From the Amazon to the Inca Empire - 2018

Itinerary

Day 1Miami

Board your flight for your vacation.

Day 2Arrival in Manaus, Brazil

Arrive in Manaus this afternoon, then meet for guided city sightseeing of Manaus to view the vestiges of its glory days during the rubber boom. Your first stop will be the famous Opera House, built in 1896 with materials imported from Europe. Next, visit the Museum of Natural Sciences before a stroll through a bustling local market. (Breakfast)

Day 3Manaus–Amazon Jungle

Today your “Meeting of the Waters” tour passes by the impressive British-built Custom House and the floating port. Cruise along the chocolate-colored Rio Negro to its confluence with the yellow-gray Rio Solimões, where the two rivers form the mighty Amazon. For four miles the differently colored bodies of water flow side by side and never mix! After lunch on the river, explore a Jungle Island (if water levels permit) with fascinating native flora and fauna. Later this afternoon, arrive at the Ecopark Jungle Lodge on the banks of the Rio Negro inside the Amazonian rainforest. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 4Amazon Jungle

Accompanied by a Naturalist, enjoy a guided jungle walk that introduces you to the flora and fauna that thrives in the Amazon. After lunch, sail up the river to visit a Caboclo’s native Amazon village to learn about their traditions and culture. Also try your hand at piranha fishing! Later, visit the Monkey Jungle Reserve, where researchers work to rehabilitate captive primates and reintroduce them to the jungle. Here, you have the opportunity to see a feeding of spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys, woolly monkeys, and capuchin monkeys. This evening you may wish to venture back out on canoe with your Naturalist into the flooded forest to appreciate the jungle at night, with the possibility to spot small alligators and other night creatures. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 5Amazon Jungle–Rio de Janeiro

This morning, depart the Ecopark for a flight to fabulous Rio. (Breakfast)

Day 6Rio de Janeiro

An included city tour takes you to bustling downtown Rio, where modern office towers stand next to relics of the Portuguese colonial past. View the Sambodromo and the Cathedral before visiting 300-foot-high Sugar Loaf Mountain. Ascend by cable car to its summit, where you can savor spectacular vistas of the city and beaches. Tonight, you may opt to join an outing to a churrascaria for a feast of Brazilian barbecued meats, followed by a Samba show, where the sheer vitality of this country explodes in a colorful extravaganza. (Breakfast)

Day 7Rio de Janeiro

Enjoy a full day at leisure. Your Local Host will suggest an optional Jeep tour to Tijuca National Park and its bird sanctuary. This afternoon, you may elect to discover historic Petropolis, the site of the former summer palace of Emperor Dom Pedro II. (Breakfast).

Day 8Rio–Iguassu Falls

Fly to Iguassu Falls. This masterpiece of nature encompasses 275 separate falls and spans almost two miles. The afternoon is dedicated to enjoying the spectacle of this 2-mile-wide torrential downpour. With some cataracts as high as 250 feet, it’s nothing short of hypnotic. The clouds of spray, the incessant roar, and the surrounding luxuriant tropical growth make this an unforgettable natural wonder. (Breakfast)

Day 9Iguassu Falls

This morning, take the Ecological Jungle Train and tour the Argentine side of Iguassu Falls with numerous walkways that wind under the crashing water. (Breakfast)

Day 10Iguassu Falls–Buenos Aires

Fly to Buenos Aires, proud capital of the vast country that occupies most of the southern part of the continent. After arriving at your central hotel, you will have time to become acquainted with the “Paris of South America” and its wide boulevards and outdoor cafés. (Breakfast)

Day 11Buenos Aires

Included sightseeing starts in the colorful La Boca district, site of the city’s first port. Take a short walking tour of this unique neighborhood, then on to San Telmo, famous for its late-colonial buildings and a popular gathering spot for artists. At the Plaza de Mayo, see La Casa Rosada and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Drive past the ornate Colon Opera House before reaching the Cemetery of the Recoleta, burial site of Eva Peron. This evening, perhaps take an optional excursion including dinner at a local restaurant followed by a performance of Latin America’s most sensuous dance—the Tango! (Breakfast)

Day 12Buenos Aires

Today is at leisure. Your Local Host will suggest an optional excursion to the Pampas. Experience Argentine country life as you visit an estancia (ranch). Get acquainted with the lifestyle of the gauchos and enjoy a barbecue lunch and the warm hospitality of your hosts before returning to the city. (Breakfast)

Day 13Buenos Aires–Lima

Fly to Lima, Peru today. (Breakfast)

Day 14Lima

This morning, your included city tour focuses on Lima’s rich colonial history as well as the modern city. Lima was the bastion of Spanish South America from its founding in 1535 until the independence of the South American republics in the early 19th century. See the Cathedral, where the skeleton of Francisco Pizarro is sealed in a wooden coffin, and the San Francisco Monastery with its eerie burial crypts. (Breakfast)

Day 15Lima–Cuzco

Fly to Cuzco, nestled high in the Andes. Your guided tour visits the Santo Domingo Monastery, previously the Koricancha Temple, one of the most important temples devoted to worship of the sun. In the Plaza de Armas, see the Cathedral before taking a short drive outside the city to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, with its intricate stone walls, the Kenko amphitheatre, and the Red Fortress of Puca Pucara. (Breakfast)

Day 16Cuzco

A short drive into the Urubamba Valley brings you to Awanakancha, where you learn about the importance of the alpaca (llama) for Inca cultures as well as the ancient weaving techniques still in use today. Continue to the market town of Pisac. Handmade rugs, alpaca sweaters, and jewelry can be bought here at bargain prices. At the other end of the valley, visit the Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo, where some of the finest examples of Inca masonry can be seen. Tonight in Cuzco, maybe sample area cuisine at one of the numerous restaurants recommended by your Local Host. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 17Cuzco–Machu Picchu

Board a train bound for Machu Picchu and cut a path through the Sacred Valley to this “Lost City of the Incas,” discovered by American explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911. On a guided tour, explore this intact fortress with its temple remains, holy houses, and mile-long aqueduct. For hikers, a brisk one-hour walk leads to the Sun Gate, the ancient entrance used by the Incas, or hike to the peak of Huayna Picchu. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 18Machu Picchu–Cuzco

A morning at leisure in Machu Picchu allows you to wake up early to see the sunrise over Machu Picchu. Return to Cuzco, where your Local Host will recommend options for your free time. Perhaps visit the Inca Museum or wander through the artisan district of San Blas. (Breakfast)

Day 19Cuzco–Lima

Fly to Lima with some free time to relax before departing for the airport late this evening for your return flight to the U.S. (Breakfast)

Day 20Miami

Arrive home.