South America and long travel go together like ceviche and a cold cerveza 

And it’s got more diversity, colour and chaos than the other continents rolled into one. You might start your journey in Rio, kicking back on the sands of Ipanema, but before you know it you’re trekking through the Brazilian Amazon, or the cloud forests of Ecuador. Join a Quechan street party in Cuzco, cross the Bolivian altiplano, eat hot empanadas in Santiago or venture into the untamed wilds of Patagonia. If South America doesn’t convince you to drop everything and live like Indiana Jones, nothing will.

Up to 3 weeks in South America

Our longest trips in South America

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Visit South America and travel to the Galapagos Islands, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia....

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Embark on a 24-day Premium journey from the Amazon to the Andes and discover South...

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Focus on South America's heaviest hitters on this 24-day tour through the wildlife-rich...

25 Days From 6826

Explore Peru and Bolivia on this epic tour. Travel from Lima to La Paz, tackle the Inca...

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This epic South American trip takes you to Peru's iconic Inca ruins like Machu Picchu,...

Tailor-Made trips

Take four or more on an exclusive trip and tailor your itinerary

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Travel from the city sights of Lima through to the vibrant beat of Rio via Machu Picchu...

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See the best bits of South America, touring from Lima to Rio de Janeiro through Cusco,...

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Take in Lima, Arequipa, the Inca Trail, La Paz, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro on this...

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Experience the highlights of Peru and the Galapagos Islands on this 30-day tour,...

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Travel to South America, from Lima to Buenos Aires, and Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake...

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Highlights of South America

Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu is probably the one image of South America that gets seared into our collective imagination, but there are a bunch of ways you can get there. Trek the classic Inca Trail, avoid the crowds on the Quarry Trail (then take a bus to Aguas Calientes) or train all the way and just enjoy the view. It doesn’t matter how you go. Just make sure you do.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

The salt flats of Bolivia are the biggest in the world: one massive, unbroken horizon of seasoning. Because there are no landmarks, no trees or markers or anything to interrupt the view of 10 billion tonnes of salt, you can get up to some pretty crazy visual shenanigans. Hop in a 4x4 with us and explore the flats, then (if you’re going overland) head onto the Bolivian altiplano and cross into Chile. We guarantee 0 crowds and lots of flamingos.

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

When Charles Darwin sailed the Beagle into the Galapagos, he discovered the planet’s best-kept evolutionary secret: 19 unspoiled islands that would change the way we think about the world. These days it’s pretty much the same, just with much more comfortable boats and less scurvy. Meet marine iguanas on San Cristobal, swim with sea lions off the coast of Fernandina and trek across the lava fields of Espanola.

Long trips by continent

Zebras eating grass in Samburu National Park

Africa

A wide photograph of the Angkor Wat Temple, Cambodia

Asia

A wide view of Lisbon Castle and city

Europe

A traveller speaking with a local vendor in Lake Atitlán in Guatemala

Central America

A yellow tramcar going down the street in Rio, Brazil

South America

FAQs

Intrepid was founded on the premise of long travel when our two owners – Darrell and Manch – set off across Africa with a bunch of friends and no plans to come home anytime soon. It didn't take them long to discover that when you stay a little longer in a destination, you can make the most of every mile and really immerse yourself in the heart and soul of a place and its people.

With borders reopening around the world, Intrepid is celebrating by curating a new range of ‘long’ trips. These epic adventures span over three weeks, a smorgasbord of cities, regions, and countries, and encapsulate the essence of Intrepid travel. 

Long travel means a true break from your day-to-day, with time to properly wind down and disconnect. It gives you the chance to really get to know each destination better. Not just see a place, but really live it. You can slow things down. Dig a little deeper. Not just see the highlights but find those places and meet those people you might not have otherwise. Time to lose yourself on a real adventure.

And by skipping internal flights for public transport (think epic train trips across multiple countries), you'll find yourself with journeys that become trip highlights, and come with the added bonus of helping reduce your carbon footprint. Taking a long trip is easier than you think when you let us take care of all the planning and research, so find your next big adventure below. 

Learn more about the benefits of slow travel

Trading in your "real" life and routines to travel the world is one part exciting, one part scary, and two parts liberating. And while dreaming of what your next couple of months will hold is almost as good as actually going, the planning process can be trickier than cracking the fictitious Da Vinci Code. Let us help you. Here are our pro tips on how to make long trips a breeze.

  1. It's always a good idea to set and stick to a budget. Converting dollars to pesos, rupees, euros, riel, and a dozen other currencies makes it tricky to keep track of the dinero you've actually spent. We recommend setting budgets per country visited and keeping track of those pesky expenses.
  2. Choose your must-sees and you're nice-to-see's. Once you've mapped out the musts that you absolutely have to visit (as in, you refuse to go home until you do), you can start to connect the dots and find a logical and affordable travel route.
  3. Expect plans to change. Travel rarely goes 100% to plan, so expect and welcome the unexpected. Sometimes, the best experiences are the ones you never planned on having. 

Long travel is all in the planning. But strangely, it’s the opposite of what you think. Months on the road and you’re probably thinking ‘Dear God, I’ll need a suitcase just for the underwear!’ But really, when it comes to long vacations, less is more. Watch our ultimate packing guide on the right-hand link, or check out the tips below.

  1. Pack for one week at a time. You only ever need enough clothes to last you a week. Depending on where you are, by that time you’ll either a) have found a Laundromat, or b) be so far off the beaten track that no one will care if you smell. Either way, you save on trunk space.
  2. Roll, don’t fold. It’s counterintuitive, but you’ll actually fit more in if you roll your clothes, rather than folding them. Make sure to use up all available space too – that means squashing socks and underwear into empty shoes.
  3. Wear clothes that go together. Since you’re packing smarter, not harder, pick clothes you know will already match. A few t-shirts that go with your jeans, and a neutral pair of shorts that goes with anything. Shoes for all climates (or at least as many climates as possible) and a pair of flip-flops. That’s all you need.
  4. Pack for the climate. Long travel means you might pass through different climactic zones. And that means layers are your friend. Lightweight, breathable fleece or woolen layers will block out the cold but not take up too much space in your pack. Leave the three different jackets at home. One waterproof option should do it.
  5. Invest in a good suitcase, and stick to it. With long travel, you have to think ahead. You’ll be tempted to buy souvenirs and things everywhere you go, but if you don’t want to make your chiropractor rich, be ruthless. Don’t accumulate stuff as you go. And invest in a good quality, lightweight suitcase and a lock.

Learn more about South America