Cultural Photography Tours & Trips in Andes Mountains

On Circuit 2, you'll walk through Machu Picchu's famous terraces with the Andes rising up behind them—this route shows you the most of the UNESCO site. At Sacsayhuaman, those huge limestone blocks fit together without any mortar at 3,700 meters up. Your train ride through the Sacred Valley gives you great mountain views, and you'll stay at Ayni Cusco Hotel in the city center at 3,400 meters.

The journey from Cusco to UNESCO-listed Machu Picchu takes you through the Andes Mountains, with the citadel sitting high at 2,430 meters in the Peruvian highlands. You'll ride a scenic train through the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes, surrounded by towering Andean peaks and cloud forest plants unique to this mountain area. There's plenty to photograph at Sacsayhuamán fortress and Machu Picchu's terraced citadel, showing how the Inca managed to build in this tough mountainous terrain over 500 years ago.

Photograph the three granite towers of Las Torres rising from the Patagonian Andes during your 22km trek through Torres del Paine National Park. Capture views from Sierra Masle lookout as guanacos roam beneath the jagged peaks of the Andes. Frame shots of Laguna de los Tres in El Chaltén, located in the heart of the Patagonian Andes within Los Glaciares National Park.

You'll photograph the UNESCO-listed palafitos on Chiloe Island and trek Villarrica volcano for sunrise shots over the Andes. Take the chairlift to Cerro Campanario in Bariloche for 360-degree views of Nahuel Huapi Lake and the peaks around it, plus capture Osorno volcano's perfect cone and the Small Circuit's Patagonian scenery.

You'll photograph the hexagonal salt tiles covering Uyuni's flats and catch sunset reflections from Incahuasi Island, where towering cacti and ancient fossils dot the landscape. The rusty-red waters of Laguna Colorada make for great shots, along with active geysers and the turquoise-white contrast of Laguna Verde.

Hike 1.28 miles from Carrel Refugio on Chimborazo volcano at 10,170 feet for sweeping views across Ecuador's highest peak and the National Wildlife Reserve. Trek to Devil's Cauldron waterfall in Baños, walking along hanging bridges through green forest beneath the active Tungurahua Volcano, then capture the shift from Páramo grasslands to tropical lowlands.

Your trek takes you through the Andes from Chinchero at 3750m down to Ollantaytambo, where you'll photograph Poc Poc Waterfall and walk original Inca Trail stone paths. You'll see Kinsa Qocha, Azul Qocha, and Puma Qocha lagoons surrounded by high peaks and local wildlife, then reach the terraced ruins of Winay Wayna at 2650m before arriving at Intipunku Sun Gate.

Head up to Quilotoa Crater Lake at 10,400 feet, where you'll find turquoise waters sitting inside a volcanic crater—it's a great spot for photos. On the way down to the crater floor, you can capture shots of the Avenue of the Volcanoes stretching across the landscape. Later, check out Tungurahua volcano looming over Baños.