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Chile travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Torres del Paine National Park
Torres del Paine National Park. Photo: Karen Chan 16 y Miguel.v ( local | logs | global ) (originales), y Jorge Morales Piderit (montaje)., CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
14h 45mflight from London
Chilean pesocurrency
No visafor UK passports
Type C, Lplugs

From the Atacama desert to Patagonia's granite towers

Don't miss

  1. Torres del Paine
  2. Atacama Desert
  3. Easter Island
Good forMountains & hikingDesertsAdventure

Best time to visit Chile from the UK

Best value: Apr–May, Sep–Nov. Oct–Apr; Dec–Feb for Patagonia; Jun–Sep for skiing. Busiest and priciest: Dec–Mar.

22 C22°J21.2 C21°F19.6 C20°M16.1 C16°A12.5 C12°M9.2 C9°J8.4 C8°J9.7 C10°A11.8 C12°S14.6 C15°O18 C18°N20.5 C20°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Santiago, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Santiago for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: April and NovemberThe warmest of the best-value months (16–18°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Dec–MarUsually 20–22°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Jun–AugAround 8–10°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, but cold, so pack layers.
  • Warmest: January (22°C) · coolest: July (8°C)A 14°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
2221.219.616.112.59.28.49.711.814.61820.5

Festivals and events

  • Fiestas Patrias Sep · Nationwide
  • Tapati Rapa Nui Feb · Easter Island
  • La Tirana Jul · La Tirana

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 14h 45m
Distance
11,652 km
Main airport
SCL

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Chile to your bucket list Search flights to SCL

Practical info and travel guidance

Chilean pesoCapital: Santiago
Type C, L · 220VBring a UK adapter
Drive on the rightOpposite to the UK
133
EmergencyAmbulance 131
Tap water safeAcross the country
  • VisaNo visa neededUp to 90 days
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersLegal and broadly accepted
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Chile, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 9 October 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Chile before you book and again before you go.

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