South America
Chile
From the driest desert on earth to the granite towers of Patagonia, along one long, thin country.
Chile stretches 4,300 kilometres from the Atacama Desert to Tierra del Fuego, so most backpackers pick a few highlights and fly between them. San Pedro de Atacama has salt lakes, geysers and some of the clearest night skies anywhere.
Further south, the lakes and volcanoes around Pucón lead to Chiloé and then Patagonia, where the W Trek in Torres del Paine is the big hike. Chile costs more than its neighbours, so cook in hostels and travel by bus.
Good to know
- Time zone
- GMT-4, GMT-3 in summer (Patagonia stays on GMT-3 all year)
- Plugs
- Types C and L, 220V
- Emergency numbers
- 133 police, 131 ambulance, 132 fire
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Traffic drives on the
- Right
- Tipping
- Restaurants suggest a 10% propina on the bill, and most people pay it.
- SIM cards
- An Entel or WOM prepaid SIM costs a couple of thousand pesos, and around 10,000 pesos buys plenty of data for a few weeks.
When to go to Chile
Best months to go: November to March. Pick a month to see what it’s like.
Bars show rainfall; numbers are the average daytime high. Amber marks the best months to go.
September
Spring arrives. Fiestas Patrias on 18 September means barbecues and busy buses.
- Daytime high
- 19°C
- Rainfall
- 20 mm
- Crowds
- Busy
| Month | Daytime high | Rainfall | Crowds | Best time to go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30°C | 1 mm | Peak season | Yes |
| February | 30°C | 2 mm | Peak season | Yes |
| March | 27°C | 4 mm | Busy | Yes |
| April | 23°C | 12 mm | Quiet | No |
| May | 18°C | 45 mm | Quiet | No |
| June | 15°C | 75 mm | Quiet | No |
| July | 15°C | 70 mm | Busy | No |
| August | 17°C | 45 mm | Quiet | No |
| September | 19°C | 20 mm | Busy | No |
| October | 23°C | 12 mm | Quiet | No |
| November | 26°C | 8 mm | Busy | Yes |
| December | 29°C | 3 mm | Peak season | Yes |
What Chile costs
Work out a budget for your trip, then check what everyday things cost.
$826for 14 days, about $59 a day (CLP 785,000 in total)
| Cost | Per day | For the trip | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | $20 | $280 | |
| Food and drink | $15 | $210 | |
| Getting around | $10 | $140 | |
| Things to do | $10 | $140 | |
| Everything else | $4 | $56 |
Per person, in US dollars. Flights and insurance not included.
What things cost
- Menú del día, a set lunchCLP 8,000, about $8.42
- Completo hot dogCLP 3,000, about $3.16
- Empanada de pinoCLP 2,500, about $2.63
- Pisco sour in a barCLP 6,000, about $6.32
- Hostel dorm bed in SantiagoCLP 18,000, about $19
- Bus from Santiago to ValparaísoCLP 6,000, about $6.32
- Santiago metro ride at peak timesCLP 870, about $0.92
Routes through Chile
Where to go and how long to stay, for the time you’ve got.
14 nights, 5 stops
The two big extremes of Chile, desert and Patagonia, linked by domestic flights through Santiago.
Santiago
2 nights
Climb Cerro San Cristóbal and eat at the Mercado Central.
Valparaíso
2 nights
Street art, old funiculars and hillside bars above the port.
San Pedro de Atacama
4 nights
Salt lagoons, the Valle de la Luna at sunset and the El Tatio geysers at dawn.
Puerto Natales
2 nights
Hire gear, buy food and catch the bus into the park.
Torres del Paine
4 nights
Hike the W Trek past glaciers and lakes to the base of the towers.
Getting around
Bus
$20–60 for a long overnight trip
Turbus and Pullman run comfortable semi-cama and cama buses the length of the country.
Flight
$40–120 one way
Sky, JetSMART and LATAM save days of travel, especially to Calama and Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales. Watch the bag fees.
Ferry
Around $2 for the crossing to Chiloé
Short car ferries cross to Chiloé and along the Carretera Austral. Longer scenic ferries through the fjords cost several hundred dollars.
Walk
$50–100 a night for camping and meals on the W Trek
Campsites and refugios in Torres del Paine must be booked ahead, and rangers check your reservations.
What to eat and drink
Completo
A hot dog piled with avocado, tomato and a lot of mayonnaise.
CLP 3,000, about $3.16
Empanada de pino
A baked pastry with minced beef, onion, egg and an olive.
CLP 2,500, about $2.63
Pastel de choclo
A sweetcorn pie over beef and chicken, baked in a clay dish. A summer favourite.
CLP 9,000, about $9.47
Chorrillana
A mountain of chips topped with beef, onions and fried eggs, made for sharing in Valparaíso.
CLP 14,000, about $15
Curanto
Shellfish, meat and potato dumplings cooked in a pit on Chiloé.
CLP 15,000, about $16
Terremoto
Sweet white wine with pineapple ice cream. The name means earthquake, and it earns it.
CLP 4,000, about $4.21
Say it like a local
A few words go a long way. Tap “Hear it” to listen, where your browser can.
Hello
Hola
Say it like: oh-lah
Thank you
Gracias
Say it like: grah-see-ahs
How much is it?
¿Cuánto vale?
Say it like: kwan-toh vah-leh
Yes, of course
Sí po
Say it like: see poh
Do you get it?
¿Cachai?
Say it like: kah-chai
How cool!
¡Qué bacán!
Say it like: keh bah-kan
The bill, please
La cuenta, por favor
Say it like: lah kwen-tah por fah-vor
Cheers!
¡Salud!
Say it like: sah-lood
Questions travellers ask
How far ahead should I book Torres del Paine?
For December to February, book campsites or refugios as soon as they open, often months ahead. You cannot hike the W or O circuits without reservations, and you also need a park ticket bought online.
How do I save money in Chile?
Cook in hostel kitchens, eat the set lunch menú del día and take overnight buses. Supermarkets like Líder and Jumbo are much cheaper than restaurants.
Can I get from Bolivia to Chile on a salt flats tour?
Yes. Most three-day tours from Uyuni can drop you at the border, where a transfer takes you down to San Pedro de Atacama. It also works in reverse.
Is Santiago safe?
Neighbourhoods like Lastarria, Bellavista and Providencia are fine with normal care. Phone snatching is common, so keep it out of sight on the street and on the metro.
Do I need to understand Chilean Spanish?
Chileans speak fast, drop the ends of words and use a lot of slang, so it can be hard at first even if you know some Spanish. People are patient if you ask them to slow down.