The Best of Brazil & Argentina — Self-Launched
9 days · Brazil & Argentina
Cosmos charges £2,210
No-markup version: ~£1,010 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched rip through Rio de Janeiro, the thundering Iguassu Falls and Buenos Aires — the same headline experiences as the Cosmos coach tour, booked yourself. You'll ride the Corcovado cog train to Christ the Redeemer, spend two days hopping both the Brazilian and Argentine sides of Iguassu, and finish with a walking loop of Buenos Aires' big hitters: Teatro Colón, Plaza de Mayo, La Boca, San Telmo and Recoleta Cemetery. You'll use domestic flights or long-distance buses and stay in well-located hostels and budget guesthouses instead of tour hotels. All costs are approximate per person and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Land at Galeão (GIG) or Santos Dumont (SDU) and take the BRT/Sam Express bus or an app taxi (Uber/99) to a hostel in Botafogo, Lapa or Ipanema. Settle in, buy a Rio Card transport card and grab an early dinner of feijoada or a pastel at a boteco. Keep the evening easy — you'll want to be up early for Corcovado.
🚌BRT/Sam Express bus from GIG (~£2) or app taxi (~£10-15)
🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Botafogo/Ipanema (approx. £18)
- →Airport transfer by bus or app taxi
- →Evening wander around Lapa Arches and Selarón Steps
Christ the Redeemer & Rio coastline
Rio de Janeiro
Book a Corcovado cog train ticket online in advance (Trem do Corcovado, ~£22 return) and go first thing to beat the crowds and clouds. From the summit you get the 360-degree view over Guanabara Bay, Leblon and Ipanema. Afterwards walk the Leblon-Ipanema beachfront, stop at Arpoador rock for sunset and eat at a kilo restaurant or juice bar.
🚌Metro and local buses (~£4)
🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Botafogo/Ipanema (approx. £18)
- →Corcovado cog railway to Christ the Redeemer (~£22)
- →Self-guided beach walk: Leblon, Ipanema, Arpoador
- →Sunset at Arpoador Rock
Rio free day — Petrópolis or beach time
Rio de Janeiro
Two good choices. Either day-trip to Petrópolis, the imperial mountain city: take the metro to Rodoviária Novo Rio and a bus (~£5 each way, 1h15), then visit the Imperial Palace and Museu Imperial (~£6). Or stay local: Copacabana or Ipanema beach, Sugarloaf Mountain cable car (~£18) and a free walking tour of Centro if you want the history. Evening: Lapa samba bars.
🚌Bus to Petrópolis (~£10 return) or metro (~£4)
🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Botafogo/Ipanema (approx. £18)
- →Option A: Petrópolis day trip (Imperial Palace, museum)
- →Option B: Sugarloaf cable car + Copacabana beach
- →Evening samba in Lapa
Fly to Foz do Iguaçu — Brazilian side of the falls
Foz do Iguaçu
Morning flight from Rio (GIG/SDU) to Foz do Iguaçu (IGU), roughly 2 hours — book 4-6 weeks ahead on LATAM/Gol/Azul for ~£80-120 one way. Drop bags at a hostel, then head to the Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls. The visitor centre bus/trail gives panoramic views and the walkway out over Devil's Throat canyon gets you soaked. Park entry ~£14. Stay in Foz do Iguaçu town or a hostel near the park.
🚌Flight (~£100); local bus to park (~£1.50 each way)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Foz do Iguaçu (approx. £16)
- →Domestic flight Rio–Foz do Iguaçu
- →Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls (Parque Nacional do Iguaçu)
- →Devil's Throat walkway
Argentine side of Iguassu — jungle train & boardwalks
Puerto Iguazú
Cross the border into Argentina (bus from Foz to Puerto Iguazú, ~£2, bring your passport and check entry requirements). In the Argentine park (~£22 entry) ride the open-air Ecological Jungle Train to Devil's Throat station, then walk the boardwalks above the falls for the full panorama. Optional: Güira Oga wildlife refuge or the Bird Park (~£10) back on the Brazilian side. Overnight in Puerto Iguazú so you're not rushing the border.
🚌Cross-border local bus (~£4 return) + park shuttle
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Puerto Iguazú (approx. £16)
- →Ecological Jungle Train through rainforest
- →Devil's Throat upper boardwalks (Argentine side)
- →Optional: Güira Oga wildlife refuge / Bird Park
Fly to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Fly from Puerto Iguazú (IGR) to Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP), about 1h45 (~£70-110). Take a local bus or app taxi into the city and check into a hostel in San Telmo, Palermo or Recoleta (~£20). Afternoon free: walk Palermo's parks and markets, or just recover. Book your Teatro Colón tour for tomorrow and research tango milongas — many are cheap or free to watch.
🚌Flight (~£90); Aeroparque bus (~£1) or taxi (~£10)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, San Telmo/Palermo (approx. £20)
- →Domestic flight Iguazú–Buenos Aires
- →Palermo neighbourhood wander
Buenos Aires landmarks on foot
Buenos Aires
Do the classic loop yourself: Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada and the Metropolitan Cathedral, then a guided Teatro Colón tour (~£15, book ahead online) for the opera house's interiors. Afternoon in La Boca (Caminito's painted houses) and San Telmo's antique market and plazas, finishing at Recoleta Cemetery (~£8). Evening: a tango show in San Telmo (~£25-40 for a budget venue with drink) rather than the coach-tour dinner version.
🚌Subte and walking (~£3)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, San Telmo/Palermo (approx. £20)
- →Teatro Colón guided tour (~£15)
- →Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, Metropolitan Cathedral
- →La Boca & San Telmo walking loop
- →Recoleta Cemetery (~£8)
- →Optional budget tango show (~£30)
Gaucho day on the pampas
Buenos Aires
Instead of the operator's optional Fiesta Gaucha, book a small-group estancia day trip direct or via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£70-90 including asado lunch, horse riding and folk dance demos). Alternatively stay in town: Mataderos or San Telmo markets, a Malbec tasting, or a free street-art walk in Palermo. Pack tonight for the flight home.
🚌Shared minibus for estancia trip (included) or Subte (~£3)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, San Telmo/Palermo (approx. £20)
- →Estancia gaucho day trip with asado lunch (optional, ~£80)
- →Alternative: Palermo street art walk + Malbec tasting
Depart Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Breakfast, then last-minute shopping for dulce de leche and alfajores. Head to Ezeiza (EZE) for your international flight — allow 3 hours given the distance from the centre. Airport bus (Tienda León) costs ~£10, or an app taxi ~£25-30.
🚌Tienda León airport bus (~£10) or app taxi (~£28)
- →Last-minute souvenir shopping
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Cosmos
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Cosmos | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,010 | £2,210 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,200 per person (54%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Cosmos-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,010
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 The Best of Brazil & Argentina — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,010 per person for 9 days in Brazil & Argentina. 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 Cosmos?+
Yes — Cosmos charges around £2,210 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,010 — a saving of roughly £1,200 (54%) per person.
How long is the Brazil & Argentina trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Brazil & Argentina.
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 Brazil & Argentina, 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.