Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dotted path is schematic (great-circle-ish arcs between stops), not a transport route.
Stop by stop
Click a stop (or its pin on the map) for costs, country facts and what to do there.
1Medellín ColombiaComuna 13, Guatape, coworking if you need it.6 nights
$570 mid
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0The city of eternal spring, a metro that transformed it and South America's biggest nomad scene.
Medellin's story, from the most dangerous city in the world in 1991 to a model of urban reinvention, is the one every visitor hears, and the cable cars, library parks and the metro that tell it are worth a day. The reason people stay is the climate (22 to 28°C every day of the year), the green valley setting, the…
- Daily budget
- $38–$208 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $570 6 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Dec, Jan, Feb, Jun, Jul, Aug
- Internet
- 120 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Comuna 13 graffiti tour Escalators, murals and the story of the transformation; go with a local guide.
- Metrocable to Parque Arvi The cable car over the hillside barrios to a forest park.
- Guatape and El Peñol The 740-step rock above a lake, 2 hours away.
- Plaza Botero and the Museo de Antioquia The fat bronzes and the city's art.
Colombia: practical facts
- Currency
- Colombian peso (COP) · 3,222.51 COP/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish; English in tourism and among professionals
- Plugs and voltage
- A, B (110 V)
- Tap water
- Safe in Bogotá and Medellín; bottled on the coast
- Emergency
- 123
- U.S. advisory
- Level 3
Full destination guide →Colombia country guide →Visa rules →
2Salento (coffee region) ColombiaCocora valley wax palms, coffee farms.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Salento (coffee region) yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Medellín (about 180 km).
Colombia: practical facts
- Currency
- Colombian peso (COP) · 3,222.51 COP/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish; English in tourism and among professionals
- Plugs and voltage
- A, B (110 V)
- Tap water
- Safe in Bogotá and Medellín; bottled on the coast
- Emergency
- 123
- U.S. advisory
- Level 3
bus · about 8.0 hours
3Bogota ColombiaGold Museum, La Candelaria, Monserrate.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Bogota yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Medellín (about 240 km).
Colombia: practical facts
- Currency
- Colombian peso (COP) · 3,222.51 COP/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish; English in tourism and among professionals
- Plugs and voltage
- A, B (110 V)
- Tap water
- Safe in Bogotá and Medellín; bottled on the coast
- Emergency
- 123
- U.S. advisory
- Level 3
flight · about 1.5 hours
4Cartagena ColombiaWalled city, Getsemani, Rosario islands.4 nights
$464 mid
Photo: Laslovarga · CC BY-SA 4.0Walled Caribbean beauty, Getsemani's street life and the Rosario islands offshore.
Cartagena's walled old town is the most beautiful colonial city in the Americas: bougainvillea balconies, plazas, the fortress of San Felipe and a Caribbean sea wall to walk at sunset. Getsemani, once the barrio outside the walls, is now the backpacker and nightlife quarter with its own charm; Bocagrande is a strip of…
- Daily budget
- $43–$255 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $464 4 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
- Internet
- 60 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- The walled city and the ramparts at sunset Cafe del Mar is the cliche; the walls near Baluarte de Santo Domingo are free.
- Getsemani's Plaza de la Trinidad The evening gathering, street food and music.
- Castillo San Felipe The largest Spanish fortress in the Americas; go early.
- Rosario islands Snorkelling and beach clubs; Isla Grande and Baru for overnight.
Colombia: practical facts
- Currency
- Colombian peso (COP) · 3,222.51 COP/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish; English in tourism and among professionals
- Plugs and voltage
- A, B (110 V)
- Tap water
- Safe in Bogotá and Medellín; bottled on the coast
- Emergency
- 123
- U.S. advisory
- Level 3
Full destination guide →Colombia country guide →Visa rules →
bus · about 4.0 hours
5Santa Marta and Tayrona ColombiaTayrona park beaches, Minca, optional Lost City trek.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Santa Marta and Tayrona yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Cartagena (about 170 km).
Colombia: practical facts
- Currency
- Colombian peso (COP) · 3,222.51 COP/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish; English in tourism and among professionals
- Plugs and voltage
- A, B (110 V)
- Tap water
- Safe in Bogotá and Medellín; bottled on the coast
- Emergency
- 123
- U.S. advisory
- Level 3
flight to Quito via Bogota · about 5.0 hours
6Quito ECOld town, the equator, Cotopaxi day trip.4 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Quito or its country yet, so there are no cost, climate or visa figures for this stop; the route notes describe what it involves.
bus · about 3.5 hours
7Banos and Cuenca ECWaterfalls and the swing at the end of the world; Cuenca's colonial calm.6 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Banos and Cuenca or its country yet, so there are no cost, climate or visa figures for this stop; the route notes describe what it involves.
bus across the border to Huaraz via Trujillo · about 20.0 hours
8Huaraz PeruLaguna 69, Santa Cruz trek, the Cordillera Blanca.4 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Huaraz yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Lima (about 290 km).
Peru: practical facts
- Currency
- Peruvian sol (PEN) · 3.45 PEN/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish; Quechua and Aymara in the Andes; English in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- A, C (220 V)
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Emergency
- 105 police, 116 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 2
bus · about 8.0 hours
9Lima PeruCeviche, Barranco, Miraflores cliffs.4 nights
$400 mid
Photo: Alec Gamoff · CC BY 2.0The gastronomic capital of the Americas on a desert cliff above the Pacific.
Lima is the city travellers used to skip on the way to Cusco and now plan trips around: a food scene that has put Peruvian cooking on the world's map, from ceviche counters to the restaurants on every global list, a cliff-top district (Miraflores and Barranco) above the surf, pre-Inca pyramids inside the city, a…
- Daily budget
- $38–$212 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $400 4 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
- Internet
- 100 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Miraflores malecon The cliff-top parks, paragliders and the Pacific at sunset.
- Barranco The Bridge of Sighs, street art, bars and the Museo Pedro de Osma.
- Huaca Pucllana A pre-Inca adobe pyramid in the middle of Miraflores.
- Centro Historico Plaza de Armas, the San Francisco catacombs, the Casa de Aliaga.
Peru: practical facts
- Currency
- Peruvian sol (PEN) · 3.45 PEN/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish; Quechua and Aymara in the Andes; English in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- A, C (220 V)
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Emergency
- 105 police, 116 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 2
bus · about 4.0 hours
10Huacachina and Nazca PeruDune buggies, the Nazca lines flight.2 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Huacachina and Nazca yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Lima (about 270 km).
Peru: practical facts
- Currency
- Peruvian sol (PEN) · 3.45 PEN/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish; Quechua and Aymara in the Andes; English in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- A, C (220 V)
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Emergency
- 105 police, 116 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 2
night bus · about 10.0 hours
11Arequipa and Colca Canyon PeruWhite city, condors, the canyon trek.4 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Arequipa and Colca Canyon yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Cusco (about 320 km).
Peru: practical facts
- Currency
- Peruvian sol (PEN) · 3.45 PEN/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish; Quechua and Aymara in the Andes; English in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- A, C (220 V)
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Emergency
- 105 police, 116 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 2
bus · about 10.0 hours
12Cusco PeruAcclimatise, Sacred Valley, Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu.10 nights
$920 mid
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0The Inca capital at 3,400 metres, and the only sensible place to wait for your lungs before Machu Picchu.
Cusco was the centre of the Inca world and the Spanish built their churches on its temples' foundations, which is why the streets of the old town are lined with perfect Inca masonry under colonial balconies. It is the base for Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, the Salkantay and Ausangate treks and Rainbow Mountain, and…
- Daily budget
- $38–$211 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $920 10 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
- Internet
- 40 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Machu Picchu Book entry (and the Huayna Picchu or Montana add-ons) weeks to months ahead; the circuits are timed.
- Sacred Valley Pisac market and ruins, Ollantaytambo's fortress, Moray and the Maras salt pans.
- Sacsayhuaman The zigzag walls above the city; walk up through San Blas.
- Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) A 5,000 m day trip; acclimatise first.
Peru: practical facts
- Currency
- Peruvian sol (PEN) · 3.45 PEN/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish; Quechua and Aymara in the Andes; English in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- A, C (220 V)
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Emergency
- 105 police, 116 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 2
bus · about 7.0 hours
13Lake Titicaca (Puno and Copacabana) PeruUros islands, Isla del Sol.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Lake Titicaca (Puno and Copacabana) yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Cusco (about 330 km).
Peru: practical facts
- Currency
- Peruvian sol (PEN) · 3.45 PEN/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish; Quechua and Aymara in the Andes; English in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- A, C (220 V)
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Emergency
- 105 police, 116 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 2
bus · about 4.0 hours
14La Paz BOCable cars, the Death Road by bike, the witches' market.4 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for La Paz or its country yet, so there are no cost, climate or visa figures for this stop; the route notes describe what it involves. Nearest profiled destination: Cusco (about 530 km).
bus · about 12.0 hours
15Uyuni salt flats to San Pedro de Atacama BOThree-day jeep tour across the salar and lagoons into Chile.5 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Uyuni salt flats to San Pedro de Atacama or its country yet, so there are no cost, climate or visa figures for this stop; the route notes describe what it involves.
bus · about 10.0 hours
16Salta ArgentinaQuebrada de Humahuaca, empanadas, Cafayate wines.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Salta yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level.
Argentina: practical facts
- Currency
- Argentine peso (ARS) · 1,547.00 ARS/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish (Rioplatense); English in Buenos Aires
- Plugs and voltage
- C, I (220 V)
- Tap water
- Safe in Buenos Aires
- Emergency
- 911 (Buenos Aires), 101 police, 107 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
night bus · about 18.0 hours
17Mendoza ArgentinaMalbec by bicycle, Aconcagua views.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Mendoza yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level.
Argentina: practical facts
- Currency
- Argentine peso (ARS) · 1,547.00 ARS/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish (Rioplatense); English in Buenos Aires
- Plugs and voltage
- C, I (220 V)
- Tap water
- Safe in Buenos Aires
- Emergency
- 911 (Buenos Aires), 101 police, 107 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
flight or overnight bus · about 14.0 hours
18Buenos Aires ArgentinaTango, steak, San Telmo, a ferry to Colonia.7 nights
$735 mid
Photo: Luis Argerich from Buenos Aires, Argentina · CC BY 2.0Paris on the Rio de la Plata: steak, tango, bookshops and a long tourist stamp.
Buenos Aires is the most European city in the Americas and the most Argentine city anywhere: grand avenues and cafes notables, the Recoleta cemetery, San Telmo's Sunday market, Palermo's tree-lined streets of bars and boutiques, football at La Bombonera, steak at a parrilla at 10 p.m. and tango in a milonga at…
- Daily budget
- $40–$223 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $735 7 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov
- Internet
- 100 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- San Telmo Sunday market and Plaza Dorrego Antiques, street tango, the Defensa street crowd.
- Recoleta cemetery Evita's tomb and a city of marble.
- La Boca and Caminito Painted houses and the Bombonera stadium; stay on the tourist streets.
- A milonga Tango danced by locals: La Viruta, Salon Canning, or a class first.
Argentina: practical facts
- Currency
- Argentine peso (ARS) · 1,547.00 ARS/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Spanish (Rioplatense); English in Buenos Aires
- Plugs and voltage
- C, I (220 V)
- Tap water
- Safe in Buenos Aires
- Emergency
- 911 (Buenos Aires), 101 police, 107 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
Full destination guide →Argentina country guide →Visa rules →
Month one: Colombia and Ecuador
Medellin (6 nights), the coffee region at Salento (3), Bogota (3), then fly to the Caribbean coast: Cartagena, Santa Marta and Tayrona (7). Fly to Quito (4) and bus south through the Avenue of the Volcanoes to Banos and Cuenca (6), with the Galapagos as an expensive but singular detour.
Month two: Peru
Cross to Peru and bus to Huaraz for the Cordillera Blanca (4), Lima for food (4), Huacachina and Nazca (2), Arequipa and Colca Canyon (4), then Cusco and the Sacred Valley with a trek to Machu Picchu (10). Lake Titicaca (3) crosses into Bolivia.
Month three: Bolivia, Chile, Argentina
La Paz and the Death Road (4), Sucre or Potosi (3), the three-day Uyuni salt-flat jeep tour ending in San Pedro de Atacama (5), then bus or fly to Salta (3), Mendoza's wine (3), and Buenos Aires to finish (7). Patagonia (El Chalten, El Calafate, Torres del Paine) needs another month or a dedicated flight south; many split it off as its own trip.
Practical notes
Visas: all six countries admit most Western passports visa-free for 90 days (Bolivia requires a visa for US citizens, obtainable on arrival for a fee). Altitude: Quito, Cusco, Titicaca, La Paz and Uyuni are all above 2,800 m; build the route to ascend gradually and carry insurance that covers it. Buses: Cruz del Sur, Oltursa and the cama classes in Argentina are comfortable; Bolivian buses are not. Budget: Colombia, Peru and Bolivia are cheap; Chile and Argentina (depending on the peso) cost more; the mid figure includes a Salkantay trek, the Uyuni tour and the Colca Canyon. Season: the Andean dry season (May to September) is best for trekking; the shoulder months avoid the worst cold and crowds.