Tours and Trip Packages to South America in September 2026
Traveling to South America in September 2026? We offer 1500+ tours, trips and vacation packages to South America in September 2026. Our South America in September 2026 tour packages and trips have 3700+ customer reviews. All the South America September 2026 tour packages and trips are carried out by hand-picked, qualified local and international South America tour operators.
This tour operator organized a cultural, spiritual and community immersion for me, my husband, my adult daughter and her boyfriend for 16 days in late February/early March of 2023. It was the most exciting trip I’ve taken. This is saying a lot considering I have spent a lifetime of travel, both personal and professional, focusing on Latin America.
Everything ran smoothly, even with chaotic settings and complex logistics. A big part of this was by providing us with amazing guides, starting with Jahel Amaru, who met us at the La Paz airport to whisk us across the altiplano to Oruro for its truly spectacular Carnival. Jahel is knowledgeable, patient, down-to-earth, smart patient, funny, and an extremely enjoyable person to spend time with. She guided us through the hectic Oruro Carnaval during its culminating weekend - with boundless energy and contagious enthusiasm. We had the time of our lives cheering on the colorful characters as they paraded and danced thanks to Jahel knowing exactly where to go, when, and providing invaluable context.
Community tourism (where visitors are connected with everyday Bolivians to learn about their lives) - has started to blossom in Bolivia, and this company is one of its pioneers. We got to experience it in Potosi, where we had another excellent guide, Marlene Quispe. She took us through Cerro Rico mine, which was the world’s leading supplier of silver. Marlene has close ties to mining: her brothers, parents and even she has worked there. As we ventured deeper into the earth, we learned from her about the mining process and cooperatives involved with it. She also introduced us to one of the mine's “tios” (“uncles” who are believed to protect miners), to whom she made an offering as she explained his importance.
Marlene took us to the Quechua community of Phuto Phuto, one of several in the rural district Cabanias that welcomes visitors as part of its community tourism program. Families take turns showing visitors their homes and traditions, including cooking huts with steaming pots, whose contents you later share for lunch. Marlene and one of the family members we met then led us on a beautiful hike to a spot where they invited us to participate in a ritual offering to Pacha Mama (Mother Earth). It was an incredible day I will always remember.
Another wonderful community tourism experience was in the majestic Cordillera Real (Central Andean range), where we appreciated both the nature and culture of the region by staying near the town of Tuni with the multi-generational Quispe family (not related to Marlene). Family members share with guests Aymara traditions like placing fishing nets, spinning yarn, making quinoa flour, and shearing alpaca fleece. Patriarch Jaime is a charismatic host and a certified mountain guide who along with his adult son Denys, also a certified mountain guide, have expertise leading visitors of different ages and abilities. We loved staying with them!
There are a few other places that stood out on our trip:
Hostal Las Olas in Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca with gorgeous, artistic “cabins” and lovely views
Templo del Retiro Espiritual Cruz Andina (the Andean Cross Spiritual Retreat Center), in Tiwanaku steps from the ruins and owned by spiritual and cultural guide Rosse Mary Vargas Vilela. It’s filled with cats and crystals and offers delicious vegetarian meals. This is not a stop for everyone, but worth visiting or staying in if you are interested in mindfulness, ancient healing, and/or new age spirituality.
Local culture
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel, Hostel, Home-stay
Age Range
1-80 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
La Paz, Potosi, Uyuni, Copacaban
La Paz, Potosi, Uyuni, Copacabana, Sucre, El Alto, Yumani, Villamar, Bolivia, Silolio Dykuma, Tomasamil
I can't recommend this tour enough. Well organized, amazing experience. Hiking was beautiful and the porters and staff were so hard working, they carried everything, set-up camp for us every day/night and allowed guests to immerse in the magic of the Incan culture and natural beauty unencumbered. Also - the food, which was cooked fresh every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner was delicious, healthy and made with care.
Trekking and Hiking
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Fantastic holiday , A real adventure. We saw sights I had only dreamed about. Every day there was something new to wonder at, from the desert at Nasca , to Machu Picchu to Colca Canyon. Fantastic.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
A short trip but a good way to experience the highlands of Ecuador.
Highlights are Cotopaxi mountain lodge and national park and Cuenca. Both beautiful places.
Cultural, religious and historic sites
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
I booked this trip for my daughter and me. She wanted action and adventure, every day, and this trip delivered. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the hotels. Much nicer than I expected, given the low cost of this to her. Most of the transportation was fairly high-quality as well. The bus too, and from the rafting was nothing fancy, but certainly nothing to worry about.
Be prepared to spend a little more time than you might expect in transit. That's a function of Costa Rican infrastructure. Lots of one lane roads means travel between cities can be really slow. But the scenery is gorgeous. If you just consider it part of the adventure, and enjoy it, it's not a problem.
I highly recommend this trip. It had everything we wanted.
Rafting
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
12-79 yrs
Operated in
English
Destinations
San Jose, Monteverde Cloud Fores
San Jose, Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Preserve, Pacuare River, Samara Beach, Arenal Volcano, Arenal
Well prepared Salkantay trek 5d/5n zone with Saul G as a guide and Gregorio as a chef and Cesar and Walter as porters. Good food all the way and amazing places to sleep such as the hobbit houses and the star gazing houses the very first night. Bonus was the lomo saltado cooking class and the visit of a coffee farm.
Trekking and HikingCamping
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
This was an excellent tour and I very much enjoyed it. The tour mananger and driver were great. I loved the fact that it was organized and very well planned. The only thing I would change would be a little more inclusion of "down time" or at least the option to take lesiure during the trip.
Rainforest and jungle visits
Tour Type
Group Tour
Accommodation
Resort, Lodge, Hotel, Bungalow
Age Range
1-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
San Jose, Guanacaste, Correos De
San Jose, Guanacaste, Correos De Costa Rica, Arenal, Monteverde
Initially before booking the trip I thought it was extremely overpriced.
However(our tour guide) was fantastic. He made the trip worth every penny and was extremely organised and knowledgeable. The locations were great, and the activities were really cool.
was a fantastic character, and became a friend by ensuring we all had fun. He looked after and catered for everyone’s needs and requirements, promoting safety above all else, and more than once went the extra mile to ensure we all had a great time (joining myself at CrossFit and his traditional dance moves were personal highlights).
I hope he gets the recognition he deserves, as I would love to book a similar trip with Contiki in future because of this great experience.
I would also recommend that you include huacachina in future - I went there on my own and it was one of the coolest experiences - maybe this could be added as an extra at the beginning of the trip.
