Luxury South America Food and Wine Tour

One of Uruguay's oldest wineries and vineyards, a stay at this charming bodega and working wine estate offers one of the most authentic wine experiences you can have in this country. Spend your days discovering the elaborate process that goes on behind the cultivation, picking, processing and maturing of the grapes they grow. Vineyard picnics, dining at its rustic Italian restaurant, touring the old and new winery, tasting its homemade cheeses to more active pursuits such as walking or horse riding - life here is slow and sweet.

Spend your time relaxing and exploring this wonderful city. You have our top recommendations for activities, restaurants and shopping so that you can make the most of your time here.

Remember we can always organise one of our privately-guided tours (history, culture, art) to more specialist excursions such as personal shopping trips, helicopter tours, wine tasting and tango lessons. Feel free to discuss your options with your travel designer.

Buenos Aires today offers both visitors and locals a broad choice of opportunities to enjoy its artistic and cultural heritage. Its 57 museums house permanent and visiting collections of classical and contemporary art, not to mention its many cultural and educational institutions to see.

With your private guide you will begin your cultural tour with a visit to the Colon Theatre (Teatro Colon) before exploring the historic Recoleta Cemetery, then the National Museum of Decorative Arts, followed by the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA). Your tour will then conclude at the Fernández Blanco Museum of Spanish American Art.

This exclusive gourmet experience showcases the culture and identity of the Argentine capital. The day begins with an introduction to Argentine cuisine during which you will learn about the city's culinary heritage, its influences and development into a new food movement, 'La Nueva Cocina Argentina'. Enjoy a tasty lunch with your culinary expert at Il Matarello, a traditional Buenos Aires Parilla, in the vibrant La Boca district.

Following lunch you will spend time with Dante Liporace, the head chef at Tarquino, as he shows you his new cooking techniques during a demonstration of his signature dish. Then, you will explore the wonderful world of Argentinian wine with an expert sommelier, tasting wines from Salta to southern Patagonia. The day ends with a delicious tasting menu at a top city restaurant. Choose from Tarquino, El Banqueaneo or Arambu, all of which boast amazing dishes from the exciting Argentine food revolution.

Spend your time enjoying the beautiful Mendoza region. Visit wineries, enjoy the restaurants or simply relax at your hotel.

You will be collected from your hotel after breakfast by your local expert guide and begin a private full-day tour of the best wineries situated in Mendoza's Lujan de Cuyo and Maipu valleys. This tour will be tailored on the day to your preferences, as there exists a nice variation of larger to more boutique and family-owned wineries. At each winery there will be a tour and a tasting session. Lunch will be at a restaurant or bodega of your choice, with helpful recommendations made by your guide.

Located an hour south of downtown Mendoza, the Uco Valley spreads between the towns of Tupungato, Tunuyán and San Carlos. It is formed by the drainage network of the Tunuyán River and is protected by the striking Cordón del Plata mountain range. This is one of Mendoza’s most imposing landscapes and also one of the most fertile ones. The region is covered by more than 10,000 hectares of vineyards as well as fruit tree plantations. The altitude of the Uco Valley is the highest altitude at which wines are produced in the province of Mendoza (up to 1,400 meters above sea level).

You will embark on a scenic drive with your guide along Los Cerrillo Route which takes you from downtown Mendoza to Tupungato. On clear days the silhouette of the Tupungato volcano (6,635 mt.) stands out between the mountains. Two of Mendoza’s most architecturally advanced wineries with award-winning facilities are located in the Uco Valley.

Bodega Salentein is built in the shape of a cross and has four wings, each housing a small winery with two sections: a stainless steel tank at ground level and an underground area for maturing the wines in oak casks. The four wineries come together in a beautiful central chamber that resembles an amphitheatre.

Lunch will be at Salentein's restaurant followed by a tour of the winery itself. You will be driven back to your hotel at the end of the day.

South of Santiago lies Chile's rich central valleys and numerous vineyards. Your choice of daily activities and excursions will depend on the hotel or lodge chosen, but just speak to our Latin America travel designers about selecting the best one for you.

To give you an idea; there's horse riding, wine tastings, vineyard tours, fine dining, hiking and much more...

Drive along the foothills of the Andes and stop by some of the top wineries in the Maipo Valley. Chile’s most traditional wine valley is also one of the most internationally recognised as it is home to such famous wineries as Concha y Toro and Cousiño Macul. Maipo produces many of Chile’s finest red varieties. Maipo is also capturing attention for the exciting new boutique wineries emerging in the region known as the “Alto” Maipo for its vines grown at higher altitude.

Enjoy a night in Santiago, you'll have our list of recommended restaurants and attractions to make sure you make the most of your time here.

With your expert local guide you will explore Chile’s capital, nestled in the central valley right below the imposing Andes. This city mixes the country's “Mapuche” legacy (the natives that inhabited this land during the Pre-Columbian era), Spanish colonial past and the modernity of any thriving city of the world.

Explore the city's downtown district, Santa Lucía Hill - where the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded the city - the Lastarria Neighborhood, La Moneda Palace, and the Plaza de Armas. The tour will be tailored to suit your interests and can include museums and galleries as well.

Enjoy an evening in Peru's capital, discovering its world-famous restaurants and seeking out the perfect pisco sour.

The Hiram Bingham train exudes style, luxury, and romantic charm and there is no more sophisticated way to traverse the Peruvian landscape to Machu Picchu.

Aboard, the 1920s Pullman carriages reflect the opulence of the locomotive era bedecked in polished brass, wood panels and rich, comfy seating. There is also a period observation car at the rear.

Brunch on the journey is included and taken in the very elegant dining car replete with white-linen tablecloths, clinking crystal, and you are looked after by a smart team of waiters. Whilst feasting on fine Peruvian cuisine the steamy forest scenery unfolds right in front of you. There is also an open viewing carriage for admiring the views.

Your private guide will take you on a comprehensive tour of the Machu Picchu citadel, really bringing it to life by detailing the history, significance and myths surrounding it as well as taking you to the hidden corners and best viewpoints. Then after your guided tour, you'll descend to Aguas Calientes for a delicious lunch at the rustically elegant Inkaterra hotel, before an afternoon at your leisure: you can explore the areas around Machu Picchu or carry on exploring the ruins.

Return in the evening to overnight at your chosen hotel in the Machu Picchu area.

You have the morning free to explore the famous site on your own.

Board the luxurious Hiram Bingham train to Cusco. Departing in the early evening, a full five-course meal is served in the dining carriage as well as drinks and live music in the bar carriage for an enjoyable trip after visiting Machu Picchu.

Enjoy this beautiful city and UNESCO World Heritage site. You'll have our list of recommendations as well as private guides on hand to enjoy the best of this beautiful city. We can arrange a number of private, interest-led tours to booking fine restaurants for you. Your personal travel designer will be able to recommend activities that are most suitable to your interests.

Your local expert guide will collect you from your hotel for a private tour of the city, starting out at the Santo Domingo convent monastery. This former colonial monastery was previously the Koricancha Temple, one of the most important temples devoted to the worship of the sun. According to the chronicles, it was covered in gold leaf and filled with golden representations of nature. Your next stop will be the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral.

You will be driven by private vehicle to the countryside just outside Cusco to visit some of the remarkable Inca ruins in the area such as the cult centre of Sacsayhuaman, the temple and amphitheatre of Kenko, and the Red Fortress of Puca Pucara.

Begin your day with a visit to Cusco’s central market, a wonderful way to discover the Andean culture and daily life. This vibrant spot, with its dazzling displays of fresh produce and fascinating local products, could keep you entertained for hours. Next, learn how to turn these fresh ingredients into Peruvian favourites at a local restaurant.

Enjoy the Capital of Peru, known particularly for its excellent cuisine and good museums, as well as the historic down-town areas.

Drive to the Historical Center of Lima and the Plaza Mayor, where the Government Palace, City Hall, the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace are located. Move along to the San Francisco Monastery and step inside Casa Aliaga, one of America’s best-preserved colonial mansions. Located across from the Presidential Palace in colonial Lima, Casa Aliaga was built in 1535 by Don Jeronimo de Aliaga, a member of Pizarro's conquering forces. Seventeen generations later, Casa Aliaga is still inhabited by the Aliaga family, whose heirlooms include beautiful original furniture.

Continue to the district of Pueblo Libre, to visit the Larco Herrera Museum, housed in an 18th century colonial mansion. The museum holds the most extensive collection of pre-Columbian art in Peru, featuring many fine examples of textile work. Also found in the museum are the materials and tools used by ancient Peruvians to produce their work in ceramics and metal, huaco pottery, gold and silver pieces with semiprecious stones and erotic art pieces.

Drive to the historical centre of Lima and the Plaza Mayor, where the Government Palace, City Hall, the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace are located. Move along to the San Francisco Monastery and step inside Casa Aliaga, one of America’s best-preserved colonial mansions. Located across from the Presidential Palace in colonial Lima, Casa Aliaga was built in 1535 by Don Jeronimo de Aliaga, a member of Pizarro's conquering forces. Seventeen generations later, Casa Aliaga is still inhabited by the Aliaga family, whose heirlooms include beautiful original furniture.

Gaston Acurio may be Peru’s most famous chef – indeed, one of its best-known celebrities of any sort – but neither he nor his restaurant is resting on their laurels. The restaurant's history goes back to 1994, when Gaston Acurio and Astrid Gutsche, fresh from studying culinary arts in Paris, founded the restaurant in a small house in the district of Miraflores. Nowadays the restaurant is located in a 300-year-old hacienda and the menu showcases the very best of Peruvian cuisine, reassessing traditional ingredients and recipes and creating something quite magical in the process.

Spending your days in the heady 'Marvellous City' you can explore and enjoy Rio at your leisure. You'll have a full set of recommendations and advice from us on how best to make the most of the city.

Christ the Redeemer statue is Rio’s most famous attraction with his arms stretched out, looking out to bless the entire city. At 710 metres (2,330 feet) above the centre on the Corcovado hill, the statue is surrounded by wide, open terraces from where you get unbeatable vistas of the city's impressive littoral, the southern neighbourhoods of Copacabana and Ipanema, the Lagoon, the Sugar Loaf and the town of Niterói.

This massive granite rock, 396 metres tall, is one of the city’s most emblematic landmarks, adorning many a postcard. You will take the cable car with your guide from the Guanabara Bay entrance in the Urca district. At the zenith the view of Rio and its neighbourhoods sprawled over bays, coves, and appearing from dense green hillsides is unrivalled and quite spectacular.

Days free to explore and enjoy the cosmopolitan city of Sao Paulo. You'll have our recommendations of excellent restaurants and bars to make sure you make the most of your stay.

Take a private full-day city tour of Sao Paulo's highlights, the self-appointed heart of modern Brazilian culture.

Considered one of the best restaurants in the world, the two Michelin-starred restaurant DOM showcases the very best of Brazilian cuisine. Using ingredients such as acai, jambu and tucupi, each impecabbly presented dish offers a little insight into the history and traditions of this fascinting country while being fresh and contemporary at the same time. Located in the Jardines district of Sao Paulo, DOM is a harmonious balance between the classic and the modern and promises to take guests on an unforgettable culinary journey.

Photo credit: Wellington Nemeth and Rubens Kato