The Prices of Luxury Tours to South America
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If you're curious about the options and costs of luxury tours in South America, you're in the right place. With years of travel experience and deep industry insights, we've independently evaluated all the tour options, explored numerous destinations in South America, and assessed the top tour providers. Below, you'll find a detailed breakdown of the average prices and best tours, ensuring you can choose the perfect guided tour for your next adventure.
South America caters to every kind of traveler, offering a variety of luxury tours, from affordable group tours to luxurious, all-inclusive experiences. Prices for luxury tours in South America can differ widely based on trip duration, activities, and accommodation standards.
Why does South America appeal to luxury travelers?
South America's blend of attraction, activities, and high-end accommodations appeals to luxury travelers seeking unique experiences. Rio de Janeiro is known for its samba dancing, sandy beaches, and Carnival. Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Salvador offer plenty of amazing museums and sights to explore. The romance, charm, and excitement of Rio de Janeiro, Foz do Iguacu, and Salvador makes them very popular with couples looking for a romantic trip. South America's seamless combination of opulence and cultural experiences offers an unparalleled luxury escape.
How much do luxury tours cost in South America?
The average price per day for luxury tours in South America is $449, based on our analysis of 85 tours. While the overall prices can vary greatly, when we look at the daily price of these tours, the costs range from $300 to $1,018 per day.
Budget-friendly tours average around $317 per day, while higher-end luxury tours average about $646 per day.
Budget tours will usually provide less luxurious accommodation, have larger group sizes, and visit less expensive destinations. They will also sometimes have you pay for more activities on your own instead of including everything up front.
Mid-range tours often provide a step up in accommodation and transportation, and include more guided activities.
Luxury tours usually provide the highest levels of service, luxury hotels, more gormet food choices, comfortable transportation, and offer more all-inclusive payment options.
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The Best Tours in South America
Budget-Friendly Tours
Budget-friendly and affordable luxury tours in South America average $317 per day, with daily prices from $300 to $335. Budget tours usually include hotels, meals, and activities that are not quite as nice as other tours. Often, they might only include transportation, lodging, and some activities, leaving you on your own to pay for meals and other attractions during the tour. This can be a very convenient and economical way to visit France without spending too much money, as it gives you control over the amount you spend on meals and extra services. If you're looking for a really great option, check out Peru Family Experience here.
Mid-Range Tours
For typical luxury tours in South America that fall in the middle range of prices, the average cost is $387 per day. Daily prices range from $335 to $443. Taking this step up in price from the cheaper tours to mid-range will often get you plenty of extra amenities and service for a great price. These tours usually include very comfortable hotels, meals at delicious local restaurants, comfortable transportation, knowledgable guides, and entry to many of the top attractions. One of the best tours is Galápagos Island Hopping.
Luxury Tours
Luxury luxury tours in South America average around $387 per day, with daily costs ranging from $450 to $1,018. At this price, you'll be very well taken care of and pampered on your journey through the scenic destinations. Knowledgable guides, the best accommodation options, the finest restaurants, comfortable transportation, and quick entry into attractions are all part of the itinerary. Every luxury and detail has been planned and thought about so that you don't have to deal with any hassle, you simple show up and enjoy your vacation. One of the best luxury tours here is Galápagos — North, West & Central Islands aboard the Yolita.
Which tour companies offer luxury tours?
A number of fantastic tour companies offer luxury tours in South America. These are a few of the best, because they offer the highest rated service, provide the best overall quality, and have the most five-star guest reviews to prove it.
G Adventures
G Adventures is a large international travel company offering tours all over the world. Some of their most popular destinations include Thailand, Peru, South Africa, and Vietnam. Many of their tours are priced in the mid-range category. The company's adventures often highlight activities such as camping, island hopping, snorkelling, surfing, wine tasting, kayaking, cooking classes, water sports, jungle surfing, and canyoning.
See All Tours from G Adventures
Collette
Collette is a large international travel company offering tours all over the world. Some of their most popular destinations include the U.S., Italy, Great Britain, and France. The company appeals to travelers of all ages, with many tours focusing on families with children. Many of the tours fall into the mid-range price category. The company's adventures often highlight activities such as wine tasting, island hopping, and camping.
The Colombian Trip
The Colombian Trip offers local cultural tours through Colombia. Most participants are adults and the tours range in length from 7 days to 9 days. Despite being priced a bit higher, the small group sizes create a more personal and unique experience for travelers. A large number of their tours fall within in the mid-range price category.
See All Tours from The Colombian Trip
Cosmos
Cosmos is a large international travel company offering tours all over the world. A number of their tours visit destinations in Europe and North America. Some of their most popular destinations include the U.S., Canada, Italy, and Argentina. The company appeals to travelers of all ages, with many tours focusing on families with children. Many of the tours fall into the mid-range price category. The company's adventures often highlight activities such as snorkelling, cooking classes, and wine tasting.
Luxury Destinations in South America
Wondering where luxury tours visit in South America? With a variety of stops and destinations along the way, there's something for everyone.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is a world famous megacity that is filled with colorful neighborhoods and a population that knows how to have fun. The city has iconic beaches such as Copacabana and countless urban hikes that take you to dramatic mountain peaks. At night, people come out to party, and you're sure to have a good time, particularly during the Carnival season.
Foz Do Iguacu
Foz do Iguaçu is the main hub for visitors going to the waterfall on the Brazilian side. Iguaçu Falls is the largest waterfall in the world and it sits on the border between Brazil and Argentina. The are many separate cascades as well as walkways and trails around the falls. Devil's Throat is the tallest of the cascades.
Salvador
Salvador is the capital city of the state of Bahia. It has a historic area that is filled with colonial architecture that dates back to the Portuguese colonial period. Today the city's culture still reflects its Afro-Brazilian roots. The city also runs along the coastline and is home to several beautiful, sandy beaches.
Sao Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in South America. It's also the economic and financial capital of Brazil and a cultural and international megacity. There's a range of architecture styles around town and many unique neighborhoods. It's not the most popular destination in Brazil, but it does offer a unique experience with a glimpse at real life in a large and diverse setting.
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Other popular destinations for luxury tours through South America include Lima, Cusco, Buenos Aires, Quito, and Ollantaytambo.
Luxury Tours vs. Independent Travel: Pros and Cons
When choosing between booking an organized tour or planning your own trip, consider the key factors of each travel style.
Organized Tours
Pros- Every detail of the trip is handled for you, ensuring a stress-free experience.
- Accommodations are typically in high-end hotels or resorts with premium amenities.
- You have access to exclusive experiences and locations not available to most travelers.
- Transportation is comfortable and often private, such as luxury cars or first-class trains.
- Meals are often at top-rated restaurants or include private dining experiences.
- Professional guides provide personalized attention and insights.
- Activities are curated to meet high standards of quality and comfort.
- You can save time by skipping lines and accessing priority services.
- Tours often include amenities like spa treatments or concierge services.
- The group size is often smaller, allowing for a more personalized experience.
- The focus on comfort might limit exposure to local culture or day-to-day life.
- Rigid schedules might leave less room for spontaneity.
- Luxury tours might cater more to general preferences than specific interests.
Independent Travel
Pros- You have complete control over the destinations, accommodations, and activities.
- You can tailor the trip to your specific interests and preferences.
- You can choose personalized luxury experiences.
- The itinerary can be adjusted at any time to suit your mood or interests.
- Planning can be time-consuming and require extensive research.
- Ensuring a high standard for every part of the trip can be challenging.
- Securing exclusive experiences or reservations might require extra effort.
- You may need to coordinate multiple vendors, which adds complexity.
- Navigating unfamiliar destinations without a guide can be stressful.
- Transportation arrangements for comfort and convenience may be difficult.
- Missteps in planning can detract from the overall luxurious experience.
- Unexpected issues like cancellations or delays can be harder to manage on your own.
Which is cheaper?
Is independent travel cheaper than guided luxury tours? The answer is not simple. Tours provide many of the services that you would otherwise pay for yourself on an independent trip. Hotels, transportation, food, entry tickets, guides, and activities are provided on organized tours, whereas you would pay for everything separately on your own. To deterine the difference in price, you would need to compare the combined price of everything in a tour with everything you would book separately. Sometimes you might want to stay in a cheaper hotel, or eat at a more expensive restaurant, so the price of a tour could be more or less than what you would otherwise pay on your own. Make sure you know what is included before making your comparison.
Also, before booking a tour, make sure you know exactly what is included as tour companies sometimes change their itineraries or included amenities to keep them updated with seasonal changes and customer interests.
More Tour Options
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Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
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