Downtown
The sites and attractions in Asunción offer a fascinating window into Paraguayan history and culture. Downtown Asunción exhibits a fusion of contradictions: modern and colonial architecture, Spanish and Guaraní languages, bustling commerce and plenty of places to sit, relax and people watch. 

• The House of Independence
• Casa Viola
• The Cathedral of Asunción
• Museo del Cabildo
• The Government Palace
• The Railway Station
• The National Heroes' Mausoleum
• Calle Palma rs
• La Recova handicrafts market
• La Costanera, Bay of Asunción

The New City Center
The new City Center boasts newest and most modern shopping centers, the World Trade Center, and one of the best curated art museums in Paraguay.

Popular art is one of the most important manifestations of culture in Paraguay. Have the unique experience of visiting the homes and workshops of artisans who have maintained folk art traditions through the generations.

This day tour will take you to places you won’t find in any guidebook - to the homes and workshops of local artisans who have maintained folk art traditions passed down to them by their mothers and grandmothers. You will learn about the historical context of the craft, as well as the simple (low tech), yet sophisticated techniques used to create these iconic Paraguayan crafts. Travelers find that being invited to a local Paraguayan's home and having personal interactions with the artisans and their family members is a  highlight of their trip.

You will also visit cultural centers, shops and galleries that offer a perspective on the full breadth of styles that encompass Paraguayan art and popular crafts.

Itá - known for its tradition of ceramic art.

Itaguá - called “City of the Ñandutí”.

Areguá - known for its manufactured pottery crafts, street market, and galleries, was once a town where wealthy families from Asunción had their summer homes near Lake Ypacarai. 

Paraguay's colonial history was one of general calm punctuated by turbulent political events.

The indigenous Guaraní people had been living in Paraguay for at least a millennium before the Spanish arrived in the 16th century and in 1580 the Franciscans began founding reductions to introduce Christianity to the natives.

The Jesuits founded their first reduction of San Ignacio Guazú in 1609. The Jesuits established approximately 20 reducciones throughout the region; the reductions protected the natives from slave traders, sponsored orchestras and distributed profits from Guarani labor back to the laborers. As a result of their success, the Jesuits were expelled by the Spanish Crown in 1767. 

Following independence from Spain in 1811, Paraguay was ruled by a series of dictators. Paraguay’s first dictator, Dr. José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, popularly known as El Supremo, was born in Yaguaron; he served nearly 30 years (1811-1840) and built a strong, prosperous, secure nation.

Visit:
Yaguaron - founded in 1585 as a Franciscan Mission, the Iglesia de San Buenaventura church that is now one of the most beautiful and valuable examples of Franciscan construction and art in Paraguay. The Francia Museum, located in the 18t-century home of Francia's father, displays a variety of artifacts from the life of Paraguay’s first dictator.

San Miguel - living up to it's reputation as the “wool capital of Paraguay”, artisans continue to hand-spin thread and hand-weave wool apparel and blankets.

San Ignacio Guazu - considered “Capital of the Hispanic-Guaraní Baroque”, the Jesuit Art Museum has an impressive display of statues of saints, as well as documents from the first Jesuit mission in Paraguay.

Santa María - a delightful village in the heart of the Paraguayan countryside.

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Santa María is a delightful village in the heart of the Paraguayan countryside - once, probably the prettiest of all the former Guaraní Reductions, today it is a very poor village with massive unemployment, where the villagers struggle to make a living. They are very happy to receive visitors and provide outstanding walking tours of their community.

Museum Tour
Guided visit to the Jesuit Museum located in an original casa de indios (“house of Indians”) which has been beautifully restored and houses some 50 carved wooden statues of saints and holy figures.

Village and Plaza Tour
Guided tour of the plaza and village, including the sewing cooperative, the little Calvary and the historic spring of Ykuateja. You may also have the opportunity to visit a garden with medicinal herbs and see how the plants are distilled and/or dried to result in natural remedies to common maladies.  Assuming they are hungry, you will also have an opportunity to feed the wild monkeys that live in the trees in the central plaza.

Optional: Travel through the village riding on a traditional ox cart.

In the afternoon, we may visit one of the following on the way to Bella Vista, according to preferences of the group:

• Carmen del Parana has a lovely beach with nice shallow waters and an excellent view of the lake created by the Yacyretá dam.
• The Jesus de Tavarangue ruins; the church would have been one of the biggest churches of that time, but was never completed as the Jesuits were expelled in 1767.

Visit the Jesuit Ruins
The Jesuit Missions of La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná and Jesús de Tavarangue were declared World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1993. The Jesuit missionaries in Paraguay learned the Guarani language and there are examples of cross-culture architecture at the sites, where the dominant European styles adopt something of a Guarani flavor.

Santísima Trinidad del Paraná has the biggest built temple among all the Jesuit Missions and nearly 4,000 Indian’s lived at the mission. The Trinidad ruins are one of the most well-preserved in Paraguay.

Yerba Mate Tour
By now you will appreciate how important yerba mate and terere are to the people of Paraguay! Visit a verba mate plantation and packaging plant and learn how this traditional Paraguayan tea is dried, seasoned and packaged to offer a high quality tea product that meets the various tastes of the yerba and terere drinkers.

Travel to Puerto Iguassu, Argentina.

Spent the entire day exploring Iguazu Falls independently. (Park hours 8:00-6:00)

Lunch on your own (not included) to allow for choice and flexibility.

The Paseo Garganta del Diablo is a one-kilometer-long trail that brings the visitor directly over the falls of the Devil's Throat, a 70-meter waterfall where several branches of the Iguazu river converge causing a violent water fall. The trail over the river and the balcony set up at the border of the cascade offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Upper Circuit walk along a 1200 mts trail – with low degree of difficulty and no stairs – that goes deep into the jungle. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Falls. You will get lots of closer views at the different observation points, and more panoramic sights toward the end of the trail.

The Lower Circuit goes all the way down to the river (many stairs!), where the boat crosses over to San Martin Island that offers marvelous bottom-up views of the falls.

Optional (recommended)
The Great Adventure takes you by boat right to the base of the waterfalls – a truly amazing experience.  See the waterfalls from every angle – even from beneath the falls!

Morning of leisure and exploring independently.

Activities you may choose (optional, entrance fees not included):

• Free time relaxing by the pool at the hotel
• Return to Iguazu Falls (save your ticket from previous day 50% off admission)
• Explore the town of Puerto Iguassu and its many shops
• Tour Güirá Oga Wild Animal Refuge & Rehabilitation
  GüiráOga (“House of the Birds” in native Guarani language) Tourists are ushered onto a tractor-pulled trailer that leads them into the jungle where the animals are kept. Guides are bilingual and offer information on the birds and animals they are caring for until they can be returned to the wild.
  English tour at 10:00am (1.5 hours) $150 pesos
  

Lunch in Puerto Iguassu, then leave for Paraguay.

Explore various aspects of Paraguayan history, traditions and folklore, including the mythological museum,the Basilica in Caacupe, popular crafts, and the most popular vacation town on the shores of Lake Ypacarai.

Capiatá offers an interesting mythological museum; the founder, Ramón Elías, collected popular tales of magical characters passed from generation to generation and created fantastic sculptures; he is considered the father of the images of Paraguayan myths.

Caacupe is a center of worship for a large number of Paraguayan devotees and the huge Basilica is home to the sacred statue of Our Lady of the Miracles.

Atyrá, certified by the World Health Organization as the eighth healthiest community in the world and declared the "Ecological Capital of Paraguay", is known for its artisan work in leather.

Altos was one of the first villages founded by the Spanish conquerors. Visit the home workshop of a local woodcarver of birds, flowers, mythological creatures, saints, and masks made for the San Pedro & San Pablo festivals.

San Bernardino, also called Sanber by locals, is a favorite summer vacation spot on the shores of Lake Ypacari. It was founded around 1880 by German immigrants after the War of the Triple Alliance. Today, Sanber is very popular and crowded during the summer vacation months December until March.

Optional: Boat ride on Lake Ypacarai

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Explore San Bernardino independently or enjoy activities at the hotel until it's time to leave for the airport.