Santiago & Torres del Paine: Best Itinerary Ideas

How many days do you need in Santiago & Torres del Paine?

• Most travelers spend 7-9 days in Santiago and Torres del Paine combined
• Visiting Santiago and Torres del Paine in 4 to 6 days is possible, but it will feel rushed
• With 10 or more days, most travelers choose to add more stops to their trip
• The most common extensions are the Atacama Desert, Punta Arenas, and Puerto Natales

How Many Days to Spend in Chile

Recommended Itineraries for Santiago & Torres del Paine

Recommended Itinerary for 1 Week

This weeklong itinerary highlights Torres del Paine National Park for a once-in-a-lifetime hiking trip in Patagonia. After a day to explore Chile's capital, fly south to experience the park's nearly 450,000 acres of glaciers, ice fields, forests, lakes, and rugged mountains that will get your heart racing. Your jumping on/off point will be Puerto Natales—a port city attracting trekkers from all over the world. Read more

Recommended Itinerary for 8 Days

Experience the splendor of Torres del Paine National Park—plus the colorful capital city of Santiago and a working Patagonian ranch—on this outdoorsy eight-day itinerary. Start with a day of sightseeing in Santiago, then travel to the quaint port town of Puerto Natales. Get an early start to enter the national park and spend four days hiking the famed "W" Trek. Then wrap up the adventure with a day trip to a traditional sheep ranch on the remote Antonio Veras Peninsula, only accessible by boat. Read more

Extended Itineraries

9-Day Itinerary Including the Atacama Desert

Explore two spectacular regions of Chile where few travelers venture on this 9-day itinerary. After checking out Santiago, you'll fly to the Atacama desert—an oasis in the driest part of the world known for geysers, salt flats, and starry skies. From here, head to Patagonia, where you'll experience Torres del Paine National Park via a range of activities while staying in a fully sustainable EcoCamp. Read more

10-Day Itinerary Including the Atacama Desert & Punta Arenas

Explore regions on both ends of Chile's latitudinal spectrum with this 10-day itinerary. After getting a taste of Santiago, fly north to the Atacama desert—an oasis in the driest part of the world known for geysers, moonscapes, and starry skies. Then fly all the way south to Patagonia's Punta Arenas, where you'll meet a penguin colony before finishing in Torres del Paine National Park for a range of activities and wildlife viewing. Read more

10-Day Itinerary Including Punta Arenas

Begin your journey in the metropolitan capital city of Santiago. Learn all about Chilean culture during your city tour and wine tasting, followed by a visit to the vibrant port cities of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar. Next, head south to Patagonia and walk with Magellanic penguins on Isla Magdalena. Top it all off with a trip to Torres del Paine National Park. Here you'll be treated to breathtaking views of vast grasslands, glaciers, forests, and more. You'll even have the opportunity to hike to the base of the park's iconic towers. Read more

How to travel between Santiago & Torres del Paine

How to get to Santiago de Chile
Santiago is one of the most visited cities in Chile and in South America. Depending on where you're coming from, the city may be best reached by car, plane, and sometimes by bus. Read more

How to get to Torres del Paine National Park
Torres del Paine National Park is one of the most visited places in Chile—and South America. It's close to both Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas, and you'll often travel via one or both of these cities. This five-day trip will bring you face-to-face with all the best places and is especially great to consider if you're traveling from Santiago. Read more