Tailor-Made Luxury Chile Holidays

The most important thing is what you want to do, the first step in the process of putting together an adventure to Chile for a traveler is to have a conversation, preferably on the phone. That way we can hear all about you, how you like to travel, what you want to see, what you want to do and how you want to do. Then with our expertise we can guide you around the country, creating a bespoke itinerary that ticks all the boxes and realizes the trip you were dreaming of when you first thought about traveling to Chile.

The two most crucial, though perhaps also most obvious and most visited regions, would be the Atacama Desert in the North and Torres Del Paine in Patagonia. These are the truly iconic areas of Chile and aren’t to be missed. That being said if clients have the time, or are visiting Chile for the second time, the Chilean Lake District is far less touristed than southern Patagonia and the Carretera Austral that runs through Aysen is absolutely stunning.

Rather than spending time in Santiago at the beginning or end of a trip, it’s much more relaxing and luxurious to spend some time in the wine region that surrounds the capital city. Some of the world’s finest wines are served to guests in some of the most stunning wine country on the continent.

Chile has some of the most incredible hotels in Latin America and each focuses not just on wonderful service and delicious food, but tailor made locally guided experiences that range from adventurous treks through the Andes and the desert, to serene fly fishing experiences in the crystal clear rivers of Patagonia.

There is a wide range of luxury accommodation in Chile, many of which include full board meals and excursions. Chile has four Relais and Chateaux properties, as well as world renowned boutique properties and globally recognized chains.

Some particular hotels to highlight are Awasi Patagonia which offers beautiful villa style accommodation complete with fireplaces and views of the surround mountains. Each villa comes with a private guide and 4×4 vehicle, so you can explore the wonders of Torres de Paine on private tailor-made, hikes, walks and horseback rides through the wilderness.

Estancia Cerro Guido is one of the only working ranch that we work with in Chile. Alongside the gaucho experience that can offer, with rides to some of the most spectacular corners of its enormous estate, the unique selling point here is the Puma Safari. The Cerro Guido Conservation Foundation is a project that protects and tracks puma, where people journey out with trackers to try and spot the beautiful and elusive big cat. Head out into the rolling Pampa to observe them directly with binoculars, review the camera traps, and enjoy specialist talks about the ways Puma in the region are protected, and how the life of the local population in Patagonia is changing to coexist with these magnificent creatures.

Located in perhaps the greatest place in the world for stargazing, Explora Atacama has its own observatory, and even when the moon is full you can explore the intergalactic wonders of the desert sky. Even with the naked eye the sky is often so clear the Milky Way casts a great net of stars above you. Explora Atacama is part of a small chain of luxury hotels in South America that operate perhaps the most incredible activities on the continent, and after exploring the El Tatio Geysers, the Moon Valley, and all the wonders of the Desert Altiplano, why not embark on an epic quest over the border into Boliva, on the Travesia across the Desert and Salt Flats.

Deep in the Chilean wine region Alexandra Marnier Lapostolle and her husband Cyril de Bournet found themselves the perfect spot to build a home, a home they are now inviting you into: Clos Apalta. The family still live on the site of this beautiful spot, surrounded by the rolling hills of the Andean foothills, where golden evening light shines down over acres of vineyards, where some of the world’s finest grapes grow. This Relais and Chateaux property has just ten rooms, each with the most wonderful view over the countryside offers the refinement and elegance of France, in the rugged majesty of the Chilean landscape.

To get the true feel of Chile, ten days would be the absolute minimum I would recommend and even that would be a bit of a whistle-stop tour! Chile is 2670 miles long, that’s almost as far as the UK is from Senegal! And every inch of it is crammed with beautiful scenery, wonderful people, and endless adventure. At least two weeks is ideal for a journey to The Atacama and Patagonia, with a few nights to explore Santiago and relax in the wine region – wonderful bookends to an adventure like this – but if you can extend your trip beyond that you will get an incredibly in-depth trip!

Strangely, for such a long country the right time of year basically applies to the entire country. You should visit Chile North to South from late October to early April for the best weather throughout the country.

Patagonia is at its windiest between December and January, but it is likely to be dry and snow-free, which overall makes it the most reliable time to visit. However, this can be a very busy time of year, especially in Torres Del Paine. If you want to have more of this epic expanse to yourself, and enjoy the golden browns and reds of autumn, think of travelling between March and April.

If you are looking for snow, travelling to Patagonia during the British Summer is ideal, consult our travel experts to find out more about navigating the snowbanks of Chilean Patagonia in winter, and which accommodations are open in the depth of winter.

There is slightly more chance of rain in the Atacama in the early part of the year, but as the driest non-polar desert on earth this is rather rare. During El Nino years there is a higher chance of rain, but then you have the potential to see the incredible Flowering Desert Phenomenon.

Both! Chile is so big and varied, that getting between the highlights of the country involves covering a lot of ground. You’ll be flying north to Atacama and South to Patagonia on almost all visits to Chile, and these will be from or Via Santiago.

We will take care of transfers to and from accommodation, and of course you’ll want to cover a lot of ground in each location.

It’s often worth staying over in Santiago or the wine region between trips from Patagonia and the Atacama Desert, depending on timings, logistics, and the flight schedule.

British Airways operate a direct flight between London Heathrow and Santiago that is around 14 hours 30 minutes. You can also fly via Europe, with Madrid and Paris being the easiest hubs in which to transfer (with Iberia and Air France respectively) which come in closer to 17-18 hours overall including connection time.

There are no specific visa requirements that British passport holders need to visit Chile, you can visit for up to 90 days as a tourist with one. Your passports does need to have an expiry date after the date you plan to leave though.

The Chilean immigration authorities will give you a tourist card (‘tarjeta de turismo’), an A5-sized white form. Keep it safe and give it to immigration when you leave the country. If you lose it, Chilean police investigations (PDI) allows you to request a copy online (choose ‘Duplicado de tarjeta de turismo’). You can also go to the nearest PDI office.

As with most foreign travel, you should be up to date with your current routine vaccinations and boosters as recommended by the UK government. There are no specific vaccinations that you need in order to enter the country, but we always recommend speaking to your GP before travelling.