Overview & Highlights
Self-drive in friendly Uruguay, a peaceful little country wedged between Brazil and Argentina. The well-paved, empty roads are a pleasure to drive and you stop off along its unspoilt coast and inland at welcoming ranches and wine lodges.
- Buenos Aires: Walking tour of Montserrat and San Telmo
- Colonia: Guided walking tour with traditional cheese and wine tasting
- Montevideo: Guided walking tour with market barbecue lunch
- Countryside ranch: Activities on the estancia
Uruguay, wedged between the behemoths of Brazil and Argentina, is a holiday destination offering a real sense of breathing space. It's the size of England but with a population of just 3.5 million, not much greater than that of Wales. The gently rolling countryside is dreamily bucolic - the famous beef cattle graze nonchalantly accompanied by a multitude of birds, whose song at sunrise is as enchanting as the unspoilt little towns and increasingly chic range of hotels and restaurants.
Getting around is most satisfyingly achieved with the freedom of your own hire car. Our self-drive holiday explores the UNESCO jewel of Colonia, Carmelo’s vineyards, Montevideo’s art-deco streets, Rocha's glorious countryside and the beaches of José Ignacio. There’s about 900km of driving over nine days and you’ll have the support of pre-booked accommodation allowing you to explore at your leisure.
Outline itinerary
Day 1
Arrive Buenos Aires, transfer to your hotel in Recoleta.
Day 2
Guided walking tour in central Buenos Aires.
Day 3
Ferry across the River Plate to Colonia in Uruguay.
Day 4
Collect your hire car, drive to Carmelo at the head of the estuary.
Day 5
Day at leisure at a wine lodge near Carmelo.
Day 6
Drive to Montevideo, Uruguay’s pleasant capital.
Day 7
Guided walking tour of Montevideo.
Day 8
Drive east shadowing the coast to Rocha.
Days 9-10
At leisure on a working estancia.
Day 11
Drive to the small but upscale boutique-style beach resort José Ignacio.
Day 12
At leisure in José Ignacio.
Day 13
Drive back to Montevideo airport to drop off your car and take your international flight.
What our clients say
97% of our clients rated their experience with us as Excellent or Good.
An amazing mix of experiences right from the start - sites/sights/sounds/climates/flora/fauna/city/country & so on!
DR, Baldock
Tailor made holiday
Our specialists have been expertly crafting award-winning tailor-made holidays to Latin America for 40 years. We would be delighted to create a truly personalised trip which perfectly matches your wishes and requirements.
Sophie Barber - Travel Consultant
Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia.
Things to do
We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.
Accommodation
Browse our unrivalled portfolio of accommodation . Every option has been carefully chosen by our team of travel experts, so you can rest assured that you’ll relax in utter comfort.
Inspired by this trip
Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.
Papagaio
Your edit for Latin American inspiration
Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.
View Extraordinary Inspiration
Holidays Self-drive Uruguay: Classic highlights
From expertly designed Pre-designed Holidays to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.
Private Journeys
Argentina
Active Argentina: Walking in Patagonia
14 days from £3,143pp
Private Journeys
Chile / Argentina / Patagonia
Active Patagonia: Classic treks in Argentina and Chile
14 days from £3,430pp
Private Journeys
Argentina / Iguazu Falls / Patagonia
Argentina Wildlife: Tropical wetlands and Patagonia
16 days from £6,475pp
Group - Discovery
Chile / Argentina / Patagonia
Charito: Pure Patagonia
12 days from £2,865pp
-
Evie Oswald - Travel Consultant
It’s hard to believe that Evie has had time to cram so much in to her life so far. Having lived as a child in the Americas and Europe she found herself immediately attracted to Latin America.
-
Jim Ashworth - Travel Consultant
Jim first caught the Latin American travel bug in 2001 when he decided at the last minute to join a friend travelling around Central America – he hasn't looked back since.
-
Sophie Barber - Travel Consultant
Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia.
-
Lina Fuller - Travel Consultant
Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.
-
Ben Line - Travel Consultant
Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Manager of the Tailor-made Department.
-
Carrie Gallagher - Travel Consultant
A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Escorted Groups team.
