Unique Destinations - South America Overviews

Save time and money by contacting Unique Destinations for the ​perfect holiday in South America! 
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Draw on our personal experience to guide you to the best locations that match YOUR interests!
Scroll down to see the highlights in each country where we offer tours, or click on a specific country or travel destination in the Unique Destinations menu above. 

Chile - Land of Deserts, Volcanos, Glaciers & Great Wine!
Chile is now the fastest growing destination for visitors to South America*.  Recently voted again as the Best Adventure Tourism destination**, Lonely Planet*** recommended it as the TOP destination for 2018, and has Chile's Atacama Desert listed as one of the TOP 10 regions worldwide to visit in 2022.   
We have visited ALL of the top sites here, be they in the north at San Pedro de Atacama, the "driest desert in the world", or in the south where incredible fjords, glaciers and unique wildlife can be seen in stunning ​Patagonia, especially in beautiful Torres del Paine National Park. 
​Many other gems can be found here too, be they mysterious moai on ​Easter Island​, or the "Marble Cathedral" on the "Carretera Austral"! 
​Click HERE to see MORE!
(* up 22% to 6.4 million/2017; Source UNWTO/World Tourism Barometer/ ** World Travel Awards 2022/ *** Best in Travel 2018)
​(** As a comparison, top tourism destinations 2017:  FR (1): 87 mil; USA (2): 81 mil; SP (3): 80 mil; UK (8): 37 mil) 

Bolivia - Land of Celebration, Colour & Contrast!
Bolivia is another gem where special opportunities exist for the adventurous traveller!  Travel costs are the lowest in South America and it has the fewest visitors*, making it a perfect choice for the discerning!  Land at the world's highest capital, La Paz, and enjoy an amazing ride over the city to reach your hotel by cable car!  Go see the city's "witches market", or take a ride down the world's most feared ​"Road of Death" into the Amazon basin.  For nature lovers, get really close to the action in pristine National Parks like the ​Pantanal, Madidi or ​Kaa Iya!  ​Or volunteer to look after a young puma with the wild animal charity Inti Wara Yassi. 
Click HERE to see MORE!
​(* Less than 1 million/year; Source UNWTO/World Tourism Barometer 2016/17)

Brazil - Land of Carnival, Beaches, Rhythm & Dance!
Brazil vies with Chile to be the most visited country* in South America.  Here guests are inspired by their fabulous beaches, warm hospitality, and love of rhythm and dance!  Nowhere quite sums this up better than iconic Rio de Janeiro​, especially at Carnival time!  But there are other fantastic beach destinations such as the UNESCO declared Fernando de Noronha Island off Recife in the north, or around Florianopolis in the south.  And whilst down there, go see Brazil's side of Iguassu Falls​, or have a ride on the Great Brazil Express.   Wildlife lovers can also appreciate the stunning flora & fauna of Brazil in the Pantanal, or up the Amazon, by boat or on a land tour.  Click HERE to see MORE!
(* 6.6 million/year; Source UNWTO/World Tourism Barometer 2018)

Argentina - Land of Tango, Romance, Gauchos & Fine Wine!
Argentina is another one of our favourites where great variety can be enjoyed in relative tranquillity*.  Fly into romantic Buenos Aires​ and enjoy an evening or two of tango in chic Palermo or San Telmo; then head north for a few days to visit the AWESOME Iguazu Falls .  ​Many of our clients then head south to Argentine Patagonia,  to see gauchos in action, trek the beautiful trails by Mount Fitzroy, or visit the stunning Perito Moreno Glacier near Calafate.  Others then head on into Chile on a cruise that visits Cape Horn, or go in search of Orca and Right whales that annually visit the UNESCO declared site at Valdes Peninsular. 
​Click HERE to see MORE!
(* 5.7 million/year; Source UNWTO/World Tourism Barometer 2016/17)

Peru - Land of Great Beauty, Diversity of Nature and Machu Picchu!
Peru is another fantastic destination in South America with a high tourism growth rate*.   Also, for gourmet cuisine, Lonely Planet named LIMA No1 slot for "eat" in 2023!  It also earned Top visitor sites include the Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu and associated sites in Cuzco and the Sacred Valley, but "new wonders" are also to be found at Choquequirao and Kuelap​.   Also earning high ratings in the World Travel Awards for Cultural Tourism, Eco-tourism and Adventure Tourism, these include visits to amazing pre-Inca sites of the Nazca, Chimu and Moche ​cultures that offer a rare look into the past; an overnight stay with locals on Lake Titicaca; or a trek to Rainbow Mountain.  For us, a fabulous Amazon River cruise ​or a visit to one of Peru's secluded National Parks to spot jaguar, caiman or giant river otter, is the highlight!  ​Click HERE to see MORE!  
(* up 7.5% to 3.5 million/2016; Source UNWTO/World Tourism Barometer 2022)

Ecuador - Land of Evolution, Diversity & the Equator!
​Ecuador truly is unique, offering not only the magic of the Galapagos, but also the myriad of other (9!) eco-systems on the mainland, yet such few tourists take the opportunity to visit*!
Apart from the amazing Galapagos experience, it is the only country in the world that also has such varied microclimates.  Accordingly, offering MORE ​megadiversity of flora and fauna than ANY other country in the world, its rich history, vibrant culture and warm hospitality can hardly be matched.  
Let us guide you to those special sites on the mainland, or advise you WHEN & WHERE to book your special holiday on the Galapagos! 
Click HERE to see MORE!
(* 1.4 million/year; Source UNWTO/World Tourism Barometer 2016/17) ​

For that ULTIMATE adventure, look at our offers for the Great White Continent, ​Antarctica!

​For ways to visit the Great White Continent, click HERE or on the Antarctica slideshow to see what choices may be right for you !  
These include Fly/Sail/Fly options from Chile, or express  Sail/Fly options from Argentina; and classic Antarctic Cruises that cross the Antarctic Circle in search of unique experiences.

The Falkland Islands & South Georgia
​The Falkland Islands & South Georgia offer a very different experience!  ​Flora, Fauna, Tranquillity and a Unique History are ALL waiting for visitors who make the effort to journey to these shores!

Here, guests will encounter warm local hospitality and can disconnect from the bustle of our "normal" worlds, as in few other destinations on this planet!  The essence of a visit here is to "chill out"!
​But PLAN well ahead, as the "peak season" is short (Austral summer, Nov - Feb), flights are few (from UK and Chile, with a new route from Sao Paulo via Cordoba that commenced in November 2019), and the best accommodation gets booked up early!  
Click HERE to see MORE!