Highlights
- Enjoy revolving views of Santiago from a spinning restaurant
- Go horseback riding and eat a Chilean barbecue on a traditional ranch
- Walk among thousands of friendly penguins on Isla Magdalena
- Spot sea lions and dolphins as you cruise past Patagonian glaciers
- Hike and mountain bike on the Antonio Varas Peninsula
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Santiago | Santiago |
| Day 2 | Panoramic City Tour, Dinner at a Revolving Restaurant | Santiago |
| Day 3 | Transfer to Valparaíso, Explore the City | Valparaíso |
| Day 4 | Chilean Ranch Experience | Valparaíso |
| Day 5 | Fly to Punta Arenas, Afternoon Tour | Punta Arenas |
| Day 6 | Meet the Penguins of Isla Magdalena, Bus to Puerto Natales | Puerto Natales |
| Day 7 | Boat Trip to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers | Puerto Natales |
| Day 8 | Explore Estancia Bahía Esperanza Reserve | Puerto Natales |
| Day 9 | Free Day in Puerto Natales, Fly to Santiago | Santiago |
| Day 10 | Depart Santiago |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Santiago
Day 2: Panoramic City Tour, Dinner at a Revolving Restaurant
Today, get a feel for Chile's capital city, its history, and its culture during a fun 3.5-hour tour. Meet your guide at your hotel, and visit Santiago's main attractions, including the presidential palace of La Moneda, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Santiago City Hall. If the kids aren't into history, don't worry: your guide will also take you to Parque Forestal, a huge green area in the city, and the Lastarria neighborhood, a lively, hipster area of the city filled with cool cafés and vintage shops.
Spend the afternoon however you wish, before enjoying national and international cuisine with panoramic vistas and a kid-friendly twist. The Giratoria restaurant offers a wide-ranging menu to suit even the fussiest of eaters, but that's not the best part—enjoy constantly changing views of the Chilean capital as the restaurant slowly revolves (giratoria means "to swivel" in Spanish).
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 3: Transfer to Valparaíso, Explore the City
Wake up at a leisurely hour today, pack your bags, and grab the bus to Valparaíso, just a 1.5-hour drive northwest of Santiago. Valparaíso’s Historic Quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its beautiful buildings, street art, and (don't tell the kids this one) steep hills. Find out where your new hotel is and drop your things off before taking the day to explore the city at your own pace. The kids will love Ascensor El Peral, an old, rickety funicular that goes to the top of Cerro Alegre and the city's Museo de Bellas Artes.
For another trip in a vintage funicular, travel up the nearby Concepción in the city's oldest elevator. Spend some time sampling the trendy coffee shops, shopping in boutique stores, and admiring the views from the top. To get a taste of the less touristy, more traditional Valparaiso, La Sebastiana comes highly recommended—a house-turned-museum of one of the most famous Chilean poets, Pablo Neruda. Amble around Plaza Sotomayor on the lookout for dinner before relaxing back at your hotel for the evening.
Day 4: Chilean Ranch Experience
Make lasting family memories today during an eight-hour excursion to a traditional Chilean estancia (ranch) just outside of Valparaíso. Be met by views of rolling hills and the sounds of farm animals as you arrive. The kids can get up close and personal with the farm's residents, which range from chickens, ducks, and geese, to donkeys and rabbits.
If there are any horse lovers in your family, they can try a gentle trail ride or riding lesson. Cool off with a refreshing swim and satisfy your hunger with a traditional Chilean barbecue for lunch. At the end of the day you'll transfer back to Valparaíso and get an early night—tomorrow you head to Patagonia!
Day 5: Fly to Punta Arenas, Afternoon Tour
Wake up early, pack your bags, and join your driver for the transfer to Santiago de Chile airport, where you'll catch a flight to Punta Arenas in the south of Chile. Also known as the gateway to the southernmost point of Chilean Patagonia, Punta Arenas is the perfect base for exploring Patagonia's natural attractions. After you've checked in to your hotel, get your bearings on the city with a two-hour guided tour. Learn about the city's history, get a taste of 19th-century wealth at the Palacio Sara Braun, and take some family pictures at sunset at the Mirador Cerro de la Cruz.
As evening approaches, take a leisurely stroll along the revitalized waterfront area and breath in the ocean air, before deciding on which one of the city's many restaurants to dine at. Let's hope you have some seafood lovers in the family, as you won't be short of fresh fish options, such as chupe de centolla (king crab soufflé), oysters, scallops, and other shellfish. Head back to the hotel pleasantly full and get ready for a day of adventures tomorrow.
Day 6: Meet the Penguins of Isla Magdalena, Bus to Puerto Natales
Today's tour involves what are some of the world's favorite feathered friends—more than 60,000 to be exact. Begin with a two-hour ferry ride through the waters of the Strait of Magellan to Isla Magdalena, home to one of the largest penguin colonies in Chile! These tuxedoed little creatures are used to human visitors, so you and the kids will be able to wander among them freely. After an hour, take the return ferry to the port.
From there, a driver will pick you up and take you to the bus for a three-hour journey northwest to Puerto Natales. This charming Patagonian town sits on the doorstep of the magnificent Torres del Paine National Park and serves as your base for the next three nights. Watch the sunset over the waterfront at the Seno Última Esperanza (Last Hope Sound), then head to dinner to try some traditional Patagonian fare.
Day 7: Boat Trip to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers
Discover the true range of Patagonian nature today during a full-day outdoor adventure that will take you to the towering glaciers of Balmaceda and Serrano. Board your boat and enter the Señoret Channel, where the kids can keep their eyes peeled for small Commerson's dolphins. The wildlife observation doesn't stop there though: continue past the Estancia la Península where you can spot cormorants, and then on to Punta de Lobos where you're likely to see seals frolicking in the shallows. If you're really lucky, you may even get to see the largest flying bird in the world—the Andean condor.
Next, bring your kids' geography lessons to life and witness a real-life glacier as your boat glides past Mount Balmaceda and a glacier of the same name. Get out into nature with an easy, one-hour trek along the shores of Laguna de los Témpanos and learn all about the different flora and fauna of the area until you reach the impressive Serrano Glacier. Listen to the creaks and cracks of the slowly moving ice and marvel at ice formations before boarding your boat again and steering back to Puerto Natales.
Day 8: Explore Estancia Bahía Esperanza Reserve
Today you'll enter a landscape of contrasts in the Estancia Bahía Esperanza—a 5,500-acre (2,200 ha) private reserve located on the Antonio Varas Peninsula. Arrive at the pier of the Seno Última Esperanza and cross to the reserve by boat. On arrival, you'll be treated to a traditional Creole breakfast before taking part in your activity of choice, whether it be horseback riding, mountain biking, or hiking along the well-maintained paths. After working up a significant appetite, you'll be ready for lunch, also provided on the tour.
Young bird lovers are in for a treat, too: this reserve is strategically located in the transition area between the rainy climate of the Patagonian fjords and the dry climate of the continent, meaning it's a haven for 33 species of birds and plenty of other fauna and flora. After a full day out in the fresh Patagonian air, catch the ferry back to Puerto Natales. Have dinner at one of the town's many restaurants, and put your feet up at the hotel, where the kids are sure to sleep well tonight!
Day 9: Free Day in Puerto Natales, Fly to Santiago
Spend your penultimate day in Chile exactly as you wish. Up until now, you haven't had time to explore this quaint town, so a family-friendly bike tour with an expert guide could be a good way to start your morning. Why not go a little outside the town to the Cueva del Milodon, the largest cave in an extensive network of caves? Kids will particularly love learning about the prehistoric creatures that once called this cave home, in particular the giant sloth, a life-size replica of which stands at the cave entrance.
Later in the afternoon, meet your driver at the hotel and make your way to the Puerto Natales airport. From there, catch your flight back to Santiago, where you'll spend the night before your journey back home tomorrow.
Day 10: Depart Santiago
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