South America Inca Journey with Amazon Cruise

Discover the soul of South America on a journey into the cultural heart of the continent. Experience life in Rio, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Cusco and Lima. Cruise through the Peruvian Amazon rainforest, traverse the Andes by luxury train, and be awestruck by Iguazu Falls, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.

Itinerary

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Day 1: Arrive Santiago

Welcome to Santiago. We’ll meet and transfer you to your hotel, before a guided discovery of Chile’s capital, wedged between the snow-capped Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Tonight, join a welcome reception.

Day 2: Santiago

Travel to the coastal city of Valparaiso, where you’ll find colourful cliffside houses sloping down to the sea. Known to Chileans as the ‘Jewel of the Pacific,’ the city is an eclectic, sometimes chaotic mix of art, culture and commerce. Enjoy a Signature Experience before relaxing over lunch and then returning to Santiago.

Day 3: Santiago, Buenos Aires

Fly to Buenos Aires, Argentina’s elegant capital. On arrival, we’ll transfer you to your hotel in the city’s prominent Recoleta district. Home to some of Argentina’s wealthiest families, Recoleta is a leafy neighbourhood dotted with beautiful parks and grand mansions just north of the city centre.

Day 4: Buenos Aires

Join a guided discovery of the city, which includes the Italian-influenced barrio La Boca, a neighbourhood known for its Latino vibe and brightly painted pedestrian streets. Explore the bohemian district of Palermo, filled with trendy eateries and galleries, before arriving at La Recoleta Cemetery. This is the resting place of Argentine notables such as the nation’s former First Lady Eva Peron.

Day 5: Buenos Aires

Design your day one of three ways with Freedom of Choice Touring.

Day 6: Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls

This morning, fly to Iguazu Falls. This natural wonder straddles the Argentina-Brazil border. Arriving on the Argentinian side, set off on the Rainforest Ecological Train to a series of walkways and viewing points, including one to the 80-metre-deep Devil’s Throat. Then continue to your hotel for a Signature Experience.

Day 7: Iguazu Falls

Spanning an area of some 2.7 kilometres, Iguazu Falls is made up of roughly 275 waterfalls waiting to be explored today. Soak up panoramic views of the falls with a leisurely walk between each of the viewing platforms. Later, Freedom of Choice Sightseeing ensures you’ll see the falls from different perspectives. At the day’s end, enjoy a quintessentially Brazilian Signature Experience at your hotel.

Day 8: Rio de Janeiro

Begin your day with a visit to Parque das Aves bird park, where you’ll see colourful native South American birds. Later, fly to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s most visited and naturally blessed city, set between lush, forested mountains and sandy shores. On arrival, we’ll meet and transfer you to the elegant art deco grandeur of your hotel opposite the golden sands of iconic Copacabana Beach.

Day 9: Rio de Janeiro

See Rio from above with a visit to Corcovado, the mountain famed for its Christ the Redeemer statue, thought to be the world’s largest art deco-style sculpture. From here, enjoy sweeping city views. Towards evening, board a cable car to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain to toast the sunset and incredible views with a drink. Tonight, dine at a local restaurant for Brazil’s famously delicious barbecue fare.

Day 10: Rio de Janeiro

Today, join a Freedom of Choice Touring activity to experience more of Rio.

Day 11: Rio de Janeiro, Lima

Enjoy a leisurely morning before lunch at Confeitaria Colombo, an ornate coffeehouse considered one of the most beautiful cafes in the world and an iconic landmark of downtown Rio. Afterwards, we’ll transfer you to the airport for your included flight to Lima. In Lima, we’ll meet and transfer you to your hotel.

Day 12: Lima

Discover the Peruvian capital’s World Heritage-listed historic centre with a guide today. Afterwards enjoy a Signature Experience at a private hacienda.

Day 13: Lima, Sacred Valley

After breakfast today, we’ll transfer you to the airport for your included flight to Cusco, the pre-Columbian Inca capital of Peru. From here travel to Chinchero, a small village in the Sacred Valley, tucked into the Andean highlands. Enjoy a special welcome from the local Misminay community, followed by today’s Signature Experience, which demonstrates a craft passed down through generations.

Day 14: Sacred Valley, Maras, Moray

Continue exploring the Sacred Valley with a guide, including today’s Signature Experience. Then enjoy lunch overlooking the Andes and Huaypo Lagoon.

Day 15: Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu

Today is set aside for a full immersion in the natural setting and incredible heritage of Machu Picchu. Board Inca Rail’s First Class Train for your Signature Experience. On arrival, set off on a locally guided exploration of the lost city of the Incas, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. An eight-hour hike to Machu Picchu is also available at an additional coast (must be pre-booked).

Day 16: Machu Picchu, Cusco

This morning, relax at your hotel and perhaps join a culinary demonstration to learn the secrets of South American cuisine. Board the 360° train for your return trip to the Sacred Valley. Here, transfer by coach to Cusco and settle into your hotel in the heart of this historic city.

Day 17: Cusco

A guided discovery of Cusco takes you to Plaza de Armas, a square at the city’s historic heart. You’ll also visit the sacred sites of Koricancha and Cusco Cathedral. This evening, join a farewell dinner at MAP Cafe, located in the central courtyard of the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art.

Day 18: Cusco, Belmond Andean Explorer

After breakfast, set off on a journey through the stunning Peruvian highlands aboard the Belmond Andean Explorer train.

Day 19: Belmond Andean Explorer

Early risers will be rewarded with a glorious sunrise before enjoying a sumptuous breakfast on board. Afterwards, explore Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable body of water. One of the most important places in Andean culture, the lake was considered to be the birthplace of the cosmos or, as it is more commonly known, the birthplace of the sun.

Day 20: Arequipa

Visit Sumbay Caves, home to cave paintings thousands of years old. Later, enjoy lunch on board the train before arriving in Arequipa. Blessed by 300 days of sunshine annually and filled with incredibly dazzling white-stone buildings, the ‘White City’ is a delight to explore. This afternoon, at a Chocolate Workshop, learn about the delectable history of cacao and how beans are selected and transformed into delicious chocolate. Guests will have the opportunity to prepare and taste their very own chocolate.

Day 21: Arequipa

This morning, explore this ancient city with a guide. Visit the World Heritage-listed city centre where you can admire beautiful colonial architecture, including the 16th-century Santa Catalina Convent. This evening, enjoy an included dinner.

Day 22: Arequipa, Lima

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and fly to Lima. After arriving at your hotel in Lima, the afternoon and evening are yours to enjoy at leisure.

Day 23: Lima, Iquitos, Amazon Cruise

Board an early flight to Iquitos, a city located on the banks of the Peruvian Amazon. Here, you’ll step aboard your boutique vessel and set off to discover the spectacular flora and fauna as you explore the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. Naturalist guides will reveal the secrets of the rainforest and its inhabitants; taking skiff boats to hidden corners of the river, trail walks through the lush vegetation, or on a gentle kayak in calm creeks. This afternoon, embark on a skiff exploration along the Maranoñón River and listen to the rhythmic sounds of the jungle as you settle in.

Day 24: Amazon Cruise

Spend the morning on the waters of the Samiria River on a skiff exploration. Travel on a stable and safe boat accompanied by an expert naturalist guide and learn about this part of the river. After lunch, relax back on board before you ascend to the canopy on a suspended walkway, one of the longest treetop walks in the world, to get a higher perspective of the rainforest. Encounter the birds and animals less visible from below on this spectacular excursion.

Day 25: Amazon Cruise

Get even closer to the water on a kayaking trip in the calm waters of the Reserve at Yanayacu Pucate. Then, search for more amazing creatures and vegetation, as your naturalist guide takes you deep into the rainforest on a jungle walk at Fundo Casual. Get an intimate view of the Amazon’s ecosystem and wildlife inhabiting this unique environment including frogs, snakes and insects.

Day 26: Amazon Cruise

Today you have the chance to fish for piranhas on the Yarapa River and discover other exotic animals who call the river home. As you cruise, watch for scarlet macaws, Amazonian parrotlets, iguanas and squirrel monkeys.

Day 27: Amazon Cruise, Depart Iquitos

Your cruise ends with a transfer to Iquitos. On the way, stop off for a visit to the Rescue and Rehabilitation Center of River Mammals. Learn about the rescue work achieved by volunteers at the centre, then hear about manatees and feed these majestic, endangered animals.