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Chile✨ 10 best things to do in Chile

Things to do in Chile

1. Trek Torres del PaineHike the W Trek past granite towers, turquoise lakes and grinding glaciers in Patagonia.
2. Stargaze in the AtacamaJoin an astronomy tour under some of the clearest, darkest skies on the planet.
3. Watch geysers at dawnHead up to El Tatio before sunrise to see steam columns rising against the Andes.
4. Get lost in ValparaísoRide old funiculars up hillsides painted with murals and colourful houses.
5. Meet the moaiWatch the sun rise behind the fifteen statues of Ahu Tongariki on Easter Island.
6. Taste wine in the valleysSample Carménère and other wines in the Colchagua, Casablanca or Maipo valleys.
7. Climb a volcanoMake a guided ascent of Villarrica from Pucón and peer into its smoking crater.
8. Island-hop ChiloéSee wooden UNESCO-listed churches and stilt houses on this misty island of myths.
9. Sail among glaciersCruise the fjords of southern Patagonia to reach towering ice walls.
10. Eat empanadas and seafoodTry empanadas de pino, hearty curanto and fresh fish at coastal markets.

Chile🗺️ Where to visit in Chile

Where to go in Chile

• 
  SantiagoCentral · capitalA modern capital ringed by the Andes, with lively neighbourhoods, museums and easy access to wine valleys.
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  ValparaísoCentral coast · UNESCO portA bohemian port city of steep hills, street art and historic elevators.
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  San Pedro de AtacamaFar north · desertAn adobe oasis town for salt flats, lagoons, geysers and the Valley of the Moon.
• 📍
  Torres del Paine National ParkPatagonia · trekkingChile's most famous park, with dramatic peaks, glaciers and abundant wildlife.
• 📍
  Easter Island (Rapa Nui)Pacific · Polynesian heritageA remote island of giant stone statues, volcanic craters and Polynesian culture.
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  PucónLake District · adventureA lakeside base for volcano climbs, hot springs, rafting and forest hikes.
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  ChiloéSouth · island cultureA green archipelago known for wooden churches, seafood and folklore.
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  Carretera AustralAysén · road tripA remote road through rainforests, fjords and glaciers, including the Marble Caves of General Carrera Lake.

Chile🌦️ Weather & best time to visit Chile

Best time to visit Chile

Chile stretches over 4,000 kilometres, from bone-dry desert in the north to a Mediterranean centre and a cool, wet, windy south. Seasons are the reverse of the northern hemisphere, so summer runs December to February.

Typical daytime highs and rain in Santiago (approximate averages).

Chile🎉 Festivals & events in Chile

• September 18-19
  Fiestas PatriasChile's national holidays bring fondas, cueca dancing, empanadas and rodeos across the country.
• Early February
  Tapati Rapa NuiEaster Island's cultural festival with traditional sports, music, dance and body painting.
• July
  La TiranaA huge religious festival in the northern desert village of La Tirana, with masked dancers and brass bands.
• Around June 24
  We TripantuThe Mapuche New Year, marking the winter solstice with gatherings and ceremonies.

Chile🧭 Chile itinerary ideas

How many days in Chile?

Chile🎒 Backpacking Chile – tips & hacks

Backpacker budget: about $45–70 a day

• Long-distance buses are comfortable and frequent; semi-cama and cama seats make overnight trips bearable.
• Chile is pricier than most of South America, so camping and hostel kitchens help stretch a budget, especially in Patagonia.
• Santiago's Bellavista and Barrio Brasil areas and Valparaíso's hills are popular backpacker bases.
• Book Torres del Paine campsites and refugios well in advance for peak summer.
• Look for menu del día set lunches, which are the best-value meals in cities.

Chile🛡️ Safety & money in Chile

Emergency: 133 police · 131 ambulance · 132 fire

Chile🛬 Getting to Chile

Most visitors fly into Santiago's Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport. Land crossings link Chile with Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, and Easter Island is reached by flights from Santiago.

✈️ Cheap flights to Chile: airports, flight times & best time to fly →

Chile💡 Did you know? 5 facts about Chile

• The Atacama Desert is one of the driest non-polar places on Earth, with some weather stations rarely recording rain.
• The Chinchorro mummies are around two thousand years older than the earliest Egyptian mummies.
• Chile is home to several of the world's major astronomical observatories.
• The strongest earthquake ever recorded struck near Valdivia in 1960.
• Two Chilean poets, Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda, won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Chile❓ Chile travel FAQ

Chile travel questions