South America with Kids
Family travel guide for parents planning with children
Top Family Activities
The best things to do with kids in South America.
Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, Peru
Nothing tops marching your kids through the Sun Gate and watching their jaws unhinge at the lost city below. The Sacred Valley villages around Ollantaytambo sit at kinder altitudes than Cusco and let families adjust while scrambling over Inca terraces and haggling in local markets. This is the trip they'll still be writing school reports about in high school.
Galápagos Islands Wildlife Encounters, Ecuador
Where else can your five-year-old stand one meter from a blue-footed booby while the bird couldn't care less? The Galápagos is a living nature documentary. Sea lions body-surf beside snorkelers, giant tortoises lumber past without a glance, and marine iguanas freeze for photos. You cannot copy this wildlife interaction anywhere else on Earth.
Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil Border
The thundering wall of water at Devil's Throat silences adults, kids just shriek with joy. Argentine walkways have sturdy railings good for families, and the speedboats that barrel under the cascades deliver the kind of controlled chaos children crave. Butterflies swirl overhead and coatis prowl for crumbs, adding extra wildlife kicks.
Torres del Paine Family Hiking, Chile
Patagonia sounds extreme. Yet Torres del Paine dishes up day hikes that fit active families. The full-day trek to the base of the towers suits teens. But shorter strolls to Lake Grey and Salto Grande waterfall satisfy kids who can knock off a few kilometers. Glaciers, turquoise lakes, and guanacos create scenery that feels straight out of a fantasy film.
Buenos Aires Food and Culture Walking Tours
Buenos Aires is shockingly good for families, wide sidewalks, late dining culture that shrugs at kids in restaurants at 9 PM, and neighborhoods like San Telmo and Palermo dripping with street art and live tango. Hands-on food tours teaching empanada folding or dulce de leche tasting turn a city stop into edible homework.
Amazon Rainforest Lodge Stay, Ecuador or Brazil
A jungle lodge gives families a safe, guided plunge into the Amazon without full-on camping. Night walks spotlight caiman, piranha fishing is catch-and-release, canopy walkways sway overhead, and visits to indigenous villages pack so much into a few days that kids keep processing it for months. Most lodges have screened rooms, respectable food, and guides who know how to pace for families.
Salt Flats of Uyuni, Bolivia
The world's largest salt flat is a giant playground, endless white space where forced-perspective photos become the family activity. During the wet season (December-April), a thin layer of water creates a mirror effect that's surreal. Kids love the dinosaur footprints at Cal Orckho near Sucre, and the train cemetery outside Uyuni is wonderfully eerie.
Cartagena Old Town and Beach Days, Colombia
Cartagena's walled Old Town is colorful, walkable, and full of fruit vendors, street performers, and ice cream shops that keep kids entertained between historical sites. The Rosario Islands, a short boat ride away, offer calm Caribbean water for snorkeling. It's one of South America's most accessible family beach destinations, with a rainy-day backup in the Old Town's museums and chocolate shops.
Penguin Colonies at Punta Tombo, Argentina
From September to March, over a million Magellanic penguins waddle around this Patagonian reserve, completely indifferent to human visitors walking the marked trails among them. For kids who've only seen penguins in zoos, standing on a beach surrounded by thousands of them nesting, preening, and waddling to the sea is electric. Whale watching at nearby Puerto Madryn adds marine mammals to the mix.
Interactive Museums in Santiago, Chile (Rainy Day Option)
Santiago's MIM (Museo Interactivo Mirador) is an excellent children's science museum with hundreds of hands-on exhibits across multiple floors, easily a half-day visit. The Museo de Historia Natural in Quinta Normal park combines natural history with surrounding green space for running off energy. For a continent not always known for indoor family activities, Santiago delivers surprisingly well.
Best Areas for Families
Where to base yourselves for the smoothest family trip.
Palermo is the neighborhood where Buenos Aires relaxes. Tree-lined streets, excellent parks (the Bosques de Palermo has a planetarium, Japanese garden, and a lake with paddle boats), and a restaurant scene that's both excellent and welcoming to families. It's the kind of area where you'll find organic ice cream shops next to hip coffee places, all with room for strollers.
Highlights: Bosques de Palermo parks and playgrounds, family-friendly restaurants with outdoor seating, Buenos Aires Zoo (Ecoparque), safe walkable streets, excellent Airbnb and apartment hotel options
Lima's most family-friendly district sits on ocean cliffs with parks running along the edge. The Malecón (clifftop walkway) is great for walks and cycling with kids, Parque Kennedy has friendly resident cats that children love, and the Larcomar shopping center built into the cliff has an oceanfront food court. It's also where you'll find Lima's best restaurants, including spots where ceviche converts are born.
Highlights: Cliff-top parks with playgrounds, paragliding viewpoints, excellent restaurants within walking distance, Huaca Pucllana (lit-up ruins you can see from restaurants), modern supermarkets for self-catering
These neighboring Santiago districts offer clean, safe, walkable streets with excellent infrastructure that makes family travel feel almost effortless. Parque Bicentenario has a wonderful free playground and flamingos (yes, ), the Costanera Center has both South America's tallest observation deck and practical shopping, and the metro makes getting around with kids painless.
Highlights: Parque Bicentenario flamingos and playgrounds, Sky Costanera observation deck, excellent metro connectivity, wide sidewalks and pedestrian areas, modern medical facilities nearby
Lima's bohemian district has a slower, more artistic vibe than Miraflores, street art on every corner, small galleries, and the famous Bridge of Sighs. It's compact enough that even toddler-paced walking covers most of it. The oceanfront park connects to Miraflores via a bike path. Families who find Miraflores too polished often prefer Barranco's creative, slightly scruffy character.
Highlights: Street art walks that keep kids engaged, Puente de los Suspiros, oceanfront sunsets, artisan ice cream and craft chocolate shops, small enough to explore on foot without exhausting anyone
When your family itinerary calls for sand and surf in Brazil, these twin neighborhoods in Rio deliver the safest, most kid-friendly stretch of coastline the city has. Leblon stands out with its fenced 'Baixo Baby' zone beside Posto 12, a magnet for local parents and their broods. Behind the beach, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas gives you bike lanes, playgrounds, and pedal boats, perfect when the Atlantic gets too choppy for small swimmers.
Highlights: Posto 12 keeps the waves gentle for families, the Lagoa loops with bike paths and playgrounds, juice bars and laid-back cafés line the avenues, weekend street fairs spill across the sidewalks, and Jardim Botânico sits just minutes away.
Family Dining
Where and how to eat with children.
Across South America, restaurants roll out the red carpet for families for one simple reason: children are welcome at the table. In Argentina and Chile, nobody blinks when your nine-year-old is still up at 10 PM. In Colombia and Peru, waiters dote on toddlers. Brazil's rodízio joints solve the fussy-eater puzzle in one sweep. The only real adjustment for North American or European parents is the clock, lunch is king and dinner starts when most kids back home are already asleep.
Dining Tips for Families
- Lunch dominates the day in most South American countries. Restaurants dish out 'menú del día' or 'almuerzo ejecutivo' fixed-price spreads that pile on courses and keep wallets happy. Fill everyone at midday and coast on lighter evening bites.
- Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile sit down to dinner after 9 PM. Don't fight it, let the kids crash in the late afternoon, then step into the local beat. Tables before 8 PM echo with empty chairs, which some parents enjoy.
- Peruvians treat ceviche as a lunch-only affair. The acid is considered too heavy for night-time digestion. The best bowls hit the counter between noon and 2 PM, time your appetite accordingly.
- Pack or pick up pocket-sized snacks for the between-meal meltdowns. Panaderías lurk on every corner, selling warm bread and pastries for pocket change, your first line of defense against hangry children.
- Kids' menus are rare. But portions are generous and kitchens oblige. Ask for 'algo simple para el niño, por favor' and a plain grilled chicken or buttered noodles will appear without fuss.
- Street food in busy city centers is generally safe. But use common sense with small children. Choose items sizzling on the grill in front of you, not trays that have been sweating in the sun.
Passadores circle with swords of picanha, linguiça, and chicken hearts, flip your coaster to green for more, red to call a halt. Kids can nibble thumbnail-sized tastes without gambling on a whole plate. The salad bar alone could feed a vegetarian cousin.
Peru's rotisserie chicken spots are a parent's dream: juicy birds, crisp fries, simple salad, and prices that leave change for ice cream. Chains like Pardos and Norky's blanket Lima and never miss a beat.
Even the humblest parrilla turns out beef that would bankrupt you elsewhere. Children gravitate to the straightforward formula, grilled meat, salty fries, maybe a tomato salad. Order a 'parrillada' mixed grill and let the table fight over the choicest cuts.
Colombia's corrientazo is the working-class lunch bargain: soup, a heaped plate of rice, beans, meat, plantain, and a fresh juice. It's filling, familiar, and costs less than a city bus. Look for hand-written signs in any town.
Empanadas fit in one fist, travel well, and come in enough fillings to end sibling wars. The classic 'pino', beef, onion, olive, egg, deserves a spot on every plate. Buy a half-dozen and dinner is sorted while you walk.
Tips by Age Group
Tailored advice for every stage of childhood.
Traveling South America with toddlers (0-4) is absolutely doable but requires realistic expectations about what you'll accomplish each day. The continent's warmth toward small children is a genuine asset, you'll get help carrying strollers up stairs, spontaneous babysitting offers from restaurant staff, and a general lack of the stink-eye you might receive in some European destinations. That said, avoid high-altitude destinations (Cusco, La Paz, Quito's highlands) with children under two, their little bodies don't acclimatize well and they can't tell you what's wrong. Stick to coastal and low-altitude destinations: Cartagena, Buenos Aires, Rio, Lima's coast, Pacific beach towns.
Challenges: Altitude sickness is the single biggest concern, it's dangerous for very young children and symptoms (irritability, poor feeding, lethargy) mimic normal toddler behavior, making it hard to diagnose. Long transit days are harder with toddlers than older kids. Internal flights often involve connections, and ground transport between destinations can be 6+ hours. Nap schedules will be disrupted by the late-eating culture, plan around it rather than fighting it. Cobblestone streets in colonial cities make strollers nearly useless; a good carrier is essential.
- Skip Machu Picchu and Cusco entirely with under-twos, the altitude risk isn't worth it, and they won't remember it anyway. Lima's coast and the Sacred Valley's lower elevations are better alternatives.
- Pack a portable high chair that clips to tables, South American restaurants rarely have high chairs, and having one transforms mealtimes
- Book accommodation with a washing machine, toddlers generate laundry at an astounding rate, and South American humidity means clothes take ages to air-dry
- Adopt the late rhythm: a 5 PM siesta lets you sit down to dinner at 8:30 PM right alongside the locals.
- Tuck a mini first-aid kit into your daypack, infant Tylenol, oral rehydration salts, diaper cream. Pharmacies are everywhere. Yet decoding medical Spanish with a feverish toddler at midnight is a headache you can skip.
School-age kids (5-12) are South America's perfect match. They can handle the hike to Machu Picchu, take the short bus from Aguas Calientes and skip the punishing climb, snorkel with sea lions in the Galápagos, ride horses through Patagonian pampas, and absorb every cultural twist they meet. At this age the continent turns into an open-air classroom without trying: Inca stonework, Amazon food webs, tango rhythms, and colonial plazas jump off the page in ways no textbook can match. Most kids also grow bold with food once they watch it grilled or fried in front of them at market stalls.
Learning: South America becomes a living classroom. Peru's Inca sites raise the question kids love: how did they drag those stones? The Galápagos drags evolution off the page and into the water. Colombia's story, from pre-Colombian gold in Bogotá's Gold Museum to Medellín's turnaround, shows grit and reinvention. Daily currency swaps and menu translations sneak in practical math and language drills. Plenty of families turn the journey into a trip-journal project that doubles as homework.
- Hand kids a small daily allowance in local coins and let them buy fruit or juice at markets, math, money sense, and basic Spanish/Portuguese in one noisy lesson.
- Download offline language apps before departure and turn basic phrases into a family contest, 'please', 'thank you', 'how much', and 'where is the bathroom' handle most stalls and cafés.
- Buy each child a solid pair of hiking shoes before wheels-up, flip-flops fail on Machu Picchu's stone stairs, and blistering new boots halfway up a mountain is misery.
- Let each child choose one activity per city from a pre-approved shortlist, buy-in skyrockets when they see their pick on the schedule.
- Pack a compact set of binoculars for every child, wildlife spotting turns from passive gawking into a find hunt.
Teenagers might be South America's perfect travelers. They endure long bus rides, frame dramatic peaks for Instagram, chase adrenaline, and are ready to wrestle with the continent's layered cultures. Street-food stalls match their expanding palates, zip-lines and white-water rapids deliver the rush, and South Americans' open curiosity about foreign teens can turn shy adolescents into confident conversationalists. The real risk isn't logistics, it's that they'll start plotting a solo return.
Independence: In Buenos Aires, Santiago, Miraflores (Lima), and Medellín's El Poblado district, older teens (16-17) can roam on foot during daylight armed with a charged phone and clear curfew. Uber keeps rides trackable. Still, South American cities demand sharper street smarts than most North American suburbs, stash the phone, ditch flashy jewelry, stick to busy avenues. In compact hubs like Cusco's center or Cartagena's Old Town, granting independence is easier. Unfamiliar rural roads and barrios remain parent-only zones.
- Put teens in charge of family navigation with offline Google Maps, confidence grows and spatial skills sharpen while they earn a real job on the road.
- Swap a hotel or two for a homestay, teens routinely name host-family dinners as the highlight of the trip.
- Set aside cash so teens can haggle for their own souvenirs in Otavalo (Ecuador) or Pisac (Peru), the back-and-forth teaches negotiation and local prices.
- If your teen is into photography, South America repays the investment, buy a decent camera and watch engagement soar amid volcanoes and street murals.
- Talk safety straight: explain why flashing a phone on certain corners is risky instead of issuing blanket bans, teens respond to reasons, not rules.
Practical Logistics
The nuts and bolts of family travel.
Domestic flights stitch the continent together, LATAM Airlines and budget lines like SKY (Chile), JetSMART, and Gol (Brazil) hop between capitals. With young children, private transfers beat public buses hands-down, though Argentine and Chilean long-distance coaches offer 'cama' or 'semi-cama' flat-bed comfort. Uber runs smoothly in most major cities, safer and more reliable than flagging a random cab. Stroller life is a lottery: Buenos Aires and Santiago roll out smooth sidewalks and metro lifts, while Cusco and Cartagena's cobblestones chew up flimsy buggies. Pack a rugged stroller or strap on a carrier. Car seats are mandatory almost everywhere. Yet rental fleets can't promise inventory, bring your own if you plan to drive.
Major cities (Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, São Paulo, Bogotá) have excellent private hospitals comparable to North American standards. In Peru, Clínica Anglo Americana and Clínica Ricardo Palma in Lima are go-to options for foreign families. Pharmacies (farmacias) are abundant and many medications available over-the-counter that would require prescriptions elsewhere. Diapers and formula from international brands (Huggies, Pampers, Similac) are available in supermarkets in all major cities, though selection narrows in rural areas. Bring sufficient supply of any specialized formula. Altitude sickness medication (acetazolamide) should be discussed with your pediatrician before trips to Peru or Bolivia, pharmacies in Cusco sell it over the counter but getting dosage right for children requires medical advice. Travel insurance with medical evacuation coverage is essential, not optional.
Apartments and apart-hotels are almost always the better choice over standard hotel rooms for families in South America. Kitchens save money and sanity (you can prepare familiar foods for picky eaters), laundry facilities reduce packing, and separate sleeping areas mean parents get evenings back after bedtime. Booking.com and Airbnb both have strong coverage across the continent. Look for properties specifically mentioning cribs, high chairs, and child-proofing. In smaller towns, 'cabañas' (cabins) offer excellent family value with outdoor space. Always confirm hot water situation before booking, in budget accommodations, electric shower heads ('suicide showers') are common and range from barely warm to decent, which matters for bathing small children.
- High-SPF reef-safe sunscreen, equatorial sun is significantly stronger than you expect, and local brands may not have pediatric formulations
- Insect repellent with DEET for Amazon or jungle regions; picaridin-based for young children on pediatrician advice
- A sturdy carrier (Ergobaby or similar) rather than relying solely on a stroller, cobblestones, stairs, and uneven sidewalks are universal
- Altitude sickness medication (consult pediatrician) if visiting Peru, Bolivia, or highland Ecuador
- Electrolyte packets (Pedialyte or equivalent), traveler's stomach hits kids hard, and oral rehydration is the first line of defense
- Universal power adapter, South America uses multiple plug types (Type C, Type I in Argentina, Type N in Brazil)
- Lightweight rain jackets for every family member, afternoon showers are standard in tropical regions and Patagonian weather is unpredictable
- Copies of all passports, vaccination records, and insurance documents stored both digitally and in hard copy
- Fly on budget carriers (JetSMART, SKY, Gol, Viva Air) for internal South American flights, prices can be one-third of LATAM for the same route, though baggage fees add up so pack light
- Eat your main meal at lunch when 'menú del día' set lunches cost $3-8 per person across most of the continent, then do light dinners from supermarkets or bakeries
- Book apartments with kitchens through Airbnb or Booking.com, self-catering breakfasts and occasional dinners cuts restaurant spending dramatically
- Free walking tours operate in every major South American city (tip-based) and are a good way to orient the family in a new destination
- Visit during shoulder season (March-May or September-November) when flight and accommodation prices drop 20-40% from peak but weather remains reasonable in most regions
- Kids under 6 ride free on most public transit systems and enter museums at reduced or no cost, carry proof of age
- Use Uber or local ride-hailing apps (Beat in Peru, Cabify in Chile and Colombia) instead of tourist taxis, the price difference can be 50% or more
Family Safety
Keeping your family safe and healthy.
- ! Altitude sickness tops the family health list. Children under two should stay below 2,500 meters, and everyone needs 2-3 rest days before exertion at height. Watch kids for headache, nausea, crankiness, lost appetite. Descend fast if vomiting won't stop or drowsiness looks odd, complications escalate quickly in little bodies.
- ! Sun near the equator and at altitude is fiercer than most families expect. At 3,400 meters in Cusco you'll burn in under 15 minutes. Slather SPF 50+ on every exposed patch every two hours, pull on wide-brim hats, and keep babies under shade. A first-day burn can wreck the whole week.
- ! Water safety shifts from country to country. Yet the rule stays simple: use bottled or purified water for drinking and for brushing kids' teeth. Ice served in upscale restaurants in major cities is usually made from purified water. But in smaller towns and at street stalls, leave it out. Pack a reusable water bottle with a filter, LifeStraw or Grayl, for moments when bottled water is scarce.
- ! Food-borne illness is easiest to dodge when you pick restaurants where plates fly out fast, busy tables mean fresh ingredients, and when you choose cooked dishes over raw in places where sanitation is doubtful. Ceviche in respected Peruvian restaurants is fine. The worry is unrefrigerated street food under hot sun. Tuck oral rehydration salts into your day bag. Dehydration from traveler's stomach strikes small children faster and harder than it does adults.
- ! Road safety demands real attention. Driving styles across South America are markedly more aggressive than in North America or Europe, and seatbelt enforcement is hit-or-miss. Always bring your own car seats for children, rental firms often hand over broken or expired ones, opt for reputable bus companies on long hauls, and skip overnight road travel in rural zones where lighting and road conditions are poor.
- ! Petty theft is the most frequent safety issue in tourist zones, pickpockets hunt distracted parents, and phone-snatching is common in Lima, Bogotá, and Rio. Wear a cross-body bag, stash phones in front pockets, and never let kids carry valuables. In packed markets and on public transport, keep a hand on young children. Violent crime against tourists in mainstream areas is rare. Stay alert, not paranoid.
- ! Insect-borne illnesses, dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and malaria in some Amazon zones, are a genuine concern for families heading into tropical lowlands. Book a visit to a travel medicine clinic 4-6 weeks before departure for up-to-date vaccination and prophylaxis advice matched to your route. Apply DEET-based repellent on exposed skin at dawn and dusk, dress kids in light long sleeves where mosquitoes swarm, and confirm your lodging has screens or air conditioning.
Explore Activities in South America
Didn't see anything interesting yet?
Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in South America.
See All South America Tours on Viator