Group tours to South America

South America sits in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons are reversed, and there is no single best time for the whole continent. In the Peruvian Andes the dry season runs roughly from May to August, ideal for Cusco. Patagonia is at its best from late October to April, with very long days; in winter snow can cover the trails, so check conditions before a trek. The Colombian Caribbean is at its best from December to March.

Brazil depends on the coast: Rio gets more rain from December to March, while the Northeast is wettest around June and July. In the Amazon, August is one of the drier months, and the Galápagos are warm and rainy from January to May and cooler and windier from June to December. Lima stays dry all year.

For a single country like Peru or Argentina, 12-15 days works well. If you want to combine Peru, Bolivia, and Chile on a multi-country itinerary, plan at least 3-4 weeks, because the distances are vast. The time difference from the US is small, between 0 and 2 hours ahead of Eastern time depending on the country, but a Thanksgiving break is not enough for a trip this big.

A few examples of the scale: Iguazú Falls are shared between Argentina and Brazil, and Perito Moreno is about an hour and a half by car from El Calafate.

Entry rules vary by country and by passport, so before you book check the country page on travel.state.gov and the embassy's website. A valid passport is always required, with a minimum validity that differs by country, and a passport card is not valid for international flights.

Some destinations also ask for a form online before you travel. Colombia has Check-Mig (apps.migracioncolombia.gov.co), so check the portal for the current rules. Chile asks for an entry declaration at ingresoachile.cl, and the Galápagos require a transit control card issued online. For Brazil, use only the portal the Brazilian Foreign Ministry indicates. For Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia, the national immigration websites are the place to check.

High-altitude spots like Cusco (about 11,150 feet), La Paz, and San Pedro de Atacama can leave you a little breathless or tired at first, and everyone reacts differently. The best remedy is to go up gradually and take the first day easy. If your itinerary doesn't allow that, talk to your doctor before you go.

No vaccine is required of every traveler. Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for some areas, mainly the Amazon and east of the Andes, and not for places like Lima, Cusco, or Machu Picchu. One dose protects for life. Malaria prophylaxis concerns only some areas of the Amazon basin. Which of these apply depends on your itinerary, so book a visit with a travel health clinic well in advance. It's also worth checking whether your health plan covers care abroad and considering travel medical insurance.

• Peru: Machu Picchu and Cusco, both UNESCO sites. Tickets are bought online, and the site is visited on set routes.
• Patagonia: the Perito Moreno glacier in Los Glaciares, a UNESCO site, and the trails of Torres del Paine.
• Iguazú: the falls, about 260 feet high, shared by Argentina and Brazil and listed by UNESCO on both sides.
• Bolivia: the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world, plus the UNESCO towns of Potosí and Sucre and the ruins of Tiwanaku.
• Brazil: Rio de Janeiro and its beaches, with Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer, the Botanical Garden, and Copacabana Bay, all part of a UNESCO landscape. Salvador and Ouro Preto are worth a look too.
• Argentina and Chile: the Valdés Peninsula, the Quebrada de Humahuaca, Rapa Nui with its moai, and the churches of Chiloé.
• Colombia and Ecuador: Cartagena and the Coffee Cultural Landscape, plus the Galápagos and Quito.

Most countries use their own currency, with a couple of exceptions.

• Argentina: Argentine peso
• Peru: Peruvian sol
• Brazil: Brazilian real
• Colombia: Colombian peso
• Chile: Chilean peso
• Bolivia: boliviano
• Ecuador: the US dollar
• Paraguay: guaraní
• Uruguay: Uruguayan peso
• French Guiana: the euro, because it is French territory

In Argentina the exchange regime can change, so check the central bank's page before you go. Also check your card's foreign transaction fees.

The budget is generally affordable, though it varies from country to country. The flight from the US is a major part of the cost, and the vast distances add up too, since domestic flights and long-distance buses weigh on the budget. Some places also charge entry fees and permits: Machu Picchu has its own ticket, with the train bought separately, and the Galápagos ask for a transit card and a park fee.

Given the vast distances, domestic flights are often the fastest way to cover ground, and remote areas call for a few more options. In Patagonia, the Navimag ferry sails along the fjords between Puerto Montt and Puerto Natales, and the roads inside Tierra del Fuego National Park are dirt. To reach Machu Picchu, PeruRail and Inca Rail trains run from Ollantaytambo and Cusco to Aguas Calientes, and the train ticket and site entry are bought separately. Uyuni has its own airport, the Joya Andina, for the salt flat. Schedules vary, so always check with the operators.

Spanish is the most widely spoken language across the continent, while Brazil speaks Portuguese. Indigenous languages are very much alive: Quechua and Aymara are official in the areas of Peru where they predominate, Bolivia recognizes Spanish and 36 indigenous languages, including Aymara, Quechua, and Guaraní, and in Paraguay Spanish and Guaraní are both official. Ecuador has Spanish alongside Kichwa and Shuar, and Colombia recognizes indigenous languages in their territories. In the Guianas you'll hear Dutch in Suriname, English in Guyana, and French in French Guiana.

Each country has its signature dishes.

• Brazil: feijoada, with black beans, pork, and rice; pão de queijo, cheese bread made with cassava starch; and moqueca, a fish stew.
• Peru: ceviche, raw fish marinated in lime with chili and salt, and lomo saltado, stir-fried beef with tomato, chili, and onion.
• Argentina: asado, a long, social grill of chorizo, blood sausage, and beef with chimichurri, and empanadas filled with beef, onion, egg, and olives.
• Colombia: bandeja paisa, with beans, rice, meat, chicharrón, egg, plantain, and arepa; ajiaco, a chicken soup with three kinds of potato; and corn arepas.
• Chile: empanada de pino, pastel de choclo, and curanto, a pit-cooked dish from Chiloé with seafood, meat, and potatoes.
• Bolivia and Ecuador: salteña and silpancho in Bolivia; encebollado, a fish and yuca soup, and hornado in Ecuador.

There is no single answer for the whole continent: conditions change over time and can differ from one country to another, and even between areas of the same country. Before you book, and again before you leave, read the current country page on travel.state.gov, which also notes differences between regions within a country.

• Enroll your trip in the free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov to receive embassy alerts and be easier to reach in an emergency.
• Travel insurance: travel health, medical evacuation, and trip cancellation coverage are three different things, and your home policy or credit card may not cover you abroad.