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Holiday Argentina & Brazil: Ibera Wetlands (Birding & Horse Riding) + Iguazu + Rio

Argentina: Buenos Aires + Ibera Wetlands + Iguazu + Rio

12 NIGHTS FROM:

$4,776

Per person sharing

Scheduled flights quoted separately

ARF12B

• Holiday: Argentina & Brazil

• Buenos Aires

• City Tour & Tango Show

• Ibera Wetlands

• Birding & Wildlife

• Horse Riding

• Iguazu Falls

• Rio de Janeiro

• Christ the Redeemer

• Sugarloaf Mountain

This wildlife holiday combines Argentina and Brazil, starting in the cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires with its tango culture before travelling to the Ibera Wetlands - ideal for birding and horse riding. Also visit the rainforests of the mighty Iguazu Falls before completing your holiday in spectacular Rio de Janeiro. All transfers & specified wildlife activities included.

Detailed itinerary ▶

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Day 1

You will be met at Buenos Aires Airport and transferred to your hotel in this exciting city, situated on the estuary of the Río de la Plata - the 'River of Silver'.

Check in and relax in this capital of Argentina, known for its wonderful architecture, tango dancing and rich culture, including the highest concentration of theatres in the world.

Day 2

This morning enjoy a half day shared tour of Buenos Aires - a cosmopolitan city that has been influenced by the many immigrants who helped form it and offering beautiful architecture, history and culture.

After collection from your hotel, your tour starts at the Plaza de Mayo - the historical, political and cultural centre of the city. Here you can see the Pink House (Presidential Palace), the Pyramid de Mayo and Metropolitan Cathedral. We continue down Avenida de Mayo, with its wide avenues and spacious green areas, past the Obelisk to the neighbourhood of San Telmo, one of the oldest in the city with cobbled streets and colonial houses. The vibrant area is the centre for most of the tango parlours, restaurants and bars of the city. Every Sunday a major artisan market takes place here around the Plaza Dorrego.

Going further south, we visit the Italian port neighbourhood of La Boca, with its colourful houses in Caminito Street and many 'cantinas' (small restaurants). Also the trendy modern neighbourhood of Puerto Madero, where the old piers have been converted into upmarket offices, apartments and restaurants with views of the Rio de la Plata.

We visit the residential neighbourhood of Palermo with its elegant mansions surrounded by spacious parks, before arriving in glamorous Recoleta, where there is the option to visit the famous cemetery where Eva Peron is buried, with its rich architecture (pay locally). Next to the cemetery is the church of Our Lady of Pilar, the Recoleta Cultural Centre (originally a convent) and the Palais de Glace exhibition centre.

In the evening you will be collected for a Tango Show. Born in the brothels of the city amongst a racial mix of Gauchos, Italian, Spanish and African immigrants, this dance and its music originated as a combination of Cuban and Spanish rhythms, with some polka and African beat. Enjoy the show and dinner, including mouth-watering Argentinian beef and Malbec wine.

Note: Shared day tours have a maximum of 25 people. After your city tour you will be dropped off at one of the designated drop-off points in the downtown area.

Day 3

At leisure to explore more of the fabulous city of Buenos Aires.

You can enjoy its many shops and restaurants, or take an optional walking tour of San Telmo, the oldest neighbourhood in Buenos Aires. Alternatively take a tour to San Elmo, Tigre and the vast Parana River Delta, or a full day excursion to a traditional Estancia (ranch) where you can admire the skills of Argentinian 'gauchos' (cowboys).

You can also explore some of the city's museums, such as the Naval Museum, or take a full day excursion by high-speed hydrofoil ferry to the charming colonial city of Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay.

Day 4

Transfer to Aeroparque Airport for your onward flight.

Note: Your driver will only speak Spanish.

You will be met at Posadas Airport and transferred 4 to 5-hours in a 4x4 vehicle (depending on the location of your lodge) to Ibera National Park.

Situated deep in the wetlands, this location is ideal for bird watching, photography, viewing wildlife by boat, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing & kayaking. You can also enjoy night safaris in this remote and beautiful location.

Check into your lodge and enjoy an included afternoon activity.

Note: Your driver will only speak Spanish.

Days 5 To 6

At leisure to explore the wildlife and birds of the Iberá Wetlands.

Covering 1.3 million hectares of pristine wilderness, this watery region is home to caiman and elegant marsh deer that wading the shallows, as well as over 350 different bird species including the Bare-faced currasow and endangered Green-winged macaw. Animals you can hope to see here include Pampa's deer, Wetland deer, capybara (the world’s largest rodent and a gentle herbivore), howler monkey, tapir, alligator, giant river otter, collared peccary, giant anteater and groups of rheas. Jaguars and pumas also live here, although very difficult to spot. There is also an enormous diversity of fish and marine life, all set against flaming sunsets.

Activities vary by lodge but usually include guided nature walks, birding, kayaking, horse riding and horse-drawn canoe tours through these wetlands with their giant palm trees.

Note: Wear long trousers and long sleeve shirts to avoid insect bites. Also pack sunscreen, insect repellant, rain gear and rubber boots.

Day 7

Enjoy an included wildlife activity at your Iberá Wetlands lodge this morning.

Afterwards transfer 3 to 4-hours (depending on the location of your lodge) to Puerto Valle, situated on the Parana River that forms the border with Paraguay.

Note: Your driver will only speak Spanish.

Day 8

This morning leave Puerto Valle and transfer 5-hours through beautiful countryside to the Iguaza Falls, one of the greatest waterfalls in the world and regarded as one of Latin America's most awe-inspiring sights.

Along the way we stop at San Ignacio. Surrounded by rainforest, here you will find the ruins of the 17th-century San Ignacio Mini - a Jesuit Mission founded by the colonial Spanish with the aim of converting the local Guaraní population to Christianity. Today it is a World Heritage Site.

The Jesuits established 30 similar missions in these parts of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. San Ignacio Miní was constructed in 1666 in the Spanish baroque style, heavily influenced by indigenous motifs. As with all Jesuit missions, it had a central square with buildings clustered around it - including a hospital, school, dormitories and a magnificent stone church with a wooden interior. The mission also had several printing presses, which supplied spiritual texts and other works in the Guaraní language. While their religious activities influenced Guaraní culture, the mission also played an important role in keeping it alive by protecting the local people from wars and the slave trader, and preserving their language.

Afterwards we continue to Puerto Iguazu and the mighty Iguazu Falls, whose name means 'Great Waters'. This thundering waterfall straddles the border between Argentina and Brazil - although almost 80% of the falls are on the Argentinian side. It is situated in a huge tropical rainforest that has been declared a World Heritage Site, with countless flora and fauna species.

Day 9

Today enjoy a full day private tour exploring the Argentinian side of the incredible Iguazu Falls.

Comprising approximately 275 separate cascades, the falls form a curtain of foaming water that crashes over a vast granite amphitheatre and into the jungle below. Resembling a reversed letter "J", most of the Iguazu River plunges down through an area known as The Devil’s Throat, with the rest spreading out over a wide shelf that splits into hundreds of different waterfalls. There are a series of walkways that lead above, below and behind the falls, with breath-taking views. You can also hope to see monkeys, toucans, parakeets and other wildlife in the rainforest.

When the Devil's Throat section is inaccessible due to flooding, we will visit the Three Borders Landmark instead. This is where the Paraná River meets the Iguazú River - which marks the meeting point of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. There is a fair with local handicrafts, and from this point you can see the flags of all three countries. Lunch is for your own account today.

Note: Wear good walking shoes, as you will walk a lot today on metal walkways that can get very slippery when wet. Also take a light raincoat, as you will get wet visiting some sections of the falls.

Day 10

After checking out of your hotel, this morning cross the border for a private tour of the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls, with panoramic views of the nearly 2-mile (3 km) cliff edge.

We take an elevator down to the base of the waterfalls and stop at different viewing points. The volume of water flowing over the falls varies greatly depending on seasonal rainfall, but the falls are a spectacular sight at any time of year. The waterflow is highest between October and March, with the heaviest rains from December to February, when many trails are closed.

Afterwards transfer to Foz do Iguassu Airport for your onward flight.

Note: UK citizens do not need a visa for Brazil, but citizens of other countries need to check their requirements. Take a light raincoat, as you will get wet visiting some sections of the falls.

You will be met at Rio de Janeiro Airport and transferred to your hotel in this iconic city - famous for its magnificent setting and enormous statue of Christ the Redeemer looking down from Corcovado Mountain - one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Rio is also home to the magnificent Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon and Barra da Tijuca beaches and known for its samba and bossa nova dancing, carnivals and music festivals.

Day 11

Today enjoy a half day shared tour of Rio de Janeiro, known locally as Cidade Maravilhosa (the Marvellous City').

After a tour of the downtown area, we stop at the huge Metropolitan Cathedral (Cathedral of Saint Sebastian), built in the form of an ancient Mayan pyramid.

We then continue driving past Flamengo Park, the largest public park in Rio, to one of the most famous symbols of the city - Sugarloaf Mountain. Here we travel all the way to the top, in two cable cars. The first cable car takes us to Urca Hill, a vantage point with beautiful views of Guanabara Bay and its islands, the Rio-Niterói Bridge and Corcovado Mountain. The second cable car takes us all the way to the top, with wonderful views over Copacabana beach, Santa Cruz fortress and the beaches of Niterói.

We return by cable car and transfer back to your hotel, with your afternoon free to explore more of Rio independently.

Note: Shared day tours have a maximum of 20 people.

Day 12

Today enjoy a half day shared tour to one of the world’s most famous landmarks.

We start by boarding the cog train from Cosme Velho Station to Corcovado Mountain. Enjoy the steep 20-minutes train journey through the dense Atlantic rainforest of Tijuca, with wonderful views of the lush tropical vegetation, and scenic landscapes of the city and its beaches below. Disembark and climb the steps or take the escalators to the base of the towering statue of Christ the Redeemer - one of the 7 wonders of the modern world - and enjoy its spectacular 360 degree panoramas.

After descending by cog train, you will drive past some of Rio's most famous beaches - Leblon, Ipanema & Copacabana - before you are dropped off at your hotel, with afternoon at leisure.

Note: Shared day tours have a maximum of 20 people.

Day 13

Transfer to Rio de Janeiro Airport for your flight home.

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