5 weeks in Peru + Bolivia + Chile, is too little time?

I'm planning to travel alone, using buses/trains.

I would also like to spend few days every so often on the beach to rest... in both Peru and Chile.

Does it sound like a reasonable plan?

Best Answer

Mark covered all the basics and if you stick to the major tourist attractions you can make it in five weeks. Doing a round-trip from Lima south over into Bolivia and the Northern Chile sounds do-able.

One 'attraction' that Mark left out, is the Amazon rain-forest, which you can visit in both Peru and Bolivia. After the cold Andes, this may be a welcome change for a week.

To get there overland takes a while, especially in Peru from Lima. It's a bit easier in Bolivia and a popular place is 'Rurrenabaque' which can be reached by bus from La Paz (20h). You can also fly, but because the runway is just grass, the planes may not be able to land or take off for days after a lot of rain.

You wont do a boat-ride on the Amazon proper, but you can do trips into the rain forest and there are lots of animals to see.

Even with only five weeks you may get away without booking many trips in advance. Most popular excursions can be booked the day before, the Inka trail being the exception.