Any holiday to South America is full of colour, fun and wildlife. Look for jaguars in the lush Pantanal wetlands, gaze to the twinkling heavens in the Atacama and sip Caipirinhas on the tropical beaches of Bahia.
The continent is exploding with culture; explore ancient Incan ruins, meet the Quechua people in Peru and learn about local life in the Amazon in Ecuador. Whether you combine some regions together or delve deeper into one country, you can watch llamas graze in the highlands of Peru, dance the samba in Rio de Janeiro and hike the snow-capped peaks of Torres del Paine.
There are some areas of South America that are just too good to miss. Trekking the W-trek in Torres del Paine, looking for tapirs and jaguars in the Amazon, watching the pink sunrise over Machu Picchu and swimming with penguins in the Galapagos Islands. It's easy to combine some classic stops together - a holiday to Machu Picchu fits well with the Galapagos Islands, while a trip up to Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro pairs perfectly with the Amazon Rainforest. Whether you stay in local guesthouses or luxurious lodges, these iconic sights are sure to blow you away.
Full of romantic lodges and remote beauty, South America is a spectacular choice for an unusual honeymoon. Combine sugary beaches in Brazil with epic hiking in Peru, watch the stars come out over the Atacama or swim with sea lions in the cool waters of the Galapagos. Walk hand in hand along Copacabana beach, sip local red wine in the vineyards of Mendoza and watch the sunrise over the ancient city of Machu Picchu. If you're looking for your dream honeymoon, then look no further.
Give your children the gift of travel with a South America family holiday. Look for spectacled bears in darkest Peru, spot penguins in Patagonia and swim with friendly sealions in the Galapagos Islands. Arranging a family trip needn’t add to your stress. By listening carefully to your ideas, we’ll help you choose the most kid-friendly destinations and suggest the best ways for the kids to experience each place - whether that’s tasting surprising new family favourites on an exciting Brazilian menu or testing your geography knowledge in the volcanic mountains of Ecuador.
South America is full of iconic experiences you'll want to include on a round the world holiday. Stopover in Rio to take the cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain, trek the Inca Trail to watch the sunrise over Machu Picchu and explore the towering peaks and deep fjords of Patagonia. It’s relatively rare to find South America in a round the world itinerary, purely because it adds another layer of complexity to the flights. However, we’ve been creating round the world trips for years, and we know how it’s done. If South America is on your bucket list, we can build it into your holiday.
Argentina encompasses a vast array of landscapes, from the rugged wilds of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego to the deserts of Salta. Explore the Lake District by taking a road trip between chocolate-box villages or feels the spray on your face from mighty Iguazu Falls. Discover the red hills of Salta before dancing the tango and indulging in a delicious steak in Buenos Aires. Hike the spectacular peaks of Patagonia and marvel at the bright blue Perito Moreno glacier in El Calafate. Argentina is easy to combine with other South America countries, especially Brazil and Chile.
From the dizzy heights of Sugar Loaf Mountain and Christ the Redeemer in Rio, to the low wetlands of the Pantanal and the Amazon, Brazil's diversity guarantees to surprise and delight. This huge country offers up endless landscapes - dappled sand dunes in Lencois National Park, crumbling cathedrals in Salvador, coconut fringed beaches in Ilha Grande and deepest rainforest in the Amazon. Take an open-top jeep tour through the city or laze on a wild beach; get lost on a hike in Fernando de Noronha, and listen to monkeys chatter in the jungle. With a Caipirinha in hand, every moment you spend in Brazil will be memorable.
Pull on a poncho, fill your lungs with fresh air and ride across the pampas on horseback. The long and slender country of Chile follows the Andes as they split the continent in two. Here you can journey through the world’s driest desert and gaze up to the stars at night. Climb the hillsides in colourful Valparaiso, meet penguins in Patagonia and marvel at the Moais of Easter Island. Hike through the snow-capped peaks of Torres del Paine and sail to Cape Horn - here you've truly reached the end of the world. Chile is easy to combine with Argentina, Bolivia & Peru, as well as being a great link, via Easter Island, to French Polynesia.
Head to Peru to discover its deepest canyons, fly over the Nazca Lines and trek the Inca Trail. More than half of Peru is drenched in jungle, making it perfect for an Amazonian adventure. Learn the legends of Lake Titicaca, hike in the Andes and explore the Sacred Valley. Sink pisco sours in Lima and run your hands along Cusco’s Incan walls. With a head-spinning array of ancient cities, Inca ruins and natural wonders, it’s not easy deciding which slice of Peru to experience. It's easy to combine a trip to Peru with the Galapagos Islands or sail over Lake Titicaca to visit Bolivia.
Ecuador is famous for the Galapagos Islands - the wildlife-rich archipelago that inspired Charles Darwin. Creatures like giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, sea lions and dainty red crabs potter about and are relatively unafraid of their human visitors, offering an up-close experience you won't find elsewhere. On the mainland, Ecuador's chain of volcanos offers spectacular scenery, small towns full of Spanish architecture and cloud forests full of hummingbirds. Spot spectacled bears in the Andes before heading to the Amazon to look for sloths and toucans high in the rainforest canopy. Ecuador can be easily combined with neighbouring Colombia or Peru, making a dream South America holiday.
Colombia is home both to Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, as well as the Andes and the Amazon. Its huge diversity means that you can explore deserts, cloud forests, white-washed villages and tropical beaches in one utterly unforgettable trip. Stroll through the cobbled streets of rainbow-painted hilltop towns, learn about Colombia's turbulent past in Medellin, trek to the jungle-clad Lost City and wander between the world's tallest palm trees in the Valle de Cocora. Beautiful, welcoming and full of Latin spirit, Colombia is a country that will quickly get under your skin and keep you coming back for more.
We have 20 years of experience planning South America holidays. Our sales consultants are widely travelled - we've trekked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, partied at Carnival in Rio de Janeiro and canoed along tributaries of the Amazon. If you're looking for the ultimate South America holiday or want to include South America as part of a larger round the world holiday, we would love to help!
Whether you already have a plan for your trip or are looking for some inspiration, just get in touch on +44 1273320580 and we can help you plan your South America holiday today.
