The ULTIMATE South America Backpacking Guide (2025)

South America: Backpacking at its Finest

Ahhh shiii… what do we have here??

Only the MOST official South America backpacking guide on the internets.

I guarantee it—this guide is FULL of epic routes, hidden gems, and first-hand insights.

Table of Contents

• South America: Backpacking at its Finest

• Your South America Backpacking Trip: The Basics

  • South America Backpacking Budgets

• What You Stand to Gain—And Lose—From a South Ameri …

• The Best South America Backpacking Routes

• The Ideal South America Itinerary

• FAQ

  • Is South America Safe to Travel To?

• Dive In, Head First

From the highs of breathtaking landscapes to the lows of dodgy situations, I've lived the full South American experience.

Here’s what that looked like:

• Stabbings in Bogota

• Motorcycle Diaries, Colombia

• Getting lost in sketchy northern Lima at night with no phone/map and ALL my life’s possessions on me (my one bag)

• Getting stranded alone after midnight with no place to stay in a frigid border town in Argentina after crossing the border in the snow

• Slept in a NASCAR bed with chickens crowing outside—IN THE CITY (in Chile)

• Many, many side quests

And much more. For research purposes.

To help inform you of where to go, where to avoid, how to stay safe, and how to make this the trip of a lifetime.

I first traveled to South America in 2021 with little Spanish and no clue as to what this continent held. A dollar and a dream.

Traveling the continent solo for six months, I’ve since returned and have been living in Colombia for nearly a year.

Avoid my mistakes, and crush your South America backpacking trip.

Let’s dive in.

Your South America Backpacking Trip: The Basics

A few questions to ask yourself before embarking:

• How long will your South American backpacking trip be?
  

• Will you travel solo or have a travel partner?
  

• Which places are musts and which are nice-to-sees?
  

• How comfortable are you being alone, meeting new people, and navigating challenges?
  
  Note: your trip will drastically improve your skills in each of these areas, so it’s okay if you’re not expert level…

South America Backpacking Budgets

You should also ask yourself to type of traveler you will be.

This will inform your budget—or perhaps the other way around.

If you’re roughing it and embracing the true backpacker grind, here’s how to do it on the cheap...

💸 1. The Classic Backpacker (Shoestring Budget)

Think hostels, long-distance buses, and carrying all of your sh*t in one big backpack. Backpacking in its purest, grittiest form.

• Daily Budget: $20 - $40

• Monthly Budget: $600 - $1,200

Breakdown of Daily Budget:

• Accommodation: $5 - $15 (hostel dorms, Couchsurfing)

• Food: $5 - $10 (street food, cooking in the hostel)

• Transport: $3 - $8 (long-distance buses, public transport)

• Activities: $5 - $10 (free walking tours, hikes)

• Extras: $2 - $7 (SIM cards, laundry, occasional drinks)

Your cheapest countries will be Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia (in certain parts). You can linger in these places longer before hitting the highlights of the pricier countries.

For those with a more stable lifestyle (perhaps you have an income and don’t want to be so rushed)…

🧑‍💻 2. The Digital Nomad / Slow Traveler

Think month-long stays, extended visas, and striking a balance between exploration and stability.

• Daily Budget: $40 - $80

• Monthly Budget: $1,200 - $2,400

Breakdown of Daily Budget:

• Accommodation: $15 - $30 (Airbnb apartments)

• Food: $10 - $20 (mix of cooking, cafes, occasional eating out)

• Transport: $3 - $10 (local transit, occasional flights)

• Activities: $5 - $15 (weekend trips, coworking spaces)

• Extras: $5 - $10 (SIM/data plans, subscriptions, gym/coworking)

My average monthly expenses as a digital nomad in South America was $1500. This could go up or down by a few hundred depending on the location.

Most livable countries in my experience have been Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia.

And lastly, to the traveler seeking top-notch luxury at an unbeatable price…

💼 3. The Luxury Traveler

South America has excellent luxury offerings, and at a better price than the US and Europe.

Your money goes way further—luxury hotels, spas, flights, private guides.

Spend $3000/month (less than many people spend to live a normal life in the US) and you’re balling.

• Daily Budget: $100 - $300+

• Monthly Budget: $3,000 - $9,000+

Breakdown of Daily Budget:

• Accommodation: $50 - $200 (boutique hotels, upscale Airbnbs)

• Food: $30 - $100 (fine dining, craft cocktails, high-end cafes)

• Transport: $20 - $100 (domestic flights, private transfers)

• Activities: $20 - $50+ (guided tours, private experiences)

• Extras: $10 - $50+ (spa treatments, luxury souvenirs)

What You Stand to Gain—And Lose—From a South America Backpacking Trip

There’s no coming back from a trip like this unchanged. You’ll learn more from a month on the road than a year in your comfort zone.

The longer the trip, the more amplified this effect.

Sounds dramatic—it’s true.

It will bring drastic positive change—but at a cost. Allow me to explain:

A few things are guaranteed on your journey.

You WILL encounter:

• challenges

• solitude (or loneliness, rather)

• the need to put yourself out there

• getting lost

• buses/flights being canceled, i.e. the need to quickly problem-solve

• new cultures, languages, and people

• people who think entirely differently than you

• frequently (if not always) being out of your comfort zone

And much more. This is part of backpacking, especially in regions of the world with less development, stability, and modernity.

I didn’t say this would be easy.

BUT…

As a result of the above, you stand to gain:

• Resilience and being calm under pressure

• Senses of wonder, adventure, and awe

• The ability to be alone with yourself

• Comfort meeting others and making friends

• A massive expansion of your mind

• Navigation and problem-solving skills

• A life-changing experience

In my view, these lead to a much richer life in all aspects.

However, by experiencing this, you stand to lose:

• Friends and the ability to relate to people back home

• Your old ways of thinking

• Small thinking and limits you’ve placed on yourself

• The bubble you may have grown up in

• The ability to be satisfied by the “normal life”—a 9-5, hometown, commuting, etc.

In turns out that traveling gives us a whole lotta dopamine. Post-travel depression is real, as a result of this.

What do most people do when they cut out a behavior and begin to feel the slump? Go back for more.

This may scare some people away. That’s good. This is raw truth.

Others will say sign me up.

If you’re the latter, let’s continue…

The Best South America Backpacking Routes

So you’re pretty sure you want to travel South America for X amount of weeks/months.

We’ll get into itineraries for varying lengths of time below.

For now, let’s look at four epic routes.

1. The Classic Gringo Trail: South American Highlights

All of the essentials in one circuit.

You get the top spots in each country…

• Colombia’s vibrant cities and coast

• Ecuador’s colonial capital and volcanic national park

• Peru’s cuisine in Lima, epic Machu Picchu, and Huaraz

• Bolivia’s record-setting-altitude capital plus the famous salt flat

• Chile’s coast and Valparaiso

• Argentinian Patagonia, Euro-Latin fusion of Buenos Aires, and the southern-most city in the world: Ushuaia

We left Brazil out because that’s it’s own beast, but you could easily tack on São Paolo or Rio, with direct flights from Buenos Aires.

This route is frequently traveled for good reason.

The top gems of one of the most beautiful and dynamic continents? Big yes.

You won’t regret this one.

2. Beach All Day Every Day: South America’s Best Beaches

I’ve met many a European escaping winter. The last thing they want to see is a cloud. They just want to be happy.

I don’t blame ‘em. Let’s get you set up…

South America’s vast coastlines set you up for success in each country.

Colombia’s coast—Rosario islands near Cartagena, Santa Marta and Tayrona.

Ecuador’s beaches and islands—Galapagos, to namedrop that gem.

Peru’s excellent (and affordable—like, $7/night) beachside hostels in the likes of Trujillo.

Chile’s beach towns off of the Atacama desert.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention possibly the best beaches in the hemisphere—those of Brazil.

3. World-Class Hiking: An Appetite for Altitude

If you’re like me, you prefer to stay in temperate, elevated places with insane mountain views.

Think Bogotá, Colombia’s coffee region, La Paz, Huaraz, Cusco, Patagonia.

Hikers will experience non-stop breathtaking landscapes on this one.

So much so that, dare I say, a snow-capped mountain behind a turquoise lake may even become… normal.

I’m talking…

• Cotopaxi, Ecuador

• Huaraz, Peru (possibly the world’s top hiking after the Himalayas)

• San Martin de los Andes, Argentina

• Ushuaia’s damn-near south pole snowcaps

• Rio’s mountain-backed beaches

This route is an endless montage of absolute postcard views.

4. The Bold Trail: Hidden Gems & Slept-On Locations in South America

For gangsters only...

Some locations like Caracas are as edgy as it gets and will leave you with maximum street cred.

Others are simply lesser-traveled but still great—like Asunción and Salta.

Regardless, you do this route, you WILL experience things 99% of people never will. For better or for worse.

Instead of Colombia’s touristy Cartagena and Medellín, we’re heading to Barranquilla and Cali.

We hit the Amazon, some smaller Bolivian cities, central Argentina, and big but less-traveled Brazilian cities.

The Ideal South America Itinerary

Your itinerary will greatly impact how you experience South America.

Knowing we’ll never be perfect—let’s attempt to nail the ideal itinerary.

South America Itinerary: 2 Weeks

If I had two weeks, I’d pick two countries MAX.

(In reality, I’d pick one, but some people focus on how many places they’ve visited instead of the depth they experienced in each—and I respect that).

This continent is deceptively massive and travel distances are often huge.

You could do a Colombia-Ecuador combo, Ecuador-Peru, the classic Argentina-Chile, Peru-Bolivia… really any combination of ideally neighboring countries.

Here are two examples.

2 Week Itinerary: Argentina & Chile

• Days 1-3: Arrive and explore in Buenos Aires

• Days 4-5: Fly to Bariloche, spend a day hiking

• Days 6-7: Take the bus (best bus ride I’ve ever taken) to San Martin de los Andes. Enjoy the lake and small town.

• Day 8: Bus to Santiago, Chile

• Days 9-13: Options, depending on how much energy you have left:

  • Torres Del Paine National Park (though I strongly recommend saving this for its own trip, and do the 5-day W-Trek)

  • Ushuaia: the southern-most city at the end of the earth

  • Valparaiso (easiest): nice coastal town near Santiago

• Day 14: Return to Santiago for flights home

2 Week Itinerary: Peru and Bolivia

• Days 1-3: Arrive and explore in Lima. Eat too much ceviche, lomo saltado, and arroz chaufa.

• Days 4-7: Bus to Huaraz for epic hiking

• Days 8-12: Cusco and Machu Picchu

• Days 12-13: Head to Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia via La Paz

• Day 14: Fly home from Lima / La Paz

South America Itinerary: 1 Month

With a month, you can get depth in one country and exploring its various regions.

Or, if you want to move quickly, you can definitely fit a few countries in.

Perhaps you opt for the northwestern piece of the continent—Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Perhaps you go far south—Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. Even tack on Uruguay as the capital is a short boat ride away from Argentina’s.

Here’s my recommended one-month itinerary—Southern South America

Week 1: Fly in Rio de Janiero. Explore Brazil’s top attractions like Rio, Iguazu Falls, Sao Paolo.

Brazil ✅

Week 2: Jump over to Buenos Aires. Spend time indulging in the capital’s offerings. Take the boat over to the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo.

If you’re up for it, explore more of Argentina before heading to Patagonia—Cordoba, Mendoza, Salta.

Argentina ✅

Uruguay ✅

Weeks 3 and 4: Patagonia. Given the region’s vast size and beauty, it warrants as much time as you can give it.

It ain’t just Torres Del Paine (although that is certainly worth visiting).

You’ve got breathtaking towns like Bariloche, San Martin de los Andes, Pucón, El Chaltén (home to Fitz Roy), El Calefate.

National parks include Pumalín, Patagonia, Glaciares, Teirra Del Fuego down by Ushuaia, and tons more.

Chile ✅

South America Itinerary: 3 Months

Now we’re getting into long-term backpacking territory. A favorite past time.

You’ve got a lot of room to play with given 3 months.

You’ve theoretically got time to see the whole continent, but you’d be moving at breakneck speed.

Trust me—this continent is vast and diverse enough to do multiple 6-month trips—and barely be scratching the surface.

Choose your pace, and your top destinations, and get after it on a 3-month backpacking trip of a lifetime.

South America Itinerary: 6 Months

Now you’ve got time to see much of the continent. This is where some of those epic routes in the above section really come into play.

You can’t go wrong with the Gringo Trail across a span of six months. This gives you roughly a month in each country—plenty of time to soak it in.

Or go nuts with a 6 month+ trek of a lifetime, on the “Bold Trail.”

FAQ: Common Questions About South America Backpacking

Is South America Safe to Travel To?

Yes and no. Many parts are quite safe, but it’s got a reputation for danger for a reason, with many highly unsafe parts.

Check out our Guide: Safe and Unsafe Places in South America; and DEFINITELY read How to Stay Safe in LatAm before going.

What’s the Best Time to Visit Patagonia, South America?

October to April, with November offering moderate crowds and great weather. I chose November, and it paid off—crisp mornings, sunny days, and windy nights.

I would avoid the Southern Hemisphere’s winter, May to August.

What’s the Best Time to Visit Colombia, South America?

• Best Overall: December to March

  • Bogotá and Medellín: Dry season

  • Caribbean Coast: Peak sunshine

  • Coffee Region: Less rain, beautiful greenery
    

• Alternative Window: July-August

  • Avoids the worst rains in most regions

  • Ideal for Medellín and the Coffee Region

  • Caribbean Coast still relatively dry

What’s the Best Time to Travel to South America?

In general, it will be country-specific, but make sure you’re not headed there in a harsh winter or heavy rain season.

If you’re looking to circumnavigate the continent, you can time it out nicely. Here’s what I did, and conditions were great in each country:

• August: Colombia—weather was great in Medellin.

• September: Peru—still spring, hiking conditions good for Machu Picchu and in Huaraz.

• October: Chile—weather was perfect in Santiago. A bit rainy in Pucon (Southern Chile).

• November: Argentina—the best month to be in Buenos Aires, with warm weather and the city turning purple as the flowers bloom. Bariloche was also perfect weather.

Dive In, Head First

If you want personal insights on South America backpacking, hit me on Instagram.

Check out our location-specific South America travel guides:

• Colombia Travel Guide

• Torres Del Paine Trekking Guide

• Huaraz, Peru Trekking Guide

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To your growth and travels,