There are trips you take. And then there are trips that take something from you — in the best possible way. They strip away the familiar, hand you back a sense of wonder you forgot you had, and leave you a little undone. This 22-day journey through Peru, Bolivia and Chile is the second kind.
Picture yourself standing at the Sun Gate of Machu Picchu at dawn, mist rolling through valleys so ancient they feel borrowed from another world. Then fast-forward five days — you're lying flat on Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni, the earth below you so perfectly still it has become a mirror, reflecting every cloud in a sky that goes on forever. Then, just when you think the planet has shown you everything it has, a desert the colour of Mars welcomes you in northern Chile, and a rainbow-striped mountain at 5,100 metres above sea level dares you to catch your breath.
This is what Wondrous Journey has put together with the South America: Peru, Bolivia & Chile Adventure (22 Days 18 Nights) — not a checklist of landmarks, but a layered, slow-burn love affair with a continent that rewards the brave.
Trip at a Glance
- 📍 Countries: Peru · Bolivia · Chile
- 🗓 Duration: 22 Days · 18 Nights
- 📅 Departure Date: 10–31 March 2027
- 👥 Group Size: Minimum 10 pax
- 💰 Tour Fee: RM 26,800 per person
- ✈️ Departs from: Kuala Lumpur or Singapore
Peru — The Country That Starts Everything
Your journey begins in Lima, Peru's sprawling coastal capital — a city of colonial grandeur, world-class ceviche and streets that hum with decades of layered history. But Lima is just the opening act. The real story begins when you land in Cusco.
At 3,400 metres above sea level, Cusco greets you the way altitude always does — quietly, then with full force. Your first days here are intentionally gentle: a walk through the Plaza de Armas, a visit to the Cathedral, a slow morning with coca tea. The city teaches you patience, and patience, it turns out, is exactly what Machu Picchu rewards.
Machu Picchu — The City the Clouds Keep
On Day 6, you rise before the sun. A bus winds up the mountain through layers of morning fog, and then — it opens. Machu Picchu reveals itself not in a single dramatic moment but in pieces: a terrace here, a stone archway there, a llama wandering without concern across a path built five hundred years ago.
It is one of those rare places where photographs, however beautiful, tell only half the truth. The other half lives in the altitude-thinned air, in the ache of your lungs, in the silence between stones. Standing on its ridge at 2,430 metres, surrounded by peaks that rise like cathedral walls from the valley below, you understand why ancient civilisations built towards the sky.
"Standing on a mountain made of pure colour, somewhere between Peru and heaven, you will understand why people say travel changes you. It doesn't. It reveals you."
Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca) — Where the Earth Painted Itself
Day 8 brings perhaps the journey's most physically demanding and visually staggering experience: Vinicunca, known as Rainbow Mountain. The hike begins at 4,480 metres. The summit sits at 5,030 metres. And every single step is worth it.
The mineral stripes of red, yellow, green and purple that band Vinicunca's slopes look less like geology and more like a painting left unfinished by a distracted god. Stand there in person, in the cold thin air of the Andes, and you will feel something no photograph can transmit: the strange, quiet thrill of being somewhere truly extraordinary.
Sacred Valley & Lake Titicaca
The days between Cusco and the Bolivian border are filled with some of the most quietly beautiful experiences of the entire journey — a train ride through the Sacred Valley, traditional markets, the reed-island communities of Lake Titicaca's Uros people, and a long, unhurried lunch on Taquile Island overlooking an impossibly blue lake at 3,800 metres.
Bolivia — The World's Most Surreal Country
Bolivia greets you with altitude and wonder in equal measure. You arrive via Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titicaca, cross into La Paz — one of the world's highest capitals, a city that tumbles down the walls of a canyon — and eventually make your way to the landscape that defines this entire journey.
Salar de Uyuni — When the Earth Becomes a Mirror
At 10,582 square kilometres, the Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat. After rain, it transforms into a mirror so perfect that the sky and the ground become indistinguishable. You will sleep in a hotel made of salt. You will drive across a landscape that looks like the surface of another planet. You will photograph yourself standing on the clouds.
Highlights of the Uyuni experience include the Train Cemetery (where rusting 1940s locomotives have been slowly swallowed by the earth), Cactus Island (giant cacti over 10 metres tall rising from the middle of the flats), and a sunset that turns the world's largest mirror into something beyond description.
Days 13 to 15 also take you across the remote Bolivian Altiplano — past volcanic rock formations, high-altitude lagoons home to flamingos, and the drama of the Ollagüe Volcano on the horizon. It is the kind of scenery that makes you forget time exists.
Chile — Where the Desert Meets Surreal Beauty
From the Bolivian altiplano, you cross the border into Chile and descend into the Atacama Desert — the driest non-polar desert on Earth. You would expect desolation. What you find instead is extraordinary colour.
San Pedro de Atacama
The Atacama greets you with a palette you didn't know the earth had in its range: rust-red rock formations, deep blue lagoons, white salt pans and volcanoes dusted with snow on the horizon. On Day 16, as the light fades, you drive to Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) — a landscape of eroded cliffs and dunes that belongs to a neighbouring planet entirely.
Day 17 brings Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons, two high-altitude lakes of improbable blue set against volcanic peaks, and the striking red formations of Piedras Rojas.
Valparaíso — The City That Wears Its Soul on Its Walls
The journey ends with colour. Valparaíso — just 90 minutes from Santiago — is a hillside port of winding stairways, vibrant murals and views that spill over the Pacific. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the kind of place where every corner you turn feels like someone commissioned a painting just for you.
After three weeks of mountains, deserts, salt flats and ancient ruins, Valparaíso feels like a celebration. You wander. You eat. You find yourself sitting somewhere high above the harbour watching the sun drop into the sea, and you think: I cannot believe this all happened in 22 days.
Journey Itinerary Snapshot
- Days 1–2: Fly from KL / Singapore to Lima, Peru
- Days 3–8: Cusco · Machu Picchu · Sacred Valley · Rainbow Mountain
- Days 9–10: Puno · Lake Titicaca · Uros & Taquile Islands
- Days 11–12: Cross into Bolivia · Copacabana · La Paz
- Days 13–15: Uyuni · Salt Flats · Train Cemetery · Cactus Island · Altiplano
- Days 16–17: Cross into Chile · Atacama Desert · Moon Valley · Miscanti Lagoon
- Days 18–19: Santiago · Valparaíso (UNESCO Heritage City)
- Days 20–22: Fly home to KL / Singapore
What's Included & What to Know Before You Go
Package Includes
- 3 domestic flights within South America (Lima–Cusco, La Paz–Uyuni, Atacama–Santiago) with 20kg checked baggage
- Accommodation — 3-star hotel, twin sharing, including a stay at a Uyuni salt hotel
- Partial meals as per itinerary
- English-speaking guide & local transportation
- Entrance fees to all attractions mentioned
- Round-trip train & bus tickets to Machu Picchu
- Bolivia visa application service & visa fee (LOI included)
- Motorbike ride during the Rainbow Mountain excursion
Not Included
- International return flights KL/Singapore ↔ South America (approx. RM 8,000–11,000)
- Yellow fever vaccination (approx. RM 300–500) — required for entry
- Travel insurance
- Tips for local guides and drivers (USD 10/person/day)
- Personal expenses and meals not stated in the itinerary
⛰️ Important: Altitude Advisory
This journey reaches altitudes of up to 5,100 metres at Rainbow Mountain. Altitude sickness can affect anyone regardless of age or fitness. The itinerary is carefully designed for gradual acclimatisation. We strongly recommend starting light cardio training (jogging, hiking) at least 1–2 months before departure. This tour is best suited for travellers in moderate physical health who enjoy nature and are comfortable with basic facilities in remote areas.
Is This Tour Right for You?
- ✅ You love nature, landscapes and genuine cultural experiences
- ✅ You're adaptable — remote areas sometimes mean basic facilities
- ✅ You're physically active and prepared for some light hiking
- ✅ You want a small group experience with an experienced guide
- ❌ This is NOT a luxury resort trip or a relaxation holiday
Ready to Walk Into This Story?
The March 2027 departure is now open for bookings. Groups are kept small for a reason — because some experiences are better shared with fewer people.
A deposit of RM 3,000 per person secures your place.
👉 View Full Itinerary & Book Your Spot
Or reach out to us directly — we're happy to answer any questions before you take the leap.
Related reads: Why Patagonia Breaks Every Traveller Who Visits · Ladakh: Summer vs Autumn — Which Himalayan Escape Is Right for You? · What Nobody Tells You About Travelling in Bolivia
