Brazil & Argentina on a Shoestring — Self-Launched
10 days · Argentina & Brazil
G Adventures charges £1,200
No-markup version: ~£538 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, DIY version of G Adventures' 10-day Buenos Aires-to-Rio shoestring route — same cities, same falls, same beaches, without the group markup or CEO. You'll start in Buenos Aires (steak, tango, La Boca), take a long-distance bus to Iguassu Falls to see both the Argentine and Brazilian sides, then overnight it down to colonial Paraty on the Costa Verde, and finish with two nights in a Copacabana hostel in Rio. Everything is bookable yourself: long-distance buses (or a cheap domestic flight if you prefer), official park entry tickets at Iguassu, and GetYourGuide/direct-booked boat, bike and city tours. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Buenos Aires — settle into Palermo or San Telmo
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Land at Ezeiza (EZE) and take the Manuel Tienda León shuttle bus into the centre (~£10-12) or a remis/taxi (~£30-40). Check into a hostel in San Telmo or Palermo — dorms run roughly £12-18/night. Spend the afternoon walking San Telmo's cobbled streets and the Sunday-or-not antiques market area, then grab your first bife de chorizo and a bottle of Malbec at a neighbourhood parrilla (~£12-15). Evening: optionally catch a tango show at a milonga — La Catedral Club or Salón Canning are cheap/free to enter and far better value than tourist dinner-shows.
🚌Airport shuttle ~£10-12 one way; walking + SUBE card for local buses/subte
🛏Hostel dorm, San Telmo or Palermo (~£15)
- →San Telmo wander
- →Neighbourhood parrilla dinner
- →Optional milonga (entry free-£5)
Buenos Aires city highlights + La Boca, then overnight bus to Puerto Iguazú
Buenos Aires → Puerto Iguazú
Morning free walking tour of the centre (tip-based, ~£5 tip) covering Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada and the Eva Perón balcony, or book a bike tour via GetYourGuide (~£20-25). Afternoon bus or taxi to La Boca for the colourful El Caminito — go in daylight and stay on the main streets. Back to the hostel, collect your bag, and board the overnight bus from Retiro to Puerto Iguazú (~17-18 hrs, roughly £30-45 with Río Uruguay or Crucero del Norte, cama seat). Buy tickets online in advance; bring snacks and a neck pillow.
🚌Local bus/subte ~£1; overnight long-distance bus Buenos Aires → Puerto Iguazú ~£35
🛏Overnight bus (reclining cama seat)
- →Free walking tour Plaza de Mayo
- →La Boca / El Caminito
- →Optional bike tour ~£22
Arrive Puerto Iguazú — Brazilian side of the falls
Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Arrive mid-morning, drop bags at a hostel in Puerto Iguazú (~£12-16 dorm). Cross the border into Brazil (bring your passport; local bus from the terminal to the border then on to Foz do Iguaçu, ~£2-3 total). Buy your Parque Nacional do Iguaçu ticket at the gate or online (~£18-20) and take the park shuttle to the panoramic Brazilian-side trail — the classic wide-angle view of the Devil's Throat. Optional helicopter flight over the falls (~£100+) if you're splashing out. Return to Argentina for the night, or stay in Foz if you prefer a cheaper bed.
🚌Local buses + border crossing ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm, Puerto Iguazú (~£14)
- →Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls (park entry ~£19)
- →Optional helicopter ride ~£100
Argentine side of Iguassu Falls — full day
Puerto Iguazú, Argentina
Early local bus from the Puerto Iguazú terminal to Parque Nacional Iguazú (~£1). Entry is roughly £22-25 for foreigners — buy online to skip the queue. Walk the Upper and Lower Circuits, then take the free park train to the Garganta del Diablo walkway for the thundering close-up. Optional Gran Aventura boat ride into the spray (~£40-45, book at the park or via GetYourGuide) — worth it. Back to town for dinner; empanadas and a litre of Quilmes keeps costs low.
🚌Local bus to park ~£1 each way
🛏Hostel dorm, Puerto Iguazú (~£14)
- →Argentine side of Iguassu Falls (entry ~£23)
- →Optional Gran Aventura boat ~£43
- →Optional Bird Park ~£15
Free morning, then overnight bus to São Paulo / Paraty
Puerto Iguazú → Paraty (via São Paulo)
Lazy morning — hostel breakfast, a swim, or a short walk to the Hito Tres Fronteras viewpoint where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet (free). Midday bus across the border to Foz do Iguaçu and board the overnight bus to São Paulo (~15 hrs, ~£30-40) — book with Catarinense or similar on Busbud/ClickBus. In São Paulo transfer to a coastal bus down to Paraty (~6 hrs, ~£15-20). If you'd rather save a day, a cheap domestic flight Foz → São Paulo → Rio can be had for £50-80, then a bus to Paraty — check Gol/Azul/LATAM sales.
🚌Long-distance buses ~£50-60 total, or budget domestic flight ~£60 + bus ~£10
🛏Overnight bus
- →Hito Tres Fronteras viewpoint
- →Border crossing to Brazil
Arrive Paraty — colonial old town and schooner bay
Paraty, Brazil
Arrive in Paraty (the São Paulo–Paraty bus drops you at the rodoviária, a 15-min walk or short taxi to the UNESCO-listed colonial centre). Check into a pousada or hostel (~£14-20 dorm, more for a private room). Afternoon: wander the whitewashed cobbled streets, hit the beach at Praia do Pontal, and take a caipirinha at a waterfront bar. If you arrive early enough, join an afternoon schooner boat trip around the bay's islands (~£18-22, book at any kiosk on the pier or GetYourGuide).
🚌Arrival bus; everything on foot
🛏Hostel/pousada dorm, Paraty centro histórico (~£17)
- →Paraty historic centre wander
- →Optional schooner bay cruise ~£20
- →Caipirinha on the waterfront
Paraty — boat, kayak or beach-hop
Paraty, Brazil
Full day on the water. Option A: a full-day schooner (escuna) island-hopping tour with a seafood lunch stop, ~£20-25. Option B: rent a kayak (~£12-15/day) and paddle the sheltered bay. Option C: local bus to Trindade (~£1.50) for wild beaches and natural rock pools at Cachadaço — the classic backpacker day out. Evening: cachaça tasting at a local distillery or a live samba bar in the old town.
🚌Local bus to Trindade ~£2 return, or walking
🛏Hostel/pousada dorm, Paraty (~£17)
- →Full-day schooner ~£22 or kayak rental ~£14
- →Trindade beaches + Cachadaço pools
- →Cachaça tasting ~£10
Paraty — waterfalls, 4x4 or slow beach day
Paraty, Brazil
Pick your pace: a jeep/4x4 tour to the jungle waterfalls and stills along the Paraty–Cunha road (~£20, book locally), a guided old-town walking tour with cachaça tasting (~£12-15), or simply claim a stretch of sand at Jabaquara beach. Cheap eats: a kilo-restaurant lunch (~£6-8) or a tapioca crepe from a street stall. Early night — you've got a bus to Rio tomorrow.
🚌Walking / local bus ~£2
🛏Hostel/pousada dorm, Paraty (~£17)
- →Optional 4x4 waterfall tour ~£20
- →Old town walking tour ~£14
- →Jabaquara beach
Bus to Rio de Janeiro — Copacabana base
Paraty → Rio de Janeiro
Morning bus Paraty → Rio (Rodoviária Novo Rio), roughly 4-4.5 hrs, ~£12-15 with Costa Verde or Reunidas. Take the metro (need a Riocard, ~£1.20/ride) or an app taxi to Copacabana and check into a hostel a block or two back from the beach (~£16-22 dorm; Copacabana is pricier in summer). Afternoon: beach time, then either hike up to Sugarloaf via the free-ish Pão de Açúcar cable car (~£18) at sunset, or take the Corcovado train/van up to Christ the Redeemer (~£22-25, book a timed ticket online). Sunset on Arpoador rock is free and unbeatable.
🚌Bus Paraty → Rio ~£13; metro/app taxi ~£3
🛏Hostel dorm, Copacabana (~£20)
- →Copacabana beach
- →Optional Sugarloaf cable car ~£18
- →Optional Christ the Redeemer ~£24
- →Arpoador sunset (free)
Rio morning then depart
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Last morning: sunrise walk on Copacabana or Ipanema, an açaí bowl, and a wander through Santa Teresa's hillside streets if time allows. Grab a cheap lunch and head to Galeão (GIG) airport on the 2018/2101 executive bus (~£3-4) or an app taxi (~£12-18). If your flight is late, a favela community tour run by a local social project (~£15-20) is a worthwhile final stop — book direct, not through a hotel concierge.
🚌Airport bus ~£4 or taxi ~£15
🛏—
- →Sunrise beach walk
- →Santa Teresa (optional)
- →Optional community tour ~£18
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£538 | £1,200 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £662 per person (55%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£538
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Brazil & Argentina on a Shoestring — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £538 per person for 10 days in Argentina & Brazil. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,200 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £538 — a saving of roughly £662 (55%) per person.
How long is the Argentina & Brazil trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Argentina & Brazil.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a backpacker, budget, beaches trip through Argentina & Brazil, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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