Region
Santiago & the Central Valley
The handsome capital in its ring of Andean peaks: leafy neighborhoods and great restaurants, hilltop viewpoints over the city, and the celebrated Maipo and Casablanca wine valleys an easy drive away.
Destinations · South America
Chile.
Desert skies, glacial peaks & a long Pacific coast.
Scroll
The country
No country stretches the imagination quite like Chile. A ribbon of land more than 2,600 miles long, it runs from the driest desert on earth in the north to the glaciers and granite towers of Patagonia in the south, with the Andes rising along its eastern edge the whole way down. In a single trip you can watch the sun set over the lunar dunes of the Atacama, sip Carmenere in a valley vineyard, and stand beneath the wind-carved peaks of Torres del Paine.
Chile is a place that rewards travelers who like contrast. The cosmopolitan capital of Santiago sits in a green central valley framed by snow-capped mountains; an hour away, the bohemian port of Valparaiso tumbles down its painted hills to the sea. Further south, the Lake District unfolds in a string of deep blue lakes and perfect volcano cones, while the far south dissolves into fjords, ice fields and end-of-the-world horizons.
We design Chilean journeys that connect these far-flung worlds with the right rhythm and the right flights, so the long distances never feel like a chore. A private guide through the Atacama's salt flats and geyser fields, a slow afternoon on the Valparaiso funiculars, a dawn drive to catch the towers of Paine in first light: however you want to travel this remarkable country, we build a route that lets each landscape land.
- Capital
- Santiago
- Currency
- Chilean peso ($)
- Ideal trip
- 9–14 nights
- Best for
- Deserts, glaciers & wine
When to go
The best time to visit Chile.
Chile is 2,600 miles of inverted seasons, so timing is really about which end of the country you want. We anchor the plan on Patagonia's summer window and the Atacama, which keeps its clear skies all year.
November–March
The southern summer and the only true window for Patagonia and Torres del Paine: long days, open trails and the best chance of clear views of the towers, though it is the windiest and busiest season in the far south.
October & April
Our favorite shoulder months for the center: spring blossom or autumn color in the Santiago wine valleys, pleasant days in Valparaiso, and fewer crowds, while the Atacama in the north stays reliably clear.
Year-round
The Atacama Desert is a year-round destination, with warm days, cold clear nights and some of the finest stargazing on the planet; winter nights are colder but the skies are often at their most brilliant.
May–August
The southern winter: Patagonia largely closes down, but it is ski season in the Andes above Santiago and a quiet, good-value time for the desert north and the central cities.
Where to go
The regions of Chile.
Chile is best understood as a series of distinct worlds strung along a single, very long spine. These are the regions we weave together most often, from the desert north and the cultured center to the lakes and volcanoes of the south and the wild ice of Patagonia.
Region
The Atacama Desert
The driest desert on earth and one of its great landscapes: the sculpted dunes of the Valle de la Luna, steaming geyser fields, flamingo-dotted salt flats and night skies of extraordinary clarity.
Region
Patagonia & Torres del Paine
The dramatic far south: the granite towers and turquoise lakes of Torres del Paine, calving glaciers, guanaco-grazed steppe and some of the finest hiking and lodge stays anywhere in the world.
Region
The Lake District
A green country of deep blue lakes and perfect volcano cones around Puerto Varas and Pucon, with German-influenced towns, hot springs, native forest and gentle days on the water.
Region
Valparaiso & the Coast
The bohemian Pacific port that inspired Neruda: a maze of painted houses, street art and clattering funiculars spilling down the hills, paired with the beaches and seafood of neighboring Vina del Mar.
Coming soon
More from Chile on the way.
We're busy writing up our favorite Chile experiences. There's far more here than we can list, so the fastest way to start is simply to tell us what you're dreaming of.
Plan a Chile TripA sample journey
One way to spend a week in Chile.
-
1 Days 1–3Santiago & Valparaiso
Begin in the capital in its ring of Andes: the markets and museums, a funicular up San Cristobal, and a day trip over the coastal range to the painted hills, street art and clattering funiculars of bohemian Valparaiso.
-
2 Days 4–6The Atacama Desert
Fly north to San Pedro de Atacama for the great desert landscapes: the sculpted dunes of the Valle de la Luna at sunset, dawn at the El Tatio geysers, flamingo-dotted salt flats and some of the clearest night skies on earth.
-
3 Days 7–9The Lake District
South to the green country of lakes and volcanoes around Puerto Varas: the perfect cone of Osorno across Lake Llanquihue, the Petrohue waterfalls and rapids, native forest, hot springs and gentle days on the water.
-
4 Days 10–12Patagonia & Torres del Paine
Finish in the wild far south: guided hikes beneath the granite towers of Paine, the turquoise lakes and grazing guanacos, a boat to a glacier and long evenings at a wilderness lodge with the mountains in the window.
Every itinerary we build is bespoke: this is a starting point, not a package.
Getting around
- By domestic flight
- Chile is one of the longest countries on earth, so flights are the backbone of any multi-region trip. The hops to Calama for the Atacama, Puerto Montt for the lakes and Punta Arenas for Patagonia each save days of driving.
- By private driver-guide
- Within each region a private guide is how Chile is best explored — the geyser fields around San Pedro, the lake-and-volcano circuits of the south, the long scenic transfer across the steppe into Torres del Paine.
- In the cities
- Santiago and Valparaiso are walkable and well served by metro and the clattering hillside funiculars. We book hotels in the neighborhoods you came for, with the rest an easy ride away.
- By car through the wine country
- For the valleys near Santiago and the lakeshore roads of the south, a private car and guide lets you stop at a bodega or a viewpoint as the mood takes you, without anyone minding the wheel over lunch.
Where to stay
- Santiago
- We favor stays in the leafy, walkable neighborhoods of Lastarria and Bellavista for cafes, museums and the funicular up San Cristobal, or the polished Vitacura and Las Condes districts for easy access to the airport and the wine valleys.
- San Pedro de Atacama
- The desert's adobe village is home to a handful of exceptional all-inclusive lodges that run their own guided excursions to the geysers, salt flats and stargazing sites; we match you to the one that best suits your pace.
- Torres del Paine
- Inside and around the park, we love the design-led wilderness lodges with guided hikes, big windows onto the towers and long dinners after a day on the trails; book the marquee properties many months ahead.
- Puerto Varas
- On the shores of Lake Llanquihue, with the cone of Osorno across the water, this is the ideal base for the Lake District, with characterful inns and lodges close to the volcanoes, hot springs and national parks.
Internal flights, transfers, driver-guides and national-park logistics are all arranged in advance, so the long distances down this very long country are handled before you land.
Good to know
Chile travel questions.
How many days do you need in Chile?+
Nine to fourteen nights is the sweet spot, because the country is so long. A week and a bit covers Santiago, the Atacama and Patagonia by domestic flights; closer to two weeks lets you add the Lake District, the wine valleys or more time on the trails in Torres del Paine without rushing the long internal hops.
When is the best time to visit Chile?+
It depends on the region, as Chile spans an enormous range of climates. Patagonia and Torres del Paine are at their best in the southern summer, from November to March; the Atacama in the north is a year-round destination; and central Chile and the wine valleys around Santiago are loveliest in spring and autumn. We build the route around the seasons so each stop is at its best.
Do I need to fly between regions in Chile?+
Yes, for almost any itinerary. Chile is one of the longest countries on earth, and the distances are enormous: Santiago to the Atacama, the Lake District or Patagonia are each best covered by a short domestic flight rather than days on the road. Within each region we then use private driver-guides, and we arrange every internal flight and transfer as part of the trip.
Is the Atacama Desert worth visiting?+
Very much so. The Atacama is the driest desert on earth and one of the world's great landscapes, from the sculpted dunes of the Valle de la Luna and the steaming El Tatio geysers to flamingo-filled salt flats and some of the clearest night skies anywhere. We base you in San Pedro de Atacama and pair you with a lodge that runs its own expert-guided excursions.
Is Torres del Paine worth visiting, and how do you get there?+
Absolutely; Torres del Paine is the highlight of many Chile trips, with its granite towers, turquoise lakes, glaciers and abundant wildlife. You reach it on a flight to Punta Arenas in the far south, followed by a scenic drive across the Patagonian steppe. We time the visit for the southern summer when the trails and the weather are at their best, and book a wilderness lodge with guided hikes.
Ways to Explore
How to travel Chile.
Tailormade Trips
A private journey designed entirely around you, your pace, and your people.
Cruises
River, ocean and expedition voyages, from the Danube to Antarctica.
Escorted Tours
Expertly guided, end to end, with the world's finest local operators.
All-Inclusive
Effortless resort escapes; we cut through the haze to the right one.
Let's begin
Design your
Chile escape.
Tell us your travel dates and what you love, and we'll handle every detail.
Plan Your Trip