Detailed Itinerary
Morning arrival Rio De Janeiro. Met on arrival and private transfer to the Grand Hyatt Hotel, located in Barra de Tijuca, an elegant and charming suburb of Rio.
Founded by the Portugese in the 16th Century, today Rio is the third-largest city in South America and most attractive to tourists, a bustling, cultural center presented to the world as host of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Stroll down the Avenue Nossa Senhora de Copacabana or visit the Maracanã Stadium, centerpiece of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, bearing the capacity for more than 100,000 fervent soccer fans. Enjoy a tour of the Museum of Tomorrow or relax on one of the city’s 22 beaches, including Copacabana where you just might see the Girl From Ipanema.
This evening Welcome Cocktails & Dinner in our hotel.
OVERNIGHT: Grand Hyatt Hotel
GOLF: Gávea Golf and Country Club, nestled between the Tijuca National Forest and a seaside peak called Gávea Rock (Pedra da Gávea), this short, enjoyable par-68, 6000-yard course rewards precision over power. The front nine meanders along the foot of the mountain and the par-3 fifth hole is often mentioned as one of the world’s most beautiful. The back nine begins with five holes beside the sea before a closing stretch that returns golfers to the hills. Founded in 1921, the course was designed by Arthur Morgan Davidson, a Scot, who was 20 years old at the time.
SIGHTSEEING: Remainder of the day and the evening is at your leisure.
OVERNIGHT: Grand Hyatt Hotel
Guests will start the morning with breakfast followed by a full day combining two of Rio’s most popular tours in an excursion filled with breath-taking scenery.
In the morning, ride a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, located at the mouth of Guanabara Bay, enjoying a panoramic view of the city on the way. Sugarloaf’s peak is 1,300 feet above the harbor on a peninsula overlooking the Atlantic.
After lunch, ride a cog train through the Tijuca Forest, one of the world’s largest rainforests, en route to the iconic statue of Christ The Redeemer, located atop Corcovado Mountain. The iconic symbol of Rio, is 98 feet tall with arms stretching 92 feet wide, made of reinforced concrete and soapstone and identified as one of the New Seven Wonders Of The World.
OVERNIGHT: Grand Hyatt Hotel
GOLF: The Olympic Golf Course, rated No. 1 in Brazil, is located in Barra da Tijuca slightly less than an hour from Rio. It was designed by the esteemed American architect Gil Hanse for golf’s return to the 2016 Olympic Games following a 112-year hiatus. The 7,160-yard par 71 layout served as the ideal venue for an epic battle between Englishman Justin Rose and the Swedish star Henrik Stenson, which Rose won with a brilliant 72-hole total of 16-under par. Inbee Park closed with a 66 to clear Silver Medalist Lydia Ko by five shots for the women’s title. The course has a links-style look and feel, drawing comparisons to the Australian Sandbelt courses.
OVERNIGHT: Grand Hyatt Hotel
Today at lunch time we fly from Rio de Janeiro to Santiago then make a short transfer to the Noi Vitacura Hotel.
Chile’s capital and largest city, Santiago is in the Maipo Valley, is found nearly 2,000 feet above sea level, tucked between four mountain ranges: the Chacabuco and Angostura Ranges to the North and South; the Andes to the East and the Coast Mountains to the West.
This evening the group will enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.
OVERNIGHT: Noi Vitacura Hotel
Hacienda de Chicureo Golf Course which measures 7,323 yards from the championship tees is a scenic course designed by Mike Asmundson and opened in 1998. The front and back nine have distinguishing characteristics. The front nine (Loma Larga) is flat and susceptible to the stiff breezes which are prevalent. The second nine (Cerro Colorado) is hillier and features dense vegetation certain to swallow errant shots. Well-manicured, lush fairways are bordered with dense groves of trees and strategic bunkers to offer a pleasant challenge for golfers of all skill levels.
The golfers return to the hotel late in the afternoon.
OVERNIGHT: Noi Vitacura Hotel
Today, guests enjoy a full day to explore the bustling city of Santiago, starting at the city’s Civic Center with the neoclassical La Moneda Palace, which is the seat of government. The trip continues downtown at the pre-Colombian Art Museum, containing a collection of more than 1,500 ceramics and textiles drawn from the Inca, Mayan and Aztec cultures. Plaza de Armas is the vibrant colonial city center, featuring wide stone pathways and colorful gardens. The Central Market has an array of fresh seafood, fruits and flowers while the National Historical Museum and the 18th-century Cathedral are also highlights of this tour.
Visit the Fine Arts Museum and the Santa Lucia Hill, where Santiago was founded in 1541. Concluding the tour are a visit to a lapis-lazuli handicraft and jewel store. Lapis-lazuli is a precious and prized deep-blue stone believed to have intense powers.
WINE TASTING: At noon, we’ll arrive at Santa Rita Vineyard, south of Santiago in the Andes foothills. Founded in 1880, this is an award-winning vineyard, exporting some of the country’s finest wines. We’ll enjoy lunch followed by a guided tour with wine tastings.
OVERNIGHT: Noi Vitacura Hotel
SIGHTSEEING: Visit Valparaiso, commonly known as “Valpo” to the locals, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring striking architecture and multi-colored housing in this eclectic city along the South Pacific. Walk the narrow, winding streets of this significant educational and cultural outpost, known as the “Jewel of the Pacific” by international sailors. While the city’s economy and commerce suffered in the latter half of the 20th century due to the opening of the Panama Canal, it has recovered in recent years due to fruit exports and other shipping enterprise.
GOLF: Granadilla Golf Club. Ranked fourth in Chile, the course traces roots to 1897 as the Valparaiso Golf Club, established by English businessmen who were working in the South Pacific seaport. Ranked No. 4 in Chile, the course is somewhat confined in a 120-acre parcel, measuring 6,453 yards from the back tees. Granadilla features a unique routing, opening with a par-5 and finishing with two more back-to-back. Cross a hanging bridge connecting the first green to the second tee and navigate the narrow, sloping fairways protected by native vegetation.
OVERNIGHT: Noi Vitacura Hotel
Today after breakfast we fly from Santiago to Cusco arriving mid-afternoon. Transfer to the Belmond Monasterio Hotel.
Cusco is a city in the Peruvian Andes where the Inca and Spanish cultures intermingled, leaving Spanish colonial buildings erected upon early Inca foundations. Known as the “belly button of the world” Cusco is the archaeological capital of the Americas and the gateway to the ruins nearby scattered about the Sacred Valley.
OVERNIGHT: Belmond Monasterio Hotel
Today all will enjoy a full schedule exploring Cusco and the nearby ruins.
The fortress of Sacsayhuaman is a massive structure of stones, carved and fitted together with remarkable precision. Qenqo is one of the largest huacas (holy places) in the Cusco region, a site locals believed to be used for sacrifices and mummifications. The ruins at Puka-Pukara - named for the red color of the rocks at dusk - were used for military purposes although there’s much debate about the specific activities that were carried out there. Tambomachay was known as the Inca Baths, because that’s where the natives were thought to cleanse their soul. The labyrinth of aqueducts is both mystical and functional. In the Imperial City, we’ll stroll through the Main Square, discovering the Cathedral, admiring its exquisite vestibules and the priceless paintings from the Cusco School of the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Qoricancha (The Golden Temple) will complete our tour. It is perhaps the most impressive building in the region. Dedicated as a place to worship the Sun God, the interior walls were once covered in gold, as legend relays the story.
Remainder of the day at your leisure.
OVERNIGHT: Belmond Monasterio Hotel
After an early breakfast guests will board the luxurious Hiram Bingham train at Urubamba Station for a noon arrival at Machu Picchu, enjoying a spectacular view along the way. Wood-paneled interiors and brass finishes evoke images from the classic days of parlour cars. Local musicians perform in the Bar Car as you travel through the heart of the Inca Empire.
Our bus from the station will take us 1,500 feet up the mountain for a 2-3 hour private tour of the exceptionally well preserved ruins. Archaeologists are somewhat in agreement that this 15th century Inca capital was constructed as a home for the emperor, Pachacuti, but was likely abandoned during the Spanish conquest, roughly a century later.
This UNESCO World Heritage site has three primary structures - Intihuatana, The Temple of the Sun, and The Room of The Three Windows. The site sat undiscovered until the American historian Hiram Bingham brought attention to it in 1911. It was voted as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a 2007 internet poll. The architectural genius and beauty is certain to leave a lasting impression on any visitor.
Our return onboard the Hiram Bingham train includes dinner, cocktails and live music.
OVERNIGHT: Belmond Monasterio Hotel
After breakfast, we transfer to Cusco Airport for homeward flights.