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ILUXURYTRAVELS

South America

Luxury travel in South America.

Patagonia, the Andes, the Galápagos and the Amazon are some of the world's great private-travel trips — and some of the hardest to time. We do not hold our own houses here yet, so we list real hotels, lodges and rentals from our booking partners instead, with live prices for your dates and our planning notes alongside.

Where to stay

We hold no houses of our own in South America yet. What we do list is real and bookable: hotels, lodges and rental houses searched live with our booking partners, destination by destination.

The best months to go

December to February
High summer in the south: the Patagonian season at full stretch, Rio at carnival, and the busiest, most expensive weeks across Argentina, Chile and Brazil. Book flights and lodges many months ahead. The Amazon is in its wetter, higher-water season.
March to May
Autumn in the south and one of the best windows: Patagonia quieter with autumn colour before the season closes, Buenos Aires and Santiago at their most comfortable, and the Peruvian highlands drying out from April ahead of the Inca Trail season.
June to August
Dry season in Peru and Bolivia, the clearest months for Machu Picchu and the salt flats, though nights at altitude are cold. Winter in the far south closes much of Patagonia, while the Atacama and the Galápagos are pleasant and Ski season runs in the Chilean and Argentine Andes.
September to November
Spring in the south and a strong shoulder: Patagonia reopens from November with long days and fewer people, the Peruvian dry season runs through September, and Brazil warms up before the December peak. Rates sit well below the summer weeks.

The places worth building a trip around

  • Patagonia

    Torres del Paine and the Fitz Roy massif; the season runs November to March and the wind never really stops.

  • The Atacama Desert

    The driest desert on earth, with some of the clearest night skies anywhere — good year-round, best April to June.

  • Cusco and the Sacred Valley

    Machu Picchu and the high Andes; May to September is the dry season, and permits for the Inca Trail sell out months ahead.

  • Rio de Janeiro and the Costa Verde

    Beaches, Paraty and the islands south of the city; December to March is hot and busy, and May to September is drier and calmer.

  • Mendoza and the Argentine wine country

    Malbec at the foot of the Andes, with harvest through March and April.

  • The Galápagos

    Wildlife year-round, with warmer seas from December to May and better diving conditions from June to November.