Before travelling please be sure to consult any local travel advice.
We can’t imagine it’s possible to travel to Chile and not fall in love with the country. The food, the wine, the scenery; they were all sensational!
Chile also provided us a welcome serenity after a busy few weeks in it’s contrasting neighbour Bolivia.
Chile projects itself as a country of adventure and unspoiled landscapes, perhaps the most well-known being the spectacular Patagonia region.
While certainly a highlight for most, this region still remains high on our bucket list (we opted for the Galapagos when forced to make a choice). At least it’s an excuse to go back! As if we really need one.
From research, and others we spoke to, travellers should aim to set aside at least $1,000-$1,400 for a Patagonia adventure. And that’s still doing it on a budget.
So what else is worth visiting in Chile you might ask? Plenty!
There’s the expansive Andean mountain range that forms the backbone of the country. There are countless vineyards and wineries to sample. There are several animated cities to explore.
Additionally, Chile is in fact home to the driest place on the planet! Pretty impressive when you factor in that over 40% of the country borders the pacific ocean.
Costs
CURRENCY: Chilean peso
1 USD = 898 CLP
1 GBP = 1,143 CLP
*As of May ‘2024
Exchange was 1 USD = 700 CLP during our visit in Dec ’17.
Chile is regarded as one of the wealthiest nations in South America. A stark contrast to its neighbouring Bolivia where we travelled from.
Accommodation costs were reasonable but obviously higher than we were used to. We found it ranged from around $12-$18 USD for a dorm bed per night. Privates were a bit more costly starting around $40 USD per night.
Groceries and other essentials were also reasonable but we definitely noticed an increase in the price of luxury items. An ice-cream for example was still about $4-$5 which is definitely not cheap. Not that it stopped us, as you will read on.
We were fairly prepared for the higher expense. This is why we chose to do the more costly adventure sports in cheaper countries north (be sure to check out our blog on San Gil, Colombia).
Obviously we wanted to enjoy some local experiences, we just had to be a bit more choosy. The two ‘musts’, we feel, are stargazing in the Atacama and visiting a Chilean vineyard. And at least the city’s free walking tours are still free!
Overall we would say we managed to get buy on a fairly modest budget of around $40-$50 USD each per day. Not bad given we were there for Christmas and New Year!
Food
The cost of food can range quite substantially. Budget lunches are possible, especially when nutrition is not essential; I am specifically referencing their famed Completo (Chilean hot dog) and empanadas.
Speaking of empanadas, a small cafe in Valparaiso – Delicias Express – may literally have had the best empanadas in the whole of South America. A bold statement, I know, but they were simply legendary. A possible 81 varieties all made fresh to order, deep-fried and stuffed FULL of cheese.
To balance our budget we did the majority of our own cooking in Chile. This allowed us to not worry so much about indulging when the right opportunity came along.
One such example was Rhys’ belated birthday celebration. Seafood was a must! And we found the perfect spot in Cafe Turri.
To us, it was super fancy and a big step up from our usual fare. And while it was a big treat, we also thought it was a decent price for what it was. Starters, mains, a bottle of wine and a spectacular view set us back about $80 USD.
Another favourite of mine is ice-cream. Rhys thinks I am overly obsessed with the stuff. Luckily for me, Chile has no shortage of it.
Emporio La Rosa in Valpariso has receives consistent recognition as one of the best ice-cream parlours in the world!
Okay, so Rhys isn’t totally wrong, I may have a slight obsession. But he’s often right there with me…
Guilty pleasures aside, a proper Chilean classic that is worth a try is pastel de choclo. The essential components of this casserole are a base of minced beef topped with a layer of creamy sweetcorn mash. Hard-boiled eggs are a common ingredient but I avoid these as best I can.
Our final place of note, is a Colombian chain you may recognise from our Bogota blog post. It’s ‘Crepes and Waffles’.
I was beyond excited when I discovered they had several restaurants in the capital, Santiago. Their savoury crepes and pannecook are just so delicious.
Our Journey
We began our Chilean journey in the Atacama after crossing the Bolivian salt flats.
The Atacama Desert
Amazingly, this desert region is the driest place on the whole planet and until 2015, hadn’t seen rain in over 500 years! Typically no rain means no clouds, which is why the Atacama is said to be one of the best places in the world to view the night sky.
The stars were already pretty miraculous from our hostel in San Pedro de Atacama but a tour will take you away from the light pollution of the town where the sky is even more magical.
We saw the most stars we have ever seen in our lives! Plus we got to learn some interesting facts, be shown constellations and even glimpse the edges of a black hole through the telescope! It was mind-blowing.
La Serena
From the Atacama we made our way down the coast to La Serena. We were badly in need of some well-deserved R n’ R and our hostel here offered just that!
We loved the hostel so much, we barely left! The beach was an exception as we were excited to be back on the coast again. It was our first time seeing the ocean since Paracas in Peru!
Our favourite part still, was how cheap the wine was. We got a bottle of sparkling wine for just 2,500 CLP ($3.50 USD)! I say ‘a’ bottle… it was more like three or four. We just couldn’t resist!
Recharged and raring to get back exploring, we made our way further south to the coastal city of Valparaiso.
Valparaiso
Also known as ‘Valpo’, this city is hugely popular with backpackers for it’s vibrant streets and bohemian vibes.
Only a 30 minute train ride north of Valpo is the coastal resort city of Viña del Mar. It’s clean streets and manicured shrubbery are quite different to it’s south neighbour.
After an awesome few days in Valparaiso we headed inland once again to Chile’s capital, Santiago.
Santiago
We stayed in the city for a longer-than-necessary 10 days as we were here over Christmas and New Year. No one wants to be travelling over these holidays.
Our first week was pure laziness. It was so magical to do nothing but relax. Especially when your apartment has a rooftop pool!
Better yet, we had a friend who grew up in Santiago who had us over his family’s on Christmas Eve for dinner! We were overwhelmed by their generosity. It definitely made Christmas that little bit more special for us.
Aside from over-indulging, we did get out to see some more of Santiago itself.
This included the obligatory free walking tour which was really good thanks to our guide Franco. He talked a lot about the history of politics of the country which was interesting to learn.
We also learned vaguely of the Mapuche (meaning ‘Earth People’), who are the country’s indigenous inhabitants, and the comedy surrounding Chile’s coffee shops.
In addition to learning a little of the history and culture, we think that a trip to Chile isn’t complete without visiting a vineyard.
For us, it had to be Concha Y Toro, the largest wine producer in the whole of Latin America.
Entry with a tour and tasting are pretty steep at 20,000CLP ($25USD) per person. I say this from a budget backpackers point of view, of course. It really is worth it though.
While we are typically an explore-by-day kind of duo, we will head out in the evening when the occasion calls for it.
The main hub for backpackers in Santiago is it’s Bellavista barrio. Here is where travellers will find hostels and a whole lot more!
While pretty tame during the day, the streets come alive with activity at night. Bars and restaurants pour out onto the street and there is no shortage of dancers, musicians and street performers.
Given the vast volume of people and everything that was going on, we didn’t have any safety concerns going out after dark. Which is why we would encourage anyone to check out Thelonious Jazz Club!
It seems there is one night however, you do not want to be in Bellavista: New Year’s Eve. It was beyond surreal how ghost-like it was.
For New Year, everyone heads downtown to watch the fireworks from the Entel tower. And we mean everyone. The crowds were insane!
We wondered with hindsight if we should have gone to Valparaiso for NYE. The city does boast one of the largest firework displays in South America after all. Such an experience does not come cheap though. We heard of hostels jacking-up their prices to over $50 for a dorm bed!
Accommodation
Backpacking on a shoe-string budget, we typically stay in hostels to keep costs down. Luckily this doesn’t always mean you have to compensate on commodities.
San Pedro Backpackers in the Atacama suited our budget at $9 USD for a 6-bed dorm. There have hammocks, a fire-pit and even a plunge pool.
We still consider Hostal El Arbol II in La Serena as one of our favourites in South America. It was simplistic perfection. It’s proximity to the beach makes it worth the $10 USD per night.
In Valparaiso, we found Hostal Po to be the perfect fit for us; great location, decent breakfast and friendly staff. An 8-bed costs as little as $9 USD however a private is only $26 USD.
While we typically used Hostelworld for the majority of our accommodation, we found an absolute gem of a place on Expedia. Amazingly a 1-bedroom apartment, in the heart of Santiago, cost just $45 USD per night.
Having our own space for Christmas and a rooftop pool were totally worth the splurge. You’ve got to stretch the budget over the holidays 😉
