South America Tours
South America and Central America offer a myriad of choices to those looking for adventure on tour. From lush rainforests to arid deserts, white sandy beaches to active volcanoes, these landscapes contain a treasure trove of natural wonders to discover. Manmade marvels add to the mix, with ancient ruins waiting to be explored and effervescent cities welcoming you with rich cultures the rhythmic sounds of salsa.
Top Selling South America Tours
18 Days Buenos Aires to Santiago
Operated By:
Viking From
$9,695
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$324
19 Days Lima to Buenos Aires
Operated By:
Scenic From
$15,879
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$416
14 Days Santiago to Buenos Aires
Operated By:
APT From
$16,364
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$581
36 Days Lima to Buenos Aires
Operated By:
Bunnik From
$17,679
Save
$816
19 Days Rio de Janeiro to Lima
Operated By:
Cosmos From
$5,344
Save
$290
View all 855 South America Tours
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Must do experiences and highlights of South & Central America
Thundering Iguazú Falls
Straddling Argentina and Brazil, this thundering series of falls drop up to 80m (262ft) and feed the lush green forests that ring the impressive cascades.
Havana by Vintage Car
Explore the city by vintage car taking in colonial squares, museums, and streets lined with candy coloured buildings that illustrate Havana’s history and creativity.
Galápagos Animal Encounters
Unique experiences await in this mecca of wildlife, where sea lions, giant tortoises, iguanas and blue footed boobies call the waters, volcanic terrain, and vast skies home.
Torres del Paine National Park
Sharp pillars pierce the frosted skyline and turquoise lakes pool beneath them, catching their reflection. Glaciers spill from the valleys and calving icebergs groan as they break away and are set adrift in this spectacular landscape.
Machu Picchu at First Light
A puzzle of legend and stone. Visit at sunrise when the mist parts, and the sun’s first rays reveal this ancient Incan citadel atop the Andes. It is intriguing, awe inspiring, humbling and goose bump inducing.
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Choose from 855 trips through South America with Global Journeys
Over 350,000 departures on sale right now
We partner with only the best Operators
Multi-award winning over 9 years
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Pick your dream tour, cruise or river cruise, select your departure and fill out our short enquiry form.
You'll be assigned your own dedicated Global Journeys travel advisor to help you with your holiday.
Book online, in-store or over the phone, pack your bags & enjoy your journey!
South America Brochures
855 South America trips sourced from 40 Operator brochures
Recent Reviews
What our clients are saying about their journeys through South America
“Amazing Inca Trail and Amazon ”
Sharlean & Jason - QLD, Australia Sep 2019
The most amazing trip. The whole trip was so well organised. The price was definitely worth it. 11 flights in total. Bus rides. Boat rides. Train rides. Hiking. Camping. Amazing food. Amazing group. The only thing I'd suggest is to put in the itinerary about the flight from Lima to Cusco as it wasn't clear. I panicked thinking I had forgotten to book a flight. I'd also suggest to put on a guide about tipping and gratitudes to the guides/tour leaders etc as it was confusing at times and really needs
...read more to be put into a spending budget. The restaurants were fantastic that we were taken to but there were some restaurants that were quite expensive and not necessarily needed. I think to eat in some local places that give you an idea of the culture would be better than eating in a 5 star restaurant. Overall, the best holiday ever. Would recommend this to anyone. Thank you for being our travel agent for this. I would definitely book another holiday through Global Journeys.
“Fantastic tour of South America”
Susan & Vinsend - New Zealand Sep 2019
Trip was fantastic, the tour director had 38 people in the group but handled each of our concerns very well. We all got along very well and made some good friendships.
“Ultimate South America”
Bachik & Maria Ahmad - New Zealand Sep 2019
We were looking forward to travelling with a group of friends whom we have known for years. Highlights included Iguassu Falls, one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. It was amazing from the Brazilian side of the Falls however on crossing the border the Argentine side of the Falls was just spectacular, the cascading landscape and the serene beauty was breathtaking. Lake Titicaca with a group of approximately 40 artificially made floating islands was simply awesome and amazing in how the
...read more island was build, the homes, etc using natural materials. I would travel with Cosmos again. The tour was well planned and organised, though the pace was a little hectic as the city tours ended around 1ish. I was quite exhausted with the early morning starts and was rather hungry for lunch. Accommodations were comfortable and centrally situated with eating places, sundry shops, shopping areas within easy reach. (In Rio de Janeiro the Copacabana Beach was just down the road from the hotel). Local guides were knowledgeable about the local history and the people, they gave us good pointers should we roam around by ourselves. Drivers were excellent in manoeuvring tight corners, busy chaotic traffic and kept us safe on the roads. I would like to commend our Tour Director, Fernando Bordallo. I have nothing but praise and admiration for him. He gave clear and precise instructions and showed such patience when asked the same question umpteenth times. He showed engagement with his ‘Cosmos family’ as within a couple of days he knew all his travellers by name and faces. He was very responsible making sure that no one was left behind and if any member was not accounted for he would go looking for the person. He showed empathy for his ‘flock of sheep’ as when any member was unwell he kept an eye on that person. He was as meticulous as one could possibly be with his paperwork/prep work: Boarding passes were on hand for all the flights: Iguassu Falls, Buenos Aires, Lima, Cusco, Juliaca, and finally Lima where our tour ended. Fernando and the local guides would lead us to the airport check-in counter and ensure that all his travellers were safely checked through then he would be the last to go through. Porters were organised to collect our luggage from the coach to the airport check-in counter and from the carousel of the airports when we landed. Train tickets were ready to Aguas Calientes, the quaint town closest to the "Lost City of the Incas", and he had entry tickets ready for our admission to Machu Picchu. It could not have been an easy job to handle 35 people of different nationalities and personalities. I could not begin to imagine the after-hours he puts in when we retire for the night. His time keeping and management flair indicated his dedication to his job. He did his job to the best of his abilities and he carried himself well professionally. I would go with Global/Cosmos/Avalon for my future trips however I would need to save up as it is quite expensive however you get what you pay for. A tip for future travellers: Set your goals and priorities. If seeing the world is one of your interests, save up and embark on the journey while you’re fit and healthy. The world is huge, there’s so much to see and so little time. In terms of the quality of accommodation: Recanto Park, Iguassu Falls – we were upgraded to a suite which was luxurious. Kenton Palace, Buenos Aires – again we were upgraded, and the room was so comfortable. San Agustin Exclusive, Lima – the air ducting in this hotel was only for heating thus the room was rather stuffy. La Casona Yucay, Sacred Valley – this hotel was just lovely, particularly the beautiful surrounding of the majestic mountain. Jose Antonio Cusco, Cusco – this hotel was very uncomfortable and stifling. Our room had a view of the road and there was no air conditioning so we had the window opened but in doing so it was noisy and very dusty. We travelled in September which was a good time being spring in the southern hemisphere, temperature was mild and cool. It was a big group of 35 with ages ranging from the 30s to 70s. Travellers were from Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada, US and Malaysia. We all got along, we all looked out for one another, we all were concerned for each other when anyone was ill, we all stopped when one member had a fall and when one person collapsed from the high altitude. I couldn’t ask for a better group of travellers.
“Hectic but great tour!”
John & Jing - WA, Australia Jun 2019
The Cosmos Ultimate South America Tour was a wonderful way to see the highlights of South America. But be warned that to do this you will have to fly a lot, especially if you include the Galapagos and Amazon. The Tour guide helped make the flights easier though perhaps up to a quarter of your time may be used in the flights. Accommodation and food was very good, as were included excursions. There could have been more information however on the optional excursions, which were a bit pricey for
...read more what you got. For instance the Sugar Loaf Tour in Rio at about US$70 per person was done by us for US$17 (half price lift ticket for 65 plus) and US$34 by walking 30 minutes from our hotel at Copacabana to the cable car station, and we went early in the morning and massively beat the tourist congestion. One limitation on the Cosmos support was that after we left our main guide in Lima, the replacement guides in Quito and Guayaquil were quite poor. The Galapagos Cruise was extremely good including service and facilities as well as sights. Globus support in planning the trip was great, but Qantas made a lot of changes to our flights which caused some problems.
Explore More
Your guide to travelling through South America
28 August, 2019 Five of the Best Places to go Rafting in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and thrill seekers – you can hike and bike through the landscapes, or even zipline over them. It is also a popular destination to take a rafting trip, with some incredible waterways offering rapids of varied difficulty. Here are five of the best..
30 July, 2019 Why You Need to Book Early to Secure Your Inca Trail Trek Permit
Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is an incredibly special experience and a privilege to undertake. Traversing the mountain passes and cloud forests over four days en route to the fascinatingly beautiful Incan citadel, and reaching it at sunrise, is an experience reserved for a lucky..
15 November, 2018 Inca Trail vs Quarry Trail
Whether you’re a history buff, keen trekker or just a traveller up for a challenge and some epic scenery, the dream of hiking to Machu Picchu is a commonly held one. As recently as 2007, this UNESCO World Heritage-listed site gained status as one of seven New Wonders of the World and won..
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