The Prices of Cruise Tours and Packages to South America
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If you've been dreaming of cruising the open sea and pairing it with amazing guided tours from the port, ocean cruise tours are the perfect way to explore South America in ultimate style and ease. Imagine hopping between vibrant cities and breathtaking coastal landscapes while enjoying all the perks of an all-inclusive cruise – from onboard entertainment to exciting shore excursions. These tours are designed to take the stress out of travel and replace it with pure relaxation and adventure.
In this article, we'll dive into the costs of ocean cruise tours, showcase some of the best options through South America, and highlight the must-visit destinations that make these cruises so unforgettable. We've crunched the numbers, analyzed itineraries, and explored amenities to bring you the top value-packed options for your next getaway. So, grab your suitcase and get ready to set sail on a trip to remember!
Why does South America appeal to cruise passengers?
South America appeals to cruise travelers with its vibrant ports, diverse excursions, and rich culture. Rio de Janeiro, Florianopolis, and Salvador are popular with beach lovers. South America's inviting climate, welcoming locals, and variety of activities make it a top cruise destination.
How much do cruise packages in South America cost?
The average price per day for cruise tours in South America is $1,132, based on our analysis of 10 tours. While the overall prices can vary greatly, when we look at the daily price of these tours, the costs range from $560 to $2,601 per day.
Budget-friendly tours average around $690 per day, while higher-end luxury tours average about $1,825 per day.
Budget tours will usually provide less luxurious accommodation, have larger group sizes, and visit less expensive destinations. They will also sometimes have you pay for more activities on your own instead of including everything up front.
Mid-range tours often provide a step up in accommodation and transportation, and include more guided activities.
Luxury tours usually provide the highest levels of service, luxury hotels, more gormet food choices, comfortable transportation, and offer more all-inclusive payment options.
We partner with TourRadar because they offer the world's largest selection of multi-day organized tours, offering seamless travel experiences while supporting local businesses. It's the perfect way to explore new destinations with ease and confidence.
The Best Cruises in South America
Budget-Friendly Cruises
Budget-friendly and affordable cruise tours in South America average $690 per day, with daily prices from $560 to $781. Budget tours usually include hotels, meals, and activities that are not quite as nice as other tours. Often, they might only include transportation, lodging, and some activities, leaving you on your own to pay for meals and other attractions during the tour. This can be a very convenient and economical way to visit France without spending too much money, as it gives you control over the amount you spend on meals and extra services. If you're looking for a really great option, check out Antarctica Classic here.
Mid-Range Cruises
For typical cruise tours in South America that fall in the middle range of prices, the average cost is $945 per day. Daily prices range from $850 to $1,104. Taking this step up in price from the cheaper tours to mid-range will often get you plenty of extra amenities and service for a great price. These tours usually include very comfortable hotels, meals at delicious local restaurants, comfortable transportation, knowledgable guides, and entry to many of the top attractions. One of the best tours is Galapagos & Amazon (Archipel I).
Luxury Cruises
Luxury cruise tours in South America average around $945 per day, with daily costs ranging from $1,252 to $2,601. At this price, you'll be very well taken care of and pampered on your journey through the scenic destinations. Knowledgable guides, the best accommodation options, the finest restaurants, comfortable transportation, and quick entry into attractions are all part of the itinerary. Every luxury and detail has been planned and thought about so that you don't have to deal with any hassle, you simple show up and enjoy your vacation. One of the best luxury tours here is Crossing the Circle: Southern Expedition, Operated by Quark.
Which tour companies offer these trips?
A number of fantastic tour companies offer cruise tours in South America. These are a few of the best, because they offer the highest rated service, provide the best overall quality, and have the most five-star guest reviews to prove it.
Exodus Adventure Travels
Exodus Adventure Travels is a large international travel company offering tours all over the world. Some of their most popular destinations include Italy, France, Spain, and India. A large number of their tours fall within in the mid-range price category. The company's adventures often highlight activities such as camping, wine tasting, kayaking, island hopping, and cooking classes.
See All Tours from Exodus Adventure Travels
G Adventures
G Adventures is a large international travel company offering tours all over the world. Some of their most popular destinations include Thailand, Peru, South Africa, and Vietnam. Many of their tours are priced in the mid-range category. The company's adventures often highlight activities such as camping, island hopping, snorkelling, surfing, wine tasting, kayaking, cooking classes, water sports, jungle surfing, and canyoning.
See All Tours from G Adventures
Via Natura Ecuador
Focusing on Ecuador, Via Natura Ecuador is a smaller tour company which provides a personalized level of service to customers. Most of the tours provided by Via Natura Ecuador are high-end and luxurious with a top-tier level of service. They specialize in wildlife viewing tours, ensuring you'll have an enjoyable experience.
See All Tours from Via Natura Ecuador
Intrepid Travel
Intrepid Travel is a large international travel company offering tours all over the world. Some of their most popular destinations include Australia, Thailand, Tanzania, and Italy. Many of the tours fall into the mid-range price category. The company's adventures often highlight activities such as camping, wine tasting, snorkelling, kayaking, cooking classes, island hopping, white water rafting, surfing, horse riding, whale watching, and bird watching.
See All Tours from Intrepid Travel
Departure Destinations in South America
Wondering where tours launch from in South America? With a variety of stops and destinations along the way, there's something for everyone.
A few of the most popular places visited by tours in South America include Ushuaia, Quito, Guayaquil, and Punta Arenas.
Cruise Tours and Packages vs. Independent Travel: Pros and Cons
When choosing between booking an organized tour or planning your own trip, consider the key factors of each travel style.
Organized Tours
Pros- On the cruise ship, you can relax and enjoy the on-board activities.
- Your hotel room moves with you as you travel.
- The ship provides the food and fun.
- Tour guides provide expert knowledge, advice, transportation, and logistical planning.
- Tours that extend from the cruises allow for even more in-depth exploration without any hassle or stress.
- You might not get to spend as much time as you like at each destination
- Some excursions cost extra
Independent Travel
Pros- You have total control over the plan.
- You can focus on the destinations instead of cruise ship activities.
- You'll need to plan the entire itinerary on your own, and make all of the bookings separately.
- Costs are uncertain.
- You might have trouble getting tickets to the most popular events or sights during the busy season.
Which is cheaper?
Is independent travel cheaper than guided cruise tours? The answer is not simple. Tours provide many of the services that you would otherwise pay for yourself on an independent trip. Hotels, transportation, food, entry tickets, guides, and activities are provided on organized tours, whereas you would pay for everything separately on your own. To deterine the difference in price, you would need to compare the combined price of everything in a tour with everything you would book separately. Sometimes you might want to stay in a cheaper hotel, or eat at a more expensive restaurant, so the price of a tour could be more or less than what you would otherwise pay on your own. Make sure you know what is included before making your comparison.
Also, before booking a tour, make sure you know exactly what is included as tour companies sometimes change their itineraries or included amenities to keep them updated with seasonal changes and customer interests.
More Tour Options
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Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.
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