My Travel Itinerary: 24 Days in Chile - Santiago - Patagonia - Atacama Desert - Easter Island - Valparaiso
Patagonia Chile
We were originally due to visit Chile as part of a round the world trip back in 2020 - coming from the South Pacific we were to stop in Easter Island before flying onto Chile’s capital Santiago, then driving to the coast to stay at Valparaiso before flying back to the UK. With this trip having to be cancelled due to Covid-19, on rebooking the Chile part for the following year it seemed to make more sense to focus on Chile as a single country trip. This gave the opportunity to look to visit other parts of Chile, like Patagonia in the south and the Atacama Desert in the north.
Having rebooked this trip for February 2021 (thinking that leaving 10 months for the Pandemic to subside would have been more than sufficient), a new itinerary was created covering the new locations outlined below. This rescheduled trip was then rebooked for February 2022, but Chile (and particularly Easter Island) was late in reopening post Covid, so 2022 had to be cancelled too. Finally getting there almost three years on in February/March 2023.
The trip now includes six hotels (five of which are Leading Hotels of the World), ten flights (four with British Airways and six with LATAM Airlines), covering some 25,000 miles.
As much as I like revisiting favourite places and hotels, and flying on favourite airlines, I also like taking the opportunity to add new countries, hotels and airlines.
The hotels featuring in the post are:
The Singular Santiago
Nayara Alto Atacama
Las Majadas Hotel
Nayara Hangaroa
Hotel Casa Higueras
Read on to find my full detailed travel itinerary for this trip, with helpful info on:
The best way to fly to Chile from the UK.
How we travelled around within Chile.
My top hotel recommendations for Santiago, Patagonia, Atacama Desert, Pirque, Easter Island and Valparaiso.
My personal recommendations for things to do in Chile.
Magical Moai of Easter Island Chile
Flying to the Chile from the UK
We fly with British Airways on a domestic flight to London’s Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, before travelling to Santiago with them on what I believe is one of their longest flights (14hrs 45mins scheduled). With only a three hour time difference initially between the UK and Chile’s mainland, the flight timing is great being primarily overnight arriving at 10am in the morning. When we fly further on to Easter Island (another 5hrs 20mins) the time change becomes five hours, but we then return to the mainland for a few more days before travelling home, so any jet lag should be minimal.
All internal flights whilst in Chile are with LATAM Airlines, only the longer flights offer business class but where this isn’t available they do have premium economy with a blocked middle seat.
The Singular Hotel Santiago, Chile
Best places to stay In Santiago: The Singular, Santiago
Hotel website: https://www.thesingular.com/santiago
📍 The Singular Santiago | Lastarria Hotel | Santiago Centro | Chile 🇨🇱 @thesingularhotels @leadinghotelsoftheworld
The first of many Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) whilst in Chile, in fact all properties we visit are bar one at the end in Valparaiso. Opened in 2014 and the second hotel for The Singular hotel group, this 62 room hotel is in the Barrio Lastarria (described as a bohemian area) in Chile’s capital, Santiago.
Like the trip, we’ve been booked here multiple times and I’ve not looked elsewhere when rescheduling the trip. There’s a rooftop pool (open during summer which it is when we’re there), two restaurants and two bars, gym and spa so everything we’d look for in a city stay.
Credit @thesingularhotels
Staying in Patagonia, Chile at The Singular Patagonia
Hotel website: https://www.thesingular.com/patagonia
📍 The Singular Patagonia | Puerto Bories | Patagonia | Chile 🇨🇱 @thesingularhotels @leadinghotelsoftheworld
Next we visit the original Singular property, at Puerto Bories in Patagonia and at the entrance to the Torres del Paine National Park. The nearest airport is Puerto Natales (where we fly back from) but to get from Santiago we fly to the further away airport at Punta Arenas, which has more frequent flights. The hotel is a converted cold storage plant, and actually designated as a National Monument in 1996.
It has 57 rooms (including only three suites of which we’ve booked one), three restaurants, a bar, gym and apparently one of the largest full services spas in Patagonia, which is obviously right up my street. I liked the fact that it is again LHW and a sister property for our Santiago stay, but it also has a funicular (albeit quite small) to get to the main entrance. Funiculars always fascinate me, so I love visiting anywhere that has one, especially when linked to a luxury hotel.
Nayara Resorts Atacama Desert
Staying in the Atacama Desert: Nayara Alto Atacama
Hotel website: https://nayaraaltoatacama.com/
📍 Nayara Alto Atacama | Atacama Desert | Chile 🇨🇱 @nayaraaltoatacama @leadinghotelsoftheworld @nayararesorts @alicemarshallpr
On the very original trip, we were not able to fit in a stop up in the Atacama Desert north of Chile (a two hour flight to Calama), but I’m so pleased with the longer length we’re able to this time. We’ll be visiting quite a few different climatic zones across the country, and going from Patagonia in the far south to the desert in the north will see a huge variation.
This eco-friendly hideaway, part of the Nayara Resorts group which first came onto my radar in Costa Rica, has 52 rooms and 10 suites, with a huge focus on its spa with multiple mineral and swimming pools, saunas, and treatments, not to mention a huge range of included activities when on the all-inclusive basis which we opted for.
Las Majadas Hotel Chile, Leading Hotels of the World
Staying near Santiago, Chile: Hotel Las Majadas, Pirque
Hotel website: https://www.lasmajadas.cl/en/home-en/
📍Las Majadas, Hotel & Centro de Reuniones | Pirque | Chile 🇨🇱 @lasmajadashotel @leadinghotelsoftheworld
Yet again another LHW property, and this was how I found it. With having an early flight to Easter Island, I was looking for somewhere to stay overnight so that we could drive to the airport rather than having to rely on an internal flight. We’re coming back from the Atacama Desert and then staying at Las Majadas, originally overnight only but I liked the look of it so much that I’ve now booked two nights. Only about an hour from Santiago’s main airport, this gives us another option rather than staying in the city itself.
It looks like a really interesting property, a combination of both an original French-style palace built in 1907 with a new modern wing added in 2016. There are 44 rooms and 6 suites (we have a suite), on-site restaurant and bar, an outdoor pool and the option to hire bikes at the hotel to tour the local vineyards. This will hopefully be a relaxing couple of days before we embark on the next chapter of our Chilean adventure, heading off to the remoteness of Easter Island.
Nayara Hangaroa, Easter Island, Chile
Hotels in Easter Island, Chile: Nayara Hangaroa (formerly Hanga Roa Eco Village & Spa)
Hotel website: https://nayarahangaroa.com/
📍 Nayara Hangaroa | Easter Island | Chile 🇨🇱 @nayarahangaroa @leadinghotelsoftheworld @nayararesorts @alicemarshallpr
Originally when booked for Easter Island back in May 2020, we were staying at Explora Rapa Nui. Very disappointingly though, despite contacting them numerous times I got very limited responses, so with the Hangaroa Eco Village & Spa being taken over by Nayara Resorts, and becoming a LHW member, on rebooking I changed the hotel for us to the now Nayara Hangaroa.
With 69 rooms and 6 suites, this full service resort has a spa, gym, on-site restaurant and bar, and a full programme of activities on the island, all inclusive. Like Nayara Alto Atacama, there are different packages where you can start with either the Dream option (basically bed and breakfast), Discover (half-board including some activities) or the Full Experience (which we opted for) being all inclusive meal wise and the option of all activities daily.
Residents Lounge Casa Higueras Valparaiso, Chile
Hotels in Valparaiso, Chile: Hotel Casa Higueras, Valparaiso
Hotel website: https://casahigueras.cl/ing/
📍 Hotel Casa Higueras | Valparaiso | Chile 🇨🇱 @hotelcasahigueras
I’m not sure what drew me to Valparaiso initially (about an hour’s drive from Santiago) but this was always somewhere we were due to visit. There aren’t any large five star hotels here, but I was also instantly drawn to Hotel Casa Higueras. Originally a 1920’s manor house in the heritage area of Cerro Alegre, this has been restored and developed into a small luxury boutique hotel with restaurant and swimming pool/spa.
Full Travel Itinerary: Chile
Day 1 Fly to Santiago Chile (via London Heathrow) with British Airways
Early evening domestic flight connecting to the BA251 direct to SCL, a flight of almost 15 hours.
Day 2 Arrive Santiago Chile
Arrive am in Chile, with only a three hour time difference and although a long flight, in BA”s First cabin with a decent sleep, we’ll be ready for a day exploring the markets of Chile’s capital city - like the Mercado Central and La Vega Central (both just a walk from the hotel).
3 nights at The Singular Santiago in the Lastarria historic district.
Day 3-4 Santiago Chile
There are a number of things I’d like to do when here, but be aware that most sights close on a Monday, and many restaurants don’t open on a Sunday night.
The things I do want to do are:
The funicular up to the statue of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception.
Teleferico Santiago (cable car) linking the largest urban park up to the Cerro San Cristobal.
Casa Museo La Chascona.
Sky Costanera.
Bahai Temple.
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes.
Day 5 Fly from Santiago to Patagonia (Punta Arenas PUQ)
Direct LATAM Airlines flight from the capital’s airport to one of a few airports in Patagonia (split across both Argentina and Chile).
We fly to Punta Arenas, further from the Singular Patagonia but it was the only flight on the day we wanted to travel, and a flight with business class where many of the domestic flights with LATAM now just offer premium economy.
Get picked up by The Singular and take the 2.5 hour drive to the hotel.
4 nights at The Singular Patagonia.
Day 6-8 Patagonia
Staying in the converted cold storage plant, as well as being able to visit the on site museum (now designated as a National Monument) the hotel also offers a whole array of activities in and around Torres del Paine, the national park of Patagonia.
Day 9 Fly with LATAM Airlines from Puerto Natales (PNT) to Calama (CJC) via Santiago’s SCL (main airport)
The nearest airport to the hotel (only a 10 minute drive) has a flight back to Santiago’s Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport. The flight is just over two hours then connected to an onward flight up to the Atacama Desert (Calama), being another two hour flight north.
Organised by Nayara Alto Atacama, we’ll be collected at the airport and transferred to the resort in just under 1.5 hours.
4 nights at the Nayara Resorts Alto Atacama.
Day 10 - 12 Atacama Desert
A Leading Hotels of the World property, we plan to take advantage of all the activities on offer, having opted for the Full Experience package which includes all meals and the choice of multiple experiences.
The hotel also has an incredible spa, so I’ll definitely take advantage of that while ‘Mrs’ The Private Traveller probably reads.
Day 13 Return flight from Calama (CJC) back to Santiago Airport (SCL) with LATAM Airlines
A 2 hour flight back to Santiago, we’re then going to have a different Santiago location and stay at Las Majadas Hotel in Pirque for two nights, before travelling onto Easter Island.
Originally I would have liked to visit Vik Chile, but with this being a two hour drive to and from the airport, it was too far away for us getting back to the airport for an early morning flight onto Easter Island.
Stay 2 nights at Las Majadas, and take advantage of some of their cultural and enriching experiences like yoga, a pottery class, or learning about dough and cookery.
Day 14 Las Majadas
Relaxation day at the hotel - it looks like it will have a lot to offer, not least being surrounded by a park and an architectural contrast of the chateau style original building merged with a new minimalist modern hotel wing.
Day 15 Fly with LATAM Airlines from Santiago’s SCL Airport to Easter Island (IPC)
Flight LA841 direct to Easter Island, this is one of the few LATAM flights internally within Chile offering full business class service. The flight is scheduled for 5hrs 20mins, so a long domestic flight, but it does make you realise how remote Polynesian Easter Island (Isla de Pascua/Rapa Nui) actually is, west of Chile’s mainland in the Pacific Ocean.
Another Leading Hotels of the World property, we stay 6 nights here. Originally a bit longer than planned, there were so many flight schedule changes on this route that we would have ended up either having the option of 1 or 6 nights.
Day 16-20 Nayara Hangaroa
Like the sister property we stay at in the Atacama Desert, Nayara Hangaroa had the option of various stay packages from Dream to Full Experience. We opted for Full Experience so this includes all accommodations and meals, and every activity on offer during the day or evening excursion wise.
There is also a large spa here, so I’ll be looking to spend some time there, and with the great weather expected also be taking advantage of their outdoor pool.
Day 21 Return flight with LATAM Airlines from Easter Island’s IPC Airport to Santiago (again)
Flight LA842 back is just under 5 hours, returning to Santiago at 9pm. Final stop on the trip is about 1hr 30mins away on the coast at Valparaiso.
2 nights at Hotel Casa Higueras.
Day 22 Valparaiso
With one day only here, we’ll maximise the sightseeing opportunities yet still trying to fit in a spa treatment and some pool time at this boutique hotel.
Day 23 Return flight with British Airways (the BA250) from SCL to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR)
We have a car booked back to the airport for Sunday morning, the flight leaves Santiago at 1pm in the afternoon. The return flight is slightly shorter, scheduled for 14hsr 15mins.
Day 24 Return domestic flight with British Airways from London’s Heathrow (LHR) to Edinburgh (EDI)
Arriving back into London early morning, we have a bit of a wait until the next available domestic flight back to Edinburgh.
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