Chile Family Holiday

Trip Itinerary

Days 1 - 3: Santiago

Day 1 - Arrival in Santiago

You’ll be met on arrival at Santiago International Airport by a Wayfairer representative, and escorted to your private vehicle. Your driver will transfer you through Santiago to Time Suites, your accommodation for the next three nights.

Time Suites is a comfortable hotel set in the leafy embassy district and historical centre of Santiago, just three kilometres from the city centre.

Spend the afternoon enjoying the rooftop swimming pool, relax in the sauna, or enjoy a massage at the onsite spa. You may also like to explore the area, starting with Piscina Antilen, a public swimming pool with spectacular views of the city, located just a 20-minute walk from Time Suites.

Day 2 - Cooking class in Santiago

Enjoy a buffet breakfast this morning, before meeting your English-speaking guide at the hotel for your Santiago cooking adventure.

You’ll begin in Mercado Central (Central Market) to pick up ingredients, then head to La Vega Central, a market located in the Recoleta neighbourhood, famed for its fresh supply of fruit and vegetables. Soak up the smells and sounds before heading to the cooking workshop, located in the gorgeous Barrio Italia, a dreamy bohemian neighbourhood established by 19th-century Italian migrants.

Inside the cooking workshop, you’ll meet your chef, who will guide you through the preparation of traditional Chilean recipes, revealing some of his culinary secrets. Kids will love getting involved, and after cooking up a storm, you’ll enjoy the feast you’ve created. The meal will be paired with some excellent Chilean wines, specifically chosen to complement the menu. 

Day 3 - Day tour of Viña del Mar and Valparaíso

After your buffet breakfast, you’ll be picked up by your English-speaking guide to begin your full-day excursion to Viña del Mar and Valparaíso.

You’ll head towards the central coast of Chile, making a stop at a vineyard in the Casablanca Valley to enjoy a glass of wine. You’ll then stop at Viña del Mar, known as ‘The Garden City’, due to the myriad of parks and gardens found across the city.

You’ll visit the beautiful Carrasco Palace and Quinta Vergara, one of the most famous parks in Viña del Mar, where you can roam the gardens to see the Palacio Vergara and the Quinta Vergara Amphitheater. You’ll also meet a moai, an ancient human figure carved by the Rapa Nui people on Easter Island between 1250 and 1500.

Next, you’ll visit the famous flower clock of Viña del Mar, before arriving in Valparaíso, a UNESCO World Heritage city strewn with multi-coloured houses, parks and national monuments. Stroll through Plaza Sotomayor, a historical square overlooking one of Chile’s major seaports. In the afternoon, you’ll return to your hotel in Santiago.

Days 4 - 6: San Pedro de Atacama

Day 4 - Transfer to San Pedro de Atacama

After your buffet breakfast, you’ll be met by your private driver and transferred to Santiago airport, for your domestic flight to Calama airport. On arrival at the airport, you’ll be met by your driver and transferred to Noi Casa Atacama, your accommodation for the next three nights. The drive will take around 1 hour and 30 minutes, and you’ll soak up the scenery as you cruise through the famous Atacama region.

Noi Casa Atacama is a luxurious eco retreat set on the edge of the Atacama Desert, surrounded by breathtaking scenery. You’ll melt into the warm, spacious rooms, furnished with native artwork, plush down bedding and private terraces with views of the mystical salt flats.

This afternoon, you’ll embark on a special ancestral caravan excursion. Your local guide will take you to the outskirts of town, where you’ll begin your walk, retracing one of the circuits used by the old caravan communities in the Atacama Desert.

You’ll be joined by camels as you walk, and you’ll learn about the customs of these ancestors and how they domesticated the camel. You’ll marvel at the beauty of the landscape, snapping some excellent photographs, and soaking up the tranquillity of the desert. Pause to enjoy some local snacks, using ingredients foraged from the area, before returning to your hotel.

Day 5 - Exploring San Pedro de Atacama

Today is yours to spend at your leisure. You’ll be well-placed at Noi Casa Atacama to continue your exploration of the stunning Atacama region. They offer a range of adventurous experiences, and as the first sustainable hotel in northern Chile, you’ll be engaging in ecologically responsible activities that preserve the natural environment and respect the local culture.

Go trekking or bike riding through the glittering salt flats, soaring volcanoes, bubbling geysers and ancient rock formations. Hike the iconic Valley of the Moon, take an archaeological tour of a Tulor village dating back to 800 B.C., or tour the sky with a night of stargazing from their astronomy observation deck.

Day 6 - Sandboarding in San Pedro de Atacama

Today you’ll have the opportunity to go sandboarding in the Valley of Death. After breakfast, you’ll be met by your guide and transferred to the valley, where you’ll find sand dunes of more than 120 metres, towering under the blazing blue sky.

Your day includes a 30-minute class with a professional English-speaking instructor, and you’ll also learn how to climb the dunes safely and move around the deep sands. You’ll then enjoy two to three hours of free practice in the dunes, where your family can show off their new sandboarding skills.

In the evening, you’ll return to Noi Casa Atacama, where you’ll enjoy a delicious meal from the onsite restaurant, featuring fresh produce sourced from nearby farms. Sample authentic Chilean dishes and gourmet international cuisine, complemented with fine Chilean wines and signature cocktails.

Day 7: Santiago

Day 7 - Transfer to Santiago

After breakfast, enjoy a final morning exploring the beautiful Atacama desert. Soothe any sore muscles with a dip in the outdoor swimming pool, or a traditional Altiplanico therapy at El Chañar Spa.

You’ll then be transferred to Calama Airport for your domestic flight to Santiago. On arrival at the airport, you’ll be transferred to Holiday Inn Santiago, your accommodation for the night.

Holiday Inn Santiago is a luxurious airport hotel with an indoor swimming pool, a jacuzzi, two saunas and a fitness centre, where you can relax and unwind for the night. Enjoy a delicious meal at the Grill Restaurant, featuring fresh, local ingredients, international cuisine and a wide selection of Chilean wines.

Days 8 - 11: Puerto Varas

Day 8 - Transfer to Puerto Varas

Holiday Inn Santiago is located within walking distance of Santiago Airport, so you can enjoy a buffet breakfast, before easily transferring to the airport for your domestic flight to El Tepual International Airport, located in Puerto Montt. On arrival at the airport, you’ll be met by your private driver and transferred to Hotel Cabana del Lago, your accommodation for the night.

Hotel Cabana del Lago is located in Puerto Varas, a city in Chile’s stunning Lake District, set on the banks of Lake Llanquihue with panoramic views of the active Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes. From the pool and hot tub to the restaurant and rooms, you’ll always have a spectacular view of the beautiful scenery.

This afternoon, you’ll embark on an excursion to the Petrohué Waterfalls, located in the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park. Your guide will drive through Ensenada, the easternmost port on the Llanquihue Lake, before continuing along the Petrohué River Valley, flanked by dense forest and ancient lava fields. In the upper reaches of the Petrohué River, you’ll find the breathtaking Petrohué Falls, plunging over volcanic rock formations.

Stroll through the woodlands, taking in the extraordinary views of the snow-capped Orsono volcano, before heading to the town of Petrohué, nestled on the banks of Todos Los Santos Lake. Your guide will transfer you back to your hotel in the evening.

Day 9 - Exploring Villa Puella

Today you’ll venture to Villa Peulla, a gorgeous mountain village in Chile’s Lake District. Enjoy a buffet breakfast, before meeting your private English-speaking guide at your hotel and heading to the south shore of Lake Llanquihue. Here, you’ll board a boat and sail Todos Los Santos Lake for nearly two hours, with spectacular views of the Osorno, Puntiagudo and Tronador volcanoes.

You’ll then arrive at Villa Peulla, a small ecological village of 120 inhabitants, where you can visit the Bridal Veil waterfall, or go trekking in the beautiful alpine scenery. You can also enjoy lunch and other outdoor activities at Hotel Natura Patagonia, your accommodation for the night. Kids will love kayaking, horseback riding, fishing, and the games room, or you can simply relax in your cosy room, featuring hardwood furnishings and large windows to soak up the stunning mountain views.

Day 10 - Exploring Villa Puella

The morning is yours to explore the beautiful Puella area. Thrill seekers will love the canopy excursion, where you zipline through the forest on an 800-metre-long course, reaching heights of up to 15 metres in the evergreen forest of coigüe trees, next to the Bridal Veil Waterfall.

You can also go horseback riding, starting on a cattle field on Riggi Farm, and passing through evergreen forests, valleys and rivers in the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. You’ll be accompanied by specialised ecotourism guides, and the activity is suitable for all ages and experiences.

Kids will also love the horse riding excursion to El Encanto Lagoon, an enchanting stream of crystal clear waters. You’ll learn about the flora and fauna of the region while taking in the beautiful alpine environment.

Day 11 - Departure from Puerto Varas

Enjoy a final buffet breakfast, before getting picked up by your private driver and transferred to El Tepual International Airport in Puerto Montt, for your return flight home.

After ten adventurous nights spent exploring Chile’s most extraordinary landscapes, natural wonders and luxury retreats, you’ll be leaving with plenty of stories and wonderful memories to look back on as a family.

If you’d like to continue your intrepid family holiday, you can fly to Argentina to explore more of the Patagonia region and see the remarkable Iguazu Falls, the largest waterfall system in the world. You can also head to the end of the world in Ushuaia, where you can board a cruise ship for Antarctica, the world’s last great wilderness.

Day 12 - Depart from Santiago

Enjoy a final breakfast among the tranquil gardens, before getting picked up by your private driver and transferred to Santiago International Airport for your return flight home. After two incredible weeks spent exploring Chile’s greatest wonders, you’ll be leaving with many special memories and stories to share back home.

It’s hard to top Chile’s impressive landscapes and captivating cities, however, if you’d like to see more South American marvels, we recommend flying to Argentina. Here, you can further explore the breathtaking Patagonian landscapes, visit monstrous waterfalls, sample superb wines, or head to the end of the world in Ushuaia. From this southernmost city in the world, you can board a cruise ship for Antarctica, the world’s last great wilderness.