About Us
What sets us apart
We’ve been planning holidays to Central and South America since 1980, and we’re the UK’s No.1 specialist in travel to the region. One expert handles your trip from the first call to the day you get home. No other UK operator knows Latin America like we do.
Every member of our team has lived or travelled extensively across the region. When you call us, you’re talking to someone who’s hiked the trail you’re asking about, or spent a year living in the country you want to visit. That insider knowledge takes you beyond the guidebooks and into the Latin America we know and love.
There are two ways to travel with us. Go fully tailor-made and we’ll design your trip from scratch, shaped around your dates, budget and interests. Or join a small group tour led by an expert guide, with a set itinerary and fixed departures. Either way, you’re planning with people who know the region first-hand. And because we’re always watching for the best fares and rates, we pass on good deals when we find them.
From your first conversation to the day you get home, we’re here. Our local partners are on the ground in every country we cover, available during and outside office hours, and you’ll have our 24/7 UK emergency support line while you’re away. 97% of our clients rate their experience with us as excellent or good.
We’re a fully bonded tour operator, registered with ATOL, ABTA and AITO, so every penny you pay is financially protected. We’ve held the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service award seven years running, and we win regularly at the British Travel Awards and Wanderlust Travel Awards. Your travel proposal is completely free and comes with no obligation.
Meet our travel experts
The people behind your trip. Every one of our experts has spent time in Latin America – not a long weekend, but months or years living, working and travelling across the region.
Sally Dodge
A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.
Mary Anne Nelson
Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.
Lina Fuller
Lina’s passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.
Ben Line
Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.
In 1980, two British teachers who’d met at a school in Rio de Janeiro came home with an idea. Brian Williams and Chris Parrott had spent their time in Brazil travelling across the continent, and they wanted to help others do the same. Journey Latin America became the first UK tour operator dedicated to Central and South America.
Over 45 years later, we’re still the UK’s No.1 specialist in travel to the region. Around 50 staff in London, a dozen experienced tour leaders on the ground, and a network of trusted local partners share one thing in common. They’ve all lived, worked or travelled extensively in Latin America. The founders have retired, but the independence and curiosity that defined Journey Latin America from the start still run through everything we do.
We’ve been operating in Latin America for over 45 years, and the places, wildlife and communities we work with matter to us. We choose local partners who share our values, support conservation projects across the region, and design trips that benefit the places you visit rather than just passing through. We’re not perfect, but we take this seriously and we’re always looking to do better.
What our travellers say
Our Awards
Our work is recognised across the travel industry, from Feefo’s Platinum Trusted Service award to wins at the British Travel Awards and the Wanderlust Travel Awards.
Ready to start planning?
Tell us where you want to go, and we’ll take it from there. No obligation, no sales pitch – just a conversation with someone who knows the region inside out.
Papagaio
Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.
Featured Articles
To round the corner of a mountain and see the lost citadel of Machu Picchu unfold beneath you remains one of the most awe-inspiring experiences in Latin America, one of those dreamlike experiences that makes travelling here truly extraordinary.
The Pantanal wetlands cover an area almost the size of the British Isles and offers better wildlife opportunities than the Amazon. Writer and photographer Alex Bellos discovers them.
Small, breathtakingly beautiful Costa Rica is a treasure trove for the nature lover. Trees laden with orchids are home to quetzals and hummingbirds, while the Caribbean shore hosts volcanic beaches and palm-sheltered coves.
