South America Grand Tour: Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina
Overview
- Duration: 24 days / 23 nights
- Departures: Private, any date
- Group size: Private, from 2 travellers
- Accommodation: Comfortable 3–4★ hotels, with simple lodges on the remote Bolivian altiplano
- Countries: Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina
A 24-day private overland and air journey from Lima to Buenos Aires: the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, Cusco, Lake Titicaca, La Paz, the Uyuni salt flat and high lagoons, San Pedro de Atacama, Santiago and a tango finale.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime route for travellers with time to spare and a curiosity for the high Andes. It follows a logical line down the spine of the continent, climbing gradually from the Pacific coast at Lima to the Sacred Valley, Cusco and Lake Titicaca before crossing into Bolivia for La Paz and the vast white expanse of the Salar de Uyuni.
Altitude shapes the order of the trip. You sleep lower in the Sacred Valley before Cusco, spend several days above 3,000 metres before the Bolivian altiplano, and then descend to San Pedro de Atacama at around 2,400 metres. The three days crossing the salt flat and the southwestern lagoons are remote, with early starts and simple lodgings in places, and they reward you with flamingos, coloured lakes, geysers and volcano-ringed horizons.
The final week is gentler: desert excursions from San Pedro, then the city life, wine country and coast near Santiago, and three nights in Buenos Aires for cafés, architecture and tango. The pace is moderate to active, suited to adults and families with older teenagers in good health who are comfortable with long travel days.
Day-by-day itinerary
You are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in Miraflores. If time allows, stroll the clifftop parks above the Pacific and enjoy a first taste of Peruvian cooking.
Overnight: Lima
A guided tour covers the historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its main square, cathedral and colonial balconies. In the afternoon explore the bohemian Barranco district, its murals and its small bars and restaurants.
Overnight: Lima · Meals: Breakfast
A short flight takes you into the Andes, and you drive straight down to the Sacred Valley, several hundred metres lower than Cusco. Take the rest of the day slowly to start adjusting to the altitude.
Overnight: Sacred Valley · Meals: Breakfast
Visit the hillside terraces above Pisac and its handicraft market, then the circular Inca terraces of Moray and the salt pans of Maras. A countryside lunch breaks up the day.
Overnight: Sacred Valley · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Explore the stone fortress-temple and living Inca town of Ollantaytambo. In the afternoon take the train along the Urubamba river to Aguas Calientes, at the foot of Machu Picchu.
Overnight: Aguas Calientes · Meals: Breakfast
An early shuttle bus climbs to Machu Picchu for a guided visit of the citadel. Later you return by train and road to Cusco.
Overnight: Cusco · Meals: Breakfast
A walking tour takes in the main square, the cathedral and Qorikancha, where a church stands on Inca temple walls. Continue to the great zigzag ramparts of Sacsayhuamán above the city.
Overnight: Cusco · Meals: Breakfast
A free day to explore San Blas and its artisan workshops, visit a museum or simply rest. Your specialist can suggest optional cooking classes or market visits.
Overnight: Cusco · Meals: Breakfast
A full-day journey across the altiplano to Puno, with stops at a colonial church and a high mountain pass. The landscape opens up into wide grasslands grazed by llamas and alpacas.
Overnight: Puno · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
A boat takes you to the floating reed islands of the Uros people and on to Taquile island, known for its textile traditions. Return to Puno in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Puno · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Drive along the lakeshore to the Bolivian border and the town of Copacabana. In the afternoon a boat takes you to Isla del Sol for a walk among Inca-era sites and terraces.
Overnight: Copacabana · Meals: Breakfast
Cross the narrow Strait of Tiquina by ferry and continue to La Paz, set in a deep canyon below the altiplano. Arrive in time to settle in and take in the views.
Overnight: La Paz · Meals: Breakfast
Ride the city’s cable-car network for views over the bowl of La Paz and El Alto. Visit the Witches’ Market, the colonial streets near Plaza Murillo and the eroded clay formations of the Valley of the Moon.
Overnight: La Paz · Meals: Breakfast
A short flight takes you to Uyuni. Visit the rusting locomotives of the train cemetery, then drive onto the salt flat for sunset.
Overnight: Uyuni · Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Cross the vast salt flat by 4×4 to Incahuasi island, covered in giant cacti. In the rainy months the surface may hold a thin film of water that creates mirror reflections; in the dry season it forms hexagonal salt crusts.
Overnight: Salar de Uyuni area · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Head south past volcanoes and wind-sculpted rocks to a chain of high-altitude lagoons where flamingos feed. The day ends near the red waters of Laguna Colorada, at well over 4,000 metres, in simple lodgings.
Overnight: Laguna Colorada area · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A relaxed morning in the oasis town is followed by an afternoon visit to the dunes and salt ridges of the Valley of the Moon. Stay for sunset as the surrounding volcanoes turn pink and orange.
Overnight: San Pedro de Atacama · Meals: Breakfast
Visit a lagoon on the Salar de Atacama to look for flamingos, then climb to the deep-blue altiplanic lagoons beneath the volcanoes. Return to San Pedro for a final evening, ideal for stargazing in clear weather.
Overnight: San Pedro de Atacama · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Transfer to Calama airport for your flight to Santiago. In the afternoon explore the centre, Cerro Santa Lucía and the lively Lastarria neighbourhood.
Overnight: Santiago · Meals: Breakfast
Choose between a day trip to the hillside port of Valparaíso, with its colourful houses and funiculars, or a visit to wineries in a nearby valley. Return to Santiago in the evening.
Overnight: Santiago · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
A flight over the Andes brings you to Buenos Aires. Spend the evening in Palermo, with its leafy streets and many restaurants.
Overnight: Buenos Aires · Meals: Breakfast
A guided tour covers Plaza de Mayo, colourful La Boca, cobbled San Telmo and the grand avenues and cemetery of Recoleta. In the evening you may wish to attend a tango show or visit a traditional dance hall.
Overnight: Buenos Aires · Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a last coffee and pastry before your transfer to the international airport for your onward flight.
Overnight: — · Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
- Accommodation as described, with daily breakfast
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary
- Private airport and road transfers
- Domestic and regional flights within the itinerary
- Train to and from Machu Picchu and the shuttle bus to the citadel
- Entrance to Machu Picchu and other listed sites with a local guide
- Boat excursions on Lake Titicaca
- 4×4 vehicle with driver-guide on the Uyuni salt flat and altiplano
- Guided excursions as described in the itinerary
Not included
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Optional activities and personal expenses
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Any entry, visa or reciprocity costs where applicable
Good to know
Sample itinerary: we adapt the route, hotels and dates to you and confirm everything in your written quote.
A mix of domestic and regional flights, a scenic train to Machu Picchu, private road transfers across the Peru–Bolivia and Bolivia–Chile borders, and 4x4 vehicles with a driver-guide on the altiplano.
Frequently asked questions
Much of the first two weeks is spent above 2,800 metres, and the altiplano crossing climbs above 4,500 metres at times. The route ascends gradually and descends to San Pedro after the highest section, but you should take medical advice before travelling, especially with heart or lung conditions.
Around the salt flat there are comfortable hotels, some built partly from salt blocks. Near the southern lagoons options are simple and remote, with basic heating and limited hot water, so warm layers and a relaxed attitude are useful.
The dry season in the central Andes, roughly May to October, brings clear skies, cold nights and good conditions on the altiplano. In the wetter months the Uyuni salt flat may flood and show its mirror effect, but some routes can be affected. Check official travel advice for border-crossing requirements before you book.
