The Great South American Journey: Quito to Rio — Self-Launched Edition

Fly into Quito (book your own flight; airport is ~40 min from centre). Check into a hostel in La Mariscal or the Centro Histórico — Hostal La Basilica or similar run £10–15/night dorms. Spend the afternoon walking the colonial old town (Plaza Grande, La Compañía church) and, if time allows, take the Trolebus to the Mitad del Mundo equatorial monument (£4 entry). Evening: acclimatise gently — Quito sits at 2,850m. Book tomorrow's Amazon transport with your hostel.

🚌Airport taxi/bus ~£5; local bus £0.30

🛏Hostel dorm in Quito (£12)

• →Quito old town walk
• →Mitad del Mundo equator line
• →La Compañía de Jesús church

Take a morning bus from Quito's Terminal Quitumbe to Tena (approx 5–6 hrs, £8–10). Tena is Ecuador's adventure capital on the edge of the Amazon basin. Settle into a riverside guesthouse or cabañas (£12–18). In the afternoon, arrange a 2-day jungle excursion with a local agency such as a community-run operator in nearby Shandia or Ahuano — expect £50–70 including guide, meals and lodge night.

🚌Bus Quito–Tena ~£9

🛏Riverside guesthouse Tena (£15)

• →Bus to Tena
• →Arrange jungle excursion
• →River swim

Join a community-run jungle day: hike to waterfalls, spot birds and butterflies, learn about medicinal plants. Combine with a visit to AmaZOOnico animal rescue centre near Ahuano (entry ~£20 via local canoe taxi). Overnight in a simple jungle lodge or community cabaña where meals are included.

🚌Local canoe/bus transfers ~£8

🛏Community jungle lodge (£18, meals included)

• →Guided waterfall walk
• →AmaZOOnico animal rescue centre
• →Jungle night walk

Most Tena operators offer a community day in Shandia — bike through secondary forest and farmland with a Kichwa guide, share lunch with a local family. Roughly £30–40 booked direct. Return to Tena in the evening; sort onward transport to Baños.

🚌Local bus/canoe ~£10

🛏Riverside guesthouse Tena (£15)

• →Shandia community biking
• →Local family lunch
• →Cacao/plant talk

Bus Tena to Baños via Puyo (approx 4 hrs, £6–8). Baños sits under the active Tungurahua volcano with thermal baths in town. Afternoon soak in the public hot springs (£3). Evening: book tomorrow's canyoning or zipline with a local operator (canyoning ~£25, zipline bundle ~£20).

🚌Bus ~£7; local taxis £1–2

🛏Hostal La Floresta or similar (£12)

• →Bus to Baños
• →Hot springs
• →Book canyoning

Full day of self-booked adventure: canyoning in the Cashaurco gorge (~£25), or rent a mountain bike (£8) and ride the Ruta de las Cascadas to Pailón del Diablo waterfall. Optional horseback riding (~£20). Cheap set lunches (almuerzos) £3–4.

🚌Bike rental/local bus ~£8

🛏Hostal La Floresta (£12)

• →Canyoning
• →Ruta de las Cascadas
• →Pailón del Diablo waterfall

Bus Baños to Riobamba (2 hrs, £4) then onward to Cuenca (4 hrs, £7) — or take the famous Nariz del Diablo train excursion from Alausí if you have time (book direct with Tren Ecuador, ~£25). Cuenca is a UNESCO-listed colonial city with excellent craft markets. Check into a hostel in the old town (£12–16).

🚌Buses ~£11

🛏Hostel Cuenca (£14)

• →Scenic Andean bus route
• →Optional Nariz del Diablo train
• →Cuenca colonial walk

Self-booked day trip to Cajas National Park (£20–25 via local agency or shared taxi) for páramo lakes and high-altitude hiking, or visit Ingapirca Inca ruins (bus + entry ~£15). Evening: prepare for tomorrow's long border crossing south.

🚌Shared transport ~£10

🛏Hostel Cuenca (£14)

• →Cajas National Park hike
• →Ingapirca ruins or crafts
• →Cuenca markets

Take a bus to Huaquillas (border, ~4 hrs, £7), cross on foot into Aguas Verdes and catch a combi/bus to Tumbes, then a coach down the Panamericana to Máncora (2 hrs, £6). Shows passport at both sides; Ecuador–Peru land crossings are straightforward but slow. Máncora is a surf town — hostel beach hut £10–14.

🚌Buses and combis ~£15

🛏Beach hostel Máncora (£12)

• →Ecuador–Peru border crossing
• →Máncora beach sunset

Rent a board and take a lesson (£10–12 for board plus lesson with a local instructor). Chill on the beach, eat ceviche (£4). Slow-travel pace before Peru's bigger stretches.

🚌Walking

🛏Beach hostel Máncora (£12)

• →Surf lesson
• →Ceviche lunch
• →Beach day

Buquebus/CIVA night coach Máncora to Trujillo (approx 10 hrs, £15–20 — book a semi-cama). Alternatively bus daytime via Chiclayo. Arrive Trujillo in the morning, check into a hostel near the Plaza de Armas (£10–13).

🚌Night coach ~£18

🛏Hostel Trujillo (£11)

• →Overnight coach
• →Trujillo plaza walk

Local bus or collected taxi to Chan Chan, the world's largest adobe city (entry ~£3). Afternoon in Huanchaco, the surfing village with its reed totora horse boats — cheap ceviche and a cold beer. Trip by combi £1 each way.

🚌Combi ~£2

🛏Hostel Trujillo (£11)

• →Chan Chan ruins
• →Huanchaco beach and reed boats

Take a comfortable coach to Lima (8–9 hrs, £15–20, Cruz del Sur or Oltursa). Arrive Lima in the evening and head to Miraflores or Barranco — book a hostel near Parque Kennedy (£12–16).

🚌Coach ~£18

🛏Hostel Miraflores (£14)

• →Scenic coastal coach
• →Miraflores evening walk

Walk historic Barranco: Puente de los Suspiros, street art, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo. Take the Metropolitano bus to the Centro for the Plaza de Armas and San Francisco catacombs. Book a cooking class with a GetYourGuide or Bonappetour host for tomorrow (£25–30).

🚌Metropolitano bus £1

🛏Hostel Miraflores (£14)

• →Barranco walking tour
• →Lima Centro
• →Book cooking class

Morning cooking class (ceviche, causa, pisco sour, ~£28) then rent a bike or join a guided cycle along the Miraflores–Barranco clifftop malecón (~£10). Optional full-day Lima tour (~£50) if you want a guide.

🚌Local buses £1

🛏Hostel Miraflores (£14)

• →Peruvian cooking class
• →Malecón bike ride

Bus to Ica (4–5 hrs, £10) and taxi to Huacachina oasis (£2). At sunset join a dune buggy and sandboarding tour (£15–20, book on arrival at Viajero or with any oasis operator). Hostel in the oasis £12–16.

🚌Bus ~£10; taxi £2

🛏Hostel Huacachina (£13)

• →Dune buggy and sandboarding
• →Oasis sunset

Morning winery visit (pisco and wine tasting, ~£6). Early afternoon bus to Nazca (2.5 hrs, £6). Book a Nazca Lines flight for tomorrow if the weather allows — 30-minute flights from ~£65 via local operators (or view from the mirador for £2). Hotel in Nazca £10–13.

🚌Bus £6

🛏Hostel Nazca (£11)

• →Pisco winery tasting
• →Bus to Nazca
• →Book Nazca Lines flight

Optional early Nazca Lines flight (~£65). Alternatively head to the mirador and the Chauchilla cemetery (local tour ~£15). Join a pachamanca meal — an earth-oven Andean feast (~£8) — organised through your hostel. Evening overnight coach to Arequipa (10 hrs, £18–22).

🚌Night bus ~£20

🛏Overnight coach

• →Nazca Lines flight or mirador
• →Chauchilla cemetery
• →Pachamanca earth-oven meal

Arrive Arequipa (2,335m). Check into a hostel in the white city (£12–15). Visit Santa Catalina Monastery (£12), the Juanita Ice Maiden museum (£6) and Mercado San Camilo. Tip: eat at picanterías for local rocoto relleno.

🚌Walking/local taxis £2

🛏Hostel Arequipa (£13)

• →Santa Catalina Monastery
• →Museo Santuarios Andinos (Juanita)
• →San Camilo market

Join a 2-day Colca Canyon tour with a local agency on Calle Jerusalén (~£40–55 including transport, guide, breakfast and lodging in Chivay). Afternoon soak in the Calera hot springs (£4). Early night before tomorrow's 5am condor viewpoint at Cruz del Cóndor.

🚌Tour minibus (included)

🛏Guesthouse Chivay (included in tour)

• →Colca Canyon tour
• →Cruz del Cóndor condor viewpoint
• →Calera hot springs

Sunrise at the condor cross, then return to Arequipa by mid-afternoon with the same tour. Chill at the hostel, do laundry (£3), prep for the next leg.

🚌Tour minibus (included)

🛏Hostel Arequipa (£13)

• →Condor viewpoint
• →Chivay market

Bus Arequipa to Cusco (10 hrs, £18–25 — Cruz del Sur a good option) or a cheap flight if you're squeezed for time (£45+). Arrive Cusco (3,400m) and take it easy. Arrange your Inca Trail permit situation NOW — permits sell out months ahead, so book through an authorised agency (e.g. Alpaca Expeditions, Llama Path) or join the official permits queue.

🚌Bus ~£20

🛏Hostel Cusco (£12)

• →Scenic Andean coach
• →Acclimatise in Cusco

Slow day in Cusco: San Pedro market, Qorikancha, Plaza de Armas cafés. Afternoon Peruvian cooking class (£20–25) — book via GetYourGuide. Coca tea and an early night help altitude.

🚌Walking

🛏Hostel Cusco (£12)

• →San Pedro market
• →Qorikancha
• →Cooking class

Optional full-day Rainbow Mountain hike (booked via hostel, ~£20–25 including transport and guide) or a gentler Sacred Valley loop. Buy a Cusco Tourist Ticket (130 PEN ~£27) if you plan multiple sights. Prep trekking gear.

🚌Tour van ~£10

🛏Hostel Cusco (£12)

• →Rainbow Mountain hike
• →Optional Inka Museum
• →Gear prep

Shared van/colectivo from Cusco to Ollantaytambo (1.5 hrs, £4). Visit the Ccaccaccollo women's weaving cooperative en route or through a local guide (£8). See Ollantaytambo ruins (entry with tourist ticket). Evening: hostel in Ollantaytambo (£10–13) and double-check Inca Trail briefing with your trekking agency.

🚌Colectivo ~£4

🛏Guesthouse Ollantaytambo (£11)

• →Ccaccaccollo weaving co-op
• →Ollantaytambo ruins
• →Trek briefing

Begin the 4-day Inca Trail with a licensed agency (typical price £450–600 including guide, cook, porter, permits, meals, campsites and return transport — book ahead, well beyond the permit fee itself). Today is a gentle 12km to Wayllabamba camp with views of Llactapata. Altitude around 3,000m.

🚌Agency transfer to trailhead (included)

🛏Camp Wayllabamba (included)

• →Inca Trail hike
• →Llactapata ruins

The toughest day: climb to Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman's Pass, 4,215m) then descend to Pacaymayo camp. Roughly 12km, 7–8 hrs walking. Early start, slow and steady, drink water.

🚌On foot

🛏Camp Pacaymayo (included)

• →Inca Trail hike
• →Warmiwañusca pass

Pass Runquraqay and Sayacmarca, walk the cloud-forest stone staircases to Phuyupatamarca, then descend to Wiñay Wayna camp. The most scenic day — around 15km.

🚌On foot

🛏Camp Wiñay Wayna (included)

• →Inca Trail hike
• →Sayacmarca
• →Phuyupatamarca
• →Wiñay Wayna

Pre-dawn start to reach Inti Punku (Sun Gate) for sunrise over Machu Picchu. Guided tour of the site (included with agency) then bus down to Aguas Calientes (£10) and train back to Ollantaytambo (£50–70 — book PeruRail/Inca Rail in advance) plus shared van to Cusco. Back to a Cusco hostel by evening. Big night out optional.

🚌Bus and train ~£60

🛏Hostel Cusco (£12)

• →Sun Gate sunrise
• →Guided Machu Picchu tour
• →Train back to Cusco

Recovery day. Massage, coffee, laundry, planning the Bolivia leg. Buy your night bus ticket to Puno for tomorrow.

🚌Walking

🛏Hostel Cusco (£12)

• →Rest
• →Cusco cafés
• →Buy onward tickets

Bus Cusco to Puno (6–7 hrs, £12–15) — sit on the left for views over Lake Titicaca. Some services stop at Pukará or Raqchi. Arrive Puno (3,830m) — wrap up warm. Hostal Milagros Inn or similar £9–12.

🚌Bus ~£13

🛏Hostel Puno (£10)

• →Trans-Andean coach
• →Puno lakeside evening

Join a 2-day lake tour booked on the Puno waterfront (~£30–40 including boat, guide and homestay meals). Visit the Uros floating reed islands, then a family homestay on Amantaní or Luquina — dinner with your host family, stars like nowhere else.

🚌Tour boat (included)

🛏Family homestay on the lake (included)

• →Uros floating islands
• →Family homestay
• →Sunset over Titicaca

Morning walk on Taquile Island with its textile cooperative, then boat back to Puno. Optional detour to the Sillustani burial towers (59 PEN entry, ~£3 plus transport) on the way back. Evening in Puno — book tomorrow's bus to La Paz.

🚌Boat (included); local taxi ~£5

🛏Hostel Puno (£10)

• →Taquile Island
• →Textile co-op
• →Sillustani burial towers

Bus Puno to Copacabana (3.5 hrs, £5), stamp out of Peru, and continue by shared van or bus across the strait at Tiquina to La Paz (4 hrs, £4–6). Check into a hostel in Sopocachi or the Centro (£8–12). La Paz is 3,600m — take it easy. Buy a Bolivian SIM at Entel (£3).

🚌Buses/vans ~£12

🛏Hostel La Paz (£10)

• →Peru–Bolivia border crossing
• →Copacabana brief stop
• →La Paz evening

Book Death Road mountain biking with Gravity or Barracuda Biking (~£45–60 including gear and lunch) — one of the world's great adrenaline days. Alternatively ride the Mi Teleférico cable cars (£0.40 a trip), explore the Witches' Market and Valle de la Luna (£2).

🚌Cable car/local buses £2

🛏Hostel La Paz (£10)

• →Death Road biking or cable cars
• →Witches' Market
• →Valle de la Luna

Take a night bus La Paz to Sucre (10–12 hrs, £15–20 — semi-cama; Bolivia's roads are rough, overnight saves a day but check operator reviews). Arrive Sucre, the white colonial capital, in the morning.

🚌Night coach ~£17

🛏Hostel Sucre (£9)

• →Overnight coach
• →Sucre colonial centre

Explore the Plaza 25 de Mayo, Mercado Central and the Casa de la Libertad. In the afternoon see the Cal Orck'o dinosaur footprints at the cement works (Parque Cretácico, ~£3 including bus). Sunday: the Tarabuco market is a brilliant indigenous textile market if your timing lines up (~£10 on a local bus).

🚌Local bus £1

🛏Hostel Sucre (£9)

• →Sucre old town
• →Parque Cretácico dinosaur tracks
• →Textile cooperative

Hike the Chataquila–Chaunaca Inca trail near Sucre (~£10 transport) or simply slow down in Sucre's cafés. Sucre has Bolivia's best coffee and a strong Spanish-language school scene — a good spot for a cheap lesson (£5/hr).

🚌Shared van £5

🛏Hostel Sucre (£9)

• →Chataquila hike
• →Café afternoon
• →Optional Spanish lesson

Bus Sucre to Potosí (3 hrs, £4). Potosí is the world's highest city at 4,090m — a UNESCO mining town under the Cerro Rico. Check into a hostel (£8–10) and hydrate.

🚌Bus £4

🛏Hostel Potosí (£9)

• →Bus to Potosí
• →Plaza and colonial streets

Take a cooperative-run mine tour (£12–15 including gear) — sobering and unforgettable; the mines are working, so bring a gift for the miners and choose a responsible operator. Visit the Casa de la Moneda mint museum (£4). Eat well before the Uyuni trip.

🚌Walking

🛏Hostel Potosí (£9)

• →Cerro Rico mine tour
• →Casa de la Moneda mint museum

Bus Potosí to Uyuni (4–5 hrs, £6). Uyuni is a dusty frontier town. Book a 3-day salt flats and desert crossing tour for tomorrow with a reputable local agency (~£70–100 including transport, guide, accommodation and most meals — shop around Todos Turismo, Red Planet or similar).

🚌Bus £6

🛏Hostel Uyuni (£8)

• →Bus to Uyuni
• →Book salt flats tour

Start the 3-day 4x4 crossing: train cemetery, Colchani salt piles, the endless white expanse for forced-perspective photos, Isla Incahuasi cactus island (£3). Overnight in a salt lodge at the Jukil community (included) with a local family dinner.

🚌4x4 (included)

🛏Community salt lodge (included)

• →Salar de Uyuni
• →Isla Incahuasi
• →Jukil community lodge

Cross the altiplano: Laguna Hedionda, Laguna Colorada with Andean flamingos, the Arbol de Piedra rock formation. Nights are freezing at 4,200m — bring thermals and a sleeping bag liner. Overnight in a basic altiplano refuge or hotel (included).

🚌4x4 (included)

🛏Altiplano refuge/hotel (included)

• →Laguna Colorada flamingos
• →Árbol de Piedra
• →High-altitude altiplano

Early start for the Sol de Mañana geysers (4,900m) and Polques hot springs, then the green and white lagoons and the Bolivia–Chile border at Hito Cajón. The tour ends dropping you in San Pedro de Atacama. Declare foodstuffs at Chilean customs — no fresh produce allowed. Hostel in San Pedro £12–18.

🚌4x4 drop-off (included)

🛏Hostel San Pedro de Atacama (£15)

• →Sol de Mañana geysers
• →Polques hot springs
• →Bolivia–Chile border crossing

Book a Valley of the Moon tour (£20, sunset slot) and an observatory stargazing session (£25–30) — the Atacama has the clearest skies on earth. Optional sandboarding (£25) or hot springs (£25).

🚌Tour pickup included

🛏Hostel San Pedro (£15)

• →Valle de la Luna
• →Observatory stargazing
• →Optional sandboarding

Bus San Pedro de Atacama to Salta via the Paso de Jama (10–12 hrs, £35–45 — check Geminis or Andesmar; the altitude climb hits 4,800m so bring water and coca sweets). Beautiful high-Andes scenery. Cross into Argentina; check current entry conditions. Hostel in Salta £10–14.

🚌International bus ~£40

🛏Hostel Salta (£12)

• →Andes crossing Paso de Jama
• →Chile–Argentina border

Walk Salta's colonial centre and Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña (MAAM, ~£8). Join a shared Cafayate wine-valley day tour (~£30–40, book locally) with Torrontés tastings, or catch a peña folklore show in the evening (£6).

🚌Tour transport included/£3 local

🛏Hostel Salta (£12)

• →MAAM museum
• →Cafayate wine valley tour
• →Peña folklore show

Daytime in Salta then board an overnight cama coach to Buenos Aires (18–20 hrs, £35–50 — full cama is worth it). Or fly if you'd rather save time (£60+ booked early on Aerolíneas/JetSMART). Arrive Buenos Aires next morning.

🚌Night bus ~£45

🛏Overnight coach

• →Overnight coach
• →Optional Salta market time

Check into Milhouse Hostel or similar in San Telmo/Avenida de Mayo (£11–15). Explore San Telmo antiques on Plaza Dorrego, walk Caminito in La Boca (go daytime and stay street-smart), and eat steak at a bodegón — try Parrilla Peña or Desnivel for value.

🚌Subte £0.50

🛏Hostel Buenos Aires (£13)

• →San Telmo
• →La Boca Caminito
• →Bodegón steak dinner

Recoleta cemetery and the MALBA museum, then bike Palermo's parks and street art. In the evening see tango — a milonga at Salón Canning or La Viruta entry is £5–10, much cheaper than a tourist dinner show (£40+).

🚌Bike rental/subte £8

🛏Hostel Buenos Aires (£13)

• →Recoleta cemetery
• →MALBA museum
• →Milonga tango night

Morning Buquebus or Colonia Express fast ferry across the Río de la Plata (1 hr, £25–35 booked online in advance). Colonia's Portuguese colonial old town is a UNESCO site — wander cobbled lanes and the lighthouse. Guesthouse or hostel £15–20.

🚌Ferry ~£30

🛏Guesthouse Colonia (£18)

• →Río de la Plata ferry
• →Colonia old town
• →Lighthouse

Bus Colonia to Montevideo (2.5 hrs, £8). Check into a hostel near the Ciudad Vieja or Pocitos (£13–18). Walk the Rambla at sunset, then eat at the Mercado del Puerto on Saturday.

🚌Bus £8

🛏Hostel Montevideo (£15)

• →Bus to Montevideo
• →Rambla sunset walk

Visit the Museo Andes 1972 (£3) about the crash survivors, the Carnival museum (£3) and the Estadio Centenario (£2). Rent a bike and ride the coast to Carrasco (£2). Skip the pricey Punta del Este day trip unless you really want it.

🚌Bike/local buses £3

🛏Hostel Montevideo (£15)

• →Museo Andes 1972
• →Estadio Centenario
• →Coastal bike ride

Bus Montevideo to Mercedes (3–4 hrs, £10) then arrange a rural estancia stay — Estancia San Cono-style working farms often take independent guests via direct booking (£60–90 per person including accommodation, all meals and horse riding). Afternoon ride and asado dinner.

🚌Bus £10

🛏Working estancia (included in stay rate)

• →Rural bus ride
• →Estancia horseback riding
• →Asado dinner

Full day on the estancia: horse riding, cattle work, barbecue, siesta in a hammock. All-inclusive day with meals (part of the 3-day/2-night rate).

🚌On the estancia

🛏Working estancia

• →Estancia riding
• →Gaucho activities
• →Local barbecue

Long travel day: bus back to Montevideo or Salto, then coach to Concordia/Posadas and onward overnight or by day coach to Puerto Iguazú (total 18+ hrs from Mercedes, £35–45). Alternatively fly Montevideo–Foz do Iguaçu/ Puerto Iguazú from ~£80 if you can find a deal. Hostel in Puerto Iguazú £10–13.

🚌Coaches/flight ~£45

🛏Hostel Puerto Iguazú (£12)

• →Long-distance coach
• →Optional domestic flight

Full day in Iguazú National Park (entrance ~£28): the Devil's Throat catwalk, Upper and Lower circuits, and the sendero Macuco trail. Local bus from the terminal (£2). Optional boat trip into the falls (£30–40).

🚌Park bus £2

🛏Hostel Puerto Iguazú (£12)

• →Iguazú Falls Argentine side
• →Devil's Throat
• →Optional boat trip

Cross the border into Brazil by local bus (£3) — bring your passport. The Brazilian side gives panoramic falls views (entrance ~£18). Add the Parque das Aves bird park (£12) and optionally the Itaipu dam tour (£18). Stay in Foz do Iguaçu hostel (£10–14).

🚌Local bus £4

🛏Hostel Foz do Iguaçu (£12)

• →Iguazú Falls Brazilian side
• →Parque das Aves
• →Argentina–Brazil border crossing

Long travel day: fly Foz do Iguaçu to Rio de Janeiro (1.5 hrs, book early for £50–80 — the practical version of what would otherwise be a 20+ hr bus). From Rio, take a Costa Verde bus to Paraty (4 hrs, £10). Paraty's cobbled centre is gorgeous — colonial pousada £18–25 or hostel £12–15.

🚌Flight + bus ~£70

🛏Pousada Paraty (£20)

• →Domestic flight
• →Bus along the Costa Verde
• →Paraty old town evening

Join a schooner boat tour around the bay (£25–30, book at the pier) or take a local bus to Trindade's natural pools (£2). Walking tour plus cachaça tasting in the old town (£20). Paraty is a slow-travel gem — consider staying an extra night.

🚌Local bus/boat £3

🛏Pousada Paraty (£20)

• →Paraty boat tour
• →Trindade beaches
• →Cachaça tasting

Bus Paraty to Angra dos Reis (2 hrs, £6), then the ferry or fast boat to Vila do Abraão on Ilha Grande (1–2 hrs, £5–10). The island has no cars — settle into a pousada or hostel (£15–22) and walk to Lopes Mendes beach if you have the legs.

🚌Bus and ferry ~£14

🛏Pousada Ilha Grande (£20)

• →Ferry to Ilha Grande
• →Vila do Abraão
• →Beach walk

Take the classic Ilha Grande schooner boat excursion (£20–25) to Lagoa Azul, Lopes Mendes and Freguesia de Santana for snorkelling. Or hike to Pico do Papagaio (£25 with a guide) for panoramic views. Fresh seafood dinner at a beach bar.

🚌Boat included

🛏Pousada Ilha Grande (£20)

• →Schooner boat excursion
• →Snorkelling
• →Optional Pico do Papagaio hike

Boat back to Angra dos Reis, then bus to Rio (3 hrs, £12). Or take the Costa Verde bus direct. Check into CabanaCopa Hostel or a Botafogo hostel (£12–18). Evening stroll along Ipanema beach and a cheap juice-bar dinner.

🚌Boat and bus ~£17

🛏Hostel Rio (£15)

• →Ferry and bus to Rio
• →Ipanema sunset

Take a community-run favela tour (£20) — choose one that pays local guides. Ride the Sugarloaf cable car (£18) or hike up for free (Morro da Urca trail), visit the Selarón Steps and the Lapa arches. Evening samba in Lapa (£5–10).

🚌Metro/local buses £3

🛏Hostel Rio (£15)

• →Community favela tour
• →Sugarloaf Mountain
• →Selarón Steps and Lapa samba

Early train up Corcovado for Christ the Redeemer (£18 including train, book online). Back, pack up, and head to Galeão airport for your onward flight. If time allows, add a beach morning at Copacabana.

🚌Metro and airport bus ~£6

🛏Departure day

• →Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer
• →Copacabana