What’s The Best Travel Route THrough Bolivia, CHile & Argentina?
The travel routes between Bolivia, Chile and Argentina are pretty straightforward, making visiting these countries easy.
There’s two main routes I’d recommend, one focussing on the north of Chile and Argentina, and the other which takes you south to Patagonia:
| Itinerary | Highlights | Perfect For... |
|---|---|---|
|
1. Bolivia, North Chile and North Argentina |
La Paz, Uyuni, Atacama, Mendoza & Salta |
Budget travellers or those who want to see the wine regions |
|
2. Bolivia & Patagonia |
La Paz, Uyuni , Atacama, Torres Del Paine, El Calafate, El Chalten |
Hike and nature enthusiasts |
Route #1 - Bolivia, Chile and Argentina Itinerary
This route starts in La Paz makes it way down to Uyuni, crossing the border here to Chile. This is a common route and efficient as the Uyuni Salt Flat tour drops you at the Chilean border.
Here is the complete Bolivia, Chile and North Argentina itinerary:
| Stop | Location | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
La Paz |
Walking Tour, Teleferico Cable Cars, Death Road |
|
2 |
Amazon |
2-Night / 3-Day River Tour |
|
3 |
Uyuni |
2-Night / 3-Day Salt Flat Tour |
|
4 |
Atacama Desert |
El Tatio Geyser Field, Valley of the Moon, Salt Lagoons |
|
5 |
Santiago |
Winery Tours |
|
6 |
Mendoza |
Winery Tours, Aconcagua Mountain |
|
7 |
Salta |
Rainbow Mountain |
|
8 |
Buenos Aires |
Tango Shows, Asado Experience |
“Joe saved us so many hours of research and planning. His expertise turned our stress into a clear, custom itinerary we could actually enjoy.”
Maeve & Martin – 6 Weeks In South America
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Struggling with any of this?
✔ Don’t know where to start planning
✔ Unsure how to pick the best route
✔ Spending hours researching… and still feeling stuck
✔ Want freedom, not a rigid tour
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You don’t have to figure it out solo.
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Bolivia
Stop 1 - La Paz
La Paz is the thriving capital of Bolivia and your first stop on this itinerary.
My favourite activities in La Paz include a day exploring the city and a day or two exploring outside.
Book onto a Red Cap walking tour to explore the sprawl that is La Paz, ride the cable cars around to some incredible viewpoints and then spend the evening enjoying the lively bar and club scene.
You also have one full day of adrenaline-fuelled fun on the Death Road tour. Your heart will be in your mouth as you bike down one of the most dangerous roads in the world.
Another day on a day tour to Lake Titicaca is also a must.
Stop 2 - The Amazon
Visiting the Amazon in Bolivia is much cheaper and easier compared to other countries in South America.
First, you need to get yourself to the town of Rurrenabaque which is either a short 20-minute flight or a 20-hour night bus from La Paz.
From Rurrenabaque you can book a tour taking you into the jungle. Most Amazon tours are 3 days and two nights.
The Pampas tour is the most popular among wildlife lovers. On the tour, your days will be spent on a longboat winding through the tributaries of the Amazon searching for caimans, anacondas, and exotic birds. You can even go swimming with pink river dolphins!
My complete guide to getting to Rurrenabaque and booking an amazon tour can be found here:
Stop 3 - Uyuni Salt Flats
Your next stop is to the town of Uyuni, most famous for the beautiful Salt Flats.
The three-day/two-night tour will take you exploring one of the most surreal landscapes in the world. This is one of the best tours in the whole of South America and shouldn’t be missed.
Day 1 is spent on the actual salt flat taking the all-important perspective and reflection photos before spending a night in the famous salt hotel.
Day 2 takes you out across the high-altitude desert to see even wilder landscapes such as volcanoes, geysers, and beautiful high-altitude lakes full of flamingos.
The salt flats tour then drops you off at the Chilean border where you can take a short bus to the town of San Pedro De Atacama. Nice and easy!
For more on the Uyuni Salt Flat Tour including the best companies to book with, head to the post below:
Chile
Stop 4 - Atacama Desert
Your mind may have just been blown with volcanoes, high-altitude lagoons, and surreal landscapes on the salt flats tour, but it doesn’t stop there.
Just across the border, the Atacama Desert has even more incredible landscapes worth checking out.
Why not rent a car and explore it yourself this time?
You can head to the ‘Valle de la Luna’ to see strange rock formations eroded over millions of years, go sandboarding in ‘Death Valley’ or float in the tranquil salt lagoons of the desert surrounded by mountains and volcanoes.
Check out my 12 reasons why Atacama is a must visit for more information:
Stop 5 - Santiago
Santiago is a long drive away from Atacama so best to take a short 1-hour flight.
Once in the capital you can start with the walking tour to get your bearings and then visit one of the several museums Santiago has to offer.
For any extra days you wish to stay, you can take day trips outside of the city to Valparaiso, go trekking in the mountains or head to one of the many vineyards to try the best of Chilean wine.
If you only want to focus on Chile and Argentina, the three itineraries in the post below can help you:
“Joe turned our fragmented ideas into a seamless itinerary. His expert advice saved us time, money, and stress – making our 3-month trip feel easy.”
Sam & Amy – 3 Months In South America
Planning a trip to
Struggling with any of this?
✔ Don’t know where to start planning
✔ Unsure how to pick the best route
✔ Spent hours researching… and still feeling lost
✔ Want freedom, not a rigid tour
✔ Don’t want to spend $5,000+ on a travel agent
You don’t have to figure it out solo.
I help travellers like you plan custom South America trips that are efficient, affordable, and totally personalised.
Argentina
Stop 6 - Mendoza
It’s a short hop across the border to Mendoza, Argentina’s best wine-producing region.
Whilst here, one of the best things to do is head out to the vineyards, rent a bike, and hit up all the different bodegas on a self-guided tour.
Other activities include trekking around Cerro Aconcagua the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere.
Check out our North Argentina backpacking itinerary for more great ideas on some extra stops you can add to this part of the itinerary:
Stop 7 - Salta
Salta is the biggest city in the northwest of Argentina.
It’s a great place to use as a base for exploring the surrounding region.
You can take a day trips out to Cafayate to enjoy more of the wine region, or head north to Argentina’s famous Rainbow Mountain.
Stop 8 - Buenos Aires or Back to Bolivia
After your time in Salta, you have two options: you can head up Route 9 to visit the awesome towns of Humahuaca, Purmamarca and Tilcara before then crossing the border back into Bolivia.
Or you can travel to Buenos Aires and finish up your trip here.
If you want to return to Bolivia, then the town closest to the border is Humahuaca. Then just across the border in Bolivia is the town of Tupiza. Both towns are worth a day or two and the border crossing is simple.
From Tupiza, it’s a 4-hour bus back to Uyuni where you can travel to other parts of the country such as Sucre or return to La Paz.
Check out both my guides on the border towns for more information:
“Joe saved us so many hours of research and planning. His expertise turned our stress into a clear, custom itinerary we could actually enjoy.”
Maeve & Martin – 6 Weeks In South America
Planning a trip to
Struggling with any of this?
✔ Don’t know where to start planning
✔ Unsure how to pick the best route
✔ Spending hours researching… and still feeling stuck
✔ Want freedom, not a rigid tour
✔ Don’t want to spend $5,000+ on a travel agent
You don’t have to figure it out solo.
I help travellers like you plan custom South America trips that are efficient, affordable, and totally personalised.
Route #2 - Bolivia and Patagonia Itinerary
This route skips over the north of Argentina in favour of Patagonia, hitting all the highlights in the south of Chile and Argentina before ending in Buenos Aires again.
Here is the complete Bolivia and Patagonia itinerary:
| Stop | Location | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
La Paz |
Walking Tour, Teleferico Cable Cars, Death Road |
|
2 |
Amazon |
2-Night / 3-Day River Tour |
|
3 |
Uyuni |
2-Night / 3-Day Salt Flat Tour |
|
4 |
Atacama Desert |
El Tatio Geyser Field, Valley of the Moon, Salt Lagoons |
|
5 |
Santiago |
Winery Tours |
|
6 |
Puerto Natales |
Torres Del Paine National Park |
|
7 |
El Calafate |
Perito Moreno Glacier |
|
8 |
El Chalten |
Mt. Fitzroy, Laguna De Los Tres Hike |
|
9 |
Bariloche |
Refugio Frey, Circuito Chico |
|
10 |
Buenos Aires |
Tango Show, Asado Experience |
Stops 1 -5 - La Paz to Santiago
Follow the exact same route and stops outlined in the previous itinerary.
This itinerary will then diverge after Santiago and head south to Patagonia.
Spending more than a month in South America? Check out our 2-3 month itineraries to plan your route:
Chilean Patagonia
Stop 6 - Puerto Natales / Torres Del Paine National Park
You can use Puerto Natales as a base to travel into Torres Del Paine for day trips, but I highly recommend the W-trek.
This 5-day self-guided trek takes you in the shape of a W – in, out, and around the beautiful Cordillera Paine mountain range.
Argentinian Patagonia
Stop 7 - El Calafate
You are a short border crossing away from Argentina and the town of El Calafate. From here you can visit Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and the epic Puerto Morena Glacier.
You can take in the views of this huge chunk of ice from the visitor centre or take a boat to get up close and personal.
If you are lucky, you may catch a chunk of ice falling off and crashing into the water below.
Is one month in South America too short for you? To see how you can fit Patagonia into a longer South America itinerary, check out the post below that summarises six of the best itineraries I’ve put together:
Stop 8 - El Chalten
After a short stay in El Calafate, head north to the small hiking town of El Chalten. From here you can plan more epic hikes into the beautiful Patagonian wilderness and Glacier National Park.
You can do single-day hikes to Laguna de Los Tres to see the famous Mount Fitzroy or multi-day hikes combining all the different sights and camping among the mountains.
Stop 9 - Bariloche
For the final part of the trip, you need to grab a long bus or flight up to Bariloche, the lake district of Patagonia.
Bariloche offers travellers even more thrilling outdoor activities, incredible hikes, and nature in abundance.
The small swiss-style town is also great and filled with lots of chocolate shops, boutiques, and artisanal breweries.
For more on thus beautiful town, head to the post below:
Stop 10 - Buenos Aires
Finish up with a few city days in Buenos Aires before flying home and you are done! An incredible adventure in Bolivia, Chile and Argentina complete.
If you are planning a trip to South America soon and need some help, check out my trip planning service:
“We ended up with a better itinerary than anything a travel agent suggested – and without the hefty price tag!
Jerry & Maria – 5 Weeks In South America
Planning a trip to
Struggling with any of this?
✔ Don’t know where to start planning
✔ Spending hours researching… and still feeling stuck
✔ Want freedom, not a rigid tour
✔ Don’t want to spend $5,000+ on a travel agent
You don’t have to figure it out solo.
I help travellers like you plan custom South America trips that are efficient, affordable, and totally personalised.
