Rickshaw Travel

ABTAATOL Protected

  • Destinations
  • Family holidays
  • Travel guides
  • About us
  • Blog
My Travel Plan
Loading...

Your travel plan is empty!

Add your favourite trips or an itinerary to your travel plan. Click on 'My Travel Plan' to see what you've added and send it to us. Our travel specialists will piece your holiday together (including transport & accommodation) and send you a quote within one working day.

Get started!

Added so far...

We'll create your dream holiday

    Next, review & send us your travel plan for your quote

    Request your quote

    Or view/email a copy of your travel plan

    View your travel plan
     Your next steps

    1. Add your favourite trips or an itinerary to your travel plan
    2. Click the Request your quote button to send it over to us
    3. Our travel specialists will piece your holiday together (including transport & accommodation) and send you a quote within one working day

     Your next steps

    1. Add your favourite trips or an itinerary to your travel plan
    2. Click the Request your quote button to send it over to us
    3. Our travel specialists will piece your holiday together (including transport & accommodation) and send you a quote within one working day

    • Destinations
      • Asia
        • Bhutan
        • China
        • India
        • Japan
        • Nepal
        • Sri Lanka
        • Tibet
      • South East Asia
        • Borneo
        • Cambodia
        • Indonesia
        • Laos
        • Malaysia
        • Myanmar
        • Thailand
        • Vietnam
      • North America
        • Canada
      • Central America
        • Belize
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • Guatemala
        • Mexico
        • Nicaragua
        • Panama
      • South America
        • Argentina
        • Bolivia
        • Brazil
        • Chile
        • Ecuador & Galapagos
        • Peru
      • View all destinations
    • Family holidays
      • Asia
        • India
        • Sri Lanka
      • South East Asia
        • Borneo
        • Cambodia
        • Indonesia
        • Thailand
        • Vietnam
      • North America
        • Canada
        • USA
      • Central America
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
      • South America
        • Peru
    • Travel guides
      • Travel guides by destination
        • Borneo
        • Canada
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • Ecuador
        • Galapagos
        • India
        • Indonesia
        • Japan
        • Peru
        • Sri Lanka
        • Vietnam
      • Family Holiday Guides
        • Borneo
        • Canada
        • Costa Rica
        • Cuba
        • India
        • Indonesia
        • Malaysia
        • Peru
        • Sri Lanka
        • Thailand
        • USA
        • Vietnam
      • Inspiration
        • Beaches
        • City stopovers
        • Diving and snorkelling
        • Food & drink
        • Honeymoons
        • Self drive
        • Trekking
        • Unique experiences
        • Wildlife & safari
      • Where to Go When
        • January
        • February
        • March
        • April
        • May
        • June
        • July
        • August
        • September
        • October
        • November
        • December
    • About us
      • Discover more
        • Our values
        • Meet the team
        • How we work
        • Work with us
        • Customer reviews
        • In the news
        • Contact us
      • Responsible travel
        • Responsible travel
        • Animal welfare
        • Local projects
        • Our Responsible Travel Policy
        • How to be a responsible traveller
      • Travel Advice
        • Accommodation
        • Covid-19
        • Flights
        • Honeymoon Gift Service
        • LGBTQ+ travellers
        • Refer a Friend
        • Travel insurance
        • Visas & passports
    • Blog
    AsiaSouth East AsiaNorth AmericaCentral AmericaSouth AmericaView all destinations
    BhutanChinaIndiaJapanNepalSri LankaTibet
    BorneoCambodiaIndonesiaLaosMalaysiaMyanmarThailandVietnam
    Canada
    BelizeCosta RicaCubaGuatemalaMexicoNicaraguaPanama
    ArgentinaBoliviaBrazilChileEcuador & GalapagosPeru
     
     
    AsiaSouth East AsiaNorth AmericaCentral AmericaSouth America
    IndiaSri Lanka
     
    BorneoCambodiaIndonesiaThailandVietnam
     
    CanadaUSA
     
    Costa RicaCuba
     
    Peru
     
    Travel guides by destinationFamily Holiday GuidesInspirationWhere to Go When
    • Borneo
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • Ecuador
    • Galapagos
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Japan
    • Peru
    • Sri Lanka
    • Vietnam
    • Borneo
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Cuba
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
    • Peru
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
    • USA
    BeachesCity stopoversDiving and snorkellingFood & drinkHoneymoonsSelf driveTrekkingUnique experiencesWildlife & safari
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
    Discover moreResponsible travelTravel Advice
    Our valuesMeet the teamHow we workWork with usCustomer reviewsIn the newsContact us
    Responsible travelAnimal welfareLocal projectsOur Responsible Travel PolicyHow to be a responsible traveller
    AccommodationCovid-19FlightsHoneymoon Gift ServiceLGBTQ+ travellersRefer a FriendTravel insuranceVisas & passports

    Rickshaw Ramblings

    • Browse by Destination
    • Argentina
    • Bhutan
    • Bolivia
    • Borneo
    • Borneo for Families
    • Brazil
    • Brighton
    • Cambodia
    • Cambodia for Families
    • Canada
    • Canada for Families
    • Chile
    • China
    • Costa Rica
    • Costa Rica for Families
    • Cuba
    • Ecuador & Galapagos
    • Family
    • India
    • Indochina
    • Indonesia
    • Indonesia for Families
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Malaysia
    • Mexico
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Nicaragua
    • Panama
    • Peru
    • Sri Lanka
    • Sri Lanka for Families
    • Thailand
    • Thailand for Families
    • Tibet
    • USA for families
    • Vietnam
    • Vietnam for Families
    • Browse by Theme
    • 24 hours in...
    • Competition
    • Cultural
    • Customers stories
    • Family travel
    • Food and drink
    • Friends of Rickshaw
    • History
    • Responsible travel
    • Top tips
    • Wellness
    • Wildlife

    30th January 2020 by Hannah • 10 min read

    7 top things to do in South America

    info-btn Top tips pin Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru

    Share:

    Man smiling on headset

    Prefer to chat things through?

    Enquire now

    Have an experience of a lifetime with these 7 top things to do in South America

     

    We love South America. There really is something for everyone: heart-stopping scenery, fascinating tribal encounters, rare and wonderful wildlife and unique civilisations. Here are a few slightly more offbeat moments that have stayed etched in our memories long after we’ve come home.

    1. Walk on a rainbow in Peru

    Wouldn’t it be amazing if you really could walk on a rainbow? Here, close to the little mountain village of Cusipata in Peru, you come pretty close. No one knew about Rainbow Mountain until four years ago when high altitude snowmelt revealed its kaleidoscopic colours. Some say there are 14 different coloured stripes of rock and sediment running in perfect lines across the top of the peak here. Pink, white, red, yellow, green, brown and more – all are caused by unique minerals in the different soils. It’s up at high altitude so it’s quite a hike through rolling green valleys and red mountains with alpacas grazing on either side. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you get a hearty breakfast to get you on your way.

    Person looking out over rainbow mountain

    Taste the rainbow in Peru

    2. See geysers from your bath in Chile

    You need to get up early for this one. The colder the air temperature, the bigger the plumes of super-heated steam the mighty Tatio geysers blast skywards. So we’ll get you there before sunrise. There are over 80 of them, creating an alien landscape of plumes of steam and bubbling mud pools to a backdrop of the snowy Andean peaks. It’s freezing cold up here at this time of day so you need to wrap up well to watch the morning sun rising serenely into the steamy skies. And there’s a great way to warm up – but you need to strip off. Bring your swimmers and you can take a dip in a thermal pool and watch the geysers to do their thing as you float and wallow. 

    people swimming in a geyser in chile

    Marvel at landscapes in Chile

    3. Look down the Devil’s Throat in Brazil (and Argentina!)

    Pounding hundreds of metres deep into a mighty canyon between Argentina and Brazil the Iguacu falls are heart-stoppingly spectacular. There are viewpoints on both sides, but perhaps the most exciting is appropriately named Devil’s Throat on the Argentinian side. It’s a bit of a walk to get there but that’s part of the adventure. You may spot wildlife like monkeys and coatis as you make your way along the banks of the river. A short train ride then a sequence of walkways above the swirling waters finally leads to a vertigo-inducing viewing platform. Here you look right down into the torrential waters as they cannon vertically downwards. The noise is exceptional. And don’t expect to stay dry.

    Waterfalls in Brazil

    Fall for Iguacu in Brazil

    4. Dive with dolphins in Brazil

    We really don’t know what all the fuss is about with this place. Sure it’s UNESCO listed, but all Fernando de Noronha has to offer is a bunch of steep sided volcanic mountains rising heavenwards above verdant rainforest. And then there’s the crystalline sea which laps the sugar sand shores: apparently it’s crammed with rare and wonderful wildlife, like turtles, rays and whales. Worse still, there’s no nightlife. And it’s absolutely the middle of nowhere: this confetti chain of pristine islands is several hundred miles off the coast of Brazil. Anyway, if you do decide it’s worth the trip, maybe you should stick on a snorkel or strap on some tanks and go dive the ultrablue waters? Who knows – you might have an encounter with some frolicking dolphins.

    Fernando de Noronha beach landscape

    Dive into Dolphin Island in Brazil

    5. Ride like a Gaucho in Argentina

    Ever wondered what it’s like to be a real cowboy? One of our favourite places to find out is close to sultry Salta a welcoming old colonial town full of cobbled streets and sleepy squares in the far north east of Argentina. At a working ranch in nearby Chicoana you can stick on your cowboy hat and ride through the rolling countryside, learning about the gaucho lifestyle as you go. You’ll trot through pungent tobacco plantations fringed by mighty mountains. Once you’ve worked up a healthy appetite, dinner is of course a traditional Argentine asado (that’s barbecue to you and me). You can spend the night at the ranch too and learn traditional Argentine folksongs too.

    Two people riding horses in the countryside

    Ride with the Gauchos in Argentina

    6. Walk on water on a reed island in Peru

    Sat right on the border with Bolivia, sparkling Lake Titicaca is vast. Many tribes have traditionally farmed the shores and fished the abundant waters. But the Uro tribe in Peru went a step further. They’ve construct floating islands from the golden reeds that grow along the lakeside. It’s a handy form of self defence and means you’re right on top of the fish! Typically they’re big enough to support several huts housing members of an extended family. A recent count revealed there are over 60, home in total to over 1000 people. Some of the islands have their own watch towers. When you visit you can meet the families that live there and learn how they build and maintain these remarkable structures.

    Floating houses on the water

    Go island hopping in Peru

    7. Get mobbed by penguins in Chile

    Punta Arenas is a remote town almost as far south in Chile as you can go. Formerly an important centre for sheep farming and a stop off for visiting ships, it’s surprisingly lively given its distant location. There’s a brace of interesting islands you can boat out to in the Straits of Magellan here. Most are officially designated as ‘uninhabited’ but there are several hundred thousand feathered residents on Magdalena Island who’d beg to differ! There are three times as many penguins here as there are people back in Punta Arenas and in some places you can hardly move for them. These cute little creatures waddle and flap across the windswept beaches completely unperturbed by your presence. If you don’t get out of the way, they sometimes walk right into you. 

    Penguins on a hillside near the sea

    Go to the edge of the world in Chile
    Moon Valley in Argentina

    Interested in our South American holidays?

    From cool blue glaciers and endless salt flats to tropical rainforest, deserts and hidden kingdoms in the clouds, a holiday to South America is perfect for an epic adventure.

    Learn more

    Like this? Sign up to our newsletter!

    If you enjoyed this then why not sign up to our newsletter for more travel inspiration, tips, and advice from our travel specialists.

    !

    By signing up, you’ve opted in to receive our newsletters – don’t worry, you can unsubscribe at any time, via the link at the bottom of our emails. We genuinely care about you and treat your data securely and with respect. We tell you all about it in our Privacy Policy.

    Something hasn't quite worked, please try again shortly!

    Thanks for signing up

    You're now signed up to our newsletter. It won't be long until you get your first dose of inspiration, so keep an eye on your inbox.

    ArgentinaBrazilChilePeruSouth americaSouthAmericaTrekkingWaterfalls
    Image of Hannah

    Written by Hannah

    View Profile

    With a love for wildlife, plane food and river rapids, Hannah is always on the look out for her next adventure. Find out about her travels here...

    Comments

    Next Article

    6 breathtaking places to visit in Chile

    Previous Article

    Come and see us at the Destinations Show 2020 in London

    Other articles you may like

    A Taste of Brazil – Caroline’s Brazil Highlights

    3rd June 2015 by Caroline

    This year our Product Specialist, Caroline embarked on her first trip to South America to explore the highlights of Brazil, from lively Rio to Iguazu Falls.

    5 min read

    Read More - A Taste of Brazil – Caroline’s Brazil Highlights

    Hit South America for a December adventure | Argentina & Chile

    2nd September 2015 by Camilla

    Vineyards & volcanoes in Chile or glaciers & icebergs in Argentina - Marketing Manager, Camilla, weighs up her choices for an epic December 2016 adventure.

    3 min read

    Read More - Hit South America for a December adventure | Argentina & Chile

    Top tips

    What are the top ten places to visit in South America?

    10th October 2013 by Emma

    South America is the perfect continent for travelling. It has everything – beautiful scenery, rainforests, rivers and waterfalls and wildlife galore!

    6 min read

    Read More - What are the top ten places to visit in South America?
    Back up

    As featured in

    • the guardian logo
    • wanderlust logo red
    • Lonely Planet
    • National Geographic Traveler
    • Psychologies
    • The Daily Telegraph

    Information

    • Contact us
    • Booking conditions
    • Financial protection
    • Health and safety
    • Your Package Holiday
    • FCDO travel advice
    • Blog
    • Coronavirus updates

    Get in touch

    We're a friendly bunch and always ready for a chat so feel free to get in touch.

    Call us: 01273 322 398

    Email us: hello@rickshawtravel.co.uk

    Contact us

    Connect with us

    FacebookInstagramTwitterYouTubePinterest
    ATOL Protected ABTA Travelife

    © 2008 - 2021 | Rickshaw Travel

    Privacy Policy  |  Cookie Policy  |  Sitemap

    Call us Phone us

    Please give us your consent to use cookies

    We use cookies to ensure our website works, to give you an enhanced experience while browsing, and to enable us to use 3rd party tools that are connected to us. Read our Cookie Policy for more information.

    What are your holiday plans?

    • Our travel specialists know everything there is to know about your chosen destination. Please tell us what you're looking for below and we’ll get back to you very soon (usually within 24 hours).

    • This field is only shown to Rickshaw Admins, and is used for routing the form to the correct destination inbox
    • This field is only shown to Rickshaw Admins, and is used for routing the form to the correct destination inbox
    • If you'd prefer us to call you, please enter your phone number here
    • If you can, please share with us how many people are travelling, when you’d like to go, what you’d really like to experience, what you love doing on holidays, your rough budget, and when's best to contact you.
      By signing up to the email newsletter you consent to receive promotional emails from us. You can unsubscribe at any time. We genuinely care about you and treat your data securely and respectfully. We tell you all about it in our Privacy Policy.
    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.