MJ INTERNATIONAL TOURS

This is the itinerary for our South America Group Tour for Rio de Janeiro, Iguassu Falls and Buenos Aires. 

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is considered to be one of the most beautiful and exciting cities of the world, located between tropical forests and golden sand beaches.  It is an exciting place for shopping and entertainment.  Rio is graced by it’s topography.  The city spreads on a 24-kilometer long strip of land, nestled between mountains and sea.

The Iguassu Falls

The Iguassu Falls, located in the unspoiled, tropical jungle at the borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, belong to the most spectacular nature attractions of South America.  This spectacle of of nature with the brown jungle stream gently flowing until it suddenly plunges straight down into the deep creating a huge cloud of water is an experience that will remain unforgettable. 

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is not only the capital of Argentina; this cosmopolitan city – with great European cultural influence – displays a refined taste in its cooking, in its “boutique” and in the elegance of its inhabitants.  Almost 12 million people live there and can enjoy plentiful night life visiting “tango” bars, cabarets, discotheques, restaurants or eternally open bars.  During the day, a wide variety of attractions is offered. 

Rio de Janeiro (4 nights) – Iguassu Falls (2 nights) – Buenos Aires (4 nights)

Tour Itinerary 

Day 1 – Flight from Tri-Cities to Miami and Miami to Rio

Day 2 – Rio de Janeiro 

Arrive in the morning and transfer by air conditioned motor coach to your hotel. 

Rio by night – Welcome BBQ dinner and Show at Plataforma – 5 hours 

Starting with a wonderful dinner in a barbecue restaurant and then proceeding to a nightclub for a Folklore and Carnival Show, a lively and colorful extravaganza of wonderful costumes, skilled dancers, graceful and pretty mulatto girls and the hot beat of the Brazilian samba rhythm, featuring more than a hundred artists.  The final apotheosis is a memorable display of the dazzling costumes used in the Carnival Parade.  Drinks are not included during dinner. 

Overnight at Hotel Excelsior. 

Day 3 – Rio de Janeiro  

Brazilian (buffet) breakfast 

Morning city tour and a visit to Sugar Loaf Mountain 

During a half day city tour you will be shown the most important sights of Rio de Janeiro like the city center along the Avenida Rio Branco.  You will also mount the famous Sugar Loaf Mountain (440 m about sea level) in the cable car.  From here you have got a spectacular view to the Corcovado with the Christ Statue, to Guanabara Bay and Niteroi Bridge.  The ride back will lead you along the beach bays of Leblon and Impanema.   

Overnight at Hotel Excelsior. 

Day 4 – Rio de Janeiro  

Brazilian (buffet) breakfast 

Morning beach tour and a visit to Corcovada 

Leaving the hotel and proceeding as far as Cosme Velho Station to board a cog-train for the ride through Tijuca Forest up Corcovado Mountain.  The train ride takes twenty minutes and is a wonderful opportunity for a closer look at the forest’s lush tropical vegetation and to enjoy scenic landscapes of the beaches and city.  Disembarking at the top of Corcovado and then proceeding up the steps that lead to the top lookout where the towering statue of Christ the Redeemer stands.  After appreciating the breathtaking view unfolding below, passengers will descend by train and continue passing by some of Rio’s beaches. 

The rest of the day is free for personal relaxation.  Evening Tour/Dinner by their own. 

Overnight at Hotel Excelsior. 

Day 5 – Rio de Janeiro 

Brazilian (buffet) breakfast 

Day at leisure for rest or just stay on the beach 

Rio by night – Farewell dinner – 3 hours 

Including dinner in one of our best barbecue restaurants in Rio, consisting of great variety of salads, unlimited barbecue meat of various types, large array of side dishes, desserts and coffee.  Drinks are not included.  

Overnight at Hotel Excelsior. 

Day 6 – Rio de Janeiro/Foz do Iguassu 

Transfer by air-conditioned motor coach to the airport and proceeding to Iguassu.  Transfer to your hotel. 

Extended guided walking tour from the Argentinean side of the Waterfalls. 

Walking tour departing from the hotel, stopping at the Visitor’s Center and proceeding from there to the Inferior Circuit, the down-river falls, and then to the Superior Circuit, the up-river cascades.  Taking the Ecological Jungle Train that leads visitors to and from the most impressive observation point of the falls – The Devil’s Throat.  Return to the hotel. 

In the evening, MAP Dinner at Hotel’s Restaurant. 

Overnight at Hotel Sheraton Int’l IGR. 

Day 7 – Iguassu 

Brazilian (buffet) breakfast  

After breakfast, visit to the Brazilian Falls and Macuco Safari 

Leaving from Sheraton Int’l Hotel on the Argentinean side by motor coach and crossing the border and proceeding to the Iguassu National Park as far as the Brazilian Falls.  Walking along the paths following cascades and then walking along the catwalk that leads very close to the bottom of the Devil’s Throat.  The guests will enjoy magnificent views.  Taking an elevator to go up on the road and there our trip begins at the Macuco Trail in the Brazilian National Park, just three kilometers from the Iguassu Falls.  Open air wagons pulled by jeeps, accompanied by bilingual guides allow us an unhindered view of this lush, sub-tropical intact eco-system rich in birds, mammals, orchids and epiphytes.  After a short ride, we hike down the canyon where the Macuco Falls tumble over basalt cliffs into the Iguassu basin.  Arriving at the river we board specially designed inflatable motor boats for a 20 to 30 minutes ride up into the canyon.  The Iguassu River forms the border between the Brazilian and Argentinean National Parks.  We maneuver through the rapids for a breathtaking view from below the “Cataratas”, then on boarding the motor coach to get back to the hotel. 

By night with dinner and Show at Plaza Foz from Argentinean side Hotel – 6 hours 

Leaving from your hotel in the evening for dinner followed by typical folk show (Three Frontier Show including Samba, Tango and Paraguayan Music).  Drinks not included. 

Overnight at Hotel Sheraton Int’l IGR. 

Day 8 – Iguassu – Buenos Aires 

Brazilian (buffet) breakfast  

Transfer by special motor coach to the Argentinean airport and flight to Buenos Aires.  After arrival transfer from Aeropark airport to the hotel. 

The remainder of the day is free for personal relaxation. 

In the evening, Dinner at Restaurant 9 de Julio. 

Situated on the widest avenue in the world in the very heart of Buenos Aires, only a few meters from the traditional obelisk.  There you will find a first-class atmosphere, manifested not only in the good taste of the arrangements of the dining tables and the quality of the crockery but also in every detail of its decoration.  Here you can eat the best meat from Argentina’s farms, such as barbecue, caprines and lambs of the Patagonia.  And also the delicious rib chops and the traditional rump steak served with fresh vegetables or a variety of salads.  International dishes are also served. 

Overnight at Hotel Emperador. 

Day 9 – Buenos Aires 

American (buffet) breakfast 

Half day city tour to the main points of Buenos Aires.

During this tour, between others, we will visit Avenida de Mayo that runs into the Plaza de Mayo, which is surrounded by the Casa Rosada (Government House), the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Cabildo (first City Hall, built during Spanish rule).  At the other end of Avenida de Mayo you find the Congress building.  Then we continue to San Telmo, the best kept historical neighborhood and eldest district of Buenos Aires.  Next stop in La Boca, a most colorful area.  At the famous street Caminito people will meet painters offering their Tango pictures.  Passing Colon Theatre, one of the world’s best known opera houses and cultural pride of the “porteños” (as the inhabitants of Buenos Aires are commonly called), we continue to Palermo with its beautiful parks , the City Zoo, Botanical Garden, Argentine Horsetrack and National Polo Fields.  Palermo is bedecked with artificial lakes.  At the end of the tour, we will visit Recoleta area, one of the city’s glamorous spots.  On the cemetery of Recoleta you will find the grave of Eva Peron (Evita).  The cemetery is the center of the aristocratic district.  Here you will find the Municipal Culture Center, elegant boutiques and excellent restaurants, surrounded by centennial trees.  The cemetery is considered to be one of the most impressive monuments of Argentina’s past. 

Overnight at Hotel Emperador. 

Day 10 – Buenos Aires 

American (buffet) breakfast 

Half day Tigre – Delta, Rio de Plata (3 hours) 

The Tigre Delta, with its rivers, streams and numerous green islands is one of the most attractive areas for visitors.  The continuous sediment from the Parana River, which gives the river and estuary their particular brownish-red color, forms the Delta islands.  We will drive through the northern district and outskirts of the city to get to Tigre, a charming resort where a great number of summer residences, yachting and rowing clubs concentrate the weekend activities of many “porteños”.  You will enjoy a boat excursion on a boat along the innumerable channels of the Parana-Delta to see some of the hundreds of islands covered with luxuriant vegetation.  The main forest is called the white mount and is composed by ceibos (National Flower), willows, banana trees and alamos.  On Saturdays, a visit to its colorful market, with a variety of fruits, vegetables and wicker-wares are also a must when you are at Tigre.   

Dinner and show at El Viejo Almacen (3-5 hours) 

Spending a night visiting one of the many Tango Shows the city offers, such as El Viejo Almacen, Casa Blanca, La Ventana or El Querandi is a MUST when you are visiting Buenos Aires.  You will have dinner at the Showhouse or one of the fashionable restaurants in the city where typical Argentine meals are served.  Afterwards an authentic show featuring Argentine tango and folklore involved by a warm atmosphere will follow.  The music and lyrics, interpreted by the best contemporary singers, are unforgettable.  The best way of getting connected with the Argentine culture and tradition is visiting one of those places. 

Overnight at Hotel Emperador. 

Day 11 – Buenos Aires 

American (buffet) breakfast  

Full day Estancia Santa Susana (75 km) 

By the end of the last century, Mr. Francisco Kelly, of Irish ancestry, named these islands “Santa Susana”, to pay homage to his beautiful wife, Susana Caffrey.  The estancia is located in the district of Campana, close to “Los Cardales” town, in the province of Buenos Aires.  It covers an area of 1200 hectares; mostly dedicated to agriculture and for the last ten years it has been a tourist resort.  Guests will be welcomed and will enjoy tropical “criollas” meals followed by a show of tango and folk dances, as well as modern melodies.  The most distinctive feature will be the guided visit to the Spanish-colonial style “casco”, which holds an authentic museum of that period.  Sulky and horse rides will show you the charm of Argentine countryside, its scenarios, its cultivated lands and the incomparable wild aroma.  The day will end with some typical activities of an estancia: horse taming, cattle branding, exhibition of herds of horses and some regional games as the “carrera de sortijas." 

Overnight at Hotel Emperador. 

Day 12 – Good Bye South America 

American (buffet) breakfast 

In the afternoon, transfer to the international airport Ezeiza in Buenos Aires.  Return flight home. 

Day 13 – Arrive in Miami early morning. 

Flight from Miami to Tri-Cities. 

Price

The total package is $2470.00 ($2100.00 plus tax of $370.00) per person based on double occupancy.  This fantastic package price includes the following: 

• Airfare from Tri-Cities, TN airport to Atlanta to Miami to Rio to Iguassu Falls to Buenos Aires to Miami to Atlanta to Tri-Cities, TN airport.
• Four of five star hotel accommodations – 4 nights in Rio, 2 nights in Iguassu Falls and 4 night in Buenos Aires.  Hotels mentioned in the itinerary are examples.  Hotels are subject to change.
• Daily breakfast, most lunch and dinners.
• All local guided tours with entry fees to all attractions.
• Number of night shows
• All taxes except International Departure Tax on return international flights.

Terms and conditions 

• Deposit of $300.00 per person required at time of reservation.  Deposit is refundable in full minus $50.00 service charge if cancelled 90 days prior to departure.

• Full payment due 90 days prior to departure.

•  Tips for tour guides and bus drivers are customary and not included in the package price.

• Brazil requires entry visa.  Visa fee is additional.  We will get visa for you.

•  No visa required for Argentina.