Short on Time, Big on Adventure: South America in 10 Days
South America
I am often asked whether it is possible to visit South America as part of a 10‑day holiday or a shorter trip. South America is indeed a vast and astonishingly varied continent and its sheer size is often underestimated. The distance between the most northly point, Punta Gallinas, Colombia and the most southerly point in Cape Froward, Chile is about 4,500 miles so there is a lot of ground to cover. However, it is absolutely possible, and still hugely rewarding, to visit South America for a trip of approximately 10 days. Of course, with a longer trip you can add more highlights and experiences, but please do not let that put you off a shorter itinerary. Having spent over a decade crafting itineraries for hundreds of clients travelling to South America, I have created many shorter itineraries over the years for clients who have had a wonderful adventure. With mountains, jungle, desert, wetlands and world‑class cities spread out across this huge area, using a specialist to help design your itinerary within any time constraints you have is essential to ensure it delivers what you want to see, at a manageable pace and having the logistics already pre-planned and booked to avoid any delays. I have two 'go to' contrasting 10 day itineraries for a first visit to the region which I talk about here.
The two 10‑day itineraries below are ideal introductions for a first trip to the continent and journeys that I am confident will make you fall in love with South America and want to return to explore further.
Southern Peru
A rewarding and very memorable trip to Peru in 10 days would combine southern Peru’s must‑see highlights: the iconic Machu Picchu, the colonial city of Cusco, the lush Sacred Valley and the shimmering waters of Lake Titicaca with its traditional island communities. This kind of itinerary usually involves a mix of one and two night stays, which can be a little tiring but incredibly rewarding in a relatively short time. It is important to factor in the altitude in this part of Peru, so the itinerary must be planned with acclimatisation in mind. If you were able to extend your time, you could slow the pace and look to include other classic highlights such as the Amazon rainforest, Peru’s second city of Arequipa, or build in more in‑depth exploration and trekking tailored to your fitness level and interests. Peru can be visited all‑year‑round, with pros and cons at different times of year. My personal recommendations would be May/June when conditions are often clear and landscapes are still beautifully green after the rainy season or September and October when there should be sunny days a fewer crowds.
Argentina & Brazil
In complete contrast to Peru, this itinerary focuses on two of the world’s most iconic, vibrant cities combined with the natural wonder of Iguassu Falls and combines 2 countries in only 10 days! The itinerary can run in either direction. One option is to start in Buenos Aires, with its tango culture, elegant European‑style architecture, colourful La Boca district and the historic Recoleta Cemetery where Eva Perón is buried. From there, it is a short flight to Puerto Iguazú to explore both sides of the Iguassu Falls, which straddle the border between Argentina and Brazil. Around 275 individual cataracts thunder through subtropical forest: it is still one of the most impressive natural sights I have seen.
You would then take another short flight to Rio de Janeiro, with time to sip caipirinhas on Copacabana or Ipanema beach, visit the Christ the Redeemer statue and take the cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain for those classic views. If you had longer, possible extensions to this itinerary could include a coastal wind‑down in Brazil. A personal favourite of mine is Ilha Grande, a laid‑back island with quiet beaches and forest running down to the shoreline, ideal for switching off after the energy of the cities. You could also consider focusing on Brazil only, for example combining Rio, the surrounding beaches and Iguassu Falls. The options are endless and there are other possible shorted itineraries too, but from my experience these are some classic bucket-list options.
