Chile recommendations

[managerofchaos]

Have just randomly booked flights to Chile
Went to Argentina recently and loved the LATAM vibe.
Now overwhelmed with what we should fit into two weeks any suggestions gratefully received

We have just done exactly the same! We went to Argentina last year and we are off to Santiago in July/August.

Where you go really depends upon when you are going. We are doing Santiago, Atacama, Valporaiso then Easter Island. The latter is an expensive choice but we really want to go. We also intend to visit a wine region.

If you are going in our winter, you can add Patagonia and all points South. That’s not possible during our summer. We chose to go in our summer due to reward flight availability and the weather being ok for all the areas we wish to visit. We also wanted it to be a contrast to Argentina., it’s also such a long country, 2 weeks is not enough to do all of it. So choose the areas that interest you most for your time of year.,

Look at good brochures from tour operators such as Audley, Jouney Latin America and Ultimate Travel to check out possible itineraries. I’m very excited!

What are your main interests? Hiking, adventure travel, wine tasting?

I'd spend a couple days in Santiago followed by time in San Pedro de Atacama (fly and then take the bus, it's a cheap flight and at the top of the country) and venture across the border to the Salt Flats.

What time of year are you going?

I did Easter Island as well. It was okay. I got flight deals using British Airways points by booking 330 days in advance and they only cost me $11 each way (I'm an avid flight hacker/international traveler) but I wouldn't shell out a ton of money to go if you couldn't get a good deal.

What time of year are you going? What age bracket are you in?

Thankyou for the answers!
We are not going until next Feb but I like to plan ahead.
We are mid 50 s ( how did that happen?)
We like scenery wine food.
Loved Argentina and met some lovely people from Chile so randomly booked.
Would love to do a mini cruise in Patagonia but not sure if this is really worthwhile seems v expensive and wonder if a future proper long cruise is a better option.
What a co incidence bubbles the only thing we missed in Argentina was a seaside relaxation bit of holiday so will def build that in

I thought you must be me OP! We are somewhat older than you! We have left Patagonia out because of the time of year we are there. We would like to go to Patagonia though and carry on to the Antarctic in the future. However in Feb you can do hiking in Patagonia and visit the glaciers. It’s a great time to go south. I would look at a decent guide book and see where is best to stay and what hiking you can do if you fancy it. We like Lonely Pksnet Guides. We have friends who are doing a small ship cruise to Patagonia and the Falklands so we are interested in their experiences.

We wanted to go to Easter Island but as we have booked late, we have paid a lot. We know that but it was now or never! We were just happy to get the flights we wanted from BA!

Patagonia is stunning, Torres del Paine national park is really beautiful.

For wine tasting the Central Valley is best. We didn’t travel north, DH doesn’t cope with heat.

I don’t cope with heat but it’s not so bad in July - winter! I know there are wine areas around Santiago and Valporaiso so that’s what we will do I think.

Thankyou so much fir your replies
Just looking at the guidebooks
At that point where you think why???
Why did we chose this?
But it will all come together

The Atacama desert is amazing and like nowhere else on Earth so I’d definitely do that. Patagonia is lovely as well, but if you’ve been to Canada or Norway then the scenery may be more familiar (plus the weather is really unpredictable).

I loved Easter Island but it’s a seriously long flight and not sure I’d do it if I only had a couple of weeks. I’d maybe do a couple of days in Santiago, up to the Atacama for a few days, back to Santiago and do some of the area around there (Valparaiso and some of the vineyards) and then maybe down to Patagonia if you’re keen. But honestly, you could probably do two weeks just in Santiago / Valparaiso and the Atacama.

As we are going in the UK summer, Patagonia is off limits. For the OP, it’s definitely worth it because she’s going in the UK winter. Easter Island has to be what you really want to do because of the time and the expense. If it doesn’t grab your imagination, then it’s not worth it. If you have wanted to go for decades, then it is worth it! Doing the whole of Chile from
North to South means lots of flights and travel within areas. With 2 weeks I would prioritise Patagonia over Easter Island if I wasn’t desperate about going! For anyone who hadn’t been to Patagonia, it is fantastic.

Thankyou just reading through the rough guide all sounds wonderful
We've seen a cruise in Patagonia that we are considering but it's ££££££ so just considering options time etc
Easter island looks fabulous I'd love to hear about your trip when you return

Have a look at Lonely Planet guide. We find these useful. The Guardian has a good travel article on Santiago.