Rio de Janeiro and the Iguazu Falls, 5 Nights

A driver meets you at the international airport and takes you across the city to your hotel near the beach, a ride that gives a first look at the granite peaks rising between the neighbourhoods. After a long journey, keep the rest of the day simple: a walk on the black-and-white wave pattern of the promenade, fresh coconut water from a beach kiosk, and an early dinner.

The guided day begins on Corcovado, the steep peak crowned by the statue of Christ the Redeemer, where the view takes in the lagoon, the beaches, the bay and the mountains around the city. Go early for the best chance of clear air. Later the tour moves to Sugarloaf, climbed by two cable cars in stages, first to Urca hill and then to the summit, for a view back over the harbour, Copacabana and the entrance to the bay.

Nothing is booked. Spend the day as people in Rio do: on the sand at Copacabana or Ipanema, with a rented chair and umbrella and vendors passing with snacks and cold drinks. If you want more, the optional walking tour of Santa Teresa covers its hilltop streets, old tram line and the tiled Selarón steps. In the evening an optional show of samba and other Brazilian dance can be booked.

After breakfast a driver takes you to the airport for the flight west to Foz do Iguaçu, the Brazilian town near the point where Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet. You are met on arrival and taken to your hotel. The afternoon is free; the Itaipu dam and the Marco das Três Fronteiras, the three-borders viewpoint at sunset, are easy optional visits.

A guided day in Iguaçu National Park. The trail follows the edge of the canyon, with a long view of the horseshoe of falls on the Argentine side, and ends on a walkway over the river towards the Devil’s Throat, where the noise and spray are overwhelming. A lift takes you back up to the road. A boat ride upriver right into the mist below the falls can be added; expect to get soaked, so pack a change of clothes and a dry bag.

Breakfast at the hotel, then a transfer to Foz do Iguaçu airport for your flight onward, usually connecting through São Paulo or Rio for the international journey home. If your flight is late, an optional morning at the bird park near the entrance to the national park is a relaxing way to use the time.