Backpacking Inspiration - 1 Month - Peru, Bolivia and Chile

The natural untouched beauty of the mighty Andeanbustling markets and museums.
mountain range, the majestic Inca ruins of MachuFrom La-Paz, head south and get on a 4x4 tour
Picchu and Lake Titicaca Islands that are barelythrough the huge salt flats at Salar De Uyuni. You'll end
affected by the modern world. Street markets andup at the Chilean border and on to San Pedro de
Andean culture in Bolivia, sand-boarding in theAtacama, the centre of tourism in the spectacular
Atacama Desert and 4x4 drives across the BoliviaAtacama Desert. You can go sand-boarding, mountain
salt flats. All this can comfortably be experienced inbiking, horse riding and trekking with San Pedro de
around a month travelling through this awe-inspiringAtacama as your base, but however you choose to
corner of South America.see it, experiencing the desert should be on your list.
Below is a suggested one month backpacking itinerary,Next, head to the Northern Chile coastal town of
starting and finishing in Peru and travelling by busIquique, a place where high desert plains abruptly meet
throughout.the Pacific Ocean creating spectacular cliffs and
Fly into the ancient Inca capital of Cusco, Peru. Withprobably one of the top paragliding destinations in the
Machu Picchu on its doorstep, Cusco is a touristworld. Amazing climate, familiar food and travelling in
hot-spot where you can organise tours into thecomfort will all probably be appreciated in Chile after a
Amazon rainforest, explore Inca culture and history,few weeks in Peru and Bolivia.
become acclimatised to the Andean altitude, and seeNext, head North to Arica and on to the barely
the many Inca ruins, most notably the Inca city ofdiscovered gem, the highlight of Northern Chile; Parc
Machu Picchu. If you're into trekking, the 4 day IncaNationale Lauca. One of the best ways to explore this
Trail finishing at Machu Picchu at sunrise is a must. Inarea is to hire a car in Arica for a couple of days. Stay
and around Cusco, there's a wide selection ofin a rural village like Putre, and explore the spectacular
museums, galleries, Andean villages and markets tonatural landscapes of snow-capped volcanoes
explore.reflected in crystal clear lakes, spot flamingo, alpaca
From Cusco, head to Puno on the shores of theand vicuna and buy Andean handicrafts from the
enormous Lake Titicaca. Whether you book onto avillagers.
tour or just turn up at the pier and get on a boat is upContinue North into Peru and head for Arequipa. This
to you, but you won't want to miss a trip to the remotebeautiful city has lots to offer the visitor, not least a trip
islands on Lake Titticaca. The floating reed islands areinto the nearby Colca Canyon. From the village of
postcard-perfect and on Isla Amantani, staying with aCabanaconde on the Canyon rim (about 100 miles
local family will give you a real insight into life in thisfrom Arequipa), you can trek into the canyon in a few
remote part of the world where life has barelyhours where you bathe at the Oasis (sheer bliss) and
changed for centuries.stay in a hut by the river. Your hosts (a local family -
Next head by bus to Copacabana, on the shores ofno need to reserve, in fact it's probably not possible to
Lake Titicaca, Bolivia. The highlight of this is the dayreserve) will cook you a meal, light you a fire and
trek up the coast to a little village where you can hire aprovide you with basic accommodation. The sense of
small boat and driver to take you across to Isla Del Sol.tranquility in such a remote location and the expansive
The scenery is spectacular, and what a night on Islanatural surroundings mean a trip into Colca Canyon
Del Sol may be lacking in luxury and comfort (suppliesshould feature on every traveller's itinerary.
are carried up by mule and water is at a premium), theAfter another day or so relaxing in the cafes and
Island more than makes up for in spectacular sceneryrestaurants of beautiful Arequipa, it's a convenient
and walking opportunities.transport hub for flights back to Lima and home, or on
Back to Puno and on to La Paz, a major city in Bolivia.to your next destination.
One of the highest cities in the world, La Paz is nestledExcluding the cost of flights and travel insurance, and
in the mountains which provide a perfect backdrop fortravelling independently as a backpacker, this trip is
wandering the stall-lined streets, and exploring thelikely to cost around $1800 - $2500 per person.