Buenos Aires $ 150.00 Sprawling from Río de la Plata into the Argentine plains, Buenos Aires might well be located in Europe, what with architecture often reminiscent of Paris and an old-world culture that thrives in the world’s largest opera house. By day, the lively sidewalk cafés, parks, gardens, and pedestrian malls are hopping. After dark, traditional tango bars and the phenomenal Argentine cuisine most notably, steaks and Malbec wine offer ...

Santiago $ 270.00 Santiago, officially Santiago de Chile, is the capital of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation (Greater Santiago). It is situated at an elevation of 520 m (1700 ft) in the country's central valley. Although Santiago is the capital, legislative bodies meet in nearby Valparaíso. Approximately two decades of uninterrupted economic growth have transformed Santiago into one of Latin America's most sophisticated metropolitan areas, with extensive suburban development, dozens of shopping malls, and impressive high-rise architecture. The city also boasts some of Latin America's most spectacular infrastructure, such as the Santiago Metro and the sparkling new Costanera Norte, a highway system that passes below downtown and connects the Eastern and Western extremes of the city in 40 minutes. Santiago is headquarters to many important companies and is a regional financial center.

San Jose $ 290.00 The towering Andes provide an awesome backdrop for the sprawling metropolis of Santiago. The population of this flat urban stage that spreads out from a compact city centre numbers more than five million. Despite this, a small town atmosphere prevails downtown where friends will more than likely meet and greet each other in the overcrowded streets and bustling walkways of the main commercial district. The city is a curious mix of skyscrapers and 19th-century European architecture, with some Spanish adobe bungalows thrown in for good measure. Threaded through this architectural tapestry are numerous green areas, busy markets, and quaint old squares. Street life is vibrant, and adding to the vibe is the presence of numerous chic sidewalk cafes, outside of which traditionally dressed women hawk their wares hoping to catch the eye of the tourists. There are also some small but impressive museums, several modern hotels, excellent restaurants and some good shopping opportunities in the Ahumada and Huerfanos pedestrian malls.

Rio de Janeiro $ 350.00 Pulsating Rio, synonymous with the girl from Ipanema, the dramatic Pão d'Açucar (Sugarloaf) Mountain, and the wild and outrageous Carnaval (Carnival) celebrations, is a city of stunning architecture, good museums, and marvelous food. It's a teeming metropolis where the very rich and the very poor live in uneasy proximity...

Cusco $ 410.00 Sacred capital of the Inca Empire and known to the early Incas as the ‘navel of the world’, Cusco is the oldest continuously inhabited city in South America. Gateway to the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, the city is filled with the Inca legacy, evident in the straight cobbled streets lined with the remains of exquisite stone walls built by the Incas, examples of ancient stonework incorporated...