Plan your trip to Chile

Swoop work with a network of over 150 local partners in Patagonia: trekking companies, adventure activity specialists, off-the-beaten-track oracles, road trip operators and everything in between. To get on your way to Chile, here are our top questions to consider:

  • Are you an independent traveller, or would you rather travel in a group?
  • Is ticking of the highlights important, or would you rather go a little off-the-beaten-track?
  • A one-week whirlwind, or a slower-paced month of travel?
  • Luxurious hotels to soak in the atmosphere, or is the scenery more important than where you rest your head?

Where to go in Chile

Travelling down Chile's long, snaking arm, you'll cross through dozens of different landscapes and regions. Our top places to visit are:

  • Lunar desert of Atacama in the North, stretching approximately 1000 km and one of the driest places on Earth.
  • Remote Aysena land of three contrasting landscapes: the steppe, the glaciated Andes and the coastal temperate rainforest.
  • Carretera Austral: a rough road that runs 1,240km south from Puerto Montt, through Aysen.
  • Granite peaks and glaciers of Torres del Paine National Park, one of the most popular destinations in Patagonia. Most famous for the W Trek, it also offers a lot of wilder hiking, horse riding, ice hiking and mountain biking.
What are the highlights of Chile

Our top things to do in Chile

Hiking in Torres del Paine

Hiking in Torres del Paine

World class hiking and trekking awaits in Torres del Paine National Park. From the iconic W Trek to the park’s most hidden corners, each valley, peak and pass is a treasure.

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Hiking in Aysen

Hiking in Aysen

Dramatic snow-capped mountains, glistening glacial lakes and lush forested valleys make for superb trekking in this unsung region. Explore the fantastic hiking routes in Aysen's …

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Patagonia Kayaking Tours

Patagonia Kayaking Tours

Patagonia is a top destination for kayakers and white water rafters, who come from all over the world to take advantage of its amazing rapids and rivers. Patagonia also offers some…

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Bird Watching in Patagonia

Bird Watching in Patagonia

Patagonia is home to over 460 species of birds, making a trip to Chile or Argentina an unforgettable experience for any birder. From the famous and dominating Andean Condor …

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What our customers think of Chile Tours

Chile is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The people are wonderful, friendly, warm. Read the full review

Travelled: October 2019

Cristina Rodrigues - Portugal

Swoop were excellent. When we first decided to visit Chile we had no thought as to some of the things we could do or see. Swoop guided us in this regard, gave us inspiration and arranged all that was required in Patagonia. It is difficult to know if anything different could have been done, other than extend our time in Southern Chile Read the full review

Travelled: January 2019

David Cook - United Kingdom

Swoop was very helpful in helping us build out our plans and our trip, especially because we didn’t know much about the location and had never been there before. Patagonia can be a lot of information for the first-time traveler, and Swoop really helped to zone in on the specific things that we wanted to do and made it less overwhelming to figure out what we were going to do, and how. Read the full review

Travelled: November 2018

Christina Jung - United States Of America

After spending five weeks traveling in Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina, we saw and did a lot in the area. But, this avid hiker's circuit in Torres del Paine was the highlight of our trip! From the beauty of the park to the company of our guide, it was memorable and life-changing on so many levels.

Travelled: February 2018

Molly McWhinnie - United States Of America

The whole W-circuit in Chilean Patagonia was beautiful. Just stunning. We had refugios and full board booked which made everything very easy and pleasant. All we had to do was enjoy the hiking, views and take photos. The glacier hike on glacier grey was the stand out highlight for us.

Travelled: December 2017

Paulette - Australia

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Flights, cruise and tours could not have gone any better and that is from seasoned world travellers. Congrats Swoop.

Travelled: October 2017

Peter - Australia

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The people at Swoop were so helpful and had such great advice. The Swoop website has so much information on Patagonia, and Swoop made such a difference in helping us figure out where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see and create a plan to make it happen.

Travelled: August 2016

Stuart & Sandra -

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Swoop were careful to ask us not just what we wanted from our trip but also what we didn't want, and clearly listened to what we said. The only point of ‘conflict’ with the proposal was the cruise at the end of the trip - Sally persuaded us it was a ‘cruise for people that didn’t do cruises’ and as with the whole trip, she was right.

Travelled: March 2016

Peter & Mary -

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We took some ideas along to Sally at Swoop, who also made some helpful suggestions, found great places to stay and put it all together for us, so that our month travelling went almost like clockwork (when our Navimag boat was delayed 12 hrs by bad weather, our taxi was still there to meet us). We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Swoop.

Travelled: January 2016

Chris & Alison -

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We really valued Swoop's expertise, and the fact that you had been to the places we were going.

Travelled: December 2015

Greg & Michelle -

First-hand advice from people who know the region just makes planning so much easier.

Travelled: December 2015

Jenny -

Review:

Six ways to explore Chile

1. Private tours

Our years of experience and extensive network of local partners can help you build your dream trip from the endless possibilities of Chile. We'll talk through your ideas, give you some suggestions, set it all up and advise on travel, kit and preparation, so that you get the Chilean adventure you've always wanted.

We'll be on hand to help you before, during and after your trip; from the moment we've booked it all for you to the moment you return home.

Chile Tours

2. Hiking tours

Everyone knows Torres del Paine, and the W Trek and the Full Circuit Trek are some of our most requested trips. They are spectacular, world-class hikes amongst scenery and mountains unlike anywhere else in the world, just challenging enough to be an earned achievement for any hiker.

We love Torres del Paine, but it's by no means alone in Patagonia. The Lake District has some completely contrasting landscapes, with beautifully lush national parks and smoking volcanoes to be climbed. In Aysen, you can hike through the steppe, rainforest and up to glaciers without leaving the region. 

Two hikers standing on a narrow path above Glacier Grey and Grey Lake, Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile. Torres del Paine Hike.

View of Glacier Grey, Torres del Paine

3. Group tours

For us, the recipe to a great group tour is the right destinations, the best guides and top activities. Our group tours vary from road trips, wildlife-watching, hiking, or just seeing all the highlights.

Tours range from 10 days to three weeks, have set departures and fixed pricing, and there are often optional adventure activities such as kayaking, ice hiking and biking to get you closer to your scenery.

No matter what you choose, you're guaranteed to maximise the time you have in each area, and to spend your trip learning about everything from history to culture from the encyclopedic local knowledge of your tour guides.

Chile Tours

Hiking Group, Torres del Paine

4. Specialist tours

Use Swoop's network of specialist guides to ensure that you have the local expert you need (and any equipment) for a few days or an entire holiday.

Our specialist areas include birdwatching, kayaking, mountain biking, horse riding, puma tracking, fishing, climbing, mountaineering and white water rafting - ask us how to incorporate these into your trip.

Serrano River with views of the Paine massif, Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile

Serrano River with views of the Paine massif, Torres del Paine

5. Extraordinary journeys

Spend three or more weeks getting under the skin of Chile, on a trip designed by people who have spent decades exploring Chile's wilder, secret side. These trips are tailored to each individual traveller, designed to help you understand the nuances and variety Chile has to offer.

You can still see the highlights, but may find yourself a few days later in a remote, lakeside lodge that you can only access by boat, or hiking through rainforest to a hidden glacier or clattering along boardwalks in a car-free wooden village.

Caleta Tortel

Caleta Tortel

6. Semi-independent travellers

Tours for people who just want to book one or two bits of their trip with us, but are confident bookings their hotels and flights themselves.

Let us help you get that great deal on a W Trek, a more challenging multi-day hike across the Dientes de Navarino range, or an adventure cruise through the Chilean Fjords. The rest? That's up to you.

Chile Tours

Pia Glacier, Southern Patagonia

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Swoop says

Flights are regular between the regions, and the major tourist hubs tend to have buses and taxis on good schedules. If you're looking to go a little off the beaten track or want more flexibility, consider a self-drive, a group tour, or ask us about private transport.

Ready to plan your Patagonia adventure?

1
Listen

Listen

We'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you.

2
Match

Match

Next we'll discuss the options, shortlist the best trips for you and present you our impartial recommendations.

3
Reserve

Reserve

We'll place a 24 hour hold on your preferred option - without obligation - whilst we talk through the details.

Whatever your budget, group size, length of stay, preferred activity or appetite for adventure, we can help.

1-888-970-4571