Chile
Four cities I explored, three routes that actually work, and the practical page. I wish someone had handed me that the first time.
Updated September 2026
What nobody tells you before you land
Chile is a 4,000-km ribbon: it takes as long to fly from Santiago to Patagonia as it does to cross a continent. Most people give the whole country a week and see none of it well. The trick is to pair the centre — Santiago and the coast — with one long trip south, and to give the south the days it deserves.
Santiago is where the flights connect, and Valparaíso is an hour away — so the centre is easy to string together. Then it's a flight to Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine, which is the reason most people come.
Fact sheet
Everything practical, on one page
Itineraries
Three routes that actually work
Seven days is the centre plus the base of the towers. Fourteen adds the desert north and the lake district — the fuller Chile most people never reach.
Santiago, a day on the coast, then straight to the base of the towers and the lookout walks — the essential week, and the trip I actually did.
More time in Santiago and on the coast, and enough days in Torres del Paine to add the lookouts and boat trips at a calm pace.
The one I'd build if I went back: the driest desert on earth in the north, the volcanoes and lakes of Pucón, and the towers in the south.
City guides
Four cities, walked one street at a time
Santiago
The Andes at the end of every street — Bellavista, the markets, and a cable car up San Cristóbal.
2–3 days · Coming soonValparaíso
Bohemian hills of painted houses, funiculars, street art and poetry.
1 day · Coming soonViña del Mar
Valparaíso's polished neighbour — beaches, gardens and the seaside promenade.
1 day · Coming soonTorres del Paine
The three granite towers up close — the base lookout, the boat trips and the wildest weather in Patagonia.
2–4 days · Coming soonAsked every week
Questions I get about Chile
How many days do I need?+
Seven for the centre plus a first taste of Torres del Paine. Ten lets you walk the W trek properly; fourteen is the full O circuit with the centre taken slowly.
Do I need to book Torres del Paine ahead?+
Yes — the refugios and campsites on the W and O sell out months ahead for the Dec–Feb summer. Book the park entry and beds before you book flights.
When should I go?+
Remember the seasons are flipped. Dec–Feb (summer) is the window for Patagonia; Oct–Mar is fine for Santiago and the coast, when it's warm and dry.
Is it safe?+
Chile is one of the calmest countries in South America. Use normal city sense in Santiago and Valparaíso — watch your bag on the hills — and Patagonia is as safe as it gets.
The podcast
I walked this before I wrote it
Every guide starts as an episode. Listen to the Chile introduction — the context, the history and the honest bits — then come back for the routes.