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Best destinations to visit in June in South America

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Rio de Janeiro
The heartbeat of Brazil's coast
8.1
Winters are warm and less rainy than summers. June highs average about 80°F on the coast and lows about 67°F. Rainfall averages 1.7 inches over about six days. Sugarloaf Mountain rises at the entrance to Guanabara Bay and has a cable car. Inland Alto da Boa Vista runs cooler at about 76°F.
Highlights:
  • 🏖️ Relax on the iconic sands of Copacabana Beach
  • ✝️ Stand before Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado Mountain
  • 🚠 Take the cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain for breathtaking views
Cusco
Gateway to the Incan Empire's Heart
8.4
Inti Raymi fills Cusco every 24 June with a staged Inca sun ceremony. The main rites take place at Sacsayhuamán. Spanish priests banned the festival after 1535 and actors revived it in 1944. Days in June are sunny at about 69°F. Nights drop to about 35°F, so pack warm layers.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Stroll through Plaza de Armas and admire colonial architecture
  • 🏔️ Take the train or trek to the awe-inspiring Machu Picchu
  • 🧱 Visit the ancient Inca site of Sacsayhuamán overlooking the city
Iguazu Falls
Breathtaking waterfalls spanning two countries
Daytime highs near the falls average about 74°F in June and nights fall to about 51°F. Water volume peaks from December to February so June flows are lighter. The falls stretch about 1.7 miles and break into roughly 275 drops. Devil's Throat is a canyon 260 to 300 feet wide.
Highlights:
  • 🦜 Walk the forest trails and spot colorful toucans
  • 🚤 Take a boat ride beneath the cascading falls
  • 🌊 Stand before the roaring Devil’s Throat viewpoint
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
Otherworldly dunes with turquoise lagoons
6.9
Rain from January to June fills the lagoons between the white dunes. Water is highest from June to early September and July is the peak. Daytime highs reach 84 to 90°F. Only licensed 4x4s from local agencies can enter the park. Wet sand roads and river crossings can shorten tours.
Highlights:
  • 🌅 Watch the sunrise reflect on the mesmerizing lagoons
  • 🚙 Take a thrilling 4x4 ride across the vast dunes
  • 💧 Swim in the turquoise lagoons after a hot dune trek
Pantanal Matogrossense National Park
World's largest tropical wetland paradise
7.6
June is the driest month here with about 0.12 inches of rain. It is also the coolest at an average of 68°F. Most rain falls from November to March when about 80% of the floodplains are submerged. The wetland has one of the largest and healthiest jaguar populations on Earth.
Highlights:
  • 🐎 Experience horseback riding across flooded plains and trails
  • 🛶 Take a boat tour through the Pantanal’s winding waterways
  • 🐆 Join a guided wildlife safari to spot elusive jaguars
Andes
Majestic peaks echo ancient Andean legends
8.1
Ski season at Portillo in Chile usually runs from mid-June to early October. The hotel is at 9,450 feet and the summit above it reaches 13,852 feet. Santiago is about 100 miles away by road. Aconcagua, the highest Andean peak at 22,838 feet, rises across the border in Argentina.
Highlights:
  • ⚪ Explore Salar de Uyuni's endless salt flats
  • 🗺️ Traverse the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
  • 🏔️ Climb Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America
Bolivia
Land of dramatic climate contrasts
6.3
Aymara communities celebrate Willkakuti, the Return of the Sun, every 21 June. The festival marks the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Tiwanaku is its main gathering place. Bolivia made the day a national holiday in 2009. Celebrations also reach Samaypata and Inkallaqta. The altiplano has frequent ground frosts in winter.
Highlights:
  • 🚡 Ride the world’s highest cable car system above La Paz
  • 🧿 Visit the colorful markets and witches’ stalls in La Paz
  • 🌫️ Walk across the otherworldly Uyuni Salt Flats after the rain
Peru
Ancient wonders meet diverse landscapes
7.6
Huascarán, Peru's highest peak at 22,205 feet, rises in a national park of 840,000 acres. The dry season there runs April to November. The park has 660 tropical glaciers. UNESCO listed it in 1985. Peru's highlands lie between the arid coast and the Amazon jungle. Cusco is also dry in June.
Highlights:
  • 🏯 Discover the ancient ruins of Cusco’s Sacred Valley
  • 🛶 Take a boat tour on Lake Titicaca’s floating islands
  • ⛰️ Hike the Inca Trail to the majestic Machu Picchu
Salar de Uyuni
World's largest surreal salt mirror
Rainfall is only 0.04 to 0.12 inches a month from April to November, so June means dry salt. The flat covers about 4,086 square miles at roughly 12,000 feet. Isla Incahuasi has giant cacti and colonies of viscachas. Celebrations of Willkakuti on 21 June have included Uyuni.
Highlights:
  • 🚂 Explore the eerie Train Cemetery near Uyuni town
  • 🌵 Visit Incahuasi Island and climb among giant cacti
  • 📸 Take surreal photos with salt flat perspective illusions
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