Tours in Chile
Chile is brimming with vast expanses of natural beauty, from Patagonia’s aquamarine glacial crags to its barren, hyper-arid desert plateaus: this is a land of extremes, with incredible vistas that will leave you speechless.
Embark on our Atacama Desert Expedition to witness Chile’s volcanic rock formations and watch as boiling geysers spray thick pillars of steam into the air. Begin your tour in the Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world, with its deep valleys and panoramas of unforgiving terrain. Explore the vast and extensive salt flats of Salar de Atacama that crackle at sundown, sparsely populated with flamingos and mountain goats, before bathing in the hot spring waters of the El Tatio geothermals.
Our Deserts, Glaciers and Lakes tour is ideal if you’re seeking an experience that combines wildlife and culture. Your adventure starts with the vibrant art scene of Santiago de Chile – a sprawling metropolis of high-rises and glass that reflect the bold Chile’s mountain ranges – before journeying on to see the aptly named Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) at sunset. Indulge your active side with a visit to the spectacular Torres del Paine National Park, home to the vivid blue hues of Grey Lake, cascading waterfalls, verdant forests teeming with rare wildlife such as the puma, red fox and Andean condor, and shimmering azure lakes that stretch for miles.
Atacama Desert Expedition Tour
Covering a long strip of land in the far north of Chile, west of the Andes Mountains, lays the Atacama Desert. Virtually rainless and arguably the driest desert in the world, this is no ordinary notorious desert scenery but is...
Escorted tours
The Best of Argentina & Chile
Guide Price £4,099 pp
For glaciers, icebergs, snow-capped mountains, lakes, waterfalls and forests, take a Patagonia Discovery tour. Beginning in the Argentinean Tango capital of Buenos Aires, you will have time to explore, sample its fine steak and visit a working ranch. Continue on...
Couples Holidays
The Best of Chile
Chile lies on an extremely rich and unique landscape. Situated between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean it is home to abundant forests and fantastic glaciers. Join us on this fascinating tour to discover the glaciers and lakes that make...
Adventure holidays
Santiago Wine Tour
This tour takes off from Santiago towards the south, driving through the plains of the Maipo Valley, which collects the river's torrents that come from the Andes, bringing melted rich snow, oxygen and minerals that generously irrigate the wines planted...
Cultural holidays
The Best of Argentina & Chile 2020
For glaciers, icebergs, snow-capped mountains, lakes, waterfalls and forests, take a Patagonia Discovery tour. Beginning in the Argentinean Tango capital of Buenos Aires, you will have time to explore, sample its fine steak and visit a working ranch. Continue on...
Escorted tours
Easter Island Tour
Guide Price £729 pp
One of the world's most famous yet least visited archaeological sites and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Easter Island or Rapa Nui to the locals, holds a very special mystery and magic. The most remote yet still inhabited island in...
Escorted tours
Expert Tips
Nick
Senior Destination Manager
“Chilean street food is unbeatable. Tuck into delicious sopaipillas – fried pumpkin bread that can be enjoyed sweet or savoury, with fresh salsa or dessert syrup. Meat-lovers should try the huge completos hot dogs and anticuchos grilled meat skewers, readily available across most street corners in Santiago.”
Christie
Destination Executive
“Thrill-seekers should experience sandboarding down the dunes in Atacama Desert. After a brief tutorial, you’ll be whizzing down the sands at blistering speeds – such a rush.”
Martyn
Destination Manager
“Visit the El Taito at sunrise for a truly unique and magical way to experience the power of the geysers. The plumes of boiling steam against the rising sun make for a fantastic photos.”
Frequently Asked Questions
The official currency of Chile is the Chilean peso, which is divided into 100 centésimos. You may hear locals colloquially refer to certain denominations as the following:
- Gamba – 100 pesos
- Quina – 500 pesos
- Luca – 1000 pesos
At the forefront of Chilean cuisine are stews and broths, cooked in cazuelas (a large cooking dish) and pies. Below are a few examples:
- Pastel de choclo is a thick, deep dish pie consisting of a bottom layer of stewed beef mince, onions and seasoning, vegetables and chicken, with a top layer of basil and fresh corn
- Empanadas, filled with minced meat or seafood, onions, olives and hard-boiled eggs, either fried or baked in a wood-burning oven
- Completos – a Chilean hot dog – coated with avocado, tomatoes, cheese, and a generous helping of mayonnaise
The official language of Chile is Spanish. This varies from standard Castilian Spanish, so it is advisable that you bring a Chilean Spanish phrasebook, rather than a standard Spanish phrasebook.
The wildly contrasting landscapes of Chile offer a whole host of activities and places to visit, your trip will combine intensely blue glaciers, strange volcanic rock formations, ethereal valleys and a plethora of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Why you'll love Chile...
• Sandboarding down the dunes
• Witnessing the force of the El Taito geysers
• Exploring the many landscapes of Torres del Paine National Park
• Spotting flamingos at the vast salt pans of Salar de Atacama
• Discovering the other-worldly Valle de la Luna
• Hopping over to Easter Island to see the mysterious giant statues
• Wandering through deserted mining towns in the Andes
• Sampling the delicious street food of Santiago
• Bathing in natural hot springs
• Trekking across the bizarre rock formations of the Atacama Desert
• Admiring the impossibly blue glaciers at Grey Lake
Did you know?
• The Atacama Desert is so dry it’s been used by NASA to prototype Mars rovers; parts of the desert have no record of rainfall in their history.
• The San Alfonso del Mar Resort in Chile is home to the world’s largest and deepest swimming pool – at over 1000 metres long and 11.5 feet deep, it’s bigger than 19 Olympic pools.
• Due to an overwhelming number of reports of UFO sightings, the Chilean town of San Clemente opened a ‘UFO trail’ through the Andes spanning 19 miles.
