We’re making 2025 the year of adventure and it doesn’t get much more adventurous than family holidays to Latin America in the hands of the experts at Journey Latin America.
Paraty, Brazil with Journey Latin America © Ben Line
Family holidays to Latin America with award-winning specialists
Journey Latin America are the UK’s leading specialist in family holidays to Latin America, and they’ve spent 45 years honing their expertise.
So whether the Galápagos Islands or a trek through the Amazon rainforest are on your holiday dream list, Journey Latin America’s knowledge, experience, and competitively priced packages can take you there.
All kinds of holidays are on offer from small, escorted group tours to self-drive adventures, and luxury expedition cruises. What’s more, Journey Latin America take care of the logistics, so you have a thrilling family trip without any of the hard work.
You can choose a carefully created package or a unique tailor-made holiday; either way, you’ll enjoy authentic experiences, highlights and hidden gems.
So check out this selection of Latin American holidays for families spanning every kind of landscape imaginable, and you’ll be amply rewarded with lush forests, awesome wildlife, cultural adventures, ancient sites and immersive experiences. In other words, everything this unbeatable continent has to offer, without the arduous planning.
Carnival, Rio de Janeiro
Signature Brazil: best for sheer majesty and excitement
It’s hard to know which wonder to start with in Brazil, so the experts at Journey Latin America have created Signature Brazil which contains both big hitters and lesser-known delights and is suitable for kids aged nine and over.
Start in the energetic, fun-packed city of Rio de Janeiro, where you’ll visit the awesome Corcovado and Sugar Loaf mountains with their epic views, and iconic art deco Christ The Redeemer statue.
Then take in the world-renowned Iguazú Falls, before exploring the legendary Amazon Rainforest with local guides. African-inspired Salvador on the north-eastern coast of Bahia, will thrill kids with its pulsating rhythms and sumptuous food. And finally you have time to decompress on the gorgeous, palm-fringed beaches of Praia do Forte.
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Campeche, Yucatán Peninsula
Self-drive Mexico: best for Mayan history and coastal road freedom
The Yucatán Peninsula is on the dreamy Caribbean coast of Mexico, and saturated with Mayan ruins as well as beaches straight off a postcard. Self-Drive Mexico is ideal for over-eights and lets you explore at your own pace. However, if you prefer not to drive yourself, it’s also available with transfers and guides.
Arriving in lively Cancún, set off to discover the Yucatán Peninsula’s temples and pyramids in their jungle setting, including the iconic Mayan archaeological sites of Chichén Itzá and Uxmal.
This rich itinerary also takes you to the colonial town of Mérida with its street markets and lively entertainment, and it’s here you can visit the sleepy fishing village of Celestún, known for its Biosphere Reserve and flocks of flamingos. Then drive up to the Gulf coast and catch the ferry to peaceful Isla Holbox for some chill time.
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Exploring Monteverde Cloud Forest, Costa Rica
Family Costa Rica: best for wildlife, volcanoes and beaches
Family Costa Rica is an amazing adventure, and because of the country’s small size, getting around is easy and even travelling between locations is like a wildlife safari, so it’s perfect for kids aged seven and over. This is also a good age to appreciate the country’s national parks and volcanoes, and to explore on foot, by kayak or zipline, before hitting the Pacific coast where beaches are so unspoiled they attract monkeys and parrots.
Your itinerary begins in the country’s capital, San José. From here you’ll fly east to remarkable Tortuguero National Park where a guided boat tour through mysterious waterways and mangrove forests brings you as close as possible to Costa Rica’s wildlife, letting you spot sloths, caiman and toucans year-round, and even turtles at certain times of the year.
Catch a flight to the Arenal Volcano area for the thrill of traversing hanging bridges suspended over waterfalls and forest, and the unforgettable pleasure of bathing in naturally heated thermal springs in the shadow of one of the world’s most iconic volcanoes. Abundant wildlife is also the main feature at the end of this Costa Rica adventure: a Pacific Coast safari camp your kids will love. And of course, time has been built into the itinerary to relax on the sunny beaches at Manuel Antonio National Park.
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Moray archaeological site, Peru © Laura Rendell-Dunn, Journey Latin America
Signature Peru: best for sacred sites and mountains
Peru is where you’ll find the fascinating remnants of the Inca civilisation, and Signature Peru delivers the best of them in an accessible way that works well for families and kids aged eight and older.
This family adventure starts in the Sacred Valley of the Andes with visits to the Pisaq ruins and market, and the ancient Ollantaytambo Inca ruins.
The Sacred Valley is lower than Cusco, so acclimatisation to the altitude is gentler for children, before the scenic train ride to Machu Picchu and a detailed guided tour of the iconic site. Then, returning via Cusco, lets you spend a few days in the heart of the Inca Empire.
Finally, Signature Peru ends in the Amazon basin for three nights at a lodge where you can explore the rainforest on foot, by boat or in a dugout canoe, spotting flocks of macaws, giant river otters, and sloths. Or, for the truly intrepid, there are night walks with a chance of tarantula sightings!
Like all Journey Latin America itineraries this one can be tailored for you, so you might like to consider including trips to Maras and Moray, or activities like white water rafting, cycling or e-biking.
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Tikal National Park, Guatemala
Family Guatemala and Belize: best for contrasting cultures and water sports
The relatively small size of Guatemala and Belize means Journey Latin America has managed to pack an amazing number of experiences into their Family Guatemala and Belize itinerary, designed for kids aged eight and over.
It’s a diverse adventure which starts in Guatemala taking in Spanish colonial, indigenous and Caribbean cultures, from the splendour of Antigua to serene Lake Atitlán, with its volcanoes and traditional villages. This part of the itinerary also includes kayaking and a visit to Tikal: a vast ruined Mayan city of rainforest, ancient temples and pyramids. The Tikal forest also teems with howler monkeys and their loud, unearthly roars will make kids’ hearts pound.
Once in Belize you’ll camp at a remote riverside cabin, with plenty of outdoor activities and relaxation time, before finishing up your holiday at Ambergris Caye with its pearly white beaches and coral reefs.
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Sugar Loaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Crossing the Contintent: best for doing it all
Jacana: Crossing the Contintent ticks off some of Latin America’s most awe-inspiring sights including the Inca heritage of Peru, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and the epic Iguazú Falls.
The exciting itinerary involves some serious thrill potential, from tours and overnight stays at Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and Cusco to exploring Lake Titicaca and the surrounding islands, and urban adventures like riding Bolivia’s La-Paz-El-Alto cable car for panoramic views of La Paz city.
You can also look forward to flying over Iguazú Falls by helicopter or taking an adrenaline-fuelled boat trip to the Devil’s Throat: the largest cascade on the Argentinian side of Iguazú.
In Rio de Janeiro, not only will you be staying near iconic Copacabana Beach, you have the chance to take a cable car up the granite cliffs of Sugar Loaf Mountain overlooking the city, and ride the railway up through tropical foliage to stand on the summit of Corcovado Mountain in the shadow of its huge Christ the Redeemer statue.
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Iguazú Falls, Argentina
Signature Argentina: best for Argentina’s Big Four
Argentina is simply vast, with a landscape running the gamut from dense jungle and rainforest through to frozen wilderness. So planning a trip like Signature Argentina yourself would take forever, but Journey Latin America have it covered in one incredible itinerary that’s made for children aged nine and over.
Icebergs, glaciers, enchanted forests, turquoise lakes, city bustle and craggy mountain peaks will all conspire to make your kids fall in love with Argentina!
Explore the stylish home of the tango in Buenos Aires, with its unique melting pot of cultures and friendly locals, before taking off to the wilds of Patagonia for a glacier trip. After the Lake District with its pretty waterfalls and snowy volcanoes, the trip ends at the monumental Iguazú waterfalls surrounded by rainforest.
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Giant tortoise, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos
Ecuador’s Andes and Galapágos Islands: best for unique wildlife
Giving incredible value for a once-in-a-lifetime journey, Ecuador’s Andes and Galapágos Islands is a thrilling itinerary suitable for kids of eight and above. With atmospheric Quito, the volcanic crater of Quilotoa Lake, the Inca ruins at Ingapirca and World Heritage Site Cuenca, the Ecuador portion is full of history and culture.
Then enjoy a week in the astonishing Galápagos Islands with their abundance of extraordinary wildlife: from sea lions and iguanas to albatrosses and penguins, nature encounters will wow your kids.
On Santa Cruz, you’ll be close to the waterfront for guided nature walks and swimming with sea life. There’s also a full day trip to South Plaza Island which teems with unique species of iguanas, boobies, frigate birds, tropicbirds and shearwaters.
Then, after transferring to verdant San Cristóbal Island, another highlight is a snorkelling expedition to Kicker Rock, where you have the chance of magical encounters with turtles and stingrays.
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