Experiences across North, Central and South America, grouped by what you actually want out of the trip rather than by country.
Before you go
Wildlife and wilderness
The Galapagos, the Amazon, Patagonia, Costa Rica's cloud forest and Alaska's coast.
- Galapagos cruise or land-based
- Amazon lodges
- Patagonia trekking
- Costa Rica for accessibility
Ancient civilisations
Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Tikal, Chichén Itzá and the Nazca lines.
- Inca Trail permits book out
- Sacred Valley acclimatisation
- Guides transform these sites
- Altitude needs planning
Cities and culture
Buenos Aires, Rio, Mexico City, New York and Havana — among the most distinctive city experiences anywhere.
- Tango in Buenos Aires
- Mexico City's food scene
- Rio's beaches and hills
- New York for museums
Road trips and rail
Route 66, the Pacific Coast Highway, the Rockies by rail and Patagonia's Ruta 40.
- Long distances, plan the days
- Rocky Mountaineer
- Coastal California
- Book park entries ahead
Food and wine
Mendoza, the Napa Valley, Peru's culinary scene and Mexican regional cooking.
- Mendoza Malbec
- Napa and Sonoma
- Lima's restaurant scene
- Oaxaca for regional Mexican
The Americas are three very different travel propositions. Distances within South America in particular are far larger than the map suggests, and internal flights usually beat overland travel.
Planning notes
Three continents, not one destination. North, Central and South America are separate trips. Distances within South America in particular are far larger than the map suggests, and internal flights usually beat overland travel by days rather than hours.
Altitude needs planning. Cusco sits at 3,400 metres and La Paz higher. Acclimatisation days are not optional, and the Sacred Valley is a better first stop than Cusco itself because it is lower.
Permits and seasons. Inca Trail permits sell out months ahead and the trail closes each February. Galapagos itineraries are fixed by the national park. Patagonia's season is short. None of these can be arranged late.
Guides transform the wildlife. In the Amazon, the Galapagos and Costa Rica, what you see depends almost entirely on who is walking in front of you.
Where this leads
Blog attracts, things to do informs, tours convert — in that order.