Craft Your Exclusive Journey

Southwind travelers pursue a bespoke first-class experience. For private tours throughout Latin America, we bring you unparalleled knowledge, extensive experience, remarkable flexibility, and a network of trusted contacts. Our exceptional guides ensure every aspect of your journey is seamlessly organized, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in learning, adventure, and pure enjoyment!

Your Dates

We’ll frame your trip around your own window of availability to travel, and help select destinations based on best season to travel. Our custom adventures require at least 60 days advance notification and a minimum tour length of 7 days. Galápagos requires planning of 6 to 12 months in advance for best boat, cabin or hotel selection.

Your Style

We’ll work with your budget to craft a trip anywhere from casually elegant to top-shelf luxurious. The pace and flavor of the trip will match your own tastes and style. Consider a minimum budget of $5,500 to $8,000 per person per week of travel for most of our destinations.

Your Group

Your journey will be exclusive; just for you and your own hand-picked companions. Perfect for families, honeymooners and couples, friends and girls’ getaways, clubs, associations and businesses. Several of Southwind’s private trips require a minimum of four participants due to tour logistics, especially in remote regions such as Patagonia. However, arrangements for as few as two participants can be made in most destinations (subject to travel dates). Private trips for solo travelers are not available.

Your Dream

We are passionate about crafting the vacation of a lifetime and ensuring your journey is an unforgettably unique experience for you and your travel companions.

How it works:

  1. Complimentary consultation. Fill out our online Private Trip Request with details on your dates, budget and preferences. Then schedule a phone conversation with a Southwind Travel Consultant about your travel style and priorities.
  2. Outline itinerary. Based on discussion, our sample itineraries, our destination expertise and recommendations, we’ll provide a brief outline itinerary and estimate Land Cost to review. For cruises (Galapagos, Amazon or Patagonia), we select and recommend the best options within your time frame, preferences and availability. Then, get ready to have us block a specific cruise ship and cabin. (please see How to Book a Cruise).
  3. Proposal and fine tuning. We’ll elaborate a complimentary day-by-day trip proposal with a Land Cost quote. We provide up to three revisions if needed. Once approved, Southwind begins the reservation process and places a courtesy hold with the hotels for 1 week while we fine tune plans and flights. Subject to a $1,000 or $2,000 pre-deposit (total, not per person) which goes towards your overall trip cost. If you choose not to travel, it becomes a credit towards a future trip with us.
  4. Book with a deposit. Finalize your Southwind reservation with a $1,500-$6,000 per person deposit according to factors such as trip length, activities and destinations. The deposit counts towards your land cost balance, which is generally due 120 days prior to departure. From here, we fully confirm your trip and you’ll receive an updated itinerary, pre-departure materials/advice and final travel documents prior to departure.
  5. Depart on the trip of a lifetime. Embark on your unique Southwind journey with the peace of mind knowing all aspects of your trip are taken care of and in expert hands.

What is Included

Southwind’s private tours in Latin America are priced as complete land tour packages including: first-class or deluxe accommodations, professionally guided tours, exclusive insider visits, entrance fees, most meals, airport transfers and private vehicle transportation. Southwind does not provide an itemized trip cost breakdown; however, we can quote extra services like extension packages or hotel upgrades. Trips containing only partial services are not available.

Airfare

International and in-country air is additional (not included in Land Cost). Southwind can email you a quote and confirm all your air arrangements through our Latin America ticketing specialist. You do have the option of purchasing flights on your own or booking your own loyalty points/miles. American, United, Delta and LAN are the primary carriers serving the Latin America capitals. On your Private Trip Request form (step 1), please advise us of your airline choice, preferred departure city and if you prefer coach or business class.

Holiday Travel

The year’s end is a popular, fun and rewarding season for a travel adventure. But it gets quite busy, as this is also the summer high season for Latin Americans traveling in their own countries and regions. Advance planning is needed, as well as flexibility to accommodate itineraries around local celebrations, festivities, closures, etc.

During holiday travel in Patagonia (Chile & Argentina), the small hotels and lodges in the parks typically fill up 6 months or more in advance, and holiday prices rise. In general, costs are higher for small groups of four people or fewer. We recommend a group of five or more for holiday travel in Patagonia. A custom trip over the December holidays is possible in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands for a group of any size if planned well in advance.

Private Tours Latin America: Special Interest

Activities that Southwind can arrange on a private, customized basis are varied and include:

  • Multi-generational family adventures
  • Wildlife viewing
  • Cultural immersion
  • Educational adventures
  • Corporate & incentive travel
  • Luxury adventures
  • Custom treks
  • Active multi-sport adventures
  • Culinary tours
  • Volunteer travel

Testimonials

  • “Loved, loved the hikes in Patagonia! Wish we could have stayed longer. Both hotels were wonderful. The Singular was perhaps the most interesting unique place we’ve ever stayed. The views from Explora were breathtaking. All the guides in Patagonia were wonderful –they knew a lot about the area, were personable, and easy going. In wine country, the hosts on the excursions were also lovely and the wait staff was outstanding.”

    Lisa Himonas – Custom Chile Trip

    ★★★★★
  • “Tom was fantastic; given the challenges presented by COVID, we couldn’t have gotten better planning. We had originally planned to hike the full Inca Trail, that was not possible due to Covid-related closures. Tom put together an alternative agenda that included the Lares Trek and the open portion of the Inca Trail leading to Machu Picchu. Experiencing both the Inca Trail and the remote nature of the Lares Trek with its small villages and families engaged in traditional farming gave us the best of both worlds.”

    Steve Dellasega – Customized Peru Trip

    ★★★★★
  • “Southwind is probably one of the most friendly, efficient, and caring organizations we have encountered in 40 years of travel. My only recommendation is that you continue doing what you have been doing. We have seen more personal attention in our brief dealing with you than with any other travel company. Our best wishes for your continued success. We hope to use your services again soon.”

    Dr. Alex & Janet Ciegler – Custom Amazon Adventure

    ★★★★★