Chile tours & vacations

Chile’s substantial length ensures the climate is incredibly varied. From deserts and coastlines to glaciers and wine regions, Chile has it all. The best time to visit really depends on the activities you’d like to do.

For hiking and horseback riding in Chilean Patagonia, the summer months of November to February offer the best conditions to explore, with plenty of daylight and tame weather (though it's best to be prepared for any and all conditions in Patagonia!). Summer is also the prime time to visit the Atacama Desert as warm day and night temperatures lend themselves to hiking its lunar-like terrain.

For snow hounds, winter (June to August) is where it's at. Thick powder blankets the slopes around Santiago, creating great conditions for skiing and snowboarding.

Autumn, which coincides with harvest season, is a great time to indulge in Chile’s world-renowned drops in Casablanca, Colchagua and Maipo valleys, while spring offers a good mix of mild-ish temperatures and smaller crowds.

Learn more about the best time to visit Chile

With the Andes on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other, Chile’s geographic isolation has resulted in a distinct national identity. About 95 per cent of Chileans share a mixture of European (predominantly Spanish) and Indigenous ancestry. 

For many, being Chilean often means celebrating huaso (Chilean cowboy) culture, going to rodeos, dancing the cueca (Chile’s national dance performed in traditional huaso clothing), eating empanadas and drinking pisco. 

Spanish is the national language, though Chileans tend to speak fast, drop consonants and litter their speech with a healthy dose of chilenismos (Chilean slang). 

Life is centred around the family with frequent get-togethers to share food in good company. More than half of Chileans are Roman Catholics and there’s a growing number (estimated at 25 per cent of the population) who are ‘unaffiliated’ – choosing not to identify with a religion. 

While many Chileans are traditional in their views, the younger generations are challenging cultural norms and politics is often a passionate topic among youths. 

Chile is a land of dramatic geographical characteristics, most noticeably its incredible length. As one of the world's longest, narrowest countries – measuring 4270 kilometres long, yet only 445 kilometres wide – Chile covers a massive geographic scale that includes a variety of landscapes and an impressive coastline.

Straddled by the epic Andes, this gigantic mountain range acts as a natural border with Argentina in the east, while the Pacific Ocean – including the remote Chilean territory of Easter Island – forms the western coastline.

The capital and largest city, Santiago, lies inland, roughly in the centre of the country. Further north, Chile shares a border with Peru and Bolivia, as well as the largest section of the parched Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. 

South of Santiago, Chile unfolds into the wilderness playground of Patagonia, a largely uninhabited, prehistoric landscape made up of mountains, forests, lakes and glacial fjords.

Potatoes, corn and quinoa are staple ingredients in Chilean cuisine. The country’s extensive coastline provides an array of seafood and there are many marisquerias (fish restaurants) where you can try everything from picorocos (barnacles) to erizos (sea urchin) and, of course, ceviche. 

Chileans also love their meat. Like in Brazil and Argentina, a leisurely asado (barbeque) is a cherished tradition. Held in a backyard or a specially equipped park, asados can last for hours and always feature lots of grilled beef, pork, sausages, lamb and Chilean wine. If you don’t get invited to an asado by a local, head to a parrillada (barbeque restaurant) instead.

Here are some must-try Chilean foods and drinks: 

1. Mote con huesillo

Dried peaches and husked wheat are stewed in a sugary syrup to create Chile’s favourite summertime treat. Served with ice, it’s the perfect reward after a long day of exploring.  

2. Pastel de choclo

A hearty Andean pie of ground beef or chicken and vegetables topped with pureed sweet corn. 

3. Cazuela

The perfect dish to warm your bones on a cold day, cazuela is a thin stew of chicken or beef with corn on the cob, potatoes, pumpkin and noodles. Do as the locals and drink the broth first. 

4. Humitas

These corn cakes are a mix of ground corn, butter, eggs, cheese and seasoning steamed in corn husks. They’re popular in other South American countries, too, but in Chile, they’re typically eaten with a tomato and onion salad. 

5. Empanadas de pino

Empanadas are a mainstay across South America, but the classic Chilean version, empanadas de pino, is a mix of ground beef, onions, hard-boiled eggs, black olives and raisins. They’re also square-shaped and bigger than other empanadas. 

6. Pisco sour

Both Peru and Chile claim the origins of the Pisco sour, but either way, the drink is deeply ingrained in Chilean culture. Pisco, a type of grape brandy, is shaken with lime juice and sugar syrup and poured over ice into a stemmed glass. It’s extra delicious in the summer.

With so much on offer in Chile, from glacier trekking to wine tasting, it can be hard to choose which places to visit. Here are a few highlights to consider.

1. Santiago

Santiago is Chile's alluring capital. Set in a circle of snow-capped peaks, it’s also a stone's throw from outdoor adventures (if you can ever leave, that is). From grand buildings in artsy neighbourhoods to a brilliant food and nightclub scene, Santiago tops many travellers’ ‘favourite South American city’ list.

2. Valparaiso

With its colour-popping buildings, mural-filled streets and laneways lined with cafes, bars and galleries, Valparaiso is Chile's creative capital. Sip pisco sours on rooftops in the historic centre, chat with local artists or visit a restaurant credited with the invention of chorrillana, a traditional bar dish of fries topped with beef strips, sauteed onions and eggs.

3. Patagonia

Chile and Argentina both stake a claim over Patagonia – and it's no wonder when the region is made up of rolling grasslands flanked by snow-clad peaks, beech-fringed lakes and giant glaciers. Patagonia was practically made for adventuring.

4. San Pedro de Atacama

Welcome to the driest town on earth. San Pedro de Atacama is also home to some of Chile's – and probably South America’s – most dramatic landscapes, from hissing geysers to volcanoes and salt flats. Go sandboarding in the dunes, hike through the aptly named Valle de la Luna or lose yourself in the desert’s ridiculously clear night skies.

Credit cards are widely accepted in Chile’s large cities and towns but may not be accepted by smaller vendors such as family restaurants and market stalls in rural areas. Ensure you carry enough cash in case credit cards aren't an option.

ATMs are widely available throughout Chile, so withdrawing cash shouldn't be a problem. However, some smaller villages and rural areas may not have ATM access, so prepare for this before venturing too far from a city or major town.