Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls & Rio: Self-Launched 10-Day South America Route
10 days · Argentina & Brazil
Wanderful Holidays LLC charges £2,351
No-markup version: ~£1,420 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of the classic Buenos Aires – Iguazu Falls – Rio de Janeiro route, swapping the operator's private transfers, 4-star hotels and internal air package for hostel/guesthouse stays, long-distance buses and self-booked GetYourGuide city tours. You still see both sides of Iguazu Falls, Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, San Telmo and Copacabana — but you travel at your own pace, add a night in the falls town for the Argentine circuit, and can realistically do the whole thing for roughly £1,300–1,600 per person instead of £2,500+ on the packaged tour. Costs are approximate backpacker rates and exclude international flights to/from South America.
Day-by-day
Arrive Buenos Aires – settle into San Telmo
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Land at Ezeiza (EZE) and take the Tienda León shared shuttle or the public bus 8/51 into the city centre (roughly £8 for the shuttle, £1 by bus, 45–70 min). Check into a hostel or guesthouse in San Telmo or Palermo — San Telmo is cheaper and closer to the historic core. Spend the rest of the day walking Plaza de Mayo, the Casa Rosada and the Sunday-antiques stretch of Defensa, then eat a cheap choripán and empanadas for dinner.
🚌Airport shared shuttle or public bus into Buenos Aires (~£1–8)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in San Telmo (approx. £16–22/night)
- →Walk Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada
- →Evening wander in San Telmo
Buenos Aires city highlights on a self-booked walking tour
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Join a tip-based free walking tour (BA Free Tour runs a good one from Plaza de Mayo, ~3 hrs) or a paid small-group GetYourGuide walking tour (£15–25) covering Puerto Madero, the French-style mansions of Recoleta, the Ateneo Grand Splendid bookshop and San Telmo. Recoleta Cemetery entry is free for walking the grounds; the Evita museum is about £5. Grab lunch at a mercado (San Telmo Market) rather than a set-menu restaurant.
🚌Subte (metro) card top-up ~£3 for the day
🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Buenos Aires
- →Free/tip-based walking tour of central Buenos Aires
- →Recoleta Cemetery and neighbourhood
- →San Telmo Market lunch
Tango, La Boca or a day trip to Colonia, Uruguay
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Free day with options. Cheapest: walk La Boca's Caminito (daylight only, no wandering beyond the tourist strip), or take the Tigre Delta public train (Mitre line, ~£1) and a shared launch boat (£6–10). Better value than the operator's dinner-and-show package: a tango 'milonga' at La Viruta or Salón Canning costs £5–10 entry with a group lesson. If you want Uruguay, the Buquebus/Colonia Express fast ferry to Colonia del Sacramento is roughly £50–70 return and worth it for the UNESCO old town.
🚌Local bus/subte or optional ferry to Colonia (~£50–70 extra if chosen)
🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Buenos Aires
- →La Boca and Caminito
- →Optional Tigre Delta by public train and launch
- →Milonga tango night (£5–10 entry)
Overnight bus to Puerto Iguazú
Buenos Aires → Puerto Iguazú
Check out and spend the morning at leisure. Take a late-afternoon or evening long-distance bus from Retiro terminal to Puerto Iguazú — Crucero del Norte and Vía Bariloche run cama/semi-cama services, roughly 17–18 hours, £35–55 one way. Overnight on the bus; keep a small day bag with you. Booking on Plataforma10 or at the terminal a day or two ahead is fine.
🚌Long-distance bus Buenos Aires → Puerto Iguazú (~£35–55, 17–18 hrs)
🛏Overnight reclining bus seat (semi-cama/cama)
- →Last Buenos Aires morning walk
- →Board overnight bus at Retiro
Argentine side of Iguazu Falls – Devil's Throat
Puerto Iguazú, Argentina
Arrive early morning, drop bags at the hostel and head straight to the Argentine park entrance. Park entry is about £20 for foreigners; the little Ecológico train takes you to the Devil's Throat walkway (Garganta del Diablo), plus the Upper and Lower Circuits. The Nautical Adventure boat adds roughly £25. This is the side the operator only offered as a paid extra — do it as the main event, with more time and better access. Buses from the Puerto Iguazú terminal to the park run every 20–30 min for about £1.
🚌Local park bus from town (~£1) plus optional boat
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Puerto Iguazú (approx. £14–20/night)
- →Iguazu National Park Argentine side entry (~£20)
- →Garganta del Diablo walkway
- →Upper and Lower Circuits
- →Optional Nautical Adventure boat (~£25)
Brazilian side of the falls and cross to Foz do Iguaçu
Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Cross the border independently: local bus from Puerto Iguazú terminal to the Argentine border (Migraciones), walk/ride to the Brazilian frontier post, then a local bus to the Brazilian park entrance. Bring your passport, and check entry requirements for Brazil before you travel. Brazilian park entry is about £18; the metal walkways give the classic panoramic view of the falls. Finish with the optional Macuco Safari boat (£40–50) if the budget allows. Stay in Foz do Iguaçu, which is cheaper than the Argentine side for food.
🚌Local buses across the border (~£3 total)
🛏Hostel or budget pousada in Foz do Iguaçu (approx. £14–20/night)
- →Iguazu Falls Brazilian side entry (~£18)
- →Panoramic walkways and falls viewpoints
- →Optional Macuco Safari boat
Fly or bus to Rio de Janeiro – evening in Copacabana
Foz do Iguaçu → Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The operator flies this leg; the budget alternatives are a 22–24 hour bus (£40–55) or a one-way low-cost flight with GOL/Azul/LATAM booked 4–8 weeks ahead (£60–110 including a carry-on bag). Flying is nearly always worth the extra on a 10-day trip. Land at Galeão or Santos Dumont and take the BRT/SuperVia or an app ride to a hostel in Botafogo, Lapa or Copacabana (£3–10). Walk the Copacabana beachfront at sunset and eat at a self-service 'por kilo' buffet (£7–9).
🚌One-way flight Foz do Iguaçu → Rio (~£60–110, 2 hrs) or 22–24 hr bus (~£40–55)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Botafogo/Lapa (approx. £16–24/night)
- →Copacabana beachfront sunset walk
Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf – self-booked
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Buy the Corcovado cog-train ticket and Sugarloaf cable car direct or via GetYourGuide — Corcovado train plus entry is roughly £30–35, Sugarloaf cable car roughly £25–30, and a combined guided half-day tour is £45–60. Take the metro to Largo do Machado or Cosme Velho and ride the train up early (before 9am) to beat crowds and cloud. In the afternoon, walk the Tijuca Forest trails or join a cheap jeep tour (£30–40). The operator's included buffet lunch is easily replaced with a kilo buffet in Botafogo for under £8.
🚌Metro and local buses (~£4)
🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Rio
- →Corcovado cog train to Christ the Redeemer (~£30–35)
- →Sugarloaf Mountain cable car (~£25–30)
- →Tijuca Forest walk or optional jeep tour
Santa Teresa, Lapa and a Brazilian show night
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ride the historic Santa Teresa tram (£1–2), browse the Selarón Steps and Lapa's arches, then spend the afternoon at the Botanical Gardens (£8) or Ipanema beach. In the evening, pick a samba bar in Lapa (live music cover £5–10) instead of the operator's £50+ dinner show — or book a Ginga Tropical show ticket direct on GetYourGuide if you want the spectacle. Eat at a boteco for £8–12.
🚌Tram, metro and local buses (~£4)
🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Rio
- →Santa Teresa tram and Selarón Steps
- →Botanical Gardens or Ipanema beach
- →Lapa samba night or optional Ginga Tropical show
Depart Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Last morning for a beach walk or a coffee at a boteco, then take the metro plus BRT or an app ride to Galeão (GIG) or Santos Dumont (SDU) — roughly £3–10. Allow 3 hours before an international flight. If you have a late flight, stash bags at the hostel and do the Museu do Amanhã (£6) in the docklands.
🚌Metro/BRT or app ride to the airport (~£3–10)
🛏None (departure day)
- →Final beach walk
- →Optional Museu do Amanhã
Self-launched vs. Wanderful Holidays LLC
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Wanderful Holidays LLC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,420 | £2,351 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £931 per person (40%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Wanderful Holidays LLC-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,420
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.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls & Rio: Self-Launched 10-Day South America Route cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,420 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 Wanderful Holidays LLC?+
Yes — Wanderful Holidays LLC charges around £2,351 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,420 — a saving of roughly £931 (40%) 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 adventure, culture, backpacker 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.