The Heart of South America: Santiago to Rio in 14 Days — Self-Launched

Arrive at Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL). Skip the private transfer and take the TurBus CentroPuerto airport bus to the city centre (~£3, 30–40 min) or the shared shuttle vans (~£5). Check into a hostel in Bellavista or Lastarria — both walkable to the sights. Evening: ease in with a wander around Barrio Bellavista's bars, or take the funicular up Cerro San Cristóbal for sunset views (~£2). Pick up a Bip! transport card for Metro rides (~£1 per journey).

🚌Airport bus TurBus/Centropuerto ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, Bellavista or Lastarria (~£16)

• →TurBus airport transfer
• →Bellavista evening stroll
• →Optional Cerro San Cristóbal funicular ~£2

Do your own walking tour (free tip-based walking tours leave from Plaza de Armas at 10am and 3pm — tip ~£7). Go inside the Metropolitan Cathedral on Plaza de Armas, walk the Calle Bandera stretch to La Moneda Palace, the Palacio de La Correo (Central Post Office) and the Plaza de la Ciudadanía. Contrast it with the bohemian streets of Lastarria and the Mercado Central, where you can grab a lomo a lo pobre or a paila marina at one of the market stalls. Finish with a stroll up Santa Lucía Hill for a free panoramic view. Self-guided rather than the operator's private guide — same stops, a fraction of the cost.

🚌Metro/Bip! card ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Bellavista or Lastarria (~£16)

• →Free walking tour (tip ~£7)
• →Metropolitan Cathedral (free)
• →La Moneda Palace & Plaza de la Ciudadanía
• →Central Post Office
• →Mercado Central food stalls
• →Santa Lucía Hill (free)

The original tour uses a private flight; you'll piece together the same journey. Cheapest route is usually Sky Airline or JetSMART Santiago → Punta Arenas (PUQ, ~3.5 hrs, ~£110–160 one-way booked in advance). From Punta Arenas, either take a bus across the Strait of Magellan to Porvenir and onward, or — much simpler — fly Punta Arenas → Ushuaia on Aerovías DAP or LATAM when the schedule aligns (~£70–100). Budget a full day for the journey and book morning flights. Overnight in a hostel in the centre of Ushuaia, walkable to the port for tomorrow's boat.

🚌Domestic flight Santiago–Punta Arenas ~£130 + DAP/LATAM to Ushuaia ~£85

🛏Hostel dorm, Ushuaia centre (~£20)

• →Flight connections
• →Ushuaia harbour walk

Book the Beagle Channel catamaran directly with one of the local operators (Tolkeyen, Canoero, Rumbo Sur) at the tourist port in Ushuaia — no advance booking usually needed, ~£50–65 for a 3–4 hour cruise. The route mirrors the tour: Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, Isla de los Lobos sea lion colonies, and views across to the Olivia and Cinco Hermanos peaks. For penguins, the classic Martillo Island (Isla Martillo) landing is an extra trip via Estancia Harberton — roughly £90–110 including the estancia transfer, so either add it or spot Magellanic penguins from the catamaran. Dress in layers; Beagle Channel weather changes hourly. Afternoon: the free Maritime Museum area or the End of the World Museum (Museo del Fin del Mundo, ~£5).

🚌Walk to port

🛏Hostel dorm, Ushuaia centre (~£20)

• →Beagle Channel catamaran cruise ~£55
• →Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse
• →Isla de los Lobos sea lions
• →Optional Martillo Island penguin trip ~£100
• →Museo del Fin del Mundo ~£5

Fly Ushuaia (USH) → Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) with Aerolíneas Argentinas or JetSMART — Aeroparque is far more convenient than Ezeiza for the city. Book ahead; ~£90–140 one-way, 3.5 hrs. From AEP take a local bus (Line 8 or 45, ~£0.50 with a SUBE card) or a taxi/remis (~£10) to San Telmo, Palermo or Recoleta. Get a SUBE card at a kiosk as soon as you land — it's how you pay for buses and the Subte. Evening: settle in and eat at a neighbourhood parrilla or grab empanadas.

🚌Flight Ushuaia–Buenos Aires ~£110 + local transport ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm, San Telmo or Palermo (~£16)

• →Flight
• →SUBE card setup
• →Neighbourhood parrilla dinner

Start with the free tip-based walking tour of Buenos Aires (Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, the Cabildo, the Metropolitan Cathedral) — tip ~£7. Then self-explore: Recoleta Cemetery (free to enter, ~£10 for a guided history tour if you want), the painted houses of La Boca, and the El Ateneo Grand Splendid bookshop. Book El Viejo Almacén tango show direct online in San Telmo — either show-only (~£35–45) or with dinner and a drink (~£60–75); this replaces the operator's included dinner and private guide for a fraction of the price. Book a couple of days ahead to secure a good seat.

🚌Subte and buses with SUBE ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, San Telmo or Palermo (~£16)

• →Free city walking tour (tip ~£7)
• →Plaza de Mayo & Casa Rosada
• →Recoleta Cemetery
• →La Boca
• →El Viejo Almacén tango show ~£55

Do the Tigre Delta independently: take the Tren de la Costa / Mitre line train from Retiro to Tigre (~£1, about an hour, cheap and scenic). From Tigre's Estación Fluvial, buy a seat on a local lancha colectiva or a one-hour delta boat ride (~£10–15) through the canals — you'll see the same riverside houses on stilts and the island life the tour cruises past. Spend time at the Puerto de Frutos market (crafts and food, free to browse), then head back to the city by train. Evening: catch a football match at La Bombonera or the Monumental if the fixtures line up, or just explore Palermo Soho's bars.

🚌Retiro–Tigre train return ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, San Telmo or Palermo (~£16)

• →Tren de la Costa to Tigre
• →Delta lancha boat ride ~£12
• →Puerto de Frutos market

Fly Aeroparque (AEP) or Ezeiza (EZE) → Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) with Flybondi, JetSMART or LATAM — typically ~£80–130 one-way, ~2 hrs, but book early since direct seats sell out. Note that the Brazilian airport is on the Brazilian side; the Argentine falls are reachable by local bus (~£1) if you want both sides. From IGU take the local bus 120 to the city centre and the falls (~£1). Check into a hostel in Foz do Iguaçu centro — most arrange falls trips at reception.

🚌Flight ~£105 + local bus ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Foz do Iguaçu (~£14)

• →Flight to Foz do Iguaçu
• →Local bus to centre

Take the local bus 120 from the city to Parque Nacional do Iguaçu (~£1 each way) and buy your entry ticket at the gate or online (~£18–22). Walk the panoramic trail to the Devil's Throat viewpoint — no guide needed, the trail is well signed. You'll see coatis (keep food sealed — they're bold), butterflies and toucans. Optional extras: the boat safari into the falls spray (~£30–45) or the Parque das Aves bird park next door (~£9), which is a strong add for wildlife lovers. Pack lunch from town to keep costs down. Sunset back in town: a churrasco at a local grill.

🚌Bus 120 return ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm, Foz do Iguaçu (~£14)

• →Iguazú Falls park entry ~£20
• →Devil's Throat panoramic trail
• →Optional boat safari ~£35
• →Optional Parque das Aves ~£9

Fly IGU → Rio (GIG or SDU) with GOL, LATAM or Azul — direct ~2 hrs, ~£70–120 if booked ahead. Santos Dumont (SDU) is much closer to the beaches; take the airport bus or a ride-hailing app to your hostel in Botafogo, Ipanema or Copacabana (~£3–6). Arrive, drop bags, and take a first sunset walk along Copacabana or Ipanema beach — the beach is free and the best introduction to the city.

🚌Flight ~£95 + airport transfer ~£5

🛏Hostel dorm, Botafogo or Copacabana (~£16)

• →Flight to Rio
• →Copacabana/Ipanema sunset walk

The operator's full-day private tour can be rebuilt with GetYourGuide or direct tickets. Christ the Redeemer: book the official Trem do Corcovado train or the van from Cosme Velho; a skip-the-line combo ticket is ~£25–30, plus transport. Sugarloaf: buy the cable car ticket at Pão de Açúcar (~£18) and go up in the late afternoon when the light and views over Guanabara Bay are best. In between, walk the Selarón Staircase in Lapa (free), the Metropolitan Cathedral (free), and see Maracanã Stadium and the Sambadrome from the outside — stadium tours are ~£10 if you want inside. Lunch at a local churrascaria or kilo buffet (~£8–10), replacing the operator's rotisserie lunch.

🚌Metro, buses and ride-hailing ~£8

🛏Hostel dorm, Botafogo or Copacabana (~£16)

• →Christ the Redeemer via Corcovado train ~£28
• →Sugarloaf cable car ~£18
• →Selarón Staircase
• →Metropolitan Cathedral
• →Maracanã & Sambadrome (exterior)
• →Optional Maracanã stadium tour ~£10

Chill day at your own pace — the same free-and-cheap options the tour leaves you to explore. Morning on Copacabana or Ipanema beach (rent a chair and umbrella ~£4, coconut water ~£2); or head to the Botanical Gardens of Rio (~£6 entry) for a quiet shaded walk. In the afternoon, walk the loop around Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon (~£4 if you hire a bike) or take a short trail in Tijuca Forest. For something different, book a favela art tour with a community-run guide via GetYourGuide (~£20–25) — ethical, locally led, and highly recommended.

🚌Metro and buses ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm, Botafogo or Copacabana (~£16)

• →Copacabana/Ipanema beach
• →Botanical Gardens ~£6
• →Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon
• →Optional community favela art tour ~£22

A final free day. Options: the Pedra do Telégrafo hike for the famous cliff-edge photo (local bus plus a 45-minute uphill trail, free), the Two Brothers (Dois Irmãos) hike from Vidigal (free), or a day trip to Paquetá island by ferry (~£5 return). Early evening, eat at a seafood spot or a kilo buffet in Ipanema; later, head to Lapa for live samba in the street bars around the Arcos da Lapa (drinks ~£6–10). This is the Rio experience the big operators can't package.

🚌Buses, metro and ferry ~£6

🛏Hostel dorm, Botafogo or Copacabana (~£16)

• →Pedra do Telégrafo or Dois Irmãos hike
• →Optional Paquetá ferry
• →Lapa samba night

Breakfast, last beach walk, and get to the airport on your own — the airport bus from Copacabana/central Rio (~£3) or a ride-hailing app (~£10–15) both work well. If your flight is later in the day, leave bags at the hostel and squeeze in one more Ipanema swim.

🚌Airport bus ~£3

🛏N/A (departure day)

• →Last beach walk
• →Airport transfer