• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Layer Culture

Latin America Travel & Culture Blog

  • Start Here
    • About
    • My Story
    • Travel Bible
  • Travel Tips
    • Travel Gear
    • Dan’s Checklist
    • Medellin Tips
    • Culture Shock
    • Travel Safety
  • Destinations
    • Mexico
    • Colombia
    • Central America
    • South America
    • Jamaica
    • Brazil
  • Resources
    • Safety Gear
    • Learn Spanish
    • Travel Journals
    • Backpacking
    • Latin Culture
Home / Travel Tips

The Right Time to Book Tours?

Travel Tips Last Updated · Dec 11th, 2022 · Daniel James

south america tours brazil
No tour needed in Olinda, Brazil

Have you considered doing any South America tours?

Not tours of a continent or country. I mean travel tours, the kind that help you travel deeper and learn more about a landmark or place.

The type of tour that you’d take to learn about a specific place or cultural artifact that you’d not otherwise gain deep knowledge on.

Why do South America Tours?

The key here is deep knowledge. When I first started backpacking in Latin America I had no desire to take a ‘tour’.

In fact, I wanted to do everything all by myself. That’s was my motive for my first solo travel adventure in Central America.

Gain a deeper understanding

Have you ever been to a place and been so inspired by what you saw? This happened to me after my first trip to Brazil.

On a global level, It left me with a desire to learn more about the people, the places, and how different life was in the country.

I took a tour of Christ Redeemer, Sugar Loaf Mountain, and saw one of the local favelas.

The tour turned out to be a smart way to travel. For me back then, as a new traveler on a 2-week trip, it saved me a lot of time and I was actually surprised how good it was.

Save precious time

As soon as I realized that having someone else (who knows the place better than you) plan your itinerary, take care of logistics and zap away any anxiety of getting lost is not such a bad thing.

I saw this as a new way of travel that saves me time and money in the long run.

Plan less, experience more

Backpacking South America over the years I found that planning takes up a lot of my time.

Before I started to be more of a travelpreneur I went with the idea that I don’t need to plan anything and just live through each day.

tours colombia bogota
Doing a tour in Bogota, Colombia

This more hippy-like way of thinking served me well for a while but I quickly realized after doing various South America tours that I had wasted a lot of time.

The time that I could have spent gaining that deeper knowledge on the things that interest me within a specific place.

When to take a tour in Latin America?

I think, when we’re traveling, we either plan too much or plan too little. I find this very much depends on your personality type.

There are many different types of tours you can take in Latin America. For now, I’m going to document all the tours that I take so you can get an idea of how rewarding they have been for me.

Avoid this mistake

Many people, including me, who are backpacking Latin America or other countries feel that taking a tour is too touristic. And, they can be!

cocora valley tour colombia
Cocora valley tour

Though it’s common today to want to get off the beaten track and explore the unknown, I get that. It’s very relative to your perception.

Once on a trip or tour, local people, the people that usually host these types of tours are your key to vast and even secret knowledge.

I’ve found myself asking tour guides unrelated questions like:

  • What is the best restaurant?
  • Where can I find the best street food?
  • Who sells the best art and crafts in town?
  • Why is the culture so reserved here?

Not taking a tour, just because you want to learn about a place by yourself, is something I suggest you learn to find a happy medium with.

types of tours

You’ll find everything from longs tours spanning over a few days, to full-day tours and half-day tours.

On this page, I’ll provide you with everything you need to know to be able to choose the perfect tour for you in Latin America.

  • Food tours
  • Landmark tours
  • Village tours
  • Cooking classes
  • Farm tours

The disadvantages of tours

Up to now, I’ve spoken mainly about the advantage of doing South America tours, or, just any tour within Latin America.

Not all tours are equally great, however. Lucky, I’ve not had a bad experience (touch wood) but I have spoken to people that have.

I lived in Argentina for around 6 months and still searched for various Buenos Aires day tours to get to know the city more.

Some destinations, like Lima in Peru, are so rich that even a single local person doesn’t know all of what is going on.

Below I’ll list some of the disadvantages of doing tours, depending on who you are, they may not be seen as a disadvantage.

  • No space for private or individual interests
  • Always moving around in the same circle
  • Waiting around for others in the group
  • Sticking with a plan or itinerary
  • Calculated stop off to purachase gifts or food

They are the most perceived disadvantages that I’ve noticed but not all tours carry those same traits. I’ve found during day tours you do have room to be rebellious and do your own thing to a degree.

tour of salento colombia
Tour of Salento, Colombia

One key thing to remember about South American tours and tour guides is that they are so laid back.

I usually end up being friends with the guide and they are almost always willing to give you travel tips if you ask politely.

Got Travel Insurance for South America?

travel insurance
🔒 World Nomads provides Travel Insurance

Designed by travelers, for travelers, World Nomads covers more than 150 adventure sports and activities so you can explore your boundaries.

Why do South America Tours?

So, if you’re doing solo travel for the first time while in Latin America, this style of doing tour inside your overall trip is perfect.

There’s no need to worry about the loneliness because let’s admit, it can creep in at any time during a solo trip.

As I’ve learned over the years backpacking South America, it’s a matter of who you go with not the destination.

Learn how to pick the best tour company so you can sit back and enjoy.

📌 Like this article? Pin it…

tours in south america
south america tours
Missing something? Got tips, tricks & advice we can learn from?

💬 Leave a nice comment or let’s start a conversation below!

“Dear friend! Some links in this post contain affiliate links. Meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, book a hostel or sign up for a tour, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Your support means a lot and helps me to keep traveling and maintaining the quality of this site for you.”

Filed Under: Travel Tips

Daniel James

Helping thousands of people worldwide with independent travel in Latin America. Layer Culture means to dig deeper into the ideas, customs, and behavior of a group of people.

Primary Sidebar

Meet Dan 👋🏽

south america travel with dan

After spending years on the road Dan is now offering to help you find your feet in Latin America; inspire you to learn Spanish and get you started on your adventures. Learn how to travel longer and stronger!

Yes Dan, help me!

Need something specific?

Recent Posts

  • Safest States in Mexico 2023 Guide
  • Is Punta Cana safe? 2023 Travel Guide
  • Is Guatemala safer than Mexico?
  • Tulum vs Cancun
  • Is San Luis Potosi safe? 2023 Guide

Footer

  • South America Safety
  • Connect with locals
  • Dan’s Travel Bible

Work with Dan

  • Be a Travelpreneur
  • About This Blog
  • Ask Me Anything

Travel Tips

  • South America Safety
  • Connect with locals
  • Dan’s Travel Bible

Get Inspired

  • South America Itinerary
  • Central America Safety
  • Solo Travel Tips

Learn Spanish

  • Learn Spanish Conversation
  • Become Fluent in Spanish
  • Top Places to Learn Spanish

© 2023 · Daniel James · Built on Genesis · See my site Policies

Layerculture is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com Other affiliate programs linking to other recommended products and services are also used.

This website uses cookies to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
3 shares