South AmericaUpdated July 1, 20263–4 weeksTransport: $280–450
Budget Flights to South America: Lima to Buenos Aires on a Shoestring
My first night bus in South America cost $14, came with a 160-degree reclining cama seat, and dropped me at the Bolivian border at dawn — the moment I realized this continent rewards patience over plane tickets. I blew $160 on a Cusco–La Paz flight on my first trip; on my second I did the same stretch overland via Lake Titicaca for $38 and it was a highlight. This is the version I wish someone had handed me.
Route Overview
Lima → Cusco → La Paz → Uyuni → Buenos Aires
1.Lima → Cusco
$40–$801h 20m flight
Fly this one — the bus is 20–24 hours of switchbacks and you'll arrive altitude-sick and wrecked. Sky Airline and JetSmart sell $40–60 fares 4–6 weeks out; LATAM runs the most daily frequencies. Arrive, nap, drink coca tea, don't plan anything for day one.
Search Lima → Cusco flights2.Cusco → La Paz
$30–$502 days overland via Puno
Direct flights route through Lima and cost $120–180 — a scam of geography. Instead: bus Cusco → Puno ($10–15, 7h), day on Lake Titicaca, then Puno → Copacabana → La Paz ($15–25, 8h including the border at Kasani). You break up the journey and see the lake for free.
Search Cusco → La Paz flights3.La Paz → Uyuni
$15–$258–10h overnight bus
Todo Turismo ($25, semi-cama with dinner) is the gold standard and sells out — book a day ahead. The $60–110 flight on BoA saves 8 hours but you'll miss nothing by sleeping through the altiplano.
Search La Paz → Uyuni flights4.Uyuni → Buenos Aires
$90–$1602 days overland + 2h flight
The shoestring route: after the salt flats tour, bus Uyuni → Villazón/La Quiaca border ($8–12, 6h), cross on foot, Argentine bus to Salta ($10–15, 8h), then a Flybondi or Aerolíneas domestic Salta → Buenos Aires ($50–90, book 3–4 weeks out). The lazy route is flying La Paz → BUE via Santa Cruz ($200–300).
Search Uyuni → Buenos Aires flights
Cost Breakdown
All prices in USD, researched estimates updated quarterly. Your mileage (and exchange rate) may vary.
| Category | Estimate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Long-haul: open-jaw into Lima (LIM), out of Buenos Aires (EZE) | $500–800 | Open-jaw beats a return here — backtracking from BA to Lima costs $250+ alone. From the US, look at Copa via Panama or Avianca via Bogotá; from Europe, Air Europa and LATAM via Madrid. |
| Lima → Cusco flight | $40–80 | The one internal flight worth taking. Book 4–6 weeks out on Sky or JetSmart; under 2 weeks out it jumps past $120. |
| Overland: Cusco → La Paz → Uyuni → Salta | $65–100 | Three countries of buses. Peruvians and Bolivians price in soles/bolivianos — pay locally, never in USD at the terminal. |
| Salta → Buenos Aires domestic flight | $50–90 | Flybondi flash sales hit $45; Aerolíneas Argentinas includes a checked bag in the base fare, which often makes it cheaper than the 'budget' option. |
| Uyuni salt flats tour (3 days) | $120–180 | Book in person in Uyuni the day before — online prices are double for the identical jeeps. Includes food, basic lodging, and the lagunas route. The 1-day version is $30–40 if you're short on time. |
| Visas & entry fees | $0–160 | Peru and Argentina are visa-free for most passports. Bolivia charges US citizens $160 on arrival (crisp bills, exact); most EU, UK and Latin American passports pay nothing. |
| Total ground transport | $275–455 | Including the salt flats tour. Roughly $11–15 per travel day on this route — the cheapest continent per mile on this list. |
Best Booking Strategy
Buy an open-jaw long-haul (into Lima, out of Buenos Aires) 3–5 months out. If a return to Lima is significantly cheaper, do the math honestly: the BA → Lima positioning flight is $250–350 one-way, so the open-jaw premium has to exceed that to lose.
In South America, budget airlines (Sky, JetSmart, Flybondi) run genuine flash sales — $25 domestic fares are real, but the email alerts land 48 hours before the sale ends. Follow their local social accounts, not just the OTA alerts, which lag by a day.
Never book the Uyuni tour, Titicaca boats, or Machu Picchu shuttles online from home. Every one of these is 40–60% cheaper bought in person a day or two ahead. The exception is Machu Picchu entry itself and the Inca Rail/PeruRail train — those sell out 4–8 weeks ahead in high season (June–August).
Overnight buses here are genuinely good — Cruz del Sur (Peru), Todo Turismo (Bolivia) and Andesmar (Argentina) serve hot meals at 160° recline for $15–30. Each overnight leg is a hostel night you don't pay for, which makes 'slow' the cheap option twice over.
Altitude dictates the route order: fly into Cusco (3,400m) and descend overland toward Bolivia and Argentina, never the reverse. Going La Paz → Cusco uphill by bus is how people end up in a clinic with soroche.
Related Stamps
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FAQ
When is the best time to do this route?
May to October is dry season in the Andes — clear skies over Machu Picchu and a drivable salt flat (the mirror effect needs rain, though: December–March for that photo). Avoid Carnival week in Bolivia unless you've booked everything months ahead, and skip the altiplano in January if 4-hour mud delays sound unfun.
Do I need to speak Spanish?
At bus terminals and on tours, yes — English gets you nowhere at the La Quiaca border or in Uyuni's tour offices. You don't need fluency; you need numbers, 'a qué hora sale,' and the name of your destination written down. Download offline Spanish in Google Translate before Bolivia, where data coverage is optimistic at best.
Are the overnight buses safe?
The reputable companies (Cruz del Sur, Todo Turismo, Andesmar) are safe and professional — your bag gets a tagged receipt. The risk is the $3-cheaper no-name bus that 'also goes to La Paz': no baggage tag, no accountability. Keep the daypack with valuables at your feet, not overhead, and you're fine.
How do I handle the Bolivian visa fee as a US citizen?
It's $160 cash on arrival — crisp, undamaged USD bills only, and they will inspect each one like a museum curator. Get fresh bills from your bank before leaving home; Bolivian border towns have no reliable ATMs. Pay it, keep the receipt, and it's valid for 10 years of visits.
Should I book Machu Picchu before I arrive?
Yes for entry tickets and the train (Cusco → Aguas Calientes) in June–August — both sell out weeks ahead, book via the official government site and PeruRail/Inca Rail directly. No for everything else: hostels, the Salkantay trek, and shuttle buses are all cheaper booked in Cusco, where agencies compete on price daily.
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