1 Month Chile Itinerary – Patagonia, Atacama, and Easter Island Adventure

Chile is a country of extremes. From low to high altitude, small crystals of salt to unmovable mountains, dry desert to granite spires, ancient moai to modern skyscrapers, and smallest deer huemul to widest wing-span condors, it’s hard to fathom the massive scales that are at play.

Spanning the extreme ends of this beautiful South American nation, we’ve put together a spectacular 1 month Chile itinerary that covers Patagonia in the south, the Atacama Desert in the north, and Easter Island far off into the Pacific.

Chile Trip Planning

Before we get into the itinerary itself, it makes sense to give you some context around how the trip was put together, why it’s done the way it is, and useful information on how you should tackle your own 1 month Chile itinerary.

Background Of This Itinerary

This trip came up quite last minute for us and it started with the idea of going to Chilean Patagonia and then expanding to other parts of Chile.

Ultimately, Chile’s most popular destinations are:

1. Patagonia
2. Atacama Desert
3. Easter Island

We later learned from local Chileans that this is considered to be a kind of Chilean golden triangle (not officially coined a tourism term but probably should be!).

It wasn’t the obvious choice in our planning at first but as we deliberated all of the options, it came down to these few thoughts:

• If we’re going to make the most of our month in Chile, we’d want to see the full diverse offering of the country instead of just focusing on one area.
• There’s no knowing if we’ll be going back to Chile anytime soon so we should try to see as much as we can.
• The only way to get to Easter Island is through Santiago so it just seemed like an incredible opportunity to go and possibly our only chance to make this aspirational destination a reality.
• Flying domestically with the trio of LATAM, SKY Airline, and JetSmart is quite affordable so it’s easy to travel the length of the country as long as you use Santiago as the major hub.

It’s also worth noting that we travelled to Chile right after the country re-opened from COVID so we still had to deal with PCR testing to get to Easter Island. As a result, we had to build our itinerary around some of those restrictions.

In retrospect, this itinerary turned out to be a great way to see Chile for the first time and the order worked out as well, with the most strenuous parts in the beginning, and being able to relax on Easter Island.

Sure, it’s not the only way to build a 1 month Chile itinerary but our hope is this itinerary gives you a starting point to build your own.

Who is this trip for?

This is very much an itinerary for those that love the outdoors. It’s a trip that is designed for those that like to be active and also have a sense of adventure.

That being said, it’s still an itinerary that most people can do. Yes, you’ll need to be physically fit to do some of the hikes and walks, but nothing is to the extreme degree where you need serious athletic ability.

The good thing about travel in Chile is that there are also a lot of alternatives as well. So if you don’t want to do the more challenging Base of the Towers in Torres del Paine, you can easily substitute it for a boat cruise on Lake Grey or an easy going horse ride.

For those that have concerns, here are the more challenging parts of the Chile itinerary:

• Patagonia – Glamping at Riverside Camp may not be for everyone but is an experience I recommend.
• Patagonia – If you’re not doing the W Trek like us, it’s mostly pretty easy going except the kayaking and the hike to the Base of the Towers. We found the horseback riding to be great for beginners.
• Atacama – High altitude may be factor for your day out to places the Altiplanic Lakes but beyond that, most places are easy walks from the car. The real adventure is the driving if you decide to rent a car. Places like the Lagunas Baltinache will also feel like quite the effort to get to.
• Easter Island – All of the main archeological sites are easy walks. The longest day of hiking would be if you decide to do one of the island hikes such as along the North Coast, Vai a Tare, Poike, and Terevaka Summit.

While this itinerary certainly leans towards the adventure side of things, it’s by no means unsafe or risky and that’s why we felt so comfortable travelling through Chile.

It’s ultimately a trip that everyone can do and like we’ve been saying, it’s easily one of the best trips you’ll ever do.

What We Left Out

Naturally, as you go through the itinerary, you’ll wonder why we did the trip we did. As will be similar to your trip, it’ll ultimately come down to time, money, and personal interests.

Chile may seem like a small country but when you look at the map, it really isn’t. North to South, it’s 4,300 km (2,672 miles), making it one of the longest countries in the world. If you turn it 90 degrees, it pretty much stretches between the two coasts of the United States.

We made a lot of tough choices and here’s a bit of reasoning behind them:

• Argentinian Patagonia – Mount Fitz Roy, Perito Mereno Glacier, El Chaltén, and El Calafate sounded amazing and if we only focused on Patagonia, this would’ve made a lot of sense to combine but ultimately, the allure of the Chilean golden triangle was too strong.
• Punta Arenas and Tierra del Fuego – The more research we did, the more we learned how incredible this most southern part of Chile was – think penguins and pristine nature, but like Argentina, it was hard to fit it in unless we only focused on Patagonia.
• Chiloé and the Lake District – We were definitely enticed to explore the island of Chiloé with its wildlife viewing opportunities, and the lesser known national parks that sprawl from Puerto Montt. This was very much something where it was either this or Atacama and the desert ultimately won for being something polar opposite to what we would be able to see and do in Torres del Paine.
• Valparaiso – This was such an easy add-on to our time in Santiago but the way flights were laid out, we just couldn’t fit it in the schedule. If we could somehow squeeze in another 2 days in Santiago, we definitely would’ve made it work.
• Route of the Parks of Patagonia – This is a relatively new initiative to connect 1,700 miles of landscapes, ecosystems, and cultures from Puerto Montt to Cape Horn. It includes Torres del Paine National Park but Route of the Parks shows you how there’s so much more to explore. We only learned about it after we arrived in Chile but definitely warrants inclusion on future trips.

Yes, we covered the coveted Chile golden triangle but as we learned from being in the country, there’s so much more to see, making it almost a guarantee that we’ll come back

How To Use This Itinerary

At Going Awesome Places, we pride ourselves in creating itineraries and making them as practical and useful as possible.

Similar to our 10 day Egypt itinerary, 6 day Banff in winter itinerary, 8 day Iceland itinerary, and 3 week New Zealand itinerary, we share a lot of tips and tricks that we learned from being on the ground. Make sure to read these carefully because the devil is in the details. In Chile, this is particularly true.

We also spend the time to create a custom Google map that allows you to visualize where everything is in relation to each other. This dynamic map allows you to filter each day and it’s color coded for each type of point of interest. You’ll find these in the individual itineraries.

Lastly, another invaluable part of our itineraries is the spreadsheet itinerary that you can request access for. We’ve refined our trip planning process over the years and we’ve found that being able to see an entire trip in calendar format makes things so much easier. With this, you’ll be able to use it as a building block for your trip by creating a copy.

What makes this one month Chile itinerary unique is that since we created individual itineraries for each segment of the trip, we’ll refer you to each one and their respective travel guides. We’ll still emphasize a few key things to remember about each so your trip goes as smoothly as possible.

For the purposes of this itinerary, we’re going to count the days inclusive of the start of travel day from your country and all the way to your return back home.

Remember, this just one way of doing a month in Chile!

What You Need To Know Before Planning Your Trip

Instead of cramming every last detail into this Chile itinerary, we’re in the progress of building out a Chile Travel Guide which will be able to answer questions like:

• When is the best time to go to Chile?
• How many days do you need in Chile?
• How to get to Chile?
• How much does a trip to Chile cost?
• Is Chile safe?
• What should you eat?

1 Month Chile Itinerary

These 30-ish days in Chile are truly magical and is easily on-par, if not better than other places we’ve been to such as New Zealand, Iceland, South Africa, and French Polynesia.

Day 1 – 2: The Long Journey to Patagonia

One thing you have to realize is that Patagonia is far. It is at the end of the world and southern tip of the continent. No matter where you’re coming from, you’re in for a long few days of flying.

If you’re lucky, you can grab a direct flight to Santiago. Otherwise, you’ll need to connect somewhere such as Toronto, New York, Houston, Miami, Auckland, and Barcelona. In total, it’ll take at least 2 days.

We recommend that you bite the bullet and connect all the way to either Puerto Natales. In the case that the timing doesn’t work, Punta Arenas also works but that’ll mean an additional bus transfer north just to get you to Puerto Natales.

Ideally, you’ll want to arrive in Santiago early in the morning so you can catch one of the earlier flights to Puerto Natales. This way, you can make it to Chile Nativo’s Riverside Camp just outside of Torres del Paine National Park.

You’ll just about collapse from exhaustion when you finally make it into the heart of Patagonia but trust us, it’ll be worth it!

Day 3 – 12: Torres del Paine National Park

You’ll start off your trip spending 10 incredible days in Torres del Paine National Park. From the famed granite towers, crystalline lakes, prowling pumas, well-mannered horses, delicious eats, and mammoth glaciers, the scale of everything you’ll see and do will have you in awe at every turn.

This 10 day Patagonia itinerary is broken into two segments – the first part is with Chile Nativo and the second with Hotel Las Torres.

With Chile Nativo, you’ll have a close-to-nature experience in their glamping bell-shaped tents. Their activities get you up-close to most of the highlights of Chilean Patagonia. Even if you’re not a fan of group travel, we guarantee that you will quickly bond with the travelers, guides, and driver in your group.

At Hotel Las Torres, you’ll be a bit more pampered with all of the amenities of the property and all-inclusive experience. This means that you’ll eat and drink incredibly well. You’ll also get to choose-your-own-adventure with their large menu of activities.

You’ll notice that the W Trek isn’t in here. We did this on purpose because upon further research, there were so many reasons to not do the W Trek, namely that we could see and do so much more.

For more details, start with the itinerary which has a full break out of each day and what to expect.

Whether you’re looking for alternatives, trying to make heads or tails of how Torres del Paine works, and the differences between Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas, makes sure to read our travel guide for Patagonia and Torres del Paine.

Day 13: Reset in Santiago

This is a transit day to make your way from Puerto Natales back to Santiago. This will allow you to reorganize for the next segment of your trip – the Atacama Desert.

While it’s entirely possible to catch the first flight out of Puerto Natales, connect to Calama, and then up to Calama (closest airport to San Pedro de Atacama), this is a great way to eliminate any stress of misconnecting flights and allowing you to reorganize your gear for the desert.

The truth is that, at the time, we needed to do a PCR test and it was the easiest to do it in Santiago. In the scenario that we tested positive, we’d have an official result where there was enough time in between that and our flight to Easter Island which had strict COVID entry rules. Today, it’s no longer an issue but it’s a reminder of how travel was complicated for that stretch of time.

After you arrive in Santiago, take the complimentary shuttle to the Hilton Garden Inn Santiago Airport.

TIP: The location of the shuttle is not as obvious as you’d think and they don’t always send the instructions to guests. To get to the pick up area, you first have to take an airport bus to the Patagua parking lot. The Hilton Garden Inn shuttle only comes once an hour and if you’d like to know when it’s coming next, it’s best to use message them through WhatsApp. To get the PDF of the full instructions just sign up below.

The rest of the day is pretty laid back. You’ll be able to have dinner at the hotel and breakfast is included for those that have Hilton Honors status.

Remember to book a shuttle back to the airport for the next day.

Day 14 – 19: Atacama Desert

From sentinel towers, sweeping mountain views, bobbing icebergs, and lush greenery the second leg of your 1 month in Chile will be the exact opposite. You’ll not only be flying to close to the most northern part of the country, you’ll also be going to one of the driest places on Earth, climbing up in altitude, and trading snow for salt, and lots of it.

In this part of the Chilean golden triangle, you’ll enter a region that may seem completely desolate but you’ll quickly learn is filled with geological wonders, unique experiences, and bountiful wildlife.

You’ll be spending 6 days in the Atacama Desert, the perfect amount of time in our view to see all of the major attractions without feeling incredibly rushed.

The one big difference with this Atacama itinerary is that we opted to rent a car from Europcar instead of the standard route which involves stringing together a bunch of tours together. The other option is still there but you’ll enjoy having the freedom and flexibility. The only downside is that you’ll have to get comfortable with the bumpy roads.

The San Pedro de Atacama itinerary below breaks down each day so that you’ll have a clear guide for you to follow including critical tips that you won’t want to miss.

Atacama turned out to be one of the most challenging parts of our 30-plus days in Chile because there were significant changes in how attractions operated post-pandemic.

We’ve made sure to catalog all of the significant pitfalls alongside other common questions in our travel guide.

Day 20 – 22: Santiago

So far you’ve connected through Santiago a bunch of times but you haven’t actually seen Chile’s capital yet. In between your second and third leg of the trip is as good a time as any for an urban exploration.

It’s a type of city that you’ll come into with not a lot of expectation because you just won’t know that much about it. That’s why you’ll come out of your visit with a sense of surprise for how cosmopolitan, energetic, and modern it is.

As you explore Santiago’s different neighborhoods, you’ll see quite the juxtaposition of skyscrapers and busy people in suits with beautiful examples of colonial architecture, lively local markets, and green spaces.

While we would have liked to have included Valparaiso, we opted to stick with exploring Santiago our 3 days (more like 2.5). Part of this is because we needed to get another PCR test 24 hours before departure to Easter Island thanks to the previous travel restrictions. We also met friends that lived in Santiago when we were in Patagonia and so we wanted to catch up with them over dinner.

Overall, this itinerary is a great way to be able to see some of the key highlights of the city and in our opinion is just the right amount of time.

We’re currently in the process of putting the 3 day Santiago itinerary so we don’t have it yet but all of the places we ended up visiting can be found in our spreadsheet if you sign up to become a Going Awesome Places Insider (form is earlier in the article).

Day 23 – 31: Easter Island

If you’re planning a trip to Chile, making sure you fit in Easter Island is a must. The reason we say this is because the only way you can get there is from Santiago. It’s about as exotic of an add-on to an itinerary as you can get and is very much well-worth it.

Also known as Rapa Nui, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to uncover the mystery of the cult that made it a priority to carve stone monoliths to represent important ancestors of the tribe as a way of preserving their energy and protecting their people.

While 9 days on Easter Island might seem like a lot, we couldn’t have been happier with the amount of time we spent on the island. Instead of the usual 3-5 days where tourists rush through everything, we were able to have more time to add in activities that most don’t get to do and spread things out.

Keep in mind that since this is the final leg of your 1 month Chile itinerary, fatigue will start to set in and you’ll be thankful for the slower pace of travel here.

This 9 day itinerary is allows you to maximize your time on the mysterious island.

Our ultimate guide for visiting Easter Island is an invaluable read, including all of the recent changes in Rapa Nui National Park that fundamentally change how you can see the most important moai sites.

Day 32: Heading Home

1 month in Chile seems like a long time but as you’re going through it leg by leg, you’ll realize it goes by incredibly fast.

Playing it safe, we recommend staying one night in Santiago. This way, you have a bit of buffer room if that flight from Rapa Nui to Santiago gets delayed or cancelled. Having a night in Santiago also allows you to reorganize your gear for the journey home.

Last minute, our friends from Santiago told us about Mappin, a local art company that specializes in maps. We ended up ordering a framed Chilean Winter Summer map online and had it shipped to our hotel, One Nk Apartments. This makes a lot of sense for your final day in Chile.

Depending on when your outbound flight is, you might have time to squeeze in something in Santiago before catching a private transfer back to the airport.

Is 1 Month in Chile Too Much?

We don’t think so! In fact, there is easily a case for a longer trip to be able to see more of Chile.

That said, we recognize that it’s hard to put together this many vacation days. A full month is often the limit to what most people can pull off and so this 30 or so days in Chile including transit time is enough to comfortably see 4 main areas – Patagonia, Atacama, Easter Island, and Santiago without feeling extremely rushed.

1 month in Chile is just right for the amount that you get to see and do but I can see a case for tightening up each leg if you want to pack in the schedule. If you do, it’s possible to get this down to 3 weeks.

This is one of those personal preferences in travel, how much time off you can afford, and your budget.

How else could you tweak this Chile itinerary?

There are so many different ways of traveling through Chile. If you’re looking for ways to adjust the itinerary, we have a few broad stroke ideas.

• Shorten each major leg – If you’re tight on time, you could shorten Easter Island closer to the standard 4-5 days, bring Atacama down to something similar, and Patagonia down to 7 days. This would allow you to reduce the trip length or allow you to fit in more.
• Expand time in Patagonia – Out of every spot, Patagonia is somewhere that we felt could’ve easily used more time. Argentinian Patagonia is noticeably absent, there’s Tierra del Fuego, or you could look into something like the Australias cruise between Ushuaia to Punta Arenas or vice versa.
• Add a major leg – If you negotiate time away from other parts or add time on your trip, I’d look into seeing the Lake District by starting in Puerto Montt, or you could focus on Chiloé (and perhaps stay at the superb Tierra Chiloé)
• Focus on two legs – Limited on time but want to have an impactful trip to Chile? If that’s the case, we’d recommend Patagonia and Easter Island.

How Much Does This Chile Itinerary Cost

A question we often get from readers is “how much?”. It’s a valid question and so when we travel, we are much diligtent in tracking our expenses so that we can analyze them post-trip. You’ll find them included in most of our recent itineraries.

As you’ve seen from our itinerary, you can get a pretty good gauge for the type of travelers we are. We aren’t backpackers looking to do everything on a budget and we definitely aren’t at the luxury end either.

We’d like to think we’re somewhere in the middle of the pack. We look for deals and save money where we can but also are willing to spend on good food and experiences.

Actual itinerary costs

Here’s what we actually spent (prices are converted to USD) and for two people:

Expense	Cost (USD)
Activities	$6,056.81
Accommodations	$5,632
Flight	$4,499
Food	$1,307
Transportation	$1,012.46
Tips	$837
Souvenirs	$310
Communication	$46.01
Banking	$10
Supplies	$8
TOTAL	$19,711

Trip cost per person = $9,855 USD

This breaks down to $308 USD per person per day.

Is Chile expensive?

There’s no denying that those numbers above are pretty big. In fact, it is definitely one of the more expensive trips we’ve done.

To put it in perspective though, our 3 weeks in New Zealand came out to a daily average of $353 USD per person while 10 days in Egypt came out to $204 USD per person (skewed because international flights weren’t included).

When we look at the breakdown by region, you can see that the most expensive parts of the trip were Patagonia and Easter Island. Keep in mind that Santiago’s numbers are inflated because we categorized our international flight into Chile in there.

So is Chile expensive? It can be. While flights are a part of it, it’s the cost of the experiences that add up.

The better question is, “is Chile worth it?”. That’s when we say a resounding “YES!”.

Closing Thoughts

For years, our 2 weeks in Peru was really the only other time we’ve been to South America. It was about damn time to see other parts of it and I’m so glad that we got to do our epic tour of Chile.

In the initial stage of planning, it all felt a little overwhelming. Beyond the big names of a few places I’ve heard about over the years, I just had no knowledge of how any of Patagonia, Atacama, and Easter Island worked. Throw in how business is run in Latin America (i.e. the reliance of WhatsApp over website or e-mail) and I was a hot mess putting it all together.

Thanks to the expertise of folks like Chile Nativo, Hotel Las Torres, and Green Island Tours, we were able to rely on them to help guide us through the more difficult parts of the trip. Atacama presented its own set of challenges as a self-drive trip but luckily we ran into some helpful people while we were there.

The wild adventure of Chile is what we remember from this month.

Once we got past the challenges of planning, this 1 month Chile itinerary was an adventure of a lifetime that characterized how different every corner of the Chile golden triangle is. Each part of Easter Island, Patagonia, and Atacama were brilliant in their own way.

It’s a trip that almost feels like you’re doing a round-the-world trip without having to leave the country.

Chile is incredible and now is the best time to go.

Frequently Asked Questions

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So there you have a full month in Chile – our longest itinerary yet. If you have any questions about putting together your own Chile itinerary and are interested in covering Patagonia, Easter Island, San Pedro de Atacama, and Santiago, make sure to drop us a comment!