u/pinataparty9

We're three friends planning a South America trip and honestly we want to know if we're being stupid or if it's actually doable. We've spent way too much time researching but we still have massive doubts, especially about altitude and whether we should actually be driving ourselves.

We have approximately 36 days.... here's what we're thinking:

THE ITINERARY:

1. ROAD TRIP PERU: Lima → Paracas → Ica → Nazca → Arequipa (BY CAR)
   • FLIGHT: Arequipa → Cusco
2. TREKKING: Cusco + Sacred Valley + Machu Picchu (Inca trail)
   • FLIGHT: Cusco → Puerto Maldonado
3. JUNGLE: Puerto Maldonado Jungle
4. BOLIVIA: Puerto Maldonado → Puno → La Paz → Uyuni (BY BUS)
   • BUS: Uyuni → San Pedro Atacama
5. CHILE: San Pedro Atacama → Santiago (BY CAR)

OUR ACTUAL CONCERNS:

Altitude sequence ?

Lima (sea level) → Arequipa (2,400m OK) → Cusco (3,400m) → Machu Picchu (2,430m) → Puerto Maldonado (sea level) → Puno overnight bus (3,827m) — JUMP of 3,800m in one night → La Paz (3,640m) → Uyuni (3,656m) → San Pedro Atacama (2,400m) → Chile (basically sea level ?).

So we're looking at roughly 17-18 days above 2,400m total, with like 5-7 days at 3,600m+. And that brutal overnight jump from jungle to Puno. We've read that spending 30+ days high altitude is a bad idea, but is our sequence actually sustainable? One of us is particularly worried about the Sep 7 jump (0m → 3,800m). Should we cut Puerto Maldonado entirely to avoid this?

Also one of us has a 10 minute PhD interview on the middle of the trip approximately when we'll be in San Pedro Atacama. But do you think we will feel like garbage by then or should we be okay after descending from Bolivia?

Energy/pace — are we going to be exhausted?

This is a lot of moving around. We're not just sitting in one place. Road trip one week, flights, hiking at altitude, jungle heat, overnight buses. By day 20-something are we going to be completely fried? Or is the pacing actually okay because we have days where we're just in one place?

Driving questions:

We want to drive the coast (Lima → Arequipa) ourselves and drive in Chile because we want the freedom. We've read that Peru driving is genuinely stressful (aggressive trucks, night driving dangerous, parking chaos in cities, police).

Should we just use the bus for the coast instead of renting a car? Is it worth it?

Is this just too much for 36 days trip?

Also: Inca Trail or bus to Machu Picchu? The trail sounds epic but after a road trip and flights are we just going to be knackered?

Hey everyone! I am looking for some advice on how to structure this trip.

We’re 3 friends traveling for about 40 days. We fly into Bogotá on Aug 19 (cheaper than Lima), spend ~1 week in Colombia (Bogotá + Medellín), then head to Peru around Aug 24. We’ll be backpacking and want to keep a good pace without burning out.

We plan to do:

• Machu Picchu + Sacred Valley
• Amazon rainforest
• A road trip for a piece of the travel would be nice
• Time to actually enjoy cities, hikes, and food. Not just rush through highlights

Our problem is we’re unsure whether to:

• Spend ~4 weeks focusing on Peru and do it properly
• Extend Colombia (Coffee Triangle, maybe Cartagena) and reduce Peru
• Add another country (Chile, maybe Bolivia) on top of Peru

We don’t want to just tick boxes — we’d rather experience fewer places well. At the same time, it’s tempting to see more while we’re there and maybe a month in Peru would be boring at some point. We live far and we don't have much occasions to see far from Europe.

So basically my doubts are

• Is ~4 weeks in Peru the best use of time, or would you split it?
• If extending Colombia, what would you prioritize over Peru?
• Is adding Chile/Bolivia realistic, or just too rushed?
• Where would you build in that “road trip”?

About us: Backpacking, flexible budget, comfortable with long bus rides and simple stays. Prioritizing experience over comfort/luxury.

Would love to hear what you’d do in our position. Thanks!

Hey everyone! I am looking for some advice on how to structure this trip.

We’re 3 friends traveling for about 40 days. We fly into Bogotá on Aug 19 (cheaper than Lima), spend ~1 week in Colombia (Bogotá + Medellín), then head to Peru around Aug 24. We’ll be backpacking and want to keep a good pace without burning out.

We plan to do:

• Machu Picchu + Sacred Valley
• Amazon rainforest
• A road trip for a piece of the travel would be nice
• Time to actually enjoy cities, hikes, and food. Not just rush through highlights

Our problem is we’re unsure whether to:

• Spend ~4 weeks focusing on Peru and do it properly
• Extend Colombia (Coffee Triangle, maybe Cartagena) and reduce Peru
• Add another country (Chile, maybe Bolivia) on top of Peru

We don’t want to just tick boxes — we’d rather experience fewer places well. At the same time, it’s tempting to see more while we’re there and maybe a month in Peru would be boring at some point. We live far and we don't have much occasions to see far from Europe.

So basically my doubts are

• Is ~4 weeks in Peru the best use of time, or would you split it?
• If extending Colombia, what would you prioritize over Peru?
• Is adding Chile/Bolivia realistic, or just too rushed?
• Where would you build in that “road trip”?

About us: Backpacking, flexible budget, comfortable with long bus rides and simple stays. Prioritizing experience over comfort/luxury.

Would love to hear what you’d do in our position. Thanks!