Top Trips To Take In South America

Amazon or Andes? Glaciers or Galápagos? Let these insider-led Culture Trips be your guide.

South America is a land of superlatives, home to the world’s second-longest river in the Amazon, its driest desert in the Atacama and its highest body of water in Lake Titicaca, straddling Peru and Bolivia. But it also defies easy definition in the great wilderness of Patagonia, which sweeps down the spine of the Andes and spills out into Chile and Argentina. So where to start? Let these expert-led trips be your southern cross, steering the way to all the continent has to offer, from the top of the Amazon to the tip of Argentina.

Many sea lions sleep on a sandy beach at Española Island in the Galápagos Islands

Go Wild in the Galápagos

The Galápagos: a bucket-list destination for any animal lover. Land and sea set the ultimate stage for the fauna that informed Darwin’s On the Origin of Species in the 19th century. Viewing the archipelago’s endemic species with the naked eye is breathtaking enough; imagine how unforgettable interacting with them will be. This five-day adventure around these protected Pacific islands will see you snorkeling with penguins, swimming with sea lions and walking (very slowly) alongside giant tortoises.

From US$2499

Next available from 13th Jan 2024

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Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island

ENDS AT

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal Island

DURATION

5

GROUP SIZE

14

PHYSICAL RATING

Light

STYLE

Discovery

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Man leads white horse along the side of the vast Quilotoa lagoon

Adventurous Ecuador

Is five days too short for Ecuador? Tack on the country’s Andes and Amazon with this additional eight-day trip. The rich biodiversity and varied landscape of the country deserves exploration in every way imaginable. You’ll learn the ropes at a moderate pace, heading through mountains and rainforest, cycling across the Baños Waterfall Route, hoofing it around the crater lake of Laguna Quilotoa and seeing Cotopaxi National Park on horseback – all worthy ways to work off a chocolate-tasting session in Quito.

From US$2199

Next available from 9th Mar 2024

Secure your spot with a low deposit

Trip highlights and details

STARTS AT

Quito, Ecuador

ENDS AT

Quito, Ecuador

DURATION

8

GROUP SIZE

16

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate

STYLE

Discovery

View Trip

Additional reporting was contributed by Siobhan Grogan and Gethin Morgan.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.