Volcanoes over blue lakes, rain on Chiloé's wooden roofs
When to go
November-March
Trip length
11 days / 10 nights
Typical investmentPrice
from $9,095 pp
This 10-night journey covers the greener south, where snow-capped volcanoes rise above glacial lakes and Chiloé's wooden churches and palafitos tell a different story from mainland Chile. After a short start in Santiago, base near Lake Llanquihue for volcano views and waterfalls, then cross to Chiloé for four nights of coastal nature, food and island culture.
Along the way
Sit in the shadow of the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes above Lake Llanquihue
Discover native forest and lava rock at Petrohué Falls
Castro’s palafitos and Chiloé's UNESCO-listed wooden churches
Island cooks and producers who keep Chiloé's food traditions alive
Your route
A short start beneath the Andes
Arrive in Santiago and settle into your hotel. The rest of the day is free. Use it to rest after the long flight north, or wander nearby streets to get your bearings before the trip heads south.
Spend a half day with a private guide taking in a market, a historic neighborhood, and a viewpoint over the city, then prepare for tomorrow's flight south. Santiago sits in a valley ringed by the Andes, and on a clear day the mountains show up in the view from nearly every corner of the city. The rest of the afternoon is yours to pack, rest, or explore further before an early departure tomorrow.
Volcanoes above the lake
Fly south and transfer toward Lake Llanquihue, where Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes rise beyond farmland and water. The landscape changes fast once you land: green pasture, dairy cattle, and timber homes replace the capital's dry hills. Settle in for a few quieter days based on the lake.
Explore Puerto Varas and the lake with a private guide, mixing the town's German-settler history with lakeside viewpoints and a long lunch. German immigrants settled this stretch of the lake in the mid-1800s, and their mark is still visible in the town's steep-roofed houses and churches. This is a day for wandering rather than checking things off.
Head to Petrohué Falls and the surrounding national park for short walks through native forest and lava-shaped rock beneath Osorno. The falls cut through black volcanic rock left behind by past eruptions, with Osorno's snow-capped cone visible through the trees for much of the walk. Trails here are short and easy, built around the scenery rather than the distance.
Choose another guided nature outing, a boat excursion, or time with local food producers before the crossing to Chiloé. This is a flexible day, built around whatever interests you most: the lake itself, the farms and orchards around it, or one more hike before you move on. Tomorrow's ferry crossing marks the shift from the mainland to the island.
Palafitos, wooden churches & Pacific forest
Travel by ferry to Chiloé and continue to your island base, the landscape shifting to rolling farmland, quiet inlets, and dense coastal forest. The crossing itself is short, but the change on the other side is immediate. Chiloé has its own food, folklore, and pace, shaped by centuries apart from mainland Chile. Settle into your hotel and start getting a feel for island life.
Explore Castro's palafitos and a handful of Chiloé's UNESCO-listed wooden churches with a local guide, learning how isolation and seafaring shaped island life. The palafitos, houses built on stilts over the water, are one of the island's most recognizable sights, and the churches were built with wooden joinery instead of nails, a Chilote carpentry tradition passed down from Jesuit missionaries. Your guide will fill in the history behind both.
Head to the island's Pacific side or its wetlands for a naturalist-led day focused on coastal ecosystems and birdlife. This side of Chiloé is wilder and less visited than the sheltered inland coast, with dunes, forest, and birdlife that keep naturalists coming back. Expect a slower pace today, built around watching and walking rather than covering ground.
Spend the day with local producers or cooks, learning about the potatoes, shellfish, and smokehouse traditions that set Chiloé's food apart from the mainland. Chiloé is said to have given the world dozens of native potato varieties, and curanto, a mix of shellfish, meat, and potatoes cooked in an underground pit, remains one of the island's signature dishes. A hands-on day for anyone who wants to taste Chiloé, not just see it.
After breakfast, transfer from Chiloé for your onward journey.
Let's discover your next adventure
Our top picks
The Singular Santiago places 62 rooms in Lastarria beside Parque Forestal and the city’s museum district. A seasonal rooftop pool, full spa, rooftop bar, and restaurant give the hotel more facilities than most of Santiago’s historic-center boutiques.
Hotel Magnolia places 40 rooms inside a restored 1929 building beside Cerro Santa Lucía. Original stone, stained glass, a dramatic central stair, rooftop terrace, and contemporary Chilean restaurant create a design-led alternative to Santiago’s larger luxury hotels.
Mandarin Oriental, Santiago places 299 rooms within 25,000 square meters of gardens in Las Condes. A lagoon-style seasonal pool, several restaurants, spa, family suites, and broad public spaces create the capital’s most resort-like luxury stay.
Hotel AWA places 25 lake- and volcano-facing rooms beside Lake Llanquihue outside Puerto Varas. Floor-to-ceiling glass, fireplaces, a 300-square-meter spa, indoor pool, private excursions, and B Corp certification make it the Lake District’s strongest contemporary luxury hotel.
Refugia Chiloé places 24 sea-facing rooms above Pullao Bay on Chiloé Island. Full-experience rates include meals, open bar, airport transfers, spa, indoor and outdoor pools, and daily small-group excursions by foot, horse, bicycle, kayak, vehicle, or boat.
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