Self-Launched Chile: Patagonia to the Atacama in 27 Days

Fly into Punta Arenas (PUQ) from Santiago (~3.5 hrs direct, multiple daily). Local buses run to the centre for CLP 1,500-2,000 (~£1.50); a taxi is ~CLP 10,000 (~£8). Check into a central hostel and walk the Plaza de Armas, the Costanera waterfront and Cerro de la Cruz for Strait of Magellan views. Sort out a Bip! transport card and pick up groceries for the bus ride south.

🚌Flight Santiago-Punta Arenas ~£90-130 one way; airport bus ~£1.50

🛏Hostel in Punta Arenas centre (dorm ~£14/night)

• →Plaza de Armas and Costanera walk
• →Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint
• →Sort Bip! card and groceries

Independent trip to the King Penguin Nature Reserve at Useless Bay (Bahía Inútil) — the only king penguin colony in South America. There's no regular public transport; the cheapest route is a shared tour from Punta Arenas (~£55-70, book a day ahead via your hostel) or rent a car if you're in a small group. Penguins are viewed from ~50 m. Alternatively, the Magdalena Island catamaran trip (optional on the original) costs ~£150-200 — far pricier than the king penguin reserve.

🚌Shared minivan tour to Useless Bay ~£55-70

🛏Hostel in Punta Arenas centre (dorm ~£14/night)

• →King Penguin Nature Reserve at Useless Bay
• →Optional Magdalena Island catamaran (extra cost)

Take the midday bus from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales (~3 hrs, CLP 8,000-10,000 / ~£7-9) with Bus Sur, Fernández or Buses Pacheco. The scenery across the pampa is superb. In Puerto Natales, settle into a hostel and use the afternoon to arrange your Torres del Paine day trip and Grey Glacier navigation for the next days, and stock up at the supermarket — Natales is the last place to buy cheap trekking food.

🚌Bus Sur/Fernández Punta Arenas-Puerto Natales ~£8

🛏Hostel in Puerto Natales (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Scenic bus across the Patagonian pampa
• →Book Torres del Paine and Grey Glacier excursions
• →Waterfront stroll along the Costanera

Book the Grey Glacier boat trip yourself through a local agency in Natales (~£110-130 including park entry and transfers, or take the cheaper tour-boat add-on if you day-trip into the park). The navigation runs ~2h45 along Lago Grey to the glacier face with icebergs calving into the water. If you'd rather keep it cheap, do the independent day trip to the Grey sector and walk the beach and suspension bridges instead (~£55 with shared transport plus CLP 32,000 park entry).

🚌Shared tour transport into the park included with navigation

🛏Hostel in Puerto Natales (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Grey Lake navigation to Grey Glacier (~2h45)
• →Torres del Paine National Park entry
• →Beach and suspension bridge walk at Lago Grey

Do the classic Base of the Towers (Base Torres) hike as a long day trip: an early shared shuttle to Hotel Las Torres (~£25 return, or the public bus to Laguna Amarga plus shuttle), park entry CLP 32,000 (~£27), then ~8-9 hrs and 20 km up to the iconic granite towers and back. If you want the full W trek (4-5 days) or the O circuit (7-9), book refugio beds through CONAF/Vertice Patagonia at least 4-6 weeks ahead — that replaces the next day or two.

🚌Shared shuttle Puerto Natales-Laguna Amarga ~£25 return

🛏Hostel in Puerto Natales (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Base Torres day hike (~20 km, 8-9 hrs)
• →Torres del Paine park entry
• →Optional W trek or O circuit (multi-day, book refugios ahead)

Self-book the half-day boat trip from Puerto Natales across Última Esperanza Sound to the Balmaceda hanging glacier and Serrano glacier (~£65-85 with a local operator such as 21 de Mayo ferries, including a short forest walk and sometimes lunch). It's an easy, low-effort day — perfect if yesterday's trek left you stiff. Evening: craft beer and seafood ceviche around the Natales waterfront.

🚌Local ferry/boat from Puerto Natales included in excursion

🛏Hostel in Puerto Natales (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Balmaceda Glacier boat trip
• →Serrano Glacier forest walk
• →Mount Balmaceda views

The Carretera Austral doesn't connect Puerto Natales to Coyhaique by road all the way—the practical independent route is a flight from Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales to Balmaceda/Coyhaique (~£100-160 one way via LATAM or Sky, cheap if booked early). Take the bus back to Punta Arenas and fly, or check if a Natales-Balmaceda flight works for your dates. Fly into Balmaceda, then the 45-min shuttle to Coyhaique (~£6).

🚌Bus Natales-Punta Arenas ~£8; flight Punta Arenas-Balmaceda ~£110; shuttle to Coyhaique ~£6

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Coyhaique (dorm ~£14/night)

• →Scenic flight to Balmaceda
• →Balmaceda-Coyhaique shuttle through the Andes

Day trip from Coyhaique along the Carretera Austral to Puerto Río Tranquilo (~4 hrs each way) to kayak or boat through the Marble Caves on General Carrera Lake. Local operators in Río Tranquilo run boat trips for CLP 12,000-15,000 (~£10-13); kayaking is ~CLP 25,000 (~£21). Independent option: public bus to Río Tranquilo (CLP 8,000, ~4 hrs), sleep there, and do the caves at sunrise when the light is best. Or join an organised day trip from Coyhaique if you're short on time (~£75-90).

🚌Public bus Coyhaique-Río Tranquilo ~£8 each way, or organised day trip ~£80

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Coyhaique (dorm ~£14/night) or Río Tranquilo

• →Marble Caves boat trip or kayak
• →General Carrera Lake viewpoints
• →Puerto Río Tranquilo exploration

Head north on the Carretera Austral to Queulat National Park to see the Ventisquero Colgante—a hanging glacier that spills down a cliff with waterfalls below. A day tour from Coyhaique runs ~£70-90 (park entry CLP 11,000 extra). Independent version: public bus north to Puyuhuapi or the park entrance and hike the ~2 hr trail to the glacier mirador. Bring waterproofs; this is temperate rainforest.

• →Ventisquero Colgante hanging glacier hike
• →Queulat National Park trails
• →Laguna Témpanos and Cóndor waterfalls
• →Puyuhuapi hot springs

The San Rafael Glacier trip is one of Chile's most spectacular but also its priciest — a small-plane/boat combo from Coyhaique or Puerto Chacabuco runs ~£250-350 and is often weather-dependent. If your budget won't stretch, swap in a free day: hike the Cerro Castillo sector or the Coyhaique National Reserve trails (~£8 return bus + free entry), or cycle the Carretera Austral. If you're splashing out, book San Rafael directly via a Puerto Chacabuco operator.

🚌Local bus to reserve trailheads ~£8

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Coyhaique (dorm ~£14/night)

• →Optional Laguna San Rafael glacier flight/boat trip (~£250-350)
• →Alternative: Cerro Castillo or Coyhaique National Reserve hike
• →Carretera Austral cycling

The cheapest great day out from Coyhaique: the Circuito Seis Lagunas, a 200-km loop past Laguna Monreal, La Paloma, Elizalde, Cea and Lago Atravesado with views of the Simpson River valley and Mount Macá. Without a car, hire a bike in Coyhaique (~£15/day) for the paved loop, or take a shared taxi/minivan tour (~£40-50) that stops at the Piedra del Indio and the Monument to the Indian. On the way back, detour to Puerto Aysén for views over the 'Chilean Norway' fjords.

🚌Bike hire ~£15/day or shared tour ~£45

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Coyhaique (dorm ~£14/night)

• →Seis Lagunas circuit
• →Simpson River viewpoint
• →Piedra del Indio
• →Puerto Aysén detour
• →Simpson River National Reserve

Use this spare day as a buffer—Patagonian weather and internal flights do get delayed, so keeping one flex day here is smart for an independent traveller. Fill it with the Puerto Aysén run, a half-day fly-fishing intro on the Simpson (~£50), or the Reserva Nacional Río Simpson's easy waterfall trail (bus from Coyhaique ~£3). Otherwise, move this day forward to extend the Lake District.

🚌Local bus to Puerto Aysén ~£4 return

🛏Hostel/guesthouse in Coyhaique (dorm ~£14/night)

• →Puerto Aysén and fjord viewpoints
• →Río Simpson reserve trails
• →Optional fly-fishing lesson

Fly Balmaceda to Puerto Montt (~2 hrs via Santiago on LATAM/Sky, ~£110-160; prices drop if you book 6-8 weeks out). From Puerto Montt airport, local buses run to Puerto Varas in ~45 mins (~£2). Puerto Varas is a German-influenced lakeside town with Osorno volcano views from the shore — a lovely, walkable base for the next four nights.

🚌Flight Balmaceda-Puerto Montt ~£130; local bus to Puerto Varas ~£2

🛏Hostel in Puerto Varas (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Flight to Puerto Montt
• →Evening lakeside walk in Puerto Varas

Catch the local bus or colectivo from Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt (~£1.50, 45 mins) and do the city on foot: Plaza de Armas with its government buildings, the Costanera with bay and Tenglo island views, and the Angelmó market for curanto, fresh seafood and Mapuche crafts. Free walking tours leave from the Plaza de Armas most mornings if you want context.

🚌Local bus Puerto Varas-Puerto Montt ~£1.50 each way

🛏Hostel in Puerto Varas (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Plaza de Armas Puerto Montt
• →Costanera Avenue bay walk
• →Angelmó market seafood and crafts
• →Optional free walking tour

Self-book the classic full-day excursion to Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park: the Petrohué Falls (blue-green rapids over basalt) and the Osorno Volcano, with a chairlift up to ~1,400 m for views over Llanquihue Lake and Todos los Santos. Book via GetYourGuide or a local Puerto Varas agency (~£35-45 including park entry), or DIY with the Petrohué bus from Puerto Varas (~£5 return) and pay entry separately.

🚌Local bus to Petrohué ~£5 return or organised day tour ~£40

🛏Hostel in Puerto Varas (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Petrohué Falls
• →Osorno Volcano chairlift and viewpoints
• →Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park

Take the local bus along Llanquihue's western shore to Frutillar (~40 mins, ~£1.50) — a German colonial town with flower gardens, a wooden waterfront theatre (Teatro del Lago) and the German Colonial Museum (closed Mondays, ~£4 entry). Sit on the pier for the classic Osorno volcano view, then lunch on kuchen and lake trout. Buses back run until evening.

🚌Local bus Puerto Varas-Frutillar ~£1.50 each way

🛏Hostel in Puerto Varas (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Frutillar old town and flower gardens
• →German Colonial Museum
• →Frutillar pier and Teatro del Lago
• →Lake Llanquihue viewpoints

Cross to Chiloé island by bus and ferry (Puerto Varas to Castro ~3 hrs with Cruz del Sur or JAC, ~£8 each way). Wander Castro's UNESCO-listed stilt houses (palafitos) and yellow church, eat curanto, and stop at Ancud's fort and the penguin colony at Puñihuil if timing allows. Doing it as a long independent day is cheap but rushed — a night on the island is better if you can spare it.

🚌Bus and ferry Puerto Varas-Castro ~£8 each way

🛏Hostel in Puerto Varas (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Castro palafitos and UNESCO church
• →Ancud fort and coastal views
• →Optional Puñihuil penguin colony

Hike the trails of Alerce Andino National Park through ancient larch (alerce) forest with lichen-draped trunks and waterfalls. Public transport is patchy—either take the local bus towards Chamiza/Correntoso then walk in, or book a half-day guided hike (~£40 with box lunch). Pack your own picnic from the Puerto Varas market to keep it cheap. Evening: unwind at a lakeside café.

🚌Local bus to trailhead ~£4 return or guided half-day ~£40

🛏Hostel in Puerto Varas (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Alerce Andino National Park trails
• →Native larch forest flora and fauna
• →Picnic lunch from Puerto Varas market

Fly Puerto Montt to Calama via Santiago (~4-5 hrs total, ~£110-150 booked ahead) and take the shuttle or public bus from Calama airport to San Pedro de Atacama (~1.5 hrs, CLP 6,000-12,000 / ~£6-11; shared shuttle ~£11). San Pedro sits at 2,400 m—take it easy the first evening, drink water, and book your desert tours on arrival from the many agencies on Calle Caracoles.

🚌Flight Puerto Montt-Calama ~£130; Calama-San Pedro bus ~£8

🛏Hostel in San Pedro de Atacama (dorm ~£13/night)

• →Flight to Calama
• →Shuttle transfer to San Pedro de Atacama
• →Evening acclimatisation walk in town

Do Valle de la Luna independently: rent a bike in town (~CLP 8,000 / £7 half-day) and pedal 8 km to the park (~CLP 3,000 entry), or take a shared tour (~£18-25 including entry). Walk the Cañón and Amphitheatre, see the Tres Marías formations, and climb the Licarantay lookout for sunset over the volcanoes. Bring warm layers—the desert drops fast after dark.

🚌Bike hire ~£7 or shared tour ~£22

🛏Hostel in San Pedro de Atacama (dorm ~£13/night)

• →Valle de la Luna
• →Tres Marías and Amphitheatre
• →Sunset at Licarantay lookout

Book the early-start (04:30) shared tour to El Tatio geysers at 4,300 m—the world's highest geyser field, with 70+ fumaroles steaming at sunrise. Tours (~£25-30 including breakfast and entry) also stop at Machuca village for llama skewers and sopaipillas, and the wetlands at Putana for flamingos. If you'd rather self-drive, hire a 4x4 (~£60/day split between a group) but do not attempt the road alone in the dark.

🚌Shared tour minibus included ~£28

🛏Hostel in San Pedro de Atacama (dorm ~£13/night)

• →El Tatio geysers sunrise tour
• →Breakfast at the geysers
• →Machuca village adobe houses
• →Putana wetlands and flamingos

Full-day shared tour to Laguna Chaxa (flamingo breeding lagoon in the Salar de Atacama) and the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons at 4,200 m, with stops at Toconao's volcanic stone church and the Jere valley. Entry to Los Flamencos reserve ~CLP 8,500 (~£7); tours ~£30-38. This is the classic altiplano day—high, cold and empty, with Licancabur and Lascar volcanoes framing every view.

🚌Shared tour minibus ~£34

🛏Hostel in San Pedro de Atacama (dorm ~£13/night)

• →Toconao village and San Lucas church
• →Laguna Chaxa flamingos
• →Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons
• →Valle de Jere
• →Licancabur and Lascar volcano views

Walk or cycle out to the Pucará de Quitor fortress (~3 km, ~£4 entry) with its 12th-century stone ruins and valley views, then continue to the Tulor archaeological village (2,800+ years old; ~£5 entry, best with a local guide ~£20). Come back for a slow afternoon: Father Le Paige Museum (~£3), the whitewashed church and café-hopping on Caracoles. Cheap, car-free and very rewarding.

🚌Bike hire ~£5

🛏Hostel in San Pedro de Atacama (dorm ~£13/night)

• →Pucará de Quitor ruins
• →Village of Tulor
• →Tambo de Catarpe
• →Father Le Paige Museum
• →San Pedro town exploration

The cheapest option is an overnight long-distance bus Calama-Santiago (~22 hrs, ~£35-45) — but most travellers fly Calama to Santiago in ~2 hrs for ~£40-70. Either way, land in Santiago and check into a hostel in Bellavista or Barrio Brasil. Evening: eat a completo or a chorrillana and drink a terremoto in Bellavista.

🚌Bus Calama-Santiago ~£40 or flight ~£55

🛏Hostel in Santiago (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Long-distance bus or flight to Santiago
• →Evening in Bellavista

Do Santiago's centre independently with the metro (Bip! card ~£1/ride) and a free walking tour from Plaza de Armas (tip ~£5). See La Moneda palace and Constitution Square, Plaza de Armas with the cathedral, the National Historical Museum and the old Consistorial Palace, then climb Cerro San Cristóbal or Santa Lucía for views. Wander Bellavista and Providencia, and end at Los Dominicos Pueblito for crafts (lapis lazuli, textiles).

🚌Metro and bus ~£3 day pass

🛏Hostel in Santiago (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Free walking tour of Santiago Centro
• →La Moneda and Constitution Square
• →Plaza de Armas and Metropolitan Cathedral
• →Bellavista and Providencia
• →Pueblito Los Dominicos crafts

Day trip to the coast: bus from Santiago's Terminal Alameda to Valparaíso (~1h45, ~£5 each way) with Turbus or Pullman. Ride the historic ascensores, walk Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción for street art and coffee, and take the coastal train or bus to Viña del Mar for beaches and gardens on the way back (~£1). Return to Santiago in the evening.

🚌Bus Santiago-Valparaíso ~£5 each way

🛏Hostel in Santiago (dorm ~£15/night)

• →Valparaíso street art and ascensores
• →Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción
• →Viña del Mar beaches
• →Optional Neruda's La Sebastiana

Last morning for coffee and the Mercado Central before heading to the airport. Metro to Pajaritos then the Centropuerto bus to SCL (~£2), or a taxi/Uber (~£20). If your flight is late, squeeze in the Museo de la Memoria or a rooftop view from the Sky Costanera—and consider adding Easter Island (which the original tour also excludes).

🚌Metro and Centropuerto bus to SCL ~£2

🛏None (departure day)

• →Mercado Central breakfast
• →Optional Museo de la Memoria
• →Airport transfer