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Trip Report

My Chile Itinerary - my first visit and a fabulous introduction

This is my Chile travel itinerary. A month volunteering in Santiago and a trip to the breathtaking Atacama desert.

  • Taking in the view on the red rocks+ 5
  • The blue lake on the red rock tour
  • Sunset at the flamingo reserve
  • My Chile Itinerary - my first visit and a fabulous introduction
nomade_eleanor
About Me:I love to travel, try new dishes and take good photos read more

South AmericaChile30 days / March 2022

Highs & Lows

The stargazing and clear skies in the Atacama desert are like nowhere else!

If only I could have stayed a bit longer.

Itinerary Overview

Chile is a place that you can visit again and again and you can always find something new, it has a great variety in terms of geography, fauna and flora that seems endless. Furthermore, it is the longest country in the world and as a result has a wide variety of landscapes for backpackers to explore from the dry, cold and beautiful desert of San Pedro de Atacama in the north, the tall skyscrapers and wine valleys of Santiago in the middle. of the country or the peaks of Patagonia in the south. Whether you're looking for great food and drink, culture and history, or nature and hiking, Chile is an essential destination. Today I will talk about my two favorite places in Chile (perfect for the beginning or the end of your visit): Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama. They seem to me two incredible destinations, easy to visit and not very expensive in terms of all expenses

  • 5 Nights: San Pedro de Atacama
    Stargazing, beautiful landscape and recommendations from friends.
  • 25 Nights: Santiago
    I wanted to go to South America. I wanted to volunteer in a city to start my trip and Aji Hostel on Workaway looked so good!
San Pedro de Atacama - Stargazing, beautiful landscape and recommendations from friends.
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San Pedro de Atacama Stargazing, beautiful landscape and recommendations from friends.

San Pedro de Atacama - Stargazing, beautiful landscape and recommendations from friends. - The blue lake on the red rock tour
The blue lake on the red rock tour
San Pedro de Atacama - Stargazing, beautiful landscape and recommendations from friends. - Sunset at the flamingo reserve
Sunset at the flamingo reserve
San Pedro de Atacama - Stargazing, beautiful landscape and recommendations from friends. - A handsome Llama1+
A handsome Llama

San Pedro de Atacama is a small town in the north of Chile in the beautiful, but often missed out, Atacama Desert. The desert is famous for having no air pollution making it home to many international astronomy centres (along with breathtaking views). I would recommend at least two nights - but I loved it so much I stayed for a whole week! Great restaurants and cafes in town aren’t hard to find: La Franchuteria is perfect for breakfast and Baltinache restaurant is great after a long day of exploring. Things to see and do include the salt lakes, flamingo reserve, petroglyphs and road tripping through the Valle de Luna. All activities can be booked in town a day or two in advance. But my best advice is to rent a car, put on a great playlist and just take in the views at one of the most extraordinary places on Earth.

Santiago - I wanted to go to South America. I wanted to volunteer in a city to start my trip and Aji Hostel on Workaway looked so good!
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Santiago I wanted to go to South America. I wanted to volunteer in a city to start my trip and Aji Hostel on Workaway looked so good!

Santiago - I wanted to go to South America. I wanted to volunteer in a city to start my trip and Aji Hostel on Workaway looked so good! - Seafood at Mercado Central
Seafood at Mercado Central
Santiago - I wanted to go to South America. I wanted to volunteer in a city to start my trip and Aji Hostel on Workaway looked so good! - Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
Santiago - I wanted to go to South America. I wanted to volunteer in a city to start my trip and Aji Hostel on Workaway looked so good! - San Cristobal1+
San Cristobal

Santiago is the capital of Chile and is definitely worth a visit. Despite being a very urban destination and full of people, the number of plans that can be made is impressive. They are plans full of history, culture, and knowledge about this great country. Any itinerary in Santiago has to include the following: the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, seafood at the Central Market, a vernacular hike/walk on Cerro San Cristóbal, beautiful artifacts at the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art and for life Late night hit the bars at Bella Vista and stretch your Reggaeton muscles at Club 57. Santiago is also a great place for day trips with Valparaíso and the cost of just two hours by bus and many vineyards in the Central Valley. Without a doubt, you leave this destination steeped in the traditions of Chile, it makes you want to learn more about its dynamics and to explore the country from a deeper perspective.

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    I would have done more day trips out of Santiago to get to know the city and its surroundings a bit more.
  • Anything go wrong during the trip?

    Pickpockets in Plaza de Armas! A couple of friends at the hostel had bad luck as always be careful when out in the city.
  • Restaurant recommendations?

    Santiago: the pizza restraint next to Aji Hostel. Honestly. The best thing when you have been partying the whole night before. San Pedro de Atacama: La Franchuteria is perfect for breakfast and Baltinache restaurant is great after a long day of exploring.
  • Tips you would give a friend?

    Definitely try out a walking tour in Santiago- I did one at the end of my trip but it would have been so much better to do one at the start of my time. For San Pedro try and find a group of people and rent a car for a road trip - you can see so much and it is often much cheaper than paying for a tour plus ou have much more freedom.
  • Packing tips?

    It gets cold at night (very cold) so a fleece and warm coat especially if you are stargazing is essential.
  • Transportation Tips?

    I got a flight from Santiago to San Pedro and on the way back I took a bus (22 hours is a long time - if you can get the flight do it. The views from the bus are not as scenic as I thought they would be). In Santiago get apps to help with transport - Uber (although it is technically illegal so always have someone in the passenger seat), Cabify and Moovit for buses.
  • Any surprises?

    In San Pedro de Atacama there is a night time curfew in town to keep things quiet after 11pm at night (many activities start before 7am).
  • Booking details?

    I found my hostels using Booking.com and Hostel World.

Lodging

  • Casa Voyage Hostel. Friendly, affordable and with comfortable beds.

  • Stay in Aji Hostel in Providencia (I volunteered here for a month and it is definitely one of the friendliest hostels in a great location). Providencia is a safe neighbourhood but still within walking distance to the best areas for travellers and locals: the nightlife in Bella Vista, the museums and markets near Plaza de Armas and the city’s main hiking spot San Cristobal.