Status: Dates and destinations confirmed by the Vatican; complete itinerary pending
Date: August 5, 2026
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo will undertake a three-country tour of South America from November 6 to November 17, visiting Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, the Vatican has announced.
The pontiff is scheduled to spend November 6–8 in Uruguay, November 8–11 in Argentina and November 11–17 in Peru. The complete itinerary and details of public events will be released later.
Planned destinations include Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida in Uruguay; Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján in Argentina; and Lima, Cusco, Pucallpa and Chiclayo in Peru.
Pope Leo is the first pontiff born in the United States and also holds Peruvian citizenship. He spent many years working in Peru and served as bishop of Chiclayo between 2015 and 2023 before becoming pope in 2025.
The journey will be the first papal visit to South America since Pope Francis travelled to Chile and Peru in 2018. Although Francis was born in Argentina, he did not visit his home country during his papacy.
Why it matters: The tour holds considerable religious and symbolic importance for Latin America’s large Catholic population. Peru carries particular personal significance for Pope Leo because of his long missionary and pastoral service there.
