35 days from £7,041
The ultimate Grand Tour. This is a dazzling whistle-stop holiday including most of South America’s principal attractions, including the Galápagos Islands, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca, the Atacama desert and Patagonia. The Journey will show you how easy it is to travel between the highlights, but you may well decide to miss out some places, linger longer in others or continue to Brazil, with visits to the Iguaçu Falls, Rio de Janeiro and the Amazon.
Suggested holiday itinerary (flexible)
Day 1 Fly from the UK to Quito, Ecuador’s mountain capital.
Day 2 City tour of the colonial centre.
Days 3-6 Fly to the Galápagos Islands. Embark on the MV Beluga for your 5 day cruise
Day 7 Disembark and fly (90mins) to Guayaquil on the mainland. Overnight in this lively port.
Day 8 Fly to Lima, Peru. (2hrs).
Day 9 Fly to Cusco (1hr). Afternoon to explore the Inca capital and its wealth of colonial churches and museums.
Day 10 Full-day excursion to the Sacred Valley of the Incas including a visit to the temple fortress at the Inca village of Ollantaytambo.
Day 11 Travel further down the valley by train to Machu Picchu. Guided tour of the ruins. Overnight in Aguas Calientes.
Day 12 Return to Cusco by train.
Day 13 Full-day coach journey to Puno on Lake Titicaca with stops at cultural highlights en route.
Day 14 Excursion to the reed islands of the Uros indians.
Day 15 By land and lake to La Paz, Bolivian capital at the foot of snow-draped Mount Illimani.
Day 16 Tour of this city,with its heady mix of colonial Spanish and indigenous life. Excursion to the Valley of the Moon.
Day 17 Fly to Sucre and continue by scenic road to Potosí.
Days 18-20 Exploration by 4WD of the salt flats and lagoons of Uyuni
Day 21 Cross into Chile and arrive at San Pedro de Atacama in the Atacama desert..
Day 22 At leisure to discover the desert scenery.
Day 23 Fly from Calama to Santiago, Chilean capital (2hrs).
Days 24,25 Excursion to the Colchagua Valley vineyards..
Days 26-28 Fly to Punta Arenas (4½hrs); drive through the Patagonian wilderness to the Eco Camp in Torres del Paine National Park. Explore the mountains, lagoons and glaciers.
Day 29 Cross the border to El Calafate in Argentina.
Day 30 Excursion to the Perito Moreno glacier.
Days 31-33 Fly to Buenos Aires with a tour of the elegant capital included.
Day 34 Fly to the UK, arriving day 35. |  Machu Picchu, Cusco, Peru
 Frigate bird in the Galápagos islands
 Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile View more images      |