7–10
DAYS · SINGLE-FOCUS
Single country or region. USA West Coast only, Mexico resort, Peru highlights, Galápagos cruise. No multi-country realistic.
A blank page is intimidating. Where do you start? Peru or Patagonia? 14 days or 21? Should you rush to squeeze in Brazil, or slow down and go deep on Mexico? Here are seven detailed itineraries we've built for Australian clients — each designed for a specific traveller type and trip length, with day-by-day flow, honest trade-offs, and budget ranges. Steal them wholesale or use them as a starting framework.
These aren't theoretical itineraries. Every one below has been booked and refined across multiple client trips, with honest notes on what worked, what we'd change, and what trade-offs are involved. Use them as starting templates — copy one wholesale if it fits, swap out the days that don't apply to you, or combine elements from two different itineraries.
Each itinerary includes: the traveller type it's designed for, total AUD budget range per couple, day-by-day framework, a "why this works" synthesis, and easy swap suggestions. Costs quoted are 2026 mid-range pricing per couple from Australia unless noted otherwise. See our Americas Budget Guide for detailed cost breakdowns, and our Flight Routes Guide for the best connections to each starting point.
With a 13-hour flight each way from Australia, trip length matters more than for almost any other destination. Here's the realistic framework for how much you can do in each duration.
Single country or region. USA West Coast only, Mexico resort, Peru highlights, Galápagos cruise. No multi-country realistic.
The Americas sweet spot. Two regions comfortably (Peru + Amazon, USA West + Hawaii, Mexico multi-city). Enough time to go deep.
Three-week unlocks serious two-country combinations (Peru + Patagonia, USA East + West, Mexico + Caribbean). Our most-booked duration.
The Grand Tour — 3+ countries, full continent. Peru + Brazil + Patagonia. Circuits USA + Mexico + Central America. Retirees and gap-year travellers.
Click any trip below to jump to its full day-by-day breakdown.
| Itinerary | Duration | Best For | Countries | Budget (per couple, AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌟 First-Timer Peru Classic | 14 days | First South America trip | Peru | $11,000–$16,000 |
| ⛰️ The Adventurer | 21 days | Active travellers, trekkers | Peru + Chile + Argentina | $18,000–$28,000 |
| 💕 Honeymoon Luxury | 14 days | Honeymoons, anniversaries | Ecuador + Galápagos | $28,000–$40,000 |
| 👨👩👧 Family Wildlife | 12 days | Family with kids 8+ | Costa Rica | $13,000–$18,000 (family of 4) |
| 🌮 Mexico Foodie | 10 days | Food & culture lovers | Mexico | $9,000–$13,000 |
| 📸 USA Southwest Photography | 14 days | Photographers, road-trippers | USA | $15,000–$22,000 |
| 🌎 The Grand Tour | 28 days | Extended retirement, gap year | Peru + Brazil + Argentina + Chile | $30,000–$45,000 |
If you're visiting South America for the first time, this is the itinerary we book most. It covers three dramatically different climates (coast, highlands, jungle), hits Peru's icons (Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Amazon), and has enough tourist infrastructure that first-timers feel supported. Food is phenomenal throughout.
Altitude progression is sensible — Lima (sea level) → Cusco (3,400m) → Sacred Valley (lower, better sleep) → Machu Picchu (2,400m) — giving your body time to adjust. Climate variety — coast, highlands, jungle — means you get three completely different Peru experiences in one trip. Cusco recovery day between Machu Picchu and Amazon prevents a frazzled second-half-of-trip. Fourteen days is enough to do this well without feeling rushed.
The dream trip for fit travellers — combine the Inca Trail trek with the W Trek in Torres del Paine. Three weeks of genuinely hard hiking at both ends of South America, bookended by recovery days. Our most-requested itinerary from returning South America travellers looking for their next challenge.
Two world-class treks in one trip — Inca Trail (historical, cultural) and W Trek (wilderness, geological). Recovery days between the big efforts. Weather logic: Peru is best April-October, Patagonia best December-February — so this itinerary sequences Peru first (late October/November timing) when Patagonia is warming into summer. Buenos Aires wraps the trip with a big reward before the long flight home.
The honeymoon we book most. Short internal flights, luxurious lodgings, signature experiences, and time for just the two of you. Ecuador's highlands set up the Galápagos cruise as the centrepiece — which is one of the world's genuinely transformative travel experiences.
One base-country complexity — Ecuador only, so no multi-country visa/flight juggling. The cruise is the point — unpack once, seven nights sorted, someone else handles every logistics detail. Galápagos is genuinely unique — not something you'd do without this trip, unlike "generic Caribbean beach resort" honeymoons. Ecuador highlands bookend the cruise without feeling like filler. 14 days with only one internal flight each way is gentle on the couple dynamics.
Costa Rica is our strongest family recommendation in the Americas — single country, English widely spoken, incredible wildlife right there (not requiring long hikes), good infrastructure, zero altitude complications, and the "two weeks with kids" sweet spot. This itinerary covers rainforest, volcano, cloud forest, and Pacific beach.
Single country, no complex border runs. English is widely spoken in tourist regions. Wildlife is accessible without fitness demands — sloths, monkeys, toucans visible on easy walks. Sea level throughout — no altitude issues. Infrastructure is genuinely family-friendly — eco-lodges with pools, kids menus, family transfers. 12 days is realistic for families balancing interest with fatigue — four regions without feeling rushed.
Mexican food is having its global moment. Mexico City is currently home to Pujol, Quintonil, and Sud 777 (all on World's 50 Best), while Oaxaca is UNESCO-recognised for its culinary heritage (the seven moles, mezcal, tlayudas). This is a ten-day deep dive into two of the world's great food cultures, with cooking classes, market tours, and serious eating.
Two of the world's greatest food cultures in one trip — CDMX for modernist innovation (Pujol, Quintonil) and Oaxaca for traditional technique (moles, mezcal). Cooking classes anchor the trip — you return home with actual skills, not just memories. Accessible from Australia — one flight to LA, one to CDMX, minimal complexity. 10 days is enough depth without food fatigue. Budget-friendly compared to European food trips at half the cost.
The American Southwest is one of Earth's great photographic regions — red rock formations, slot canyons, alien-looking desertscapes. This 14-day road trip covers Utah's Mighty Five national parks plus Arizona's Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon, with golden hour timing and dark sky stargazing built into the schedule.
Golden hour timing drives the itinerary — each location scheduled for ideal light, not convenience. One country, simple logistics — rent a 4WD, drive, stop wherever. 5+ "shot of your life" opportunities — The Wave (lottery permitting), Mesa Arch, Horseshoe Bend, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon. Dark sky parks built in for astrophotography. 14 days is the minimum to do this properly with the distances involved — any less and you're rushing the light.
The bucket-list itinerary. Four countries, three climates, six UNESCO sites, at least eight flights. Peru for the ancient, Brazil for the vibrant, Argentina for the sophisticated, Patagonia for the wild. This is the once-in-a-lifetime trip our retiring clients book — usually the culmination of 2-3 years of planning and anticipation.
Four dramatically different countries in one trip — you see why people say "South America" is misleading, as these countries feel like different continents. Climate logic: Peru Oct-Apr dry season; Patagonia Dec-Feb summer; Brazil year-round OK; Argentina pleasant Oct-Apr. October-November is the optimal window. Open-jaw flight (Sydney-Lima inbound, Santiago-Sydney outbound) saves a return flight to Peru. The 28-day length is the minimum to not make this rushed — stretching to 35 days would be ideal if you have time.
Match your trip length, travel style, and priorities to one of these seven templates. Use the framework below as a decision tree.
| Your Situation | Start With | Key Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| First South America trip, limited time | First-Timer Peru Classic | 14 days is the minimum for this to work properly. |
| Fit couple, active travel | The Adventurer | 21 days; book Inca Trail permit 6+ months ahead. |
| Honeymoon or milestone anniversary | Galapagos Luxury | Book cruise 8-12 months ahead for preferred ship/cabin. |
| Family with kids 8+ | Costa Rica Wildlife | Avoids altitude, single-country simplicity. |
| Food-obsessed couple, shorter trip | Mexico Foodie | 10 days; book Pujol/Quintonil 2+ months ahead. |
| Photographer, road-trip lover | USA Southwest | 4WD rental; The Wave permit lottery 4 months out. |
| Retirees, gap year, ambitious | The Grand Tour | 28 days minimum; October-November optimal window. |
| Unsure what you want | Book a 1-hour consultation | Cooee Tours specialists help narrow it down. |
The itinerary questions Australian travellers ask us most often.
Related Americas blogs to complete your trip planning.
These templates are starting frameworks. Our Americas specialists customise any of them to your travel dates, budget, pace, and interests — free initial consultation, no obligation. Just a one-hour call to understand what you're after.
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