12 Days in Chile Itinerary: San Pedro de Atacama, Puerto Natales & Torres del Paine
For the third country stop in my backward “J” trek around South America, I give you Chile. This is my 12 days in Chile itinerary featuring everything from where I went to budget and packing recommendations.
The longest and narrowest country in the world covers a lot of climates – from the desert to the mountains of Patagonia and beyond to many glaciers – allowing for a lot to be explored.
Days 1–5: San Pedro de Atacama
My first stop on my 12 days in Chile itinerary was the San Pedro De Atacama Desert, where I spent my first four nights. I flew in from Cusco, after spending seven days in Peru, to Calama. By the time I got to my hostel, it took me nearly 24 hrs between connections and commute.
During my weekend in Cotopaxi, Ecuador, I met some cool new friends who happened to be heading to the desert at the same time as me. So, we coordinated plans to meet back up in Chile. AKA I found out where they were staying, booked a room, and forced my friendship on them for the extent of my stay.
TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR STAY IN SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA
- For the easiest and most affordable transportation, head to the arrivals section of the airport where you’ll find a lot of companies that drive to Atacama. This costs around $15,000 (CLP) – a little over $15 (USD).
- I stayed at the Mamatierra Hostel and highly recommend it. It’s a cozy stay with friendly staff, nice outdoor space, and an easy walk into town.
- Between walking through town and touring the local area, this part of Chile, and South America as a whole, is a real stunner. I dive deeper into my tips and favorites from my time in San Pedro de Atacama here!
BEFORE YOU LEAVE ON YOUR 12 days in Chile itinerary…
As I was planning my backpacking trip, my sister flagged the Magical Andes series on Netflix which got me even more psyched for my upcoming time in the country. Recommend a watch!
Days 5–12: Puerto Natales & Torres del Paine National Park
After my time in the desert, I arched my way down to Puerto Natales to visit Patagonia (or at least part of it). From what I heard, if your time is limited, the Chilean side is “prettier,” though I’m sure that is highly subjective. As I only went to the Chilean side for this 12 days in Chile itinerary, I can neither confirm nor deny an opinion there.
My May arrival in this small port town came at the very tail end of tourist season. To be honest, I think it’s stretching it to even say that.
TIPS FOR YOUR TIME IN PUERTO NATALES & TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK
- Purchase your bus ticket in the arrivals section at the airport. There is only one, maybe two (though I didn’t notice a second) options for grabbing a bus to your stay.
- This is the place to “splurge” on an Airbnb – or at least a spot with a kitchen. Besides reading many “bed bug” reviews in local hostels, having a kitchen will help you keep food costs down.
- The time of year you visit Torres del Paine National Park will affect how you can enter. Peak season is from October through April, and you will be able to enter without a guide. If you plan to visit outside of those months, budget accordingly, knowing a guide will be required to enter.
- There are a lot of great tours into Torres del Paine National Park if you aren’t planning on doing one of the various multi-day treks. I loved my full-day trip into the park!
- The town of Puerto Natales, in my opinion, doesn’t hold massive appeal. It’s more of a hub for hikers pre- and post-national park treks. AKA I wouldn’t plan extra time for simply viewing the town.
- You could easily spend two to three nights here before heading out if you’re not doing a big hike or renting a car to see more of the sights yourself,
- Know your outdoorsy limits before booking anything! While I was disappointed to not do a trek due to some food poisoning, it was probably a blessing in disguise. As someone with knee issues, the South American terrain can be quite rough.
CHILE WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE COUNTRY I VISITED IN SOUTH AMERICA…
Keep this in mind if you’re on a backpacker’s budget. A lot of the areas I went to are more remote. When looking at the balance of supply and demand, demand is high, and so are prices. If there is any country to splurge on a space with a kitchen, grocery shopping, and “home” cooking, this is where it’s at to stretch your Chilean pesos farthest.
Budget & Travel Tips for Chile
After spending twelve days in this stunner of a country, I collected more than a few tips and tricks for future visits. From budget planning to length of stay, how you plan your 12-day Chile itinerary will strongly affect where you go and when.
Some of my biggest takeaways for planning a trip to Chile…
Plan a Larger Portion of Your Budget for Chile – Like I said, Chile ain’t cheap. Comparatively speaking it is considerably more expensive than the other countries I backpacked in South America.
Make Plans to Meet Back Up – Backpacking solo can be incredibly lonely. You’re not always gonna find friends in every stop you make, so take advantage of the connections you do build when you find them.
Tours and Buses are Available but Might I Recommend a Car? – Even though I loved my various tours, I know I would have been able to see more of the sights in a car. Depending on how you’re traveling, it could end up being more affordable if there are a few of you to split.
Chose the Time of Year Wisely – I visited Chile in April (aka fall) but when I visit again I will go in a “warmer” season. Allowing for longer days, more activity options, and better weather.
Stay Closer Than You’d Expect to Town – I figured a 10-15 minute walk into town was easy peasy. But, as I was visiting when there were less tourists and I had to bob and weave a little through streets to my stay, I would have felt safer staying closer to town.
Read Hostel Reviews Closely – Make sure to check multiple sites’ most recent reviews to confirm the quality of the stay. For Puerto Natales, I saw multiple mentions of bed bugs, which isn’t necessarily surprising in backpacker territory but still something you want to avoid.
Time of Year Affects Length of Stay – I wish I would have shortened my time in the area since without going on an extended trek, a few days stay would have more than sufficed to see the park and town.
Know Your Spanish – Even visting more tourist-expected areas, the chance of anything outside of Spanish (besides guided tours) is pretty much zero. Obviously, you should never go into a country expecting them to speak to you in your language but be prepared to fumble and mime your way through conversations in these spots, more than others.
Suggested Packing List for 12 Days in Chile
Don’t let the desert fool you. It gets chilly, even during the day. For any of your Chile plans, be sure to pack warmer layers (or plan to wear every layer you’ve packed… like me) to combat the chill.
WHAT CLOTHES TO PACK FOR YOUR TRIP TO CHILE
- Waterproof jacket or Poncho
- Beanie
- Long sleeve shirts
- Sweatshirt
- Leggings
- Lightweight hiking pants
- Tall socks
- Hiking boots
- Shorts
- T-Shirts
For more of the odds and ends to have on your packing list, check out my unique backpacking essentials here!
Save this 12-day Chile itinerary for your South America travels. Chile really is such a beautiful country, and I hope all who travel there enjoy every minute of it! Follow @accentgolden for travel tips, itineraries, and more!
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