My 6-Month Backpacking Adventure in South America: An Overview

Quito city with Cotopaxi in the background

South America had been calling me for years. I lived in Argentina back in 2013–2014, and this time I returned with a friend — not as a solo traveler, but as a duo on a mission to hike, eat, and dance. We knew we’d start in Quito, Ecuador and return home before Christmas. But after just six weeks, we decided to postpone our return and keep going until every last bit of savings was spent. In end-March 2024, I finally came home after the most incredible journey. This post shares the big picture of our South America itinerary.

Table of Contents

Click on the topic of interest for faster navigation:

• The Itinerary: An Overview

• Watch the full itinerary (video)

• Final Tip Before You Go

The Itinerary: An Overview

Travel period: September 12, 2023 – March 25, 2024

Countries visited: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia

Travelers: Me and my friend

Kind of travel: Backpacking

Primary transportation form: Bus

This overview is just to give you a sense of where we went in South America — the countries, cities, and a few highlights. I’ll go into more detail about each destination, activity, and practical tip in separate posts. Think of this as your roadmap to everything coming up.

Ecuador 

• Quito: Historic center, Mitad del Mundo, cable car views, chocolate tour, Otovalo Day Tour

• Cotopaxi: Hike to basecamp, waterfall trek, and freezing nights

• Latacunga: Quilotoa Loop

• Baños de Agua Santa: Waterfall biking and the start of my empanada ranking

• Montañita: Surf, party, and a boat trip to Isla de Plata

• Cuenca: Cajas National Park and a homemade food tour

Peru

• Mancora: Surf, beach day, and hostel party

• Chiclayo: Transit city

• Chachapoyas: Mirador del Cañon de Huancas Sonches, Kelp Fortress 

• Cajamarca: Ventanillas de Otuzco, City Stroll

• Trujillo: Transit city

• Huaraz: Laguna 69, Laguna Churup, Laguna Llaca, Laguna 513, Nevado Mateo, and volunteering with a twist

• Lima: Pisco Sour and Ceviche cooking class, DIY Netflix Street Food Tour, Walking Tour

• Pisco & Ica: Las Ballestas, Pisco & Desert (Huacachina) Tour

• Arequipa: City tours and beginner climbing

• Cusco & Salkantay Trek: Hot springs, Machu Picchu, salsa class, day trip to Pisac, and Halloween party

Bolivia

• La Paz: Witches’ Market and Netflix-famous street food

• Uyuni Tour: Salt flats, volcanoes, hot springs, and a guide who drank too much

Chile

• San Pedro de Atacama: Transit destination from the Uyuni Tour

• Santiago de Chile: Walking tours, ear piercings, and big city energy

Brazil

• Rio de Janeiro: Street food, Christ the Redeemer views, and tiled stairs

• Ilha Grande: Snorkeling, hiking to Lopes Mendes, and birthday by the beach with candlelights 

• Foz do Iguaçu: Waterfalls and poolside recovery

Colombia

• Bogotá: Murals, markets, and a stolen phone

• Salento & Jardín: Coffee farms, colorful towns & Cocora Valley

• Medellín: Comuna 13 Walking Tour and party

• Santa Marta & Minca: Waterfalls, jungle, sandflies, and beach stress

• Cartagena: City Strolling

• Cali: Food Tour, jeans shopping, and salsa dancing

Uruguay

• Colonia: Old Town and Lighthouse

• Montevideo: Visiting friend (spoiler: today my husband), Historical Center, Cinema, La Rambla, Car Rental

• Punta del Este: Pan de Azucár, Zoo, Kayaking, Arcade Games

• Yaci: Completely chill and movie night in the hotel 

• Punt del Diablo: Beach, Lord of the Rings Marathon, Danish comfort food

Argentina

• Buenos Aires: San Telmo, Palermo, tattoos, and Argentine pizza with a twist

• El Calafate: Ice Glacier

• El Chaltén: Fitz Roy hike with rented gear and DIY backpack hacks

• Esquel: Parque Nacional Los Alerces

• Bariloche: Chocolate, car rental, San Martin de Los Andes, Nahuel Huapi National Park, Party

• Cordoba: Reunion with old friend, city stroll

• San Jorge: Reunions with host families and old friends

• Villa Carlos Paz: Italian food & river bathing

• Mendoza: Wine tasting by bike, car rental, Puente del Inca, Upsala, and mountain views

• Rosario: Visiting former host sister, Gallery Party, Mate & Picados at the Park, City Stroll

Watch the full itinerary (video)

If you haven’t heard about Stippl yet, let me introduce you. It’s a super intuitive tool (both app and desktop) that lets you create stunning visual maps and travel videos based on your route. Perfect if you want to see your journey come to life — and get a better sense of how far you actually traveled. Highly recommended if you love a good travel visual! Here's the full video of my itinerary: 

Final Tip Before You Go

If you're planning a big South America trip: don’t overplan.

Leave space for detours, missed buses, and people you’ll want to follow to the next town. The best parts of this trip weren’t in my itinerary — they showed up between the lines.

Bring layers, not expectations. And say more say yes than no.

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