Hi. Looking for some trip planning advice

[Bas]

Hi Mark

As you maintain a very informative site, which you seem to be active on, i thought i would ask you for some advice on my backpacking trip.

A rough estimation of the time frame would be beginning of May to Mid August of next year. So about 3.5 months.

Our plan is to trek through the western countries.
Possibly shooting for Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, and possibly Argentina?

Any suggestion on the best order of going through these countries?

I'm currently in Canada, so I was thinking of flying the most southern point in Chile and traveling North.

With travel through the countries, is it best to book anything before hand. Or just rely on buses and public transport locally? and booking flights then?

As being university students we are also a bit on a budget. We have researched and understand the logical prices for cheap hostels/food/etc.
Is there any pricey surprises that we should budget for?
Id assume local services would be very reasonable to comparison what we get in our countries.

Thanks for any advice given.

[Mark]

Hi Bas,

It all depends on what you want to do and see. You can either start in Chile or Argentina. Argentina is huge, you may consider booking an internal flight to speed things up a bit.

Route 1: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador
Route 2: Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador

You can book everything locally. This also allows for more freedom while traveling. Some attractions, like Machu Picchu, have a pricey cost tag attached but are a must see when you're there. Others are very affordable. You'll find admission fees in your travel guide. You can download my free ebook "Attractions of South America" for more information on attractions.

Don't forget that only 500 permits per day are issued to hike the Inca Trail. You should get your permit as soon as possible if you want to hike the Inca Trail. You can also hike to Machu Picchu on the Lares trek. No permits are required for this trek. The scenery is equally breathtaking.


Best wishes,
Mark