Chile travel guide

Getting there

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.

Best time to visit: Nov–Mar for Patagonia and the south; Sep–Nov and Mar–May for Santiago and wine country.

Tougher months: No bad time - June-August is cold and wet in the south but brings skiing near Santiago, and the Atacama is visitable all year.

Weather by month in Santiago

• 30°J
• 30°F
• 28°M
• 23°A
• 18°M●
• 15°J●●
• 15°J●●
• 17°A●
• 19°S●
• 23°O
• 26°N
• 29°D

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: America/Coyhaique, America/Punta_Arenas, America/Santiago, Pacific/Easter. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 93 of 198 other passports can enter Chile without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 0 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 105 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Chile (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-08-19). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Chile travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Chile are based around Santiago, Valparaíso or San Pedro de Atacama. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$45–70 for a backpacker and US$110–200 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Chile page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: C, L. Voltage: 220 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +56.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Santiago (Central · capital): A modern capital ringed by the Andes, with lively neighbourhoods, museums and easy access to wine valleys.
• Valparaíso (Central coast · UNESCO port): A bohemian port city of steep hills, street art and historic elevators.
• San Pedro de Atacama (Far north · desert): An adobe oasis town for salt flats, lagoons, geysers and the Valley of the Moon.
• Torres del Paine National Park (Patagonia · trekking): Chile's most famous park, with dramatic peaks, glaciers and abundant wildlife.
• Easter Island (Rapa Nui) (Pacific · Polynesian heritage): A remote island of giant stone statues, volcanic craters and Polynesian culture.
• Pucón (Lake District · adventure): A lakeside base for volcano climbs, hot springs, rafting and forest hikes.
• Chiloé (South · island culture): A green archipelago known for wooden churches, seafood and folklore.
• Carretera Austral (Aysén · road trip): A remote road through rainforests, fjords and glaciers, including the Marble Caves of General Carrera Lake.

Things to do

• Trek Torres del Paine. Hike the W Trek past granite towers, turquoise lakes and grinding glaciers in Patagonia.
• Stargaze in the Atacama. Join an astronomy tour under some of the clearest, darkest skies on the planet.
• Watch geysers at dawn. Head up to El Tatio before sunrise to see steam columns rising against the Andes.
• Get lost in Valparaíso. Ride old funiculars up hillsides painted with murals and colourful houses.
• Meet the moai. Watch the sun rise behind the fifteen statues of Ahu Tongariki on Easter Island.
• Taste wine in the valleys. Sample Carménère and other wines in the Colchagua, Casablanca or Maipo valleys.
• Climb a volcano. Make a guided ascent of Villarrica from Pucón and peer into its smoking crater.
• Island-hop Chiloé. See wooden UNESCO-listed churches and stilt houses on this misty island of myths.

Source: full Chile guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Pastel de choclo – sweet corn and meat pie
• Empanada de pino – baked pastry with beef, onion and olive
• Curanto – seafood and meat cooked in a pit on Chiloé
• Pisco sour – national cocktail with lime and grape brandy

Source: RoamSun Chile guide

Talk

Twenty basic Spanish phrases with a simple sound guide. Say them slowly; a smile does the rest.

Basic phrases: pronunciation is approximate and the list has not yet been reviewed by a native speaker. Capital letters mark the stressed syllable where that applies. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Money and safety

Currency: Chilean peso (CLP). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: About 10% in restaurants; it is often suggested on the bill..

Emergency numbers: 133 police · 131 ambulance · 132 fire.

• The currency is the Chilean peso; cards are widely accepted in cities, but carry cash in small towns and on Easter Island.
• ATMs are common in cities, though some charge foreign card fees and may limit withdrawals.
• Chile is one of the safer countries in South America, but pickpocketing and bag snatching occur in Santiago and Valparaíso.
• Chile is earthquake-prone - learn the safety advice in your accommodation and follow tsunami evacuation signs on the coast.

Source: RoamSun Chile facts