Q: I want to visit Brazil, Argentina, and Chile or Peru for 15 days with three friends in February or March 2018. We plan to fly business/first class and stay at 4/5-star properties. We would like a slightly relaxed schedule for sightseeing and travel. Can you suggest the best way to go about it? Our per-person budget is ₹7-8 lakh—is that appropriate?
Marco Says: You’re travelling in February or March, which makes Chile a more appealing inclusion in the trip; Peru is likely to be lashed by rains in those months.
A 15-day itinerary for Chile, Argentina and Brazil would typically span from coast to coast—fly into Santiago and leave from Rio de Janeiro. Give Santiago three days, one to the city itself and two for excursions to the wine region of Maipo Valley, and to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar. Day 4 should see you flying southwards to the beautiful Chilean Lake District where you’d set your bags down at Puerto Varas and take a day-trip to Chiloé Island. Cross over to Argentina by bus, and ferry to San Carlos de Bariloche. The Andean Lakes Crossing is a spectacular way of getting from Chile to Argentina. The course takes you through three lakes, Todos los Santos, Félix Frías and Nahuel Huapi, as well as a few mountain passes from Puerto Varas to Bariloche.
The crossing is somewhat arduous—it takes three cruises, three bus rides and 13 hours to accomplish—but the sights, which include views of volcanoes Osorno and Calbuco, are breathtaking. If this seems daunting, you could break journey at Puerto Blest. Book with Cruce Andino (cruceandino.com; from $280). Take some timeout to unwind in Bariloche. It’s a scenic city on the foothills of the Andes. Fly to Buenos Aires for a three-day stop. Here, take in a milonga and see tango the way it should be performed, wander in the market of San Telmo, go to a polo match or a race in Palermo, and, of course, eat empanadas. Then fly to Iguazu Falls, and take two days to explore here: there are nature trails, helicopter rides and, of course, you’ll want to view the Falls from both sides. I recommend you give São Paulo a day before you fly to Rio de Janeiro for the last three days of your trip, which must include a samba show. Your budget seems comfortable.