Explore South America
South America Travel Guide
Andean markets, rainforest journeys, lively cities and landscapes that make you pause. Start with a country that catches your imagination, or compare the regions to find your next place.
By Rob Wheatley · Traveller and Viking Program Director
Choose a country
Explore the published country guides below, or compare the regions to choose a route that suits your time and interests.
Argentina
City life, wine regions and wide-open landscapes. Choose a region before building a longer route.
Explore Argentina →Brazil
Music, cities, coast and rainforest possibilities. Give this vast country a focused trip of its own.
Explore Brazil →Chile
Desert, coast and dramatic southern landscapes. Start with the part of Chile you most want to explore.
Explore Chile →Colombia
Cities, coffee-growing landscapes and Caribbean coast. Build around a few places that draw you in.
Explore Colombia →Ecuador
Highland cities, markets and varied landscapes. Compare the journeys between your chosen bases.
Explore Ecuador →Peru
Lima, Inca heritage and Andean landscapes. Build a route around altitude, tickets and enough time.
Explore Peru →Bolivia
Highland cities, salt flats and cultural journeys. Choose transport and tour standards carefully.
Explore Bolivia →Uruguay
Montevideo, Colonia and the Atlantic coast. Leave room for a slower Southern Cone stay.
Explore Uruguay →Paraguay
Asunción, Jesuit missions and less familiar routes. Start with a focused cultural journey.
Explore Paraguay →Explore South America by region
Use the regional map to anchor your route logic, then choose one card below and build country plans in tighter clusters.
Northern South America
Caribbean edges, rainforest corridors, and city culture mix into a strong people-and-place route.
Best if you want colorful urban energy, coastal add-ons, and a more flexible day-to-day rhythm.
Explore Northern South AmericaAndean South America
Altitude, heritage cities, mountain routes, and layered local culture define this region.
Great for travelers who want high-contrast terrain and meaningful culture-first planning.
Explore Andean South AmericaSouthern Cone
Big-sky drives, wine regions, powerful city culture, and long-route road logic in one lane.
Ideal when you want a mix of urban comfort, dramatic landscapes, and slower, longer stays.
Explore Southern ConeBrazil
Brazil deserves its own planning lane: scale, language, culture, and route distances are unique.
Treat Brazil as its own project and your trip quality jumps — especially for first-time planning.
Explore BrazilChoose a travel style
If geography feels too broad, style is often the better first filter.
Straight talk: South America gets better when you reduce country count and increase depth per stop.
Find what you love
Food & local life
Markets, neighborhood cafés, regional dishes, and culture you feel at street level.
History & heritage
Colonial cores, indigenous heritage, and layered stories across old and modern cities.
Nature & wilderness
Andes, rainforest, glaciers, and coastlines with serious range in one continent.
Coast & beaches
Pacific drama, Atlantic city beaches, and quieter tropical edges in the north.
A few things that help before you lock your route
Altitude changes energy and pace
Build acclimatization into Andean routes early so your trip stays enjoyable, not exhausting.
Distances are larger than expected
Country hops can eat days quickly, so plan around efficient transport corridors.
Climate varies fast by region
Coast, jungle, highlands, and south-latitude weather can all exist in one itinerary.
Less rushing = better experience
Fewer stops and longer stays almost always produce better travel quality and lower stress.
If this is your first time in South America
Northern starter
Colombia → Ecuador
Great first route for city rhythm, culture, and nature without overcomplicating logistics.
Andean classic
Ecuador → Peru → Bolivia
High cultural depth with altitude planning and strong overland logic.
Southern Cone arc
Argentina → Chile → Uruguay
Ideal for long-form travel with city comfort and open-road scenery.
Brazil-focused trip
Rio → Salvador → São Paulo (or Northeast coast)
Better as a standalone project due to scale and route complexity.
You don’t need to “complete” South America. You need one route that fits your pace, budget, and curiosity.
Choose your next planning step
Start with clarity, then add detail. That order prevents overwhelm.
Join the conversation
Which South America region are you leaning toward first — and why? Share your route ideas, questions, or lessons in the comments. If you’ve already traveled here, add one practical tip that could help another traveler plan smarter.