South America Travel Guides

Adventure, Culture & Natural Wonders

14 destinations

South America is a continent of superlatives: the world's largest rainforest, highest navigable lake, driest desert, and most biodiverse corridor. Peru's Machu Picchu, Colombia's Cartagena, Argentina's Patagonia, and Brazil's Rio Carnival are each bucket-list experiences in their own right. The continent rewards travellers with natural wonders, ancient civilisations, colonial architecture, and some of the best food on earth — without the crowds of Europe.

South America Destinations

Chile (Antofagasta Region, northern Chile)

Atacama Desert, Chile

The Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar desert on earth — a hyper-arid plateau of salt flats, geysers, volcanoes, and mineral-colored lagoons stretching along the Pacific coast of South America from southern Peru through northern Chile. Some areas of the Atacama have not re…

Republic of Colombia (capital city)

Bogotá, Colombia

Bogotá is the capital of Colombia and its largest city — a metropolis of approximately 11 million people in the Andean highlands of South America, situated at 2,640 meters above sea level on the Bogotá Savanna (Sabana de Bogotá), with the eastern cordillera of the Andes rising…

Argentina (Buenos Aires Province/Federal District capital)

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and one of the great cities of the Southern Hemisphere — a metropolis of 17 million people in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area spread along the Río de la Plata estuary, at the crossroads of European immigration, African rhythmic herit…

Peru (Cusco Region)

Cusco, Peru

Cusco — Qosqo in Quechua, meaning 'navel of the world' — was the capital and cosmological center of the Inca Empire (Tawantinsuyu), the largest empire in pre-Columbian America, which at its peak in the 15th century stretched from modern-day Colombia in the north to central Chi…

Ecuador (Galápagos Province)

Galápagos Islands, Ecuador

The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of 18 major islands, 3 smaller islands, and more than 100 islets and rocks located approximately 1,000 kilometers off the Pacific coast of Ecuador — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1978, an active volcanic archipelago straddling the …

Peru

Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu sits at 2,430 meters above sea level on a saddle between two mountain peaks in the Urubamba Valley of the Peruvian Andes — a complete Inca city of temples, palaces, terraces, and astronomical observatories that was built around 1450 and abandoned less than a centu…

Medellín, Colombia

Medellín is Colombia's second-largest city — a metropolis of approximately 4 million people (city and metro area) in the Aburrá Valley of the Colombian Andes, at 1,495 meters elevation. It is the capital of the Antioquia department and the center of a region with a distinct cu…

Patagonia, Argentina & Chile

Patagonia

Patagonia is the world's last great wilderness — a vast region of approximately 1 million square kilometers at the southern tip of South America, shared between Argentina and Chile, where the Andes Mountains fracture into jagged granite towers and plunge into fjords, glaciers …

Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Rio de Janeiro is the most naturally beautiful major city in the world. No other metropolis of its scale has mountains erupting from its center, Atlantic rainforest covering its hillsides, granite peaks rising directly from the ocean, and four kilometers of world-famous beach …

Republic of Chile (capital city)

Santiago, Chile

Santiago is Chile's capital and its largest city — a metropolis of 8 million people (approximately 40 percent of Chile's total population) in the central valley between the Andes and the Coastal Range, at an altitude of 520 meters. It is the most underrated capital city in Sou…

Chile (special territory) — in the South Pacific Ocean

Easter Island, Chile

Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is a special territory of Chile located 3,700 kilometers off the Chilean mainland and 2,000 kilometers from the nearest inhabited island (Pitcairn) in the South Pacific Ocean — one of the most isolated permanently inhabited places on earth. The island …

Peru (Lima Region, capital city)

Lima, Peru

Lima is Peru's sprawling Pacific coast capital — a city of 10 million people (approximately one quarter of Peru's total population) that stretches 40 kilometers along the gray-sand coast where the Andes meet the Pacific Desert. Founded in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro, Lima rapidl…

Argentina (Santa Cruz Province, Patagonia region)

Patagonia, Argentine

Argentine Patagonia is the southern portion of Argentina's landmass — a vast territory of windswept steppe, glacial lakes, and Andean peaks stretching from the Río Colorado in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south, bordered to the west by Chile and to the east by the Sout…

Chile (Magallanes Region, southern Patagonia)

Torres del Paine, Chilean Patagonia

Torres del Paine National Park is a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in the Magallanes Region of southern Chilean Patagonia — a 181,414-hectare wilderness of granite peaks, glaciers, turquoise lakes, and Patagonian steppe at the southern tip of the Andes, approximately 150 kil…

South America Travel Guides — Common Questions

What is the best country to visit in South America for first-timers?

Colombia and Peru are the top picks for first-time South American travellers. Colombia — especially Cartagena, Medellín, and Bogotá — offers great infrastructure, safety improvements, and diverse experiences. Peru gives you Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, and the Amazon in one country.

Is South America safe for tourists?

Safety varies significantly by country and city. Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina have well-established tourist infrastructure and are generally safe in tourist areas. Avoid high-crime areas of major cities, don't flash valuables, and use registered taxis or ride-shares. Research your specific destination.

What is the best time to visit South America?

South America spans hemispheres, so timing depends on where you're going. For Patagonia (Argentina/Chile), December–February is summer. For the Amazon, June–September (dry season) is best for wildlife. For Machu Picchu, May–October is drier and clearer. Brazil's Carnival is in February.

Do I need a visa for South America?

Most South American countries welcome US, Canadian, and EU visitors visa-free for 90 days. Brazil ended its visa requirement for Americans in 2023. Bolivia requires a visa for US citizens. Always check the current requirements as policies change frequently.

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