Cultural Tours to Central and South America
Culture abounds in Latin America, from ancient civilizations to living indigenous villages and the modern cultures of major cities.
On cultural themed trips you can explore the ruins of Mayan civilizations, visit indigenous villages in the Amazon basin, discover ancient civilizations throughout Peru, witness the living Chilote culture found on the Chiloé Archipelago in Chile, and experience the vibrant contemporary life in cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Cartagena, Lima, Buenos Aires.
Mayan civilizations are evidenced by the extensive list of ruins located throughout Central America from southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula (Palenque, Chichen Itza, Tulum) to Guatemala (Tikal, Yaxha, Quirigua), Belize (Caracol, Xunantunich), Honduras (Copan).
Visit and interact with Garifuna people in small villages along the Caribbean coast of Honduras and Belize. The Garifuna have their own language, music and food. Along the Bay of Tela in Honduras you will find Garifuna communities, such as Miami, where you can spend the day with local families, learning their language and history.
In Panama you can stay with a local Kuna (or Guna) family on a private island.
Colombia’s rich historical past and modern present is evident throughout the country. The cities and cultural centers of Bogotá, Medellin, Cali and Cartagena are home to restaurants, dance clubs, theaters, museums; calendar events include film and music festivals, lively religious fiestas. Cartagena is the perfect combination of colonial history and modern Caribbean joie de vivre. Visit picturesque towns such as Villa de Leyva, one of the most beautiful and well-preserved colonial villages in South America. The old and historic center of Popayán is considered one of the most beautiful and best preserved in Colombia as well as in all of Latin America.
In Peru and Bolivia you will find pre-Colombian civilizations and modern-day Quechua and Aymara-speaking people. The Northern Kingdoms were home to the Moche Civilization and Chimú Empire. Important sites include Tucume, a vast Lambayeque-period archeological complex and Chan Chan, the capital city of the Chimú Empire. The Chachapoyas culture was centered at the fortress of Kuelap before being conquered by the Incas. The Inca Empire can be best appreciated in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the Inca capital of Cusco and the citadel of Machu Picchu. Evidence of the pre-Colombian Tiwanaku Empire can be studied at the ruins of Tiwanaku in western Bolivia near the shores of Lake Titikaka.
The Chiloé Archipelago, isolated from the Chile mainland, has a unique architecture, language (Chilote), cuisine and folklore. Explore on a day trip or spend a few days while staying at a small hotel or seaside lodge.
In Brazil make time for a few days in Salvador, the capital of the State of Bahia and a center for Afro-Brazilian music and dance, religion, cuisine and local customs; all brought to Brazil from the West coast of Africa then mixed with Portuguese traditions and culture.
And, of course, contemporary life is a focal point in the cultural hubs of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro: restaurants, theaters, art galleries, markets, shopping, nightclubs, tango, samba, bossa nova…Carnival!
Curated Cultural Travel Experiences
Brazil Grand Nature Tour – Customized Tour Package to Brazil
The trip starts with a few days in Rio de Janeiro. A private tour of the city includes visits to Corcovado Mountain, Sugarloaf Mountain, the Sambodromo (where Carnival takes place). Leisure time in Rio can be spent at the legendary beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. The natural history of Brazil experience then starts in Foz de Iguaçú, home to one of the most beautiful ecological reserves of the planet and where you find one of the most spectacular views of the world, the Iguaçú Falls.
Camino Real Trek Panama
If the mossy river rocks, the gurgling translucent waters and the majestic, ancient trees could talk... ... they would tell epic stories of long mule trains hauling the King's gold, of dashing incursions by pirates against Castilla de Oro’s New World fortifications and many untold story tales.
Chachapoyas Discovery Peru
This classic 6-day program to the lost kingdom of the Chachapoyas features visits the huge mountaintop temple and fortress of Kuelap, the tombs at Karajia, the Leymebamba museum with its collection of 200 mummies, the Revash tombs and the towering waterfall of Gocta.
Chile – Santiago, Wineries & the Coast Tour
Cities, valleys and coastline. On this 9-night trip you will tour Santiago, wineries in three central valleys, and historic Valparaíso on the coast. Start in Santiago with a city tour that includes visits to the historic old quarter, government buildings, museums, historic and residential neighborhoods, San Cristobal Hill with its spectacular panoramic view of the city and Andes.
Chile Natural Voyage Custom Tour
From the minute you arrive in Santiago, you will be able to see, feel, and hear the rich tradition and cultural significance of the longest country in the world. Your exciting adventure begins with a modern city tour through the capital’s most interesting and elegant neighborhoods and the historic downtown area.
Coastal Darien Explorer Panama Tour Package
From the moment you leave the urban skyline behind, the route unfolds like a time-lapse of Panama’s natural and cultural evolution—modern highways giving way to narrow country roads, forested valleys, and riverside hamlets where life moves with the rhythm of the land. Your Naturalist Guide provides both context and curiosity as you trace this path eastward, setting the stage for the wild and remote experiences ahead.
Coffee, Cali & Cartagena Colombia Tour
This 10-day trip features Bogota, the Coffee Zone, Cali and Cartagena. We designed this itinerary to blend the dynamics of the cities, the nature of the coffee region, cultural immersion in Cali, with the history and laid-back atmosphere in Cartagena. In Bogota you will tour the city with a local historian who will introduce you to the life and times of the city.
Colombia – Coffee-in-Depth Tour
The perfect trip for coffee connoisseurs. Explore the coffee and cacao plantations, the forests and wildlife of Colombia, one of the world's leading coffee exporters. Your first night will be spent at a Bogota hotel, the next five nights at three different boutique coffee plantations, located outside of Bogota, near Bucaramanga in the Andes and deep in the verdant Coffee Region.
Colombia Andean Special Tour Package
This 8-day tour through the Andes of Colombia begins in the capital of Bogotá, with its world-famous “Museo Del Oro”, then to the coffee growing region around Armenia, before continuing to the village of San Agustín in the southwest of the country.
Colombia Intensive Circuit Tour
The Colombian Intensive Tour begins in the bustling capital, Bogotá. Here, you’ll delve into the city’s rich history and vibrant art scene, from the unparalleled collection of pre-Hispanic gold artifacts at the world-famous “Museo Del Oro” to the vibrant street art adorning the historic La Candelaria district.
Costa Rica & Nicaragua Multi-Adventure Trip
Between two oceans, the land narrows into a spine of mountains and volcanoes where rivers spill through jungle and cloud forests brush the sky. This is Central America in its purest form — wild, restless, and alive with water and light. From the whitewater rivers of Costa Rica to the volcanic islands of Lake Nicaragua, this journey traces a route through shifting landscapes and small moments that stay with you long after you’ve left them behind.
Costa Rica Exploration Tour
This trip combines the Arenal Volcano and Monteverde Cloudforest nature pairing with Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean coast and one of the many beaches on the northern Pacific coast. Much of Tortuguero is jungle-covered lowland. There are no roads in Tortuguero National Park, called Costa Rica’s “little Amazon”; travel is by boat along a series of rivers and canals or by foot on forest paths.
Costa Rica Highlights Tour Package
This trip takes you to three distinct areas in Costa Rica, from the Arenal Volcano to the highlands of the Monteverde Cloudforest to the central Pacific coast. Activities around Arenal abound from lava flows hikes, canopy walkways and zipline tours, river float trips, visits to local farms, soaking in hot springs, mountain biking and waterfall rappelling.
Cultural Peru Tour
If Peruvian food and Inca history piques your interest, you should join our special group tour in December. Your first day in Peru includes two tours of Lima: a food tour of this up-and-coming gastronomic capital and a historical tour of the colonial city.
Culture, History & Altiplano Bolivia Tour Package
This 12-day journey through Bolivia is designed for adventurous travelers—those who thrive on discovery, crave the unfamiliar, and appreciate the raw beauty of the natural world. From ancient ruins and vibrant cities to lunar landscapes and high-altitude lakes, Bolivia is a place where every mile reveals a new and unexpected wonder.
Cuzco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and the Zafiro Amazon River Cruise
On this 10-day journey you will visit Cusco, the Capital of the Inca Empire, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, culminating your trip deep in the Amazon rainforest on a luxury riverboat cruise. Explore the markets and ruins of Cusco and the Sacred Valley, journey by train to the "Lost City of Machu Picchu", journey deep into the Amazon rain forest aboard the Zafiro.
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Tortuguero and Tropical Rainforests Costa Rica
Explore Caribbean coastal rainforest, the Arenal Volcano and the Monteverde Cloudforest. Arenal Observatory Lodge. Your ecotourism experience begins with two days in wildlife-rich Tortuguero National Park, known as Costa Rica’s little Amazon.
Wow Trip Argentina
First you'll spend 4 days in Buenos Aires, each day living and breathing a different part of the city and its environs: a walking tour of the Palermo neighborhoods, our exclusive 'Four Balconies of Buenos Aires' city tour, an Artist's tour, a culinary and wine tasting event, a day in San Isidro and the Parana River Delta, a day trip across the Rio de la Plata to Colonia in Uruguay, a Tango Dinner Show.
Northern Peru – Nature & Culture Tour to Kuelap and Cajamarca
This journey through Northern Peru combines the dramatic natural landscapes of the Andes with the legacy of ancient civilizations that predate the Incas. From the misty cloud forests surrounding Chachapoyas to the monumental fortress of Kuelap, travelers follow the trail of the enigmatic Chachapoya people—“the Warriors of the Clouds”—whose ruins still cling to mountain ridges above deep valleys.
