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Inca, Falls and Tango
12 Days
Lima to Buenos Aires
Tour Code: TSPA
12 Days
Lima to Buenos Aires
Tour Code: TSPA
From US$ 3,829
Reviews
Tour Overview
Experience the wonders of Peru and Argentina on this fascinating trip to some of South America's most spectacular sights. Travel from one of the oldest civilisations on Earth to the mighty Iguazu Falls, finishing in the beautiful, cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires. If you want to experience the best that Peru and Argentina have to offer, then this is a holiday for you.
Please note: This is a sample itinerary and can be tailored to suit your own personal needs and budget. Click here for more information on our Tailor-made Tours.
Included Activities
- Arrival Transfer
- Lima Half Day Tour
- Cusco Half Day Tour
- Sacred Valley of the Incas tour
- Ollantaytambo ruins
- Machu Picchu Entrance and Guided Tour
- Iguazu Falls from Argentina
- Iguazu Falls from Brazil
- Half day tour of Buenos Aires
- Tango Show
- Departure Transfer
Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Lima
Welcome to Lima and the start of your adventure! You will be transferred from the airport to your hotel and have the remainder of the day free to relax and start exploring.
Lima was founded by the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535 after he eradicated the Incas and made the city his capital. It has many beautiful colonial buildings and some of the best museums in South America including the Gold Museum, Museum of the Inquisition and the Catacombs below the San Francisco Church. Peru's capital has much to offer and many of the sights, including the city's two main squares the Plaza de Armas and Plaza San Martin, are within easy walking distance The Plaza de Armas houses the Cathedral, Municipal Palace and Presidential Palace where the changing of the guard can be seen every day at 12 noon. There are also many markets in Lima, possibly the best being in the central district.
Included Excursions
Arrival Transfer
Accommodation
1 night(s) in hotels 
Day 2 - Lima City Tour
Today you will be collected to join a group for your half-day excursion which offers the best combination of the city's attractions covering its three historical periods: pre-hispanic, colonial and contemporary.
In Lima, there were several different pre-Columbian cultures dating back thousands of years. The area was part of the Inca Empire until the city was founded by the Spanish Francisco Pizarro in 1535 as the capital of the new Spanish empire.
You will visit Huaca Pucllana, an adobe and clay pyramid built around 500 A.D. before taking in the colonial buildings of the historic centre. It is then on to the metropolitan financial district of San Isidro and the commercial centre built on the cliffs of Miraflores offering panoramic views to the Pacific.
The remainder of the day is at your leisure.
Included Excursions
Lima Half Day Tour
Accommodation
1 night(s) in hotels
Meals
1 Breakfast(s)
Day 3 - Cusco
Today you will be transferred to the airport by private vehicle in time for you flight to Cusco. Upon arrival you will be collected and taken to your hotel by private vehicle.
This afternoon you will join a group to explore the churches and cathedral around the charming Plaza de Armas. You will visit the complex of Koricancha, which contained the Temple of the Sun, the most sacred site in the Inca religion. It was the centrepiece of a vast astronomical observatory. Little remains of it today except for sections of its stone walls which hint at the sites once massive size. The Christian monastery of Santo Domingo was built on top of the complex, no doubt to signify that one religion had been replaced by another.
Afterwards, you will drive to the nearby ruins of Sacsayhuaman which reveal the Incas extraordinary architecture. Like all Inca constructions, the stones fit together perfectly without mortar and it would be hard to fit a single sheet of paper even between the biggest. It took almost one hundred years and thousands of men to complete. Next you visit a site shrouded in mystery, the large rock and intricate complex of Qenko. The site is named for the zigzag channels carved into the rock which are believed to have been used by Inca priests to pour sacred chicha or llama blood into as part of an annual ritual.
Next you explore the archeological site of Tambomachay, which is thought to be a site used to worship water as the source of life. Two aqueducts, artistically carved on the rock, transport and keep a constant flow of clean water. Your final stop is the red fortress of Puka Pukara which took its name from the colour of the stones (especially at dusk).
You will then be transferred back to your hotel and will have the remainder of the day free to explore and enjoy one of the many quaint restaurants in the historical centre.
Included Excursions
Cusco Half Day Tour
Accommodation
1 night(s) in hotels
Meals
1 Breakfast(s)
Day 4 - Cusco
Today is free to relax and explore some more of Cusco. Take a walking tour and admire the colonial buildings or wander the colourful San Pedro Market, where you can find fruits and vegetables in abundance as well as other local delicacies.
Accommodation
1 night(s) in hotels
Meals
1 Breakfast(s)
Day 5 - Sacred Valley
Today is free to relax and explore some more of Cusco. Take a walking tour and admire the colonial buildings or wander the colourful San Pedro Market, where you can find fruits and vegetables in abundance as well as other local delicacies.
Spend the evening back at Plaza de Armas and experience Cusco after dark. With plenty quaint restaurants and vibrant bars around, the plaza is as lively as during the day.
Included Excursions
Sacred Valley of the Incas tour,Ollantaytambo ruins
Accommodation
1 night(s) in hotels
Meals
1 Breakfast(s), 1 Lunch(es)
Day 6 - Machu Picchu
This morning you will catch the IncaRail train, just a short walk from your hotel, to Aguas Calientes - the gateway to Machu Picchu. Upon arrival your private guide will be there to meet you and take you on the shuttle bus up to the archaeological complex. Soak up the atmosphere as our guide brings the site to life with tales of Machu Picchu in its heyday. Later, there will be enough time to explore it at your own pace.
As you will have return IncaRail train tickets, you can make your own way down to Aguas Calientes in time for your transfer back to Cusco where you will be taken back to your hotel.
The evening is then at your leisure.
Included Excursions
Machu Picchu Entrance and Guided Tour
Accommodation
1 night(s) in hotels
Meals
1 Breakfast(s)
Day 7 - Flight to Foz do Iguacu
Early this morning you will be transferred from your hotel to the airport to meet your flight to Foz do Iguacu. On arrival late that night, you will be met and driven to your hotel on the Brazilian side of the falls where once you have checked in, sleep is sure to come easily. The Falls were declared a Natural World Heritage in 1986 by UNESCO. The park has 458,000 acres that borders the Argentinean and Brazilian National Parks and the two countries are divided by the Iguazu River. Together they make this region one of the largest natural protected areas in South America.
Accommodation
1 night(s) in hotels
Meals
1 Breakfast(s)
Day 8 - Half Day Brazilian side of the Falls
Today you will take in the Falls from the Brazilian side as you stroll the 1,200 metres of walkways with your guide and group on this half-day excursion. Walking along, take in the breath-taking views of the 275 waterfalls from a number of different perspectives. The four main rapids on the Brazilian side are: Floriano, Deodoro, Benjamin Constant and Salto Union or The Devil's Throat.
As you come to the end of the path, you can hear the roar and see the spray long before you see the water itself. Prepare to get wet, even from a distance, as the spray travels a long way and watch out for the almost permanent rainbow. The entrance fee for this excursion is also included. The afternoon and evening are at your leisure.
Included Excursions
Iguazu Falls from Argentina
Accommodation
1 night(s) in hotels
Meals
1 Breakfast(s)
Day 9 - Full Day Argentinean side of the Falls and fly to Buenos Aires
Today you will be collected after breakfast to join a group to visit the National Park from the Argentinian side. The Lower Circuit is composed of a trail nearly a mile long that allows you to get close to some of the smaller waterfalls such as the Carlos Bozzetti Waterfall where you can take some great photos.
The Upper Circuit allows you to see the top of the majestic falls on the Argentinian side and you can enjoy a breath-taking panoramic view of the area. The view stretches from the Argentinean falls to San Martin Island and parts of the Brazilian falls. The Ecological Jungle Train takes you up to the Devil's Throat - the largest waterfall in the region. ?As you stand at the top of the impressive altitude of 107 metres, you get a feeling of the incredible power unleashed by millions of gallons of water cascading into space. Thanks to the newly built catwalk, you can get pretty close to this site. The entrance fee for this excursion is included. Afterwards, you will be taken to Puerto Iguazu airport by private vehicle to catch your flight on to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel by private vehicle.
Buenos Aires is an astonishing metropolis that looks a little like Europe, but with a Latin American twist; indeed it is known as the Paris of the Americas. The city's residents, Portenos ("people from the port"), are passionate and friendly. The evening is yours to explore at your own pace
Included Excursions
Iguazu Falls from Brazil
Accommodation
1 night(s) in hotels
Meals
1 Breakfast(s)
Day 10 - Buenos Aires City Tour
Today you will join a group to discover the different barrios that make up the city on a panoramic tour. Once everyone has been collected, you will begin with a drive along 9 de Julio Avenue where you will find the renowned Colón Theatre, as well as the Obelisk which you will see rising high above the porteños below. You will also get a glimpse of the 10-story high portrait of Evita Peron which has been placed on the Health Ministry building as a tribute. The tour will then take you through the luxurious neighbourhood of Palermo, filled with beautiful buildings, all the way to Recoleta. Here, the incredible cemetrey of the same name is the final resting place of the city’s most famous residents with countless stunning mausoleums that range from Art Nouveau to neo-Gothic in style.
Your first stop of the day will be at Plaza de Mayo which is surrounded by historic buildings such as the Casa Rosada, the Cathedral and the City Hall. From here you will continue through the bohemian neighbourhood of San Telmo and on to the famous La Boca Juniors Football Stadium where there will be a stop and you can pay an optional visit inside if you wish.It is then time to make the short transfer to the colourful and iconic barrio of La Boca. This area retains a strong European flavour and you are likely to see Tango performances all around you as you stroll around. Next you will continue along the fashionable Avenida de Mayo and the dynamic Avenida Corrientes to the final stop and end of this trip which is Puerto Madero, a busy gastronomic and entertainment area with many restaurants and bars to choose from.
This evening you will head out to watch Argentina's most famous dance, the passionate and dramatic Tango. Folklore has it that it began in the bordellos of long-ago Buenos Aires as men waiting for their 'ladies' passed time by dancing amongst themselves. Today, tango shows are supremely entertaining with their grand feats of athleticism and you will witness these as you enjoy dinner.
Included Excursions
Half day tour of Buenos Aires,Tango Show
Accommodation
1 night(s) in hotels
Meals
1 Breakfast(s), 1 Dinner(s)
Day 11 - Buenos Aires
The next day is a free day at leisure. If you would like a little time to relax there are many green spaces such as Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve, an 865-acre swath of marshland along the Rio de la Plata. Follow the path from the park's southern entrance and you will soon be surrounded by reeds poking out from ponds which are home to egrets and swans with green parrots squawking overhead.
Accommodation
1 night(s) in hotels
Meals
1 Breakfast(s)
Day 12 - Depart Buenos Aires
Your adventure of a lifetime comes to an end today. If you have a late flight or have lengthened your stay by adding post tour accommodation you will have more time to explore the sights.
At the scheduled time, you will be transferred from your hotel to the airport by private vehicle to meet your onwards flight.
Included Excursions
Departure Transfer
Meals
1 Breakfast(s)
Essential Information
What's Not Included
- Visas and travel insurance
- International flights to/from the start/end of your tour and departure taxes
- Spending money – budget for meals, snacks, drinks, limited souvenirs, laundry, tips and any extras
Enquiry
Prefer to speak to a specialist?
0800 804 8435
Tailor-made Operations Manager
Melita
Why I love this trip
Some of the greatest highlights in South America are included in this itinerary, including bustling cities, ancient history and incredible natural beauty. Contact me to hear how we can personalise this tour to meet your needs.
