Round Cape Horn, with a tango lesson at either end.
Buenos Aires to Santiago around Cape Horn and through the Chilean fjords, 14 nights with the Falklands and Patagonia; Rio and the Brazilian coast in the summer season; a thousand miles up the Amazon to Manaus; and Lima and the Pacific coast. Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, Norwegian, Oceania, Regent, Silversea, Viking and MSC all sail here, mostly from December to March. SmartCruiser shows every South America sailing with taxes and fees included, and puts the sailings with SmartCruiser bonus credit at the top.
Which South America?
Pick one and the list below filters to it.
Cape Horn & the Chilean fjords
- Buenos Aires to Santiago (San Antonio or Valparaiso) or the reverse, 14 nights
- Montevideo, the Falklands, Ushuaia, rounding the Horn, Punta Arenas, the Amalia Glacier, Puerto Montt
- Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, Norwegian, Oceania and Silversea
Best for: first South America trip, scenery, penguin fans
The Amazon
- Up the river to Manaus from Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Barbados, 20 nights and up
- Devil’s Island, Santarem and the meeting of the waters
- Holland America, Princess, Oceania, Seabourn and Viking in winter
Best for: second visits, sea-day lovers, naturalists
Brazil & Rio
- MSC’s Brazil season from Santos and Rio, 3 to 8 nights, November to April
- Buzios, Ilhabela, Salvador and Carnival-week sailings
- Longer Rio to Buenos Aires voyages on Oceania, Regent and Silversea
Best for: warm water, nightlife, Carnival
South America deals: SmartCruiser picks first
Every South America sailing from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the public price. Below them, every other sailing with full sorting.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery South America sailing
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Buenos Aires, Santiago, Rio or Ushuaia
Pick a port and the list above filters to it; stay two nights before, each city deserves it.
Which line for South America?
The Horn is a big-ship route, Brazil belongs to MSC, and the Amazon is for the mid-size ships; our one-line take on each.
When to go
The season is the southern summer: December to March for Cape Horn, Brazil and Antarctica; the Amazon sails mostly in winter.
South America cruise questions we answer every day
Do I need a visa?
US citizens need no visa for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay or Peru on tourist visits. Brazil requires an e-visa for US citizens again, applied for online before you travel; we confirm the current rule and timing for your dates when you book. Your passport must be valid six months beyond your return.
Is rounding Cape Horn rough?
Sometimes. The ship rounds the Horn in daylight in a few hours and can turn back if the sea is up; the Chilean fjords and the Beagle Channel are sheltered and calm. On a 14-night Horn cruise, most days are as smooth as the Caribbean.
Will I see penguins?
Yes: at the Falklands, Punta Arenas (Magdalena Island) and Ushuaia (Martillo Island), on ship or private tours. Bring a windproof layer; it is summer, but it is Patagonia.
Which way round: Buenos Aires to Santiago or the reverse?
Westbound, starting in Buenos Aires, saves the fjords and glaciers for last and lets you add Iguazu Falls before the cruise. Eastbound ends in Buenos Aires for tango and steak. Prices are similar; choose by flights.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, gratuities, drinks packages and excursions are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise.
What do the SmartCruiser picks mean?
They are sailings where booking through SmartCruiser gets you something you do not get booking direct: instant savings, bonus onboard credit, a Special SmartCruiser rate we hold on that sailing, or a senior, resident or police & fire fare that beats the best public price.
Talk to a South America specialist
Tell us Cape Horn, the Amazon or Brazil and we price every line side by side with the flights and the Buenos Aires or Santiago nights. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.