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Vacations By Rail · Escorted tour

Classic South America & the Rio Carnival

Fifteen-day escorted journey through Brazil and Argentina, including Rio Carnival and heritage trains.

Illustration of Classic South America & the Rio Carnival

Vacations By Rail's 15-day Classic South America and the Rio Carnival tour carries escorted groups from Rio de Janeiro through Brazil and Argentina to Tierra del Fuego. The journey opens in Rio during Carnival season, with grandstand seats for the Winner's Parade at the Sambadrome and rides up Sugarloaf Mountain and via the Corcovado Rack and Pinion Railway to Christ the Redeemer. After internal flights south, guests tour both sides of Iguazú Falls, explore sophisticated Buenos Aires with a tango lesson and show, then travel through Patagonia's Andes foothills to ride La Trochita, the legendary Old Patagonian Express narrow-gauge steam train. The tour culminates at Perito Moreno Glacier (with a boat safari) and Ushuaia, where guests ride the End of the World Train through Tierra del Fuego National Park and sail the Beagle Channel to watch wildlife. A tour manager accompanies the group throughout, and stays are in 4 and 5-star hotels with most meals, rail travel, and excursions included. The pace is balanced, with multiple nights in key cities, and suits travellers seeking guided comfort and luxury accommodation alongside South American natural wonders.

What to know before you look closer

  • The tour includes 10 dinners and 1 lunch; other meals are not included.
  • Cancellation and travel insurance are not included and must be arranged separately.
  • Three internal flights (to Iguazú, Bariloche, El Calafate, and Ushuaia) are part of the tour; international flights are not mentioned as included.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Rio de Janeiro

    Arrival in Rio, free day to feel the magic and explore

    Make your own way to the 5-star hotel overlooking Copacabana beach for the first of three nights. Free time to explore and soak up the Carnival atmosphere.

  2. Day 2overnight: Rio de Janeiro

    Tour of Rio, Sugarloaf Mountain, and grandstand seats at the Carnival

    Guided tour of downtown Rio, then a gondola lift up Sugarloaf Mountain. Evening dinner and grandstand tickets to the Carnival Winner's Parade at the Sambadrome.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Rio de Janeiro

    Free morning, tour of Corcovado Mountain to Christ the Redeemer

    Free morning, then the Corcovado Rack and Pinion Mountain Railway up Corcovado Mountain to the Christ the Redeemer statue. Visit to some of Rio's beaches; group dinner.

  4. Day 4overnight: Iguazú Falls (Puerto Iguazu)

    To the magnificent Iguazú Falls

    Internal flight to Iguazú Falls; transfer to the 5-star hotel set in subtropical forest for two nights, with dinner at the Naipi restaurant.

  5. Day 5overnight: Iguazú Falls (Puerto Iguazu)

    Viewing the Brazilian side of the Iguazú Falls

    Guided tour of the Brazilian side of the Iguazú Falls, with paths and catwalks for panoramic views. Three-course dinner at the hotel.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Buenos Aires

    The Argentinian side of the Falls & onwards to Buenos Aires

    Guided tour of the Argentinian side of the Falls, including the Devil's Throat via a gas-propelled train. Internal flight to Buenos Aires; dinner at a local steakhouse; check in to the central hotel for two nights.

  7. Day 7overnight: Buenos Aires

    Guided tour of Buenos Aires

    Guided tour: La Recoleta, Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada, Puerto Madero, San Telmo, the Metropolitan Cathedral. Evening tango lesson, group dinner and an Argentine Tango show.

  8. Day 8overnight: Bariloche

    Bariloche, the Andes and Patagonia's Lake District

    Flight to Bariloche for a two-night stay in the foothills of the Andes. Afternoon scenic excursion: Lake Nahuel Huapi, Playa Bonita, Campanario Hill chairlift, downtown Bariloche.

  9. Day 9railovernight: Bariloche

    The Old Patagonian Express, La Trochita narrow-gauge train

    Scenic drive along Route 40 to El Bolson and El Maitin for lunch, then a journey on La Trochita, the narrow-gauge steam train made famous by Paul Theroux's 'The Old Patagonian Express', ending in Esquel.

  10. Day 10overnight: El Calafate

    El Calafate, gateway to the Perito Moreno Glacier

    Flight to El Calafate on Lake Argentino; transfer to the hotel in Alto Calafate for two nights.

  11. Day 11overnight: El Calafate

    Encountering the Perito Moreno Glacier

    Guided tour of the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, including the Curva de los Suspiros viewpoint and a nautical boat safari to Los Témpanos canal.

  12. Day 12overnight: Ushuaia

    To Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city

    Free morning, then an internal flight to Ushuaia; transfer to the 5-star hotel overlooking the sea for two nights.

  13. Day 13railovernight: Ushuaia

    The 'End of the World Train'

    Excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park (Ensenada, Acigami Lake, Lapataia Bay, Lake Roca), including a ride on the heritage 'End of the World Train' on the Southern Fuegian Railroad. Afternoon sail across the Beagle Channel to spot wildlife.

  14. Day 14overnight: Buenos Aires

    A morning in Ushuaia then return to Buenos Aires

    Free morning in Ushuaia, then an early evening flight back to Buenos Aires; transfer to the hotel by coach.

  15. Day 15

    Homeward bound

    After a final breakfast, transfer independently to the airport in Buenos Aires for your flight home.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Evening dinner and grandstand seats at the Rio Carnival Winner's Parade in the Sambadrome.
  • Day 3Ride the Corcovado Rack and Pinion Mountain Railway to the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio.
  • Day 6Travel the Argentine side of Iguazú Falls on a gas-propelled train through the Devil's Throat.
  • Day 9Journey on La Trochita, the narrow-gauge steam heritage train through Patagonia's high plains from El Maitin to Esquel.
  • Day 13Ride the End of the World Train through Tierra del Fuego National Park, then sail the Beagle Channel to watch wildlife.

Included

  • Expertise of a Tour Manager from start to finish
  • 14 nights' 4 & 5-Star hotel accommodation
  • Standard Class rail travel on local rail networks
  • All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
  • Breakfast each day, 1 lunch and 10 dinners
  • All tour excursions

Not included

  • Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour but can be arranged

Also sold by

The same itinerary is listed by more than one company. Prices and inclusions can differ; compare before booking.

Questions travellers ask

Is this an escorted tour?
Yes. Vacations By Rail provides a tour manager from start to finish.
Which trains are included?
Four: the Corcovado Rack and Pinion Mountain Railway to Christ the Redeemer, the Iguazú Falls rainforest gas-propelled train, La Trochita (the Old Patagonian Express) narrow-gauge steam train, and the End of the World Train heritage steam train in Tierra del Fuego.
What is the hotel standard?
14 nights in 4 and 5-star hotels: the Hilton Rio de Janeiro Copacabana, Loi Suites Iguazú, Sofitel Buenos Aires, Alma del Lago Suites & Spa in Bariloche, Xelena Hotel in El Calafate, and Las Hayas Ushuaia Resort.
What meals are included?
Breakfast each day, 1 lunch, and 10 dinners. Includes meals at local restaurants such as a steakhouse in Buenos Aires and the Naipi restaurant in Iguazú.
Does the price include international flights?
The evidence does not state whether international flights to Rio or from Buenos Aires are included; confirm with Vacations By Rail when booking.
How much walking and climbing is involved?
The operator rates this as Mobility 4. The tour includes city walking tours, a gondola up Sugarloaf Mountain, a chairlift on Campanario Hill, boat safaris, and rail journeys, but no high-altitude hikes.

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