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🇨🇱 Chile

From the driest desert on Earth to the granite towers of Patagonia and Easter Island's moai, Chile is a ribbon of jaw-dropping extremes.

Visa-free 📅 Best: Oct–Apr (Patagonia) 💵 $100/day avg
🏙️
Capital
Santiago
💱
Currency
Chilean Peso (CLP)
🗣️
Language
Spanish
📅
Best time
Oct–Apr (Patagonia)
🛂
Visa
Visa-free (many)
💵
Avg daily budget
$45 – $320
🛡️
Safety
Generally safe
✈️
Main airport
Santiago (SCL)
Overview

Why travellers love Chile

Torres del Paine in Patagonia and the otherworldly Atacama Desert bookend a long, narrow country, with Santiago and wine country in between.

Distances are vast; domestic flights help link the highlights.

Where to go

Top places in Chile

The destinations worth building your trip around.

Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine

🗓 3 days

Patagonia's iconic granite towers.

AdventureNature
Atacama Desert

Atacama Desert

🗓 2–3 days

Geysers, salt flats and stargazing.

AdventureHoneymoon
Santiago & Valparaíso

Santiago & Valparaíso

🗓 2 days

Capital plus a colourful port city.

CityCulture
Wine Valleys

Wine Valleys

🗓 1 day

Maipo and Casablanca vineyards.

FoodRelax
Plan day by day

Chile itineraries

Ready-made routes — tap a duration to see the plan.

Route
Torres del Paine → Atacama Desert → Santiago & Valparaíso
Trip length
5 days
Est. budget
$225 – $1,600
1–2

Torres del Paine

Patagonia's iconic granite towers.

🗓 2 days✨ Adventure · Nature
3–4

Atacama Desert

Geysers, salt flats and stargazing.

🗓 2 days✨ Adventure · Honeymoon
5

Santiago & Valparaíso

Capital plus a colourful port city.

🗓 1 day✨ City · Culture
Route
Torres del Paine → Atacama Desert → Santiago & Valparaíso → Wine Valleys
Trip length
7 days
Est. budget
$315 – $2,240
1–2

Torres del Paine

Patagonia's iconic granite towers.

🗓 2 days✨ Adventure · Nature
3–4

Atacama Desert

Geysers, salt flats and stargazing.

🗓 2 days✨ Adventure · Honeymoon
5–6

Santiago & Valparaíso

Capital plus a colourful port city.

🗓 2 days✨ City · Culture
7

Wine Valleys

Maipo and Casablanca vineyards.

🗓 1 day✨ Food · Relax
Route
Torres del Paine → Atacama Desert → Santiago & Valparaíso → Wine Valleys
Trip length
10 days
Est. budget
$450 – $3,200
1–3

Torres del Paine

Patagonia's iconic granite towers.

🗓 3 days✨ Adventure · Nature
4–6

Atacama Desert

Geysers, salt flats and stargazing.

🗓 3 days✨ Adventure · Honeymoon
7–8

Santiago & Valparaíso

Capital plus a colourful port city.

🗓 2 days✨ City · Culture
9–10

Wine Valleys

Maipo and Casablanca vineyards.

🗓 2 days✨ Food · Relax
✨ Build a custom Chile itinerary →
Visa & entry

Chile visa requirements

Visa required?
Visa-free for many
Allowed stay
Up to 90 days
Visa on arrival
N/A
eVisa
N/A
Passport validity
Valid for stay
Visa type
Visa-free
⚠️

Visa rules change frequently. Most Western nationalities enter visa-free for 90 days. Always verify with the official Chile immigration / e-visa website before travelling.

Full Chile visa guide →Use the visa checker →
Money

Chile budget guide

Budget

$45/day
  • Hostels & guesthouses
  • Local food & markets
  • Public transport
  • Free sights & nature

Luxury

$320+/day
  • 4–5★ hotels & resorts
  • Fine dining
  • Private transfers
  • Premium experiences
Full Chile budget guide →
Things to do

Top attractions in Chile

🏔️

Torres del Paine

World-class Patagonian trekking.

🌵

Atacama Desert

Moon valleys, geysers and clear skies.

🗿

Easter Island

The mysterious moai statues.

🎨

Valparaíso

Hillside street art and funiculars.

🍷

Chilean wine

Valleys near Santiago.

Get outside

Nature in Chile

All nature
Torres del Paine National Park
🌳 National Parks

Torres del Paine National Park

Patagonian icon — the three granite "Torres" spires, hanging glaciers and the W-Trek through them.

📍 Puerto Natales
W Trek (Torres del Paine)
🥾 Hiking Trails

W Trek (Torres del Paine)

A 4–5-day Patagonian classic in a W-shape between three valleys — granite spires, hanging glaciers and refugios at…

📍 Puerto Natales
Atacama Desert
🏜️ Deserts

Atacama Desert

Earth's driest non-polar desert — Mars-like valleys, salt flats, geysers at altitude and the world's clearest night skies.

📍 San Pedro de Atacama
Easter Island (Rapa Nui)
🏝️ Islands

Easter Island (Rapa Nui)

The world's most remote inhabited island, home to 887 moai statues facing the volcanic interior — one of…

📍 Hanga Roa
Las Torres Camping (Paine)
⛺ Camping Spots

Las Torres Camping (Paine)

The first base camp on the W and O treks at Torres del Paine — pitch your tent…

📍 Puerto Natales
Volcán Osorno
🌋 Volcanoes

Volcán Osorno

A near-perfect 2,652 m cone — "Fuji of South America" above Lake Llanquihue, with a ski centre on…

📍 Puerto Varas
Marble Caves (Cuevas de Mármol)
🕳️ Caves

Marble Caves (Cuevas de Mármol)

Wave-carved marble caverns reflecting the turquoise of Lago General Carrera — visited only by small boat.

📍 Puerto Río Tranquilo
Patagonia Puma Tracking
🦒 Wildlife Areas

Patagonia Puma Tracking

Multi-day puma-watching from Estancia Cerro Paine guides — over 100 pumas now habituated to people, sightings near-guaranteed.

📍 Puerto Natales
Villarrica
🌋 Volcanoes

Villarrica

One of the few active volcanoes you can hike to look into the lava lake — guided ice-axe…

📍 Pucón
Futaleufú River
🏞️ Rivers

Futaleufú River

A turquoise Patagonian river called "Big Water" by raft guides — top-five whitewater in the world, multi-day trips.

📍 Futaleufú
Ojos del Salado
⛰️ Mountains

Ojos del Salado

The world's highest volcano at 6,893 m — a non-technical climb from the Chile-Argentina border, with the world's…

📍 Copiapó
Cueva del Milodón
🕳️ Caves

Cueva del Milodón

A Patagonian cave where the remains of a giant ground sloth were found — easy walk-in 24 km…

📍 Puerto Natales
Blog

Chile travel articles

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