Best of Argentina and Brazil

8 days 7 nights

Buenos Aires – Iguassu – Rio de Janeiro

Argentina - the second biggest state of South America, has a surface of 2.8 million square kilometres. The country has 33 million inhabitants and nearly half of them live in the surroundings of Buenos Aires , one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the world. Argentina is a fascinating land of contrasts where the exceptional is almost commonplace. It’s home to an abundant wildlife, enjoys a unique culture, and delights in an astonishing variety of landscapes from tropical rain forest in the north to the remote vastness of the Antarctic in the South. Three big landscapes form the country: the Andes in the west, the northern and western flatland as well as the wide plains of Patagonia in the South. The country that is stretched in length has three climatic zones: tropic in the north, moderate in the centre and polar in the extreme South. The Indian aborigines only live in the north-western Andean region and in the north-east province of Misiones . The rest of the population is mainly composed of European immigrants. The official language is Spanish, but in bigger towns English is also quite common.

Brazil - with this term one associates endless Amazon jungle, wonderful beaches, Rio de Janeiro, carnival and samba. This is all correct but in reality, Brazil is much more, a huge country of the superlatives. Brazil, a country of immense proportions and contrasts, has a mysterious attraction for many people. With a surface of 8,5 million km², Brazil is approximately as big as Europe and covers half of the South American continent. The climate changes from the permanent warm, tropic north over all sub tropic variants to the moderate South. Since the 16th century - when Portuguese have begun to settle in the country - Brazil had always a magic attraction on foreigners. First there was the gold and then rubber and coffee and today it is above all the rhythm and the exotic that attracts tourists. People over there show a lot of happiness, kindness and spontaneity. The biggest country of South America is a mirror of fascinating pictures.

Day 01 – Saturday     Buenos Aires

 ü        Meals: None

ü        Transfer international airport - hotel in Buenos Aires

ü        Half day city tour (3h)

 Upon arrival in Buenos Aires transfer from the airport to the hotel.

  Buenos Aires - is not only the capital of Argentina ; it is also one of the 10 most important metropolises in the world and the centre of the political, economic and intellectual life of the country. This cosmopolitan city - with great European cultural influence - displays a refined taste in its cooking, in its ”boutiques” and in the elegance of its inhabitants. Almost 12 million people live there and can enjoy the plentiful night life visiting ”tango” bars, cabarets, discotheques, restaurants or eternally open bars. During the day, a wide variety of attractions is offered: museums, art galleries, tasteful shops, fascinating antiques, large green areas, parks, wide tree lined boulevards, clubs and sporting events. The Italian-Spanish descent of the inhabitants has formed this modern metropolis. Feel the flair, above all in the Italian old quarter La Boca and in the wide streets with cafes from the turn of the century. At the Plaza de Mayo, in the political centre of town, is the starting point of this tour through this exciting capital. The widest street of the world, the very famous opera house and also the shopping street Florida make Buenos Aires unforgettable.

 In the afternoon you will visit the most important sites during a city tour. You will drive to the Plaza de Mayo, with the Casa Rosada, the pink house, seat of the government, the Cabildo (town hall) and the Metropolitan Cathedral, home of the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. The tour goes onto the district San Telmo. Until 1888 this part of the city was a river port, today San Telmo is one of the most modern and desired places to live in Buenos Aires.

The worker district La Boca is famous for its colourful tin-houses and its history as living district of Italian seamen and dock workers in the 19th century. The Barrio Norte called Recoleta is the quarter of the rich of Buenos Aires . On the cemetery of Recoleta one will find the grave of Eva Duarte who became famous as Evita Perón. Continue along the widest avenue in the world, the Avenida 9 de Julio, to the Plaza Lavalle with the Federal Court of Justice and the Teatro Colón, to Palermo with its parks and gardens. Return to the hotel.

 Middle Class:

Overnight at Hotel De Las Americas 3* or similar (standard room)

 Comfort Class:

Overnight at Hotel Intersur Recoleta 4* or similar (standard room)

Day 02 - Sunday                                                                                                      Buenos Aires

ü        Meals: Buffet breakfast

ü        Day at leisure

Middle Class:

Overnight at Hotel De Las Americas 3* or similar (standard room)

Comfort Class:

Overnight at Hotel Intersur Recoleta 4* or similar (standard room)

Day 03 - Monday                                                                                                      Buenos Aires

ü        Meals: Buffet breakfast

ü        Half day Tigre Tour (4h, regular seat-in basis)

Today you will enjoy a half day Tigre Tour. Drive along the Northern residential districts of the city, until getting to San Isidro , a colonial and aristocratic area. You will see the mansions and houses in front of the River Plate. You will continue the driving to Tigre , a charming area near Buenos Aires city where a great number of summer residences, yacht clubs and rowing clubs attract the week-end activity of many “porteños”.

The Tigre Delta with its rivers, streams and numerous green islands is one of the most attractive areas for visitors. The continuous sediment of the Paraná River , which gives the river and estuary their particular brownish-red colour, forms the Delta islands.

Enjoy a boat excursion (1 hour) along the innumerable channels of the Paraná-Delta to see some of the hundreds of islands covered with luxuriant vegetation.

Drive back to the city via the Panamericana highway.

Middle Class:

Overnight at Hotel De Las Americas 3* or similar (standard room)

Comfort Class:

Overnight at Hotel Intersur Recoleta 4* or similar (standard room)

Day 04 - Tuesday                                                                                   Buenos Aires – Iguassu

ü        Meals: Buffet breakfast

ü        Transfer hotel – domestic airport Buenos Aires

ü        Flight Buenos Aires - Iguassu (not included)

ü        Visit Argentinean side of the falls

ü        Transfer to hotel

 Transfer to the domestic airport for the flight to Iguassu .

 Iguassu - the area's major landmark is undoubtedly the magnificent IGUASSU FALLS, the world's largest, formed by the Iguassu River which rises in Curitiba on the East and winds westward along 1,320 km through Parana State. Fifteen kilometres before joining the Parana River , the Iguassu overcomes an abrupt uneven ground and then, amidst an exuberant forest, hurls itself into 275 falls that cascade over a u-shaped precipice 2,700 meters wide, from an average height of 60 meters .

At the other side Brazil displays 800 meter long falls. From both sides the view is superb, at any time of the year. The Falls have been declared by UNESCO Humankind Patrimony.

 Upon arrival in Iguassu pick-up at the airport and transfer to the Argentinean National Park towards the Argentinean side of the falls.

You will make a short stop at the Visitor’s Centre and proceed from there along the Inferior Circuit, the down-river falls, to the Superior Circuit, the up-river cascades. The Ecological Jungle Train leads you to the most impressive observation point of the falls – The Devil´s Throat. After visit transfer to the hotel on the Brazilian side of the falls.

 Middle Class:

Overnight at Hotel Recanto Park 3* or similar (standard room)

 Comfort Class:

Overnight at Hotel Mabu Foz 4* or similar (master room)

Day 05 - Wednesday                                                                                                        Iguassu

 ü        Meals: Buffet breakfast

ü        Visit the Brazilian falls

In the morning visit of the Brazilian side of the falls. Walking along the paths following cascades and then along the catwalk that leads very close to the bottom of the Devil’s Throat to enjoy magnificent views.

Take an elevator to go up to the road in order to board the coach which will bring back to the hotel.

 Middle Class:

Overnight at Hotel Recanto Park 3* or similar (standard room)

 Comfort Class:

Overnight at Hotel Mabu Foz 4* or similar (master room)

Day 06 - Thursday                                                                                Iguassu – Rio de Janeiro

 ü        Meals: Buffet breakfast

ü        Transfer hotel - airport

ü        Flight Iguassu – Rio de Janeiro (not included)

ü        Transfer airport - hotel

 Transfer from the hotel to the airport for the flight to Rio de Janeiro .

  Rio de Janeiro founded in 1556, the city of St. Sebastian of Rio de Janeiro became the capital of the Colony of Brazil in 1776. In 1808 the Portuguese royal family fled Napoleon and settled in Rio . This brought a surge of progress and the city became the main cultural, political and economic centre of the Portuguese empire. In 1889, when the republic was proclaimed, Rio was confirmed as the country's capital, which it remained until 1960, when the construction of the new capital, Brasilia , was founded.

Rio is situated in a 15-mile-strip of land, wedged between mountains and sea. There are some thirty miles separating downtown Flamengo, from far-flung Recreio, bordered on one side by the blue sea, on the other by verdant hills. Between them lies a colourful state of mind called CARIOCA, with almost 8 million locals who samba their way through life, relaxed and high-spirited.

That is just the way it should be in Rio , surrounded by natural beauty on all sides, with Christ the Redeemer perched on top of Corcovado blessing the city and Sugar Loaf, one of the most famous postcards of our country.

 Arrival in Rio and transfer to the hotel.

 Middle Class:

Overnight at Hotel Windsor Plaza Copacabana 3-4* or similar (superior room)

 Comfort Class:

Overnight at Hotel Windsor Excelsior Copacabana 4* or similar (superior room)

Day 07 - Friday                                                                                                      Rio de Janeiro

    ü       Meals: Buffet breakfast

ü        Half day city tour incl. Sugar loaf

 Downtown is the business heart of Rio . It is a part of the city where colonial Rio meets modern skyscrapers. Passing through Rio Branco Avenue , you will see the Candelaria Church , which was started being built in the late 18th century and was completed in 1898. The headquarter of major Brazilian banks and commercial enterprises is located on this avenue. You will also see the Opera House (Teatro Municipal) and the Carioca Square , the church of Santo Antonio built in the 17^th century as well as the contrast of the modern buildings such as Petrobras and the Cathedral. Moreover you will get to know Rio 's aqueduct built in the 18th century which is nowadays connecting downtown to Santa Teresa district, an old residential area. Afterwards you will drive through one of the highlights of this tour: the Flamengo Park from where you have the chance to see already the top highlight of this tour, the Sugar Loaf. This famous mountain reached by a cable car 1,200 feet high, will give you an experience you will never forget: looking down at Rio from top of the Sugar Loaf is one of the most spectacular views in the world.

Rest of the day at leisure – the following optional tours can be booked at our local SAT office:

Middle Class:

Overnight at Hotel Windsor Plaza Copacabana 3-4* or similar (superior room)

Comfort Class:

Overnight at Hotel Windsor Excelsior Copacabana 4* or similar (superior room)

Day 08 - Saturday                                                                                                 Rio De Janeiro

 ü        Meals: Buffet breakfast

ü        Transfer hotel - airport

 Transfer to the airport and return flight home.

Dates

January 17, February 28, March 14, May 2, 23, June 13, July 11, August 22, October 3, 17, November 21, 28

Price

                                                                                                      Double                    Single

 Seat-in-coach rates from 2 pax on:

 Valid from January until December 2015:

Middle Class hotels

per person                                                                               $1449 pp        $2119                  

Comfort Class hotels

Members deduct $15 per person

*Rates are not valid during Carnival, Easter, Christmas, New Year, public holidays, congresses and events!

The following fees are included in the package rate and are subject to change without prior notice:

Brazil :

Sugar Loaf entrance fee                                                           USD    28,00 per person

Iguaçu National Park Brazil                                                       USD    26,50 per person

Iguassu National Park Argentina                                              USD    27,00 per person

Price Information - Flights

Additional airfares - SAT is not responsible for any changes made by the airlines and the resulting costs (i.e. airfares, schedule changes, cancellations, taxes, fuel- and other charges). Airfares can only be guaranteed upon ticketing and may vary with the number of passengers. Airport taxes are subject to change.

The airfares given below are only valid for groups with a minimum of 10 passengers. For groups with less than 10 passengers, airfares may be higher.

AEP/IGR + IGU/GIG

January – December 2015:

 With long haul carrier LA, IB, JJ:

per person  $418 including airport taxes

With other long haul carrier, except TP, UX, AR, AV, TA, CM, DL, DE, S3, NK, 2K:

 per person $520 including airport taxes

With long haul carriers TP, UX, AR, AV, TA, CM, DL, DE, S3, NK, 2K:

 per person $622 including airport taxes

Attention:

·          In order to grant special conditions for long-haul flights with LA, IB, JJ it is mandatory to receive the international ticket number on time. 

·          In order to issue the tickets it is mandatory to receive the INTERNATIONAL TICKET NUMBER latest 6 weeks prior arrival!

Even if you are traveling standby, ticket numbers need to be provided.  If you can not provide ticket number, we can not provide the air.  This is a mandatory requirement.

Pre-night and transfer in Buenos Aires :

Valid from January until December 2015:

(rates for November/December 2015 are subject to changes)

When the additional night(s) are booked via SAT, the transfer on arrival day is included in the roundtrip rate from 2 persons on. In case further transfers are needed, the following costs will apply:

 Transfer airport EZE/Hotel or Hotel/airport EZE (one way):

Basis 1                   $140

Basis 2                   $72 pp

Basis 3/4                 $77 pp

 Post-night and transfer in Rio de Janeiro :

 Valid from January until December 2015:

NOT valid during New Years, Carnival, Winner's Parade, National Holidays, Congresses & Special Events

When the additional night(s) are booked via SAT, the transfer on departure day is included in the roundtrip rate from 2 persons on. In case further transfers are needed, the following costs will apply:

Transfer airport GIG/Hotel or Hotel/airport GIG (one way):

Basis 1        $134

Basis 2         $66 pp

Basis 3         $66 pp

Basis 4          $50 pp

Members deduct $10 per person Double