South America Essentials

Arrive in Lima
On arrival at the airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

Now the capital of Peru and its largest city, Lima was once called the “City of Kings” by Spanish conquistadors. If you look beyond the urban sprawl, you'll be rewarded with the National Museum's pre-Columbian treasures and Plaza Mayor's colonial splendour.

Exclusive Lima City Tour
Depart this morning on a 5 hour sightseeing tour exploring the most impressive sights of Lima along with some of our handpicked favourites. We will start in Miraflores market, a vibrant place visited by local chefs for its wonderful variety of fresh produce from the coast, the Andes and the Amazon. Take the chance to learn more about Peru’s diversity reflected in the colourful assortment of vegetables, fruits, fish and condiments.

On the way to Lima’s downtown we pass by ‘Huaca Pucllana’ an ancient adobe pyramid structure which served as one of the region’s most important ceremonial temples between the years of 200 AD and 700 AD. We continue to the San Isidro district and visit the impressive ‘El Olivar’ Park before stopping at the Pisco Museum where you have the chance to taste Peru’s national drink, the ‘Pisco Sour’ (optional, not included). Later we visit Lima’s downtown with its historic and traditional buildings: the Presidential Palace, the Cathedral, the Archbishop’s palace and the Metropolitan City Hall surround the Main Square. Continue to San Francisco church and monastery, a 17th century jewel, recognised as a cultural heritage site by UNESCO.

This tour finishes with a guided visit of the Larco Herrera Museum. This is a fabulous private museum with an exquisite collection of gold and silver treasures from ancient Peru. Many pieces in this museum are now world famous after having been exhibited in the best museums around the world.

The remainder of the day is at your leisure to explore the city on your own.

Depart Lima
Our representative will pick you up from your hotel in Lima and transfer you to the airport for your departure flight.

Arrive in Cusco
On arrival at the airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

We suggest that you take it easy today to give yourself the best opportunity to acclimatise to Cusco's altitude. This city is bursting with Andean culture and is one of the great culinary destinations of South America. It also just happens to be the gateway to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, the best-known archaeological site on this vast continent.

Breakfast included.

Cusco City & Nearby Ruins Tour
Your comprehensive city tour in the afternoon includes the beautiful Koricancha, also known as Sun Temple, the Cathedral as well as the Fortress of Sacsayhuaman, a most remarkable Inca building, and the amphitheater of Kenko. Then you drive past Puca Pucara (no stop / no visit), a strategically located 'red fortress' that dominated the entire area before visiting Tambomachay, with its two distinctive aqueducts that to this day continue to provide clean water to the area.

Breakfast included.

Sacred Valley and Aguas Calientes
This morning you will be picked up from your hotel to discover the Sacred Valley of the Incas on this full day excursion. This fertile river valley was home to many important sites for the Incas, both strategic and religious. Your first stop will be the lookout Mirador de Taray, a scenic lookout point offering impressive panoramic views of the Sacred Valley.

Continue on to Pisaq where you will first visit the archaeological complex, the ruins of the fortress of Pisaq which are set high above a valley by patterned fields and rimmed by vast terracing. The stonework and panoramas at Pisac's Inca citadel are magnificent. You will visit the lower part of the complex where the agricultural area and the pre-Hispanic cemetery are located. Afterwards, visit the colourful local market and have free time to search for a souvenir or two before enjoying a typical Andean lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon visit to the fortress of Ollantaytambo where the Temple of the Sun (formed of six gigantic monoliths, whose total weight exceeds 50 tons) and the Terrace of the Ten Niches stand out.

You will be transferred to the local train station where you will catch the scenic afternoon train to Aguas Calientes. On arrival you will be escorted to your hotel by the hotel's staff. Enjoy a free evening and prepare for your early morning visit to Machu Picchu the next day.

*Option to add a night in the Sacred Valley and continue to Machu Picchu early tomorrow, giving you the opportunity to enjoy 2 visits to Machu Picchu.

Breakfast and Lunch included.

Machu Picchu Tour
Early this morning you will be greeted by your guide who will assist you onto the shuttle bus to the citadel’s entrance. For centuries, Machu Picchu remained undiscovered by the Spaniards until American explorer Hiram Bingham found it in 1911. On a guided tour, you'll experience the site's unique location and ingenious construction, making it one of the seven new wonders of the world.

Your Machu Picchu ticket (Circuit 2A Classic) provides access to the classic circuit, which encompasses both the agricultural and urban sectors of the site. Along the route, you'll encounter iconic landmarks such as the Inca quarry, the Sun Temple lookout point, the Sacred Stone, the storages known as Qolqas, the Temple of the Condor, and the Guard House.

At the proper time, walk on your own to the local train station in Aguas Calientes (close to artisanal market) and take the train back to Ollantaytambo where our local representative is waiting to transfer you to Cusco. In case you have left any luggage in the hotel in the Sacred Valley, it will be picked up on route.

Highest Elevation: 2,430m/ 7,972 ft
Lowest Elevation: 2,040m/ 6,692 ft
Approximate time of Visit: 2 hours

Please note:
• Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu must be purchased in advance. Priority will be given to issuing tickets for Circuit #2A (Classic). If no spaces are available, Circuit #2B (Lower Terrace) or Circuit #3B (Royalty Route) will be selected instead.
• If you wish to see multiple circuits during your visit, you must purchase a second entry ticket.
• If you wish to include a trek to Huayna Picchu, Machu Picchu Mountain or Huchuy Picchu, you will need an extra ticket. Please ask us.
• To see the different circuit options, please visit https://eclipsetravel.co.nz/machu-picchu-visitor-information/

Breakfast included.

Depart
Our representative will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your departure flight.

Arrive in Buenos Aires
On arrival at the airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

Buenos Aires, capital of the Republic of Argentina and the country's largest city, is undeniably one of Latin America's hottest destinations. Located on the shores of the Rio de la Plata, the city's combination of European architecture and the passion of its people – the porteños (people of the port) – work together to create a colourful and dynamic modern city.

Breakfast included.

San Telmo and La Boca City Tour
This morning's excursion will introduce you to the magic of the Argentine capital. After being picked up from your hotel we start with a visit of 'San Telmo', the oldest barrio (neighbourhood) of Buenos Aires which is famous for its historic architecture, tango parlours and antique shops. We take our time and wander through the cobblestone streets learning about the history of the area and seeing its sights including its impressive old churches and its abundance of colourful street art.

We leave San Telmo and the tour continues past the many architectural highlights of Buenos Aires including the Palace of Justice, the Argentine National Congress building, the 'Cabildo (old town hall) and the presidential palace 'Casa Rosada' (pink house).

Next we visit ‘La Boca', the most picturesque of all neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires. This extravagant zone is completely different to the old and to the modern Buenos Aires and romantic stories tell us that tango was born in this working class area. We wander its famous street “Caminito” where you will have the chance to view the spectacle of impromptu tango dancing, street performers and have the chance to buy some local handicrafts.

On our way back to your hotel we pass through the newly restored Puerto Madero area where you can choose to be dropped off at for a nice meal by the waterfront. The remainder of the afternoon is at your leisure with the chance to visit some of Buenos Aires' many great museums or do some shopping.

Dinner & Tango Show
Tango expresses the heart and spirit of Argentina and no visit to Buenos Aires would be complete without it. This evening you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to La Ventana where you will experience the intimacy of this dance in equally intimate surrounds while you indulge in delicious Argentinean cuisine. At the end of the show you will be taken back to your hotel.

*Before the show you have the option of arriving before the others and taking a short tango lesson with a professional dancer or a wine tasting. This comes at an additional cost but if you would like to book either of these please let your consultant know.

You will be picked up from your hotel and taken back at the end of the tour along other passengers. We suggest to upgrade to a private transfer as the pick ups and drop offs could take a considerable time.

Breakfast and Dinner included.

Recoleta & Palermo City Tour
This morning you will further discover what makes Buenos Aires great as we explore its better known and sophisticated districts; Palermo and Recoleta. We start with a drive through Recoleta with its open green spaces mixed in with elegant boutique shopping, cafés, embassies and impressive architecture. We visit such landmarks as the Pilar Church and Evita Monument before taking a short walk through the Recoleta cemetery where Evita's tomb can be found.

We continue on to Palermo which is Buenos Aires' largest neighbourhood, and also its trendiest. Here you will walk the streets which are full of beautiful parks, hip boutique hotels, chic restaurants and bars, and high fashion stores. Throughout the morning your knowledgeable guide will give you an insight into local life and excellent local cuisine and on completion of the tour you will have the option of being dropped off at an excellent restaurant for lunch or being taken back to your hotel.

* Please note entry to Recoleta Cemetery is an additional cost for foreign visitors. Entry during the tour is optional.

Breakfast included.

Depart Buenos Aires
Our representative will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport.

Arrive in Puerto Iguazú
On arrival at the airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

Iguazu Falls is widely recognised as one of the world's most impressive natural wonders boasting more than 250 falls, some of which reach to heights of over 60 metres.

Breakfast included.

Argentinean Falls Tour
In the morning you'll be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Iguazu National Park. From the entrance, a small train will take you on a tour of the park. On the first of two stops you'll follow pathways to the top of the Cataratas (“The Falls”) where you'll have a spectacular view of the falls and their surrounding scenery including an abundance of orchids, colourful birds and other native wildlife. The second stop occurs at La Garganta del Diablo (“The Devil's Throat”), the largest fall in the park and also the highlight of the tour. A suspended platform at the brink of the fall allows for a startlingly close view of this breathtaking natural wonder.

At the end of the tour you will be taken back to your hotel.

*For those who want a little more adventure, we recommend the Great Adventure Boat Tour, which enables you to gain a different perspective as you cruise on a motorboat underneath the falls.

Breakfast included.

Brazilian Falls Tour & Transfer to Airport
On the way to the airport, you will enjoy a tour of the Brazilian side of the falls. Here, you'll watch as 14 separate waterfalls drop with such force that a tall cloud of mist stays permanently suspended overhead. Great photo opportunities abound, however, raincoats are highly advisable!

Arrive in Rio de Janeiro
On arrival at the airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel.

Golden beaches and lush mountains, samba-fueled nightlife and spectacular football matches, Rio is sure to be one of the highlights of your South American adventure. This evening you are at your leisure. We recommend trying a local churrasco (Brazilian BBQ) for dinner.

Breakfast included.

Corcovado tour & Santa Teresa
Leave the hotel in the direction of the Cosme Velho neighborhood to board the train, which will take us up the beautiful mountainside before arriving at the feet of Christ the Redeemer, one of the seven "New Wonders of the World," located 2,300ft above sea level. There will be available time here to enjoy the most famous panoramic view of Rio de Janeiro, also known as the "Marvelous City."

From here, drive to the tram station to embark on a tour through Santa Teresa, a traditional neighborhood located high up on the city's hills, overlooking downtown and Guanabara Bay. Home to several Twentieth-century mansions, cultural houses, galleries, and gourmet restaurants, Santa Teresa's charming cobbled streets are also a haven for local artists and intellectuals.
Next, stop by Ruins Park ('Parque das Ruínas') to enjoy a spectacular view of Rio de Janeiro. Afterward, the Chácara do Céu Museum has a fascinating Brazilian and European art collection, highlighting Portinari, Di Cavalcanti, Matisse, and Modigliani.

The tour continues to Selaron staircase and Largo do Guimarães, considered the heart of the neighbourhood, with several bars and restaurants. After this tour, guests will certainly feel as though they know a little more about the history and culture of Rio de Janeiro.

Duration: approximately 6 hours.
Days of operation of Museums and Parks:
- Chacara do Ceu Museum from Wednesdays to Mondays, between 12 pm and 5 pm. Closed on Jan 01st, Dec 25th, and 31st.
- Ruins Park from Tuesdays to Sundays, between 9 am and 6 pm.

Breakfast included.

Half Day Sugar Loaf Mountain
Over a million tourists every year visit the world famous Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain), which has become an iconic symbol of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Rising up from a small peninsula at the entrance of Guanabara Bay, its name is said to refer to its resemblance to the traditional shape of concentrated, refined sugarloaf. A cable car takes passengers to the top of Urca Hill, which rises 215 metres above sea level and offers spectacular views of the entire bay and its islands. From Urca Hill, passengers continue in a second cable car to the top of Sugarloaf, which rises 395 metres above sea level and offers a 360-degree view of the entire city, including Botafogo and Copacabana Beaches, Corcovado and downtown Rio.

Breakfast included.

Depart Rio
Our representative will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport.

Breakfast included.