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🇨🇱 Itinerary · Chile · 30 days

1-month Chile itinerary 2026: the grand tour

30 days end to end: Santiago, Atacama, the Lake District, Chiloé, Patagonia, Torres del Paine and Easter Island. The grand tour of Chile, with flights and budget.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

30 days

Stops

7 places

Average budget

€4,500-6,500

Total distance

~9,000 km

Profile

Grand journey

Season

Dec-Mar

Santiago 3d · Atacama 5d · Lake District 4d · Chiloé 3d · Patagonia 6d · Easter Island 5d · return 4d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Chile 1-month itinerary map: Santiago, Atacama, Puerto Montt, Chiloé, Punta Arenas, Torres del Paine, Easter Island

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

7 days, day by day

1

~€70/day

Santiago and Valparaíso · D1 to D3 · Capital and coast

  • D1 Arrival in Santiago, Lastarria, Cerro San Cristóbal.
  • D2 Plaza de Armas, Mercado Central, Museum of Memory.
  • D3 Valparaíso and Viña del Mar: street art, funiculars, beach.
🛌 🛌 Lastarria · e.g. central boutique hotel (3 nights)·🚇 Metro + 🚌 coast bus·Chile guide →
2

~€80/day

Atacama desert · D4 to D8 · The driest in the world

  • D4 Flight Santiago → Calama, transfer to San Pedro, Valley of the Moon.
  • D5 Altiplano lagoons, pink flamingos on the salt flat, Laguna Cejar.
  • D6 El Tatio geysers at 4,320 m, thermal baths, Machuca.
  • D7 Stargazing, cycling in the Valley of Death.
  • D8 Piedras Rojas and the Miscanti lagoons, altiplano landscapes.
🛌 🛌 San Pedro de Atacama · e.g. adobe lodge (5 nights)·✈️ Domestic flight + 🚐 transfer
3

~€70/day

Lake District · D9 to D12 · Volcanoes and nature

  • D9 Flight to Puerto Montt via Santiago, road to Puerto Varas.
  • D10 Osorno volcano, Lake Llanquihue, Petrohué waterfalls.
  • D11 Pucón: climb the Villarrica volcano or hot springs.
  • D12 Huerquehue park, araucaria forests, glacial lakes.
🛌 🛌 Puerto Varas then Pucón · e.g. lodge facing the volcano (4 nights)·✈️ Domestic flight + 🚗 rental car
4

~€65/day

Chiloé · D13 to D15 · Islands and palafitos

  • D13 Ferry to the Chiloé archipelago, Castro and its colourful palafitos.
  • D14 UNESCO-listed wooden churches, Chiloé national park, curanto on the menu.
  • D15 Puñihuil penguins, craft markets, Chilote legends.
🛌 🛌 Castro · e.g. stilted palafito hotel (3 nights)·⛴️ Ferry + 🚗 car
5

~€95/day

Patagonia · D16 to D21 · Torres del Paine

  • D16 Flight Puerto Montt → Punta Arenas, bus to Puerto Natales.
  • D17-D19 Trek in the park: base of the Towers, Lago Grey, French valley.
  • D20 Patagonian wildlife: guanacos, condors, pumas optional.
  • D21 Milodón cave, last landscapes before the return.
🛌 🛌 Refuges/eco-domes in the park + Puerto Natales (6 nights)·✈️ Flight + 🚌 bus + 🥾 hike
6

~€110/day

Easter Island · D22 to D26 · Rapa Nui

  • D22 Back to Santiago, flight to Easter Island (5h30 over the Pacific).
  • D23 Rano Raraku: moai quarry, unfinished statues.
  • D24 Ahu Tongariki (15 aligned moai) at sunrise, Ahu Akivi.
  • D25 Rano Kau volcano, Orongo ceremonial village, Anakena beach.
  • D26 Snorkelling, last moai, Rapanui culture.
🛌 🛌 Hanga Roa · e.g. ocean-view cabin (5 nights)·✈️ Domestic flight + 🚗 car
7

~€70/day

Back to Santiago · D27 to D30 · Vineyards and departure

  • D27 Flight Easter Island → Santiago (5h30).
  • D28-D29 Colchagua or Maipo vineyards, carménère and cabernet tasting.
  • D30 Last purchases, return flight from Santiago to Europe.
🛌 🛌 Santiago · e.g. central hotel (3 nights)·✈️ Domestic flight + return flight

How much

Budget for this itinerary (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€4,500

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €1,000
  • 🏨 Hostel/refuge: €35/night
  • 🍽️ Set lunch: €14/day
  • ✈️ 5 domestic flights (incl. Easter Island): €900
  • 🎫 Parks + tours: €600
Recommended

Comfort

€5,500

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €1,050
  • 🏨 Hotel/lodge: €80/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed dining: €30/day
  • ✈️ Domestic flights + transfers: €1,100
  • 🎫 Guides + excursions: €750

Premium

€9,500

per person

  • ✈️ Business class: €1,900
  • 🏨 All-inclusive lodges (Tierra, Explora, EcoCamp): €350/night
  • 🍽️ Renowned tables: €60/day
  • 🚖 Private transfers + private guides throughout
  • 🎫 Private Atacama, Paine, Rapa Nui excursions: €1,400

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Santiago, Valparaíso and the Atacama desert. The essential format.

2 weeks

2 weeks

Of extremes: Atacama in the north, Patagonia and Torres del Paine in the south.

You're here

1 month

1 month

The grand tour, from Atacama to Patagonia and Easter Island.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

Over 30 days and ~9,000 km, this grand tour rests on 5 domestic flights (Calama, Puerto Montt, Punta Arenas, Easter Island, Santiago), ferries for Chiloé and a rental car in the lakes. Easter Island, 3,700 km out in the Pacific, is the longest segment. Budget ~€900 to €1,100 for domestic transport.

✈️

Domestic flights

5 segments · LATAM, Sky, JetSMART · book early

✈️

Flight to Easter Island

Santiago → Rapa Nui · 5h30 · LATAM only

⛴️

Ferry to Chiloé

short crossing from the mainland

🚗

Lake District rental car

ideal for volcanoes and lakes around Puerto Varas and Pucón

🥾

Patagonia treks

Torres del Paine: base of the Towers, Lago Grey, French valley

Adapt by season

One southern summer to chain it all

Over 30 days descending from desert to glaciers, aiming for the southern summer (December to March) is ideal: Torres del Paine and the Lake District accessible, open trails, long days. Atacama and Easter Island can be visited year-round thanks to their stable climate. Patagonia stays windy at all times. Avoid June-August for the south: cold, short days, many refuges closed.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In February 2025, at Ahu Tongariki on Easter Island, I watched the sunrise behind the 15 aligned moai: the light passing between the statues, in silence, justifies the 5h30 flight over the Pacific on its own. Arrive 30 min before dawn and you are almost alone.
  • • Descending gradually from north to south: Atacama, the lakes, Chiloé, Patagonia, each region prepares the next.
  • • Keep Easter Island for the end: another world, Polynesian, after mainland Chile.
  • • Rent a car in the Lake District: volcanoes and lakes are best discovered independently.
  • • Book the Torres del Paine refuges months ahead: they fill up in the southern summer.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Skip Chiloé (3 days) if the flight budget is tight: the Lake District and Patagonia are enough in the south.
  • • Add the Carretera Austral (the iconic northern Patagonia road) if you have 5 extra days.
  • • Get the LATAM domestic flight pack when you buy the international ticket.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Is a month necessary for this grand tour? +
Yes: with ~9,000 km, the desert, the lakes, Chiloé, Patagonia and Easter Island, under 3 weeks would force you to sacrifice a region. A month links it all without rushing, domestic flights helping.
How do you reach Easter Island? +
Only by air from Santiago with LATAM: 5h30 over the Pacific, 3,700 km. Book very early, few frequencies and limited seats. Budget 4 to 5 days on the island.
Do you need an air pass for Chile? +
Book your 5 domestic flights early on LATAM, Sky or JetSMART. LATAM offers an air pass to pair with the international ticket, often worthwhile on this route with Easter Island.
When should you go for this route? +
December to March, the southern summer: Patagonia and the Lake District accessible, long days. Atacama and Easter Island can be visited year-round. Avoid June-August for the south.
What budget for 1 month in Chile? +
Budget €4,500 backpacking and €5,500 in comfort per person, flight from Europe included. Domestic flights (including Easter Island) and the Patagonia lodges weigh heavily.
Do you need a visa for Chile? +
No for most Western travellers: no tourist visa for a stay up to 90 days, enough for 30 days. Passport valid for the length of the stay. No mandatory vaccine.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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