s walkways, its train and its viewpoints close for a time when the river is high, and a closed route is never entered: the visit uses the circuits that are open that day. La Sebastiana and the San Cristóbal cable car have days they are closed, and the order of the days in Chile is arranged round them.

• Optional extras

  The Macuco Safari boat below the falls on day 4, where the flight times allow, a samba show in Rio and a tango show with dinner in Buenos Aires. Each is arranged on request and quoted separately.

• When booking closes

  Booking for each departure closes 30 days before the journey starts in Rio de Janeiro. The places still free are shown on each date.

• Tips

  Not included. A tip for your tour leader, guides and drivers is customary in all three countries and appreciated, and around ten per cent is usual in restaurants.

• Cancellation and changes

  Cancel 60 days or more before departure and everything you paid is refunded, less any amounts already paid to airlines and hotels on your behalf that they will not return, which we show you in writing. From 59 to 30 days before departure, the airlines’ and hotels’ own cancellation terms apply and their charges are deducted. From 29 days before departure there is no refund. Refunds are made within 14 days to the card or account you paid from. Up to 7 days before departure you can pass your place to another traveller; any change fees the airlines or hotels charge are passed on. If we have to cancel or materially change the journey, you choose an alternative of equal value or a full refund within 14 days.

• Paying and your booking

  Paid by card when you book. You receive your booking reference straight away and can follow the booking online without an account.

We send a full pre-departure note once your departure is confirmed.

• What if I need to cancel?

  Cancel 60 days or more before departure and everything you paid is refunded, less any amounts already paid to airlines and hotels on your behalf that they will not return, which we show you in writing. From 59 to 30 days before departure, the airlines’ and hotels’ own cancellation terms apply and their charges are deducted. From 29 days before departure there is no refund. Refunds are made within 14 days to the card or account you paid from. Up to 7 days before departure you can pass your place to another traveller; any change fees the airlines or hotels charge are passed on. If we have to cancel or materially change the journey, you choose an alternative of equal value or a full refund within 14 days.

• When do I pay?

  When you book. Payment is taken by card in the same step as the booking, and your receipt comes with your booking reference. One card payment can be up to 2,500 EUR: above that, the whole amount is still paid when you book, in several card payments one after the other, each under that limit. You can use the same card or another one for each part, and your booking is confirmed once the last payment goes through.

• Which payment methods do you accept?

  Credit and debit cards, Visa and Mastercard, through our secure payment provider.

• Are there any hidden fees?

  No. The price you are shown is the price you pay. Any third-party charge, such as a consular visa fee, is listed separately before you book.

• Do I need an account to book?

  No. You can book as a guest, and your booking reference and email address give you access to your booking at any time. If you like, sign in with a one-time code sent to your email: your bookings, requests and saved traveller details are then kept together in one place.

• How long must my passport be valid?

  We recommend at least six months of validity beyond your travel dates. Some countries and airlines require it.

• What if my travel plans are disrupted?

  If an airline, hotel or supplier changes your arrangements, we contact you and help arrange the best available alternative.

• Can I reach you during my trip?

  Yes. Our team stays available throughout your trip for any help you need.