Buenos Aires to Rio small group tour

Planet

Our amazing overland journey from Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro uses a mixture of private and public road transport, no flights, to get us between these two iconic cities of South America. Travelling by land is a lower impact option, as well as getting us closer to the local culture in the small towns that we pass.

The supplier that we use for this trip is based in Brazil, and has a sustainability policy that very closely matches with ours. They replicate our efforts in training local Tour Leaders and guides to travel responsibly, seeking to minimize any detrimental impact of our activities on fragile environments, their biodiversity and the local community, plus responsible use of natural resources.

During this trip, for example, we visit the Iguazu National Park, a World Heritage site and important conservation area. Here, tourism is crucial in generating money for conserving the biodiversity of the Falls, as well as the cultural integrity of the dwindling Guarani population that live in the area. However, it's imperative that visitors play their part in protecting the trails and forest environment, which is home to more than 2000 species of native flora and 450 bird species. Our Tour Leaders and local guides will encourage you to travel responsibly, taking all rubbish and litter with you, not disturbing the wildlife, and conserving your energy and water use in the hotels.

As a company we support Cool Earth. Protecting rainforest is one of the most effective actions to tackle climate breakdown. Cool Earth work with indigenous communities empowering them to conserve their forest; keeping CO2 locked in.

People

This trip has numerous opportunities to interact with the local people and learn more about the colourful culture and history of Latin America. By taking public transport in places, including the metro, tram and bus systems for our city tour in Rio, not only does this mean that there's one less vehicle in the streets, but it also means that you get a real sense and deeper understanding of local life in the city. Getting out to visit memorable places like San Telmo in Buenos Aires for the weekend antiques market and street artist displays, or staying in locally owned accommodation like Mrs Carmen's homely pousada on the Ilha Grande are vital to benefitting the communities that we visit.

Our Tour Leaders will encourage you to discover local eateries during the trip - Brazil and Argentina have some of the most delicious food in South America, and eating a juicy steak with a glass of malbec or a refreshing caipirinha is one of the best ways to really appreciate the local culture! It may even help you to learn some Spanish at the same time.

In addition to the above, we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage. As well as this, we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.