Highlights of Patagonia & Brazil — Self-Launched

Land at Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL) and take the Turbus/Centropuerto airport bus to the city centre (~£3, 30–40 min) or a shared transfer (~£10). Check into a hostel in Bellavista, Lastarria or Barrio Brasil. Pick up a Bip card for the metro, and spend the evening acclimatising with a wander around Plaza de Armas and a cheap completo and mote con huesillo. Sort your Patagonia layers now — nights in Puerto Natales get cold even in summer.

🚌Airport bus ~£3; metro ~£0.70 per ride

🛏Hostel dorm or private in Bellavista/Lastarria (~£15–22)

• →Airport bus into Santiago
• →Evening stroll Plaza de Armas
• →Bellavista barrio orientation

Do a DIY city circuit in the morning: Plaza de Armas, Metropolitan Cathedral, La Moneda, then the Mercado Central for seafood lunch. In the afternoon take the metro to Las Mercedes or Puente Alto and pick up a local bus or taxi to a small organic winery in the Maipo Valley (Viña Cousiño Macul and Undurraga are easy by metro + short taxi, ~£8–12 gate). Book a tasting directly with the bodega — boutique family wineries often run tours for £10–15 including tastings. GetYourGuide also lists half-day small-group Maipo or Casablanca wine tours from ~£35–55 if you'd rather not DIY.

🚌Metro ~£1.50 return; local bus/taxi to winery ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm or private in Bellavista/Lastarria (~£15–22)

• →Self-guided Santiago historic centre walk
• →Mercado Central lunch
• →Winery tour and tasting in Maipo Valley (book direct or via GetYourGuide)

Take a morning flight Santiago → Punta Arenas (Sky or JetSMART, book 6–10 weeks ahead for ~£70–110 one way) or Santiago → Puerto Natales via a connection. From Punta Arenas, the Bus Sur or Fernández bus to Puerto Natales takes about 3 hours (~£10). Alternatively fly direct to Puerto Natales if a route is running. Settle into a hostel or hospedaje with a shared kitchen, walk the waterfront along the Última Esperanza Sound, and use the evening for an orientation loop and dinner out.

🚌Domestic flight ~£70–110; Punta Arenas–Puerto Natales bus ~£10

🛏Hostel/hospedaje in Puerto Natales (~£15–25)

• →Puerto Natales waterfront walk
• →Orientation loop of town

Book a full-day Torres del Paine group tour from Puerto Natales the evening before (many operators on the main street; GetYourGuide lists them from ~£45–70 including park entry, or ~£28–40 without). Typical circuit: Grey Lake and Glacier viewpoint, Pehoé Lake, Cuernos Lookout, Nordenskjöld Lake picnic stop, Salto Grande waterfall, Sarmiento Lake and the Blue Lagoon. If you want to trek instead, the classic Base of the Towers day hike can be done DIY on a regular park bus plus shuttle (~£25 transport + ~£28 park entry), but it's 8–9 hours of walking — allow a full day and good weather.

🚌Shared tour minibus included; public bus + shuttle option ~£25

🛏Hostel/hospedaje in Puerto Natales (~£15–25)

• →Full-day Torres del Paine panoramic tour
• →Grey Glacier and Grey Lake walk
• →Salto Grande and Cuernos Lookout
• →Optional Base of the Towers trek (DIY)

Take an early Bus Sur or Chalten Travel bus Puerto Natales → El Calafate, about 5–6 hours including the Chilean/Argentine border formalities (~£25–35). Bring USD cash to change or use an ATM in El Calafate. In the afternoon do a self-guided walk of the town and visit the Glaciarium (~£15), with its interactive ice-field exhibits and optional GlacioBar. Book tomorrow's Perito Moreno tour and confirm your flight to Buenos Aires.

🚌Cross-border bus ~£25–35

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in El Calafate (~£18–30)

• →Self-guided El Calafate walk
• →Glaciarium Museum
• →Book Perito Moreno tour

Join a half-day or full-day group transfer-plus-boardwalk tour (book direct with operators like Hielo & Aventura or via GetYourGuide, ~£35–55 including park entry ~£20). Most include the park boardwalk network and the boat along the glacier's north face (~£22–28 if not bundled). Pay extra for the mini-trekking on the ice if it's in your budget (~£150–180) — book weeks ahead. Watch for calving ice, then return to El Calafate for the evening.

🚌Shared tour bus included

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in El Calafate (~£18–30)

• →Perito Moreno boardwalk trails
• →Glacier boat ride on the north face
• →Optional Big Ice / mini-trekking

Fly El Calafate (FTE) → Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) with Aerolineas Argentinas, JetSMART or Flybondi — usually direct, ~3h15, from ~£60–110. Keep luggage under 15kg to avoid fees. Take the airport bus or a taxi to a hostel in San Telmo or Palermo. Afternoon: explore Avenida de Mayo and a traditional café. Evening: optionally book a dinner-and-tango show in San Telmo directly with the venue (from ~£35–55) rather than a tour mark-up.

🚌Domestic flight ~£60–110; airport transfer ~£5–10

🛏Hostel dorm or private in San Telmo/Palermo (~£18–30)

• →Avenida de Mayo stroll
• →Optional tango dinner show (book direct)

A free day: wander San Telmo's cobbled streets and its Sunday antiques market if the timing lines up, see the colourful Caminito facades in La Boca (stay on the main streets and go in daylight), or book a free walking tour (tip-based, ~£8–10 recommended). Fill up on medialunas and coffee in a historic café, and try an asado at a neighbourhood parrilla. Check your booking for tomorrow's Buenos Aires tour and confirm your flight to Iguazú.

🚌Subte/bus day pass ~£2–4

🛏Hostel dorm or private in San Telmo/Palermo (~£18–30)

• →San Telmo and La Boca wandering
• →Free walking tour (tip-based)
• →Parrilla dinner

Book a small-group city tour via GetYourGuide or a local operator (~£30–45): Teatro Colón exterior, the Obelisk, Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, the Metropolitan Cathedral and Caminito. Add a guided walk or boat trip across the Riachuelo to Isla Maciel to see community murals and social history (~£20–30 through a community-based operator). Lunch on your own, then a free afternoon for the Recoleta Cemetery or MALBA depending on your taste. This evening finalise your onward flight to Puerto Iguazú.

🚌Public transport ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm or private in San Telmo/Palermo (~£18–30)

• →Buenos Aires city tour (booked via GetYourGuide)
• →Isla Maciel community walk
• →Optional Recoleta Cemetery or MALBA

Fly Buenos Aires → Puerto Iguazú (IGR) with Aerolineas Argentinas or Flybondi (~£65–110), then cross into Brazil by taxi/private transfer over the Tancredo Neves Bridge (~£20–30 per car) or local bus. Drop bags at a hostel in Foz do Iguaçu and head straight to the Brazilian side of the falls — the panoramic trails take 2–3 hours (entry ~£15–18). Book online via the park's official site or Klook/GetYourGuide for a skip-the-line ticket. Dinner at a churrascaria for local flavour.

🚌Domestic flight ~£65–110; border transfer ~£15–25

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Foz do Iguaçu (~£12–22)

• →Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls
• →Churrascaria dinner

Cross back into Argentina early (public bus from Foz to the Argentine park entrance ~£3–5). The Argentine side is the bigger day: ride the Ecológico train to the Devil's Throat walkway, then the Upper and Lower Circuits — 5–6 hours including a boat option (~£30–40 for the Nautical Adventure if you want spray and speed; book at the park or via GetYourGuide). Bring a packed lunch or eat at the park. Return to Foz in the evening and relax.

🚌Cross-border public bus ~£5; park shuttle

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Foz do Iguaçu (~£12–22)

• →Devil's Throat walkway
• →Upper and Lower Circuits
• →Optional boat tour of the falls

Fly Foz do Iguaçu → Rio (GIG or SDU) with GOL, LATAM or Azul, from ~£55–100. Take Rio's metro or a 99/Uber to a hostel in Botafogo, Laranjeiras or Santa Teresa for good value and easy access. In the afternoon ride the cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain (~£18–22; book a combo with Corcovado online in advance). Afterwards walk or drive past Botafogo, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches at golden hour. Free evening with a boteco dinner.

🚌Domestic flight ~£55–100; metro/Uber ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm or private in Botafogo/Santa Teresa (~£15–25)

• →Sugarloaf Mountain cable car
• →Beachfront walk along Copacabana and Ipanema

Book a small-group or self-guided day hitting Rio's Afro-Brazilian heritage: the Valongo Wharf archaeological site, the Little Africa museum circuit around Saúde and Gamboa (many sites free), and Lapa's Selarón Steps and aqueduct. Take the Corcovado train or van up to Christ the Redeemer (~£20–25 including entry, book the official Trem do Corcovado online to skip queues). GetYourGuide runs a half-day combined tour from ~£35–50 if you prefer a local guide telling the samba history.

🚌Metro/tram ~£4; Corcovado train ~£20

🛏Hostel dorm or private in Botafogo/Santa Teresa (~£15–25)

• →Little Africa heritage walk
• →Selarón Steps and Lapa
• →Christ the Redeemer via Corcovado train

Ride the historic Santa Teresa tram (~£3) up the hill and wander the cobblestone streets, the ruins of the Parque das Ruínas and its views, and the neighbourhood's artsy cafés. Walk down to the Botanical Gardens (Jardim Botânico, entry ~£5–8) for the palm avenues and orchid house, and finish with a beach afternoon at Ipanema or a sunset at Arpoador. Optional favela cultural tour through a community-run operator if you want depth (~£25–35).

🚌Santa Teresa tram ~£3; metro/bus ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm or private in Botafogo/Santa Teresa (~£15–25)

• →Santa Teresa tram and Parque das Ruínas
• →Botanical Gardens
• →Ipanema/Arpoador sunset

A final morning for a Copacabana or Ipanema stroll and a last açaí before heading to Galeão (GIG) or Santos Dumont (SDU) for your international flight home. If you're extending, buses and flights to the Costa Verde, Paraty or the Chapada Diamantina are easy to arrange from Rio.

🚌Airport transfer ~£5–12

🛏None (departure day)

• →Final beach walk
• →Departure