Chile is nothing short of paradise for nature lovers. From the spectacular snow and ice landscapes in Patagonia to the desert landscapes in the north. Chile is an incredibly diverse country offering incredible experiences for everyone.
This Chile travel guide follows a route from North to South, but can easily be changed around as well. The best direction depends on when you’re visiting exactly. If you want to hike the W-trek or O-circuit in Torres del Paine, it also depends on the dates of your reservation. But more on that later. Places are color-coded as a must-visit, highly recommended, and if time permits.
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Table of Contents - Best things to do in Chile: The Ultimate Chile travel guide
Traveling Chile - Tips & Tricks
Currency: The local currency is the Chilean Peso. You can check the current exchange rate here.
ATMs: I couldn’t find a free ATM during our stay in Chile. What helps cut down the cost, is using a bank card with no or a low withdrawal fee and a good exchange rate, like Wise. Many places also let you pay by card.
Transport: The public transport system in Chile is very good. Long-distance buses connect all major destinations in Chile and if you’re short on time, you can also find cheap domestic flights. The best website for checking bus routes and prices is Kupos.cl and for searching for flights, I always use Skyscanner.
Food & drinks: Chile’s cuisine is as diverse as the country itself. In the North, you can find meals similar to the kind of food you find in Bolivia, like tamales and peanut soup (which tastes much better than it sounds, trust me!). In the South, you’ll find a lot of very tasty seafood, including salmon. And everywhere you go, you’ll find the “Completo”, Chile’s version of the hot dog, which is practically the national dish. And of course, you cannot leave Chile without trying a pisco sour, a cocktail made with pisco, a grape liquor that both Chile and Peru claim to have invented.
When to visit Chile
Being such a long and diverse country, it’s always a good time to visit Chile. Winter is a great time to visit the desert in the north. The skies are mostly clear and the temperatures during the day are more pleasant than in summer. Summer is the perfect time for hiking in Patagonia.
If you’re planning a trip that includes both the north and the south, November to March is the best time of year. This is the best time for hiking in Patagonia when most trails will be open and accessible without a guide. And while it might be hotter in the north, it won’t prevent you from visiting any places there.
Do note that January and February are the vacation months in Chile, and the rest of South America, so popular places get busy and prices rise.
How to get to Chile
Santiago de Chile has the biggest international airport, so most flights will arrive here. There are connecting flights to many other cities in Chile, or hop on a bus instead.
Chile is also very well connected by land with neighboring countries.
- Argentina: You can take a direct bus from Salta or San Salvador de Jujuy in the north of Argentina to San Pedro de Atacama. If you’re coming from the South, there are direct buses from El Calafate and Ushuaia to Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales. Mendoza is only 8 hours away from Santiago and the drive through the Andes is stunning! Do be aware that the mountain pass closes in case of bad weather. You can check the status here.
- The best way to get to Chile from Bolivia is by joining the Uyuni tour.
- From Peru, you can take a direct bus from Tacna to Arica.
The North
The northern part of Chile is mostly desert. But this doesn’t mean there is nothing to see here. The most spectacular attraction in the North of Chile is the night sky. But you can also find beaches, beautiful rock formations, geysers, volcanoes, and lakes filled with wildlife like vicuñas and flamingos.
Arica
Arica isn’t the most interesting city to visit, but if you’re crossing the border with Peru and you’re craving some beach time, you can spend a night or two here.
How to get to Arica
There are direct buses from Tacna in Peru to Arica. If you’re coming from another destination in Peru, you’ll most likely need to change buses in Tacna.
San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama is one of the top destinations of this Chile travel guide. From stargazing to floating in salt lakes and from visiting steamy geysers to lakes filled with vicuñas and flamingos. San Pedro de Atacama offers some of the best things to do in Chile. Due to its dry climate and altitude of about 2000 m, it is one of the best places in the world for stargazing and this is also one of the most popular tours of San Pedro de Atacama.
San Pedro has become quite an expensive place though, and it is becoming more and more popular to rent a car in Calama and visit some of San Pedro’s attractions without a tour. I do still recommend doing a stargazing tour and doing the Uyuni Tour, but other places can be visited independently with a car as well.
How to get to San Pedro de Atacama from Arica or Argentina
If you’re coming from Arica, you’ll need to travel via Calama. Calama also has an airport, so you can also choose to fly to Calama and take a bus to San Pedro de Atacama from here (1.5 – 2 hours)
If you’re coming from Argentina, you can take a direct bus from Salta or San Salvador de Jujuy. I recommend traveling overnight since it’s quite a long trip.
Valle de Elqui
Valle de Elqui is the home of Chile’s Pisco. Pisco Elqui is the most touristic town in the valley and the best place for a tour of a distillery and pisco tasting. We did a tour of Doña Josefa, which was very interesting. They offer a free tour + tasting in Spanish. In the restaurant, you can try pisco sours with different flavors. If you eat in the restaurant, you can use the pool as well, so bring your swimsuit just in case you decide to eat here. You can also opt for a cheaper “menu del dia” in town.
Accommodation tip – Since Pisco Elqui is the most touristic town, it’s quite expensive. Cosmo Elqui in Rivadavia is a more budget-friendly option. There is not much to do in Rivadavia itself, but you can go to the river. And the atmosphere in the hostel is nice and they have a pool. You can also look for accommodation in Vicuña, which is the biggest town in the region.
How to get to Valle de Elqui from San Pedro de Atacama
First, you’ll need to travel from San Pedro de Atacama to Calama (1.5-2 hours). From here you can take a night bus to La Serena (14 – 16.5 hours) or take a flight. From La Serena you can take the bus to several destinations in Valle de Elqui, including Pisco Elqui and Rividavia.
Buses between La Serena and Pisco Elqui go roughly every 30 minutes, starting at 7 am and the last one back is at 8.30 pm. So it’s also possible to stay at La Serena and visit Pisco Elqui on a day trip. The drive is about 1.5 hours.
The Center
The Center of Chile is a great destination for hiking. It’s much greener than the north and has a more forgiving climate than the south. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t get cold here in winter, but summers are warmer and it rains less often compared to Chilean Patagonia. This region is also home to the capital city Santiago, and the popular coastal towns Valparaiso and Viña del Mar.
Santiago
Santiago de Chile, or Santiago in short, is not the most interesting city for tourists to visit. But since it’s the main transport hub and very central, you’ll most likely have to go to Santiago at least once during your trip. If you have some time to spare, you might as well spend a day or two in Santiago while here. Join a free walking tour to learn more about the city and head to a viewpoint like Cerro Santa Lucia or Cerro San Cristóbal for views over the city. There are also plenty of museums in the city, like science and art museums.
How to get to Santiago from Valle del Elqui
If you’re coming from Valle del Elqui, you’ll first need to travel back to La Serena (1.5 hours). It’s easy to get to Santiago from pretty much anywhere in Chile since it’s the capital city and the country’s main transport hub. The bus ride from La Serena to Santiago is about 6 hours, but can take longer due to traffic.
Valparaiso and Viña del Mar – These are two very popular destinations on the coast of Chile. They are close to Santiago de Chile and can be visited as a day trip, or you can stay overnight. Valparaiso is more buzzing than Viña del Mar and has a bigger party and art scene. It has a reputation for being a relatively unsafe place though, so be extra careful when visiting, especially at night. Viña del Mar is quieter and more of a family destination.
Unfortunately there were huge bushfires in the area when we passed the area, so we had to skip these towns. But I’ve heard good things about them, and they remain on the list for next time!
Pucon
The area around Pucon is beautiful, with many things to do. Go hiking or rafting, or just chill at a lake or hot springs. This region is called The Araucanía region, after the many iconic Araucania trees that grow here.
Pucon is located at Lago Villarrica, a nice place to relax and to go for a swim if you don’t mind the cold water. You can also take the bus to Lago Caburgua and go to Playa Negra or Blanca for more lake beaches. Fancy warmer water? There are also several hot springs in the area.
There are many places to go hiking around Pucon, like Sanctuario El Cañi and Huerquehue National Park, or visit a waterfall. Salto el Claro is a tall waterfall not too far from town and Ojos del Caburgua are beautiful blue waterholes with small waterfalls a short bus ride away.
How to get to Pucon from Santiago
There are direct buses from Santiago to Temuco (approx. 9 hours). From here you can take a bus to Pucon, via Villaricca. This bus normally takes about 2 hours, but the trip can take significantly longer in peak season due to the increased traffic.
Osorno
Osorno is a good place to base yourself if you want to visit Puyehue National Park. Be aware that you can only visit the Aguas Calientes (hot waters) section when traveling by public transport. There are two short hikes you can do here: Pionero and Rapidos and you can relax at the river, or visit the hot springs. It’s also possible to hike to Laguna Bertin, which is a longer hike. The National Park itself is free, no ticket or reservation is needed.
How to get to Osorno from Pucon
You will first need to take the bus from Pucon back to Temuco (2 hours). From here there are direct buses to Osorno (about 4-5 hours).
Puerto Varas
Puerto Varas is a pretty town on the shore of Lake Llanquihue where the German influence of this area is very visible. Go for a walk along the lake shore and admire the Osorno Volcano behind the lake, or hike up to the Hilltop Cross in Bernardo E. Philippi Park for more spectacular views.
You can also visit the Saltos de Petrohue from Puerto Varas, buses go from the center. I found it a bit expensive for what it is, though, since you need to buy the ticket for the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park. The boardwalk is not quite extensive enough to get the good views over the waterfall with the volcano behind it and you can see the river and Osorno volcano for free too. It’s still nice to visit, but if you are on a tight budget, you might not think the entrance fee is worth it (pay online or at the entrance).
You can also just walk past the entrance until you see the km sign [5.61m] and a little space for parking. There is a small path heading to the river here, which offers great views over the river with some rapids and views over the Puntiagudo-Cordón Cenizos volcano. Since you’re freer to walk around here, hopping over rocks and there was nobody here, I actually enjoyed this area more than the paid boardwalk.
You can also visit Laguna Verde on the way back to Puerto Varas if you have some time to spare. It’s not very impressive, but nice if you just want to walk a little more.
How to get to Puerto Varas from Osorno
Easy! It’s only 1-1.5 hours by bus and there are several buses a day.
Chiloé
Chiloé is mostly famous for its iconic wooden houses and churches, but there is more to explore on this Chilean island. Castro is the island’s capital and the most central place to base yourself.
From Castro’s terminal, you can take an Ojeda bus to the national park, Muelle de las Almas, and Tepuhueico Park. Tepuhueico was our favorite place on Chiloé. It’s a great place for hiking and if you’re lucky you can see pudus. We saw three! Muelle de las Almas is not really worth it in my opinion. We went as we thought we could visit it on the way to Tepuhueico, but that was too rushed. We didn’t go to Chiloé National Park, as the trails looked very limited and we had to choose between this and Tepuhueico.
Ancud is a great base if you want to see the penguins at Puñihuil, although you can visit from Castro as well. Puñihuil is special because it’s the only place in the world where you can see the Magallanes and Humboldt penguins in the same place. But there are better places to see penguins in Patagonia in my opinion, like Ushuaia. Take a tour from town, or take an Uber and contract a tour in Puñihuil. It’s roughly the same price if you’re 4. The tour stops at some viewpoints, which you’ll miss out on if you go by Uber, but you’ll be on your own schedule. So it all depends on your preference. Do make sure to note down the number of your Uber driver if you take one, there are no Ubers available in Puñihuil.
Taking the Ojeda bus – You can buy a return ticket in Castro, but make sure to pass by the office in Cucao to reserve seats for the bus you would like to take back. If you’re traveling on to Muelle de las Almas or Tepuhueico Park, there is a matching bus to take you back to Cucao, so you’re not free to decide whether you want an earlier or later bus back. Although we managed to get them to allow us to take the later bus back. We just had to stand in case there were no more seats free, but we were happy to accept that so we had more time to hike in Tepuhueico.
How to get to Chiloé from Puerto Varas
First take the bus from Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt. Then take a bus from Puerto Montt to Anchud or Castro. There is no bridge (yet) between Chiloé and the mainland, so the trip includes a ferry.
The South (Patagonia)
Chile’s southern region is also referred to as Patagonia and is the most spectacular part of Chile in my opinion. The climate is tough, with cold temperatures year-round and a lot of rain. But the landscapes are simply incredible and due to the harsh living conditions, the area is sparsely populated and very natural.
Pumalin National Park
Pumalin National Park, or Pumalín Douglas Tompkins National Park in full, is one of my favorite National Parks in Chile. It was one of the highlights of our Carretera Austral road trip. There are lots of hikes to do, from short ones to full-day hikes. We picked the following three and do not regret our choice.
- Volcano Chaiten – A steep but short hike up the viewpoint to see Chaiten Volcano. Nice views from the top, and on the way too. Plus, we saw a lot of birds, including hummingbirds.
- Cascadas Escondidas – An easy hike through the forest passing by 2 big and one small waterfall. The name translates to hidden waterfalls, but don’t worry they are easy to find. 😉 The hike is about the same length as the Chaiten trail, but with only 200 m in elevation, it’s an easier one.
- El Ventisquero – This was my favorite hike of Pumalin. It’s a long one, the hike is a 20 km round trip if you can drive to the Ventisquero campsite. When we went the path between the Campings Grande and El Ventisquero was closed for cars as it was not in a good enough condition, so we had to walk from Camping Grande, adding a total of 6 km and 200 m in elevation to the hike. This actually turned out to be the most difficult part of the hike. Other than that the hike is mostly flat and gives amazing views of the glacier as you make your way there. Once at the viewpoint at the end of the trail, the glacier is right in front of you and you can see the many waterfalls surrounding the glacier. Amazing!
How to get to Pumalin National Park from Chiloé
First, you’ll need to get back to Puerto Montt again. The best way to get to Pumalin National Park is by car since the buses only go from town to town. You can rent a car in Puerto Montt for the Carretera Austral, or rent one in Chaitén. If you don’t want to rent a car, you can also take the bus to Chaitén and hitchhike or contract a tour to visit the national park.
Futaleufú
Futaleufu’s main attraction is the beautiful Futaleufu river. Most people visiting Futaleufú come here for rafting or kayaking. There are also some hikes you can do. If you’re not planning to cross to Argentina here, it is quite a detour from the Carretera however, and the hikes we did were not spectacular. So I would only go here if you have time to spare or if you want to go rafting.
How to get to Futaleufú from Chaitén
If you’re not driving and you only want to go for the rafting, you can contract a tour in Chaitén directly. If you prefer to stay in Futaleufú for one or more nights, you can also take the bus. Cumbres Nevadas travels between Chaitén and Futaleufú once a day.
Traveling from Argentina – If you’re traveling between Bariloche or El Bolson in Argentina and the Carretera Austral in Chile, the border crossing at Futaleufú is very convenient. Especially if you want to avoid the ferry you’ll need to take if you want to travel from Chaitén to Puerto Montt.
Queulat National Park
The only hike you can do in Queulat National Park is the one to the Ventisquero Colgante (the hanging glacier). It’s a 3.3 km hike to the viewpoint, so it’s not nearly as long as the Ventisquero hike but you won’t get as close either. The waterfall below the glacier is pretty impressive though, just as the blue color and the sound it makes when it’s moving. Which it did quite a lot when we were there!
You will need to buy a ticket to visit this glacier, find current prices here). There are other glaciers around that are free to access, but if you have EUR 11/ USD 12 to spare (price at the time of writing), it’s a gorgeous glacier to visit. Besides hiking to the viewpoint, you can also hike to the lake (600 m one way) and chill there for a bit enjoying the views from a different angle or take a boat ride across the lake (15.000 CLP p.p. at the time of writing, contract them on the spot).
How to Queulat National Park
We visited by car, which is by far the easiest way to visit. It’s on the route between Chaitén and Coyhaique, so buses do pass. But the schedule is infrequent, so do make sure to check in advance if you can visit by public transport. Otherwise, you can always try hitchhiking. There is a campsite near the entrance if you want or need to spend the night here as well.
Coyhaique
Coyhaique is the biggest city in the area. Accommodation is cheaper here compared to the small towns and if you need supplies, this is the best place to buy what you need. Other than that, there is not much to do here. There is the Coyhaique National Reserve nearby, but we decided to skip it since we had 2 weeks for the Carretera Austral and there were other places along the route that looked more impressive than this reserve.
How to get to Coyhaique from Futaleufú
We traveled by car, but there are buses too. From Futaleufú you’ll first need to take a bus in the direction of Chaitén. I would check first if they can drop you off at Villa Santa Lucia, and if the bus between Chaitén and Coyhaique stops there too. That way you’ll save time going back to Chaitén.
Cerro Castillo
Parque Cerro Castillo is a beautiful park right next to the tiny town of Villa Cerro Castillo. You can do a 3-5 day hike here (depending on how many kilometers you want to walk per day), or go for a day hike.
I absolutely loved the hike to Mirador Laguna Cerro Castillo! It’s a little tough as you need to climb 1000+ m in less than 7 km distance, but it’s 100% worth it. You can also do a 3-5 day hike in Parque Cerro Castillo if you have more time, which is on our list for next time! You can also opt for a day hike to Laguna Duff if you’re up for it. But this hike is longer and includes more elevation gain than the hike to Mirador Laguna Cerro Castillo. If you have more time at Villa Cerro Castillo and you’re looking for other things to do, you can head to Lago Central or the Mirador Rio Ibanez y Cerro Castillo.
How to get to Villa Cerro Castillo from Coyhaique
Buses São Paolo makes the trip twice daily. Buses Interlagos seems to also go 6 times a week, but confirm this and the schedule beforehand. The bus ride takes about 1.5 hours.
Puerto Rio Tranquilo
Unfortunately, we couldn’t do any tour or other activities here due to bad weather. I just went to the lake when the weather cleared up a little bit.
The most popular activity in Puerto Rio Tranquilo is visiting the Capillas de Marvel by boat or kayak. You can also take a (very expensive) boat tour on Laguna San Rafael or experience walking on a glacier at Glaciar Exploradores (Explorers Glacier).
Puerto Rio Tranquilo on a budget – Puerto Rio Tranquilo can be quite expensive, but if you have camping gear with you, Camping Tata is not expensive and is good value for money. If you don’t have a camping stove, or don’t feel like cooking, you can get cheap meals of the day at El Negrito Feliz. For boat trips to the Marble Caves, you can sometimes get a discount booking at the harbor if they already have enough people to leave and they just want to fill the boat.
How to get to Puerto Rio Tranquilo from Villa Cerro Castillo
The same bus you took from Coyhaique to Villa Cerro Castillo continues to Puerto Rio Tranquilo. The drive takes about 3 hours.
Torres del Paine National Park
Hiking in Torres del Paine National Park is one of the highlights of this Chile travel guide. It’s one of the highlights of any trip to Chile and a must for hiking lovers. I highly recommend hiking the 8-day O-circuit if you have the time, or opt for the shorter W-trek. It’s also possible to do day trips, but I think multiple day hikes are better bang for your buck (and time). Hike passed snow-capped mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers and just so much natural beauty. Torres del Paine National Park is definitely a must-visit.
How to get to Torres del Paine National Park
The gateway to Torres del Paine is Puerto Natales, but you can also get here from Punta Arenas. The Carretera Austral doesn’t continue to these places, you’ll either need to take a ferry, a flight, or travel via Argentina. There are direct buses connecting Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas with El Calafate and Ushuaia.
Other things to do in Chile
While we spent a good amount of time in Chile, there are still many things we didn’t have time for and we had to leave for another time, especially in the south. There are many more national parks in Patagonia like Corcovado National Park (where you can find the Yelcho Glacier) and Patagonia National Park. And we had to skip Villa O’Higgins, the official end of the Carretera Austral. There is also Tierra del Fuego, where you can see the King penguins and you can do a cruise through the Chilean fjords. Further north there is 7 Tazas, a beautiful national park with waterfalls. And almost all the way north there is Iquique which is famous for its nearby ghost town and the beach is supposed to be better than Arica’s as well. Also on the list for next time is Easter Island.
This was: Best things to do in Chile: The Ultimate Chile travel guide
