An unmissable combination of culture, art, faith and gastronomy that begins in Asunción, the capital of Paraguay and continues in the different surrounding towns. Here, in fact, we find products of ancient artisan traditions, such as goldsmithing, ceramics and fine cotton thread embroidery. Opportunity to visit the famous vestiges of the 16th century Jesuit Missions, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the magnificent and exuberant Iguazu Falls near the mythical triple border.
Validity: All year round.
Day by day
| ➤Day 1: Asunción |
| Arrival at Asunción airport. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation. Free time to rest from the trip. In the early afternoon, walking tour of the center of Asunción: built on the hills of the Paraguay River, it preserves colonial vestiges with beautiful parks and exuberant vegetation: free visit to the historic center with the Cathedral, the Cabildo, the famous Palma street , etc. Dinner. Overnight stay. |
| ➤Day 2: Caacupé – El Fortín (Piribebuy) – Ciudad del Este |
| Breakfast. Departure to Ciudad del Este, visiting the Basilica of Our Lady of Caacupé on the way. Visit to the El Fortín rum factory. It’s time to learn about the making and tasting of the long-standing exquisite rum. During the journey, tasting of the famous Paraguayan chipa (chipá). Lunch. According to the schedule of the GT bus to Ciudad del Este transfer to the bus terminal (320 kilometers). Arrival in Ciudad del Este after about 5 hours of travel. Private transfer to the hotel. Dinner. Overnight stay. |
| ➤Day 3: Saltos del Monday (paraguayan falls) – Museum Moisés Bertoni |
| Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to the Paraguayan “Monday Falls”, waterfalls that are born in the river of the same name: immersed in the subtropical forest of the three banks, the imposing Iguazú Falls are one of the most majestic spectacles in the world: the contrast between the colors of the sky , the vegetation and the red earth, act as a backdrop for the local multiethnic cultures. Lunch during the excursion. If it does not rain, visit the house-museum of the Swiss naturalist Mosè Bertoni, nestled in a true paradise of Paraguayan flora and also from distant lands, brought to the banks of the Paraná by Bertoni himself, who discovered stevia rebaudiana, a natural sweetener, 300 times sweeter than sugar. Back to the hotel. Dinner. Overnight stay. |
| ➤Day 4: Triple border – Optional: Iguazu Falls – Argentine side |
| Breakfast at the hotel. At 7.15 am departure to observe the «triple frontier» and the meeting of the Paraná and Iguazú rivers from above: they meet but do not mix due to the different temperatures of the water, stubbornly preserving their colors in their rapid journey. Important: From the small port of Presidente Franco, navigating the Paraná River for less than an hour, it is possible to reach the Argentine side of the Iguazú Falls (except Sundays), this optional visit must be booked in advance. Duration of the visit approx. 7/8 hours round trip, depending on the time required for migration between Paraguay and Argentina. Return to the hotel in Ciudad del Este. |
| ➤Day 5: Yerba mate – Jesuit Ruins of Jesús de Tavarangue and Trinidad |
| Breakfast. At 6 am departure with driver and guide to the city of Encarnación. Breakfast during the trip and visit to a Yerba Mate factory, the herb that the Guarani exchanged with Peru to obtain weapons with which to defend their «reductions». Hotel accommodation in Bella Vista or Encarnación. Lunch. Around 5 pm, visit to the unfinished mission church «Jesús de Tavarangue», built by the architect Antonio Forcada and designed by his brother José Grimau, with evident traces of the Arab influence on Jesuit art (year 1759). At dusk (8.15pm in summer) visit the most complete of the «reductions», the work of the Italian Giovanni Battista Primoli: Trinidad. The beauty of Guaraní architecture, the fruit of a deep encounter with Italian masters, is masterfully expressed in all these buildings that bear witness to the immense work of the Jesuits together with the Guaraní indigenous people. Night visit «of lights and sounds», a true contemplation of the illuminated ruins: the acoustics of the church are perfect. Back to the hotel. Overnight stay. |
| ➤Day 6: The Hispano-Guarani Baroque – San Cosme y Damián – Yaguarón |
| Breakfast. At 7.30, continuation of the trip to return to Asunción with private transport to have the possibility to visit interesting Jesuit museums on the way: such as a visit to the church-museum of San Cosme and Damián and the small Planetarium to discover the sky in this part of the planet. Visit to the San Ignacio Guazú museum that preserves true treasures of Hispanic-indigenous art. Lunch during the excursion. In Yaguarón, visit the splendid Baroque-style Franciscan colonial church whose altars are carved out of wood. Arrival in Asunción. Eventually, depending on the interest and the time available, it is possible to return directly to Asunción from the City of Encarnación in about 5 hours of travel. Check-in at the hotel. Dinner. Overnight stay. |
| ➤Day 7: Asunción |
| Breakfast. Free time in Asunción for last visits or shopping in the city. Transfer to the airport to start the trip back to the country of origin or continue the trip to other destinations in Latin America. |
