Short description: (full itinarary)
This expedition has been designed for the traveller who wants to experience a diverse cross section of this vast continent including ancient civilisations, spectacular canyons, waterfalls, mountains, live volcanoes, arid deserts and tropical coasts.
You will encounter people who are as diverse as the scenery. The colourful Andeans, primitive Amazonian Indians, the tough Gauchos and the modern fashionable city dwellers.
You will have the opportunity to experience such highlights as a trip to the amazing Amazon Jungle, the hair raising Devil's Nose Train ride which snakes its way down the Andes.
As you cross into Peru there are the mysterious Nazca Lines and the Inca Trail hike to the lost city of Machu Picchu.
Bordering both Peru and Bolivia there is Lake Titicaca, then the shimmering Uyuni Salt Flats and the stunning Laguna Verde at 5000 m above sea level.
Descending into Chile you can explore the Atacama Desert, the Lake District and tourist village of Pucon with the Villarica Volcano bubbling away in the background, which you can take a spectacular hike to the top of.
Heading into southern Chile you will visit the world famous Torres del Paine National Park and can take a trip into the Moreno Glacier.
In Argentina you will visit the exclusive ski resort of Bariloche, drive through isolated Patagonia to the incredible Moreno Glacier. Crossing to the Atlantic Ocean you will visit Valdes Marine Reserve with its abundant wildlife.
Paraguay with its building remains of the Jesuit Missionaries precedes the spectacular Iguaza Falls which we view from Brasil but are visible also from Argentina.
Tropical coasts and a yacht cruise line the way on your way to celebrate with the rest of the fun and sun seekers at Rio Carnival.

Please note: This itinerary applies in reverse for those passengers travelling from Rio to Quito
This expedition has been designed for the traveller who wants to experience a diverse crossection of this vast continent including ancient civilisations, spectacular canyons, waterfalls, mountains, arid deserts and tropical coasts.
We will be encountering people who are as diverse as the scenery. The colourful Andeans, primitive Amazonian Indians, the tough Gauchos and the modern fashionable city dwellers.

• Day 1 - 5 Leaving the old colonial city of Quito, just 22 km south of the equator, we drive east on narrow and tortuous roads over the cordilleras and down to the steamy edge of the Amazon Basin. Passing through lush tropical forest we reach El Coca on the Rio Napo. From here we take a boat to a jungle lodge, where for the next three days we take treks into the jungle accompanied by experienced guides. You can also try your hand at fishing for Piranha and finding the target with a blowpipe.
• Day 6 - 10 Leaving El Coca we continue along the Amazon Basin and then finally climbing up to Baños. Perched high above the western limit of the Amazon basin, Baños is a spa town where the Ecuadorians go to relax in the thermal baths. You can also ride the white water rapids and hike and mountain bike the various mountain trails to two nearby waterfalls and an impressive rocky canyon.
  After two nights in Baños we hit the road again and drive south along the spine of the Andes towards Cuenca. On the way, at the town of Alausi, we have the opportunity to take the hair-raising ride down to the 'Devils Nose' by train before continuing on the truck to Cuenca.
  Cuenca is a quaint town with many good examples of colonial architecture using locally quarried marble. We have a free day here.
• Day 11 - 12 A long days drive on the Pan American Highway brings us to the border with Peru. You will notice an amazing transition in one day, from the good farming country of highland Ecuador, through subtropical forest and immense banana plantations, to the dry barren desert in Peru. Passing through small oasis towns we follow the Pacific coast south and camp on the beach.
• Day 13 - 21 Our next stop is Chan Chan, the imperial citadel of the pre-Inca Chimu kings which the Incas later conquered. It claims to be the largest mud brick city in the world. We also visit the nearby Moche Temples of The Sun and The Moon.
  Continuing with the Andes close to the left and the sea near on our right, we may have to drive through shifting sand dunes, on our way to Lima. It is not necessary to spend much time in Lima as we pass through on our way to Paracas National Reserve on the Peruvian Coast, where there is the opportunity to take a boat to the Ballestas Islands, with its high concentration of seabirds and sea lions.
  Next is one of the world's greatest archaeological mysteries, the Nazca Lines. These huge figures and shapes, carved into the stony desert are best viewed from the air. Thought to have been made from three different groups of people going back more than two thousand years, there are many different theories and books about what they signify and why they are there.
  Still heading south on the Pan America Highway we pass Peurta Inca. This was the port for Cuzco. The site is in excellent condition and you can also make out the 240 kilometre Inca Road that went from the coast to Cuzco. We will camp on the beach here and relax for a day or two. A short walk from the camp is an old burial ground where you can still view human remains. Soon after this we leave the coastal highway and begin climbing back into the towering Andes.
  We spend a day or two in Arequipa allowing time to wander around its "Plaza De Armas". On the north side is the Cathedral, now missing a spire since the recent earthquake. Of particular interest is the Juanita museum housing the remarkably preserved body, of a girl sacrificed on a nearby mountain and discovered intact after several hundred years being frozen in the ice. Our next night is spent camping at Chivay hot springs. An early start the next morning ensures our arrival at Colca Canyon, arguably the deepest in the world, for a chance to see the condors soaring lazily on the thermals rising from the canyon floor. In the background is the huge smoking mass of one of the world's most active volcanoes.
  
• Day 22 - 30 We now have to face some arduous climbs and punishing dirt roads, freezing cold at nights but with clear sunny days, we bounce along for two days passing herds of llama and alpaca and unspoilt Andean villages with ancient terraced fields on our way to Cuzco.
  Widely considered to be the most interesting city in South America, Cuzco also has the sacred valley of the Inca a few miles away. We will spend about a week here. This will allow time for the four day hike along the Inca Trail to the lost city of Machu Picchu. For the less energetic there is a train which snakes its way up to this highlight.
• Day 31 - 35 Bordering Peru and Bolivia is lake Titicaca. The world's highest navigable lake at 3820 metres it is also home to the Uros Indians who have built their homes on reed islands. We will have the chance to cross the lake to visit them.
  A drive around the lake brings us to Bolivia, where the first town we visit is Copacabana. Nestling on the shores of Titicaca, it is a friendly place and much calmer than the hustle and bustle of Peru. From here we can visit the islands of the sun and the moon, where legend has it that the Incas were created.
  From Copacabana it is only a short drive to La Paz, the highest capital city in the world. Built on a steep slope, which falls away from the Altiplano, the top of the city is about 2000 feet above the bottom part. Unusually, all the rich suburbs are at the bottom. This is because the air is thicker with oxygen lower down. La Paz is a great place to visit a 'pena', clubs dedicated to live Andean folk music.
• Day 36 - 38 Leaving La Paz we cross the Altiplano. It seems unnatural to have such a vast expanse of flatness so high up. Here the Aymara and Quechua Indians scrape a living from their small plots of land in the harsh climate. One of the common crops grown is the potato, which originates on this continent. The women retain their original bright costume and many wear bowler hats.
  Our next stop is Potosi. At over 4000 metres it is the highest city in the world and 400 years ago it was the richest city in all of the Americas. Vast amounts of silver were extracted from Potosi and shipped to Spain. We will tour one of the mines and it is still clear to see that unfortunately, working conditions here have hardly improved over the centuries. In the local markets you can buy sticks of dynamite along with coca leaves and sweets! The history and past colonial splendour make Potosi a fascinating place to visit. A visit to Casa National de Monda (National Money House and ancient mint) provides a good look into Potosi's and Bolivia's past.
• Day 39 - 44 Leaving the bleak Altiplano we cross the shimmering white Uyuni Salt Lake. With no roads and only vague tracks to follow on the salt, we drive towards Chile. Surrounded by dozens of volcanic peaks we pass through the most spectacular scenery Bolivia has to offer. Crossing the roughest terrain we have yet encountered, we visit remote lakes, home to the rare Jame's flamingo, including Laguna Colorada and Laguna Verde situated at over 5000m above sea level. Along the way is a geyser field with mud pots bubbling up through the earth's crust.
  Finally the rough track ends and we turn onto a smooth tarmac road. We have crossed into Chile. Descending over 2500m in 40km we arrive at the immigration post at San Pedro de Atacama and spend some days exploring this interesting village, including the near by Valley of the Moon.
• Day 45 - 56 Leaving San Pedro, we now enter the Atacama Desert. We can stop at Calama to visit the vast open cast copper mine with its equally vast machinery.
  Heading south through the desert that may only see rain once in a hundred years, we rejoin the Pan American Highway following the Pacific coast stopping at some beach resorts including La Serena, one of Chile's most fashionable resorts.
  After a few days relaxing here, a day's drive brings us to Santiago and a chance to go to the cinema amongst other city life activities.
• Day 57 - 61 Heading south from Santiago, passing through Chile's wine growing region, we reach Pucon in the Chilean Lake District. Here we can climb the Villarrica Volcano which threatens to obliterate the town below with its next major eruption. An exhausting steep climb to the top allows you to peer down into the core and see the mass of activity of the bubbling hot lava below. The hike back down is fun filled with the use of 'snow slides' for a quicker journey to the bottom. In Pucon, there is also the opportunity to go white water rafting, cycling or horse riding.
• Day 62 - 64 From Pucon we go further south through the Chilean lakes district stopping either at Lake Puyahue or some hot springs nearer to the border of Argentina. We then cross into Argentina and drive on to our destination Bariloche. This is South America's premier ski resort reminiscent of Switzerland with prices to match! Among the temptations on offer include succulent steaks and luxury chocolates.
• Day 65 - 68 Reluctantly leaving Bariloche we continue through the Lake District Region with its spectacular National Parks, until we arrive in Esquel, which is the last major town before isolated Patagonia. Some long drives are required to cross the vastness of Patagonia, sparsely populated, and home to the tough Goucho cowboys. Our reward is the parque nacional los glaciares with the incredible Moreno Glacier, one of the few advancing glaciers left in the world. This breathtaking site stands 60 metres high and six kilometers wide, creaking and groaning as it moves forward, huge slabs of ice tear away to crash into the water below. This massive wall of ice divides an arm of the Lago Argentino effectively damming it. Every few years the ice dam can no longer support the rising water, explodes under the pressure and collapses.
• Day 69 - 73 A short drive takes us back into Chile where our next destination is the spectacular Torres del Paine National Park. We have 4 or 5 days to take some treks around the park, visit the grey Glacier, or try some Horse-riding.
• Day 74 -82 A ferry ride is needed to take us to the furthest point south on the continent to Tierra Del Fuego, or the land of fire. There is a boat ride in the Beagle Channel we can take and a visit to the nearby Ushuaia national park
• Day 83 - 91 We have now traversed Patagonia to the South Atlantic coast where we visit some marine wildlife reserves including the Valdes Peninsula. These are breeding grounds for sea mammals including Killer-whales, sea lions and Elephant seals.
  Heading north we continue to Buenos Airies the lively cosmopolitan capital of Argentina. We have some free time here where you could possibly take a boat across to Uruguay, or just sit back and enjoy a drink with live tango dancing and street performers to entertain you.
• Day 92 - 98 Continuing across the Pampas, Argentina's vast agricultural heartland, we take a detour to Carlos Pelegrine, a protected wetland area. A boat trip enables us to spot Cappiburras, giant guinea pigs, Caiman, a small alligator, and numerous species of birds. Continuing north we enter Paraguay, once notorious for harbouring some less salubrious immigrants after World War II. Hundreds of years earlier this was home to Jesuit missionaries whose buildings remain for us to visit, most notably in Trinidad. The pace of life is more laid back and takes the pressure off the budget after high living Argentina.
• Day 99 - 105 Crossing the Friendship Bridge to Brazil to the awesome Iguaza Falls, shared between Brazil and Argentina we can spend a few days here perhaps taking a helicopter flight over the worlds biggest waterfall. You can also return to Argentina for an alternative view of the falls. Continuing through Brazil to the tropical coast we have time to relax on some beaches including Parati, an old pirate haunt and take a yacht cruise around the bay before our ultimate destination, the frenetic Rio for 'Carnaval' or for those on tours departing in september , the just as frenetic Rio for New Year, with all its hedonistic delights.