Argentina & Brazil Adventure

Bienvenido! Welcome to Buenos Aires. Argentina’s cosmopolitan capital has Latin passion, European elegance and its own distinctive style. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm where you’ll meet your local leader and fellow travellers. Your leader will leave a note at the hotel reception telling you where it will take place. If you arrive early, why not take a stroll around the historic San Telmo neighbourhood filled with murals, mansions and markets? After the meeting, maybe head out for dinner with your group to get to know each other.

After breakfast, head out on an orientation walk of the city with your leader. You'll be introduced to some of Buenos Aires' major sights – the likes of the Colon Theatre (considered one of the most beautiful opera theatres in the world), the historic monument of Obelisk and Plaza de Mayo – home to the original town hall and the presidential palace known as the Pink House. The rest of the day is free to explore as you like – how about a beginner’s tango class or some people-watching with a glass of malbec? For dinner tonight, you could ask your leader where to find the best traditional asado (barbecue).

This morning, take a short flight to Posadas followed by a drive to Ituzaingo – a riverside city on the banks of the Parana River and your base to explore the Ibera Wetlands region. Spanning over 15,000 square kilometres, these wetlands are roughly the size of Belgium, which gives you an idea of how much there is to explore. The biodiversity is incredible, and the swamps, lakes and lagoons are home to many creatures including otters, alligators, deer, wolves and black howler monkeys to name a few. Also keep a look out for those oddly noble-looking creatures, the capybaras – cousins of the guinea pig and the largest rodents in the world.

Today you’ll do full day tour and safari of the wetlands with a local guide. You could see an array of mammals, reptiles and birds – maybe caiman or swamp deer, an armadillo, or a flock of rhea (which are like a South American equivalent of an emu). Anacondas, though particularly hard to spot at certain times of the year, are also known to inhabit these wetlands. Keep an eye to the sky, as you're bound to catch a glimpse of some of the 350 bird species here, from the sharp-tailed tyrant to the gorgeous yellow robin. For lunch, tuck into a delicious asado and maybe even have a go at kneading some dough for Argentinian bread. The evening is free to unwind or grab dinner with the group.

Have a hearty breakfast and prepare for a long travel day. Take a comfortable local bus to Puerto Iguazu. From here, you’ll transfer to a minivan and drive to a Guarani community. The Guarani are one of the region’s remaining Indigenous peoples, and you’ll have the opportunity to learn about their way of life and how they've preserved their traditions on the edge of one of South America’s most popular attractions. Later, cross the border into Brazil and continue to your hotel in Foz do Iguazu.

Today you'll visit the mighty Iguazu Falls from the Brazilian side. At over two km long, the falls are actually a series of cataracts (large waterfalls). There are over 270 in total, with some reaching up to 80 m tall, and they're wider than Victoria Falls and higher than Niagara. Enjoy the panoramas on the Brazilian side – including a view of San Martin Island which you don't quite get from the Argentinean side. You might like to take a helicopter ride over while you're here. This optional activity gives you spectacular views of the cascades and the lush parklands that surround it.

Today you'll go to the Argentinean side of the falls where it’s possible to follow a series of boardwalks and get up close to the thundering waters – so close you can almost touch them. For a more exhilarating experience, you could also jump on a Zodiac tour that takes you around the base the cascades. Return to your hotel later in the afternoon to relax and prepare for tomorrow’s journey to Rio de Janeiro.