The Short Answer…
Two months is enough to see South America’s biggest highlights in one trip, from Colombia’s Caribbean coast all the way down to Patagonia.
- When? If you can, start in September to October or March to April, when most countries are in shoulder season.
- I then recommend picking a direction and following the weather. North to south from September, or south to north from March.
- How much? Budget around £8,500 to £10,500 per person, including international flights. Sharing a room as a couple brings it down to around £6,500 to £8,000 each.
Both routes are hotel-based, cover five or six countries, and use internal flights to do the heavy lifting on the long distances.
Skip The Overwhelm Of Planning
Are you looking to do an extended, multi-country trip across South America but lost in a planning hole?
I plan custom South America trips for independent travellers. Skip the overwhelm, get your evening and weekends back and travel with confidence knowing an expert has planned your trip:
Is 2 Months Enough For South America?
Yes, this 2 month South America itinerary is the sweet spot for a first big trip to South America. It’s enough to see five or six countries at a highlights pace, with around 10 nights in each.
It is a fast-paced itinerary though and you will be on the move often.
The other option is to go deeper. Two or three countries in two months gives you time for road trips, multi-day hikes and the places most people skip. A deep dive into Chile and Argentina, for example, is perfect for two months.
My guide to how many days you need in South America covers the shorter and longer trip lengths.
When Is The Best Time For A 2 Month Trip?
Extended two month trips work best from October to May. There’s no perfect time to go, but sticking to this window means you avoid Patagonia in winter.
- September to November: Start north and head south. Peru and Bolivia are dry, and Patagonia opens for the season by the time you get there.
- March to May: Start south and head north. Patagonia is quieter with autumn colours, and you reach Peru as the dry season starts.
Where Is The Best Place To Start For 2 Months?
The weather decides it. The Central Andes are best from May to October, Patagonia from October to April. Pick the right direction and you arrive in each region when it’s at its best.
- Route A, North to South: Colombia to Patagonia, starting in September or October.
- Route B, South to North: Rio to Patagonia, then up to Lima, starting in March or April.
Both routes are examples. You can add or remove countries depending on what you want to see and how fast you like to travel.
Route A: North To South (Colombia To Patagonia)
- Best for: UK and US travellers. There are direct flights from London and most big US cities into Bogotá, and you fly home from Buenos Aires.
- When: Start in September or October. You get the end of the dry season in Peru and Bolivia, and reach Patagonia in November just as it opens up for summer.
Colombia (13 nights)
Colombia is the best introduction to South America, with colonial towns, Caribbean beaches and some of the friendliest people on the continent.
- Bogotá (2): street art in La Candelaria, the Gold Museum and the cable car up Monserrate.
- Cartagena (3): the walled old town, the colourful streets of Getsemaní and a boat day out to the Rosario Islands.
- Santa Marta (5): beaches and jungle trails in Tayrona National Park, and coffee farms and waterfalls in Minca.
- Medellín (3): the escalators and street art of Comuna 13, and a day trip to climb El Peñol at Guatapé.
From Medellín, fly to Quito, most likely with a connection in Bogotá.
Ecuador (9 nights)
Ecuador is small, easy to get around and home to one of the best wildlife destinations in the world.
- Quito (3): the colonial old town, then a day trip to Cotopaxi National Park, a beautiful reserve around one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.
- Galápagos Islands (6): two or three days on each of the main islands, with sea lions on the beaches, giant tortoises and snorkelling with turtles and reef sharks.
You don’t need a cruise or a tour to see the Galápagos. Island hopping between San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz on your own is far cheaper, and it’s how the majority of my clients do it.
You need to return to the mainland before moving on. Fly back to Guayaquil in the south, then on to Lima.
Peru (11 nights)
Peru is the big one for most people, who want to tick Machu Picchu off their bucket list.
- Lima (2): the food capital of South America. Ceviche for lunch, then sunset over the Pacific in Miraflores and Barranco.
- Sacred Valley (3): Inca terraces at Pisac, the circular terraces of Moray and the Maras salt pans. It’s lower than Cusco, so it’s the best place to start adjusting to the altitude.
- Machu Picchu (2): stay in Aguas Calientes so you can be at the site early, before the day-trippers arrive.
- Cusco (4): the old Inca capital, with cobbled streets, markets and a day trip to Rainbow Mountain.
From Cusco, fly to La Paz (1h).
My Cusco and Machu Picchu itinerary has day-by-day plans.
Bolivia (6 nights)
The Bolivia section of this two month adventure is short and sweet.
- La Paz (3): the highest capital in the world. Ride the cable cars across the city and see the Valle de la Luna. Try biking down Death Road if you’re after something more exciting.
- Uyuni Salt Flats (3): fly to Uyuni, then take the 3-day tour across the salt flats, past red lagoons, flamingos and geysers, finishing at the border with Chile.
Top tip: As a travel planner, I’m always looking for efficient routes. The Uyuni Salt Flats tour is an overland tour that drops you at the border with Chile. From there it’s a 45-minute bus to San Pedro de Atacama. Zero flights, money saved, and you’re in Chile.
Chile (10 nights)
Chile takes you from the driest desert in the world to the most famous national park in Patagonia.
- San Pedro de Atacama (4): the Valle de la Luna, salt lagoons, the El Tatio geysers at sunrise and some of the best stargazing on the planet.
- Santiago (2): a break between the desert and Patagonia, with a vineyard visit if you want one. The flights connect here anyway, and a transit night is usually needed regardless.
- Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine (4): hike to the Base of the Towers and take the boat to Grey Glacier. Hire a car in Puerto Natales for the most freedom.
From Puerto Natales, you can bus across the border into Argentinian Patagonia. It takes around six hours and drops you in El Calafate.
Argentina (11 nights)
Finish the trip with the best hiking in Patagonia, then a few days of steak and tango.
- El Calafate (3): walk the boardwalks in front of the Perito Moreno Glacier.
- El Chaltén (4): Argentina’s hiking capital. Laguna de los Tres under Mount Fitz Roy is the big one. My guide to how many days in El Calafate and El Chaltén covers the hikes.
- Buenos Aires (4): tango shows, Palermo’s restaurants and the Recoleta Cemetery, before your flight home.
Route B: South To North (Rio To Lima)
- Best for: UK, US and Australian travellers. Australians have direct flights to Santiago, and it’s a short hop from there to Rio to start the trip.
- When: Start in March or April. You get late summer in Brazil, autumn colours in Patagonia and reach Peru just as the dry season begins.
Brazil (11 nights)
Start with beaches, jungle and one of the natural wonders of the world.
- Rio de Janeiro (5): Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain at sunset and the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana.
- Ilha Grande (3): a car-free island of jungle trails and beaches. Lopes Mendes is one of the best beaches in Brazil.
- Iguazu Falls (3): see both sides of the falls. The Brazilian side for the panoramic views, the Argentinian side to walk right over the top of them.
My 1 month Brazil itinerary covers Rio and Ilha Grande in more detail.
Argentina (20 nights)
Argentina gets the most time on this route, from wine country to the lakes and glaciers of Patagonia.
- Buenos Aires (4): tango, steak and the neighbourhoods of Palermo, Recoleta and San Telmo.
- Mendoza (4): March and April is harvest season, the best time of year to visit the vineyards. Ride the Maipú wine bike route between bodegas.
- Bariloche (5): Argentina’s Lake District. Cycle the Circuito Chico loop and hike to Refugio Frey.
- El Calafate (3): the Perito Moreno Glacier.
- El Chaltén (4): hike to Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre.
My 1 month Argentina itinerary goes into every one of these stops, and how many days in Mendoza helps you plan the wine country.
Chile (10 nights)
Cross the border by bus into Chilean Patagonia, then fly north to the desert.
- Torres del Paine (4): the Base of the Towers hike and Grey Glacier.
- Santiago (2): a rest stop between Patagonia and the desert.
- San Pedro de Atacama (4): salt lagoons, geysers and stargazing.
You’re basically doing the reverse of Route A here.
Uyuni Salt Flats tours can also start in Atacama. They pick you up, take you across the border into Bolivia to see the salt flats, then drop you in the town of Uyuni.
Bolivia and Lake Titicaca (7 nights)
With this south to north route, I’ve adapted it to show you different ways of travelling. You can continue overland from La Paz to Lake Titicaca to reach Peru.
- Uyuni Salt Flats (3): the 3-day tour starts right from San Pedro de Atacama and finishes in Uyuni.
- La Paz (2): cable cars and markets.
- Lake Titicaca (2): Isla del Sol from Copacabana on the Bolivian side.
From Lake Titicaca, you can bus across the border into Peru to the town of Puno. From there you can take the bus or train to Cusco.
Peru (12 nights)
- Puno to Cusco by train: one of the great train journeys in South America, a full day across the high plains. PeruRail’s Titicaca train only runs a few days a week, so plan around it.
- Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu (7): Inca sites, markets and the big one.
- Amazon (3): fly from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado for three nights in a jungle lodge.
- Lima (2): finish with the best food of the trip, then fly home.
Make The Route Your Own
Both routes are fast. Six countries in two months means a travel day every few days, so think about what suits you:
- Want to slow down? Drop a country. Cutting Colombia from Route A gives you an extra two weeks for the rest.
- Want the Galápagos on Route B? Swap it in for the Amazon, flying from Lima via Guayaquil.
- Want more time? My 10 week South America itinerary and 3 month itinerary show what the extra weeks add.
South America Trip Planning Service
Kathy and John flew in from Los Angeles for two months in five countries, and did a very similar route to Route B.
They wanted two months across South America but had no idea where to start.
The agencies were expensive, the cruises rushed through the cities, and planning it themselves meant endless connections, border crossings and neighbourhood research.
Kathy sent me a rough outline and I turned it into a day-by-day itinerary, with the right neighbourhood picked in every city and the practical advice on borders, transport and safety covered.
The stress went out of the planning and they could focus on looking forward to the trip.
In Kathy’s words: “Looking back, I can’t imagine having done this trip without Joe’s guidance”
Planning a trip this long means dozens of flights, buses, hotels and border crossings. If you’d rather have an expert design it for you, here’s how the planning service works.
Two Months South America Itinerary: Region Deep Dive
Not every two month trip needs to cover the whole continent. If you’re travelling from December to February, it’s rainy season in the Andes, so I usually keep clients in the south, where it’s summer.
Here are two itineraries I’ve planned for clients travelling in early 2027.
Chile And Argentina (Paul And Alison)
Paul and Alison are flying from the UK for nine weeks in Chile and Argentina, from mid-January to March.
- Chile: Santiago, the Atacama Desert, Easter Island, Puerto Varas and the Lake District, then Torres del Paine and Punta Arenas.
- Argentina: Ushuaia, El Calafate, El Chaltén and Bariloche, then a road trip up the Seven Lakes Route to Mendoza.
- The finish: Iguazu Falls, Península Valdés for the wildlife, then Buenos Aires.
What makes it different is Easter Island and the road trip. Four days driving north from Bariloche through the lakes and volcanoes to wine country is something most visitors never see.
Hotels come to £7,851 to £10,416 for the two of them, depending on the options they pick.
My Chile and Argentina itinerary shows shorter versions of this route.
Chile, Argentina And Brazil (Ellen And Lynn)
Ellen and Lynn are flying from the US for nine weeks, from mid-January to mid-March.
- Chile: Santiago, the Atacama Desert, Puerto Varas and Torres del Paine, with four self-drive sections across the trip.
- Argentina and Uruguay: Ushuaia, El Chaltén, El Calafate and Buenos Aires, with a ferry across to Montevideo.
- The wildlife: an overnight bus north to the Iberá Wetlands, one of the best places in Argentina to see capybaras, caimans and hundreds of species of birds.
- Brazil: Iguazu Falls from both sides, then Paraty, Ilha Grande and five nights in Rio.
Accommodation comes to £5,496 to £8,162 for the two of them, and transport, including seven flights and four hire cars, another £2,732.
My Brazil, Argentina and Chile itinerary has another version of this route.
If you’d like me to plan a two month route like these for you, here’s how the planning service works.
When’s The Best Time To Spend 2 Months In South America?
South America has a variety of seasons and micro-climates, so there’s no single best month. For a two month trip, the time of year decides which route you take:
- September to November: Route A, north to south. Peru and Bolivia are dry, and Patagonia opens for the season by the time you get there.
- March to May: Route B, south to north. Patagonia is quieter with autumn colours, and you reach Peru as the dry season starts.
- December to February: stay in the south. It’s peak summer in Patagonia, but rainy season in Peru and Bolivia, and the Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance. The two itineraries above are built for these months.
- June to August: stay in the north. It’s winter in Patagonia and parts of it shut down, but it’s the best time for Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. My Colombia, Ecuador and Peru itinerary is the one for these months.
A few regions work all year round. The Atacama Desert, the Galápagos and Rio are good in any month, so they’re easy to fit in whichever route you take.
My guide to the best time to visit South America goes month by month.
How Much Does 2 Months In South America Cost?
Two months in South America costs roughly £8,500 to £10,500 per person, including international flights. That’s based on hotels at around £75 a night and about £2,000 a month on everything else.
Travelling as a couple or with a friend? The accommodation cost can be halved, and usually is. That brings it down to around £6,500 to £8,000 each.
So if you’re a couple planning two months across the continent, I usually cost trips up at around £10,000 to £16,000 in total.
Here is where it goes, per person:
| Per person | Cost |
|---|---|
| Accommodation (60 nights) | £4,200 to £4,800 |
| Food and drink | £1,400 to £1,800 |
| Internal flights (8 to 9) | £1,000 to £1,200 |
| Tours and entry fees | £900 to £1,100 |
| Buses and transfers | £250 to £350 |
| Ground total | £7,750 to £9,250 |
| International flights | £900 to £1,200 |
- Accommodation is 60 hotel nights at £70 to £80 a night, the full room rate. Sharing a room halves it.
- Tours and entry fees cover Machu Picchu and the train, the Uyuni salt flats tour, Torres del Paine, the Perito Moreno Glacier and Iguazu Falls.
- The Galápagos isn’t included. The flights, the US$200 national park fee and island hotels add roughly £1,000 to £2,000 each.
Two things move the number more than anything else:
- Patagonia. Chile and Argentina are the most expensive countries on both routes, especially in El Chaltén and Torres del Paine.
- Internal flights. Eight or nine flights add up. Booking early makes the biggest difference.
If you want to bring the cost down, you can. A few tips:
- Stick to fewer countries for longer.
- Travel overland by bus rather than flying.
- Spend more time in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, which are the cheaper countries.
- Skip the Galápagos. It’s an expensive add-on.
- Shorten the trip. Rather than two months, aim for four or six weeks.
You might also find these posts useful:
Six Week South America Itinerary · 7 Week South America Itinerary · 1 Month South America Itinerary
South America Trip Planning
If you’re planning two months in South America and want an expert to design the route, here’s how the planning service works.
FAQs
Yes. Two months is enough to see five or six countries at a highlights pace, covering Machu Picchu, the Uyuni salt flats, the Atacama Desert and Patagonia in one trip. If you’d rather go slower, two months also works well for two or three countries in depth.
It depends on when you’re going. Start in the north in September or October, and in the south in March or April. That way you arrive in each region when the weather is at its best, and reach Patagonia when it’s open.
Roughly £8,500 to £10,500 per person, including international flights, based on hotels at around £75 a night. Sharing a room as a couple brings it down to around £6,500 to £8,000 each. Accommodation and internal flights are the biggest costs.
Yes. Route A includes six nights on the Galápagos, and you can visit without a cruise by island hopping between San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz. It’s one of the most expensive parts of any South America trip, so budget for it separately.
Mostly fly. The distances are huge, and two months goes quickly. Buses work well for shorter hops, like Puerto Natales to El Calafate, and the Uyuni tour takes care of the border between Bolivia and Chile.
UK passport holders can visit every country on these routes visa-free. US and Australian passport holders need an eVisa for Brazil, and US citizens also need a visa for Bolivia. Check the UK Foreign Office travel advice or your own government’s equivalent for the latest entry rules before you book.
