15 – Day – Round Trip (overnight stay with half board) – with Hiking Days

 From BUENOS AIRES to RIO DE JANEIRO,...

 (including Buenos Aires – Montevideo – Punta del Este and the cities of  Porto Alegre – Gramado – Canela – Praia Grande, situated in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, which borders with Uruguay, as well as a 4 day stay in the mountain pousada “Morada dos Canyons”, above Praia Grande with hikes in and
on top of the biggest canyon in Brazil, -
 
To top it off,  3 days in Rio De Janeiro

In the price of EURO 2240 per person dbl/occupancy .. sgl/room surcharge EURO 430
are included all of the following services,

                                                                     -   the ship crossing from Buenos Aires to Montevideo

-   the 2 flights within the round trip : (Montevideo – Porto Alegre

-  and Porto Alegre   – Rio de Janeiro) -  

     - as well as English speaking guides during the entire trip,…

     This trip is offered to travel groups starting with 4 persons.
If there is an interest to do this trip with fewer participants, please enter in contact with us to negotiate respective conditions.  

Description of the trip:

 Day 1: arrival and reception in Buenos Aires and transfer to a 3 star hotel in the center of downtown. In the afternoon and respectively in the evening: City stroll,…

    Supper in a typical restaurant in the center of the Metropolis on the Rio de la Plata

5 nights/half board

Day 2: City tour through this Metropolis on the Rio de la Plata (silver river!) which was founded mainly by Spanish and Italian immigrants, and is dominated today by the Tango. We will pass through the districts of SAN TELMO, the heart of the Tango city, LA BOCA, the picturesque quarter on the port of  Puerto Medero – with the famous soccer stadium La Boca, and afterwards take a stroll across the extensive arts and handicrafts market of Recoleta. After supper – Tango show in the Café Tortini, the most traditional “Tango Locale” of this 2 and a half million city. Stroll on the grand avenidas “9 de Julio” and “de Mayo” and the “Calle Corientes” the splendiferous street that never sleeps, here at its crossing stands the city’s landmark, a gigantic obelisk. Elegant shops, Architecture and restaurants have always been the main drawing point for the South Americans, who appreciate the “almost European lifestyle” which is so evident here.

Day 3: Tour in the “Tigre” river delta and return train trip to Buenos Aires….

During this tour through some of the countless tributaries, you will get to know the extensive weekend and vacation region of the inhabitants of Buenos Aires. The afternoon is off,…we will gladly furnish you with suggestions and ideas how to spend it.

Dinner in a very traditional and wonderful restaurant near the hotel.

 Day 4: In the morning you will get to know the Avenida Florida, in the center of town, which is known in all of South America for its shops with an unbelievable varied range of  merchandise, at very reasonable prices. The afternoon at your disposal.
Supper.. with Tangoshow.   

Day 5: All day tour: Tour “Pampa”…Estancia with presentations of the Gauchos, including lunch. You will be brought
to a large “Estancia” (ranch) by bus, for a big traditional Gaucho bar-be-cue, while folkloric dances and music are presented.
Afterwards you will be entertained with
artistic riding skills of the Gauchos.
 

 Day 6: Transfer to the port for the crossing toMontevideo with a catamaran, transfer to a good 3 star hotel in the center of Montevideo,
the capital of Uruguay, on the Rio de la Plata.
The incomparable breakfast is served with a large variety of specialities.

 2 nights/half board

In the afternoon, a city tour through the city that was originally built to be a fortress, you will visit, the amongst others, the picturesque old town, the “Ciudad Vieja”, exclusive suburbs with luxurious mansions and then along many beautiful beaches which in the most part are bathed by sweet water furnished by the Iguaçu, Parana and Uruguay rivers. From here the waters mix more and more with the saltwater of the ocean, until they reach the South Atlantic after a 130 km voyage.

Supper again in a typical restaurant near the hotel.

 Day 7: After breakfast: a day tour along the coast of the Rio de la Plata, which is, with its widest breadth of 220 km
the widest river in the world, to Punta del Este:

                                                                              

This sophisticated city at the estuary mouth of the Rio de la Plata and the South Atlantic, with its blue ocean water and enormous Yacht club, is the center of attraction for the international Jet Set, which has settled here in districts which consist only of luxurious mansions.

During the approximately 3 hour tour, with breaks , for example above Piriapolis, - a popular seaside resort amongst the Uruguayans - , we will see wonderful beaches and visit, about 40 km from Punta del Este, on a hilltop, the Pueblo-House of  Carlos Pâez Vilaró, Uruguay’s most important, living artist, who is a personal friend of  Pablo Picasso, by whom he was immensely influenced. Here he presents his life work in form of paintings, sculptures, ceramics and architecture.

Supper in a bar-be-cue restaurant near the hotel
 
                                                    
                                                                    

Day 8: Transfer to the airport for the flight to Porto Alegre (the Brazilian state capital of  Rio Grande do Sul) from where we will take an interesting drive to Gramado, which was founded mostly by German immigrants, in the coastal range above the South Atlantic. On route we will make a short stop for a small snack with a “German immigrant family” which is settled here since three generations. Gramado is known and popular in all of Brazil for its folkloric festivals in South German life style, customs and traditions. Film festivals are held each year and during Christmas and for some time after, the city is beautifully decorated like a fairy tale book.

We will spend the night in the neighboring city Canela , somewhat smaller – and especially popular during the Brazilian winters (June-Oct.), also a very popular destination for Brazilian vacationers. In the afternoon we will visit various nature attractions of this region:

,…approximately 6 miles from Canela ..in the state park of “Caracol” we will visit the 139 meter high “Cascata do Caracol” waterfall –

We will see the famous 700 year old aurakaria tree “Pinheiro Grosso”,

..will glide through the “park of the enchanted forest” on a teleferic gondola, the “Parque Floresta Encantada de Canela”, where we will have a breath taking front view of  the waterfall.

Supper in a typical restaurant

1 night/half board

Day 9: After breakfast…exists the possibility for a 2 hour hike along the 420 meter wide canyon above the river “Rio Santa Cruz”,…in the “Parque da Ferradura”, the horse shoe park, before the drive begins through the mountainous country side to the region of the canyons of the Aparado mountains, arriving late afternoon. The mountain pousada “Morada dos Canyons” is located here and with its unique location gives us fantastic vistas of the surrounding hills and canyons.

 In the plain to the feet of the mountains, towards the sea, are immense rice plantations.
Supper at the pousada.

3 nights/half board

Day 10: After breakfast you will (daily, except Mondays and Tuesdays!!) go on a 4-5 hour hike (without great differences of altitude) above the “Itambezinho” canyon, accompanied by an experienced local guide. You will have many breathtaking vistas of the canyon and its waterfalls which reach a height of up to 130 meters. In this spectacular exemplary nature reserve you can still find remnants of the from extinction threatened “Aurakarie trees”, an ancient South American stone pine species.

Supper at the pousada.

 Day 11: After breakfast you will take part on a 3 hour hike along the riverbed of  a canyon until you reach a natural pool which is filled by a cascading waterfall. Here you can take a refreshing bath.

Supper at the pousada .

Day 12: After breakfast you will be driven down to the coastal plain, to the highway which takes you to the airport of Porto Alegre, in a 3 hour drive. The flight duration to Rio de Janeiro is 2 hours. Arrival and transfer to the modern 3 star hotel Martinique Copacabana, 150 feet from the beach promenade Avenida Atlantica.
Supper in a Churrasco (bar-be-cue) restaurant on the Avenida N.S. Copacabana

3 nights/half board

Day 13: After a tropical breakfast city tour through the “Cidade Maravilhosa”,…the wonderful city on the Guanabara Bay, which was mistaken for a river by the Portuguese discoverers, who sailed into the bay in January, 1501. (the river of January = rio de Janeiro). We will show you in 2-3 hour walking tour the historical CENTRO,.. from where the colonization began 440 years ago,.. with its many historical buildings and famous landmarks.

 Lunch in a restaurant in the center of town.

In the afternoon we will take you to the 710 meter high Corcovado, on which the Christ the Redeemer Statue was erected in the 20’s of the last century. The 31 meter high Jesus blesses with his outstretched arms the 7 million city and its visitors.

OPTIONAL: we offer the possibility of a visit to a Samba show in the evening at the famous “Plataforma”,.. somewhat touristical, but nevertheless a good variety show with an accent on samba, but also with folkloric exhibitions, music and carnival  costumes from various regions of Brazil.

Day 14: After a tropical breakfast we will drive you along the beaches, of this city which stretches for 74 km from east to west. You will see the world famous beaches of “Barra da Tijuca” with its modern architecture,..São Conrado – where the hang gliders jump off the “Pedra Bonita” for a 20 minute flight down to the beach, drive along Avenida Niemeyer, high above the ocean, blasted out of solid rock, to Leblon and Ipanema, the exclusive district of Rio de Janeiro, and reach Copacabana,...the 4 km long beach with its unique geographical location,
where your hotel is located!

Today you will ride up to the top of the Sugar Loaf with the cable car,.. to have an impressive view of  Copacabana – Botafogo – Flamengo – the Supper in a restaurant in Copacabana.

               

Day 15: Free time until departure for the airport,.. we will gladly give you suggestions and ideas what you can do in this free time! (e.g. Visit of the botanical garden,..or a trip on the ferry across the Guanabara bay to Niteroi with its 500,00 inhabitants, or a trip to the world largest soccer stadium, the Maracana,…etc.