6 Weeks in South America :)

[ClaireW77]

Hola Amigos!

So I have been planning a South American adventure for ages now! I reckon I can get about 6 weeks off work from the end of March, maybe slightly longer but we will see...

The route I plan on taking is flying into Rio spend a few days there and then travel down to Iguazu Falls then onto Buenos Aires - How long would this realistically take? Is travel relatively easy or is it better to do a tour? (I maybe travelling alone at this point)

From BA I was thinking of taking a flight to Santiago, however having done a bit of research I have heard there is not really not much to see there. I am intending to travel up through Bolivia so it maybe a better option to fly from BA to Salta and then take the 'Tren de las Nubes' up to Northern Argentina and then onto Bolivia? In Bolivia I want to see the Salt flats etc and then travel up to Lake Titiaca and then onto Peru do the Inca Trail etc, finishing in Lima. Again is this route easy to travel or is it better/safer to do an organised tour?

Just really would like to know if this is realistic given the time frame? Also will be away for most of April so is this a good time to be in these countries?

Any other tips/recommendations would be greatly appreciated! Just want to make the most of the time there!

Muchas Gracias!
Claire

[Mark]

Hi Claire,

There is no need to join a tour to travel from Rio to Buenos Aires via Iguazu or from Buenos Aires to Bolivia. The bus ride from Rio to Iguazu takes about 23 hours. The bus ride from Iguazu to Buenos Aires 18 hours. You should be able to make it to Buenos Aires in 3 to 4 days.

In Uyuni tours are widely available to visit the breathtaking salt flats. Do try to go to Rurrenabaque for a jungle trip while you're in Bolivia. It's the best place to see an abundance of wildlife. Getting there is quite hectic, you'll be traveling on the infamous death road, so do ask about road conditions before going. Also have a look at Potosi in Bolivia, a visit to the silver mines is highly recommended.

In Peru you can travel from Puno (Lake Titicaca) to Arequipa for the beautiful Santa Catalina monastery and Condor sightings before going to Cuzco. It's a long way from Cuzco to Lima so you may consider taking a flight to avoid spending days in a bus.

You'll have lots of fun in South America. Keep us posted!

[king smith]

I spent Six weeks in South America this year. I would recommend Chile, and specifically these locations:

Torres del Paine (Patagonia Region/Glaciers)
San Pedro de Atacama (Desert)
Green/White Lagoon (It's Bolivia, but very close to the Chilean Desert)

Good luck!