South America Itinerary: How to Visit Argentina, Uruguay & Brazil in 8 Days by Cruise
Table of Contents
- What You’ll Learn From This South America Itinerary
- 8-Day South America Itinerary Overview
- Getting to Argentina
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Boarding the Celebrity Equinox Cruise
- South America Itinerary Breakdown by Destination
- Cruise Tips You Should Know
- Conclusion
- SOUTH AMERICA ITINERARY: PIN IT FOR LATER
If you’re planning a South America Itinerary, one thing I’ve learned is that world travel has to be intentional, as it requires a lot of planning ahead of time.
I remember booking this cruise to Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil when there was a sale of $850 per person for an 8-night cruise.
At that point, my country count was up to 107 countries, and my friend of 20+ years, Lisa, joined me for this trip. This also turned out to be the last cruise route from Argentina to Uruguay and Brazil with Celebrity Cruises, and I’m so glad we were able to experience it.
What You’ll Learn From This South America Itinerary
In this blog post, I’ll walk you through exactly how I visited three countries—Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil in just 8 days, including the real cruise logistics like visas, boarding, and transfers that most people don’t talk about.
I’ll also share a practical South America travel itinerary that’s perfect if you’re short on time but still want a meaningful experience.
If you’ve been following my journey, you know I’ve done a few incredible sailings with Celebrity Cruises—from Greece and Turkey to Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and even Spain to Portugal—so I’ll link those trips here if you want more inspiration. Let’s dive in.
8-Day South America Itinerary Overview
Day 1: Buenos Aires, Argentina (Embarkation)
Day 2: Punta del Este, Uruguay
Day 3: Montevideo, Uruguay
Day 4–5: At Sea
Day 6: Ilhabela, Brazil
Day 7–8: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Overnight)
Day 9: Departure + São Paulo, Brazil
Getting to Argentina
We went with Delta with a layover in Peru. It was 13 plus hours travel time from Atlanta, Georgia.
We could have opted for a direct flight for $500 more per person. The flight was around $800 per person & we booked it with Flights by Celebrity after our research.
The fare was added on our cruise total & we had to pay it off a few months before departure. Delta is normally not my favorite international airline but they had the best routing for this trip.
Room Upgrade
A week before the cruise, we received an email for a balcony upgrade that we could bid on for minimum $195 per person. We bid on it & was upgraded three days before departure.
Layover in Lima, Peru
This is my second time in Peru & my first time transferring with an international connection. Being back in the Lima airport brought back so many memories of my previous journey exploring the ancient wonders of the Andes, you can read all about my unforgettable trip to Machu Picchu here.
The transfer process itself was quite an experience and remarkably swift.We had to pay an airport tax of USD 11.86 before we could go into our departure international terminal.
It was quite an experience & the process was swift. You may scan a code & pay it online or do it with an agent.
The terminal was modern with many great eating & shopping places. The souvenirs were overpriced for the tourists. The departure gate is not announced till an hour before departure, very similar to the Istanbul, Turkey airport to give time for passengers to spend money at the terminal.
We flew with Latam Airlines as it’s partnered with Delta Airlines. They served us a fruit plate and a ham and cheese sandwich which is a famous meal in Argentina. The flight from Lima, Peru to Buenas Aires, Argentina took 4 hours.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Arrival in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Upon arrival, it was a 15 minute walk to immigration. No visa is needed for American citizens. The wait was about 10 minutes. Our bags arrived promptly.
We hired an airport pick up through https://airportstaxitransfers.com They are fairly affordable. Traffic was bad so it took us an hour to arrive at our hotel.
Where to Stay in Buenos Aires Before Your Cruise
Holiday Inn Express Puerto Madero
Address: Av. Leandro N. Alem 770, 1001 Buenos Aires, Argentina
We picked a hotel close by the cruise port & Holiday Inn came highly recommended by other bloggers online. We paid for two nights as our flight came in at 6:30am & we were ready for bed by the time we arrived. Breakfast was included in the stay.
The rooms were spacious, the electrical outlets needed an upgrade. They also had a mini mart for water & sandwiches.
The gym is simple but well-equipped with upgraded machines. Service is top-notch; the hotel staff even handled our Uber arrangements for the cruise port drop-off.
Where to eat in Buenos Aires
Argentina’s Finest Steak
We had our lunch/dinner at La Estancia Restaurant, specially known for its steak & meat dishes.
It was the best steak I have had in my life. The prices range from USD 25-50 per person.
We later walked around & bought some overpriced souvenirs. The lunch experience took us around 2 hours. It was around 4pm by the time we headed back to the hotel.
Boarding the Celebrity Equinox Cruise
The Port Experience
We took an uber from the Holiday Inn. It took us about 15 mins to arrive to the port. Unlike the other cruise ports, we had to go through three stages of transit.
Upon arrival, since American citizens require a visa to Brazil, we had to present our visa before entry. We then loaded our bags & was given a number to wait in line. They did not check our check in time, so much so if we would have arrived earlier, they would had let us through.
After our number was called, we went through our bag scan & passport control. This is where they took our Brazil visa & kept it. We then went through another immigration line, the Argentina side as we were leaving the country.
Later before we boarded the ship, they took our passports for a few days as it’s required by the country of Brazil. We then got into a bus for the transfer to our ship.
Our passports were returned in a few days after we docked In Brazil. Instructions were given to us on where to pick up our passports.
Celebrity Equinox Cruise Experience
Room tour
We got a room on the sixth floor. It’s been awhile since I have a balcony room. It was a nice experience as we got to see the sunset.
Onboard activities
Tea time is at 3:30pm daily at the Oceanview Cafe which the buffet area on the 14th floor. I love their warm scones & sliced apples. I normally bring it to the library as I listen to my audiobook.
Celebrity Cruise started a theme called Beyond the Podium seminars where they bring in experts to present us the history of the country we are visiting. I enjoyed the experience as it was enlightening & educational.
Food & Dining
Buffet themes breakdown
We chose Celebrity Anytime Dining scheduled at 6pm. On our first night, they had prime rib so we wanted to experience the dish. We stood in line at 5:15pm & got in at 5:30pm.
We later went to the Oceanview cafe for desserts.
Oceanview Cafe Themes
Night 1: Welcome Dinner
Night 2: Tex Mex
Night 3: International Night
Night 4: South American
Night 5: European
Night 6: German
Night 7: Asian
South America Itinerary Breakdown by Destination
Uruguay
Punta Del Este
Excursions
Our first stop was the country of Uruguay, the 2nd smallest South American country after Suriname. We had to tender out to the city & the experience took about 45 minutes.
We visited several museums with incredible & deep meaningful sculptures. We had a very funny tour guide.
We experienced Art that tries to beat time, making it come alive through the unique expressions.
The tender back to our ship took about 45 minutes because of the crowds. We had about 2200 passengers on this ship plus the crew members.
We arrived around 3:15pm rushing to the Oceanview Cafe for some food. Gratefully, they left the grill & pizza station open as it was high tea time.
Montevideo, Uruguay
We did an early excursion in Montevideo. It was nice because we got back in time for lunch. Our guide used to be an architect & was passionate about her country.
We visited a beautiful agricultural market with modern restaurants surrounding it. It was a nice experience as we were able to buy souvenirs. Uruguay has 99% literacy rate as education is free.
An average person has 2-3 degrees & the government provides the children in primary school free laptops. Uruguay is also a country with the highest consumption of beef in the world. The previous conquerors left the cattle on land so that is why they have an abundance of cattle in the country.
Mate is the famous drink in Argentina, Uruguay & Paraguay. Mate is a bitter herb that functions like green tea & provides caffeine to the drinker. They put it in a Stanley like thermos & drink it with a unique fork like straw that sifts the herb leaves. Syria later adopts this habit when they fled to those countries for asylum.
Brazil
Ihabella, Brazil
Ihabella is a hidden gem known in South America for its dramatic rainforests, top notch beaches & the notorious Brazilian energy. As the largest island in Brazil, divers from all over the world come to experience the reeves.
We did not have an excursion on our first day in Brazil but we did tender out to the port for 30 minutes.
Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Experiencing one of the seven wonders of the world was impacting. It took us an hour plus from the port to the top of Corcovado Mountain where the magnificent statue of Jesus is.
We took a train to the top of the mountain. The train ride was about 20 minutes but the wait was over 30 minutes. It was considered the end of the high season.
We summited 222 steps upward which was a beautiful pilgrimage to behold Jesus with His outstretched arms.
It was foggy all day but the experience was beautiful & meaningful. The statue of Jesus could be soon all over Rio from a distance.
The port in Rio is easy to navigate & our over came to pick us up right outside the next day.
Flight from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil to USA
The airport is easy to navigate. We were there about four hours before departure. Excellent shops and coffee shops.
Cruise Tips You Should Know
- Bring zip lot bags for small takeout if you have an early excursion. You may take some muffins with you in case you miss lunch like we did.
2.Use the morning coffee cups for takeout in case you need a snack during your lunch
Conclusion
This was a relaxing trip overall, and looking back on this South America itinerary, the significance of the number 2 was truly profound Our hotel at the Holiday inn was 212, our stateroom in the cruise was 6212 & our bus for our one of our excursion was 21.
The highlight of this trip was visiting the Christ the Redeemer in Brazil. It was 222 steps up to the magnificent statue!
For logistics, I used Holafly for internet on my port days. It was much more affordable than international cellular plans and proved to be very effective throughout the journey.
I have now reached my 108th country, and I am so grateful for this time in my life and the chance to experience such an incredible part of the world.
SOUTH AMERICA ITINERARY: PIN IT FOR LATER
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