INTRODUCTION This tour will offer you an in-depth experience of Northern Argentina and Uruguay. Discover the vibrancy and passion of Buenos Aires, explore the cobbled streets of historical Colonia de Sacramento, and discover Montevideo by bike. Spend a few days immersed in the Ibera Wetlands, viewing wildlife in Argentina's most abundant natural reserve, journey into the past with the Jesuits and enjoy both the Argentinean and the Brazilian side of the incredible Iguazu Falls This tour is also available in reverse from Iguazu 11/09/2018, 10/09/2019. Please contact us for more details. ITINERARY DAY 1: Buenos Aires Upon arrival, you will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. In the evening your tour will begin with a brief pre-departure meeting followed by a meal out. This tour is operated under our group travel brand, Viva Expeditions. Viva specialises in guided small group tours to Latin America. DAY 2: Buenos Aires We will take a tour of Buenos Aires visiting the historic Plaza de Mayo square; the Metropolitan Cathedral; San Telmo, one of the oldest neighbourhoods; the port neighbourhood of La Boca; the newest district of Puerto Madero and finally the district of Recoleta. The Recoleta Cemetery holds the remains of important personalities, among who is Eva Perón (Evita). In the evening we will enjoy a fabulous dinner & tango show. DAY 3: Buenos Aires We have the day today to explore the lively and colourful San Telmo market, a huge street bazaar that draws over 12,000 people every week.
DAY 4: Colonia Today we will take a ferry across the River Plate to Colonia de Sacramento in Uruguay. Upon arrival we will enjoy lunch before setting off on a walking tour of the town. DAY 5: Montevideo We visit the lovely Bouza Winery en route to Montevideo. The tour starts with a visit to the vineyards, and a chance to observe the abundant wildlife surrounding them, plus a collection of antique cars. Followed by a visit to the cave for a wine tasting. DAY 6: Montevideo Today we will take a bike tour around Montevideo, visiting the port area, the old city, Independence Square, Punta Carretas Lighthouse and Pittamiglio Castle riding along the coast with the sea at our sides. DAY 7: Salto Today we drive north through the beautiful countryside of Uruguay towards Salto. In the evening you will have the opportunity to relax and unwind in thermal hot springs. DAY 8: Ibera Wetlands The Iberá Lake and marshlands are among the last natural paradises on earth. Visitors can get face to face with caimans, capybaras, swamp deer, pampas deer, howler monkeys, giant otters, anacondas, greater rheas and hundreds of birds. We will arrive in the early afternoon and will take a boat safari to observe wildlife and Ibera s birds face to face. DAY 9: Ibera Wetlands Easy trekking to the monkey jungle and visit the park museum. In the afternoon you can choose to either take a boat safari exploring the channels where the largest caimans live and nest, or horseback ride through the village and to the Caranday palm tree forests and reeds along the lakeside.
DAY 10: Missiones This morning we will head north towards San Ignacio, where in the middle of the Argentine rainforest stand the ruins of San Ignacio Miní, a seventeenth-century Jesuit mission complex. DAY 11: Iguazu In San Ignacio Miní our guide will explain the construction of the ruins, the life and customs of the Guaraní Indians, and how they were Christianized. After lunch we will continue towards Iguazu Falls, stopping to visit the Wanda Mines which are a deposit of semiprecious stones. Late afternoon arrival to Iguazu Falls. The Iguazu Falls are considered to be the most impressive in the world and one of the top attractions in South America. DAY 12: Iguazu Today we visit the Argentinean side of the Iguazu Falls. Take an open train on a 15-minute journey up to 'Cataratas Station', admiring close up the imposing 275 waterfalls which plunge to the river from a height of 70 mts. You will also have the option to take a boat ride in to face the San Martin waterfall. DAY 13: Iguazu Today we head to Brazil and the Foz do Iguacu National Park. You will see the most imposing falls located on the other side of the border and an astonishing view of the Devil's Throat. We will also visit the Bird Park with more than 1020 birds from about 150 different species. DAY 14: Depart You will be transferred to the airport in time for your flight out. INCLUSIONS & DETAILS Accommodation Standard
Inclusions Difficulty Rating Single Surcharge Notes 13 nights accommodation in comfortable tourist class hotels and guesthouses Transport in our custom built all-terrain expedition vehicle Approximately 13 Breakfasts, 9 dinners, 9 lunches Service of an experienced western tour leader as well as local guides Experienced Driver/Mechanic All National Park Entrance fees 2 (light adventure) Available upon request Selected dates link with our Northern Route 40 Tour from Mendoza to Salta (13 Days). Please ask for details. Option to add pre/post tour available on our Northern Route 40 Tour from Mendoza to Salta (13 Days) on selected dates. Please ask for details. Price Dependent upon Season and availability SUSTAINABILITY Chimu Adventures undertakes a number of sustainability measures within its operations including: 1) Only using local guides and office staff to both maximise local employment opportunities and minimise carbon footprints. Local guides also ensure you benefit from the intimate knowledge, passion and culture of the country you re visiting. 2) Where possible, using locally owned and operated boutique hotels to maximise the return to the local community. 3) Chimu s Pass it on programme has provided funding to hundreds of local community projects in Latin America. Our aim is to empower local communities, helping them to develop their own infrastructure for the future. Since 2006, we have been working with Kiva (a well-known Non-Governmental Organisation), providing hundreds of loans to local businesses all over South America. 4) In our pre tour information we provide a range of tips and advice on how to minimise your impact on both local environments and communities. 5) Chimu Adventures offices also take a number of sustainability measures including carbon offsets for company vehicles and most staff travel. Chimu Adventure s internal processes are also structures to create a paperless office and to reduce waste. There are also internal programmes to help staff minimise their carbon footprint such as our staff bike purchase assistance plan which encourages office staff to commute to work via
bicycle. Currently almost half of our office based staff commute to work via bicycle.