South America is big, and the flights there are long, so it makes sense to see more than one country while you are at it. The classic combinations are Peru with Bolivia’s salt flats, Machu Picchu with the Galapagos, and the Andes with Patagonia, Iguazu Falls and Rio. Some tours do several of these at once, for those who believe a holiday is only finished when the passport is full.
This guide is for anyone planning a multi-country trip. We compare every escorted tour on our South America pages that covers two or more countries, from budget trips for 18 to 35s to luxury and flight-inclusive tours, grouped by the combination you are after.
The quick answer
- If you want Machu Picchu and the salt flats, pick Peru & Bolivia Encounter.
- If you want Machu Picchu and the Galapagos without a boat, pick Best of Peru & Galapagos; with a cruise, Galapagos Cruise & Peru in Depth.
- If you want Peru, Iguazu and Rio, pick Best of Peru, Argentina & Brazil.
- If you want Patagonia in comfort, pick Luxury Patagonia.
- If you are 18 to 35 and want the lot, pick Peru, Bolivia & Argentina for 18–35s or Bolivia to Brazil.
Every multi-country South America tour compared
| Tour | Days | Price from | Physical rating | Group size | Flights included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peru and Bolivia | ||||||
| Sacred Land of the Incas: Amazon, Inca Trail & Lake Titicaca – 15 Days | 15 | £2,168 pp | High | Max 16 | No | The Inca Trail and Titicaca, good value |
| Real Peru to Bolivia for 18–35s: Amazon to La Paz – 15 Days | 15 | £1,835 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | 18 to 35s, Amazon to La Paz |
| Peru & Bolivia: Amazon, Inca Trail & Uyuni Salt Flats – 25 Days | 25 | £3,192 pp | High | Max 16 | No | Add Uyuni, Potosí and Sucre |
| Peru & Bolivia Encounter: Inca Trail, Uyuni & Atacama – 21 Days | 21 | £5,730 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Inca Trail, Uyuni and the Atacama |
| Andes to Atacama with Flights: Machu Picchu, Uyuni & Chile – 18 Days | 18 | £9,190 pp incl. flights | Medium | Max 28 | Yes | Flights included, train to Machu Picchu |
| Peru, Bolivia & Argentina for 18–35s: Inca Trail & Uyuni – 26 Days | 26 | £3,115 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | 18 to 35s, all the way to Buenos Aires |
| Peru and the Galapagos, on land | ||||||
| Machu Picchu & Galapagos Island-Hopping: Cusco to Quito – 15 Days | 15 | £5,026 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Island-hopping on three islands |
| Machu Picchu & the Galapagos on Land: Cusco to Quito – 15 Days | 15 | £3,995 pp | Medium | Not stated | No | Santa Cruz and Isabela on land |
| Best of Peru & Galapagos: Machu Picchu & Titicaca – 18 Days | 18 | £4,550 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Titicaca homestay plus the islands |
| Galapagos & Inca Trail Adventure: Quito to Cusco – 17 Days | 17 | £4,210 pp | High | Max 16 | No | The Inca Trail plus island-hopping |
| Galápagos & Peru Adventure: Islands, Amazon & Inca Trail – 24 Days | 24 | £5,341 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | A week on the islands, plus Bolivia |
| Ecuador, Galápagos & Peru Explorer: Amazon to Inca Trail – 25 Days | 25 | £5,341 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Ecuador’s Amazon and Cotopaxi too |
| Peru & Galápagos: Inca Trail, Amazon & Islands – 30 Days | 30 | £6,370 pp | Not stated | Max 16 | No | A month, Nazca to the islands |
| Peru, Ecuador & Galápagos with Flights: Machu Picchu & Quito – 17 Days | 17 | £6,538 pp incl. flights | Medium | Max 45 | Yes | Flights included, four nights in the islands |
| Peru and the Galapagos, with a cruise | ||||||
| Majestic Peru & Southern Galapagos Cruise: Lima to Quito – 20 Days | 20 | £6,547 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | A three-night southern cruise |
| Galápagos Cruise & Peru’s Land of the Incas: Inca Trail – 21 Days | 21 | £7,534 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | A yacht cruise and the Inca Trail |
| Galapagos Cruise & Peru in Depth: Quito to Lima – 24 Days | 24 | £9,605 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Seven nights cruising |
| Footsteps of the Incas & Galápagos Cruise with Flights – 22 Days | 22 | £10,295 pp incl. flights | Medium | Not stated | Yes | Four-night cruise, flights included |
| Galapagos Expedition Cruise & Machu Picchu with Flights – 19 Days | 19 | £13,490 pp incl. flights | Medium | Max 28 | Yes | Eight-night expedition cruise, all meals |
| Peru plus the south and east | ||||||
| Best of Peru, Argentina & Brazil: Lima to Rio – 21 Days | 21 | £5,746 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Machu Picchu, Iguazu and Rio |
| Luxury Peru, Chile & Argentina: Machu Picchu to Mendoza – 18 Days | 18 | £7,560 pp | Medium | Max 12 | No | Luxury, Machu Picchu to Mendoza |
| Argentina, Chile, Brazil and the salt flats | ||||||
| Argentina, Bolivia & Chile: Salta, Uyuni & Atacama – 13 Days | 13 | £5,429 pp | Medium | Not stated | No | Salta, Uyuni and the Atacama |
| Bolivia to Brazil for 18–35s: Uyuni, Uruguay & Rio – 25 Days | 25 | £3,215 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | 18 to 35s, five countries |
| Chile, Argentina & Brazil with Flights: Andes, Iguazú & Rio – 14 Days | 14 | £4,249 pp incl. flights | Medium | Max 35 | Yes | Andes, Iguazu and Rio with flights |
| Solo Chile, Argentina & Brazil with Flights – 14 Days | 14 | £5,819 pp incl. flights | Low | Max 27 | Yes | Solo travellers, with flights |
| Brazil, Argentina & Patagonia with Flights: Rio to Santiago – 19 Days | 19 | £7,838 pp incl. flights | Low | Not stated | Yes | Rio to Patagonia with flights |
| Luxury Patagonia: Torres del Paine, Perito Moreno & Ushuaia – 9 Days | 9 | £5,406 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Patagonia in comfort |
| Heart of Patagonia: Torres del Paine & Perito Moreno – 12 Days | 12 | On request | Medium | Not stated | No | Patagonia with two cities |
| Luxury Chile & Argentina: Valparaíso, Mendoza & Buenos Aires – 9 Days | 9 | £3,690 pp | Low | Max 12 | No | Wine and cities, short |
| Cycling the Lake District of Chile & Argentina – 13 Days | 13 | £3,936 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Cycling the Lake District |
| Discover Brazil: Rio, Paraty, Iguaçu & the Amazon – 11 Days | 11 | £4,076 pp | Medium | Max 16 | No | Brazil, with both sides of Iguaçu |
Prices are per person, twin share, live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). The lowest price can apply to a later departure, so check the dates you want on each tour page.
Ask us which South America tour fits →
Peru and Bolivia: Machu Picchu and the salt flats
The classic Andes trip
Peru & Bolivia Encounter: Inca Trail, Uyuni & Atacama – 21 Days
- 21 days
- From £5,730 per person
- Max 12 people
- Lima, Peru to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in March, April, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Twenty-one days with up to 12: the Amazon, the Inca Trail with three nights camping, Lake Titicaca, the Salar de Uyuni and the Atacama, ending in San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. Peru & Bolivia: Amazon, Inca Trail & Uyuni (25 days) adds Potosí and Sucre, and Sacred Land of the Incas (15 days) keeps to the rainforest, the Inca Trail and a Lake Titicaca homestay, finishing in La Paz.
Suits: active travellers who want the big Andes sights. The honest drawback: much of the trip is above 3,500 metres, there is camping on the Inca Trail and some travel days are long.
With flights, without the trek
Andes to Atacama with Flights: Machu Picchu, Uyuni & Chile – 18 Days
- 18 days
- From £9,190 per person incl. flights
- Max 28 people
- Lima, Peru to Santiago, Chile
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights included
- Departures in May, June, July, September, October
Eighteen days from Lima to Santiago, with flights from the UK and internal flights included: Machu Picchu by train, Lake Titicaca, La Paz, the Salar de Uyuni and the Atacama.
Suits: travellers who want the sights without camping. The honest drawback: groups can reach 28, the pace is full and the altitude is high.
For travellers aged 18 to 35, Real Peru to Bolivia (15 days) runs from the jungle to La Paz, and Peru, Bolivia & Argentina for 18–35s (26 days) carries on through Uyuni and the Atacama to Buenos Aires, with camping, dormitory, homestay and overnight bus nights.
Peru and the Galapagos: island-hop or cruise?
This is the big decision. Island-hopping tours stay in hotels on the islands and move between them by fast motorboat, and they are generally the cheaper option. Cruise tours live aboard a boat or yacht for three to eight nights. Pages of both kinds warn that they are not for you if you get seasick.
On land
Best of Peru & Galapagos: Machu Picchu & Titicaca – 18 Days
- 18 days
- From £4,550 per person
- Max 12 people
- Lima, Peru to Quito, Ecuador
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Best of Peru & Galapagos (18 days) combines Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu and a Lake Titicaca homestay with island-hopping, in a group of up to 12. The shorter Machu Picchu & Galapagos Island-Hopping (15 days) visits San Cristóbal, Isabela and Santa Cruz, and the Galapagos on Land (15 days) bases you on Santa Cruz and Isabela. Galapagos & Inca Trail Adventure (17 days) adds the classic Inca Trail, and three longer trips, Galápagos & Peru Adventure, Ecuador, Galápagos & Peru Explorer and Peru & Galápagos, run from 24 to 30 days with the Amazon too. Peru, Ecuador & Galápagos with Flights (17 days) includes flights from London, for adults aged 21 and over in groups of up to 45.
Suits: wildlife lovers who would rather sleep on land. The honest drawback: you change hotels between islands, and several pages warn that the Peru section is at altitude.
With a cruise
Galapagos Cruise & Peru in Depth: Quito to Lima – 24 Days
- 24 days
- From £9,605 per person
- Max 16 people
- Quito, Ecuador to Lima, Peru
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in November, December
Galapagos Cruise & Peru in Depth (24 days) spends seven nights cruising the islands, then Arequipa, the Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu and the Amazon. Majestic Peru & Southern Galapagos Cruise (20 days) has a three-night cruise after Nazca, Arequipa and Titicaca. Galápagos Cruise & Peru’s Land of the Incas (21 days) pairs a small-yacht cruise with the Inca Trail. Two include flights from the UK: Footsteps of the Incas (22 days, a four-night cruise) and Galapagos Expedition Cruise & Machu Picchu (19 days, an eight-night expedition cruise with all meals).
Suits: anyone who wants to live aboard and does not mind boats. The honest drawback: these are among the most expensive tours here, and several have only a few departures a year.
Peru plus Argentina, Chile and Brazil
Lima to Rio
Best of Peru, Argentina & Brazil: Lima to Rio – 21 Days
- 21 days
- From £5,746 per person
- Max 12 people
- Lima, Peru to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Year-round departures
Twenty-one days in a group of up to 12: Nazca, Lake Titicaca and Machu Picchu, then Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls and Rio. Luxury Peru, Chile & Argentina (18 days) stays in hand-picked hotels, with an Amazon eco-lodge, two visits to Machu Picchu, Valparaíso, Mendoza’s wineries and Buenos Aires.
Suits: travellers who want contrasts, from the Andes to the beaches. The honest drawback: there is a lot of flying between destinations, and the luxury tour skips both the Inca Trail and Patagonia.
Argentina, Chile and Brazil (no Peru required)
Patagonia
Luxury Patagonia: Torres del Paine, Perito Moreno & Ushuaia – 9 Days
- 9 days
- From £5,406 per person
- Max 12 people
- Santiago, Chile to Ushuaia, Argentina
- Physical rating: low
- Flights not included
- Departures in January, February, March, November, December
Luxury Patagonia (9 days) covers Torres del Paine, a glacier cruise, the Perito Moreno Glacier and Ushuaia’s penguins in hand-picked hotels, with up to 12. Heart of Patagonia (12 days) adds Santiago and Buenos Aires, with dates on request. Brazil, Argentina & Patagonia with Flights (19 days) goes from Rio and Iguazu to El Calafate, Torres del Paine and Santiago, with UK and internal flights.
Suits: sightseers who want the glaciers without serious trekking. The honest drawback: walks are optional and short, and most meals are not included.
Salta, Uyuni and the Atacama
Argentina, Bolivia & Chile: Salta, Uyuni & Atacama – 13 Days
- 13 days
- From £5,429 per person
- Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile
- Physical rating: medium
- Flights not included
- Departures in January, March, May, September, October, November
Thirteen days from Buenos Aires: Salta’s wine country, the Salar de Uyuni by 4WD with a night in a salt hotel, and the Atacama Desert, ending in Santiago. For travellers aged 18 to 35, Bolivia to Brazil (25 days) covers five countries, from Uyuni and the Atacama to Buenos Aires, an Uruguayan ranch, Iguazú and Rio.
Suits: landscape lovers. The honest drawback: the route reaches about 4,800 metres, one lodge has limited hot water and power, and some days involve six hours or more of driving.
The rest are shorter or more specialist. Chile, Argentina & Brazil with Flights (14 days) crosses the Andes from Santiago to Mendoza, then Buenos Aires, Iguazú and Rio, with flights from London; the solo version gives you a room of your own. Luxury Chile & Argentina (9 days) is about food, wine and cities. Cycling the Lake District of Chile & Argentina (13 days) rides between volcanoes and lakes on both sides of the Andes. Discover Brazil (11 days) sees both sides of Iguaçu before an Amazon village stay.
How to choose
By time available. Under two weeks: Luxury Patagonia, Luxury Chile & Argentina, Discover Brazil or Salta, Uyuni and the Atacama. Two to three weeks: most Peru combinations. Three weeks or more: the longer Peru and Bolivia or Galapagos trips, and the 18–35s journeys.
By budget. The 18–35s trips and Sacred Land of the Incas are the cheapest. The Galapagos island-hopping tours sit in the middle. The cruise and flight-inclusive tours, and the luxury tours, cost the most. Live prices are in the table above.
By fitness. The Inca Trail trips are the most demanding, with camping and hiking at altitude, and several are rated high. Train-to-Machu Picchu and Patagonia sightseeing tours are gentler.
By travel style. Small groups of up to 12 or 16 on most tours; the flight-inclusive tours have larger groups. Choose a cruise for the remote Galapagos islands, and island-hopping if you would rather sleep on land.
When to go
Many of the Peru, Bolivia and Galapagos combinations depart all year. The Patagonia tours run mainly from about September to March, and several Galapagos cruise tours have only one or two departures a year. The months for each tour are in its fact panel above.
Before you travel, check the FCDO travel advice for Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see Machu Picchu and the salt flats on one trip?
Yes. Peru & Bolivia Encounter, Peru & Bolivia: Amazon, Inca Trail & Uyuni and Andes to Atacama include both.
Is it better to cruise or island-hop in the Galapagos?
Island-hopping tours stay in hotels and travel between islands by fast motorboat, and are generally cheaper. Cruise tours live aboard for three to eight nights. Pages of both kinds warn that they are not for you if you get seasick.
Which South America tours include the Inca Trail?
Several, including Sacred Land of the Incas, Peru & Bolivia Encounter and Galapagos & Inca Trail Adventure. Tours that reach Machu Picchu by train say so on their pages.
Which tours include flights from the UK?
Andes to Atacama, Peru, Ecuador & Galápagos, Footsteps of the Incas, Galapagos Expedition Cruise & Machu Picchu, Chile, Argentina & Brazil, its solo version and Brazil, Argentina & Patagonia.
Is altitude a problem on these tours?
Many Peru and Bolivia itineraries spend much of the trip above 3,500 metres, and the Salta to Atacama route reaches about 4,800 metres. The tour pages say they are not for anyone very sensitive to altitude.
Is there a multi-country tour for 18 to 35s?
Yes: Real Peru to Bolivia, Peru, Bolivia & Argentina and Bolivia to Brazil.
Planning South America?
Tell us which countries are on your list and how long you have, and a Travelisto specialist will compare the tours with you.
Keep planning
- All escorted tours in Peru
- Escorted tours in Ecuador and the Galapagos
- Escorted tours in Bolivia
- Escorted tours in Chile
- Escorted tours in Argentina
- Escorted tours in Brazil
- Antarctica cruises compared
- Peru holidays
- Bolivia holidays
- Ecuador holidays
- Chile holidays
- Argentina holidays
- Brazil holidays
Prices are live from our tour pages (updated October 2026). Tour details and dates can change; your specialist will confirm everything before you book.
