7 week South America Itinerary - Looking for feedback
 

7 Week South America Itinerary - June and July 2025 - Feedback Welcome!

I will be travelling with my girlfriend to South America for 7 weeks starting in mid-June 2025 as part of a gap year. We're both 21, and are looking for an itinerary that is realistic based on transport links within the region, and not too strenuous while still being quite ambitious. We'd like the trip to include a real mix of experiences, including nature, culture, activities and also some relaxation. We'll be on a moderate budget, staying in budget double accommodation where possible and not splashing out - but with room to spend on activities/trips that really interest us.

The proposed itinerary (which admittedly has changed a lot during planning) is as follows:

Arrive in Lima from San Jose

3 nights in Lima (possibly 1 in Huacachina)

-> Flight to Puerto Maldonado

2 nights in Puerto Maldonado

3 nights in an Amazon lodge

-> Flight to Cusco

6 nights in Cusco

-> Night bus to Puno

2 nights in Puno

-> Bus to La Paz

5 nights in La Paz

-> Flight to Uyuni

2 nights in Uyuni

-> Bus to San Pedro de Atacama

5 nights in San Pedro de Atacama

-> Bus to Salta

5 nights in Salta

-> Flight to Buenos Aires

6 nights in Buenos Aires

-> Flight to Iguazu

2 nights Iguazu Falls

-> Flight to Rio

6 nights Rio de Janeiro

-> Fly home to UK

Within the places where we'll be staying longer will of course be room to go on a few day trips to areas of interest.

I know that it is ambitious, but we've experienced travelling on a more intense schedule than this before (although that was in Europe) and I think that 5-6 nights in a lot of these places will be more than enough. It is always our intention to go back to the places that we like best, and we will be looking to do a more substantial visit to Brazil, Chile and Argentina in the future (not necessarily at the same time!) - this is *not intended to be our one and only experience of each of these places*. On the other hand, if we were never able to go back for whatever reason, then we will know that we saw as much as possible without rushing it *too* much.

Based on this I'd be very grateful to receive any feedback at all - good or bad - particularly if anyone has had experience with visiting any of these places/travelling any of these routes. Any any general tips would also be gratefully received.

Thank you! :)

I can only comment on Peru, and only parts of that country! You might consider splitting your time in Cusco -- a few nights in that city, a few nights elsewhere in the region, especially if you are planning to visit Machu Pichu. Ollantytambo is one option. FWIW, I wanted more time in Lima than you are giving it, but how long to spend there depends on what you want to see and do. And just to clarify: The night on your "night bus to Puno" is not counted in the nights you list for Cusco or Puno?

You might find some useful information in my trip report: https://www.fodors.com/community/sou...untry-1655521/
The section on Lima begins with post # 67; Puno begins with post # 88; the section on Cusco and the Sacred Valley begins with posst # 91.

Hope that helps!

Thank you so much for your response! Yes I think we will be looking to split our time in Cusco, although we will save Machu Pichu for next time. I've heard mixed reviews about Lima - primarily that it is a nice city but the time in Peru may be better spent elsewhere? And yes the night bus to Puno is not counted in the nights for anywhere else.

I'll have a look at your report for sure as I'm especially interested in figuring out a more detailed itinerary around Cusco.

Just out of interest - we're considering maybe travelling to Cusco via Ica, Nazca and Arequipa instead - would you have any thoughts on doing this route? I feel like flying straight from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco might be a bit much in terms of possible altitude sickness.

Thank you again :)

Hi obp and welcome to Fodors forums. For context, my wife and gave up are Jobe for a gap year back in 2007 - we just nevi went back and have been travelling more or less continually since 2007 until the pandemic hit, returning home to the UK from time to time. During that time we have probably spent around 2 years in total travelling around South America and, with the exception of Brazil, have covered all the places you mention (and a few others besides. Based on our experiences , I may not have all the answers but have certainly made most of the mistakes!

First off , you have worked out a pretty good, logical route covering some of the highlights the continent has to offer. In terms of time in each of your destinations, IMO you have too long in some and not enough in others. Whilst it is essential to plan, you dont have to stick rigidly to that plan. Allow some wiggle room and expect there to be travel problems along the way. Fortunately, in South America it is very easy to make things up as you go. There are one or two exceptions such as Machu Picchu train and entrance tickets which do need to be booked months in advance (mind you, MP is by no means compulsory and if you are on a budget , I would question whether it is worth the cost, especially if you plan on returning)

A few specific comments on time in each place;

1. Amazon - 4 nights is about right in the Amazon given the time it takes to get there but I would skip PM and just go straight to a lodge. Your will need to book in advance.
2. Cusco - six nights is a lot for Cusco. We were there for months though were volunteering and taking Spanish lessons. I will comment about altitude issues , but you would want to split your time between Cusco and the Sacred Valley - Ollantaytambo /MP
3. Puno - 2 nights is fine for Tacquile and Uros- add another couple of nights in Copacabana just over the border in Bolivia. Nicer than Puno and a trip out to Isla del Sol is highly recommended! 5 hour and one of the worlds great bus rides down to La Paz!
4. La Paz - 5 nights is a lot just for the city. Unless you have other plans when there, 3 would be fine.
5. Uyuni - Dont spend any time in Uyuni town. It is a dump! most visitors pick up a "standard " tour there on arrival and set of straight away. Those last 2 nights but the ones ending in San Pedro de Atacama I think are tree nights and need to be sourced in advance.
6. Salta - during the winter, buses to Salta dont run every day and can get booked up and sometimes get cancelled due to snow on the high passes (we once got stuck in Salta for a week with no buses out!) The beauty of the salt regions is out and about in places like Purmarca, Cafayete, Cachi etc and the best wa stop see them is to rent a car and drive yourself. There are a few tours and you could do it by public transport but it would be time consuming and a little difficult . There is a lot of stuff on our blog about our travel there which I shall link later.
7. Buenos Aires - six nights is fine if like cities. We do and we were happy there for a month. You may want to consider a fe day or overnight trips like Colonia del Sacremento across the river in Uruguay or the Tigre delta.
8. Iguazu - Two nights is fine to see the Argentine and Brazilian falls as long as you book early flights in and late flights out. Allow a full day for Argentina and half a day for Brazil.you can get between the two sides by bus easily enough but if you have bags with you it may be better to hire a cab - they are reasonably cheap.

Accommodation - There is nice budget accommodation to be had just about everywhere. I tend to use booking.com and Expedia and book on a fully refundable, pay on arrival basis (or when leaving) . We used to jus find somewhere on arrival but these days there is little benefit to be gained doing this . Check the reviews of other travellers carefully to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Transport - airlines in South America are not as reliable as in Europe. Expect delays and cancellations and dont expect anyone to be of much help when the do happen. I book direct with the airlines. Bus travel in Peru is excellent - reliable and comfortable as long as you stick to the mainstream , bigger companies. Overnight buses can be a way of saving on accommodation cost on some routes. Cheap buses can be death traps and I would avoid overnight trips in Bolivia. Taxis are cheap but only use authorised , registered taxis from booth in bus stations and airports. Dont hail cab on the street or pick them up form outside airports or bus stations.

Money - I am sure you have this covered but I always take a couple of debit cards and credit cards which charge no fees for foreign exchange or use at ATMs. I also take new £ notes and US $ bills to exchange as a reserve. Give someone at home the details , passwords PIN etc just in case thing go awry when travelling. Be aware that some ATMs charge astronomic fees.

Here is a link to our blog which covers some of our travels in these areas https://accidentalnomads.com

Altitude - do bear in mind that many of the places you are going are at high altitude. This website provides a lot of info https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/altitude-sickness/ . Basically ascend slowly and you should be ok. In you case you would be going from Sea Level in the Amazon to Cusco @ 3400m. I was quite ill when I first did that so would advise transferring to the lower town in the Sacred Valley like Ollantaytambo which is 2800m and easier for your body to adjust. It is from there extant you will get the train to MP so visit there fits and then go to Cusco by which time you should be well acclimatised . from there it is Puno which is higher still @ 3800m and La Paz at around the same , On the tours around Salar de Uyuni you will spend some nights at over 4500m. I tis not uncommon to see those who are not properly acclimatised in a very bad way!

Hope this helps . If you have any questions , do please ask.

I skipped Ica and Nazca, but adored Arequipa. See post # 83 in my trip report.

Comments:

Altitude is of course an issue, but no one mentions dryness. Except for drippy Machu Picchu, all the Peruvian places you mention are so terribly dry (think of Phoenix cubed) it leads to sneezing and congestion that makes breathing so much more difficult even without the altitude factor. Many just pant through their mouths and give up on nasal breathing altogether. If you have any sinus issues preexisting come prepared.

Lots of people hate Rio, so 6 nights seem like a lot.

Nasca is a long bus ride in and out. If you want to do the flight, you must spend one night and another full day. Afternoon flights can be dusty with poor visibility. I did a ground tour with driver and was pleased with that. The geoglyphs look pretty small seen from the ground. 5 guys with
garden rakes could make one of those in a week (no alien help required).

Maybe not in the mood but thought Arequipa not that nice, 2 nights sufficient.

Thank you so much for the detailed response. Having looked through your suggestions, we've come up with the following itinerary - similar in many ways to the original, but (I think) improved. Please let me know what you think! :) Thank you too for the general tips - they're really useful - I'll be sure to check out your blog!

2 nights (1 day) in Lima

->Flight to Puerto Maldonado

1 night in PM and 3 nights in Amazon Lodge

-> Flight to Lima

1 night in Lima

-> Bus to Paracas

1 night in Paracas (1 full day)

-> Bus to Ica (Huacachina)

1 night in Ica (1.5 days - possible day trip to see Nazca)

-> Night bus to Arequipa

2 nights in Arequipa

-> Flight to Cusco

2 nights in Cusco

-> Taxi to Ollantaytambo

2 nights in Ollantaytambo, including train to Machu Picchu and back

-> Taxi to Cusco

3 nights in Cusco - including Sacred Valley tours/Pisac

-> Night bus to Puno

1 night in Puno (Titicaca homestay/tour)

-> Bus to Copacabana

2 nights in Copacabana

->Bus to La Paz

4 nights in La Paz

3 day Uyuni tour - starting in La Paz and ending in San Pedro

3 nights in San Pedro de Atacama

-> Bus to Salta

5 nights in Salta - including day trips/nights in Cafayate, surrounding area

-> Flight to Buenos Aires

6 nights in Buenos Aires - including day trips to Tigre Delta; Uruguay

->Flight to Iguazu Falls

2 nights in Iguazu

->Flight to Rio de Janeiro

6 nights in Rio de Janeiro

-> Fly home to the UK

Thank you for your reply!

In regards to altitude I guess that is just part of the experience! Hopefully though the updated itinerary allows a little more time to acclimatise. Regarding Rio I've heard really good things from some people, and not so good from others - it's a difficult one! It's probably the place least 'set in stone' for us though - we may just fly back from Buenos Aires.

Forgive me, but I don't see how you would have a full day in Paracas or 1.5 days in Ica or time to get to / from your home stay in Puna with the one-night stays you list. Maybe it does work out -- I haven't checked the bus schedules! -- but once you count time for the transportation and time to get between your lodging and the bus stations and time to check in and out and time to pack and unpack, I think you will have less time in these places than you are expecting. Again, I could be wrong.

And I wonder: Can you but all your time in Cusco in one block rather than two separate stays? Again, it might not work but thought I'd ask.

There are many, many ways you could do this trip. I know as I have tried most variations at one time or another! Indeed I am sort of considering another trip to Peru next year which would be for around a month and probably need to start thinking about that when we return from our trip to Mexico this month.

The first thing to consider is that my and anyone else's travel style ,our likes and dislikes are all different and opinions are necessarily subjective. e.g. tom_mn didn't like Arequipa whereas I love the city, one of my favourite cities in South America . You may or may not like it, you wont know until you get there. My own view is that I wouldn't bother with the Nazca lines, they just don't interest me. Paracas is for the wildlife, a sort of poor man's Galapagos. If that interests you fine, if not skip it but you would need two nights there to make it worthwhile. Huancachina is for the desert adventure sports - again not my thing and again probably needs two nights.

As kja rightly points out, you need to consider the travel logistics for this section of your trip. Use rome2rio, google maps and the bus company schedule to work out exact timings. Alternatively, check out https://www.peruhop.com it is a backpacker orientated tour operator which provides a sort of pick and mix approach to buses, tours and accommodation. Almost certainly more expensive than DIY but probably easier and more convenient and would take less days than DIY.

Otherwise , I have added comments to your schedule below;

2 nights (1 day) in Lima - excellent , make it 3 nights if you can.

1 night in PM and 3 nights in Amazon Lodge - I still don't think you need a night in PM

1 night in Lima

1 night in Paracas (1 full day) - see comments above re Peru Hop

1 night in Ica (1.5 days - possible day trip to see Nazca)

2 nights in Arequipa - Personally I would add another night. It is a fun city usually with some sort of parade or first going on. Monasteria de Santa Catalina is incredible and can take half a day alone. As you are there a couple of nights in Colca Canyon would be high on my list of priorities. You would ten have the option of going back to Arequipa and flying to Cusco or getting a bus form Chivay in the Canyon to Puno and then flying or taking the bus to La Paz (via Puno and Copacabana) see our blog for more info

-> Flight to Cusco

2 nights in Cusco

-> Taxi to Ollantaytambo

2 nights in Ollantaytambo, including train to Machu Picchu and back

-> Taxi to Cusco - take a taxi tour back to Cusco visiting Moray , Maras and Chinchero - they are on the way anyways and it is good use of time

3 nights in Cusco - including Sacred Valley tours/Pisac - about right - take a bus to Pisac early, spend the morning exporting the ruins, bus or collectivo back to Cusco but get off at Tambo Machay and hike back to Cusco via the archaeological sites of Pucca Pukarra, Q'enko, and Sacsayhuaman - 3 hours and a really nice hike.

-> Night bus to Puno - there is the option of a day tourbus which stops at 4-5 sites of interest along the way - worth considering

1 night in Puno (Titicaca homestay/tour) - you need two nights to do a homestay on Taquile island. Personally I wouldn't bother and would just take a day cruise to the island - you would still need two nights though

-> Bus to Copacabana

2 nights in Copacabana - excellent - boat trip or even and overnight stay on Isla del Sol

4 nights in La Paz - maybe 3 nights unless you want to cycle the death road

3 day Uyuni tour - starting in La Paz and ending in San Pedro - Salar tours generally start in uyuni town and you would need to fly there or take the overnight bus. Banjo Tours are a very good operator who I think do operate tours from LP via Sajama but they would be longer than 3 nights. Expensive but very good. You can usually do a shared or private tour . Kanoo Tours is a travel agency in La Paz run by an English guy. May be worth checking them out for ideas

3 nights in San Pedro de Atacama - SPdeA is v. expensive compared with Bolivia and has much the same landscapes. Possibly two nights would be enough .

-> Bus to Salta - book in advance!

5 nights in Salta - including day trips/nights in Cafayate, surrounding area

-> Flight to Buenos Aires - overnight buses in Argentina are great and my be a good option

6 nights in Buenos Aires - including day trips to Tigre Delta; Uruguay - about right


2 nights in Iguazu


6 nights in Rio de Janeiro

Thank you for your really detailed response!

I think it's more about breaking up the journey from Lima to Arequipa. We will be doing the boat tour and probably the desert sandboarding and the bus schedule means that we arrive in Paracas around lunch time to have a free afternoon. I've heard that the Ballestas islands tours all leave around 8am, so that fits nicely into the timetable for the next morning, before the 12:45 bus to Ica. We would stay in Ica until 21:45 the next day, which is when the bus to Arequipa leaves. So I think we'll have more time than saying '1 night in Ica' etc. suggests.

This depends on how the Amazon tour works as if it starts really early we wouldn't be able to get an early enough flight to get to it hence we would need to stay the night before in PM. This is something I'm looking into though.

If the extra night in PM weren't needed, this is probably where I would add it. I have heard about Colca Canyon but thought it was more of a day trip thing, may I ask why you would stay two nights there?

Thank you for all of the suggestions regarding Cusco and Puno/Copacabana- they're really helpful!


I've seen online the possibility of a tour that starts in La Paz late in the evening. It includes the night bus down to Uyuni then 2.5 days (2 nights) within Salar de Uyuni - ending in San Pedro.

This makes sense we'll probably cut a night from here then if there's not much to do

Thank you for the tip!


We did check this out and while we'd like to take buses as much as possible this particular bus is apparently 23 hours which unfortunately is just too long for this length of trip considering the flight is about 2 (ok maybe 3.5-4 if you include airport stuff/travel to airports but still)


We'll get there with the itinerary eventually, there's just so much to see and so many places competing to have more time for us to spend there! Thank you again for all of your help though it has been invaluable!

I think you're right with Puno, but for Paracas we would only go there to break up the journey a bit and do the Ballestes islands tour which starts at 8am and takes 2 hours. So that leaves us with a free afternoon and evening there the day before, and also gives us time to make the 12:45pm bus to Ica after the boat tour. In Ica we would have essentially 1.5 days as the night bus to Arequipa doesn't leave until 21:45 the following evening. So the bus schedules here would definitely work in our favour.

Aside: the convent is really interesting, as is the architecture generally (although mainly religious sites except the interior quadrangles just southeast of the main square, worth seeking out).

A lot has to do with lodging placement, we ended up 5 blocks south of the main square in a bland, noisy, busy area. People looking to hang out should stay north of the main square. It did seem to be primarily a luncheon and boutiques city, though.

Adding: it’s almost certainly irrelevant for next year but the main border crossing to Copacabana closed when we were in Puno and people on our tour were frantically booking flights to La Paz.

Comment: Ica to Arequipa is about a 13-14 hour journey, on Cruz del Sur.

-your only stop is Nazca so bring food and water. You will get a small treat bag at boarding

-there is no bin space so what you carry on goes on the floor under your knees

-onboard toilets don’t take #2 deposits

-part of the journey follows the Pacific with Big Surlike coast, so maybe do that in daylight (not much guardrail, though).

A very good point and especially important on longer trips such as this one. Location is as important as teh property itself. Always good to be close to the main points of interest, restaurants etc so as to avoid wasting time. but not so clos3 as to be overrun with tourists and bothered by noise etc. In Arequipa, for short stays we usually stay a couple of blocks north of the plaza. For longer periods we go to Yanahuara. In Lima we prefer Barranco to the more popular Miraflore. In Cusco we tend to stay south of teh plaza rather than in the more popular San Blas where it can get very crowded.

Following this thread! :D I'm planning to take a trip to South America.