The Latin America Travel Festival
On Saturday 8 November 2025, Bradt will host a full-day event showcasing travel in Latin America at the beautiful Royal Geographical Society in London.
Buy your tickets before the end of July and get £20 off!
Your Ticket Will Give You Access To…
- Onstage talks and panel discussions throughout the day
- ‘Meet the expert’ breakout sessions led by specialist authors, tourist boards and tour operators – E.g. ‘how to get the most from a trip to Latin America’
- Photography masterclass – ‘how to take that special shot’
- One-to-one advice from specialists on where, when and how to go
- Superb travel offers and competitions
- Exclusive book signings
- And much more!
Onstage Talks and Speakers
Race Across the World
Hear from Season Two winner Emon Choudhury about the thrills and spills of taking part in the acclaimed series.
Bruce Parry’s Tribe
Learn what it’s like living with the Waimaha from Rory Jackson, director of the recent hit TV programme.
Rail Journeys in Latin America
Wanderlust’s Lyn Hughes leads a panel of experts to discuss the very best trips by train.
Lost British History in South America
Award-winning author Shafik Meghji talks about his fascinating new book, Small Earthquakes.
100 Years of the South American Handbook
Celebrate the centenary of the legendary guidebook with former editors, contributors and fans, including Hilary Bradt.
…and many more to be announced.
About the Venue
The Royal Geographical Society, the UK’s learned society and professional body for geography, is an historic venue that combines state-of-the-art events facilities with the character of a Grade II-listed building.
The Main Hall retains many original features including ceramic fireplace tiles and a minstrel’s gallery, while the Map Room – a neo-classical creation from 1930 – is the ideal location for mingling with fellow travellers.
What Others Say
We’ve hosted a number of travel events at the RGS, including our acclaimed Big Cat Festivals and a 50th anniversary event last year.
Here’s just some of the feedback…
‘What a fantastic night to be able to hear from such amazing icons in the travel industry. It was very very special. What a unique event.’ – Amanda O’Brien, Travel Blogger
‘Great party, debate and auction. We really enjoyed the evening, it was so nice to see old friends again and meet new people too.’ – Huw Hennessy
‘A lovely evening and a wonderful celebration of all that Hilary – and Bradt – has achieved.’ – Katie Cosstick, Latin American Travel Association
‘Huge congratulations to Hilary on such a significant milestone and the inspiring panel on the lost art of getting lost, and to Adrian for hosting a fantastic evening.’ – British Guild of Travel Writers
‘Tonight was a great occasion for Bradt.’ – John Blashford-Snell
For a taste of what to expect, here’s a sneak peek into our anniversary celebrations.
Our Sponsors
To become an official sponsor of our Latin American Travel Festival, email [email protected]
2025 is the Year for Latin America
Over one hundred years ago, the South American Handbook came to life. Now, in 2025, we’re celebrating that milestone with a festival, a travel writing anthology and, of course, we couldn’t forget the original handbook itself.
100 Years of the South American Handbook
After a trip through South America in the 1950s Graham Greene compiled a list of suggested updates and corrections to the guidebook he had been using on his travels. He addressed the envelope to “The publishers of the best guidebook in the world, Bath, England” in full confidence that it would be delivered – and it was.
Such was the reputation of the South American Handbook, which by this point had already been appearing annually for a quarter of a century.
The early editions of this legendary guidebook were published by the British Federation of Industries with the aim of boosting trade between the UK and South America. After the war, flying boat and airship services made intercontinental travel quicker and easier and the Handbook adapted accordingly to include advice for leisure travellers.
The Rise of the Backpacker
Then in the 1970s the jet aircraft opened up South America to a new type of traveller: the backpacker. Now the Handbook entered its heyday, with each new edition running to over 1000 pages, and it became a must-have for any serious traveller. One of those who sent in regular updates from the road was Hilary Bradt, then researching her groundbreaking guide to the Inca Trail. “Although known as The Bible with all gringo backpackers, it was actually far more important than any holy book. We literally couldn’t do without it”.
New attributes of the Handbook emerged: its thin pages – Bible-like in another respect – that could be used as toilet paper or for rolling a joint, and its dependable hard covers that could take a bullet (as evidenced by a photograph sent in by one intrepid reader).
A Guide That Left A Footprint
During the 1990s and 2000s the family firm in Bath who had been printing the book for many years bought the Handbook and built a popular list of travel guides around it, which they called Footprint. The new 95th edition of the guide, coming out in June this year, is the first to be published by Bradt Guides since our acquisition of the Footprint list.
The Handbook’s centenary edition will still serve as a Bible for backpackers. But it will also prove invaluable to travellers on a more generous budget, indeed any traveller who values curated information all in one place in that most durably old-fashioned format, the book.
Other Latin America Titles
Everything you need to plan your own trip.
Latin America on the Blog…
Content to inspire.
Where It All Began
Bradt Guides was born in 1974 on an Amazon river barge. During an 18-month trip through South America, two adventurous young backpackers – Hilary Bradt and her then husband, George – decided to write about the hiking trails they had discovered through the Andes.
Backpacking Along Ancient Ways Peru & Bolivia included the very first descriptions of the Inca Trail. It was the start of a colourful journey to becoming one of the best-loved travel publishers in the world – and an industry leader in Latin American travel writing – you can read about this in more detail on the Our Story page.
Who We Are Today
After 51 years in operation, we are the world’s largest independently-owned guidebook publisher, with over 200 titles in print. However, our ethos is unchanged. Hilary is still involved, and we still get there first: over 70% of our city, region and country guides still have no direct competition from other publishers.
But we don’t just get there first. Our guides are known for being more comprehensive than any other series. We avoid templates and tick-lists. Each guide is a one-of-a-kind expression of an expert author’s interests, knowledge and enthusiasm for telling it like it really is.
Interested? See what we do up close at our Latin America Travel Festival on 8th November.
Check out the video below to find out more about who we are.
FAQs
Where will this event take place?
The Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR.
How long will the event last?
Doors will open at 10.00am on 8 November 2025. The event ends at 4.30pm.
When will I receive my ticket?
You will be sent an e-ticket via email upon receipt of payment. You will not receive a paper ticket through the post.
There is no need to bring a printed copy of your ticket on the day of the event, although you may wish to. You will need to show a ticket in either paper or electronic form. The choice is yours.
The easiest way to get a copy of your e-ticket on your phone is to screenshot the e-ticket so that you do not need to worry about internet connection on the day.
Can I bring a plus one?
Everyone is welcome to attend the event but entry is strictly subject to one ticket per person. If you would like to bring a guest, they will need to purchase their own ticket.
How do I get to the Royal Geographical Society?
The venue is located on the intersection of Exhibition Road and Kensington Gore. We would highly recommend travelling by public transport – the nearest underground stations are South Kensington (Piccadilly, District and Circle lines) and Knightsbridge (Piccadilly line) which are both approximately a 10-15 minute walk. There is also a bus stop outside the Royal Albert Hall which is served by the following bus routes: 9, 23, 52 and 452.
Will there be parking available?
Unfortunately there is no parking available at the Royal Geographical Society.
Is there a dress code?
The dress code is casual.
Will I get to meet the panel speakers?
Authors will be available to sign copies of their books after their panel talks. Details TBC.
Is the venue accessible?
The Exhibition Road and Kensington Gore entrances are both wheelchair accessible. There are two spaces in the Ondaatje Theatre for wheelchair users, but should you require additional spaces then please do contact us in advance. A ramp can be provided for speakers to access the stage. There are a set of steps on the ground floor of the venue (connecting the Theatre to the ambulatory), but a stair lift is available for wheelchair users.
What happens if I can no longer make it? Can I get a refund?
We are happy to provide a refund up to 14 days after purchase with no questions asked. After that, if something goes wrong for you, please get in touch.
Can I buy a ticket on the door?
Perhaps. We have a fixed number of tickets for this event and cannot go beyond this limit. The safest way to make sure you can attend is to buy your ticket as soon as possible.
Is food and drink included?
Food and drink are not part of the event, although there are many lovely restaurants in the nearby area.
Do I need to bring cash?
The Royal Geographical Society will accept both cash and card for those who would like to purchase drinks or books during the event.
Can I pay in another currency?
Only GBP will be accepted on the Eventbrite booking system.