An epic air safari along the spine of South America
An epic air safari along the spine of South America
An epic air safari along the spine of South America
Travel the Andes from Peru to Patagonia in grand style on an epic 12-day air expedition limited to just 12 passengers.
Seek out ancient civilisations and towering waterfalls in the cloudforests of Peru, experience the wonders of South America’s coastal and high-altitude Andean deserts, and feel humbled by the majesty of Torres del Paine National Park as you explore some of South America’s most rugged and untouched regions in Dr. Jones’ glamorous 1940s-era Basler BT-67 aeroplane.
In 2026/27 there are two southbound departures from Lima (26 September-8 October and 18-30 October), and two northbound departures from Torres del Paine National Park (7-18 October and 1-13 March 2027).
The price is based on one adult travelling for 12 nights and includes all accommodation, meals, activities and transportation. It does not include international flights.
1 night Lima, 3 nights Cocachimba, 2 nights Paracas, 2 nights San Pedro de Atacama, 1 night Chiloe, 3 nights Torres del Paine National Park
What makes this South America air safari special?
- Immersion in the Chachapoyas cloudforest, with exclusive access to Gocta Falls and guided visits to cliffside sarcophagi.
- Enjoy a romantic luxury desert camp stay in southern Peru, complete with a private yacht charter, scallop diving and a private pisco tasting.
- High-altitude exploration of the Atacama Desert including a dawn hot-air balloon flight and stargazing.
- Explore Chiloe’s misty landscapes and stilted wooden architecture, and enjoy a seafood curanto dinner.
- A Patagonia finale in Torres del Paine National Park, with bespoke guiding, horseback riding and an estancia asado.
Your luxury South America air safari itinerary
Gastronomic and cultural riches
Day 1: Lima
Your journey begins in Lima, a city that effortlessly marries history and haute cuisine, where the legacies of indigenous, European and Asian cultures converge. in streets alive with character. In Barranco, the city’s artistic heartbeat, wander streets alive with character, absorbing the bohemian energy that infuses every corner. from colourful murals and intimate cafés to markets brimming with exotic fruits from across Peru. As evening falls, meet your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner at Hotel B, where each dish is an artful expression of Peru’s culinary mastery—a sensorial overture to the flavours, aromas and stories that will shape your journey ahead.
Secrets of the cloudforest
Days 2-4: Cocoachimba
Your journey truly begins as the jet lifts off from Lima, leaving the desert coastline behind and tracing a path over the rugged Andes. Below, valleys and peaks dissolve into the remote cloud forests of Chachapoyas, a seldom visited sanctuary of dramatic landscapes and ancient secrets between the Andes and the Amazon. Here, the legacy of the Chachapoya civilization lingers among moss-draped cliffs and hidden tombs, inviting discovery in a setting of unparalleled biodiversity.
Your base is Gocta Natura, a wonderful conservation-led lodge overlooking the Gocta Falls, among South America’s tallest, which plunge nearly 2,000 feet into the jungle. Hiking trails lead down from the lodge to the base of the falls where you can experience its thundering majesty. Another guided trek will lead you along cliff ledges and past ancient skeletal remains to the recently discovered cliffside sarcophagi of San Jeronimo. Enigmatic and hardly ever visited, these anthropomorphic figures are eloquent testament to the lost warrior culture even the Inca were unable to subdue. Back near the lodge, enjoy the forest’s endemic hummingbirds flitting with jewel-like brilliance, including the aptly named marvelous spatuletail.
Peru’s desert coast
Days 5-6: Paracas
Leaving the lush cloud forest behind, your journey arcs toward Peru’s rugged desert coast, where the Pacific stretches endlessly and winds sculpt vast dunefields. An inland oasis here is home to Dune Camp—an exclusive retreat designed for Dr. Jones with sumptuous tents that evoke the romance of early explorers’ journals. Savour a leisurely lunch and a pisco tasting at the historic 1625 Vineyard, where Peru’s national spirit is poured with precision and tradition; then enjoy a day at sea aboard a private yacht, diving alongside local fishermen for scallops, witnessing time-honoured harvesting techniques and enjoying your catch prepared on board: a feast as delicious and fresh as it is unforgettable.
Enjoy a sunset 4×4 drive across sculpted dunefields as the desert transforms into a palette of molten gold and shadow, before returning to Dune Camp for an exquisite dinner beneath the stars. As you depart for Chile, you’ll fly over the Nazca Lines gaining unparalleled aerial views of one of South America’s greatest archaeological puzzles, a final moment of wonder to conclude your time in Peru.
Into the high Andes
Days 7-8: San Pedro de Atacama
Heading southeast, a short hop brings you to the rarefied air of the Atacama Desert, a sere land defined by salt flats, volcanic peaks, high-altitude lagoons and extraordinary celestial clarity. The Atacama is so dry that there are parts that have not measured a drop of rain in over 200 years. From Tierra Atacama, your luxurious retreat by the town of San Pedro, you’ll experience the desert’s dramatic geology as you explore its valleys, salt formations and geothermal features, including a magical dawn balloon flight over the otherworldly landscapes below. By evening, enjoy convivial dinners followed by the chance to gaze up at some of the planet’s clearest heavens through a powerful private telescope.
Island myths and legends
Day 9: Chiloe
Continuing ever further south along the spine of the Andes, wheels down are in Chiloe, a windswept archipelago of forests, farmland and deeply mystical traditions. Your overnight stop is Refugia Chiloe, a luxury lodge architecturally inspired by the brightly painted stilted overwater houses so common on the island. Spend time in the island capital Castro, strolling along the waterfront, meeting local artisans and exploring the island’s maritime history. Then come together for a traditional curanto—a dish of shellfish, meats and potatoes slowly cooked underground, and prepared in the same time-honoured way down the generations, before enjoying restorative me-time in the lodge’s spa.
Patagonia writ large
Days 10-13: Torres del Paine National Park
The final chapter of your epic South American air adventure unfolds amid the majesty of Torres del Paine National Park in southern Chilean Patagonia. This vast wilderness of granite towers, glaciers, jade-coloured lakes and steppes is one of the planet’s most spectacular and viscerally thrilling national parks. With the pampering lodge Tierra Patagonia as your base, you’ll explore Torres del Paine’s iconic viewpoints as you enjoy walks around Salto Grande and Laguna Azul, or take to the saddle as your ride your sturdy criollo horse across open steppe and along glacial-fed rivers. A real highlight will be experiencing the culture of Chile’s huasos. These expert horsemen and cattle herders are known as gauchos in Argentina, and sharing a slow-cooked asado barbecue and a glass or two of Chilean cabernet with them at a traditional local estancia offers a wonderful glimpse into the hospitality of these frontier people and what it takes to live in such a hostile environment.
Where you'll stay
Great journeys need great places to lay your head. These are our tried and tested suggestions.
Hotel B
Housed in a restored Belle Époque mansion in Lima’s bohemian Barranco district, Hotel B is a striking blend of historic elegance and contemporary design. This 20-room boutique hotel, with its high ceilings, vintage furnishings and curated collection of Peruvian and Latin American art, feels like a private collector’s retreat. The hotel’s restaurant, led by chef Oscar Velarde, serves refined Peruvian-Mediterranean cuisine, best enjoyed in the chic dining room or on the rooftop terrace with ocean views. Steps away, Barranco’s vibrant galleries, cafés, and boutiques pulse with creative energy.
Gocta Natura
Owned and run by the charming Rocio Florez, a Limeña who came to Chachapoyas with a dream and more than a dash of style, Gocta Natura is a very civilised patch of Eden overlooking the Gocta Falls. It’s the kind of place where nothing is too much trouble. They’ll prepare an amazing picnic breakfast for you to enjoy at the base of the falls before anyone else arrives, or pisco sour sundowners and snacks by a private natural swimming hole. The food, usually served al fresco on the main house’s chic wraparound wooden terrace, is sensational, the perfect opportunity to swap convivial tales before wending your way back to your sleek and spacious eco-cabin in the forest.
Dune Camp
Created exclusively for Dr. Jones, Dune Camp is a fabulously evocative tented camp straight out of an old time explorer’s journal. Set among dunes overlooking a natural desert spring near Paracas in Peru’s coastal desert, Dune Camp consists of a number of luxurious private tents, each with a private bathroom, hot water showers and a power bank, and amenities made by the local communities. While your days are spent exploring the desert and coast, nights unfold as you swap stories over a delicious dinner beneath the stars.
Tierra Atacama
Situated in the oasis town of San Pedro in Chile’s Atacama Desert, Tierra Atacama is a luxury lodge that feels quietly attuned to its surroundings—vast skies, rust-colored earth and distant volcanoes shaping every view. Low-slung adobe walls and warm wood interiors echo the landscape, while open terraces invite stillness between excursions. Days drift between exploring flamingo-filled salt lagoons and geysers, while evenings settle into soft light and deep silence. The rhythm here is unhurried, grounded in nature and with thoughtful hospitality that lets the desert’s stark beauty speak for itself.
Refugia Chiloe
Set on the rugged coastline of Chiloe Island, Refugia Chiloe is a contemporary, timber-clad lodge designed for immersive, low-impact exploration. Its small collection of rooms and suites face the inland sea, with large windows, warm wood interiors and understated furnishings that keep the focus on the landscape. Stays here combine regional, seafood-led dining with guided excursions such as hiking, kayaking, and boat trips to nearby islands. A compact spa and heated pool offer a quieter counterpoint, making it easy to settle into the island’s slower, more reflective pace.
Tierra Patagonia
Dissolving into the majestic landscapes of Torres del Paine National Park rather than trying to compete, Tierra Patagonia is a stylish lodge whose low curved roof mirrors the nearby lake and is oriented toward sweeping views of steppe, water and distant peaks. Interiors are pared back but warm, with native wood, stone, and large windows that keep the outside ever-present. The experience is structured around guided explorations such as trekking, horseback riding and wildlife spotting, balanced by a small spa, sauna and indoor pool. Service is attentive but unobtrusive, reinforcing your sense of quiet immersion in Patagonia’s scale and stillness.
Customise your journey
All of our journeys are fully bespoke and can be customised to meet your needs, interests and preferences. Here are a few ideas to inspire you.
Consider adding a few days before or after your trip to explore Peru’s Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
It is simple to pair this trip with time in Argentina, where an intoxicating blend of culture, wildlife and scenery awaits.
A Galapagos cruise aboard the Aqua Mare superyacht is a fabulous wildlife-focused extension to your air expedition.
With the trip beginning or ending in Torres del Paine National Park, it is easy to arrange a visit to Antarctica.
Ready to take the road less travelled?
Looking for more inspiration?
We have a huge range of inspiring private experiences and accommodation options available. Get in touch with our Latin America specialists.
ENQUIRELearn more about our luxury holidays, or call our expert Latin America team on +44 1367 850566 / 1-855-216-5040 (toll free) to discuss how we can turn your dreams into something truly magical.