YOUR FIRST BACKPACKING TRIP
Backpacking South America: plan your first trip
Choose where to start, what to spend and how much ground to cover.
RICOMENDO TRAVEL GUIDE
Choose a route that fits your time.
- Choose your route
- Find your base
- Plan the journeys
- Meet local places
Start with one country and a realistic route
South America is a big first idea. Make the actual plan smaller. For a first week, pick one country and one main base. Add a second stop only when the journey makes sense for your dates and budget. A cheap room in a faraway city is no bargain if getting there eats a whole day.
Start with the thing you care about most: food, art, walking, music or a slower pace. Then build around it. Your trip does not need to look like anyone else’s route.
Choose a base around what you want to do
Lima can anchor a food-and-art week: explore our Barranco places and compare a Miraflores stay. Medellín offers a different starting point, with a downtown walk and a separate visit to Envigado. Quito and Mindo appear in our collection too; check the transport between them before deciding to include both. These are starting ideas, not promises of an easy connection.
Look at the location of your room, not just its nightly price. Find out what an evening trip back will cost. Ask about noise, breakfast, lockers or secure luggage storage, and whether the room matches the photos.
Allow time for arrivals, travel and changing plans
Day one is for arriving and settling in. Use days two and three for your main neighborhood and one guided or cultural experience. Leave day four open. Make days five and six about the place you want more time with, rather than another long move. Keep departure day light.
Book the first nights, confirm your arrival details and keep the rest of the plan easy to change. Before buying transport, compare departure points, arrival times, baggage rules and the full cost. Choose established services and ask the accommodation about the practical arrival route.
Get to know the people behind the places
Learn a few useful words. Ask what people order at lunch. Pay fairly for guiding, music and craft. A tip-based walk still deserves a fair payment. Bring curiosity without treating a neighborhood as a performance for visitors.
Use the budget planner below before committing. Add the big costs first, then decide which small comforts matter to you. One great lunch and an unhurried afternoon can be the whole point of a day.
How this guide was made
Prepared for Ricomendo with AI assistance using the linked sources and our listing research. This is planning guidance, not a first-hand trip report. Opening hours, prices and programmes need checking for your dates.
Individual place pages contain the supporting local reviews and operating evidence.
TURN THE STORY INTO A STOP
Meet the places.
Dédalo Arte y Artesanía
An old Barranco house opens into rooms of Peruvian craft and design. Browse independent makers, visit the exhibition space and pause beneath a large tree at the courtyard café.
Medellín / ExperienceReal City Tours
Walk downtown Medellín with guides who share city history through streets, squares and personal stories.
Envigado / ExperienceCasa Museo Otraparte
A small writer's house, gardens and cultural program keep the work of Fernando González in conversation with everyday Envigado.
Mindo / ExperienceYumbos Chocolate — Mindo
A small chocolate factory lets you follow cacao through production and taste the result. It is a hands-on way to understand one of Ecuador's best-known crops.
A little more inspiration?
How much does a week in South America cost?