We depart from the hotel for our half day city tour which will include 9 de Julio Ave, the widest avenue in the world, the famous Colon Opera House, and the Obelisk, commemorating the first founding of the city in 1536. We shall also see Government House, the Metropolitan Cathedral with the Mausoleum of General San Martin, Argentina's greatest national hero and the Cabildo, the colonial town hall built in 1751. We drive to La Boca, the typically Italian district where the first Italian immigrants settled and 'Caminito' street. The tour continues to Recoleta district to visit the Recoleta Cemetery where the famous are laid to rest, including Eva Peron. The coach will return to the hotel after lunch at Puerto Madero and there will be plenty of time to explore the Sunday markets or just relax.
Tonight we shall be entertained at a Dinner and Tango Show: “Esquina de Carlos Gardel”, where we wine & dine at a unique venue offering a floor show sketching the history of popular Argentine music. 

OPTIONS:  Today we can either relax or choose one the following activities that are included in the tour cost. (B)

*Full Day Tour of Tigre & San Isidro including Delta Cruise & lunch
This full day tour takes you through the elegant northern riverside suburbs of Vicente Lopez, Olivos, where the President's Residence is located, San Isidro and its gothic Cathedral and San Fernando before reaching Tigre. On departure from the hotel you will be taken to Maipu station in Olivos and board the coastal train. The train rides along the river coast through one of the most elegant areas on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. On arrival in San Isidro, you will visit the Cathedral and then head onto Tigre, a charming city with many rowing, canoeing and yacht clubs, summer residences and restaurants by the riverside. The tour continues aboard a typical motor boat along the Paran River Delta (1 hour cruise). The Delta is 220 square kilometres in size and small islands and numerous streams spread throughout the area. The nearby Lujan, Sarmiento, Tigre and San Antonio rivers are all part of this excursion. The tour returns along the Panamericana Highway.

*Tango Lesson at Mansion Dandi Royal
You will be picked up and taken to the Mansion Dandi Royal. You will then enter the "Academia del Tango", a Tango dance school, where accomplished and well known argentine Tango dancers will introduce you to the fine art of Tango in a 1 hour lesson.  Held at "salon de Tango", a typical Tango ballroom, where you can dance on an original 1925 wooden floor that will give you the feeling of the golden times of Tango. And above all a unique experience in the magic and seduction of Tango, a journey through time one hundred years back, to the days when the Tango was danced in every corner of San Telmo. The tour includes a 1 hour lesson.

*Full Day Fiesta Gaucha at Cina Cina Ranch & lunch
This excursion will visit one of the Gaucho Farms (Argentine cowboys). The tour will take you out of the city of Buenos Aires and into the Pampas (countryside) to spend a day on a Gaucho farm. This lovely full day excursion is a unique opportunity to have close contact with an Argentine Gaucho, their traditional music and dances, and take part in a real gaucho festival. The party is held at a beautiful country residence, on an old ranch and the day is filled with hayrides, horseback riding and a typical "asado criollo"(barbecue) with wine followed by a folklore show featuring the traditional music and dances and a gaucho skills demonstration.

We transfer to the airport for our flight to Iguazu Falls. The Iguazu Falls is the region of great rivers, humid tropics, red earth and magnificent jungle. The deep flowing waters of the river fall from heights of 70 metres through 275 falls spread over 2.7 kms. The frontier with Brazil goes through the Garganta del Diablo ( Devil's Throat) where the falling water gives the illusion of magic rainbows. The national park is full of exotic subtropical vegetation which surrounds the falls and has 2000 plant species - gigantic trees, ferns, lianas, orchids - 400 birds species - parrots, colibris, toucans - jaguars and yacares (caimans). A visit to these falls is a truly unforgettable experience. Our accommodation for the next two nights is at the Sheraton International Iguazu Resort in falls view rooms where we can relax with dinner.

After breakfast we shall take a short nature hike and then return for lunch. After a short rest, we visit the home of local Amazonian residents (“caboclos”). Close to the lodge is the Primate Rehabilitation Centre, a project sponsored by the Live Forest Foundation whose main goal is to return to the forest monkeys and wildlife. Again we enjoy dinner at the lodge. 

Our full day tour begins after breakfast and takes us to the Meeting of the Waters. This is a relaxing day enjoying the views along the river banks from our Amazon river boat.

We shall transfer to the airport for our flight to Rio de Janeiro. In the early 16th century, the Portuguese first arrived at the site where Rio de Janeiro now stands.  What they found was a still-watered bay surrounded by a plentiful and lovely landscape. It was love at first sight. The Portuguese promptly built a fortress at the entrance of the bay to ward off those attracted to their tropical paradise, which they called Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro. By 1768 Rio had developed and grown to such an extent that the government was transferred from the previous capital, Salvador. Rio was then, as now, a city of intensive trading activities. Its primary asset, Guanabara Bay was not just a beautiful landmark, but also a natural port through which the gold and diamonds, mined in the neighbouring Minas Gerais Mountains, flowed. The gems, used to adorn the ladies of the Portuguese Court, and rare sugar cane, were important commodities in the European markets of this time. When King Joao VI of Portugal landed in Rio in 1808 along with his court and entire entourage, he fell in love with what he saw and experienced, and subsequently helped Rio to become one of the most important political centres in Brazilian history. Brazil achieved independence from Portugal in 1822 and became an empire. Some years later in 1889, the city of Rio enthusiastically witnessed the Proclamation of the Republic of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro has evolved continuously since, remaining a centre for business and the arts while becoming one of the world’s most dynamic cities.  At the airport we will be met and transferred to the Sofitel Hotel, or similar, for the next four nights.

Today is a day of leisure. Just head to the beach, the shops or relax by the pool at the hotel.

OPTIONAL: Tropical Island tour.
After approximately a one-hour trip, the bus arrives in Itacuruçá where the schooner will depart for a full-day cruise around Rio's Tropical Islands. White sands, palms and clear water are just part of this paradise inviting you to relax and enjoy. This area is known for being one of the best places for diving and fishing in Brazil, and if you are lucky you may also see a few dolphins having fun on the waters. This optional tour includes lunch which will be on a private Island where you may also be able to spot interesting birds and animals. There are also many other activities and tours to enjoy while in Rio.

We farewell the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro this morning and travel by air to Lima. Lima is situated in the coastal desert district between the Pacific Ocean and the western hills of the Andes mountains. Lima runs at a slower pace than many South American metropolises; its rhythm is more traditional and its people reflect a steadier, calmer constitution. Lima's physical atmosphere is slightly dreamlike, mostly because of the garua, a mist that settles over the city between May and October. Several museums display and preserve Peru's golden past, including most notably the internationally famed Museo Nacional de Antropologica y Arqueologica and the Museo de Oro, the stunning museum of Gold. Every part of Lima has its own unique atmosphere. Downtown Lima is crowded and busy, both modern and colonial at the same time. The Plaza Mayor is considered one of the most beautiful plazas in Latin America. The other heart of Lima is the uptown shopping and business area, Miraflores, where our hotel is located. Our next two nights will be spent at the Marriott Hotel, or similar, and we shall enjoy dinner at the hotel.

Our half day sightseeing tour of Lima and the Gold Museum offers the best of colonial and modern Lima. Observe Lima's most imposing colonial churches and mansions such as the Government Palace, the Plaza Mayor, the City Hall and the Cathedral, including 17th century San Francisco Monastery. The tour ends with a visit to the modern suburbs of San Isidro, and a visit to the pre-Inca pyramid of Huaca Huallamarca and on-site museum. Plus we shall explore one of the world's largest private gold collections at Lima's Gold Museum, displaying a dazzling array of pre-Columbian gold, silver and copper works of art. Created by Peru's innovative metal-smiths, the collection showcases works from the various civilizations that inhabited this country. The museum also features a collection of antique firearms from around the world.  The Rosa Náutica Restaurant, where we will stop for lunch, includes the most complete menu of Peruvian and International specialties, in a magical location. Afternoon and evening at leisure.

This morning we have a very early transfer to the airport for our flight to Cuzco.   On arrival at Cuzco airport we shall be met and transferred to our hotel in the Sacred Valley.  After checking in, we head out for a half day tour to see the Seminario Tejidos Chincheros famous for their fine alpaca weavings, and enjoy a lunch at Hacienda Huallocari, The Sacred Valley of the Incas was undoubtedly a key area of settlement to the Incas. The agreeable climate and fertile plains make a rare and fruitful combination for the high Andes. This was also the route to the jungle and therefore an area with access to the fruits and plants of the tropical lowlands. The Sacred Valley served as a buffer zone, protecting Cusco from incursions of the Antis, the fierce jungle tribes who from time to time raided the highlands. Today, the Sacred Valley remains a lush agricultural region supplying the city of Cusco with much of its produce such as maize, fruit and vegetables.  Our hotel for the next two nights will be the Casa Andina Private Collection, Sacred Valley, or similar.

We depart La Paz this morning by air arriving in Santiago de Chile in the late afternoon.  After being transferred to our hotel, the Plaza El Bosque - Park & Suites, or similar, we can enjoy dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.

This morning we will be picked up from our hotel for a sightseeing tour of the city of Santiago and see the Civic Centre, La Moneda Presidential Palace, the house of government that was originally built to coin money. In 1846 and until 1958, President Manuel Bulnes had La Moneda fitted out as the private residence of Chile's presidents. Now the building has been renovated as Government Palace, seat of the Presidency of the Republic. The Plaza de Armas, originally, and following Spanish customs, is an open space where open air markets could be held and it wasn't until 1860 that the first flower gardens were planted together with trees that are still there to this day. The Cathedral has three previous versions erected on the same site, that have all fallen prey to fires or earthquakes. The fourth and present building was completed in 1775. We will pass the main post office, erected in 1882 using some of the walls from the former Governor's Palace in colonial times, the pedestrian streets of Huerfanos and Ahumada, indisputably the social, commercial and functional axis of Santiago, the prestigious social Union Club, the National Library, Santa Lucia hill, the site of the foundation of Santiago on February 12, 1541 before heading towards the Bellavista district. This area is the home of much of Santiago's artisans, and is lined with galleries, as well as open-air cafes and restaurants, and nightlife. We will go to a lookout on San Cristobal Hill, its tallest peaks rising 880 m above sea level for a panoramic view of the city. Continue towards the residential districts of Vitacura, Las Condes and Providencia, boasting modern high rise buildings and exclusive shopping malls.  On completion of the tour, we shall have the choice of staying at exclusive Parque Arauco shopping centre for those last minute souvenirs before heading back to the hotel. We have use of our rooms until 6.00pm before a late evening transfer to the airport.

We shall arrive in Auckland in the early hours of the morning and then connect to our Qantas flight to Melbourne. On arrival in Melbourne, the coach will transfer us back to Gippsland.