Southern Cross Westbound: Rio to Lima (Self-Launched)

Land at Galeão and take the Real airport bus (~R$25/£4) or a pre-paid taxi (~£30) down to Botafogo or Copacabana. Hostels in Botafogo are cheaper and better placed for buses and metro than Copacabana. Settle in, take a golden-hour walk along Copacabana beach, and stock up on a Brazilian SIM (Vivo/Claro, ~£6 for 15GB).

🚌Real airport bus ~£4

🛏Hostel in Botafogo/Copacabana, dorm (~£14)

• →Copacabana beach walk
• →Galeão airport bus into town
• →Buy local SIM card

Book a resident-led community tour of Vidigal or Cantagalo (many run independently — search 'favela community tour Rio' or book via GetYourGuide, ~£20-30) which typically includes a drumming demonstration and a capoeira taster. In the afternoon ride the Sugarloaf cable car (book online ~£22) or catch sunset from Parque do Flamengo for free. Evening: street food in Lapa and live samba.

🚌Metro and Uber ~£6

🛏Hostel in Botafogo/Copacabana, dorm (~£14)

• →Resident-led favela community tour with drumming and capoeira
• →Sugarloaf cable car or free sunset at Flamengo Park
• →Lapa samba night

Take the metro/bus to Novo Rio rodoviária and a Costa Verde bus to Conceição de Jacareí (~3 hrs, ~£10), then the ferry or speedboat across to Vila do Abraão on Ilha Grande (~£5-8). The island is car-free. Afternoon swim at Abraão or Lopes Mendes side of the bay.

🚌Bus ~£10 + ferry ~£7

🛏Pousada/guesthouse on Ilha Grande, private or shared (~£18)

• →Bus Rio to Conceição de Jacareí
• →Ferry to Ilha Grande
• →Beach swim at Abraão

Hike the well-marked trail to Lopes Mendes beach (2-2.5 hrs each way, free) — one of Brazil's best stretches of sand — or take a shared schooner boat trip around the island (~£18) for snorkelling stops. Pico do Papagaio is a steep 3-4 hr return climb for the big view if you have the legs.

🚌Walking, optional boat ~£18

🛏Pousada/guesthouse on Ilha Grande (~£18)

• →Lopes Mendes beach hike (free)
• →Optional shared boat trip with snorkelling (~£18)
• →Optional Pico do Papagaio hike

Ferry back to the mainland and catch a local bus or shared van down the Costa Verde to Paraty (~2-3 hrs, ~£8). Check into a colonial centre pousada, then wander the cobblestoned UNESCO-listed old town and grab a caipirinha on the waterfront.

🚌Ferry ~£7 + bus ~£8

🛏Pousada in Paraty historic centre (~£18)

• →Ferry off Ilha Grande
• →Bus/van to Paraty
• →Old town walking wander

Join a shared caipirinha schooner cruise around the bay (~£18-20, book at any agency in town or GetYourGuide) with snorkel stops and floating bars. Alternatively hire a kayak (~£12) and paddle the mangroves yourself. Evening: cheap seafood at the Thursday-night street market if you time it right.

🚌Walking

🛏Pousada in Paraty historic centre (~£18)

• →Shared bay boat trip with snorkelling
• →Optional kayak hire
• →Old town evening

Local bus or shared van out to Trindade (~£4 each way, 40 mins) for natural rock pools, surf beaches and the Cachadaço trail. Back in Paraty for the evening — the old town's bars are best on a Saturday.

🚌Local bus ~£8 return

🛏Pousada in Paraty historic centre (~£18)

• →Trindade beaches and natural pools
• →Cachadaço trail
• →Paraty old town evening

Bus to São Paulo (or direct to Rio/Galeão) and fly to Foz do Iguaçu — book early on GOL/Azul/LATAM, budget ~£70-110. Afternoon: Brazilian side of the falls. Take local bus 120 from the terminal to the park (~£1), entry ~£17, and walk the panoramic catwalk trail — 1.5-2 hrs is plenty.

🚌Flight ~£90 + local buses ~£2

🛏Hostel in Foz do Iguaçu (~£12)

• →Domestic flight to Foz do Iguaçu
• →Iguaçu Falls Brazilian side (panoramic trail)
• →Local bus 120 to the park

Cross the border by local bus (~£3-4) to Puerto Iguazú and spend the day in the Argentine park (~£22 entry): the Devil's Throat catwalk, the upper and lower circuits, and the free ecological train. Optional Great Adventure boat ride under the falls (~£35) is worth it if you're feeling flush. Sleep in Puerto Iguazú.

🚌Local buses ~£5

🛏Hostel in Puerto Iguazú (~£12)

• →Iguazú Falls Argentine side (Devil's Throat, upper and lower circuits)
• →Optional boat ride under the falls (~£35)
• →Border crossing by local bus

This is a big transit: bus back to Foz, then an overnight or long daytime bus via Campo Grande to Bonito (roughly 12-15 hrs total, ~£35-45 with Cruzeiro/Expresso Queiroz). Book the reclining 'leito' seat if available. Arrive Bonito and check into a hostel.

🚌Long-distance bus ~£40

🛏Hostel in Bonito (~£14)

• →Long-distance bus Foz to Bonito via Campo Grande

Bonito's rivers are absurdly clear. Book Rio da Prata snorkelling (~£40-50 including transport and gear) or Gruta do Lago Azul (~£15) directly with the operator in town — everything in Bonito must be booked through an agency. Add the Balneário Municipal river beach (~£10) in the afternoon.

🚌Shared operator transport included

🛏Hostel in Bonito (~£14)

• →Rio da Prata snorkelling
• →Gruta do Lago Azul
• →Balneário Municipal river beach

Head west on the bus to Miranda or Aquidauana (~£15), where a 2-night Pantanal lodge package starts. Three-day, two-night packages with transport, meals, guide and activities run ~£180-260 per person booked direct with a lodge or via a Bonito/Campo Grande agency — hammock or shared-room accommodation included.

🚌Bus ~£15

🛏Pantanal lodge, shared room or hammock (~£40 incl. meals)

• →Bus to Pantanal gateway
• →Pantanal lodge check-in
• →Afternoon wildlife walk

Full day in the wetlands: sunrise boat trip for caiman, capybara, howler monkeys, jabiru storks and the chance of a jaguar if you're very lucky; afternoon horseback ride or piranha fishing. All included in the lodge package.

🚌Included 4x4/boat

🛏Pantanal lodge, shared room or hammock (included in package)

• →Sunrise wildlife boat trip
• →Horseback ride
• →Piranha fishing / night safari

Morning activity then transfer out to Campo Grande (~3-4 hrs, usually included). Night bus or evening flight options onward. Most travellers take an overnight bus toward Corumbá/the Bolivia border or fly to Santa Cruz — check schedules and book the day before.

🚌Included transfer + onward transport ~£25

🛏Overnight bus (~£25) or hostel in Campo Grande (~£12)

• →Morning wildlife walk
• →Transfer to Campo Grande
• →Book onward Bolivia transport

Fly Campo Grande or Corumbá to Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolson/Aerosur, ~£80-110) or overland via the Corumbá–Quijarro border train/bus if you're watching every penny. Bolivia is dramatically cheaper than Brazil — cash out bolivianos at a Santa Cruz ATM. Evening: try salteñas and paceño street food around the plaza.

🚌Flight ~£95

🛏Hostel in Santa Cruz (~£9)

• →Cross border into Bolivia
• →Fly to Santa Cruz
• →Evening food wander

Short flight to Sucre (~£45-60) saves the 14-hr bus. Sucre is Bolivia's whitewashed, easy-going constitutional capital at 2,800m — good for a gentle acclimatisation. Afternoon wander the Plaza 25 de Mayo and Recoleta viewpoint.

🚌Flight ~£52 + taxi ~£4

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Sucre (~£9)

• →Flight to Sucre
• →Plaza 25 de Mayo and Recoleta walk

Slow day in Sucre: free walking tour of the historic centre, the Casa de la Libertad, and the Museo de Arte Indígena textile collection (~£3). Optional Sunday excursion to the Tarabuco market (~£15 shared transport) or dinosaur track park at Cal Orck'o (~£5).

🚌Walking, optional local transport ~£5

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Sucre (~£9)

• →Free walking tour
• →Museo de Arte Indígena
• →Optional Tarabuco market or dinosaur tracks

Bus to Potosí (~3 hrs, ~£4) — the world's highest city at 4,090m, so take it slow. Book a cooperative-run silver mine tour for tomorrow morning (~£18-22, includes gear and a miner's gift). Afternoon at the Casa de la Moneda mint museum (~£5).

🚌Bus ~£4

🛏Hostel in Potosí (~£9)

• →Bus to Potosí
• →Casa de la Moneda museum
• →Book mine tour

Morning descent into the Cerro Rico mines with a former miner guide — confronting and unforgettable. Afternoon bus or train to Uyuni (~5-7 hrs, ~£7) and straight into booking tomorrow's salt-flat tour; the 3-day Uyuni-to-Atacama or Uyuni-round-trip 4x4 tours run ~£110-160 all-in with food and basic lodging.

🚌Bus/train ~£7

🛏Basic hostel in Uyuni (~£8)

• →Silver mine tour
• →Afternoon travel to Uyuni
• →Book 4x4 Salar tour

Day one of the 3-day 4x4 circuit: the train cemetery, Colchani salt-mining village, the salt hotels, the infinite white flats for the classic perspective photos, and sunset on the salar. Night in a basic salt hostel (multi-share, often no hot water — this is part of the deal).

🚌4x4 (included)

🛏Salt hostel, multi-share (included in tour)

• →Train cemetery
• →Colchani
• →Salar de Uyuni photo stops
• →Sunset on the salt flats

Continue south past the Tunupa volcano to the altiplano: Laguna Hedionda with its flamingos, lava fields, the Siloli Desert and the Arbol de Piedra rock formation. Very high (3,700-4,500m) and bitterly cold at night — layer up.

🚌4x4 (included)

🛏Basic refuge, multi-share (included)

• →Laguna Hedionda flamingos
• →Siloli Desert
• →Árbol de Piedra

Sunrise at the geyser field Sol de Mañana, then the red Laguna Colorada packed with flamingos, and either the return to Uyuni or the drop-off at the Chilean border for onward travel to San Pedro de Atacama. Most independent travellers loop back to Uyuni. Night bus or hostel in Uyuni.

🚌4x4 (included) + onward ~£10

🛏Overnight bus (~£10) or hostel in Uyuni (~£8)

• →Sol de Mañana geysers
• →Laguna Colorada
• →Return transfer to Uyuni

Bus or overnight train Uyuni to Oruro (~7 hrs, ~£6), then the fast bus to La Paz (~3.5 hrs, ~£4) — or a direct night bus. Arrive into the world's highest capital and take it easy; La Paz sits at 3,600m. Evening stroll down the El Alto viewpoint and a bowl of api.

🚌Bus ~£10

🛏Hostel in central/Sopocachi La Paz (~£10)

• →Travel Uyuni to La Paz via Oruro
• →Mirador Killi Killi viewpoint

Ride the Mi Teleférico cable car network (~£0.40 a ride — best value sightseeing anywhere), then wander the Witches' Market and the Mercado Rodríguez for lunch. Optional Death Road mountain-bike descent (~£45-60, book direct with Gravity or similar) can be swapped in for those who want it, or a Valley of the Moon afternoon (~£8).

🚌Cable cars and local vans ~£3

🛏Hostel in La Paz (~£10)

• →Mi Teleférico cable cars
• →Witches' Market
• →Optional Death Road bike descent (~£50)
• →Optional Valley of the Moon

Bus La Paz to Copacabana (~3.5 hrs, ~£5), a lovely lakeside town on Titicaca. Climb Cerro Calvario for sunset over the lake, eat fresh trucha (trout) on the beach, and book a boat to the Isla del Sol for tomorrow.

🚌Bus ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in Copacabana (~£9)

• →Bus to Copacabana
• →Cerro Calvario sunset
• →Lake trout dinner

Morning boat to the Isla del Sol's Yumani steps and Inca ruins (~£10 return). Afternoon: cross the border at Kasani on foot and take a shared van to Puno on the Peruvian side (~£4). Puno is a scruffy but handy base for Titicaca's floating islands.

🚌Boat ~£10 + van ~£4

🛏Hostel in Puno (~£9)

• →Isla del Sol boat trip
• →Walk border crossing into Peru
• →Shared van to Puno

Book a community-run homestay on Amantaní or a Uros–Amantaní combination directly through a Puno agency or GetYourGuide (~£35-45 including boat, meals, guide and family stay). You'll visit the reed Uros islands by boat and sleep with a local Quechua family — the most authentic version of the tour's G for Good homestay.

🚌Boat included

🛏Family homestay on Amantaní (~£35 incl. meals)

• →Uros floating islands
• →Boat to Amantaní
• →Family homestay with dinner

Boat back to Puno after breakfast, then a first-class bus (Cruz del Sur/Transzela, ~£10-14, 6-7 hrs) up to Cusco — or the scenic train if you'd rather. Arrive Cusco in the evening and get the Inca Trail briefing sorted (you should have booked the trek months in advance — permits sell out).

🚌Boat ~£5 + bus ~£12

🛏Hostel in Cusco (~£11)

• →Return boat to Puno
• →Bus to Cusco
• →Inca Trail briefing

Cusco sits at 3,400m — give it a day. Free walking tour of San Blas, the Inka Museum (~£2), Qorikancha, and then a ceviche-and-pisco evening. Optional cooking class (~£22) is a great way to spend an afternoon. Buy your Boleto Turístico if you plan on multiple sites.

🚌Walking, taxis ~£3

🛏Hostel in Cusco (~£11)

• →Free walking tour
• →San Blas and Inka Museum
• →Optional Cusco cooking class

Self-launch the Sacred Valley with a shared colectivo or a private driver for the day (~£20-30 split). Stop at Ccaccaccollo to visit the women's weaving co-operative and buy textiles direct, have a farm-to-table lunch at the community-run Parwa restaurant near Lamay, and finish at Ollantaytambo's storehouse ruins and terraces (Boleto Turístico ~£13 or ~£3 site-only).

🚌Shared colectivos / split private driver ~£12

🛏Guesthouse in Ollantaytambo or Urubamba (~£12)

• →Ccaccaccollo women's weaving co-op
• →Parwa community restaurant lunch
• →Ollantaytambo ruins and hike

Easy day: Pisac ruins and market (~£4 by colectivo) or the Maras salt pans and Moray terraces (~£8 by shared transport). Pack and rent anything missing (sleeping bag ~£10, poles ~£4, mat ~£5 from the trek operator). Early night — pickup is usually 5am.

🚌Colectivos ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in Ollantaytambo (~£12)

• →Pisac ruins and market or Maras salt pans
• →Rent trek gear
• →Early night

Classic 4-day Inca Trail with a local operator (permits ~£45 + guide/porters/cook/meals ~£350-450 all-in — book 4-6 months ahead; February the trail is closed). Start at Km 82, walk past Patallacta and Llactapata, gently up the Cusumayo valley to camp at Wayllabamba (~12km). Porters carry up to 6kg of your gear.

🚌Operator bus to trailhead (included)

🛏Camping on trail, shared tent (included in trek price)

• →Inca Trail checkpoint at Km 82
• →Patallacta ruins
• →Trek to Wayllabamba (12km)

The hard day: climb to Warmiwañusca (Dead Woman's Pass) at 4,198m, then descend to Pacaymayo — about 11km and 1,200m of up. Slow and steady, coca tea at camp. Afternoon at high-altitude camp near Pacaymayo.

🚌Trekking

🛏Camping on trail (included)

• →Dead Woman's Pass 4,198m
• →Trek to Pacaymayo (11km)

Over the second pass at Runkurakay and down through cloud forest past Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca to camp at Wiñay Wayna — the most beautiful stretch of the trail, orchids and hummingbirds included.

🚌Trekking

🛏Camping at Wiñay Wayna (included)

• →Runkurakay pass
• →Sayacmarca and Phuyupatamarca ruins
• →Trek to Wiñay Wayna (16km)

4am start to reach Inti Punku (the Sun Gate) for sunrise over Machu Picchu, then a 2-hour guided tour of the citadel (included in trek price). Optional Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu Mountain climb needs a separate permit booked months ahead. Afternoon bus down to Aguas Calientes (~£10) and a very well-earned hot shower.

🚌Bus down ~£10

🛏Hostal in Aguas Calientes (~£14)

• →Sun Gate sunrise
• →Guided Machu Picchu tour
• →Optional Huayna Picchu permit
• →Bus to Aguas Calientes

Take the PeruRail or Inca Rail train back along the Urubamba gorge to Ollantaytambo (~£30-50 depending on class and how late you book — book early) and bus on to Cusco (~£3). Afternoon recovering in San Blas cafés.

🚌Train ~£40 + bus ~£3

🛏Hostel in Cusco (~£11)

• →Train through the Urubamba valley
• →Return to Cusco
• →San Blas wander

Morning flight Cusco to Lima (~£50-70 on Sky/LATAM if booked ahead) beats the 21-hour bus. Check into a hostel in Miraflores or Barranco, walk the Malecón at sunset, and eat your weight in ceviche.

🚌Flight ~£58 + airport bus ~£6

🛏Hostel in Miraflores/Barranco (~£12)

• →Flight to Lima
• →Miraflores Malecón walk
• →Ceviche dinner

Free walking tour of the historic centre, the San Francisco catacombs (~£2), and the Mercado de Surquillo for fruit you've never seen. Optional 4-hour cooking class in Miraflores (~£30) if you want to take ceviche skills home. Evening bar-hopping in Barranco's art district.

🚌Metro/taxis ~£5

🛏Hostel in Miraflores/Barranco (~£12)

• →Free walking tour of Lima centre
• →Surquillo market
• →Optional cooking class (~£30)
• →Barranco evening

Last breakfast, one more coffee at a Barranco roastery, and head to Jorge Chávez airport on the Airport Express (~£6) or a taxi (~£12) for your international flight home. The tour's included border/onward costs are all wrapped up in your own bookings.

🚌Airport bus ~£6

🛏—

• →Airport transfer
• →Departure