12-Day Tour of Brazil & Peru: Rio de Janeiro to Cusco

12-Day Tour of Brazil & Peru: From Rio de Janeiro to Cusco

Day 1: Rio de Janeiro

Welcome to Rio! We'll pick you up at the airport in Rio de Janeiro to take you to a hotel in the city's center to relax and unwind from your long flight.

Day 2: Rio de Janeiro

Starting off with a hearty breakfast, we'll get going on a 5-hour tour through Rio. Our first stop will be at Tijuca Forest where we'll set our sights on the summit of Corcovado, where we'll enjoy some of the most beautiful views of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. Did you know it's considered to be one of the New 7 Wonders of the World?

Next up, we'll continue our tour and head to the Urca neighborhood as we hop on the cable car up to Cerro de Urca. Here, we'll change cars, and on our second cable car ride, we'll reach the summit of Pan de Azucar, perched at a whopping 395 meters (1,295 feet) above sea level.

Then, from Pan de Azucar, we'll return to the hotel in Rio for a restful evening.

Day 3: Rio de Janeiro

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before setting off to explore Rio at your own pace! On our third day you'll have free to enjoy the city as you wish, but we recommend checking out this Olympic Boulevard + Museum of Tomorrow Tour. Then, round out the day with a Botanical Garden + Tijuca Forest + Lage Park tour in the afternoon.

Day 4: Rio de Janeiro – Foz de Iguazu

We'll finish breakfast at the hotel in Rio and then after you'll have some free time to gather your things together before we pick you up and head to the airport. Once there, you'll board the plane in the direction towards Foz de Iguazu. Please note, that we recommend you purchase this flight ticket with an arrival in Foz de Iguazu at 12:30 pm.

From the airport in Foz, we'll take you straight to the incredible Iguazu Falls where we'll enjoy a 3-hour tour of the Brazilian side of the National Park. Here, we'll get to know one of the original Seven Natural Wonders of the World!

Following the falls, we'll head to the hotel in Foz de Iguazu where you can get settled in and enjoy the rest of the day at your own pace. If you find yourself with some energy still, get to know the local fauna in Foz with a tour through the Bird Park nearby.

Day 5: Foz de Iguazu

Once you've enjoyed breakfast, we'll pick you up at the hotel to head towards Tancredo Neves Bridge. Just on the other side of the walkway over Iguazu River is the beautiful country of Argentina. As we cross through the neighboring country, we'll turn towards Puerto Canoas for a 5-hour tour of the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls. A well-rounded experience indeed!

Continuing our journey, our next destination is Puerto Iguazu. In this Argentinean town, our itinerary includes a visit to the renowned Three Borders Landmark. Here, we'll witness the captivating confluence of the Parana and Iguazu rivers, a geographical point that marks the meeting of territories between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.

After taking in the full breadth of this tri-lateral river junction, we'll return to Brazil. Dropping you off at the hotel in Foz, you'll have the rest of the afternoon to yourself. For anyone looking for some adrenaline, we recommend checking out an adventure tour of the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls.

Day 6: Foz de Iguazu – Lima

On our 6th day, we'll enjoy breakfast at the hotel in Foz and the rest of the morning. As it's our last day in the area, we recommend taking advantage of the free time and checking out the Itaipu Dam Sightseeing tour.

Then, with plenty of time in advance, we'll pick you up from the hotel to go to the airport and you'll catch your flight to Lima. We recommend when booking this flight, that you opt for a flight with an arrival of 10:10 pm. 

Upon landing in the Peruvian capital, we'll pick you up and head straight to the hotel for a good night's rest.

Day 7: Lima

Welcome to Lima, the City of Kings! After an incredible breakfast at the hotel, it's time to explore the beautiful capital city. Our tour of Lima starts in the famous neighborhoods of Miraflores and San Isidro. Then we'll move into the city's historic downtown where we'll visit the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Santo Domingo Convent, and Larco Museum, a standout center thanks to its large collection of Pre-Colombian artifacts.

Wrapping up our first day in Lima, we'll head back to the hotel where you can enjoy the rest of the day at your own pace, one plate of ceviche at a time.

Day 8: Lima – Cusco

Let's kick things off right with the most important meal of the day at the hotel in Lima! Then, it's another calm morning you'll have to yourself before heading to Jorge Chavez International Airport for your flight to Cusco.

Welcome to the ancient capital of the Incan Empire! We'll meet you at Cusco Airport and head to the hotel where you'll enjoy some free time the rest of the day. We recommend touring the Mercado de San Pedro and the Cusco Ruins.

Day 9: Cusco– Sacred Valley

Starting from the hotel, where you'll enjoy breakfast first thing in the morning, we'll head out to see the Maras Salt Mines. Here, where the world's finest salt is extracted we'll marvel at the grandeur of the grounds. But wait! The highlight of the day is right around the corner as we continue our route onto the Sacred Valley of the Incas. We'll tour the archeological site of Moray, full of Precolombian curiosities before making the next stop of the day at the Andean community of Misminay to get to know Andean customs and traditions.

We'll wrap up our day trip as we head to our accommodation in the Sacred Valley where you can rest up with a hearty lunch. Afterwards, the day is yours to enjoy the Sacred Valley.

Day 10: Sacred Valley - Machu Picchu – Cusco

Good morning from the Sacred Valley! We'll enjoy breakfast at the hotel before taking the train to Aguas Calientes. As we arrive, get ready to marvel at one of the major archeological sites not just in Peru but all of South America: the Lost City of the Incas!

Here, at this sacred and historic site, we'll enjoy a guided visit through the grounds of Machu Picchu. How did the Incas live, and what were their beliefs and customs? Following that, we'll return to Aguas Calientes for a well-deserved traditional lunch.

After lunch, we'll take the train back to Cusco and return to our accommodation on days 8 and 9 of the route.

Day 11: Cusco

The penultimate day of our route includes breakfast at our hotel in Cusco where after you have the day for yourself to explore the city at your own pace. We recommend taking advantage of the time and checking out a tour of Rainbow Mountain.

Day 12: Cusco

Following our last breakfast at the hotel in Cusco, you'll have the rest of the day to yourself to relax and calmly gather your things before we pick you up to head to the airport. Until next time, it's been a blast!

Accommodation

This tour includes 11 nights of accommodation with breakfast at the following 3 or 4-star hotels, depending on your selection when booking your reservation.

Standard (3 stars)

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3 nights): Mirador Rio Hotel or similar
• Foz de Iguazu, Brazil (2 nights): Hotel Viale Tower or similar
• Lima, Peru (2 nights): Arawi Miraflores Express or similar
• Cusco, Peru (3 nights): Hotel Hacienda Cusco Centro Histórico or similar
• Sacred Valley, Peru (1 night): AVA Valle Sagrado Spot or similar

Superior (4 stars)

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3 nights): Arena Ipanema Hotel or similar
• Foz de Iguazu, Brazil (2 nights): Hotel Viale Cataratas or similar
• Lima, Peru (2 nights): Pullman Miraflores or similar
• Cusco, Peru (3 nights): Casa Andina Premium Cuscoor similar
• Sacred Valley, Peru (1 night): Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado Hotel & Villas or similar

Please note that the prices listed are per person staying in a double room.