South America Travel in June

As winter creeps on in most of South America, the best place to be is at the very top of the high Andes. Sounds crazy, right? But it’s true: Autumn nights may well be a little on the crisp side in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Chile yet, in reality, this brings the most revered climatic mountain conditions of all. Bright blue skies, stunning starry nights and not a cloud (or rain-drop) in sight mean hiking the Andes mountains is absolutely ideal in June. This month marks the beginning of high tourist season for Machu Picchu tours, Bolivian Altiplano tours and travels through Ecuador and Chile.

The only real prerequisite for an exceptional tour of South America in June is prior booking. Book everything well in advance and you won’t miss out!

Click the links below to skip through the article:

1. June Snapshot
2. Buenos Aires
3. Inti Raymi Festival in Cusco
4. Rio de Janeiro
5. Patagonia
6. Central Andes
7. Valdes Peninsula
8. Iguazu Falls
9. Galapagos Islands
10. Amazon Rainforest

Los Glaciares National Park in the evening, Patagonia

 

Here’s a quick snapshot of South America and Antarctica travel in June:

• European and North American summer vacations are at the door, which means the continent will receive an increasing number of tourists as the month progresses. Want the best of it all? Start your tour of South America at the very beginning of the month and you’ll enjoy better prices and smaller crowds for at least the first three weeks

• The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu enjoys its driest month of the year, an exceptionally great month for extensive hiking in the Peruvian Andes. For this reason, this is the busiest month of the year along the ancient Incan trail, so book your permits way ahead of time

• If you’re a lover of the soft powdery stuff then you’ll be excited to know that the best skiing fields in Patagonia will be open for business in June. Skiing trips to southern Argentina and Chile are absolutely amazing with fabulous lodges offering drop-dead gorgeous views and fabulous snowboarding and skiing options

• Even if you don’t ski or snowboard, Patagonia in June can be ideal – a few choice lodges and hotels are still open and offer a peaceful respite in spellbinding white landscapes

• There are still plenty of hiking options in the Central Andes, however, so hone in on Peru, Ecuador and Colombia for warmer temps and unencumbered trails

• June is a GREAT month for city-escapes in South America as Autumn temps allow for extensive sightseeing tours – minus the summer sweat – and absolutely gorgeous foliage

• Want a stint of beachside R&R? Head north to Colombia where hot days and clear skies make for ideal islands trips a beach-bumming

Hiking trail to the Andean mountains

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Best City Escapes in June

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Hit the Argentina capital in June and you’ll be immersed in a colourful palette of Autumn’s best colours. What’s more, you’ll enjoy excellent accommodation and travel prices and, if that’s not enough, fewer fellow tourists in all the city’s best points of interest. Days will be shorter and more overcast (some rains should also not be discounted) but if you’re a discerning traveller who’s clued up about the perks of low-season travel then rest assured that Buenos Aires will deliver in spades.

Beautiful sunset in the park in Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Inti Raymi Festival in Cusco, Peru

The ancient Inca festival of the Sun God, Inti, takes place in Cusco towards the end of June although the city seems to be struck with fiesta-fever the whole month long. This is a very busy month for Cusco so you really must book your hotel way ahead of time but if you’re clever and organised you’ll arguably see the city at its best: chock-full of locals and foreigners getting ready to celebrate the most important day in the Cusco calendar.

Attend the Inti Raymi festival in Cusco

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Sweltering in Summer but absolutely ideal in Autumn, Rio de Janeiro is a fab city to explore in June. Daytime temps can still hover around the mid-20s (for that beachside swim or poolside siesta) yet are low enough that you can actually enjoy long days exploring the city on foot and public transport. There’s so much to do and see in Rio that you’ll need all the energy you can muster – colder temps are just perfect for that.

Famous public steps Escadaria Selaron in Rio de Janeiro

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Best Wilderness & Wildlife Experiences in June

Patagonia, Argentina & Chile

Patagonia, in June, is magnificent, to say the least, and although most hiking trails will be closed, there are still plenty of glaciers to see (like famous Perito Moreno) and viewpoints to reach on day outings. Patagonia trips just take a little more planning for June, as most accommodation options won’t be available, so plan and book ahead and enjoy the peace, quiet and stellar scenery of Patagonia drenched in pristine snow.

Argentinian Patagonia in winter, San Carlos de Bariloche

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Hiking in the Central Andes

The southern Andes may be a little too snow-covered for extensive hiking trips but not so a little further north, where winter is yet to fully set in. Aside from the famed Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, there are literally countless more hikes you can do in the region, both within the Sacred Valley of the Incas near Cusco, further north in the Cordillera Blanca (base yourself in Huaraz) and way off the beaten path in Ecuador, where an insane number of extinct – and active – volcanoes offer sensational hiking.

Hiking in the Andean mountains in Peru

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Valdes Peninsula, Patagonia

If there’s one main reason to head south, in June, it would have to be to soak up the sight of mating whales in the Valdes Peninsula. A hub for marine life-spotting in South America, the Valdes is a cocooning haven for whales, elephant seals, dolphins and penguins, who stop here for romantic rendezvous on their northbound migration route in June.

Whale jumping out of the water in Valdes Peninsula, Argentina

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Iguazu Falls, Argentina & Brazil

June is a dry month for Iguazu which means you’ll get that postcard-perfect picture of the world’s largest falls framed by iridescent blue skies. Lower water flow levels also mean you’ll actually enjoy better views all-around (rather than soaked ones). Many people mistakenly imagine the best time to see the falls is when water levels are at their peak, however, this usually brings quite a dramatic mist meaning helicopter flights over the falls actually gift the better view. We find that lower levels of water – just perfect in June – offer much better and more comprehensive viewing from walkways on both the Argentinian and Brazilian sides.

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Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Temps in the Galapagos hover around the mid-20s C in June, ideal if you wish to enjoy this amazing wildlife haven with cooler temps. This month attracts migrating humpback whales as well as nesting flightless cormorants on Fernandina and endangered Galapagos penguins (the only one of its kind north of the equator) and a myriad of birds who enter their breeding season. June is just a perfect month for Galapagos cruises.

Big turtle in the Galapagos Islands

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Amazon Rainforest

Amazon tours are usually divided into ‘rain season cruising’ and ‘dry season lodge-based trips’ yet June is that perfect in-between month that can actually offer the best of both. Just to be clear: this outstanding tropical rainforest does receive some rain, all year long, yet heavy downpours in certain months dramatically rise water-levels here so we prefer to think of tours in terms of high-water and low-water options. In June, the Amazon starts to dry up so you can enjoy both lodge-based trips and cruises along the Amazon River. High-water translates to more extensive travels by boat yet low-water levels offer greater chances for wildlife spotting. June Is that shoulder month that can offer both.

Wildlife watching in Amazon Jungle in Ecuador

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Have any questions? Contact us and we will be happy to help you!