Latin Wonders of the World

This seventeen-night escorted tour from Travelsphere threads its way through some of South America’s most memorable landscapes and cities. It begins in Lima, perched on cliffs overlooking the Pacific, where colonial buildings crowd around the main square. Next is Cuzco, a city where Inca stonework jostles with Spanish cathedrals, before a narrow-gauge train takes you through jungle to Machu Picchu, perched on a steep ridge above the Urubamba River.

You cross high mountain passes to reach Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake, and then buzz around La Paz by cable car, where the city spills down varying levels of valley walls beneath Illimani’s peaks. Flights then take you to the sweeping boulevards of Buenos Aires and to Iguaçu Falls, where 275 separate falls thunder over a vast horseshoe. The tour ends in Rio de Janeiro, with its Christ the Redeemer statue high on Corcovado and a hotel conveniently based on Copacabana beach.

Travelsphere’s small group pace allows time to pause between major sights for a stroll or a coffee. The itinerary covers impressive ground but includes quiet moments, such as a free day in Buenos Aires or lingering over lunch in Aguas Calientes.