Chile runs 4,300 kilometers from the Atacama Desert in the north — the driest non-polar place on earth — to the sub-Antarctic channels in the south. In between: Easter Island in the Pacific, some of the finest wine in the Southern Hemisphere, Patagonian ice fields larger than Switzerland, and the granite towers of Torres del Paine. No single country I've visited has compressed this much geographic variety into one itinerary. These are the five things I'd build any Chile trip around.
Torres del Paine's W Trek — four days worth every blister
Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia contains three granite towers — the Torres — that rise nearly 3,000 meters above the surrounding steppe. The W Trek, a four-to-five day hike through the park, passes the base of the towers, the Grey Glacier, the French Valley, and across the Cuernos del Paine. The weather changes every hour. The refugio system (staffed mountain huts with beds and meals) makes the trek accessible without camping gear. Book the refugios six months ahead — they fill. The sunrise on the final morning at the Torres base, the lake below turning from black to pink to gold as the light reaches the granite face, is the single finest moment I've had in Chile.
Atacama Desert at sunset and midnight — two completely different experiences
The Atacama gets less than 1mm of rain per year in some areas. The dryness has preserved geological formations, salt flats, and geysers with a clarity you don't see elsewhere. Valle de la Luna at sunset — when the rock and salt formations turn gold, then pink, then purple — is one of the stranger landscapes I've stood in. Come back after midnight: at 2,400 meters with no humidity and no light pollution, the stargazing is consistently ranked among the best on earth. The European Southern Observatory is here for exactly that reason. SPACE Atacama and Atacama Astronomers both run good guided night sessions.
Easter Island — the moai at Ahu Tongariki at dawn
Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is 3,700 kilometers into the Pacific — the most remote inhabited island on earth. The 15 moai at Ahu Tongariki, restored after a 1960 tsunami toppled them, face inland with their backs to the sea. At dawn, rising sun behind you lighting their faces with the volcanic crater of Rano Raraku — the quarry where they were carved — behind them on the hillside, what the Rapa Nui people built without metal tools or draft animals becomes very hard to wrap your head around. Fly direct from Santiago (5 hours). Stay three nights minimum — the island has more going on than the one famous site.
Valparaíso — the most colorful city in South America
Valparaíso, 90 minutes from Santiago, is a port city built on 42 cerros above a Pacific bay, buildings painted every color, connected by century-old funicular elevators called ascensores. The street art here is serious — entire hillsides turned into murals by artists who've been working here for decades. The Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción neighborhoods now have a strong food scene. Pablo Neruda's La Sebastiana house-museum, on a hill with panoramic bay views, is worth two hours. Stay the night — Valparaíso is a completely different place after dark.
Carretera Austral — the most scenic drive in the Americas
The Carretera Austral runs 1,240 kilometers south from Puerto Montt through Chilean Patagonia — fjords, glaciers, hanging valleys, small fishing communities that feel like the rest of the world doesn't exist. It ends at Villa O'Higgins, where you can continue by boat into Argentine Patagonia. Long sections are unpaved; you need high clearance. The landscapes around Queulat National Park's hanging glacier and Cochrane's turquoise river are the best I've seen from a car window. This is the road trip I'd make with two weeks and a 4x4.
Chile is large enough that you cannot see all of it on a single trip — the distances between Atacama, Santiago, and Patagonia require internal flights and serious planning. Pick one or two regions and go deep rather than touching all of it. The country rewards time and specificity.
Written by
Eric
Co-founder of Memorable Travel & Adventures. Eric has personally traveled to over 50 countries across six continents. He plans trips to all of them.
