South American Explorer

Join Odyssey Overland for an epic 6 month expedition to experience the sights, sounds and cultures of South America in a custom built overland truck. From volcanoes to glaciers, jungle to high altitude grass lands, wildlife and wild Carnival, fascinating cultures and all the adventure activities you could ever want, if you want to experience a huge part of South America up close and personal this is the trip to do. We travel in small groups of up to 22, and take the extra time to enjoy the journey.

Details of Upcoming Expeditions

Please remember, due to the nature of these expeditions they book up a long time in advance, so book early to avoid disappointment.

If you have missed out on our 2012 South American Explorer expedition but don't want to wait until November 2013 to travel, why not check out our South American Encounter expedition which departs in June 2013.

Overview

Explore this exotic continent as we travel through South America in typical Odyssey style, really exploring as we go and trying to get off the beaten track while still making sure we visit all the major sites. Over 6 months we will visit Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia and, for those wanting to get the additional ticks, the option of visiting the Galapagos Islands, Uruguay and Paraguay. This journey will see us travelling in a massive figure 8 so as to be able to really see it all. From the lost cities of the Incas, the steaming jungle of the mighty Amazon, the high mountains of the Andes, Caribbean beaches and scenery and wildlife which will blow your mind. Add to this the amazing friendly locals, interesting cultures, plenty of adventure activities and exotic food - this journey will truly expand your view of the world.

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HIGHLIGHTS

It is hard to narrow down a list of highlights for our expedition, but here is our attempt! The Weekly Route Plan has more detail, a week-by-week itinerary and some amazing photos.

• Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, and our start and end point for this expedition. Plenty of sights to see, but the heart of BA is in the people and culture: the “Paris of South America” is home to passionate tango music and dance, steak houses on every corner, and countless cafes to sit and watch the world go by. Rated by many as the best city in South America, it is a great introduction to this epic continent.

• The Valdez Peninsula National Park with its amazing marine life, whales, sea lions, elephant seals and penguins.

• Los Glaciares National Park – watch as the Perito Mereno glacier slowly groans its way into a glacial lake.

• Explore the lake district of Chile with stunning blue lakes.

• Torres del Paine National Park with enough time to trek the epic W route.

• Ushuaia, the southernmost town in the world, the Beagle Canal and Tierra del Fuego National Park

• Cross the Magellan straits.

• Climb the still-active Villarrica volcano.

• Go to a unique coffee bar in cosmopolitan Santiago, the capital of Chile.

• Explore the wine growing regions of Maipo, Mendoza and Cafayate.

• Gaze in awe at the cascading water of the Iguacu Falls, we visit both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides.

• Hop across to Paraguay for an optional day trip to visit the vibrant market in Ciudad del Este.

• Float down the crystal clear streams of Bonito.

• Explore both the northern and southern Pantanal, one of the world’s largest wetlands with many exotic animals.

• Cross the Equator and the tropic of Capricorn twice.

• Chill on the Brazilian Emerald Coast from heaving Rio de Janeiro, to colonial Paraty and chilled Porto Seguro.

• Be “popcorn” on the streets of Salvador during Carnival, the biggest in South America.

• Travel on the mighty Amazon River, exploring one of the many tributaries on a 3 day river boat trip.

• Explore the Amazon basin with a local guide.

• Fly over Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world.

• Soak up the sun on the Caribbean coast of Venezuela.

• Wade through the wetlands in search of giant Anaconda in the Los Llanos wetlands of Venezuela.

• Get an adrenaline fix as you mountain bike, raft, bungy jump, abseil, scuba dive, snorkel, swim and so the list goes on with adventure activities offering a different way to experience the natural beauty and epic landscapes of South America.

• Explore the coastal colonial city of Cartagena and the nearby Tayrona National Park.

• Wander the streets of exotic Medellin and Cali in Colombia.

• Stay on a Colombian coffee plantation.

• Explore the old colonial streets of the capitals: Quito in Ecuador and Lima in Peru.

• The option to explore the incredible wildlife of the spectacular Galapagos Islands.

• Learn to surf on the Peruvian coast.

• Trek the Inca Trail, or the other amazing treks as we travel.

• Explore ancient ruins including Machu Picchu and Chan Chan.

• View the other-worldly Nazca Lines from the air.

• Enjoy a boat trip out to the Ballestas Islands, Peru’s answer to the Galapagos.

• Head high into the Peruvian mountains in search of giant Andean Condors.

• Visit the floating islands on Lake Titicaca.

• Explore the city of La Paz, Bolivia’s unofficial capital, with its witchcraft market and many other attractions.

• Visit the silver mines of Potosi in Bolivia and lean how dynamite works.

• Explore the largest salt flat in the world, Salar de Uyuni and cross the high altitude Andean plateau, the Altiplano.

• Visit the town where Ernesto “Che” Guevara was born.

• Spend two days on an Anglo-Argentinian ranch and experience the true cowboy life style.

• Finish up back in Buenos Aires for a last big party.

• For those who are keen to explore even more of this incredible continent, the option to add another week and explore Uruguay.

This is only just scratching the surface of all the amazing things we will see and experience as we travel along this incredible route. Further details are included in the Weekly Route Plan.

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Want to know more?

Click on the links below to find out everything you need to know about this epic expedition:

• Overview and highlights
• Weekly route plan
• Optional activities
• Food & accommodation
• Pre-trip planning
• Costs & booking