How I Built a Five-Week South America Trip Using Points, Credits, and Cash
Five weeks.
Five countries.
One backpack.
One carry-on suitcase and an overstuffed backpack.
When I started planning my first solo trip, I knew I wanted to make the most of the opportunity. Rather than spending a week in a single destination, I built an itinerary that took me from the streets of Buenos Aires to the glaciers of Patagonia, across the Río de la Plata into Uruguay, over the Andes to Chile, north to Ecuador, and finally through Colombia before flying home to Philadelphia.
It sounds like the kind of trip that costs a fortune.
In reality, it cost far less than most people would expect, not because everything was free, but because I stopped thinking about points and miles as a way to eliminate travel costs and started using them as a tool to make better financial decisions.
Some flights were booked with airline miles. Some hotels were paid with points. One stay was almost entirely covered by an annual credit I already had. And plenty of reservations were paid in cash because they were simply the better value.
That’s the approach I’ll walk through in this article.
Rather than focusing on maximizing cents per point, I’ll show you exactly how I decided when to use points, when to pay cash, and when to use annual travel credits across all five countries. By the end, you’ll see not only what this five-week journey cost, but also how a flexible strategy made a trip that once felt out of reach become one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Countries Covered in This Trip
This five-week journey included five very different destinations. If you’re planning a similar trip, you can also read my complete guides for each country:
Argentina: My First Solo Trip Through Buenos Aires & Patagonia
Uruguay: Montevideo and Beyond
Chile: From Santiago to Valparaíso
Ecuador: Exploring Quito & Cotopaxi
Colombia: Medellín, Cartagena & Cannúa Lodge
Let’s start where my South American adventure began: Argentina.
Argentina
Argentina was the first stop on my five-week South America trip and where I immediately began mixing points with cash.
Rather than trying to book every reservation with points, I focused on using them where they offered the greatest value. In Argentina, that meant flights. Hotel rates were already reasonable, so I happily paid cash and saved my points for airfare.
Flights
Originally, I planned to spend all seven nights in Buenos Aires before flying south to Patagonia. But Flying Blue only had award availability to El Calafate on certain dates. Rather than paying roughly $400 round-trip in cash, I rearranged my itinerary around the available awards, splitting my Buenos Aires stay into two separate visits.
| Route | Booking Method | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia → Buenos Aires | 32,500 American Airlines miles | $5.60 |
| Buenos Aires → El Calafate | 13,000 Flying Blue miles | $9.60 |
| El Calafate → Buenos Aires | 13,000 Flying Blue miles | $11.20 |
| Total | 58,500 points | $26.40 |
Hotels
I paid cash for all seven nights because hotel rates averaged just $114 per night, making them a better value than using points.
| Hotel | Nights | Cash Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Dazzler by Wyndham Buenos Aires Maipú | 2 | $222 |
| Hostería Hainen | 2 | $117 |
| Park Tower, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Buenos Aires | 1 | $218 |
| Dazzler by Wyndham Buenos Aires Maipú | 2 | $238 |
| Total | 7 | $795 |
The Park Tower was a lucky find. Something must have been happening in Buenos Aires the night I was flying home because hotels were unusually booked up, and many of the rooms still available were going for three or four times what I had paid on my other stays. Even the Park Tower was initially nearly double my usual nightly rate. After checking several more times, a room suddenly appeared for $218. With so many hotels already sold out or charging significantly more, I booked it immediately. I was lucky to find it at all.
What I Did
Free Attractions
Plaza de Mayo • Casa Rosada • Cabildo • Metropolitan Cathedral • Avenida de Mayo • Obelisk • Palacio Barolo • Puerto Madero • Caminito • La Boca • Galería Güemes • San Telmo Market • Palermo • Bosques de Palermo • Rosedal Park
Paid Activities & Experiences
Historic Center Walking Tour – $20 • Evening Walking Tour – $20 • Perito Moreno National Park – $30 • Glacier Boat Ride – $30 • Transportation to Perito Moreno – $31 • Glaciarium Ice Museum – $18 • Ves Patagonia Airport Shuttle – $15
Total: $164
Argentina Total
| Category | Cash | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | $26.40 | 58,500 |
| Hotels | $795 | — |
| Activities | $164 | — |
| Argentina Total | $985.40 | 58,500 points |
What I Learned
Argentina reinforced one of the biggest lessons from this trip: use points where they replace expensive transportation, not where they replace already affordable hotels.
Flying Blue saved me nearly $400 on flights to Patagonia, while paying cash for reasonably priced hotels let me preserve my hotel points for future trips. The result wasn’t a free trip, it was a significantly more affordable one without sacrificing the experiences I cared about most.
Uruguay
Uruguay became the shortest stop on my South America trip, but it demonstrated another valuable lesson: hotel points can sometimes provide better value than airline miles.
Hotel rates in Montevideo were surprisingly expensive during my visit, so instead of paying cash, I redeemed points for both nights while paying cash for the ferry from Buenos Aires.
Transportation
Rather than flying, I crossed the Río de la Plata by ferry from Buenos Aires to Montevideo. I booked a business-class seat for $116 after reading that the boarding lines could be long and hoping to avoid the wait. In the end, the regular lines looked perfectly reasonable, so this was probably an upgrade I could have skipped.
| Route | Booking Method | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Buenos Aires → Montevideo | Buquebus Ferry | $116 |
| Total | $116 |
Hotels
Cash rates in Montevideo were high enough that using hotel points made far more sense than paying out of pocket.
| Hotel | Nights | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Aloft Montevideo Hotel | 1 | 22,500 Marriott Bonvoy points |
| NH Montevideo | 1 | 7,000 Rove points |
| Total | 2 | 29,500 points |
What I Did
Free Attractions
Plaza Independencia • Palacio Salvo • Rambla de Montevideo • Ciudad Vieja • Mercado del Puerto • Teatro Solís (Exterior) • Puerta de la Ciudadela
Paid Activities & Experiences
Walking Tour – $20 • Castillo Pittamiglio – $15 • Museo Andes 1972 – $10
Total: $45
Uruguay Total
| Category | Cash | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | $116 | — |
| Hotels | — | 29,500 points |
| Activities | $45 | — |
| Uruguay Total | $161 | 29,500 points |
What I Learned
Uruguay reminded me that points aren’t just for flights. During my visit, hotel prices in Montevideo were high enough that redeeming Marriott Bonvoy and Rove points delivered much better value than paying cash. Combined with an inexpensive ferry from Buenos Aires and a city full of affordable attractions, Uruguay became one of the most budget-friendly stops on my five-week trip.
Chile
Chile was one of the most point-efficient stops on my five-week South America trip. Between Delta SkyMiles, Hyatt points, and Marriott Bonvoy points, nearly every major travel expense was covered before I even arrived.
That left my cash budget available for what ultimately became the highlight of the country: exploring beyond Santiago.
Flights
| Route | Booking Method | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Montevideo → Santiago | 12,700 Delta SkyMiles | $70 |
| Total | 12,700 points | $70 |
Hotels
I split my stay between two hotels, spending four nights at the Hyatt Place Santiago/Vitacura before finishing with one night at the Santiago Marriott.
| Hotel | Nights | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Hyatt Place Santiago/Vitacura | 4 | 21,500 Hyatt points |
| Santiago Marriott Hotel | 1 | 23,000 Marriott Bonvoy points |
| Total | 5 | 44,500 points |
The Hyatt redemption averaged just over 5,000 points per night, making it one of the best hotel values of the entire trip. Hyatt Category 2 hotels around South America have quickly become some of my favorite hotel redemptions, they require so few points that it’s hard to beat the value.
What I Did
Free Attractions
Plaza de Armas • Metropolitan Cathedral • La Moneda Palace • Cerro San Cristóbal • Cerro Santa Lucía • Mercado La Vega Central • Mercado Central • Mercado Urbano Tobalaba • Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes • Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos
Paid Activities & Experiences
Walking Tour – $20 • Valparaíso & Viña del Mar Guided Tour – $41 • Cajón del Maipo & Embalse El Yeso Guided Tour – $54
Total: $115
Chile Total
| Category | Cash | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | $70 | 12,700 |
| Hotels | — | 44,500 |
| Activities | $115 | — |
| Chile Total | $185 | 57,200 points |
What I Learned
Chile reinforced that points don’t just make travel cheaper, they let you prioritize where your money goes.
By covering my flight and every hotel night with points, I was able to spend my cash budget on experiences instead. The guided trips to Valparaíso and Cajón del Maipo ended up being some of the highlights of my time in Chile, and they were a much better use of my money than paying for hotels I was only using to sleep.
Ecuador
Ecuador continued the pattern of using points strategically rather than automatically. I redeemed Delta SkyMiles for my flight into Quito, but instead of using hotel points, I took advantage of an annual Fine Hotels + Resorts credit that dramatically reduced my lodging costs.
The result was four nights in Ecuador’s capital for just over $250 out of pocket while still experiencing many of the city’s highlights.
Flights
| Route | Booking Method | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Lima → Quito | 12,700 Delta SkyMiles | $31 |
| Total | 12,700 points | $31 |
I actually made a short detour to Lima before heading to Ecuador, spending a few days there visiting family. That’s why this portion of the trip starts with a Lima-to-Quito flight rather than continuing directly from my previous stop.
Hotels
Although I typically booked hotels about a week before arriving in each destination, I had researched my likely hotel options before leaving for South America. One thing I noticed during that planning process was that I still had an unused $300 American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts credit.
Rather than using it at the first eligible property I found, I compared Fine Hotels + Resorts options across every city on my itinerary. While several destinations had eligible hotels, Quito stood out as the place where the credit would go the furthest.
The NH Collection Quito Royal cost $402 for four nights. After applying my $300 Fine Hotels + Resorts credit, my out-of-pocket cost dropped to just $104, or $26 per night.
For this article, I’m not factoring annual fees into the calculations. The purpose is to show how I strategically used benefits that were already available to me, not whether a particular credit card justifies its annual fee.
| Hotel | Nights | Original Cost | Credit Applied | Out-of-Pocket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NH Collection Quito Royal | 4 | $402 | -$300 FHR Credit | $104 |
| Total | 4 | $402 | -$300 | $104 |
At an effective cost of just $26 per night, redeeming hotel points simply didn’t make sense. This ended up being one of the best uses of my Fine Hotels + Resorts credit during the entire trip.
What I Did
Free Attractions
Plaza Grande • San Francisco Church & Plaza • Calle La Ronda • El Panecillo • Quito Historic Center (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Paid Activities & Experiences
Walking Tour – $20 • Quito Tour Bus – $25 • TelefériQo – $9 • La Compañía de Jesús – $6 • Cotopaxi National Park Guided Tour – $60
Total: $120
Ecuador Total
| Category | Cash | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | $31 | 12,700 |
| Hotels | $104 | — |
| Activities | $120 | — |
| Ecuador Total | $255 | 12,700 points |
What I Learned
Sometimes the best redemption isn’t points, it’s knowing where a travel credit will have the biggest impact. In Quito, one $300 credit turned a $402 hotel stay into a four-night stay for just $104.
Colombia
Colombia was the final country of my five-week South America trip, and by this point I was comfortable mixing budget accommodations with a few memorable splurges. Most nights were spent in boutique hotels under $100, but I intentionally spent more on experiences like Cannúa, Guatapé, and Cartagena’s sunset cruise.
Flights
| Route | Booking Method | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Quito → Medellín | Cash | $185 |
| Medellín → Cartagena | 5,850 Avianca LifeMiles | $14 |
| Cartagena → Philadelphia | 12,000 Atmos Points | $109.53 |
| Total | 17,850 points | $308.53 |
Hotels
Rather than relying on points, I paid cash for nearly every hotel in Colombia. Boutique hotels in both Medellín and Cartagena offered excellent value, making it difficult to justify using points.
The exception was Cannúa Lodge, where I intentionally spent more for the experience itself. Nestled in the mountains outside Medellín, it became one of the highlights of my entire South America trip.
| Hotel | Nights | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Somos Beats Hotel (Medellín) | 3 | $297 |
| Cannúa Lodge (Guatape) | 2 | $276 |
| Mood Matuna Hotel (Cartagena) | 3 | $267 |
| Émita Cartagena, Tribute Portfolio | 1 | $166 |
| Total | 9 | $1,006 |
What I Did
Free Attractions
Plaza Botero • Calle Carabobo • Museo Casa de la Memoria • Manila • Provenza • Walled City • Clock Tower • Plaza de la Aduana • Cartagena Cathedral • Santo Domingo Square • Cartagena City Walls • Bocagrande • Getsemaní • Plaza de la Trinidad • Parque Centenario
Paid Activities & Experiences
Historic Medellín Walking Tour – $20 • Comuna 13 Walking Tour – $20 • Cartagena Walking Tour – $20 • Parque Arví Metrocable – $8 • Private Driver to Guatapé & El Peñol – $100 • El Peñol Rock – $8 • Helicopter Ride over Guatapé – $100 • Cartagena Sunset Boat Tour – $35 • Chiva Party Bus – $15
Total: $326
Colombia Total
| Category | Cash | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | $308.53 | 17,850 |
| Hotels | $1,006 | — |
| Activities | $326 | — |
| Colombia Total | $1,640.53 | 17,850 points |
What I Learned
Saving money doesn’t mean avoiding splurges, it means choosing the right ones. By keeping most of my hotels affordable, I had room in the budget for experiences like Cannúa and a helicopter ride over Guatapé, both of which became some of the most memorable moments of the entire trip.
Five-Week South America Trip Total
After five countries, several flights, nine nights in Colombia alone, and a mix of free attractions and memorable splurges, here is what the full trip cost across the three categories tracked in this article.
Flights and Transportation
| Country | Cash | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | $26.40 | 58,500 |
| Uruguay | $116 | — |
| Chile | $70 | 12,700 |
| Ecuador | $31 | 12,700 |
| Colombia | $308.53 | 17,850 |
| Total | $551.93 | 101,750 points |
This includes the transportation used to enter each country, including the ferry from Buenos Aires to Montevideo.
Hotels
| Country | Cash | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | $795 | — |
| Uruguay | — | 29,500 |
| Chile | — | 44,500 |
| Ecuador | $104 | — |
| Colombia | $1,006 | — |
| Total | $1,905 | 74,000 points |
The Ecuador total reflects the $104 I paid after applying my $300 Fine Hotels + Resorts credit, rather than the original $402 hotel cost.
Activities
| Country | Cash |
|---|---|
| Argentina | $164 |
| Uruguay | $45 |
| Chile | $115 |
| Ecuador | $120 |
| Colombia | $326 |
| Total | $770 |
Activities ranged from walking tour tips and museum admissions to larger experiences like Cotopaxi, a private Guatapé driver, and a helicopter ride over El Peñol.
The Final Total
| Category | Cash | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Flights and Transportation | $551.93 | 101,750 |
| Hotels | $1,905 | 74,000 |
| Activities | $770 | — |
| Five-Week Trip Total | $3,226.93 | 175,750 points |
That works out to approximately $92 per day across flights, hotels, and activities for a five-week trip through five South American countries.
These totals do not include food, everyday local transportation, or the annual fees attached to the credit cards whose points and benefits I used. But they show how combining points, annual credits, inexpensive cash rates, and a few intentional splurges made an ambitious five-country trip financially manageable.
Final Thoughts
Before this trip, I had traveled internationally with family, friends, and tour groups. South America became something different. It was my first true solo journey, and instead of easing into it with a week abroad, I spent five weeks exploring five countries at my own pace.
The points and miles made that possible. They gave me the confidence to take a trip that might have otherwise felt too expensive or too ambitious. They let me spend more time abroad, choose hotels where I could recharge after long days of exploring, and say yes to experiences that I’ll remember long after I’ve forgotten how many points each redemption cost.
Looking back, I don’t remember the exact award prices for every flight or hotel. I remember watching massive chunks of ice break off the Perito Moreno Glacier, wandering the colorful streets of Valparaíso, standing beneath Cotopaxi, watching the sunset over Cartagena, and realizing somewhere along the way that I had fallen in love with solo travel.
That’s what the points really bought.
Not free flights.
Not free hotels.
They bought five unforgettable weeks, the confidence to explore the world on my own, and a trip that changed the way I travel.
And if that’s what your points can do, I’d say they’re being spent exactly as they should be.