Six weeks. Three continents. Seven countries. Roughly 20,000 miles flown. I wrote those numbers down at the end of this trip, but they still don’t explain why it became my favorite adventure so far. I went from coffee in Panama’s Old Town to the roar of Iguazú, from eating steak in Buenos Aires to kayaking among Antarctic ice, from the moai on Easter Island to a turquoise lake in Patagonia, and finally to giant tortoises and sea life in the Galápagos. Somehow, all of that was one trip.

It wasn’t perfectly planned. There were long travel days, canceled wine tours, weather delays, an expensive border crossing, and a few moments when I absolutely needed to stop moving. That’s part of why I remember it so vividly. Here’s how the adventure came together, what was worth the effort, and every story and photo album I made along the way.

The trip at a glance

• When: Late 2024 into early 2025, over about six weeks.
• Countries: Panama, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, and Ecuador. Brazil was the Iguazú side of the border; Paraguay was a brief crossing, not an extended stay.
• Also: Antarctica is a continent, not an eighth country.
• Travel style: Mostly solo, with an organized Antarctica voyage and some guided excursions.
• Big planning move: I used Buenos Aires as a base for part of the journey, leaving my larger suitcase there between shorter legs.
• What I would protect: Time in Ushuaia before the ship, flexibility for Antarctic weather, and recovery time between the biggest flights and hikes.

Jump to: First stops · Antarctica · Easter Island & Patagonia · Galápagos · What I learned

First stops: Panama, Iguazú, Paraguay, and the Buenos Aires base

The trip started in Panama, where I arrived feeling sick and spent the first day recovering instead of forcing an itinerary. The next morning I found strong coffee, wandered the old town, bought a hat that followed me through the trip, and decided the Miraflores canal visitor experience wasn’t worth more of my limited time. Panama photo album.

In Argentina, Buenos Aires became my hub. I booked a six-day Airbnb for $155 at the time, kept my bigger bag there, and came back between side trips. I mostly walked Palermo, ate steak, drank Malbec, and took the pressure off each transfer. I also made room for one glorious food splurge: a solo seat at Trescha’s tasting counter. Buenos Aires photo album.

I spent far more time researching the Argentina and Brazil sides of Iguazú Falls than I expected. My honest verdict: the quiet early access from the hotel inside the park mattered more to me than checking both sides off the list. Crossing over to Brazil for the second view took a hired car, roughly $250 on that trip, and an eight-hour day. I then added a brief Paraguay border crossing—another two hours of traffic for a passport stamp. Worth it as a story? Absolutely. A model itinerary for everyone? No. Iguazú photo album.

The gentler contrast was Montevideo. The ferry from Buenos Aires was lovely, but two wine tours canceled, and three days felt longer than I needed in the city. Next time I’d confirm wineries directly and give the trip more flexibility. Uruguay photo album.

The part I booked the whole trip around: Antarctica

I arrived in Ushuaia a day early to protect the ship departure from flight problems. That buffer gave me a place I didn’t expect to love so much: cold-window cafés, outdoor shops, and fresh crab I went back for twice. I wish I had given the town another day or two. Ushuaia photo album.

The Antarctica voyage was the center of everything. I had packed for summer in the Southern Hemisphere and snow at the same time; my Antarctica packing guide explains what I actually wore, reused, and could leave behind. The operator’s instructions should always be the first packing list you read.

And then there was the kayaking. Weather called it off several times before we finally got a clear, still day. I paid $365 for that excursion at the time, and I would make the same choice again. The water was bright blue and almost impossibly quiet. Being out there among the ice became one of the best experiences of my life. Antarctica photo album.

Across the Pacific, then into Patagonia

Easter Island was an unexpected extension after Antarctica. Getting there from Ushuaia took nearly 22 hours via Buenos Aires and Santiago. I had imagined a beach bungalow and got a far more basic stay, but none of that mattered once I saw the moai, the quarry where statues were carved, and the lava tubes. It was one of those places that felt unreal until I was standing in it. Easter Island photo album.

The jump from Easter Island to Chilean Patagonia was another marathon: a five-hour flight to Santiago, an overnight layover, another flight to Puerto Natales, and a drive to the hotel. Hotel Río Serrano felt like a reward at the end of it. I needed the rest as much as I needed the mountain view.

I eased in with a shorter Lago Toro hike, where fog lifted just long enough to reveal the blue lakes. The next day was Torres del Paine: roughly 14 miles round trip, an early pickup, old trail runners on their final adventure, and a view that made every uphill step worthwhile. I want to come back and spend more time on the trails. Patagonia photo album.

Christmas brought a different kind of highlight in Mendoza. I signed up alone for an asado and wine experience. By dinner, my hosts had invited friends and family, and I was sharing food, bottles of wine, and stories across three languages. It remains one of the best Christmases I’ve spent away from home. Mendoza photo album.

The wildlife finale: the Galápagos

By the time I flew through Quito to the Galápagos, I was thrilled to get there and sad that the trip was almost over. Getting onto the islands meant extra bag checks and then a bus, boat, bus, and car. And then: tortoises. Giant tortoises everywhere, including right beside the place we ate lunch. That first Galápagos day still makes me laugh.

I spent a day snorkeling in clear water full of fish and another diving near Floreana. I was still nervous underwater, especially in the thick wetsuit, but the enormous schools of fish and playful sea life were worth pushing through that discomfort. It was the right kind of ending: amazed, a little overwhelmed, and already wondering when I could come back. Galápagos photo album.

What this trip taught me

• A base can make a long trip easier. Leaving a suitcase in Buenos Aires let me take shorter legs with less luggage. The $155 Airbnb was what I paid in 2024, not a current price to expect.
• Splurge for the experience you actually care about. For me, quiet time at Iguazú, the Patagonia stay, and Antarctic kayaking mattered more than checking every possible stop off a list.
• Transfer days are part of the itinerary. Easter Island to Patagonia was exhausting. A line between two places on a map hides flights, layovers, roads, and recovery time.
• Weather gets a vote. Antarctica kayaking took multiple attempts; the Patagonia view appeared only after the fog lifted. Build in enough flexibility to let those moments happen.
• Leave room for people. Some of the most vivid memories were the hiking companions, the friends made on excursions, and Christmas dinner with strangers who welcomed me to their table.

If I planned another trip this ambitious, I’d keep what made this one special: a few deliberate splurges, a willingness to change plans, and enough time to notice where I was. Six weeks later I came home with more photos than I can count, a tired suitcase, and a new answer to the question of my favorite trip.