As international travel restrictions continue to be lifted, next year promises to bring plenty of opportunities for adventure. Despite the ever-changing nature of travel over recent years, the desire to be immersed in different cultures, landscapes, and experiences is more prominent than ever before. Here are three of the top South American destinations to visit with your group in 2023!
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Profile:
Buenos Aires is the capital city of Argentina and welcomes nearly three million visitors each year. Rich in European heritage and a mecca for culinary creativity, Buenos Aires is known for its delicious cuisine, especially its savory beef and quality wine. The city is filled with wide boulevards that feature elegant architecture and also offers a vibrant nightlife scene.
Things To Do:
City Sightseeing Tour – Tour Buenos Aires and learn about the city’s rich culture and history as seen through its neighborhoods and historical landmarks. Highlights include the Plaza de Mayo featuring the Casa Rosada Presidential Palace, Cabildo 17th-century town hall, and Metropolitan Cathedral. Stop by the Palace of Congress, the world-class Teatro Colón opera house, Avenida Nueve de Julio, the city’s main avenue at 12 lanes wide, and the Obelisk (reminiscent of the Washington Monument). Cross the Puerto Madero’s Women’s Bridge and visit the Palermo parks district with wide boulevards, leafy parks, and extravagant monuments to round out your introduction to this great city.
Tango Lessons & Dinner Show – Enjoy one of Buenos Aires’ cozy and elegant dinner theaters, reminiscent of the early 20th century. Dine on delicious Argentine beef or other delicacy as you are entertained by perfectly-groomed and fashionably-attired Tango dancers performing the traditional dance with its distinctive dramatic movements. A wonderful musical experience!
La Boca Neighborhood – Visit this historic neighborhood of Buenos Aires located on the city’s south side. The port of La Boca was the point of entry for many immigrants to Argentina with an especially large number arriving from Genoa, Italy in the late 19th century. Communal homes, known as “conventillos,” sprang up with many painted in colorful hues, said to be using paint left over from the painting of ship’s hulls.
Visit the famous “Caminito” pedestrian street where artists display their works and street performers dance the tango. Boca is best-known as home to the Club Atletico Boca Juniors, one of the world’s most storied soccer clubs, and its classic stadium “La Bombonera” which is available for visits.
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Profile:
Located in Brazil, Rio De Janeiro is one of the most-visited cities in the Southern hemisphere. The massive seaside city is known for its world-renowned landmarks including the 125-foot high Christ the Redeemer statue that sits atop Mount Corcovado. With a population of nearly seven million, Rio De Janeiro is also known for its cultural festivities such as the “Carnaval”, a festival that is held yearly and is considered to be the biggest carnival in the world. From beautiful coastlines to exotic beaches, and historical attractions, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil offers the ultimate itinerary.
Things To Do:
Copacabana Beach – Visit Rio’s famous Copacabana Beach where you can take a dip in the warm ocean waters, or join in or watch a game of futevolei, a Brazilian invention that mixes beach soccer and volleyball. Try the fresh “sucos” (squeezed juice that can be found at every corner) made from Açaí, a purplish fruit from the Amazon that many “cariocas” (Brazilians from Rio) cannot live without!
Corcovado Mountain & Christ Redeemer Statue – Travel to the Cosme Velho train station at the base of the Corcovado Mountain where you will board the cog railway train for the ascent to the summit where the impressive 125-foot high Christ statue overlooks the city. Completed in 1931, the art deco statue can be seen from most of Rio de Janeiro. The mountain is located behind most of the city and affords magnificent panoramic views of the Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches, Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio’s Historic Center and Guanabara Bay, orienting you to all of the city’s major attractions.
Sugarloaf Mountain Excursion – Take the two-stage cable car for the nearly mile-long ascent to the 1,299-foot-high summit of the mountain for one of the world’s most spectacular views with great vistas of the surrounding bays, beaches, mountains and the city itself. Optional visit to the restaurant and shops at the first cable car stop – the 700-foot-high Morro de Urca. Be sure to bring your camera!
Santiago, Chile
Profile:
Santiago, the capital of Chile, is a large, modern city with some 5 million inhabitants. Founded in 1541, at the southern end of the Spanish colonial empire on the Pacific Ocean, the city grew in importance after what is modern-day Chile declared independence from Spain in 1810. Today, Santiago is known for its vibrant culture, history, and majestic scenery including the snow-capped Andes Mountain range that surrounds the city.
Things To Do:
Santiago City Tour – Explore the city’s most popular landmarks and attractions beginning with the Club Hípico racing track in the traditional West Side residential part of town, featuring the French Art Nouveau / Beaux Arts style of architecture popular in the early 20th century. Next, stop at Alameda Avenue in the heart of Santiago and pass by La Moneda, the building that houses the President of Chile. Continue on to the Plaza de Armas, the main square where the Metropolitan Cathedral and National Museum are located. Cross the Mapocho River and ascend the San Cristóbal Hill on the north side of the city for a beautiful panoramic view of the capital below with the Andes in the background.
Santiago Museums – Travel back in time and visit Santiago’s historic museums such as the Museum of Memory & Human Rights, one of the city’s most notable attractions, the Pre-Columbian Art Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, which was opened in 1830 and features exhibits on zoology, botany, anthropology, and archaeology, and the Colonial Art Museum of the San Francisco Church, the oldest structure standing in Santiago dating back to 1572!
Viña del Mar & Valparaíso Day Trip – Located about 75 miles from Santiago, you can visit these two charming Chilean coastal communities. Viña del Mar is Chile’s main beach resort with 300,000 inhabitants. Here, you can visit the Quinta Vergara museum, the Plaza Vergara (main square), and cross the Marga Marga Canal, where you will make a short stop at the Fonck Museum, featuring artifacts from Easter Island.
Valparaíso features a major port where many cruise ships call. The city is divided into two main sections, the coastal settlement and the hillside neighborhoods further from the sea with charming brightly-colored homes perched on the hills. These are accessed by funiculars (hillside elevators) that have a quaint appearance. Attractions in Valparaíso include the “La Sebastiana,” home to the late Pablo Neruda, Nobel Prize-winning (1971) poet, and the Plaza Sotomayor, the National Navy Building, and the Monument to the Heroes of the Iquique Pacific War.
For more information on international tours, please visit the Victory Sports Tours website by clicking here!