Canaima 5 (Caracas to Rio de Janeiro)

Day 1 to 1

Arrive Caracas

Day 1 is simply an arrival day with no pre-organised activities, so you will have free time to relax and see some of the sights. Our tour begins in Venezuela’s capital city, Caracas, which is 960 metres above sea level and has one of South America's most pleasant climates. It is a very modern city with an efficient metro system, which goes from our hotel area into the city centre in minutes. Caracas has many lovely plazas, parks, museums and impressive buildings, and is famously the birthplace of the Liberator, Simón Bolívar, whose presence is still seen everywhere. Because of the mild climate, there are many outdoor cafés and restaurants where you can sit and watch the world go by.

Day 2 to 5

Caracas - Merida

We leave Caracas and travel to the city of Mérida, surrounded by beautiful mountains. Founded in 1558 the city still retains many interesting colonial buildings. In the nearby Sierra Nevada National Park there is the chance to take a 2 or 3 day hike through breathtaking scenery culminating in an exciting cable car ride back to the city. This cable car was built by the French in 1958 and is the longest and highest aerial cableway in the world. With a few days to explore Merida, you will have plenty of time to get to know this beautiful city.

Day 6 to 8

Los Llanos

Our next destination is the flatlands of Llanos, a vast tropical grassland area which harbours abundant wildlife including a vast variety of birds, capybaras, caimans, anacondas, pumas, monkeys and freshwater dolphins. Most of the country’s cattle also graze in this area living side-by-side with wildlife. The cattle are mostly the Zebu variety, which comes from Brazil and India. While you are in the Llanos area you may have the opportunity to take part in a rafting camp.

Day 9 to 17

Cucuta - Cartagena - Santa Marta - Tairona National Park

Leaving the grasslands we head across the border to Cucutá in Colombia. (Please note from this point onwards the tour will be escorted by an expedition leader only). We leave the Tucan Travel expedition vehicle and take a flight to the historic city of Cartagena, one of the most interesting colonial towns on the continent and where the film “Romancing the Stone” was made. Enjoy a walk along the city walls or wander through the fascinating narrow streets adorned with wooden balconies and hanging plants. There are several interesting optional excursions on offer such as a visit to Castillo San Felipe and the fortress on San Lazaro Hill. Beneath this fortress is a maze of tunnels and there are still cannons in place along the battlements. Also worthwhile is a trip up La Popa Hill to visit the colourful convent with great views over the city. The Bocagrande area of Cartagena is where Colombians come for their beach holidays and it is full of shops, nightclubs and bars. For an excellent evening out you could take a tour around the city by night in a chiva (also known by some as a “booze bus”). Frequent stops are made to see local street performers en route to a local disco. Another optional excursion that can be arranged here is a boat ride to the beautiful Islas del Rosario where it is also possible to go snorkelling or scuba diving. Near Cartagena is the Volcán de Lodo El Totumo, a mud volcano where you may have the opportunity to relax and wallow in the mud – known to be a good treatment for the skin. After five exhilarating nights in Cartagena we head by local bus to the little port town of Santa Marta, Colombia's first town, founded in 1525. It was here that Simón Bolivar came to die in 1830. There is a very interesting Archaeological Museum with a superb collection of pre-Columbian gold and Indian artefacts. We will drive past the lagoon of Cienega de Santa Marta where you will see an abundance of wildlife among the dead trees sprouting out of the water. Santa Marta on the northern coast of Colombia is a town full of open-air waterfront bars. Our next stop is the Tairona National Park by local bus. This is a lovely unspoilt beachside woodland where we hope to see iguanas, snakes and the occasional monkey. There is also the chance to trek to the small ruins of Pueblito left by the ancient Taironian Indians.

Day 18 to 27

Bogota - Villa de Leiva - Ipiales - Otavalo - Quito

We fly to Santa Fe de Bogotá, the capital of Colombia with a population of 6 million. The main square - Plaza Bolívar, the Cathedral, Simón Bolívar’s house and the colonial area of Candelaria are all within walking distance of our hotel. You may like to take the funicular to Monserrate for the incredible city views, or visit the world famous gold museum. Finally a trip to Bogotá would not be complete without an evening out, dancing the night away to salsa and merengue music at one of the city’s pulsating nightclubs. We leave the plateau of Bogotá and travel by local bus north to Villa de Leiva. This attractive colonial town has been preserved as a National Monument by the Colombian Government and has an incredible colonial plaza. We return to Bogotá for one last night and take another flight to Pasto, then a local bus to the small border town of Ipiales, a few kilometres from Ecuador. Before we pass across the frontier we take a side trip to the Sanctuary of the Virgin de Las Lajas, an impressive cathedral built on a bridge across a canyon and where it is claimed many miracles have taken place. We cross the Rumichaca Bridge over the River Carchi into Ecuador. Here we join a Tucan Travel expedition vehicle and continue to Ibarra then Otavalo where every Wednesday and Saturday there is one of the best markets to be found anywhere in South America. The Indians come from their remote villages to sell their livestock, produce and textiles. The Otavalo Indians are unique; the men keep their hair in long braids down their backs and wear calf length white trousers and sandals while the women wear white frilly blouses and black skirts with gold coloured necklaces twirled around their necks. The market offers fantastic photo opportunities. We now cross the equator on our way to Quito.

Day 28 to 40

Quito - free time

We take a break in the itinerary 12 nights / 11 days to allow you time to visit the Galápagos Islands on one of our Expedition Cruises or to attend a Spanish language school in the city, which we can book for you. Services during this period are not included in the tour cost. Quito is Ecuador’s capital city. At 2,850 metres above sea level, Quito is the second highest capital city in the world after La Paz. It was founded in 1534 by the Spanish and was originally an Inca stronghold. The city is situated in a hollow at the base of the live Volcano Pichincha and the whole length of the city can be seen from atop Panecillo Hill where the enormous Statue of the Virgin of Quito stands. The city has two main sections – the old and the new. The new is the main commercial area with lots of good restaurants and bars, whereas the old city is the colonial area in the centre, with steep calles (cobblestone streets), busy plazas and Indian markets. The equatorial monument is just 23 kilometres north of the city, and also houses an excellent museum that displays clothing, other wares and photos of the varied and colourful Ecuadorian people. You will have plenty of time to explore the surrounding area.

Day 41 to 47

Misahualli - Amazon Basin - Banos - Ingapirca

Departing Quito we drive over the Eastern Cordillera to descend into the humid Amazon Basin on the banks of the Rio Napo, towards our destination of Misahualli. There is an optional excursion from Misahuallí where we can take motorised dugout canoes downriver to enter the jungle by foot, led by a local guide who provides details about the plants, creatures and people of the region. He will show us how to find hidden food and water in trees, teach us about medicinal plants and even introduce us to the local monkeys! We stay overnight in rustic huts made of bamboo and leaves before travelling on from the jungle towards Baños. Along the edge of the rainforest we ascend back into the Andes along a spectacular route to Baños, a health resort renowned for its hot thermal springs. Besides soaking in the hot pools, there are paths where you can walk or ride horses into the hills, or for the more athletic, there is the opportunity to go bridge swinging, canyoning, white water rafting and mountain biking (optional). Those more inclined for a bit of quiet time can spend their time relaxing in cafés or buying souvenirs. This is the best place to buy beautifully painted balsa wood animals. Perhaps you could have a massage or try your hand at salsa dancing. Heading south we visit the Inca and Cañari ruins at Ingapirca, the country's most important archaeological site, which survived the invasion of the Spanish conquerors more or less intact. The pre-Inca Cañari people built the original structures and you can still see the temple / observatory area called Cashaloma, where they worshipped the moon. The fortress complex has a central platform where the Incas worshipped the sun.

Day 48 to 55

Cuenca - Punta Sal - Lambayeque - Huanchaco - Chan Chan - Lima

We continue on to Ecuador’s third largest town, Cuenca, a colonial market community founded in 1557. The town’s beautiful cobblestone streets, open plazas and whitewashed buildings with ironwork balconies has earned it UNESCO World Heritage status, although it is most famous for being the place where the original Panama hat was created. According to legend, the hat was made world famous by the people building the Panama Canal in the early 20th century. When American president Theodore Roosevelt wore this hat to visit the canal the hats suddenly became very popular, were imported on mass and have been associated with Panama ever since. It’s possible to visit a factory where you can see the entire hat-making process. Cuenca is also the place to buy cheap, high quality gold and silver. After the banana plantations in the tropical lowlands, we cross into Peru and quickly the landscape changes to arid desert where vegetation is sparse. We pass through villages with fishermen working with their small hand nets, and onwards through the oil region of the derricks pumping out ‘black gold’. We camp at the beach of Punta Sal for three nights before entering the Sechura Desert, where the barren land is irrigated to cultivate fields of rice, sugarcane and other cereal crops. Today we stop off en route at the Lambayeque museum - one of Peru’s finest museums- displaying artefacts found at the tomb of the Lord of Sipan, one of the richest archaeological finds of the 20th century. Before continuing on to the small coastal town of Huanchaco, where the fishermen still ride the surf in reed boats is where we offer you the opportunity to rent one of these reed boats for a paddle or race through the waves! Our next destination is Huanchaco where fishermen still ride the surf in reed boats. You have the opportunity to rent one of these boats for a paddle or race through the waves. From here you have the option to visit the largest mud city in the world at Chan Chán, which was built by Chimú Kings. There are many other sites that you can visit including the Moche-built pyramids known as Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna (temples of the sun and moon). Don’t miss the excellent Cassinelli Museum in Trujillo which houses one of the best private collections of pottery (including some interesting erotic pottery) as well as a mummified baby in a bell jar. We enjoy another free day in Huanchaco before making our way to the capital, stopping over at Sechín, another important ruin with temples dating back to 1500 BC, with over 500 carvings gruesomely depicting warriors and their captives, then again at Paramonga, a well preserved temple by the side of the highway. From the Paramonga ruins we continue travelling to Lima, the capital of Peru.

Day 56 to 61

Lima - Pisco - Paracas Ballestas Islands - Huacachina - Nazca - Puerto Inca

We enjoy two free days in the busy city of Lima. Founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, Lima was the capital of the conquistadors until it claimed independence in the early 19th century. Here you will find some of the finest museums in South America such as the Gold Museum and the Museum of the Inquisition, to name but a few (optional). Our hotel is in close proximity to the main Plaza de Armas, which houses the Cathedral, Municipal Palace and Presidential Palace where the changing of the guard can be seen every day at 12 noon. Those who have the stomach for it can visit the Catacombs below the San Francisco Church, where many thousands of bones can be seen. There are also many markets in Lima, possibly the best being in the district of "La Marina". Continuing south we arrive at Pisco. Peru’s national drink, the ‘pisco sour’, was named after this town. We spend the night in Pisco where you will have the opportunity to try some wonderful local seafood. In neighbouring Paracas, we will travel by boat to the Ballestas Islands the following morning. The trip takes us past the giant “Candelabra” figure engraved on the side of a mountain, which is believed to be linked to the legendary Nazca lines. The Ballestas Islands are teeming with over 150 species of bird life (including penguins, cormorants, boobies and pelicans), are home to thousands of sea lions and boast some amazing rock formations. Although it is not possible to set foot on the islands, you will experience the magnificent sight and sounds of the sealife and maybe even spot seals and dolphins playing around the boat. Back onshore we will head deep into the desert towards the Huacachina oasis where you have the chance to try your hand sand-boarding or a ride in a dune buggy down the enormous dunes, which is a lot of fun. The brave can go for a dip in the murky lagoon (said to contain therapeutic properties). In the afternoon we will continue on to Nazca, an oasis town famous for the strange parallel lines and geometrical figures etched into the desert floor, thousands of years ago. The unexplained Nazca Lines include illustrations of a dog, a monkey, a hummingbird, a condor, a spider and even what looks to be a spaceman! The designs are thought to have been made by three different groups of people: the Paracas (900-200 BC), the Nazca (200BC-600AD) and then new migrants from Ayacucho around 630AD. Although there is a viewing tower, these strange designs can only be fully appreciated from the air. You can take a fascinating flight (optional) over the lines and shapes. You can also take optional tours to visit the underground aqueducts, gold mines and ceramic shops. We’ll have a chance to visit the extraordinary Chauchilla Cemetery where you can see the ancient mummies which still have skin and hair intact. In the evening we travel by luxury overnight bus to Arequipa. On our way out of town, towards Puerto Inca, we visit the incredible Chauchilla cemetery. The sites have been excavated so you can see ancient mummies with skin and hair still intact. We travel along the rugged coastline to Puerto Inca, the Inca port which connected the coast with Cuzco in the mountains. Just five minutes walk away are the preserved ruins, which once stored sea produce for trading with wares brought down from the Andes. In Inca times, messages and fresh sea fish were sent 240 kilometres to Cuzco using a series of relay runners each doing 7 kilometres, taking 24 hours to complete the journey.

Day 62 to 66

Arequipa - Colca Canyon - Cuzco

We wind our way into the foothills of the Andes to the stunning colonial city of Arequipa, overshadowed by the massive volcano "El Misti". This city has some of the best examples of colonial architecture and the main plaza is quite magnificent, decorated with archways and dominated by the splendid cathedral, which was completed in 1612. Although an earthquake in 2001 damaged the cathedral it has not diminished any of the splendour of this charming square. The other main attraction here is the vast Santa Catalina Convent (optional). Situated in a maze of cobbled streets, cloisters and other decorative buildings, it has only been open to the public since 1970 and it is certainly well worth visiting. Enjoy a free day in Arequipa to explore at your leisure. Our next destination is the Colca Canyon, the deepest in the world. The drive takes us through a high Andean desert, with amazing scenery all the way. With luck, we will see a condor or two soaring out of the canyon from our vantage point, 1,200m above the canyon floor! With wingspans of over three metres these birds make a spectacular sight – it won’t be hard to imagine why the Incas believed that a condor carried the sun into the sky every morning! If you’re very lucky you may see herds of wild vicuñas, a relative of the llama which were hunted almost into extinction for the highly-prized silky wool in its undercoat, but have experienced a revival as they are now protected by law. In the evening we have time to soak in the thermal springs near Chivay, where we spend the night. A lengthy drive crossing the Andean flats takes us to the fabled old Inca capital of Cuzco. Originally settled by Incas between 1200 and 1500, this marvellous city was officially discovered by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro. Cuzco is situated at 3,310 metres and has a population of around 300,000 people, mostly of Indian descent. Numerous churches were built by the Spanish colonialists over old Inca temples and using their stonework, a method of recycling used in the construction of many other buildings in Cuzco. The main square is called the Plaza de Armas, which has the cathedral on one side and the church of La Compañia de Jesus on the other. The colonial arcades, which occupy the remainder of the plaza, are full of restaurants and shops. There are also many fascinating markets in Cuzco, the most famous being San Pedro where they sell all kinds of textiles and artisan merchandise. Enjoy a day to yourself, wander the streets, visit the many markets and soak up the friendly atmosphere. The following day you have free time if you wish to visit some of the nearby Inca ruins: Kenko, Tambo Machay and Puka Pukara. Up on a hill overlooking Cuzco is the archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, which has the largest Inca stonework of all. This is where the Inti Raymi Festival takes place each year around the 24th June.

Day 67 to 68

Sacred Valley

On our full day excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas; we take a trip up to a hill overlooking Cuzco which is where we will explore the ancient archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman, which has the largest and most impressive Inca stonework of all. We continue on to the Pisac ruins perched on a hill high in the mountains and visit the famous Indian market of the same name, in the valley below. This is another great place to buy textiles, pottery and jewellery and admire the fantastic view. After some time at both the ruins and the markets, we move down the valley to the temple fortress of Ollantaytambo, with its enormous terraces stepping down the hillside. Here we will spend the night and those who are trekking the Inca Trail will have a briefing to prepare for the next few days and there will be an early departure the following morning. For those who have chosen not to trek the trail a tour to Machu Picchu by train is included. The 3 other days are spent in Cuzco where you have free time to enjoy this great city. There are plenty of other optional excursions available including white water rafting down the Urubamba River, horse riding through native villages.

Day 68 to 71

Inca Trail (or free time) Machu Picchu

Please ask your agent or download our ‘Inca Trail Information Sheet’ or ‘Lares Trek Sheet’ for a day to day itinerary of your trek. The Lost City of Machu Picchu was originally completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces sufficient to feed the population, and watered by natural springs. Located high above the fast flowing Urubamba River, the cloud shrouded ruins have palaces, baths, temples, storage rooms and some 150 houses, all in a remarkable state of preservation that will simply take your breath away. The ruins were only discovered by the outside world in 1911, when American explorer Hiram Bingham found them while looking for another “lost city” called Vilcabamba. Due to their isolation many of the buildings are still quite intact and you can’t help but admire Huayna Picchu (“Young Mountain”), which towers above the ruins. It is a hard climb to the top of the mountain (it takes about 50 minutes) but you are rewarded with spectacular views over the whole site.

Day 72 to 73

Cuzco

After the Inca Trail we have two free days in Cuzco where you can spend your time exploring this wonderful town. Of course there is much to see during the daylight hours but once the sun goes down, Cuzco’s lights come on and around the plaza the nightlife is spectacular with bars, nightclubs and every type of restaurant imaginable.

Day 74 to 79

Puno - Lake Titicaca Uros, Amantani and Taquile Islands - La Paz

Time to leave the excitement of Cuzco with an early start, destined for the little town of Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The journey takes us alongside majestic snow-capped mountains before reaching the La Raya pass at 4,321 metres. Here we’ll pass by a research station, which studies high altitude animals such as llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. At 3,855 metres above sea level, Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. At the Bay of Puno we’ll visit the floating reed Islands of the Uros Indians to learn about their unique way of life and ride in a traditional reed boat made of totora plants, which also form a staple part of the Indians’ diet and medicine. We’ll then make our way to Amantani Island to spend the night in the homes of native families. This beautiful traditional island is home to Aymara Indians and is situated in the centre of Lake Titicaca. The following morning we’ll stopover at Taquile, where the men walk around knitting typical woollen hats, while the women tend the fields. We return to Puno in time to do more shopping. We cross into Bolivia, to the highest capital city in the world, La Paz, at 3,636 metres. Just about every building is built on some sort of hill, so sightseeing can literally take your breath away! Our hotel is close to the fascinating Indian markets including the ‘witches market’, so named because local bowler-hatted women sell dead cats, llama foetuses (these are placed under the buildings to keep evil spirits away) and other strange potions. The main square is the Plaza Murillo, where a president of the Republic was once lynched from a lamppost. One of the evenings here can be spent at a peña listening to locals playing “Andino” music on zampoñas and charangos. There are also many optional excursions available. You might like to visit the Moon Valley with its strange rock formations shaped by the weather or take in the incredible views from Mount Chacaltaya and the world's highest ski resort at 5,221 metres. Another fantastic excursion is to the emerald green area of Coroico, the gateway to the Bolivian jungle region and a great place to see sub-tropical vegetation and plants. En-route you will cross a 5,000 metre high pass before descending to 1,300 metres on narrow mountain roads bordered by sheer drops. The excursion to Coroico can also be done by mountain bike, as it is downhill nearly all the way and very exhilarating, but not for the fainthearted! While in Coroico you can have lunch by a swimming pool and admire the snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Day 80 to 83

Potosi Salar de Uyuni - Humahuaca Canyon - Salta

From La Paz across the Altiplano to Potosí, the highest city of its size on earth at 4,070 metres, with a population of 110,000 people. The history of Potosí, its fame and splendour, tragedy and horror, is closely linked to silver. The city was founded in 1545 soon after the discovery of silver in a nearby hill, the Cerro Rico (or “rich hill”). The veins proved to be so rich that the mines quickly became the World's most prolific. Silver from Potosí underwrote the Spanish economy, particularly its monarchy's extravagance, for over 2 centuries. (In Spanish there is still a saying, valer un potosí, "to be worth a fortune"). Millions of Indians and later, African slaves, were to work in the mines where conditions were so appalling and dangerous that miners died in astronomical numbers, either in accidents or from silicosis pneumonia. During the three centuries of colonial rule, it is estimated that eight million Africans and Indians died in the Potosí mines. Reminders of the grand colonial city are still evident in the narrow streets, formal balconied mansions and ornate churches. We offer you the opportunity to visit one of the mines (optional) where you can experience something of the hardship that miners still suffer. You soon realise that the mines are worked today in much the same way as they were under Spanish rule. From Potosi we travel to the small town of Uyuni in the south of Bolivia to visit, what is claimed to be the largest salt flat in the world, the Salar de Uyuni. It is brilliant white as far as the eye can see and is quite a surreal experience. Covering an estimated10,500 square kilometres, the salar contains about 10 billion tons of salt. Our excursion takes us to a hotel made entirely of salt and then to “Fish Island” where giant cacti and llama provide unique photo opportunities. We wind our way along the dusty roads of Bolivia, to the Argentine border passing through Tupiza and Villazon. Our first night in Northern Argentina is spent free-camping in the arid landscape of giant cacti and unusual rock coloration in the Humahuaca Canyon. Our next stop is the attractive city of Salta in the Lerma Valley, established in 1582. Salta features many old colonial buildings, a Cathedral with ancient statues of Cristo del Milagro (Miracle of Christ) and the Virgin Mary, which were brought over from Spain in 1592. You will also find pavement plaques which will guide you on an interesting walking tour of the city.

Day 84 to 95

Gran Chaco - Trinidad - Asuncion - Iguazu Falls

We pass through the town of Roque Saenz Peña as we make our way into the thorny scrublands of the Gran Chaco. This is also where the quebracho tree grows, the bark supplying much of the world with a red-brown tannin used for dying leather. Our journey takes us to Posadas through the Department of Mesopotamia, hopefully seeing the local cowboys (gauchos) and spotting rheas (South American emus) along the way. We cross the Rio Paraná into the poor country of Paraguay, destined for Trinidad. It is here that we visit the Jesuit Ruins, which were built in the early 1700's and give us a good idea of how the Jesuit missionaries lived. The Jesuits came to this area to convert the Guarani Indians to Catholicism, but were eventually expelled from South America by the Spanish in 1767. Subsequently we camp at Mantanial Park with its surrounding farmland and pristine swimming pool. The park is a great place to relax with optional horse riding available. We make our way to the capital, Asunción, a pleasant city with a hot and humid climate. Built on the banks of the Paraguay River, the streets are laid out in the Spanish grid pattern and lined with beautiful trees. Asunción is a good place to stock up on cameras and electronic equipment as it’s another duty free port! Along the riverfront are the Government and Municipal Palaces, the cathedral and a shantytown. There are a few markets where you can buy local handicrafts. We cross into Brazil at Foz do Iguaçu, where over 275 waterfalls cascade over a frontage two and a half kilometres wide. There is also an excellent bird park which we visit near the entrance to the falls. We visit both sides of the falls - from the Brazilian side there are panoramic views of the numerous falls and from the Argentine, you can walk through rainforest along catwalks directly above the falls and visit the "Devil's Throat" where fourteen falls drop with such force that there is always a massive cloud of spray overhead. For a bird’s eye view take the optional helicopter ride.

Day 96 to 102

Curitiba - Bertioga - Parati - Rio de Janeiro

We spend one night near the city of Curitiba, one of the most prosperous cities of Southern Brazil. Driving through rich farmlands before dropping from the high central plateau to the Atlantic we stop at the coastal town of Bertioga, which has a beautiful long beach just perfect for swimming and water sports. Following the stunning coastline north, we come to colonial Parati, an old pirate town with streets made of stone slabs designed to let the tide wash over and clean them. You have an option to go on a full day boat cruise around the bay with plenty of time for swimming in the turquoise waters and eating the fresh seafood. A short drive brings us to fantastic Rio de Janeiro, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Here the many optional excursions on offer include Sugar Loaf Mountain and Corcovado with its famous Statue of Christ – both offering great city views, a visit to the Botanical Gardens and the famous beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon. Famous for the world’s biggest party, THE RIO CARNIVAL!

Day 103 to 103

Depart Rio

Our tour ends after breakfast on day 103.