Looking Back on Five Weeks in South America

This post is part of my South America series, following my five-week solo trip through Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Ecuador, and Colombia. I share what I experienced, the day trips and regions I considered, and what I’d plan differently next time. You’ll find related guides in the Explore South America section at the end.

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When I booked my five-week South America itinerary, I expected to come home with incredible memories, beautiful photos, and plenty of stories to tell. I expected glaciers, colorful cities, great food, and a passport with several new stamps. What I didn’t expect was how much I would enjoy traveling completely on my own.

This was my first true solo trip.

I’d traveled on my own before, but those trips always included meeting friends somewhere along the way or visiting destinations where I already knew people. South America was different. Once I boarded the plane, every decision for the next five weeks was mine alone.

Looking back now, I think that uncertainty was part of what made the experience so rewarding.

Traveling Alone Felt More Connected Than I Expected

Before the trip, I assumed there would be moments when five weeks of solo travel would start to feel lonely. Instead, the opposite happened.

My days filled themselves naturally. Most mornings started with a walking tour, while other days were spent on guided excursions, exploring neighborhoods, or simply wandering without much of a plan. Along the way there were conversations with guides, hotel staff, restaurant owners, and other travelers. Even quick interactions, asking for recommendations, buying a bus ticket, or chatting with someone during a tour, made every destination feel a little more connected.

What surprised me most was that I never found myself wishing I had someone to talk to. Between the activities I had planned and the small conversations that naturally happen while traveling, the weeks passed much faster than I expected. By the time I flew home, it honestly felt like the trip had gone by in a flash.

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The Days I Didn’t Rush Became the Ones I Remembered

Writing this series also made me notice a pattern I hadn’t fully appreciated while I was on the trip.

Again and again, I found myself happiest when I slowed down.

I spent more time in Buenos Aires than I originally planned because rushing across Argentina no longer seemed worth it. Staying overnight in Guatapé completely changed that experience. Some of my favorite memories from Valparaíso, Montevideo, and Cartagena came from afternoons where I wasn’t trying to accomplish anything beyond exploring the city at my own pace.

None of those decisions were part of some grand travel philosophy at the time. They were simply choices that felt right in the moment. Looking back now, I can see they quietly shaped the kind of traveler I was becoming.

I still enjoy researching destinations and building detailed itineraries, but South America reminded me that some of the best travel memories happen when you leave enough room for a place to surprise you.

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Solo Travel Gave Me Another Way to Enjoy the Journey

One thing this trip didn’t do was convince me that solo travel is somehow better than traveling with friends or family.

Some of my favorite travel memories are still the ones I’ve shared with the people closest to me, and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything.

What South America showed me is that solo travel offers something different. There’s a unique freedom in deciding how long to stay somewhere, changing your plans because you discover something unexpected, or spending an afternoon wandering without having to think about anyone else’s schedule. I didn’t expect to enjoy that independence as much as I did, but now it’s something I genuinely look forward to.

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You Don’t Need Five Weeks to Try Traveling Solo

As I finished writing this South America series, I realized the trip gave me much more than a collection of destinations to remember.

It gave me the confidence to travel on my own.

It gave me a different perspective on how I like to experience new places.

And perhaps most surprisingly, it showed me that being alone and feeling lonely aren’t the same thing.

If you’ve been thinking about taking your first solo trip, I’d encourage you to give it a try. That doesn’t mean you need to book five weeks across five countries. A long weekend in a new city or a one-week adventure somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit can be just as rewarding. You may discover, like I did, that traveling on your own feels much more natural than you expected.

Of course, a five-week adventure also raises a practical question: how much did it actually cost? I’ve broken down what I spent across all five countries, including how I combined airline miles, hotel points, travel credits, and cash. You’ll find the full breakdown below.