South America 2026 Trip Summary

The famous Las Torres (3 Towers) in Torres del Paine National Park
Incredible views from the Pudeto Ferry on our way to Paine Grande Refugio
Homero Manzi Tango Show - Buenos Aires
Sunset views of Buenos Aires
Laguna Miscanti and Miniques in the Atacama Desert - San Pedro de Atacama
Fitz Roy Mountain in El Chalten, Patagonia

TRIP OVERVIEW

Trip length (including travel days) - 134 days

Time of year - January thru Mid-May

Countries visited - click to see our detailed trip notes >> Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Costa Rica (yes, we realize this isn’t in South America - see note below under Path We Took), Peru, Bolivia, Brazil.

Cities/Locations visited and time in each:

  • Bariloche (Argentina) - 8 nights

  • El Chalten (Argentina) - 12 nights

  • El Calafate (Argentina) - 3 nights

  • Ushuaia (Argentina) - 3 nights

  • Australis Cruise (Argentina/Chile) - 4 nights

  • Puerto Natales (Chile) - 3 nights

  • Torres del Paine National Park (Chile) - 7 nights

  • Quito (Ecuador) - 9 nights

  • Puerto Ayora, Galapagos (Ecuador) - 4 nights

  • Tiburon Explorer Cruise, Galapagos (Ecuador) - 7 nights

  • Sacha Lodge, Yasuni Rainforest (Ecuador) - 4 nights

  • Playa Guiones, Nosara (Costa Rica) - 12 nights

  • Lima (Peru) - 4 nights

  • Santiago (Chile) - 6 nights

  • Easter Island (Chile) - 5 nights

PATH WE TOOK

This section will look a little different since this was such a long duration trip! Suffice it to say we had 19 flights, XX border crossings, 4 rental cars, X long bus rides, X train rides, and 2 multi-day cruises. Our path led us all over the continent in an attempt to optimize weather & experiences in each destination.

Sadly in early 2026, political discourse between the United States and Colombia began to get heated (at least publicly). We had 2 weeks planned in Colombia with time fully booked in Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena, but due to our own comfort level, we opted to make a last minute change to the schedule and jump up to Costa Rica instead. We’re sure Colombia would have been an incredible experience, and it’s still on our list for a future visit, but we went with our gut around the timing of this visit.

HIGHLIGHTS

Our highlights from the trip were

OUR NOT-SO-FAVORITE THINGS

TBD

TIPS

As noted from our 2020 Argentina & Chile Trip Summary, if you’re interested in hiking in Torres Del Paine National Park, our best recommendation is to BOOK EARLY (like, 9-12 months early!).

WHY WE PICKED THIS LOCATION

South America (and particularly Patagonia) has remained at the top of our travel memories since our 2020 visit when the mountains of El Chalten, glacier of Perito Moreno, and hiking trails of the W Trek first opened our eyes to the beauty there. Additionally, we’ve gained enough experience with Scuba Diving, that Diving in the Galapagos is actually a realistic dream. And finally, Kristina had been taking several years of online Spanish tutoring, and felt confident that her language skills would be sufficient! So, with enough time on our hands to craft our ultimate “South American Adventure”, we came up with this itinerary that, for us, hit all the highlights at a leisurely pace, instead of rushing through them all!

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Argentina

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Chile