Travel South America on a Budget – 6 Insider Tips

Do you want to travel South America on a budget? Well I’ve got a few time-tested ideas on that subject since I’ve been there many times for extended periods. The continent can be a great value if you do it right.

travel South America on a budget

I’m getting excited because after visiting Argentina a few months ago, in September I’m flying down to Colombia for what I think will be my 13th or 14th trip to South America. Sometimes it has been work, sometimes a vacation, but it’s never been boring either way. Most of the time it has been a terrific travel bargain too.

Traveling on a budget in South America is hard to generalize about because of widely varying economies and continual exchange rate changes. Argentina is especially unpredictable, going from cheap to expensive to cheap again in the past decade, depending on how their financial crisis of the day was playing out. Right now it’s the best bargain in the Americas if you bring plenty of cash to Argentina.

Over the years, three of the countries that charged a lot to enter have dropped their reciprocal visa fees too, which lopped $160 per person off of your South America vacation cost. The only country still socking visitors for this now is Bolivia. Fortunately, after you get in, Bolivia is one of the cheapest countries to travel in on the continent.

In general, South America is a pretty good deal for shoestring travelers, but an excellent deal for mid-range travelers. Even in the capital cities you can get a decent hotel room for $40 or less per night. Most of the middle-class locals are not rich either, so it’s easy to find budget places to stay and day tour prices are usually reasonable.

If you’re past the point of traveling on a shoestring budget and your travel style requires more comfort, you’ll get a lot for your money in most of these countries and a rather average vacation budget will stretch a long way.

Meal time is usually a good value throughout this part of the globe. More on that further down.

Table of Contents

Best Places to Visit in South America on a Budget

There are a few countries that have appeared in every edition of my book, The World’s Cheapest Destinations. If you spend most of your time in these, adding on the ones where the dollar is currently extra strong, you’ll get able to cover a big chunk of South America on a typical backpacker budget of $1000 to $1,800 per month for a single, $2,000 to $3,000 for a couple.

So what are the best places to visit in South America on a budget? If you wanted to backpack through South America for a few months or more?

I’d say you should probably fly to Central America first, because you can do it more cheaply with money or miles, then make your way through Panama and either fly or take a boat to Colombia. Or find a flight deal to Cartagena or Bogota—two of the cheapest places to fly to in South America—and start your South America itinerary there.

Spend a few weeks in Colombia, taking advantage of a historically weak local currency, Limit your time in Cartagena as it’s the most expensive city by far. It’s much more reasonable in the Coffee Triangle, Santa Marta, Medellin, and the mountain towns.

Then go overland to Ecuador and watch your money instantly buy even more. (Except imported liquor and wine.) Quito and Cuenca are worth spending time in and are good bases for exploration of other towns and the Andes Mountains. Then you’ve lots of adventure activity options, beaches at the right time of year, and hot springs areas.

international living in Ecuador

The big draw of South America for many travelers is Peru, which is thankfully quite a bargain after you get past the Machu Picchu costs that are going to break your budget for a few days. Suck it up and go, but then spend some time in cheaper, less crowded areas like Colca Canyon, Arequipa, Amazonas, or even the Sacred Valley towns and mountain villages where nobody else bothers to spend the night.

If you get away from the tour bus locations, Peru can be a very cheap place to travel. It’s a great value.

After Peru, you can head to Bolivia overland via Lake Titicaca or elsewhere, reaching what is in many respects the cheapest country in South America. Thanks to its hefty visa fee and general lack of promotion, it’s also one of the least developed for tourists, which is a good thing for budget backpackers.

The only area getting a sizable number of visitors is the Salar de Uyuni salt flats area, the star of many an Instagram feed. It is a trippy, otherworldly place indeed. Try to spend more than a day there, maybe even going overland through the desert to Atacama if you’re headed to Chile. (Chile is no bargain though, so I’m not including it on this list.)

traveling to Bolivia in South America

The cheaper option from Bolivia is to head over to northern Argentina, to the dry Salta Province area, a sparsely populated region that looks somewhat like the American Southwest, but with more wineries. See a Salta travel story I wrote here.

Then explore the rest of Argentina as you wish, keeping in mind that the distances are vast and you’ll spend a lot of time on overnight bus trips if you don’t have splurge money set aside to fly now and then. Also remember there’s a high season and a no go season for Patagonia and plan accordingly. Your budget will be higher for Patagonia as well, especially when visiting the Perito Morena Glacier.

Overall though, costs are historically low in Argentina as I write this in 2022 and what you get for your money is unbelievable sometimes, especially for eating and drinking. Argentina craft beer just might be the best-priced on the planet right now, thanks to the exchange and the fact that Argentina can grow hops and barley, unlike its neighbors further north.

If you had your heart set on getting a Chile passport stamp, it would be an easy crossing in the Patagonia region, which is shared by both countries. Or you can cross to Santiago from Mendoza overland to visit wine regions and Valparaiso. Assume your daily budget is going to double as soon as you cross the border though, so you’re probably going to want to make the Chile part a quick in and out.

a trip to Sugarloaf Mountain in Brazil costs around $30

A few years ago I would have said to end it there, but once-expensive Brazil has gotten reasonably priced for now if you’re coming with U.S. dollars. That’s partly because of a currency drop, but also because, as I mentioned earlier, they dropped their expensive and cumbersome visa fee. Brazil has a completely different vibe than the Spanish-speaking countries and some of the best music in the Americas. See the post I did earlier on travel prices in Rio.

From a logistics standpoint, if you’re heading to Rio de Janeiro from Argentina, you can now stop on both sides of Iguazu Falls, seeing them from the Argentina side and the Brazil side. Before the visa change, you had to cough up a lot of money to do this. But when I was on an Intrepid Travel tour a few years ago that went through here, it was quite easy, no extra fees beyond park admissions.

You’ll probably want to see more of Brazil, maybe checking out some of the great beaches along the coast. Then head home or onward from where you can find a good flight deal. That’s more likely to be from Brazil than Argentina these days, though you may be better off flying from Brazil to another country to the north and then getting a second ticket from there. Scope out the options on Google Flights or Skyscanner.

To recap, the best countries to visit in South America, if you’re on a tight budget, are Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. If you stick to those you can get by for quite cheap–though understand that the Galapagos Islands and Easter Island are out of your budget range. If you do have some splurge money set aside, visit the Galapagos and add more expensive countries (though still not terrible) like Chile and Uruguay. If you’re a nature buff looking to get away from other tourists, you could head to Guyana.

Take Your Time on this Continent Meant for Slow Travel

Way too many people hurry through Peru and only see the sites thronged with tourists, or they try to cover vast distances in a short time when they travel in South America. As a result, they are handing much of their money to transportation companies every day or two. Slow travel is much cheaper travel, especially here.

The easiest way to keep your South America travel budget low, besides picking the right destinations, is to spend some quality time in each place before moving on to the next spot. It can literally cost you twice as much to be on the move every day or two, especially since there are so many long bus rides or more costly flights to deal with to get from A to B. You’re often crossing the Andes Mountains or traversing vast desert or pampas regions, so you want to settle in for a while after the journey.

To give you an idea, driving Chile end-to-end is roughly the same distance as driving from the west coast of the U.S. to the east coast. Driving from the top of Argentina to the bottom is the equivalent of driving from Calgary in Canada through the USA and Mexico to Guatemala City. And Brazil is much bigger than both of those added together!

Argentina one of the cheapest places to travel again

These bus trips cover such long distances in South America travel destinations that you sometimes get a sleeping berth. Many of them in Argentina and Chile are 24 hours, like Buenos Aires to Bariloche.

You can cut off a lot of time by flying, but domestic flights are often no bargain. They’re quite reasonable in Bolivia (from La Paz especially) and among the cities of Colombia. There are plenty of budget airlines to choose from. Flights can feel way overpriced in Argentina in Peru, however. (In the latter, foreigners pay more than the locals do). Trying to be a box-checking, bucket-listing, country-counting flashpacker is going to cost you far more money–and part of your sanity.

If your time is limited and you want to cover a lot of ground on a short trip, I would strongly advise signing up for an organized tour with a company like Intrepid Travel or G Adventures. You’ll know in advance what your budget is and they’ll take care of all the logistics for you, which is worth a lot. You’re usually looking at $80-$150 a day per person with them. A lot for a long-term traveler, but pretty cheap for a vacationer.

Eat a Big Lunch When Traveling in South America

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The meal of the day goes by many names on hand-written signs and chalkboards in Latin America, like menu del dia, comida corrida, la comida, or simply almuerzo. Or you may see something different on a sign that shows multiple courses and choices in local restaurants.

The way it works is, you usually get a soup or starter; a main course with a few options to pick from; rice, potatoes or pasta; something to drink; and maybe dessert.

That picture to the right is from a lunch just two blocks from the main plaza in Cusco. It was $3 counting the soup I had already devoured, a drink not pictured here, and a tip. See more examples of Cusco travel prices here.

These afternoon meal deals can range from very humble market stall meals that are literally two or three dollars up to fancier ones meant for office workers that are still only $5 or $6. Whether simple or fancy, these are your most economical choices when eating out. So it’s often best to get into the habit of eating your largest meal in the middle of the day, then having a lighter dinner. Hey, it’s probably better for your weight management too.

Take advantage of street food stalls and local markets as well. Maybe not the first day you arrive, but in general they’re safe when places are busy and you can see the food being prepared. They’re mostly serving working-class locals, so the price is right.

Learn Some Spanish to Travel South America

If most of your international travel has been in Asia or Europe, you may be under the impression that anyone who works with tourists around the world speaks English. There are plenty of areas where this is still not the case though, like any vast area where millions speak the local language. That applies to South America with Spanish.

Someone could travel from San Diego all the way to the tip of Tierra del Fuego without speaking anything but Spanish—as long as they avoid Belize, Brazil, and the Guyanas. In Mexico I got cable TV with my internet service and I have 200 channels that are Spanish only. It’s the same when I travel in Peru, Argentina, or Ecuador. Since these countries get so many tourists from neighboring countries, it’s not essential for them to have a strong command of English to survive.

Then when you get outside the main South America travel spots that are big tourist destinations, it gets worse. Bring a phrasebook or good app, load up Google Translate or Deepl, and try to learn a bit of Spanish before you leave with a self-study system like Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur, or Duolingo.

Colombia travel

Maybe stay in one place for a week or two and take some lessons. Guatemala, Colombia, and Ecuador are known for speaking relatively pure Latin American Spanish. As in they don’t drop letters at the end of words, they don’t speak with an Italian accent, and they don’t use an abundance of slang and idioms in regular speech. So they’re good places to learn and prices are reasonable. Backpacking South America becomes much easier and cheaper once you can communicate at a basic level at least.

Read Post  21 BEST Places to Visit in Central America

If you’re going to spend extensive time in Brazil, learning some (very different) Portuguese can help too. I got by in Iguacu Falls and Rio okay without it: sometimes I could switch to Spanish and they understood that if not English. It’s tougher if you get away from where the tourists are though.

When to Visit: Outside of High Season if Possible

What’s the best time to visit South America? Well there’s no one answer that’s going to cover all of this vast continent but known when and when not to go can have a big impact on how much money you end up spending. The more the vacation place is a popular destination, the more likely you’ll see big seasonal price swings.

I have written before on how much of an impact there can be on prices depending on when you arrive. Low season can have awful weather or everything is closed, while high season can hit you with peak prices and low room availability. When possible, if you can land in town when it’s shoulder season, that’s a great time to find a middle ground with good conditions and good prices are both in play.

Naturally, the seasonal variations are not going to be the same across all of South America at any given time. Between May and September, Patagonia empties out and many lodges close up for the winter unless they’re in a ski area. You don’t want to go to Peru in February when it’s the height of rainy season and the Inca Trail is shut down.

Then there is a high season in Peru, however, when it’s sunny and dry and everything is green from the past few months of rain. If you want to avoid peak crowds and prices in the mountainous parts of Peru, it’s best to plan on May or Autumn. December can be iffy, but I only got rained on one day when I went on a hiking trip there in early December.

travel South America in Peru

Apart from known weather patterns like these though, most of the continent is warm all year and just has fluctuations in precipitation, though of course the higher the elevation, the colder it will get in their winter. It doesn’t much matter when you go to the Amazon Rainforest since it’s hot and close to sea level. In Colombia though, the Caribbean coast has different weather than the Pacific coast beach on the other side—and very different water temperatures.

So the key advice is to avoid high season, or at least try to catch the beginning or end of it. Fortunately, the national parks in South America are not nearly as crowded as the U.S. ones, especially in vast Patagonia, so for those you mainly need to look at the weather patterns. Only Perito Moreno Glacier (Argentina) and Torres del Paine ever really feel crowded. If a place doesn’t get many tourists, you don’t have to worry much about fluctuations in the price of a private room when you are off the beaten path.

Two periods are uniformly busy across South America. Easter, known as Pascua or Semana Santa, is a bigger holiday than Christmas in most of these countries, with vacations lasting up to two weeks. A month before that you’ve got Carnaval in Brazil and elsewhere, when lodging prices shoot up and rooms can get scarce.

Also, this being the southern hemisphere, the big “summer vacation” period is January and February, sometimes bleeding into Christmas on the front end and early March on the other. This is a terrible time to visit the beaches of Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, or Ecuador unless you love the high-season energy and want to mix it up with vacationing locals. Plan accordingly.

Work on Your Patience in the Southern Hemisphere

In much of the USA, Canada, and Europe, efficiency and convenience are prized attributes. No wasted time, get to the point, don’t be late. Things work differently in most of Latin America. Nobody ever seems to be in a hurry, business is done at what seems like a glacial pace to us, and relationships trump logic every time.

Things usually get done eventually, but probably not as fast as you were hoping or expecting. Get used to waiting around, accepting some Spanish form of “later” as an answer, and going with the flow.

On the plus side, most people in South America are gracious, patient, and not all that bothered about you butchering their language. Once you slow down and lower your expectations, it’s kind of nice to let go. Hey, what’s the rush?

For a country-by-country breakdown of these destinations and others around the globe, pick up a copy of the 5th edition of The World’s Cheapest Destinations. This post contains affiliate links, though you will never pay more by using them than you would if you went direct to the site. I just make a small referral commission that helps keep the site running.

Cost of Travel in South America – complete breakdown

Over the last couple of years we have visited South America several times with the cost varying greatly depending on length of trip and countries visited. Our longest trip was a 13 month shoestring budget backpacking trip through Latin America. We also explored South America as mid-range backpackers and more comfortable budget travelers. In this article we discuss cost of traveling each country in South America with different traveling styles Backpacking, Backpacking on a Shoestring Budget and Holiday style travel

It is important to remember that there is a dramatic variation in price between countries when planning a trip. Bolivia, Equador and Peru are traditionally seen as the cheaper countries to travel, each extensively traveled by a large numbers of budget travelers. Chile, Brazil and Argentina are relatively more expensive, almost reaching European prices. Colombia is sort of mid-range between the two groups and the cost of travel in Venezuela is so low it is in a budget travel category of its own. Be aware that crime is a very realistic consideration when traveling here and purchasing and organizing anything is difficult in this torn apart country.

In this post

  • Travel budget for every country in South America
  • Budget for
    • Backpacking
    • Shoestring Backpacking
    • Holiday style travel

    Table of Contents

    South America on a SHOESTRING BUDGET

    -Traveling on a very tight budget we spent $3881 in 275 days (over 8 months) so an average budget of $14.11 each per day. We camped a lot, hiked many of the most popular trails on the continent independent and did a lot of hitchhiking. This was in 2016, so even when adjusting at a very steep inflation rate it is still possible to do this for less than $20 per day.

    Backpacking budget is not only dependent on price!

    -The cost of travel on a shoestring budget in each country is not only dependent on price. Some examples; Chile is an expensive, but safe country that is very camping and hitchhike friendly and it is possible to hike independent. In contrast Bolivia is a cheap country, but crime can be a problem and activities are expensive. Consequently we spent more per day in Bolivia than Chile.

    South America on a TOUR

    Traveling solo or figuring everything out for yourself is not everybody’s idea of fun, there are organised overland tours exploring South America, where all you have to do is enjoy the ride. Check out some of world renowned company, G-adventures’ programs.

    Lima to Buenos Aires – an epic adventure: beginning in Lima and ending in Buenos Aires, 35-full days. You’ll hike the Inca Trail, cross the Salt Flats of Bolivia by 4×4, and feel like a sophisticate sipping wine in Argentina. Along the way, you’ll engage with local cultures with a small group of other young travellers to back you up.

    South America on a BACKPACKING BUDGET

    -A Comfortable backpacker’s budget when sleeping in a hostel dormitory bed, cooking for yourself or eating in cheap local restaurants, being selective on activities and traveling with public transport should be around $35 per day, so $1000 per month.

    HOLIDAY BUDGET South America

    -Giving an estimate for holiday travel is not really possible; double the backpacking figure for a comfortable, budget holiday trip, double again for traveling in more luxury. I try to give some prices for individual countries.

    Tours South America

    It is strongly advised to do book popular activities ahead, specially if you have limited time or travel on an itinerary. All travelers are different, we discovered this awesome page where G-adventures grouped tours according to the style of travel making it super easy to start searching for the perfect package!

    Travel Budget per country in South America

    • Argentina
      • Holiday $60-100
      • Backpacking $30-40
      • Shoestring $20
      • Holiday $50-100
      • Holiday Backpacking $30-40
      • Shoestring $20
      • Holiday $80-120
      • Backpacking $35-45
      • Shoestring $25
      • Holiday $100-150
      • Backpacking $40-50
      • Shoestring $20
      • Holiday $40-80
      • Backpacking $35-45
      • Shoestring $20
      • Holiday $40-80
      • Backpacking $30-40
      • Shoestring $20
      • Holiday $50-70
      • Backpacking $25-35
      • Shoestring $15
      • Holiday $60-100
      • Backpacking $30
      • Shoestring $20
      • Holiday $ 70-100
      • Backpacking $50 – 60
      • Shoestring $25
      • Backpacking $10

      Comparing Cost in South America through the Big Mac Index

      The Big Mac Index compares the economy of different currencies by comparing the cost of a Big Mac in different countries. You can see according to the Big Mac Index Uruguay is the most expensive country with a Big Mac costing slightly less than it does in the US, Argentina is the cheapest country.

      big mac index south america 2018 stingy nomads

      The price of a Big Mac in various South American countries.

      How to choose accommodation online

      We recommend using Booking.com to book accommodation it is how we do it most of the time;

      -check for accommodation with a rating above 8 in your price range

      -make sure the location is good, if you are willing to spend time on transport it is usually a bit cheaper

      -check that the property has many reviews, often a place has a rating of 10 given by 3 friends of the owner that stayed there, I try to go for more than 50 reviews

      -read the reviews! Focus on things that are important to you

      Want to see what places we think are the absolute highlights of South America?

      Excellent books to help you plan

        – Great guidebook, many tips and facts, small print, thin pages. Read the reviews – Awesome starting point for planning a trip to multiple countries.
      • For Inspriration: Salt & Silver: Travel, Surf, Cook -this book blends traveling, surfing, and the food cultures of Central and South America together through the travel stories of two young, adventuresome guys. : Things I wish I had known before I rode my motorcycle to Mexico, Central and South America by Michelle Lamphere (2015-09-05)

      ARGENTINA travel cost

      At the time of updating this post (November 2018) Argentina is a cheap to travel again! With the exchange rate going from ARS 17 to 37 for one USD in less than a year goods and services priced for locals dropped in price by about 50%. I am not going to go into the yo-yo state of Argentina’s economy, but in our visits here went from cheap too expensive to cheap again. Until December 2015 the Argentinian Peso had a fixed exchange rate. Similar to Venezuela this created a huge US dollar black market where you could buy 50-100% more pesos per dollar. This stopped when Argentina got rid of the official exchange rate as far as we are aware. Argentina, like Chile, is safe, with top quality products and services, the closest you will find to European in South America. You can find bargains now on all local produce, meals in local restaurants, drinks in local bars, Argentinian wine and beer, even Argentinian beef is cheap and expect to pay less for museum admissions, taxi and bus rides and local guides and excursions.

      Mendoza and Bariloche are regarded as the most expensive places to travel in Argentina and hostel prices here was definitely higher than in Buenos Aires. Mendoza is renowned for its wines, but tasting Malbecs at different estates is definitely not a budget activity, expect to pay $150-200 for an organised tasting tour of the 3 major wine areas; Maipú, Luján de Cuyo, and Uco Valley. Doing it independent you can do it for about half, but will definitely see and taste less.

      Flights and hotels are priced in dollars, so here you are not going to find massive bargains.

      Argentina, it takes careful traveling to see these amazing sites on a budget! South America travel budget

      Argentina, it takes careful traveling to see these amazing sites on a budget! South America travel budget

      Travel Budget for Argentina

      • Backpacker’s budget
        • $30 per day
        • $60 – 100 per day
        • $15 per day (no this is not a typo, read on)

        We spent ARS 4238 ($ 212) in 17 days, thus ARS 297 ($ 13.97) each per day including all food, transport and other expenses. During our last visit to Argentina the peso was much stronger, we still managed to backpack it on a very frugal budget by hitchhiking, camping and couchsurfing, like Chile it is a safe country allowing to travel in such a manner.

        FOOD

        • Food is definitely one of the highlights in Argentina. They have a reputation for good steak, wine and mate and this is well deserved. Steak in a restaurant and on the barbecue was first class.
        • A nice Bife de Chorizo (sirloin steak) is about ARS 500 ($13) in a restaurant in Buenos Aires.
        • Argentinians are addicted to Dulce de leche (caramel/boiled condensed milk), big containers are cheap. We ate lots of dulce de leche on Maria biscuits during hikes. Ice cream and alfajores sweets is something not to be missed! The top of the range sweets Cachafas Afajores and Freddo ice cream is worth buying once to taste. Falling back on Grido ice cream and Guymallen alfajores for a fraction of the price is a good budget strategy.

        TRANSPORT

        Despite the favourable currency for traveling the bus prices that I find online is still high. A bus from Santiago to Bariloche is about $70 for a 24 hour bus ride, not that much cheaper than what we experienced a couple of years agol The buses are very comfortable and by taking a night bus you can save on accommodation.

        We broke our hitchhiking records in Argentina by traveling almost 4000 km in 2 rides from Punta Arenas in Chile all the way to Buenos Aires. This trip would have cost us $180 by bus. I will not recommend hitchhiking around the cities it took us 2 days to get out of Buenos Aires!

        ACCOMMODATION

        In Buenos Aires a dormitory bed in a hostel costs $6-10. A budget double room starts at $25. Camping at El Chalten costs about $5 per day, a dormitory bed in a hostel here starts at $10.

        VISA FEES FOR ARGENTINA

        There were not visa fee for Russians or South Africans. Australian, US and Canadian passport holders do not require a visa, there used to be a reciprocal fee to enter Argentina, I understand that was recently cancelled.

        BUDGET ACTIVITIES

        • Hike and Camp at El Chalten, the route and camping on route is free.

        South America Tours – Explore Argentina with G-Adventures

        Looking to experience amazing highlights of Chile and Argentina? Visit coastal Valparaíso, get active in the adventure-sport mecca of Pucón, and journey to a genuine gaucho ranch outside of quaint, lakeside Bariloche, before finishing up in the iconic “don’t cry for me” cosmopolis of Buenos Aires. Get yourself to this southern part of the world and go home recharged.

        BOLIVIA travel cost

        Bolivia is another South American country with a lot to offer adventurous tourists. It is known as the cheapest country in South America and is thus great to travel if you are on a budget. If you love to get your adrenaline pumping there are some unique opportunities in Bolivia, one of the easiest 6000m peaks to climb, cycle the most dangerous road in the world and do some spectacular hikes.

        Food and accommodation were cheap in Bolivia, but activities and tours were expensive like in all other countries. We were discouraged from hiking and camping on our own, due to muggings and robberies. So traveling on a shoestring budget Bolivia ended up costing us more than many other countries on the continent. If you however travel by bus and stay in hostels during your travels Bolivia will probably be your cheapest country.

        Bolivia -The Uyuni Salt desert was one of the highlights of South America! South America travel budget

        Bolivia -The Uyuni Salt desert was one of the highlights of South America!

        Travel Budget for Bolivia

        We spent BOB 2020 ($ 294) in 15 days, thus BOB 135 ($ 19) each per day including all food, transport and other expenses, but if you only subtract the cost of the 3 day Uyuni tour, Bolivia cost us less than $14 per day.

        ACCOMMODATION

        • Dormitory bed in a nice hostel in $7
        • Double room in budget hotel $25
        • Stay in luxury 5star hotel from $200

        FOOD

        • Similar to Peru a set menu “menu del dia” at local restaurants is good value for money at around 20 BOB ($3). It is normally a main course, a drink and sometimes a small desert.
        • Want to eat a Bolivian style set meal gone upmarket? Try ‘Popular Cocina Boliviana’ in La Paz. Bolivian food gone Gourmet style, great price for what you get at about 50 BOB ($7) for a set meal
        • We often bought food at the market and cooked for ourselves, vegetables some interesting and delicious fruit was very cheap here. You can usually find a meal at the market anytime of the day, we enjoyed the breakfasts.
        • You have to eat a couple ofsalteñas(the Bolivia version of empanada) or tucumanas (a deep friend salteña) 3BOB ($0.50)
        • Don’t drink the tap water in Bolivia.

        TRANSPORT

        • Roads are quite dangerous in Bolivia use a reputable company such as MEM or El Dorado
        • Cost for a one way bus ticket between La Paz and Sucre an 11 hour, 700km ride are as follows:
        • 45 ($6.50) for a seat on a local bus.
        • semi-cama seat (140-degree reclining seats) Bs 117 ($17)
        • full cama seat (180-degree reclining seats) Bs. 180 (US$26)

        Popular Activities in Bolivia

        These activities are pricey, but why come if you are not going to experience these things?

        • Cycle the ‘death road’ cost is about $80
        • Salar de Uyuni tour of the salt flats
        • Climb the 6000m peak of Huayana Putosi prices vary between $150 – $300

        SALT FLATS TOUR SALAR DE UYUNI

        You can do this independent if you have a motorbike, bicycle or Jeep. Otherwise like us you will have to take a tour. It was expensive, but amazing. The standard tour takes 3 days and most tours take you to the same sites. The cheapest tour we could find was $93 (BOB 645) with and additional $29 (BOB 206) for park fees. This significantly inflated our budget. Most premium tours cost between $150 – 200

        BUDGET ACTIVITIES

        • In La Paz take a collectivo BOB 6 ($1) and go and walk around the beautiful Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) entrance is BOB 20 ($3).
        • Go to the interesting witches market in La Paz, it is free.
        • In Sucre walk to “7 Cascadas” (7 Waterfalls) outside the city.

        South America Tours – See Bolivia with G-Adventures

        Bolivia Discovery – 11 Days La Paz to La Paz. From La Paz, the highest capital city in the world, travel to the crest of the Andes and the middle of nowhere for three days of incredible off-road exploration of the Uyuni Salt Flats and surrounding desert altiplano. Take the road less travelled and meet locals for an immersive cultural experience that few travellers get to know.

        VISA FEES

        US and South African passport holders do require a visa. You can apply at a neighbouring country (e.g. Peru) SA passport holders it is free, US citizens $160.

        BRAZIL travel cost

        Brazil is a fantastic country to travel with some of the most extraordinary places to visit in South America, don’t miss the wild Amazon, the amazing wild life of the Pantanal or the unreal vibe and beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Brazil is not cheap, despite many poor people staying in favelas; food, accommodation and tourist activities are some of the most expensive in South America. Inequality here is massive, similar to my home country South Africa, I could not help to constantly compare Rio to Cape Town.

        brazil

        Amazing Brazil, Iguazu Falls, hiking around Ilha Grande, Rio De Janeiro and two weeks on cargo ships on the Amazon.

        Be inspired by the new edition of Insight Guide Brazil, a comprehensive full-color guide to one of the most exciting countries in the world.

        Travel Budget for Brazil

        • Backpacker’s budget
          • $40-50 per day
          • $80 to 120 per day

          TRANSPORT

          Long-distance buses are a convenient, but they are pricey a bus ride from Rio de Janeiro to Foz do Iguazu (19 hours) starting at BRL 270 ($70). Buy your ticket at least one day in advance.

          Local public transportation costs 2-5 BRL per ride. Uber works well in 11 Brazilian cities.

          We did hitchhike sometimes, but getting rides in Brazil were not always easy and we sometimes ended up taking the bus.

          ACCOMMODATION

          • Dormitory bed in a nice hostel in Rio starts at about BRL30 ($8)
          • Double room in budget hotel BRL 135 ($35)
          • Stay in luxury 5star hotel from BRL460 ($120)

          The South of Brazil vs the North

          The South is much more expensive than the north, our budget was $15 avg until we reached Rio! There are some “must see” tourist attractions in and around Rio de Janeiro that are expensive, e.g. cable car up to Sugarloaf Mountain BRL120 ($30), entrance Christ the Redeemer statue BRL 43 ($11) if you hike up it is a bit cheaper, entrance Foz do Iguacu BRL 65 ($ 17)

          BUDGET ACTIVITIES

          • Cruise down the Amazon on a slowboat.
          • Do a free walking tour in Rio de Janeiro.
          • Free in Rio.
            • go to Copacabana beach
            • Walk around the favelas
            • Go to Parque Lage.

            VISA FEES FOR BRAZIL

            UK, South African and New Zealand passport holders do not require a visa for entry into Brazil. $160 USD, Canadians $65 USD, and Australians $35 USD. need visas.

            about our travels in Brazil

            South America Tours – explore Brazil with G-Adventures

            Wonders of Brazil – From the cobble stoned streets of colonial Paraty to remote interior wilderness, uncover the wonders of Brazil in two exciting weeks. Experience Iguassu Falls — a series of falls so massive it straddles two countries and so intriguing you’ll need two days to fully appreciate the view. Not to be outdone, the Pantanal wetlands are teeming with wildlife like caiman, jaguar, and exotic birds. Finally, trade early morning songbirds for some samba in Rio and the rhythm of the beach. This adventure provides natural and cultural highlights and the best Brazil has to offer.

            Travel Insurance

            Insurance is essential on a long trip exploring South America. Some problems with standard travel insurance companies; does not cover long term trips since they don’t see it as traveling, you can not take out insurance while traveling, no extending insurance on the road and it often does not cover ‘dangerous activities’ like diving and climbing. Check out what we recommend for your trip Insurance for your travels

            CHILE travel cost

            Chile was our favorite country traveling in South America, we spent 3 months exploring from the Atacama desert in the north to the south of Patagonia. The landscapes are jaw dropping, from the driest desert in the world to the amazing mountains and glaciers of Patagonia. We did quite a few amazing hikes in Patagonia and if trekking is your thing, add this place to your bucket list. Torres Del Paine is the most famous hike around here for a good reason, many people walk it but it is truly spectacular. Food, accommodation and transport all make Chile more expensive than some of its neighbours.

            Lonely Planet’s Chile & Easter Island guidebook published October 2018, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you.

            Chile - picking so few photos of over 2 months that we spent in this amazing country is harder than traveling here on a $13 per day budget! South America travel budget

            Chile – picking so few photos of over 2 months that we spent in this amazing country is harder than traveling here on a $13 per day budget!

            Travel Budget for Chile

            • Backpacker’s budget
              • $40-50 per day
              • $100 to 150 per day
              • $15 per day (no this is not a typo, read on)

              We spent CLP 653 600 ($ 979,50) in 82 days, thus CLP 11 970 ($ 11.95) each per day including all food, transport and other expenses

              It is an expensive country, but an amazing place to backpack on a budget. How could we travel here with so little money? Camping, hitchhiking and couchsurfing. Chilean people are unreal, we have many stories about their fantastic hospitality. We never used public transport in Chile hitchhiking thousands of kilometers, it was safe and easy and we met some amazing people. We did many multi-day hikes here and because we did it on our own it was very cheap.

              TRANSPORT

              Transport is a major expense when traveling here, the buses are quite expensive, especially when you get to Patagonia. The Carraterra Austral is mostly gravel road so the trip from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales takes 34 hours by bus, costing $80.

              Flying is sometimes a better option than the bus, if you go to Puerto Natales to hike Torres del Paine it is a lot faster.

              Hitchhiking worked fantastic for us in Chile all the way from the most Northern to Southern towns, San Pedro de Atacama to Villa O’Higgins.

              VISA FEES

              Citizens of US, UK, Canada and Australia and South Africa do not need visa, 108 other countries do so check before going. Australians have to pay a $117.

              ACCOMMODATION

              This is the country to travel with a tent, there are campsites everywhere. When there were none we did some ‘bush camping’ and even pitched our tent at a fuel station. We made great friends couchsurfing and off course saved a lot on accommodation in the cities this way. If you look at hostel prices you can see that if you do not camp accommodation in Patagonia will cost you a pretty penny.

              • Camping CLP 2000-7000 ($3 – 10)
              • Hostel in Santiago. Bed in dormitory – $9, Standard double room – $36
              • Double room nice budget hotel Santiago- $80
              • 5 star hotel Santiago – $200
              • Hostel in Coiyhaique (Patagonia). Bed in dormitory – $22, Standard double room – $60

              South America Tours – Patagonia Adventure with G-Adventures

              G-Adventures adventure tour – Imagine almost three weeks packed with every activity you can think of and then some! Trek through perfectly picturesque Patagonia, wake up early for whitewater rafting, hike through crisp mountain landscapes on Torres del Paine’s renowned W Trek, and bike, raft, and smile to your heart’s content. Your adrenaline reserves will be tapped by the end of it all.

              COLOMBIA travel cost

              We loved Colombia, nice people, the people are very friendly, the food is amazing, there are some awesome activities to get your adrenaline pumping and the best is that it is very affordable.

              What an adventure we had traveling in Colombia; I am a coffee junkie and following a coffee the world’s best coffee from bean to cup in the mountains was amazing. Beautiful country to explore a variety of interesting places from colonial cities, great beaches and the Amazon to a beautiful desert.

              Lonely Planet Colombia (Travel Guide) – up to date travel guide released August 2018

              • Backpacker’s budget
                • $35-45 per day
                • $40 to 80 per day
                • $20 per day
                • We spent 1 851 135 COP ($636) in 31 days, thus 59 714 COP ($20.50) each per day including white water rafting, paragliding and a plane ticket from Bogota to Leticia.

                colombia

                At $20 per day each our budget was on the high side for Colombia, but we did awesome things. Camping at the airport helped with our budget! South America travel budget

                FOOD

                • Meal at a local restaurant COP 11300 ($3.50)
                • Meal at a midrange restaurant COP 32 380 ($10)
                • McDonald’s meal COP 16 000 ($5)

                We spent very little on food by buying groceries in the supermarket and cooking in the hostel. You can see exactly how we regulated our budget in our Colombia Budget Backpacker’s Guide.

                ACCOMMODATION

                • Backpacker Hostels
                  • Dormitory bed varied between 15 000 and 30 000 COP ($5-$10)
                  • Awesome Hostels
                  • Bogota – awesome hostel for $5 – Casa Capita Hostel
                  • Cartagena – well rated, well priced – Casa Hostal el Prado

                  Great Budget Hotels

                  • Bogota – beautiful, comfortable, modern – Hotel El Dorado Bogota
                  • Cartagena fantastic atmosphere, spacious – Hotel Manglar 421
                  • Stay in Luxury
                    • Bogota – treat yourself – Sofitel Bogota Victoria Regia
                    • Cartagena – amazing refurbished colonial mansion – Tcherassi Hotel

                    TRANSPORT

                    Local transport is really cheap. Three major cities in Colombia (Bogota, Cali, Medellin) have mass transit systems similar to those in Europe and the United States. Bogota’s system is called the TranMileno and – bright red buses almost like a subway. Medellin has a subway, rides less than a dollar. Public transport in the city $1-2 per day

                    Buses between cities in Colombia are actually quite expensive. A bus from Bogota to Medellin will cost around COP 65 000 ($20)

                    The budget airline Vivacolombia is a cheap way to move long distances.

                    Uber is available in cities and is cheaper than taxis.

                    ACTIVITIES

                    • Adventure activities was well priced in Colombia, it was the only country we decided to splurge.
                    • white water rafting ($40)
                    • paragliding ($20)
                    • Scuba diving – there are some cool spots from Cartagena with nice wrecks and marine life.
                    • Don’t miss a tour of a coffee plantation starting at about 15,000 COP ($5) – Don Elias in Salento is fantastic.

                    VISA FEES FOR COLOMBIA

                    UK, US, Canadian, South African, Australian and New Zealand passport holders do not require a visa for entry into Colombia for stays of up to 90 days. Visas can be easily extended for an additional 90 days

                    TIPS

                    • Transport was expensive. We saved a lot on accommodation by taking night buses for longer distances, thus saving on a night’s accommodation. We did not hitchhike in Colombia (no reason).
                    • Cook for yourself, food in supermarkets was good and very cheap.
                    • Visit museums on Sundays, many are free.
                    • Get a ‘Hola Hostel’ card, they are free, good discounts.

                    BUDGET ACTIVITIES

                    • Free walking tour in Medellin – excellent!
                    • Hiking around San Gill – well marked 3 day trail to do on your own.
                    • Walk around in The Tatacoa Desert.
                    • Coffee tasting in Salento, cheap not free, but a must for a coffee lover.

                    South America Tours – Colombia with G-Adventures

                    G-Adventures Colombia 9 Day Bogota to Cartagena – Where to go if you only have a week to experience a truly unique part of the world? The answer: Colombia. If you think a week isn’t enough to tour the beaches, coffee regions, and metropolitan cities of this reemerging country, think again — this trip makes it possible. Check out the resurgence of culture, art, and food in Bogotá and Medellín, dive deep into the Caribbean vibe in Cartagena, and enjoy the Latin-Caribbean fusion of flavours in local cuisine. All this in only nine days. Start packing now.

                    ECUADOR travel cost

                    Located between Colombia and Peru, Ecuador straddles the equator on the Pacific side of South America, Ecuador is a small, but diverse country most famous for the Galapagos Islands, which sparked the genius idea of evolution in Charles Darwin. It is perhaps the cheapest place from which the Amazon jungle can be explored. In Quito you can straddle the equator or go shopping for authentic souvenirs in the Otavalo market 3 hours away. Up for adventure? Climb the 5897m Cotopaxi volcano or ride down from 4500m on a mountain bike! The great thing about Ecuador for backpackers is that it is fairly cheap to travel here with lots of well-priced accommodation and adventure activities.

                    • Travel Holiday $40-80
                    • Backpacking $30-40
                    • Shoestring $20

                    FOOD

                    • You can eat at a local restaurant for $3-5 and in the markets for less than $2.
                    • European meal (hamburger/pizza) around 10-12 USD.
                    • For a meal at a mid-range restaurant about $25

                    TRANSPORT

                    Long distance buses are a good deal for less than $2 per hour travelled.

                    ACCOMMODATION

                    In Quito a dormitory bed in a hostel starts at $4. A budget double room from $12 and you can stay in a 5 star hotel for $130

                    VISA FEES FOR ECUADOR

                    United States, Canada and most European countries can travel to Ecuador visa free for up to 90 days.

                    BUDGET ACTIVITIES

                    • Unfortunately going to the Galapagos islands is a very pricey exercise even which will cost at least $1000 even for the most stingy nomads. Flights, conservation fees and ferries alone is round $500.
                    • If you shop around you can do a 3 day local Amazon tour for about $120. With a higher budget you can do a 5-day tour and explore the Ecuador Amazon and live locally, admire rainforest wildlife, learn about shamanic practice and do several outdoor activities – isn’t it an amazing way of getting to know another country?!
                    • Stand over the equator at Quito
                    • Go to the Otavalo market.
                    • Hiking independent

                    South America Tours – G-Adventures Galagapos wild life

                    The Galápagos Islands aren’t just all about cruising! Over a week’s time and beginning and ending right in the heart of the action (the islands, of course), you’ll stay active by snorkelling, hiking, and exploring the diverse terrain before slowing things down with wildlife exploration in the company of an expert Naturalist Guide. With plenty of options to stick around after the trip’s done (or show up early for some independent adventuring beforehand), this is the perfect express trip for a most excellent Galápagos experience. G-Adventures Galapagos

                    PARAGUAY travel cost

                    I will definitely not call Paraguay ‘a tourist paradise’, one of the least visited countries in South America, with little travel infrastructure only has a handful of known tourist destinations. Getting ‘off the beaten track’ and experiencing local culture are the most popular tourist draw cards in this small land-locked country. The most well-known cities are Asuncio, the capital and popular point of entry by plane and Ciudad del Este, the second biggest city on the border with Brazil and Argentina and well known for shopping, mostly cheap and knock-off or fake goods. We entered the city from Iguazu. English is not widely spoken, so a basic knowledge of Spanish is very handy around here

                    Travel Budget for Paraguay

                    We spent PYG 191 000 ($ 34) in 3 days, thus 63 666 PYG ($12) each per day including all food, transport and other expenses.

                    We did not spend much time in Paraguay. I bought some electronics in Ciudad del Este for cheap. The Itaipu dam is located close to the city, the second biggest dam in the world is a nice site to go to from the city, the tour is free. The dam is one of the seven Engineering Wonders of the World. The massive network of waterfalls that they flooded to build the dam would have been even nicer. Apparently it was bigger and more impressive than Iguazu

                    ACCOMMODATION

                    • Dormitory bed in a nice hostel start at $13
                    • There are very few hostels, they are quite expensive
                    • Double room in budget hotel $30
                    • Good value for double rooms if you are two people sharing
                    • Stay in luxury 5 star hotel from $65
                    • For $65 you can get a double room in a top 5 star hotel

                    TRANSPORT

                    Extensive bus network connecting towns and cities, don’t expect luxury buses. Taxis are well priced, motorbike taxis are cheap.

                    PERU travel cost

                    Peru is still one of the cheaper countries to visit in South America hosting some of the continent’s most famous attractions. The two most popular highlights are without a doubt the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu and the multi day hiking trail ‘The Inca trail’ leading up to this archaeological wonder. Peru has so much more to offer, visit the fascinating man made islands of Lake Titicaca, explore the Amazon from Iquitos, check out Lima or go surfing at Mancora. Peru is a dream destination for trekking with a staggering array of trails winding through the Andes. These spectacular mountains offer a lot more than just the Inca trail; we spent a month in Cusco alone, doing some fantastic trekking like Salkantay, Choquequirao and Ausangate. If you do these treks independent it is dirt cheap, what an awe-inspiring experience!

                    Great help in doing some planning Lonely Planet Peru (Travel Guide)

                    Travel Budget for Peru

                    We spent PEN 2008 ($592) in 37 days, thus Sol 54.20 ($ 15.95) each per day including all food, transport and other expenses.

                    trekking peru

                    Trekking in Peru was very cheap, we had an amazing time and saw some unreal places!

                    For us doing a lot of hikes made Peru cheaper not more expensive. Doing independent hikes costs were minimum. During hikes accommodation was free and food was very cheap.

                    ACCOMMODATION

                    • Dormitory bed in a nice hostel in $6
                    • Double room in budget hotel $40
                    • Stay in luxury 5star hotel from $120

                    FOOD

                    • The best place for lunch is a menú at one of the local restaurants. A Peruvian menú is a set meal including a starter (normally soup or a small salad), a main course, a drink and sometimes a small dessert. The price is about PEN 10 ($3)
                    • Are you a foodie? Go to ‘Central’ restaurant in Lima, the nr 1 restaurant in South America and nr 4 in the world, a bit above our budget at round $200 for a 17 course meal, but we heard about the magic chef Martinez serves here, culinary art taking you from 20m below sea level to 4000m above.
                    • Some hostels include breakfast, usually simple (yes read not enough). We drank a lot of tea in the mountains of Peru. Most hostels give unlimited free coco tea since it helps with altitude sickness.
                    • McDonald’s meal about PEN16 ($4.50)
                    • Local beer PEN 6/ $1.8

                    TRANSPORT

                    • Bus travel in Peru is well priced with different options and prices. A bus ride from Lima to Cusco in a nice bus with wifi starts at about PEN80 ($25) for the 22 hour ride.
                    • Shorter trips of around 2 and a half hours were about PEN 10 ($3).

                    VISA FEES

                    TIPS

                    • Machu Picchu entrance is $47 including Machu Picchu Mountain. Machu Picchu is amazing despite the 4000 tourists a day, a must see.
                    • I recommend skipping the Inca Trail, hike a different route. There are many amazing hikes around Cuzco and several options to hike to Machu Picchu. The Inca Trail is the most famous and most touristy, this does not make it the best. See our Salkantay to Machu Picchu, an alternative routearticle for more on the topic.

                    Peru is an amazing culture and adventure experience; activities will be your biggest expense, go for it! It will be an experience you will treasure forever.

                    BUDGET ACTIVITIES

                    • Hike independent
                    • carry your own bag and use a map instead of a guide, there are some of the world’s best hikes in the Peruvian Andes!
                    • Take a slowboat trip in the amazon from Iquitos to Leticia. Awesome activity when traveling South America on the cheap.

                    South America Tours – G-Adventures Iconic Peru travels

                    G-Adventures Peru – This adventure offers up an intriguing combination of beauty and contrasts in scenery, wildlife, and cultures, whether you’re scanning the canopy for wildlife from the comfort of our intimate and exclusive G Lodge Amazon or climbing the ancient trail of the Incas to Machu Picchu, situated in the heavens of the Americas. Because we run our own treks, we can ensure the fair treatment of our porters and the quality of food and equipment which leaves you free to enjoy the beauty of the region.

                    URUGUAY. travel cost

                    Uruguay is known as an expensive country with top quality beef and people living on Mate, sort of a super Argentina, this is not too far off. The most popular places to visit in the country are Montevideo, Punta del Este, Colonia, Punta del diablo, and Cabo Polonio Rocha. The country is predominantly a summer beach destination, which is great since going to the beach is free. Kitesurfing is a popular activity and don’t miss eating a local steak and drink some matet (the mate straw is a cool gift to take home). Most travelers arrive in Uruguay by ferry straight from Buenos Aires ($56). The ferry is expensive and we decided to hitchhike the long way around, it took a long time. The country’s small size and efficient bus system allows for easy exploring of the whole country.

                    Travel Budget for Uruguay

                    We spent UYU 3954 ($ 140) in 7 days, thus 564 UYU ($20.50) each per day total, we did some hitchhiking and camping.

                    The sculpture on the beach- Los Dedos (“the fingers”), a famous work by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal.

                    The sculpture on the beach- Los Dedos (“the fingers”), a famous work by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázabal.

                    FOOD

                    • Eating in restaurants is very expensive, but like Argentina eating a steak is one of the must do things in Uruguay. Chivito (Uruguay’s classic steak sandwich) goes for about US$10, eating in a midrange restaurant $25 with a drink and double that for eating in a top end restaurant with wine.
                    • Lunch in a local restaurant cost about UYU 350 ($12). A Mcdonald’s meal is about UYU 280 ($10). Shopping and cooking the prices are not that crazy and staying in a hostel with cooking facilities is the cheapest way to travel here.

                    ACCOMMODATION

                    • Dormitory bed in a nice hostel start at $10
                    • Double room in budget hotel $35
                    • Stay in luxury 5star hotel from $160

                    TRANSPORT

                    All the cities and towns in Uruguay are connected by an extensive network of bus routes. The distances are short and we were surprised that transport is relatively cheap. The inter-city buses are modern, clean and comfortable and it was awesome that these buses have quite good Wi-Fi.

                    • Local bus ride in Montevideo US$1
                    • Long-distance bus rides are about US$7 per 100km travelled.

                    VENEZUELA travel cost

                    Traveling to the beautiful, dangerous and destroyed country of Venezuela is strongly discouraged by every foreign office around the world. Once one of the richest nations in South America, with massive oil reserves, due to political corruption and civil unrest it became a country with massive social and economic problems.

                    We had a great time traveling here late 2015, the country was already in distress and empty shops, corrupt police and non-existent service made it hard to travel here. It was however very cheap, we were traveling on cents, if it is ethical to travel to Venezuela is another hot potato.

                    We spent VEF 107 999 ($155) in 29 days, thus VEF 30723 ($5.31) each per day including all food, transport and other expenses.

                    THE CURRENCY ISSUE

                    When we were here, September 2015, the official exchange rate was $1=B6, on the black market you could however buy B700 with $1! This means that a Coke will only cost 27c at the black market rate, but you will pay $33 for the same Coke at the official exchange rate! If you bring cash it is an unbelievably cheap country to travel. If however you draw money at an ATM or pay by credit card at the official rate it is maybe the most expensive country in the world. Unfortunately this downward spiral has just continued for Venezuela with inflation at over 800 000% in October 2018

                    Want to know and understand what is going on in Venezuela? read this insight full and well received book – Crude Nation: How Oil Riches Ruined Venezuela

                    currency venezuela

                    Because of the exchange rate in Venezuela, tourists with US dollars have a lot of money. These are 50B notes (almost $10 notes).

                    BUDGET AND PRICES

                    Our average budget was $5.31 a day each all inclusive.

                    VISA FEES FOR VENEZUELA

                    US citizens need visa, $30 for 90 day multiple entry visa

                    BUDGET ACTIVITIES

                    Most things, don’t get robbed.

                    More about our travels in Venezuela

                    THE GUIANAS travel cost

                    Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana collectively called the Guianas are three territories located on the North Eastern coast of South America . Getting to the Guianas is not easy and the countries are expenses, they are skipped by most travellers in South America for these reasons. We briefly set foot in Guyana hiking in Venezuela, but since it is European territories we did not want to go through visa processes to travel here. Since we did not travel through the Guyanas I am including this based on what I heard and found online.

                    – French Guiana is a part of France, and thus of the EU, here you enter the EU while still standing in South America. There are not many touristy sites in the country.

                    -Travel Budget French Guiana

                    French Guiana is a very expensive country, even as a budget traveller you will find it hard to get away by spending less than $80 per day. Since there is no backpacker facilities expect to pay over $50 per night for accommodation.

                    – Suriname was formerly known as Dutch Guiana, the smallest country in South America only has a population of 550 000, Dutch is the official language and people drive on the left hand side. Over 90% of Suriname is covered in primeval rainforest and there are some awesome fauna and flora to experience here, river dolphins, 1000 pound leather back turtles laying their eggs on the beach and the gold footed tamarind monkeys.

                    -Travel Budget Suriname

                    Suriname sounds like the cheapest of the three, you should be able to find accommodation for under $25 and get away with a budget of round $60 per day.

                    – Guyana located between Venezuela and Brazil, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the north is South America’s only English speaking country. This year (2018) Guyana was a popular destination under travel bloggers. Traveling independent I heard Guyana is a very difficult country to get around in. Visitors go to see the incredible nature, with sites like the tallest free falling waterfall in the world (Kaieteur Falls). There is an incredible diversity of animals in the Amazon jungle and savannahs in Guyana, you can see the massive freshwater fish, Arapima, giant anteaters, piranhas, tarantulas and even jaguars if you are a birder the more than 900 species of exotic birds makes this a bucket list spot.

                    -Travel Budget Guyana

                    You should be able to find accommodation in a guesthouse for about $40 per night. and get away with a budget of round $70 per day.

                    Good stuff to Pack

                    Good travel and hiking Backpack – you want something that is easy and comfortable to carry, that is a good hiking pack if you are going to Patagonia, but that is easy to open like a good travel pack.

                    This is hard to find, a great hiking backpack that is not just top loading.

                    Travel Security Money Belt

                    Nobody will know you have money on you! Travel Security Money Belt

                    Water is not alway drinkable and bottled water can be expensive, we save a lot of money with our life straw in a bottle This amazing device is super handy if you are going hiking independent.

                    Source https://www.cheapestdestinationsblog.com/2022/08/11/travel-south-america-budget/

                    Source https://stingynomads.com/south-america-travel-budget/

                    Source

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