Home to the imposing Andes mountains, glaciers, volcanoes, archaeological mystery borne of unexplained civilisations, the world’s driest desert and remote islands that inspired one of the best-known marooned sailor legends, Chile is a fascinating, unique land of diversity and extremes.
Experience a land of spectacular nature and diversity with tours in Chile
Tours in Chile begin and end in either Santiago or Valparaiso, and include city tours in Santiago, Valparaíso and Punta Arenas with knowledgeable local guides, organised expedition cruises to glaciers, licensed guides for tours of Easter Island, and equipment for camping accommodation.
Travellers on tours in Chile also enjoy the best possible experience of one of Chile’s most unique attractions, Torres Del Paine National Park, with guided trekking options and experienced mountain guides ensuring safety – and leading you to the best views!
Optional excursions on tourism Chile packages include scenic flights, activity sports, wine tours, visits to thermal springs and bike rental.
If your taste for adventure is not satisfied by Chile alone, there are plenty of options that combine Argentina, Peru and Brazil, tours that include trips to Antarctica, and specialised Easter Island tours to be found in tour comparison Santiago Chile.
Ready to plan your trip? Compare holiday packages Chile and find the right itinerary for you.
Want a taste of that insider Chile tourism knowledge we mentioned before? We have collected the best facts from real life tour guides. Impress them on tour with how much you already know.
- Chile is a narrow country occupying a 4,300 km2 area in South America, bordered by the Andes Mountains to the east.
- Chile is home to extraordinary natural attractions like the world’s driest desert, Atacama Desert, the sand dunes of Cerro Dragón, the striking Valley of the Moon, the National Park of Torres Del Paine, the green lake in Laguna Verde, Perito Moreno glacier, the beach destination of Bahía Inglesa, hiking at Volcán Villarrica, the archipelago of Chiloé, and the Juan Fernández/Robinson Crusoe islands.
- Notable cities and towns to visit include ramshackle city by the sea Valparaíso, capital Santiago, lakeside activities town Pucón, southern cruise port Puerto Montt, and the tourist resorts of Algarrobo and Iquique.
- Remote Easter Island is the site of one of archaeology’s greatest mysteries, with more than 800 enormous stone figures made by the Rapa Nui civilisation. The sheer size of the monuments means the method employed for their construction is yet to be understood.
- San Rafael Glacier, situated in the Northern Patagonian Ice Field, is the closest tidewater glacier to the equator.
- Punta Arenas is the capital of Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena, Chile’s southernmost region, and is home to tip-of-the-world Magellanic penguin rookeries.
- Chile’s premier wine region, the Colchagua Valley, features a trail of wineries perfect for a day of tasting.
- Chile is considered the global leader in astronomy, with almost 50% of the world’s infrastructure – expected to increase to 70% by 2020. The dry, clear skies at the Coquimbo observatories make it a perfect spot to stargaze.
- The Juan Fernández Islands are located 670km off Chile’s coast, and are comprised of three main islands: Robinson Crusoe, Alejandro Selkirk and Santa Clara. Robinson Crusoe is thought to be the inspiration for the classic novel by Daniel Defoe, as Scotsman Alexander Selkirk spent four years marooned there after choosing to leave the Cinque Ports ship, which he judged correctly to be unseaworthy.
- Notable Chilean Presidents include Augusto Pinochet, Salvador Allende, Sebastian Pinera and Michelle Bachelet.
- Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda, artist Claudio Bravo and poet Gabriela Mistral are all from Chile.
- Football coach Manuel Pellegrini, football players Marcelo Salas and Iván Zamorano, and tennis’ Marcelo Rios are some of Chile’s biggest sports starts.
- Chile’s musical contributions include the impressive Parra musical family, band Los Hermanos Campos, and singers Jorge González Ríos and Myriam Hernández.
- Chile is home to the largest population of Palestinians outside of Palestine.
- Chile’s mining industry is focused on copper, gold, silver, molybdenum, iron and coal, and was the subject of international attention when San Jose Mine collapsed in 2010 with 33 miners inside – all of whom were rescued after a 69-day ordeal.
- Some of Chile’s best-known locally produced products include Lapis lazuli precious stones and dyed horsehair jewellery.
Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC
