Best of South America

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Booking Type Instant booking
duration 51 days
tour type Small group Request as private
age requirement 15-99 yrs
max group size 16
guiding method Fully guided
Tour Code BM-10187
Footprint Carbonneutral CO₂ emissions resulting from all trips on Bookmundi will be offset via investments in carbon reduction projects.
Operated in English

Starts Lima, Peru
Ends Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

HIGHLIGHTS Download trip notes

Explore elegant colonial architecture, political history in spades and hilly neighbourhoods dotted with terracotta roofs – Sucre might be Bolivia’s most beautiful city.
Take an unforgettable 4WD adventure across the Salar de Uyuni – some of the largest salt lakes in the world. Pass cactus islands, train cemeteries and mineral lakes teeming with flamingos.
The giant desert inscriptions of the Nazca Lines are one of Peru's great unsolved mysteries, and so is the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu. You’ll experience both your own way, with a range of options to choose from.
Enjoy delicious home-cooking and warm hospitality during your three-day estancia stay, and learn about Uruguay’s gauchos – legendary cowboys – while on the ranch.
After seeing its virgin rainforests, blue lagoons and splendid beaches, you’d never imagine that Ilha Grande had such a treacherous pirate history. This is true natural beauty, Brazilian style.

Starting in Lima and ending in Rio de Janeiro, the "Best Of South America" trip is a guided city sightseeing trip that takes 51 days. You will visit Sucre, Rio de Janeiro, Paraty and 24 other destinations in 6 different countries. "Best Of South America" is a small group trip which will include accommodation, transport, meals and others. See below for further details.

Take a deep dive into Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil on an epic 51-day trip. With local leaders guiding you to the best neighbourhoods as well as plenty of time to explore independently, you’ll wonder what took you so long to appreciate this corner of the globe. Trek or train to the lost Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, spend a few days on a working estancia in Uruguay, take a 4WD adventure through the Andean desert to the Uyuni salt flats and wind up in all the best cities – Buenos Aires, La Paz and Lima, to name a few. Finish up with beach and party vibes in Brazil – a perfect spot to chill out after your adventure to South America’s hotspots.

ITINERARY Expand All

Day 1: Lima
Day 2: Lima
Day 3: Paracas
Day 4: Nazca
Day 5: Arequipa
Day 6: Arequipa
Day 7: Colca Canyon
Day 8: Arequipa
Day 9: Arequipa - Overnight Bus to Cusco
Day 10: Cusco
Day 11: Inca Trail, Inca Quarry Trail or Train option
Day 12: Inca Trail, Inca Quarry Trail or Train option
Day 13: Inca Trail, Inca Quarry Trail or Train option
Day 14: Inca Trail, Inca Quarry Trail or Train option and Machu Picchu / Ollantaytambo
Day 15: Sacred Valley / Cusco
Day 16: Cusco
Day 17: Puno - Lake Titicaca
Day 18: Puno
Day 19: Puno
Day 20: La Paz
Day 21: La Paz
Day 22: La Paz
Day 23: Sucre
Day 24: Sucre
Day 25: Potosi
Day 26: Uyuni
Day 27: Salar de Uyuni
Day 28: Salar de Uyuni
Day 29: Uyuni
Day 30: Uyuni – Tilcara
Day 31: Tilcara
Day 32-34: Buenos Aires
Day 35: Buenos Aires
Day 36: Colonia del Sacramento
Day 37: Estancia Stay
Day 38-39: Estancia Stay
Day 40: Overnight Bus - Iguazu Falls
Day 41: Iguazu Falls (Brazilian Side)
Day 42: Iguazu Falls (Argentinian side)
Day 43: Rio de Janeiro
Day 44: Rio de Janeiro
Day 45-46: Paraty
Day 47: Paraty – Ilha Grande
Day 48-49: Ilha Grande
Day 50: Rio de Janeiro
Day 51: Rio de Janeiro

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Accommodation

Camping (with basic facilities) (3 nights), Dormitory (2 nights), Estancia (3 nights), Homestay (1 night), Hotel (38 nights), Overnight bus (3 nights)

Meals

41 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches, 10 Dinners

Transport

4x4 , Boat , Bus , Coach , Ferry , Minibus , Overnight bus , Plane , Private vehicle , Public bus , Taxi , Van

Guide

An expert tour leader

Included Activities

Lima - Leader-led walking tour
Colca Canyon - Guided tour
Colca Canyon Condor Visit
Cusco - Leader-led orientation walk
3 Night/4 Day Inca Trail (or 2 Night/3 Day Inca Quarry Trail) guided hike(s) with porters' support. Or guided Cusco stay (Machu Picchu by train)
Machu Picchu - Entrance & Guided visit
Sacred Valley - Community visit & lunch
Lake Titicaca - Boat tour & Homestay
Salt flats - Visit to 'Fish Island/Inca Wasi'
Uyuni - Colchani Salt Factory Visit
Eduardo Avaroa National Reserve - Altiplano tour including Laguna Colorada
Buenos Aires - Leader-led orientation walk
Tacuarembo - 3-Night Stay on a Working Estancia
Iguazu Falls - Tour of the Brazilian side of the falls
Iguazu Falls - Tour of the Argentinian side of the falls
Rio de Janeiro - Orientation Walk

WHAT'S EXCLUDED

Any international flights to Lima and from Rio de Janeiro are not included in this price. We always recommend that you arrive 1 day prior to your tour starting date.
Travel insurance is not included in this Best of South America tour. Travel insurance is mandatory to buy. World Nomads' travel insurance has been designed by travelers for travelers.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

This tour has not received any customer reviews yet. However, you can expect a Premier This travel specialist is consistently delivering tours which receive customer ratings above 4.5 on average. tour and service level as the travel specialist who runs it has received 189 reviews for other tours with an average 4.6 rating.

REQUEST A PRIVATE, CUSTOMIZABLE DEPARTURE By design, this is a group tour. You can however request a private, customized version of this tour for yourself or your private group of people. Private departures are usually more expensive, but come with these benefits:

Personal Itinerary can be tweaked and customized.
Protected Travel within your own bubble.
Professional Access our Travel Specialists' insider knowledge.
Privacy Enjoy a tour focused solely on you or your travel group.

Request a private and/or personalized departure To design a private tour, we'll ask you some more information in the following steps.

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GOOD TO KNOW Download trip notes

CANCELLATION

No additional cancellation fees apply for this Best of South America tour. You can cancel the tour up to 58 days prior departure and avoid paying the full amount, but your deposit paid is non-refundable. No refund applies for cancellations within 57 days of departure.

Payment

For any tour departures within 30 June 2024, full payment is required. For tours that depart later than 30 June 2024, a deposit is required to confirm this tour, and the remaining balance will be charged 57 days before trip departure.

Travel Insurance

Best of South America tour requires that you have adequate and valid travel insurance covering medical and personal accidents, including repatriation costs and emergency evacuation. World Nomads offers travel insurance for independent travelers and intrepid families.

Visa

For this Best of South America tour getting the required visa(s) is the responsibility for each individual traveller, as visa requirements vary depending on your nationality. We recommend to check with your local embassies representing the countries that you are traveling to, as part of this itinerary.

Is this trip right for you

There are some long travel days and five overnight bus journeys on this trip. Although the buses feature comfortable reclining seats, they are not beds. There’s also usually a toilet on-board, and some of the buses make toilet stops. Across the Andean Desert and salt flats, you’ll spend long days travelling in 4WDs on bumpy tracks. These trips can be tiresome, but an adventure trip around South America wouldn’t be complete without an overnight bus journey. 
In some locations you’ll be staying in basic dormitory-style accommodation with shared facilities, expect some nights to have drop toilets, no showers, no hot water. Please refer to the Itinerary for details of each night’s accommodation.
There will be a lot of hiking and walking on this trip (especially on the Inca Trail which can be quite challenging), so this requires a moderate level of fitness. There are a few different trail options to suit your interests and physical capabilities. Please bring durable footwear suitable to hiking. See the ‘What to Take’ section of the Essential Trip Information for more details. 
We’ll be experiencing a mix of hot and cold climates, so pack accordingly and bring layers. Night-time in the desert can be especially cold.
This trip visits places that are at high altitude, and as a result some people can suffer from altitude sickness, regardless of age or physical health. Please see the ‘Medical and Health Information’ section of the Essential Trip Information for more detail. 
According to Machu Picchu visiting regulations, all visitors must follow a pre-determined route within the site. This route must be followed in one direction only, and once the guided visit commences exiting and re-entering the site is not permitted. Once the guided visit concludes, visitors must exit the site and personal exploration of Machu Picchu is not permitted. Please refer to the itinerary for details.

COVID VACCINATION POLICY

Proof of vaccination against COVID-19 is no longer mandatory on departures after 1st January 2023. Nonetheless, all travellers are strongly advised to be vaccinated as a safety measure to protect themselves and others on the tour. This policy excludes all Polar trips and select adventure cruises, where testing and vaccination are required.

Also, proof of vaccination may still be required at specific entry points or by the airlines. Therefore, please make sure to check all the travel requirements carefully before travelling.

COVID-19 Safety Measures

This trip incorporates the following COVID-19 measures:

This tour has received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Travels stamp, which provides travellers with assurance that COVID-19 health and hygiene global standardised protocols have been adopted.
Hygiene and safety guidelines will be followed to ensure your well being is looked after during travels.

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