South America Cruises
All aboard for a spectacular cruising adventure discovering the treasures of South America. Relish incredible wildlife encounters as you cruise the Galapagos Islands, glide through the stunning fjords of the Chilean coast, enjoy a tango show in Buenos Aires, and experience the highlights of Brazil. Cruise around Cape Horn, visit the Falkland Islands or brave the Drake Passage and take a look at our Antarctic cruises.
Quick Search Search 2,112 cruise Departures around South America
Top Selling South America Cruises View all
30 Days Manaus to Guayaquil
Operator: Cosmos
From 11,321
Save 264
10 Days Quito to Quito
Operator: Intrepid Travel
From 7,708
Save 165
7 Days Quito to Quito
Operator: Intrepid Travel
From 4,700
Save 604
18 Days Buenos Aires to Santiago
Operator: Viking Cruises
From 7,499
Save 700
Popular Destinations View all
Featured South American Cruise LinesFeatured Cruise Lines View all
You can sail to the far corners of the globe on Oceania's small, luxurious ships, but you’ll always feel like you’re coming home to family. From the moment...more you step on board, you’ll feel cared for and cared about because our dedication to service comes from the heart. Our ships radiate warmth and character among their true elegance. All boast exquisite appointments and details one would only expect to find in a luxurious, private estate. With up to six open-seating, gourmet restaurants to choose from, dining is a central highlight of the Oceania Cruises experience and guests may dine when, where and with whom they wish.
It's time to join Ponant's team of experienced naturalist guides and expedition experts to discover some of the world’s most distant and sought-after shores,...more venture into the heart of extreme lands and be immersed in nature on one of many Zodiac outings and shore excursions. Whether you dream of stepping foot on the Antarctic Peninsula, witnessing the incredible rise of Montgomery reef in the Kimberley or meeting and interacting with local communities in the Arctic, Ponant, the world leader in luxury expeditions can take you there.
A Viking ocean cruise is the discerning traveller’s dream. Whether you choose to visit Scandinavia, Asia, the Mediterranean or the Americas, our itineraries...more are designed to immerse you in the history and culture of each destination. With us, you could be exploring a local food market with our head chef one day and experiencing an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of a world-famous museum the next. Our state-of-the-art small ships take you right into the heart of each destination, and you won’t find any casinos or kids on board. Plus, our fares include just about everything you need - from meals, beverages and Wi-Fi to a culturally enriching shore excursion at every port of call. This unique combination of features has become affectionately known as ‘the Viking difference’. Viking is the world’s leading small-ship cruise line, and we can’t wait to welcome you on board to discover the Viking difference for yourself.
Discover Popular experiences you can enjoy on a South American cruise
The Chilean Fjords
Glide atop serene waters, by cascading waterfalls and glistening blue glaciers that dance in the sunlight next to your cruise ship, Zodiac or kayak.
Tango in Buenos Aires
Get a taste of Argentina as you enjoy a tango performance street side or over an authentic dinner, a quintessentially thrilling experience.
Falkland Islands & South Georgia
Head ashore to discover the large populations of penguins, seals, and albatross that reside here or stick to the water for a kayaking adventure.
Cruise around the southernmost tip of South America, where waves crash against dramatic cliffs. Watch nature’s exhilarating show from your ship, or weather permitting, take a Zodiac ashore to explore the stark terrain.
Swim with rays, snorkel with sea turtles, watch sea lions playing, spot pink flamingos and blue footed boobies, and get up close to the abundant wildlife that calls this incredible archipelago home.
Recent Reviews What our clients are saying about cruising around South America
Our trip to South America comprised of the 18-day Viking Cruise from Buenos Aires to Santiago, preceded by the 6-day Gateway to Patagonia Viking add-on which started with a night in Santiago, followed by 2 nights each in both Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia. This land tour, although expensive, was the highlight of our trip. The scenery was absolutely ...read more spectacular at both the Torres del Paine National Park (Chile) and the Perito Moreno Glacier (Argentina), South America’s most spectacular glacier. The hotel in Puerto Bories, a former sheep abattoir and cold storage plant, was a destination in itself, with the heritage of the old buildings and equipment carefully preserved and integrated into the modern luxury hotel.
Our 18-day Viking Cruise was good value for the price, but we had a few disappointments too. The itinerary already included quite a few sea days, but we ended up with even more than scheduled. We were unable to land at the Falkland Islands due to weather (wind and choppy seas), a huge disappointment as this was one of the main reasons we had chosen this cruise. Port Stanley has to be landed by ship’s tender, and we suspect that, had we been an expedition ship with fewer mobility limited passengers, that landing would have been feasible. Additionally, we had to return to Ushuaia 4 hours after departure to offload a medical emergency, meaning that we arrived in Punta Arenas too late in the day to go ashore and do any excursions. As a result, this cruise ended up with far too many sea days for our liking.
Having said that, the ship itself was beautiful, the 4 guest lecturers were knowledgeable and fascinating, the entertainment was excellent, the dining was delicious, and the staff were absolutely fabulous. Viking is certainly a company that prides itself on faultless service and they definitely delivered on that. The photo I am including is of the Perito Morino Glacier which we saw on our pre-cruise trip to Patagonia.
Our 18-day Viking Cruise was good value for the price, but we had a few disappointments too. The itinerary already included quite a few sea days, but we ended up with even more than scheduled. We were unable to land at the Falkland Islands due to weather (wind and choppy seas), a huge disappointment as this was one of the main reasons we had chosen this cruise. Port Stanley has to be landed by ship’s tender, and we suspect that, had we been an expedition ship with fewer mobility limited passengers, that landing would have been feasible. Additionally, we had to return to Ushuaia 4 hours after departure to offload a medical emergency, meaning that we arrived in Punta Arenas too late in the day to go ashore and do any excursions. As a result, this cruise ended up with far too many sea days for our liking.
Having said that, the ship itself was beautiful, the 4 guest lecturers were knowledgeable and fascinating, the entertainment was excellent, the dining was delicious, and the staff were absolutely fabulous. Viking is certainly a company that prides itself on faultless service and they definitely delivered on that. The photo I am including is of the Perito Morino Glacier which we saw on our pre-cruise trip to Patagonia.
Our trip to the Galapagos Islands was one that was long planned and eagerly awaited, and proved to be everything we had hoped. We had decided that, since we were only going to be there once in our lives, we should spend as much time as we could. I wondered whether the 10 nights on the Grand Queen Beatrix might prove too much, but it was fantastic, ...read more and every day brought a new experience. The wildlife was spectacular and much of it incredibly tame. The opportunity to snorkel every day had us swimming with sea lions, penguins, white-tipped sharks and a huge variety of colourful fish. The unique land and marine iguanas were impressive and birdlife was prolific. Every island was somewhat different and beautiful in its own way.
Intrepid’s Grand Queen Beatrix was a lovely small ship and we were pleased that we had booked one of the balcony rooms. It allowed more air into the cabin and a place to dry wet clothes. The rooms did not have a lot of storage and we ended up with one of us living out of a suitcase, but that worked fine and was not a problem. The crew were wonderful and the guides excellent, food was delicious, healthy and plentiful, which we needed because the high level of activity every day meant increased appetites. We were only filled to capacity (16 pax) for a few days of the trip and our fellow passengers were great company.
The tour included one additional night both before and after the Islands in Quito at Le Parc Hotel. We also booked 2 further nights before and 3 after at Le Parc and made good use of them doing the hop-on/hop-off bus and day trips with to the Mindo Cloud Forest to see hummingbirds and tucans, and Mitad Del Mundo where the equator passes through the outskirts of Quito. We did all these tours with the Quito Tour Bus (quitotourbus.com) which proved good value for money. We also went up the Telerifico Cable Car with expansive views down over Quito and spent a couple of hours in the wonderful Botanic Gardens just one block from the hotel.
I had originally thought I might book a different hotel in the “old town”, but was very glad I had not. Although Le Parc was some distance from the old centre of Quito, it was a comparatively safe area and very cheap to get anywhere by taxi.
For anyone contemplating going to Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, my advice is to do an Intrepid cruise for as many nights as you can afford, and add a couple of extra nights in Quito, where there is much to see and do.
Intrepid’s Grand Queen Beatrix was a lovely small ship and we were pleased that we had booked one of the balcony rooms. It allowed more air into the cabin and a place to dry wet clothes. The rooms did not have a lot of storage and we ended up with one of us living out of a suitcase, but that worked fine and was not a problem. The crew were wonderful and the guides excellent, food was delicious, healthy and plentiful, which we needed because the high level of activity every day meant increased appetites. We were only filled to capacity (16 pax) for a few days of the trip and our fellow passengers were great company.
The tour included one additional night both before and after the Islands in Quito at Le Parc Hotel. We also booked 2 further nights before and 3 after at Le Parc and made good use of them doing the hop-on/hop-off bus and day trips with to the Mindo Cloud Forest to see hummingbirds and tucans, and Mitad Del Mundo where the equator passes through the outskirts of Quito. We did all these tours with the Quito Tour Bus (quitotourbus.com) which proved good value for money. We also went up the Telerifico Cable Car with expansive views down over Quito and spent a couple of hours in the wonderful Botanic Gardens just one block from the hotel.
I had originally thought I might book a different hotel in the “old town”, but was very glad I had not. Although Le Parc was some distance from the old centre of Quito, it was a comparatively safe area and very cheap to get anywhere by taxi.
For anyone contemplating going to Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, my advice is to do an Intrepid cruise for as many nights as you can afford, and add a couple of extra nights in Quito, where there is much to see and do.
This holiday had been well thought out as every day was another exciting experience. It was well balanced with great tour guides and local guides who looked after all our needs. I would certainly recommended this holiday as there were so many different kinds of experiences. Very impressed with beautiful accommodation in every city.
My sister and I embarked on an unforgettable journey organised by Global Journeys and travelling with Intrepid, exploring the wonders of South America, from the mesmerizing Galapagos Islands to the vibrant cities of Buenos Aires and Rio De Janeiro, with an awe-inspiring stopover at the majestic Iguazu Falls. Despite encountering initial setbacks due ...read more to flight cancellations, Georgie's exceptional assistance and expertise ensured our trip remained seamless. Georgie secured refunds and rearranging our travel arrangements when flights were cancelled. We are immensely grateful to Georgie for orchestrating a brilliant trip!
