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South America Cruises
Covid-19 Update: South America Travel – Countries are open for travel!
South America is open for travel again. We’re operating trips in several countries right now, with more following soon.
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Top 11 South America Cruises
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Galapagos Island Cruises
For a cruise around the Galapagos Islands, choose between luxury cruise lines such as the M/C Petrel Catamaran, the M/Y Coral, or the Galapagos Islands Legend Cruise. While you are at it, learn all about The Best Galapagos Islands to Visit and explore the 7 Best Islands in South America. Learn about the history of the pristine Galapagos Islands, where Darwin founded his theory of evolution, and where animals do not fear people. Instead, they walk around with the rest of us. There’s no better way to island-hop the Galapagos, than aboard a Galapagos Cruise.
Amazon River Cruises
If the Amazon Rainforest is what you’re most interested in, take a look at our popular Amazon Rainforest River Cruises. Hop aboard the Tucano River Cruise in Brazil, the Delfin Amazon Cruise in Peru, or the Manatee Amazon Explorer Cruise or Anakonda Cruise in Ecuador. Each of these South American Cruises takes travelers to a different part of the Amazon, showcasing how truly diverse the mighty jungle really is. If you’re looking for a recommendation to start, the Tucano River Cruise is our favorite!
Best Time for an Amazon Cruise
For an Amazon cruise, the water level is essential. The more water in the river the better. For the Amazon, therefore, the rainy season is the best time for a cruise in South America! Ships can go all the way into smaller tributaries, close to vegetation where you can see many animals that have fled from the waters into the trees.
During the dry season (winter), the rainforest blossoms and everything is green At that time, a lot of trees lose their leaves. This is also the best time for a cruise in South America to do a cruise and tour of Brazil’s Pantanal, where many fishing cruises operate on the Brazilian side. You need rain. Without it, many of the small rivers are not navigable there. That is valid for the fishing cruises.
Patagonia Cruises
For the adventure seeker, we recommend our Patagonia Cruises. South American Cruises around Cape Horn and other destinations in Patagonia are a comfortable way to take in the incredible scenery of the region. We offer 4-star and 5-star luxury cruises that take guests past Chilean Fjords and towards Ushuaia, also known as “The End of the World,” or all the way across the Drake Passage to Antarctica. We even give guests the option to fly-cruise South America, on any of the Australis Cruises. See some of the most spectacular sights in the world from inside the vessel or during exciting shore excursions: massive glaciers, ice fields, and cute penguin colonies.
Best Time for a Patagonia Cruise
Only between November and April do you really enjoy the waters of Patagonia. During this time you also have enough daylight in the very south near Ushuaia. The best time for a Patagonia cruise in South America is November to April. That is the opposite year equivalent of going on a cruise to Alaska from May to October.
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For more information on how to plan your South America Cruise, contact us today and any of our Expert Travel Consultants would be happy to help. Seamlessly combine a land-based tour package with all the highlights that South America has to offer. Don’t just visit South America, cruise South America.
5 Best South America Cruises for 2024
| Tour Name | Price | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil Amazon River Cruise Tucano | from $1750 | 5 Days | ... |
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South America Travel Guide
Download our FREE South America Travel Guide and get inspired to explore to South America. Browse through 26 pages of travel planning tips and ideas – a great resource for planning your dream vacation.
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- Unique hotels within South America
- Inspiration for cruises, remote lodges and trains
- Wine, golf and adventure ideas
- 24 top tours of South America
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South America Cruises FAQs
Thinking about a South America cruise? Here’s a list of frequently asked questions we often hear from our guests.
When is the best time to cruise South America?
The main attraction of a Galapagos cruise is wildlife. At all times of year, there is a lot of wildlife present and a different species will be breeding or nesting – so from that side, there is no one time better than another. One consideration is the weather – temperatures are highest and there is most rainfall from around December to March. This is also the time with the calmest seas and warmest water. June to September is a cooler and drier time of year though it is windier and the seas are rougher, something which travelers who suffer seasickness should keep in mind.
For the Amazon River cruises, there are two distinct seasons – the high water and the low water season. In general the best time for an Amazon cruise is during the high water season which is from around December to May. At this time ships can travel up smaller and more remote channels of the river.
Patagonia cruises mostly run only from around October to April avoiding winter. Day length is greatest in December and January and this is also usually when some of the best weather can be expected though it is changeable all year.
What is the cheapest month to go on a cruise?
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