South America

Colourful, candid and everything in between, South America beats to the rhythm of an infectious, eternal drum. It’s the sequined heat of Carnival and a cool breeze blowing across the Andes, a fiery Argentine tango and the soft silence of an Ecuadorian cloud forest. You taste it in the crackle of slow-cooked barbecue and the tang of a good pisco sour. About the only thing the continent lacks is monotony. From the rocky slopes of Galapagos to the dawn-lit ruins of Machu Picchu, South America is effervescent with sights, sounds and salsa. Now, pass the empanadas and let's talk adventure. 

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Departing	Trip name		Days	From USD
24 Nov 2018 Best of Peru, Argentina & Brazil	Best of Peru, Argentina & Brazil Lima to Rio de Janeiro	× Best of Peru, Argentina & Brazil	21	$5,775 $5,198	View Trip
24 Nov 2018 Highlights of Ecuador & Peru	Highlights of Ecuador & Peru Quito to La Paz	× Highlights of Ecuador & Peru	28	$3,670 $3,303	View Trip
25 Nov 2018 Ultimate Peru, Argentina & Brazil	Ultimate Peru, Argentina & Brazil Lima to Rio de Janeiro	× Ultimate Peru, Argentina & Brazil	30	$6,365 $5,411	View Trip
25 Nov 2018 Peru Encompassed	Peru Encompassed Lima to Lima	× Peru Encompassed	21	$3,780 $3,213	View Trip
25 Nov 2018 Peru and Galapagos Explorer	Peru and Galapagos Explorer Lima to Quito	× Peru and Galapagos Explorer	30	$6,865 $6,192	View Trip
29 Nov 2018 Sacred Land of the Incas	Sacred Land of the Incas Lima to La Paz	× Sacred Land of the Incas	15	$3,265 $2,776	View Trip
1 Dec 2018 Highlights of Patagonia	Highlights of Patagonia Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires	× Highlights of Patagonia	8	$2,995 $2,546	View Trip
1 Dec 2018 Best of Argentina & Brazil	Best of Argentina & Brazil Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro	× Best of Argentina & Brazil	7	$2,770 $2,355	View Trip
1 Dec 2018 Best of Chile & Argentina	Best of Chile & Argentina Santiago to Buenos Aires	× Best of Chile & Argentina	8	$2,910 $2,183	View Trip
2 Dec 2018 Inca Encounter	Inca Encounter Lima to Cusco	× Inca Encounter	10	$3,050 $2,745	View Trip
2 Dec 2018 Patagonia Wilderness	Patagonia Wilderness Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires	× Patagonia Wilderness	15	$5,110 $4,344	View Trip
2 Dec 2018 Peruvian Pathways	Peruvian Pathways Lima to Lima	× Peruvian Pathways	14	$4,245 $3,821	View Trip
3 Dec 2018 Real Peru to Bolivia Ages 18 to 29	Real Peru to Bolivia Lima to La Paz Ages 18 to 29	× Real Peru to Bolivia	15	$3,090 $2,627	View Trip
3 Dec 2018 Real Peru Ages 18 to 29	Real Peru Lima to Lima Ages 18 to 29	× Real Peru	15	$3,205 $2,725	View Trip
4 Dec 2018 Galapagos at a Glance: Southern Islands - (Daphne)	Galapagos at a Glance: Southern Islands - (Daphne) Quito to Quito	× Galapagos at a Glance: Southern Islands - (Daphne)	6	$2,835 $2,564	View Trip
4 Dec 2018 Complete Galapagos: (Daphne)	Complete Galapagos: (Daphne) Quito to Quito	× Complete Galapagos: (Daphne)	10	$5,300 $4,782	View Trip
7 Dec 2018 Best of Argentina, Uruguay & Brazil	Best of Argentina, Uruguay & Brazil Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro	× Best of Argentina, Uruguay & Brazil	10	$2,250 $1,913	View Trip
7 Dec 2018 Buenos Aires to Rio Explorer	Buenos Aires to Rio Explorer Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro	× Buenos Aires to Rio Explorer	17	$2,880 $2,592	View Trip
7 Dec 2018 Best of Peru & Galapagos	Best of Peru & Galapagos Lima to Quito	× Best of Peru & Galapagos	18	$5,325 $4,806	View Trip
7 Dec 2018 Galapagos Adventure: Northern Islands (Daphne)	Galapagos Adventure: Northern Islands (Daphne) Quito to Quito	× Galapagos Adventure: Northern Islands (Daphne)	7	$3,430 $3,099	View Trip
7 Dec 2018 Explore Peru, Argentina and Brazil	Explore Peru, Argentina and Brazil Lima to Rio de Janeiro	× Explore Peru, Argentina and Brazil	18	$4,860 $4,374	View Trip
8 Dec 2018 Majestic Peru	Majestic Peru Lima to Lima	× Majestic Peru	15	$3,310 $2,814	View Trip
8 Dec 2018 Ecuador to Peru Adventure	Ecuador to Peru Adventure Quito to Lima	× Ecuador to Peru Adventure	9	$1,150 $978	View Trip
9 Dec 2018 Antarctic Explorer from Ushuaia 11 day	Antarctic Explorer from Ushuaia 11 day Ushuaia to Ushuaia	× Antarctic Explorer from Ushuaia 11 day	11	$9,995 $8,496	View Trip
10 Dec 2018 Patagonia Expedition - Andean Crossing	Patagonia Expedition - Andean Crossing Bariloche to Puerto Varas	× Patagonia Expedition - Andean Crossing	9	$2,415 $2,053	View Trip
10 Dec 2018 Inca Trail & Amazon	Inca Trail & Amazon Lima to Lima	× Inca Trail & Amazon	12	$2,740 $2,466	View Trip
13 Dec 2018 Peru: Bike, climb & hike	Peru: Bike, climb & hike Lima to Cusco	× Peru: Bike, climb & hike	10	$2,650 $1,988	View Trip
13 Dec 2018 Active Galapagos	Active Galapagos Quito to Quito	× Active Galapagos	10	$3,205 $2,898	View Trip
14 Dec 2018 Classic Peru	Classic Peru Lima to Lima	× Classic Peru	9	$2,255 $1,917	View Trip
14 Dec 2018 Galapagos Island Hopping	Galapagos Island Hopping Isla San Cristobal to Isla Baltra	× Galapagos Island Hopping	8	$2,130 $1,930	View Trip
15 Dec 2018 Galapagos & Peru Adventure	Galapagos & Peru Adventure Quito to La Paz	× Galapagos & Peru Adventure	24	$6,770 $6,438	View Trip
15 Dec 2018 Inca Trail Family Holiday with teenagers	Inca Trail Family Holiday with teenagers Lima to Cusco	× Inca Trail Family Holiday with teenagers	14	$3,145 $2,831	View Trip
15 Dec 2018 Argentina & Brazil Adventure	Argentina & Brazil Adventure Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro	× Argentina & Brazil Adventure	10	$2,955 $2,512	View Trip
16 Dec 2018 Essential Galapagos Ages 18 to 29	Essential Galapagos Quito to Quito Ages 18 to 29	× Essential Galapagos	9	$2,200 $1,994	View Trip
16 Dec 2018 Best of Chile	Best of Chile Santiago to Santiago	× Best of Chile	8	$2,295 $1,951	View Trip
17 Dec 2018 One Week in the Galapagos Islands Ages 18 to 29	One Week in the Galapagos Islands Galapagos Islands to Isla Santa Cruz Ages 18 to 29	× One Week in the Galapagos Islands	7	$1,165 $1,062	View Trip
20 Dec 2018 Essential Peru Ages 18 to 29	Essential Peru Lima to Lima Ages 18 to 29	× Essential Peru	11	$2,820 $2,397	View Trip
20 Dec 2018 Explore Peru & Bolivia	Explore Peru & Bolivia Lima to La Paz	× Explore Peru & Bolivia	25	$4,900 $4,410	View Trip
20 Dec 2018 One Week in Peru Ages 18 to 29	One Week in Peru Lima to Cuzco Ages 18 to 29	× One Week in Peru	8	$1,655 $1,407	View Trip
21 Dec 2018 One Week in Argentina and Brazil Ages 18 to 29	One Week in Argentina and Brazil Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro Ages 18 to 29	× One Week in Argentina and Brazil	7	$1,595 $1,356	View Trip
22 Dec 2018 Six Days on the Inca Trail Ages 18 to 29	Six Days on the Inca Trail Cuzco to Cuzco Ages 18 to 29	× Six Days on the Inca Trail	6	$1,140 $969	View Trip
26 Dec 2018 Bolivia Highlights	Bolivia Highlights La Paz to La Paz	× Bolivia Highlights	12	$1,685 $1,348	View Trip
27 Dec 2018 Real Colombia Ages 18 to 29	Real Colombia Bogota to Cartagena Ages 18 to 29	× Real Colombia	12	$1,940 $1,649	View Trip
28 Dec 2018 Explore Bolivia to Brazil	Explore Bolivia to Brazil La Paz to Rio de Janeiro	× Explore Bolivia to Brazil	31	$5,095 $4,586	View Trip
28 Dec 2018 Best of Bolivia & Argentina	Best of Bolivia & Argentina La Paz to Buenos Aires	× Best of Bolivia & Argentina	15	$2,185 $1,748	View Trip
29 Dec 2018 South American Highlights	South American Highlights Lima to Rio de Janeiro	× South American Highlights	44	$6,855 $6,170	View Trip
29 Dec 2018 Best of South America	Best of South America Lima to Rio de Janeiro	× Best of South America	51	$7,495 $6,746	View Trip
29 Dec 2018 Explore South America	Explore South America Quito to Buenos Aires	× Explore South America	42	$5,685 $5,117	View Trip
29 Dec 2018 Adventure through Peru, Bolivia & Argentina	Adventure through Peru, Bolivia & Argentina Lima to Buenos Aires	× Adventure through Peru, Bolivia & Argentina	35	$4,800 $4,320	View Trip
29 Dec 2018 Essential Peru	Essential Peru Lima to La Paz	× Essential Peru	21	$2,670 $2,270	View Trip
30 Dec 2018 Best of Brazil	Best of Brazil Rio de Janeiro to Rio de Janeiro	× Best of Brazil	8	$1,025 $872	View Trip
3 Jan 2019 Galapagos Venture	Galapagos Venture Quito to Quito	× Galapagos Venture	9	$2,450 $1,986	View Trip
4 Jan 2019 Galapagos on a shoestring	Galapagos on a shoestring Galapagos Islands to Isla Santa Cruz	× Galapagos on a shoestring	7	$1,280 $993	View Trip
5 Jan 2019 Galapagos Family Holiday	Galapagos Family Holiday Quito to Quito	× Galapagos Family Holiday	8	$2,905 $2,489	View Trip
6 Jan 2019 Inca Trail	Inca Trail Lima to Cusco	× Inca Trail	8	$1,810 $1,448	View Trip
6 Jan 2019 Epic Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia Ages 18 to 29	Epic Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia Quito to La Paz Ages 18 to 29	× Epic Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia	23	$3,730 $3,357	View Trip
6 Jan 2019 Essential Quito to Lima Ages 18 to 29	Essential Quito to Lima Quito to Lima Ages 18 to 29	× Essential Quito to Lima	10	$1,090 $818	View Trip
7 Jan 2019 Inca Trail Express	Inca Trail Express Cusco to Cusco	× Inca Trail Express	7	$1,385 $1,108	View Trip
24 Jan 2019 Peru: Bike, climb & hike	Peru: Bike, climb & hike Lima to Cusco	× Peru: Bike, climb & hike	10	$2,800 $2,660	View Trip
11 Feb 2019 Epic Peru, Bolivia & Argentina Ages 18 to 29	Epic Peru, Bolivia & Argentina Lima to Buenos Aires Ages 18 to 29	× Epic Peru, Bolivia & Argentina	26	$4,740 $4,503	View Trip
11 Feb 2019 Epic Peru to Brazil Ages 18 to 29	Epic Peru to Brazil Lima to Rio de Janeiro Ages 18 to 29	× Epic Peru to Brazil	32	$5,805 $5,515	View Trip

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Our new tours in South America

Southern Ecuador Highlights

9 Days From $1,415

Travel from lively Guayaquil to the wonderous, mountain-based Cuenca before exploring...

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Highlights & Gems of Patagonia

14 Days From $4,695

Travel from Chile to Argentina through the Patagonia region, stopping at Santiago,...

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Cycle Peru (Machu Picchu & the Sacred Valley)

8 Days From $2,065

Visit South America and cycle in Peru. Visit Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and...

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Choquequirao trek to Machu Picchu

13 Days From $2,020

Hike ancient Inca pathways that journey through the stunning Andes on this challenging,...

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Peru Real Food Adventure, with Amazon Extension

14 Days From $3,640

Indulge in mouth-watering cuisine and witness stunning sights on Intrepid's Real Food...

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Highlights of Ecuador

17 Days From $4,675

Amazing wildlife, both on land and underwater, is the drawcard of the remote Galapagos...

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Falkland Islands Expedition: Past & Present

8 Days From $5,805

Explore the Falkland Islands in this 8-day tour

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Argentina Expedition: Aconcagua Base & Mt Bonete

10 Days From $2,910

Adventure through the Andes to Aconcagua base camp via Mendoza. Tour local wineries and...

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Argentina Expedition: Trek Mendoza & the Valley of Tears

8 Days From $2,360

A trekking expedition into the Andes to the crash-site of Uruguayan Air Force Flight...

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What to see in 7-10 days in South America

Stick to to one or two countries so you can see some of the big-ticket items but also relax and get a feel for daily life. Peru is ideal because you can fly into Cusco and visit Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley, then take the train to Aguas Calientes and see Macchu Picchu without the long hike. You could take the Inca Express to Puno and spend some time on Lake Titicaca, and even squeeze in a flight to Arequipa and the Colca Canyon.

Another option would be to explore both Brazil and Argentina. There’s a mix of the great outdoors (Iguazu Falls), beautiful beaches (Rio de Janeiro), local villages, incredible food, world-class wine and plenty of dancing. Alternatively, with 10 days in Ecuador you could experience the Amazon, shop in the Otovalo Markets, visit historic Quito and meet locals in the vibrant little town of Banos.

Inca Trail

8 Days From $1,480

Travel to Peru and retrace the steps of the Inca, Peru's fascinating ancient...

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Classic Peru

9 Days From $1,804

Visit South America and travel to Peru. Visit Lima, Cusco and Lake Titicaca, tour the...

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What to see in 3 weeks in South America

Combining three countries like Peru, Chile and Argentina will allow you to really get a feel for the destination. You’d get to explore the Amazon, trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and wander the winery trail in Mendoza. However there would also be plenty of breathing room to wander the streets of Santiago and meet the laidback locals on Lake Titicaca.

Swap Peru for Bolivia and you could add La Paz, Salar de Uyuni and a journey across the Bolivian altiplano to the mix. Nature lovers could use this time to hike through Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park and Argentina’s Los Glaciaries National Park. See the Perito Moreno Glacier, catch views of Mt Fitz Roy, journey along the Chilean Fjord Coast and drive the the famous Carretera Austral, probably one of the most stunning roads in South America.

Sacred Land of the Incas

15 Days From $2,775

Discover Peru's sacred land of the Incas. Visit Lima, the Amazon, Cusco, Puno, Lake...

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Patagonia Wilderness

15 Days From $4,343

Trek through South America's Patagonia region on an overland trip to Chile and...

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Galapagos & Inca Trail Adventure

17 Days From $4,855

Travel to Ecuador and the wildlife-rich shores of the Galapagos Islands. Then visit...

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Highlights of Ecuador

17 Days From $4,675

Amazing wildlife, both on land and underwater, is the drawcard of the remote Galapagos...

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La Paz to Buenos Aires

21 Days From $2,250

Travel from La Paz to Buenos Aires and discover the heart of South America. This...

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What to see in 6 weeks in South America

Now we’re talking. The world’s your empanada, so take some time to really think about which countries you want to focus on. You could cross the middle of South America, from Lima to Rio and trek the Inca Trail, walk on the Salar de Uyni salt flats, wander through Mendoza’s wine region, dance up a storm in Buenos Aires, witness the stunning Iguazu Falls, get a tan in Rio and look up at Christ the Redeemer when you’re done. Throw Ecuador into the mix and you’ll get to experience the Amazon, Quito, Cotopaxi Volcano and beautiful Banos.

You could even spend a week in the wildlife playground of the Galapagos Islands, meeting giant Galapagos tortoises, white tip reef sharks, sea lions, marine iguanas and a staggering amount of birdlife. You won’t regret stopping in Colombia to experience the nightlife of Cali, the crayon-box colours of Cartagena’s buildings, the beaches, national parks and of course, the coffee.

Galapagos & Peru Adventure

24 Days From $6,438

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

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Lima to Rio

60 Days From $7,395

Go Overland from Lima to Rio with Intrepid Travel. Uncover hidden treasures from Peru...

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Buenos Aires to Santiago via Ushuaia

34 Days From $3,980

Discover penguins, glaciers and eye-popping cities on an epic South American adventure....

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Lima to Buenos Aires

42 Days From $5,300

Visit South America and travel through Peru, Bolivia and Argentina from Lima to Buenos...

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South America tour reviews

Articles on South America

Nov 08, 2018

Why you should visit Sucre, Bolivia’s most...

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Your first impression of Sucre will always be a positive one! Here's how to make...

Oct 10, 2018

Everything you should do, see and eat in La Paz...

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The first thing you need to know before going to La Paz is that it's high. Like,...

Sep 24, 2018

What to see at Machu Picchu? A guide to Peru’s...

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Having a knowledgeable guide is a big help in understanding the site of the...

Sep 23, 2018

Bohemian Baños: The highlight of my year in...

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In nine months of backpacking the continent’s most rural regions, from Patagonia...

Sep 19, 2018

2019 Inca Trail permits: Here’s everything you...

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Grab your trekking shoes and trail mix, guys. The Inca Trail is open for 2019!

Sep 18, 2018

The magic of conquering my fears on a Galapagos...

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I realized we were all on an adventure together, and even if I had a slight...