Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Argentina and Brazil: Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls and Rio
10 days from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro: three nights in Buenos Aires with a tango evening and the Paraná Delta, both sides of Iguazu Falls, and four nights in Rio.
10 days · Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro · up to 12 guests
Iguazu Falls seen from the Brazilian side Photo: Acediscovery, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iguazu-Falls-January-2013.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 2 h on day 4No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly easy city walking of 3 to 5 km a day on pavements and cobbles. The Argentine side of the falls is the long day, about 7 to 9 km on raised walkways with some stairs on the Lower Circuit; the Brazilian trail is about 1.2 km with a lift back up. In Rio, the Selarón Steps (215 steps, walked downhill) and hilly Santa Teresa. Any part can be sat out.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,015 (estimated price)
- Season
- March to May and August to November
Highlights
Why this trip
- A tango evening in Buenos Aires: a short beginners' class, then dinner and a show
- The Paraná Delta by boat from Tigre, with lunch on the river
- The Garganta del Diablo walkway on the Argentine side at the 8 am opening
- The Brazilian trail for the wide view of the falls
- A boat ride into the spray below the Argentine falls, included
- Christ the Redeemer on the first train up Corcovado, before the crowds
- A favela walk led by a guide who lives there, with lunch in the community
- Sunset from Sugarloaf, with the cable car included
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,015 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 2 h, on day 4.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Buenos Aires
Ezeiza International Airport to your hotel in Buenos Aires
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Buenos Aires
- Drive about 45 min
Fly into Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), about 35 km south-west of the centre, where a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the drive into the city, usually 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. The rest of the day is yours to settle in. If you land early, walk to the nearest café for a cortado and a medialuna, or stroll the leafy streets around the hotel: Buenos Aires is a city of wide avenues, plane trees and apartment balconies, best seen on foot.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the trip, the money question in Argentina, the border crossings at the falls and the Brazil e-visa. Then we walk to a neighbourhood parrilla for a welcome dinner of grilled beef, provoleta and salads. Argentines eat late, but tonight we sit down early so you can sleep off the flight.
Included
- Pick-up at Ezeiza International Airport (EZE)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner at a parrilla
Free time: Free until the early evening briefing
Plaza de Mayo, San Telmo, La Boca and tango
Plaza de Mayo to San Telmo on foot, then La Boca by van
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Buenos Aires
- Drive about 30 min
We start at Plaza de Mayo, the square where Argentina's history has been argued over for two centuries: the pink Casa Rosada, the Cabildo where the 1810 revolution began (we go inside when its museum is open that day), and the Metropolitan Cathedral, which holds the tomb of General San Martín. From there we walk south down Calle Defensa into San Telmo, the oldest neighbourhood, with its cobbles, antique shops and the iron-and-glass San Telmo Market; on Sundays the street fair fills Defensa.
Afternoon
Lunch is in San Telmo. In the early afternoon the van takes us to La Boca, the old port quarter by the Riachuelo, to see the painted tin houses of Caminito and the area around the Boca Juniors stadium in daylight. The afternoon is then free.
Evening
In the evening we go to a tango house: a short beginners' class for anyone who wants to try, then dinner and a show by professional dancers and musicians. Expect a late finish, as the show usually starts after dinner.
Included
- Plaza de Mayo, the Casa Rosada (outside), the Cabildo (inside when its museum is open) and the Metropolitan Cathedral with your guide
- San Telmo on foot, with the San Telmo Market
- Caminito in La Boca
- Lunch in San Telmo
- Tango evening: a short beginners' class, dinner and a show
Optional experiences
- Guided tour of the Teatro Colón, the city's opera house, in the free afternoon
Free time: Afternoon free before the tango evening
Activity: About 3 km on foot in the morning, partly on cobbles.
The Paraná Delta and Recoleta
Buenos Aires to Tigre, the Delta by boat, then Recoleta
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Buenos Aires
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive about an hour north to Tigre, the river town at the edge of the Paraná Delta, a maze of channels and wooded islands where people live in stilt houses and the grocer, the school bus and the post all come by boat. We board a boat for a slow trip along the Sarmiento and Luján rivers, past rowing clubs, old wooden houses and jetties, with your guide explaining how life works on the islands.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a riverside restaurant in the Delta. Back on the mainland there is time for the Puerto de Frutos market before the drive back into the city.
Evening
By mid-afternoon we are at Recoleta Cemetery, which closes at about 5:30 pm, to walk through a city of marble mausoleums where Eva Perón lies in the Duarte family vault, and then you have the evening free in Recoleta or Palermo for dinner on your own.
Included
- Boat trip through the Paraná Delta from Tigre with your guide
- Lunch at a riverside restaurant in the Delta
- Puerto de Frutos market in Tigre
- Recoleta Cemetery, entry included
Free time: Evening free
Fly to Iguazu, the Brazilian side
Buenos Aires Aeroparque to Puerto Iguazú by air, then across the border to Foz do Iguaçu
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Foz do Iguaçu
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
A mid-morning flight from Aeroparque, the city airport, takes about an hour and fifty minutes north to Puerto Iguazú, in the subtropical forest of Misiones.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Puerto Iguazú, then we stop at the Hito Tres Fronteras, where the brown Iguazú runs into the Paraná and you can see Brazil and Paraguay across the water. We cross the bridge into Brazil, through both border posts, and drive into Iguaçu National Park, listed by UNESCO in 1986. The Brazilian trail runs about 1.2 km along the canyon wall, facing most of the falls on the Argentine bank, so this is the side for the wide view. It ends on a walkway out over the river below the Garganta del Diablo, where the spray soaks you in seconds; a lift takes you back up.
Evening
We reach the hotel in Foz do Iguaçu in the early evening. If the flight runs late, we move this visit to the morning of day 6.
Included
- Flight from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to Puerto Iguazú (IGR)
- Lunch in Puerto Iguazú
- Hito Tres Fronteras viewpoint
- Iguaçu National Park, Brazilian side, entry included
Free time: Evening free in Foz do Iguaçu
Activity: Border queues vary; your guide handles the paperwork, but you need your passport and your Brazil e-visa.
The Argentine side, from opening
Foz do Iguaçu across the border to Iguazú National Park and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Foz do Iguaçu
- Drive about 2 h
Today is the long day, and it starts early: we leave Foz at about 7:15 to cross the border before the queue builds and reach Iguazú National Park, a UNESCO site since 1984, at the 8 am opening. We take the first rounds of the small park train to Garganta station and walk the 1.1 km walkway over the open river to the Garganta del Diablo, the Devil's Throat, where the river drops into a U-shaped chasm in a roar of spray, before the main crowd arrives. Back down the line, the Upper Circuit runs along the top of the falls and the Lower Circuit brings you close to their base.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in the park. In the afternoon, the included boat ride takes you up the river into the spray below the falls; expect to be soaked.
Evening
We are back in Foz by late afternoon with the evening free.
Included
- Iguazú National Park, Argentine side, entry included, from the 8 am opening
- The park train and the Garganta del Diablo walkway
- The Upper and Lower Circuits with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in the park
- Boat ride to the base of the falls
Easier option: Skip the Lower Circuit and the boat: rest at the café by the Upper Circuit and meet the group after lunch.
More active option: The Macuco trail, a forest walk of about 3.5 km each way to a small waterfall, with your guide, in place of the boat ride (when the park has it open).
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 7 to 9 km on walkways with some stairs on the Lower Circuit. Bring a rain jacket, a dry bag for your phone and shoes that can get wet.
A slow morning in Foz, fly to Rio
Foz do Iguaçu to Rio de Janeiro by air, then Copacabana
- Breakfast
- Stay in Rio de Janeiro
- Drive about 1.5 h
No early start today.
Morning
The morning is free in Foz do Iguaçu: sleep in after yesterday, walk the quiet side streets of Centro around the hotel, or take the optional visit to the Parque das Aves, a bird park opposite the Brazilian park gate where you walk through big aviaries of toucans, macaws and hummingbirds from the Atlantic Forest. Foz airport is only a few minutes from the park, so the drive is short.
Afternoon
Lunch today is on your own, in Foz or at the airport. The flight to Rio de Janeiro takes about two hours when direct; on some dates it connects in São Paulo, and we tell you which when we confirm your dates. From the airport we drive into the city along the bay and through the tunnels to the hotel in Copacabana or Ipanema.
Evening
In the early evening your guide walks the group along the beach promenade, with its wave-patterned pavement, to show you the neighbourhood, where to swim and how to get around, then the evening is yours.
Included
- Flight from Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) to Rio de Janeiro
- Orientation walk on the Copacabana or Ipanema promenade
Optional experiences
- Parque das Aves bird park in the morning
Free time: Morning free in Foz, lunch on your own; evening free in Rio
Corcovado early, Santa Teresa and the Selarón Steps
Cosme Velho up Corcovado, then Santa Teresa and down to Lapa
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Rio de Janeiro
- Drive about 1 h
We leave the hotel at about 7:15 to be at the Cosme Velho station for the first train of the day, at about 8 am, which climbs through the Tijuca forest to the top of Corcovado, 710 m above the city. Christ the Redeemer, finished in 1931, is a 30 m statue on an 8 m pedestal, and in the first hour you have room to see it and the view: Sugarloaf, the bay, Copacabana and the lagoon. If the summit is in cloud, we swap today with day 9. Coming down, we head to Santa Teresa, the hill neighbourhood of old mansions, artists' studios and steep lanes, served by the restored yellow tram where it runs.
Afternoon
Lunch is in Santa Teresa. Then we walk down the Selarón Steps, 215 steps covered in tiles from around the world by the artist Jorge Selarón, to the white arches of the Lapa aqueduct. We are back at the hotel by mid-afternoon, with the rest of the day free for the beach.
Included
- First Corcovado train and Christ the Redeemer, tickets included
- Santa Teresa on foot with your guide
- Lunch in Santa Teresa
- The Selarón Steps and the Lapa Arches
Easier option: Ride the van from Santa Teresa down to Lapa instead of walking the steps.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: Santa Teresa is hilly and cobbled; the Selarón Steps are walked downhill.
A favela walk and Sugarloaf at sunset
A favela walk with a resident guide, then Praia Vermelha up Sugarloaf
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Rio de Janeiro
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
This morning a guide who lives in the community leads a walk through one of Rio's favelas, in a community such as Santa Marta in Botafogo. We choose a resident-run or community-organised walk and confirm how the fee is shared with the community before your dates are set. The point is to meet the place on its residents' terms: how the houses were built up the hill, how water, transport and schools work, the music and art projects, and the view back over the city. We do not take photos of people without asking, and the guide says where cameras are welcome.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a family-run restaurant in the community. After a free afternoon we take the cable car from Praia Vermelha in two stages, via Morro da Urca, to the top of Sugarloaf, 396 m above the bay, timed so you watch the sun go down behind Corcovado and the city lights come on.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Favela walk led by a resident guide
- Lunch in the community
- Sugarloaf cable car at sunset, tickets included
More active option: Walk up the forest trail on Morro da Urca to the first cable car station, about 30 minutes uphill, and ride the rest of the way.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: If a community walk is cancelled on the day for safety reasons, we replace it with a guided walk through the historic centre at no extra cost.
Rio your way, and a farewell dinner
The Botanical Garden or a Tijuca forest hike, then the beach
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Rio de Janeiro
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
Today keeps a lighter shape, and it is also our weather reserve: if Corcovado was in cloud on day 7, we go up this morning instead. Otherwise choose one of two guided mornings, both included. The easy one is the Jardim Botânico, the Botanical Garden founded in 1808, with its avenue of royal palms, its orchid house and toucans and marmosets in the trees, followed by a walk around the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon; the garden keeps shorter hours on Mondays, so on a Monday we walk the lagoon first and swap the order, or take the Pedra Bonita morning if the garden is closed. The active one is a hike with a licensed guide to Pedra Bonita in Tijuca National Park, about 30 to 40 minutes uphill through forest to a granite platform where hang-gliders launch, with a view down to São Conrado beach.
Afternoon
The afternoon is free for the beach, Ipanema's shops or a nap.
Evening
In the evening the group meets for a farewell dinner, with moqueca, feijoada or grilled fish and a last caipirinha.
Included
- Choice of the Botanical Garden with your guide, entry included, or a guided hike to Pedra Bonita
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- Tandem hang-gliding from Pedra Bonita, weather permitting
Easier option: The Botanical Garden and the lagoon, on flat paths.
More active option: The Pedra Bonita hike in Tijuca National Park.
Free time: Afternoon free
Depart from Rio de Janeiro
Your hotel to Rio de Janeiro Galeão International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
The last morning is yours. Swim before breakfast while the beach is quiet, walk to the Arpoador rocks between Copacabana and Ipanema, or have a last coffee and pão de queijo near the hotel. There are no group activities today, so you can leave whenever your flight requires. We drive you to Rio de Janeiro Galeão International Airport (GIG), about 30 km from the beach neighbourhoods and usually 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on traffic; your guide arranges the transfer time with you the day before and makes sure everyone has what they need. If your flight is late in the day, the hotel can store your luggage after checkout. If you would like to stay longer in Rio or add a few days on the coast at Paraty or Ilha Grande, ask us when you book and we arrange the extra nights.
Included
- Drop-off at Rio de Janeiro Galeão International Airport (GIG)
Free time: Free until your airport transfer
Activity: Book an international flight leaving after about 12 noon, allowing three hours at the airport.
- Buenos Aires3 nights
- Foz do Iguaçu2 nights
- Rio de Janeiro4 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Rio is hot and wet from December to March, with afternoon storms; Buenos Aires is cool from June to August. The volume of the falls rises and drops with rain upstream; very high water can close the Garganta del Diablo walkway or the boat ride for a day. Look for coatis, toucans and swifts around the falls.
Want this plan in your inbox?
Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Buenos Aires, the falls and Rio in one trip without long road days
- City people who like walking neighbourhoods with a guide and then having the evening to themselves
- First-timers in South America who want the border crossings, flights and money questions handled
- Solo travellers who want company at the big sights and a fair single price
Not for you if you want
- A beach holiday: Rio has beach time, but this is a city trip
- Travellers who want Patagonia or the Andes; this trip stays in the north-east and on the coast
- Step-free access: Santa Teresa, the Selarón Steps and the falls walkways involve stairs and slopes
- Nightlife-led trips; evenings are free, but the trip is not built around clubs
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Buenos Aires3 nights
- Foz do Iguaçu2 nights
- Rio de Janeiro4 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights: 3 in Buenos Aires, 2 in Foz do Iguaçu and 4 in Rio de Janeiro (Copacabana or Ipanema)
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms and air-conditioning; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) and drop-off at Rio de Janeiro Galeão International Airport (GIG)
- Flights from Buenos Aires Aeroparque to Puerto Iguazú and from Foz do Iguaçu to Rio de Janeiro, with checked bags
- A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group in each city, including the border crossings at the falls
- The Paraná Delta boat, the park train and boat ride at the falls, the Corcovado train and the Sugarloaf cable car
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 10, including on the flights
- A resident guide for the favela walk and licensed local guides where a park or site requires them
Activities
- Buenos Aires: Plaza de Mayo, San Telmo, La Boca and Caminito, Recoleta Cemetery
- Tango evening with a beginners' class, dinner and a show
- Tigre and the Paraná Delta by boat
- Iguazu: Hito Tres Fronteras, the Brazilian side and the Argentine side with the Garganta del Diablo, both park entries
- Boat ride to the base of the falls
- Rio: Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer, Santa Teresa, the Selarón Steps and Lapa
- Favela walk with a resident guide
- Sugarloaf at sunset
- The Botanical Garden or a guided Pedra Bonita hike
Meals
- 9 breakfasts
- 6 lunches, including lunch on the river in the Delta and inside the Argentine park
- 3 dinners: welcome dinner, tango dinner show and farewell dinner
Not included
- International flights to Buenos Aires and home from Rio de Janeiro
- Brazil e-visa and any other visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed (4 lunches and 7 dinners)
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide and driver
- Optional activities: the Teatro Colón tour, the Parque das Aves and hang-gliding
- Personal expenses
- Excess baggage on the domestic flights
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,015 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 7% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 4,975 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 5,135. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 5,350.
What does the price include?
Nine nights in central hotels, 9 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 3 dinners including a tango dinner show, both domestic flights, airport transfers, a private vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, both national park entries, the boat ride at the falls, the Delta boat, Corcovado, Sugarloaf and the favela walk.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to walk Santa Teresa and San Telmo as one group, share a table at lunch and get through border posts and park gates quickly, where comparable trips run with up to 16 or 18.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from Buenos Aires to Rio, including on the flights and across the borders. A resident guide leads the favela walk, and licensed local guides join where a park or site requires them. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. Most days are 3 to 5 km of city walking. The Argentine side of the falls is the long day, about 7 to 9 km on walkways with some stairs, and Rio has hills and the Selarón Steps. Each demanding day has an easier option, and you can sit any part out.
I am travelling solo. What will I pay?
Your own room costs from CAD 1,015 more, shown up front before you book. You join the group on exactly the same terms as everyone else, at the same tables and on the same activities. If you would rather share, ask us and we tell you whether another solo guest of the same gender has booked your departure.
When is the best time to go?
March to May and August to November, when Rio is warm rather than hot and Buenos Aires is mild. December to March is hot and wet in Rio and busy around Carnival. The falls are worth seeing all year; the water volume rises after rain upstream.
Do I need a visa for Brazil or Argentina?
Canadian, US and Australian citizens need a Brazil e-visa, applied for online before travel, because Brazil reinstated the requirement in April 2025. Canadians need no visa for a short stay in Argentina. Your passport should be valid for six months. We confirm current rules, the e-visa fee and processing time when you book.
Why see both sides of Iguazu Falls?
They show you different things. The Brazilian trail faces most of the falls, so it gives the wide view. The Argentine side puts you on top of and beside the water, including the Garganta del Diablo walkway over the main drop. We give each side its own visit, with the Argentine side from the 8 am opening.
Is the favela walk safe and respectful?
It is led by a guide who lives in the community. We choose a resident-run or community-organised walk and confirm how the fee is shared with the community before dates are set. Guides follow local advice day by day; if a walk is called off, we replace it with a guided walk in the historic centre at no cost to you.
How does booking work?
Choose a departure date and request to book. No payment is taken at that point. We confirm your place, the price and the hotels within 24 hours, and only then ask for a deposit. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, from CAD 5,350 for the small group.
Can I travel privately or on my own dates?
Yes. The private version runs for your party only on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle, from CAD 9,630 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, send us an inquiry from the dates section and we quote the same hotels, flights and local guides.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
Book your Tour
Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
© 2026 See Sight Tours. All rights reserved.