THE BEST OF & “a Seaside Playground” DAY 1: USA / MONTEVIDEO

• You will be greeted at the airport of Montevideo by a bilingual Forum Tour Mana- ger who will remain with the group during your entire stay in Uruguay. • Transfer to the hotel by private bus, check-in and have some free time to rest. • Dinner in a local restaurant.

DAY 2: MONTEVIDEO

• Breakfast at your hotel. • This morning, follow your Tour Manager on a guided tour of the city. • The first stop will be at the “Mercado Agrícola”. Housed inside a soaring iron structure from the early 1900s, with lustrous ceilings and stained-glass win- dows, the newly reconstructed Mercado Agrícola is among the most architec- turally significant food markets in the region. More than 100 vendors, selling everything from local produce and dry-aged beef to herbs and hand-loomed shawls, attract residents and visitors to the working-class neighborhood of Goes. • Why not taste the most famous Uruguayan drink: El Mate. This beverage is made from the infusion of Yerba Mate (dried and ground leaves). • Then, you will visit “el Mercado Del Puerto”, an icon of local gastronomy. This converted market on the old town waterfront remains a Montevideo classic. • Enjoy lunch at one of its meat restaurants. The Uruguayan meat (awarded worldwide) on the grill is par excellence one the typical Uruguayan dish (Vege- tarian option also available). • After lunch, we will enter “el Museo Del Carnaval”. Montevideo’s fun and feisty carnival, said to be one of the world´s longest, only comes around once a year. Luckily, this museum gives an excellent overview of the colorful annual event, which is like a scaled down version of the crazy Rio Carnival. • Attend a workshop of Candombe, an African derived rhythm that has been an important part of the Uruguayan culture for over two hundred years. • Take a walk in the Old Town an discover “la Plaza Matriz, la Catedrál Metro- politana, el Cabildo, la Peatonal Sarandí y el Teatro Solís”. • Dinner at a local restaurant and night accommodation.

DAY 3: COLONIA DEL SACRAMENTO

• Breakfast at your hotel. • Early departure by private coach to the city of Colonia del Sacramento. En route, make a stop on “la Finca Piedra”, an eco-tourist ranch, located at the foot of the Sierras of Mahoma. • Enjoy a picnic on site. • Continue your journey to the city of Colonia del Sacramento, declared a UNES- CO World Heritage site. Founded in 1680 by the Portuguese (Manuel Lobo), the city was always sandwiched in between the Portuguese colony of and the Spanish Vice Royalty of the River Plate (later and Uruguay). • Check in to your hotel before dining at a local restaurant.

DAY 4: COLONIA DEL SACRAMENTO

• Breakfast at your hotel. • Head to Barrio Histórico, an irregular colonial-era nucleus of narrow cobbled streets, occupies a small peninsula jutting into the river. • Discover the area of “Real de San Carlos”, “la plaza de Toros, the San Beni- to Chapel and el Complejo Miánovich. • The colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, views of the river, ancient ramparts and antique cars are the real sites to be seen. Be sure to climb to the top of the lighthouse for the best town view and stroll down General Flores (the main drag). • You will have lunch in the restaurant of the Railway station before entering the railroad museum. • Drive back to Montevideo in the afternoon for dinner and night accommodation.

DAY 5: PUNTA DEL ESTE

• Breakfast at your hotel • Morning departure by private coach to Punta del Este on the Gold Coast. • En route, we will stop in the city of Piriápolis, to admire “el hotel argentino”, a building built in 1920. Piriapolis is one of the most attractive of the seaside towns along the southern Uruguayan coast. • Enjoty the view of the city from “El Cerro San Antonio”. • Continue to Punta del Este, still often referred to as the St. Tropez of Latin Ame- rica, Uruguay’s Punta del Este is a top summertime playground for Uruguayans, Brazilians and Argentines. • Enter “El museo Ralli”, with one of the most important collections of Latin Ame- rica art. Discover the Foundation of the sculptor Pablo Atchugarry. • Enjoy lunch on the peninsula of Punta del Este. • In the afternoon you will drive to “Punta Ballena” to visit “El museo Casapue- blo”. See the work of the Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró. • Have a snack at the “establecimiento Lapataia” to taste exquisite local deli- cacies. • Return to Montevideo for dinner and night accommodation.

DAY 6: MONTEVIDEO

• Breakfast at your hotel. • Enjoy some free time for shopping and take a stroll. • Meet your Tour Manager for lunch. • In the afternoon, your Tour Manager will take us to the Mercado de la Abundan- cia. Founded in 1836, it’s the oldest market in the city. • Locals throng the upper floor of this historic market to dance to live tango music. Join in, or watch from the sidelines at one of the adjacent restaurants. • Participate in a Tango class with the locals. • Enjoy a farewell dinner at “el Milongón”, a cultural center with an important display of music and choreography of candombe, tango, milonga and folk music. • Night accommodation.

DAY 7: DEPART MONTEVIDEO / USA

• Breakfast at your hotel • At the indicated time, a motor coach will take you to the airport for your flight back home. • Your Tour Manager will help you with the check in.