South America

Explore with active travel experts to some of the most stunning regions in the world. Join Backroads for spring bike rides in North America, summer hikes in Europe, fall safaris in Africa and winter adventures in South America. Get ready for an incredible year of travel!

Venture with Backroads to el fin del mundo – the end of the world. Patagonia is spectacularly remote and truly a place like no other… where glaciers calve into a pristine landscape, endangered condors soar the open skies, intrepid hikers venture along windy trails to mountain summits and gauchos traverse the sparsely populated pamas on horseback.

South America is home to an impressive array of animals living in nearly every type of environment from cactus-filled deserts to glaciated mountain peaks. Here are five of our favorites!

The view from a mountaintop is always worth it and always inspires us. But the strange thing is, the view from the top seems to obscure the actual, physical toil it took to get there. Inevitably, we find ourselves lacing up our hiking boots again or putting our cycling shoes back on to climb yet another peak, seemingly oblivious to the incredible challenges ahead. Of course, climb a mountain–including the world’s most iconic ranges–with Backroads and the joy multiplies: logistics, gear, route-planning, lunch stops and guides will all be taken care of so that you can focus simply on finding your stride or cadence and achieving your best day, whatever that means for you.

I’m often asked how I found my job leading Backroads trips… Fate. Magic. Luck… Well, perhaps a combination of those things. It’s a unique story that involves a photography exposition, a small community in northern Chile and two random backpackers high in the Chilean mountains. And it’s a story that put me on a path to helping develop a brand new Backroads trip for this coming December in a corner of South American that is easily one of my favorite places in the world.

Most companies' trips in Galápagos and the Andes are run by local operators. At Backroads we manage our own trips; we would never subcontract your precious family vacation to a third party. So as you enjoy the support of your seasoned Trip Leaders and Kids Activity Expert, along with our expert local guides and drivers, you have the confidence of knowing we're with you and your family every step of the way.

The Incas weren't keen on crowds and neither are we. In nearly two decades of exploring Peru, we've seen more and more people making the pilgrimage to Cusco and Machu Picchu. We get it - but we also need a little space to take in this otherworldly place among the peaks and contemplate its spiritual past. Fortunately, with our local connections we can get you clear of the tourist trek, hiking off the beaten path and immersing you in the culture of remote communities in the Sacred Valley.

Your Backroads trip to Peru and Machu Picchu starts and ends in Cusco, which was the beating heart of the Inca Empire and is still a hub for adventures in the Andes. This lofty Incan capital, colonial wonder and World Heritage site sits at 11,200 feet above sea level and offers bountiful cultural attractions, opportunities for adventure and delights for the palate.

Stepping outside your comfort zone is an extraordinary opportunity although it's something we often shy away from as we tend to find solace in the routine of our lives. Our group of 22 women just returned from a private Backroads mountain biking trip in Argentina’s Lake District. From the moment we met our Backroads leaders, our group of accomplished, take-charge women began to let go of our insecurities and ease into the rhythm of our adventure.

Patagonia, the geographical region of the Southern Andes shared by Argentina and Chile, is often referred to as one of the last great frontiers. It's a remote, spectacular landscape of craggy, jagged peaks that protrude skyward out of windswept pampas...