Itinerary
- Days 1 - 2
Santiago
You'll arrive in Santiago and get settled into Chile's capital. The city has tree-lined streets, nice architecture, and plenty of cafes and cocktail bars to explore. The atmosphere here is vibrant with good restaurants throughout. After two days in Santiago, you'll head toward Argentina to continue the journey south.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Landmarks Santiago - Days 3 - 14
Estancia - Córdoba - Salta
You'll cross the Andes and pass by Mt. Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas, as you head into Mendoza. This region is famous for wine production, so you'll visit vineyards there. Later, you'll reach an Estancia in Córdoba province where you can ride horses with gauchos and try traditional asado grilled meats. The journey continues through the Quilmes ruins, then to Cafayate where you'll see vineyards and the dramatic red and purple cliffs of Quebrada de las Conchas. By the end you'll reach Salta and sample local steak and wine in the colonial architecture.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Estancia gaucho experience with horse riding and traditional asado grilled meats
- Visit Quilmes ruins
- Uyuni salt flats jeep tour
Optional Activities
- Wine tasting tour, Mendoza $30
- Visit Cafayate vineyards (free day to explore)
- Explore Cafayate town
Landmarks Mt. Aconcagua Mendoza Quilmes Ruins Cafayate Quebrada de las Conchas Salta - Days 15 - 17
San Pedro de Atacama
You'll descend from the Andes into San Pedro de Atacama, a dusty frontier town in the world's driest desert that really does look like it's from an old western film. The main activity here is checking out the Valley of the Moon nearby, where you can see a landscape that resembles the moon's surface. The area also offers great stargazing at night among that dramatic terrain.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Atacama Desert experience
Optional Activities
- Valley of the Moon, Atacama desert $50
Landmarks San Pedro de Atacama Valley of the Moon 
- Days 18 - 27
Uyuni - Potosi - Sucre - La Paz
You're heading up into the Bolivian altiplano, a high-altitude plateau with multi-colored mountains, wildlife, geysers, and volcanoes. You'll stay in Uyuni at a hotel built from salt blocks from the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flats. From there you'll go to Potosi, which was once the wealthiest city in the world because of its silver mines (they still operate today). Next is Sucre, set in a valley with white colonial buildings, followed by La Paz where you can walk through the witches market and see street vendors throughout the bustling city.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Uyuni salt flats jeep tour
- Altiplano crossing
- Lake Titicaca boat tour
Optional Activities
- Silver mine tour, Potosi $20
- Dinosaur footprints bus tour (Dinobus), Sucre $10
- Cycling the world's most dangerous road, La Paz $125
Landmarks Bolivian Altiplano Salar de Uyuni Uyuni Potosi Sucre La Paz 
- Days 28 - 56
Arequipa - Colca Canyon - Rainbow Mountains - Sacred Valley - Machu Picchu - Cusco - Nazca - Huacachina - Paracas - Lima - Huaraz - Huanchaco - Chan Chan - Northern Peru
Starting in Puno on Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, you'll move to Arequipa and its colonial plazas before heading to Colca Canyon to see condors. You'll climb to 5200m/17,060 feet to visit the Rainbow Mountains, then explore the Sacred Valley including salt pans, ruins, and Ollantaytambo fortress. Machu Picchu comes next either by train or hiking the Inca Trail. You'll spend time in Cusco, view the Nazca Lines by air, and try sandboarding at Huacachina. A boat trip to Ballestas Islands shows sea lions and penguins. After exploring Lima's historic center and beaches, you'll hike near Huaraz with Andean views, sample fresh ceviche in Huanchaco, and finish at northern Peru's white sand beaches for surfing and swimming with green sea turtles.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Lake Titicaca boat tour
- Colca Canyon excursion
- Rainbow Mountains excursion
- Sacred Valley of the Incas highlights tour
- Ballestas Islands boat tour
- Lima historical centre tour
- Chan Chan ruins tour
- Amazon Jungle excursion
Optional Activities
- Visit floating reed islands, Lake Titicaca (native inhabitants, some have never set foot on land)
- 4 day Inca trail and Machu Picchu tour $700
- 2 day Inca trail and Machu Picchu tour $500
- 1 day train to Machu Picchu tour $300
- Cusco tourist ticket giving access to all main sites $35
- Nazca lines flight $100
- Sandboarding and dune buggy tour, Huacachina $30
- Laguna Paron day tour, Huaraz $50
- Laguna 69 hike, Huaraz $50
- Pastoruri Glacier tour, Huaraz $30
- Swimming with green sea turtles, Canoas $15
Landmarks Lake Titicaca Puno Arequipa Colca Canyon Rainbow Mountains Sacred Valley of the Incas Maras Salt Pans Moray Ruins Ollantaytambo Machu Picchu Aguas Calientes Cusco Nazca Lines Chauchilla Cemetery Cahuachi Pyramids Huacachina Paracas National Reserve Ballestas Islands Lima Miraflores Huaraz Laguna 69 Laguna Paron Pastoruri Glacier Huanchaco Chan Chan 
- Days 57 - 69
Baños - Amazon Jungle - Quito - Equator - Otavalo
You'll start in Cuenca, a well-preserved colonial town where trying the local cuy (roasted guinea pig) is recommended if you're adventurous with food. Then head to Baños, a busy town with opportunities for horse riding, canyoning, mountain biking, rafting, and bungee jumping, plus hot springs to soak in afterward. Next you'll enter the Amazon rainforest for a 3-day guided jungle excursion with hiking, bat-caving, and waterfall climbing. Moving on to Quito, you can wander through the old town's narrow alleyways and see grand plazas and historic churches. You'll stop at the equator to visit an exhibit and stand on the line marking the hemispheric boundary. The journey ends at Otavalo, a colorful market town with traders selling animals, carpets, clothing, and traditional crafts.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Amazon Jungle excursion
Optional Activities
- Open top bus, Cuenca $10
- Horse riding (per hour), Baños $15
- Mountain biking, Baños $30
- Canyoning and rappelling, Baños $60
- Bungee jump, Baños $20
- White water rafting in Amazon jungle $50
- 3 day guided Amazon jungle excursion with hiking, bat-caving and waterfall climbing
- Kayaking and hiking from Huasquila Amazon Lodge (alternative to jungle excursion)
- Equator exhibit $5
Landmarks Cuenca Baños Amazon Rainforest Huasquila Amazon Lodge Quito Equator Otavalo - Days 70 - 84
Popayan - Salento - Manizales - Medellín - Santa Marta - Cartagena
You'll begin at the Shrine of our Lady of Las Lajas, a Roman Catholic church built into a canyon, then continue to Popayan, known as the White City for its preserved colonial architecture and beautiful churches. Salento is next, a laid-back town with colorful buildings where you can hike among the tall wax palm trees of Cocora Valley. You'll stay at a traditional coffee plantation in Manizales to learn how coffee is produced. After that, head to Medellín to explore Comuna 13 and its graffiti art telling the story of the neighborhood's past. From Santa Marta, experience Tayrona National Park with forest trails leading to palm-fringed beaches, spending a night in hammocks. The journey ends in Cartagena on the Caribbean coast, a colonial Spanish architecture hub and the final stop on this overland trip through South America.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Coffee plantation tour
- Tayrona National Park excursion
Optional Activities
- Purace National Park day tour, Popayan $70
- Cocora Valley return transport, Salento $20
- Pirate ship boat trip, Cartagena $35
Landmarks Shrine of our Lady of Las Lajas Popayan Purace National Park Salento Cocora Valley Manizales Medellín Comuna 13 Santa Marta Tayrona National Park Cartagena 
