Explore Argentina & Brazil — Self-Launched
9 days · Argentina & Brazil
G Adventures charges £3,050
No-markup version: ~£635 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 9-day version of G Adventures' "Explore Argentina & Brazil" (National Geographic Journeys, trip code SAZNG): Buenos Aires tango and steak, both sides of Iguazú Falls, São Paulo's markets and street food, colonial Paraty and its island schooner trip, then Copacabana and Rio's big viewpoints. Instead of private vans and included internal flights you'll use Argentina's excellent long-distance buses, cheap domestic flights booked direct, and local colectivos — and swap guided lectures and "highlight moments" for self-bookable equivalents (Iguazú boat trips, Mercado Municipal food crawl, a community-run Paraty boat trip). Costs are rough backpacker/mid-range estimates in GBP and assume shared hostel/guesthouse rooms and self-catered or casual eating.
Day-by-day
Arrive Buenos Aires — settle into Palermo or San Telmo
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Land at Ezeiza (EZE) and take the Tienda León shuttle bus to the city centre (~£10) or the local bus 8 if you're feeling brave (~£0.60, 1.5hrs). Check into a hostel in Palermo Soho or San Telmo. Skip the included airport transfer the tour offers — the shuttle is cheap and easy. Spend the afternoon walking Plaza de Mayo, the Casa Rosada and Sunday's San Telmo antiques market if you time it right. Evening: a cheap choripán and a Malbec at a neighbourhood parrilla, or book a tango lesson in a San Telmo milonga (~£10-15) rather than a tourist show.
🚌Tienda León shuttle EZE to centre ~£10; walking + Subte card (~£0.50/ride)
🛏Hostel dorm or private double in Palermo Soho / San Telmo (~£15-22 pp)
- →Plaza de Mayo & Casa Rosada walk
- →San Telmo street wander
- →Optional group tango lesson ~£12
Fly to Iguazú — Brazilian side of the falls
Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Book a direct Aerolíneas Argentinas or JetSMART flight Buenos Aires–Puerto Iguazú (booked 4-8 weeks ahead these run £60-110 one way). Cross the border to Foz do Iguaçu by local bus/taxi (~£5) and drop bags at a hostel near the park entrance. Afternoon: the Brazilian side of the falls (Parque Nacional do Iguaçu) — the panoramic walkway along the canyon rim is genuinely the best overview, with the Devil's Throat catwalk. Park entry ~£15 plus local bus ~£3 each way. Instead of the tour's biologist lecture, join a free evening nature talk at the park visitor centre or just read up on the Atlantic Forest over dinner.
🚌Domestic flight ~£60-110; local bus to park ~£3 each way
🛏Hostel in Foz do Iguaçu (~£12-18 pp)
- →Brazilian side of Iguazú Falls (panoramic trail)
- →Devil's Throat catwalk
- →Optional evening nature talk at visitor centre
Argentine side of the falls + optional boat
Puerto Iguazú, Argentina
Cross back to Argentina and spend the full day in Parque Nacional Iguazú: the Upper and Lower circuits plus the Tren Ecológico to the Devil's Throat are all included in the ~£22 entry. Book the Gran Aventura boat trip direct through the park's concessionaire (~£40-45) to get soaked under the falls — cheaper than the tour's optional extras and you can do it without a group booking. Skip the helicopter if you're budgeting; if you want it, book at the heliport on the day (~£70-90). Night back in Foz or Puerto Iguazú.
🚌Local bus between Foz/Puerto Iguazú and park ~£3-5
🛏Hostel in Foz do Iguaçu or Puerto Iguazú (~£12-18 pp)
- →Upper & Lower Circuits, Argentine side
- →Devil's Throat train & catwalk
- →Gran Aventura boat under the falls ~£42 (optional)
Fly to São Paulo — Mercado Municipal food crawl
São Paulo, Brazil
Fly Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) to São Paulo (GRU/CGH) on GOL/LATAM/Azul, booked direct — typically £50-90 if you're flexible on times. Base yourself in Vila Madalena or near Avenida Paulista. Self-launch the tour's city-and-food tour by taking the free-ish Centro walking route: Theatro Municipal, Mosteiro de São Bento (go for the 7am Gregorian chant if you're up), Edifício Copan, then lunch at Mercado Municipal — a mortadella sandwich and pastel de bacalhau costs ~£6-8 with a coconut water (~£2). Bike-tour companies in Vila Madalena offer 3-4hr city-and-street-food rides for ~£25 if you want a guide.
🚌Domestic flight ~£50-90; metro single ~£0.90
🛏Hostel in Vila Madalena / Paulista (~£14-20 pp)
- →Centro histórico self-walk
- →Mercado Municipal food crawl
- →Optional street-food bike tour ~£25
Bus to Paraty — Afro-Brazilian community visit
Paraty, Brazil
Take a bus São Paulo (Tietê) to Paraty — most routes change at Taubaté or São José dos Campos, total ~6-7hrs, ~£20-28 with 1001/Útil. Or fly to Rio and bus cross-country if flight prices are better. Afternoon in colonial Paraty's cobbled centro histórico (UNESCO-listed, free to wander). The tour's Afro-Brazilian community lunch can be replicated by booking a community-based cultural visit through a local operator (e.g. Paraty cultural tourism co-ops, ~£25-35 including a home-cooked lunch) — or simply eat moqueca at a family-run restaurant in the centro and take a cachaça distillery tour out on the Paraty-Cunha road (~£8). Book tomorrow's schooner trip tonight.
🚌Long-distance bus ~£20-28 (6-7hrs)
🛏Guesthouse/pousada or hostel in Paraty centro (~£15-22 pp)
- →Paraty centro histórico walk
- →Community-run cultural visit & lunch ~£30 (optional)
- →Cachaça distillery stop ~£8
Schooner day trip to the islands
Paraty, Brazil
Book a shared escuna (schooner) trip direct at the Paraty pier or via Klook/GetYourGuide (~£20-28 for the day, 5-6hrs, including snorkel stops at Ilha Comprida, Lula and Praia do Saco do Mamanguá area depending on the operator). Cheaper than a private boat and gives the same green-water island-hopping the tour includes. Pack your own water and snacks — on-board food is basic and overpriced. Evening: caipirinhas on Praia do Pontal and a cheap seafood dinner.
🚌Walking to pier; boat included in trip price
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Paraty centro (~£15-22 pp)
- →Shared schooner island tour ~£24
- →Snorkelling stops
- →Pontal beach sunset
Bus to Rio — Copacabana base
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Take the Costa Verde bus Paraty–Rio (Rodoviária Novo Rio), ~4-5hrs, ~£14-18. Stay in a hostel in Copacabana, Ipanema or Botafogo — Copacabana has the most options under £25. Afternoon: walk the Copacabana promenade, take a dip, and hit Lapa for a cheap caipirinha and live samba in the evening (Arcos da Lapa area is free to wander, bars charge ~£3-4 a drink). Tour guidebooks will tell you Rio's nightlife is best done in small groups — take a taxi/Uber back after dark (~£3-5).
🚌Costa Verde bus ~£14-18
🛏Hostel in Copacabana / Botafogo (~£18-26 pp)
- →Copacabana beach & promenade
- →Lapa samba bars in the evening
Rio: Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf & beaches
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Do the tour's optional city tour yourself for far less. Book Corcovado (Christ the Redeemer) tickets online in advance (~£10 entry, plus van/train up ~£8-10) — go first thing at 8am to beat the crowds. Then Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar) by cable car (~£17 return) mid-afternoon, or hike up Morro da Urca free and just pay the second leg. Between the two, hit Ipanema and the hippie fair at Praça General Osório. A combo Corcovado + Sugarloaf tour via GetYourGuide runs ~£45-55 if you'd rather have a guide and transport; self-doing it costs about £35 all-in.
🚌Metro + Ubers/taxis ~£8-12
🛏Hostel in Copacabana / Botafogo (~£18-26 pp)
- →Corcovado & Christ the Redeemer ~£18
- →Sugarloaf cable car ~£17
- →Ipanema beach & hippie fair
Depart Rio
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Morning swim or a last açaí bowl, then take the 2018/2016 airport bus or an Uber to Galeão (GIG) (~£3-8) — no need for a private transfer. If your flight is late, add a favela community tour run by a resident-led co-op (not a jeep tour, those are ethically sketchy, ~£25) or a boteco lunch in Santa Teresa before you go.
🚌Airport bus/Uber to GIG ~£3-8
🛏None (departure day)
- →Last morning beach walk
- →Optional community-led favela walking tour ~£25
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£635 | £3,050 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,415 per person (79%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£635
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 Explore Argentina & Brazil — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £635 per person for 9 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 £3,050 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £635 — a saving of roughly £2,415 (79%) per person.
How long is the Argentina & Brazil trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 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, city-breaks 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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