Best Time to Visit Chile: Month-by-Month Guide

The best time to visit Chile is roughly October to April, when the far south is open for hiking, the centre is warm and the lakes are green. The Atacama Desert and Easter Island can be visited all year, so a winter trip to the north works well too.

Chile runs for more than 4,000 kilometres from north to south, which means it never has just one season. While Patagonia is cold and quiet in July, the desert enjoys clear, dry days and the ski slopes above Santiago fill up. The right month therefore depends on which regions you want to see and what you want to do there, whether that is trekking, wine tasting, stargazing or simply touring. Seasons are the reverse of Europe and North America.

Chile at a glance

• Summer (December to February): peak season in Patagonia and the Lake District, with long days. Warm and dry in the centre; occasional storms on the high Altiplano near the Atacama.
• Autumn (March to May): grape harvest in the wine valleys, autumn colours in the south and fewer visitors. March is still a good month in Patagonia.
• Winter (June to August): clear days and very cold nights in the Atacama, rain in the centre and south, skiing in the Andes and reduced services in Patagonia.
• Spring (September to November): flowers in the central valleys, clear skies in the north and the Patagonian season opening, a good time for a combined trip.

Chile month by month

Weather varies from year to year, so treat this as a guide to usual patterns rather than a forecast.

Month	Weather and conditions	Good for
January	Summer holidays; warm and dry in the centre, longest days and often strong winds in Patagonia; possible afternoon storms in the high Atacama	Torres del Paine, the Lake District, beaches
February	Similar to January and very busy with Chilean holidaymakers; summer rain still possible on the Altiplano	Patagonia, lakes, Easter Island festival season
March	Grape harvest begins; days still warm in the centre, cooler in the south with fewer visitors	Wine valleys, quieter Patagonia, the Lake District
April	Harvest continues, autumn colours in the south, pleasant in Santiago	Wine tasting, Santiago, the Atacama
May	Cooler and quieter; rain starts in the centre and south; many Patagonian services close	The Atacama, Santiago, Easter Island
June	Winter; wetter in the centre and south, snow in the Andes, very cold nights in the desert	Skiing near Santiago (season usually starts around June), the Atacama
July	Coldest month; clear, dry days in the north; school holidays fill ski resorts	Skiing, stargazing in the Atacama
August	Still winter; ski season continues; Patagonia quiet and cold	Skiing, the Atacama, Easter Island
September	Early spring; flowers in the valleys; national holidays mid-month; skiing usually winds down	Santiago, wine valleys, the Atacama
October	Spring; mild in the centre, clear in the north, Patagonian lodges reopening	A combined trip of desert, wine and lakes
November	Late spring; long days, green landscapes in the south, Patagonia season under way before the peak	Patagonia, the Lake District, a full north-to-south trip
December	Start of summer; warm in the centre, busy around Christmas and New Year	Patagonia, lakes, the Atacama

Best time to visit Chile by region

The Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert can be visited year-round, which makes it the most flexible part of Chile. Days are usually sunny and warm, but nights are cold at any time of year and very cold in winter (June to August), especially on early starts to the El Tatio geysers above 4,000 metres. Winter skies are often at their clearest for stargazing. In summer, roughly January and February, storms occasionally affect the high Altiplano and can close some high-altitude roads for a day or two, so a little flexibility helps. Spring and autumn offer a comfortable balance of mild days and fewer people.

Santiago and the wine valleys

Santiago and the central valleys have a Mediterranean climate, with warm dry summers and mild, wetter winters. Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are the most pleasant times. The grape harvest usually runs roughly March to April, when vineyards in Colchagua, Maipo and Casablanca are at their liveliest and the vines turn gold. Summer can be hot in the city, while winter brings snow to the Andes: the ski season near Santiago usually runs roughly June to September, with resorts within a short drive of the capital.

The Lake District

Around Puerto Varas and Pucón, the south is green because it rains a good deal, most of all in winter. The best time is roughly November to March, when days are long and mild and the volcanoes are more often clear. This is the season for boat trips, rafting, hiking and the lake crossing to Bariloche. Autumn brings lovely colours and fewer visitors, though with more chance of rain. In winter the region is quiet and damp, and best suited to hot springs and short excursions.

Chilean Patagonia and Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine and the far south are best from around November to March, when lodges, boats and trails are all open and daylight lasts late into the evening. December to February is the peak, with the most services and often the strongest winds; November and March can be quieter and calmer. The weather changes quickly at any time, so layers and a good waterproof are essential. From roughly May to September many services close or reduce. Our Patagonia guide covers both sides of the border, including seasons in El Calafate and El Chaltén.

Easter Island (Rapa Nui)

Rapa Nui has a mild subtropical climate and can be visited all year. Summer, roughly December to March, is warmer and busier, and February is festival season on the island. Winter is cooler and sometimes showery but rarely cold, and it is a good time to combine the island with the Atacama or skiing. Our Easter Island Short Break (4 days) is designed to slot in before or after a mainland trip in any season.

Festivals and busy periods

• January and February: the main Chilean summer holidays. Patagonia, the Lake District and the coast are at their busiest, so this is when demand for lodges and flights peaks.
• Tapati Rapa Nui: Easter Island’s cultural festival, usually held in the first half of February, with dates varying each year. Flights and rooms fill quickly.
• Harvest festivals (Fiesta de la Vendimia): wine valleys such as Colchagua usually celebrate the harvest around March.
• Easter (Semana Santa): a busy holiday week in March or April, with dates varying each year.
• Fiestas Patrias: national holidays around 18 September, with traditional food, dancing and rodeo. Many Chileans travel, and some businesses close.
• Christmas and New Year: a peak period, including the large New Year fireworks over Valparaíso.

For travel between December and March, especially to Patagonia or Easter Island, it is worth booking several months ahead, as the best lodges and guides are limited.

Which trip for which season

• November to March: the Torres del Paine W Trek (8 days) is a guided hike through the park when trails and refuges are open and the days are long.
• March and April, or spring: Chile Wine and Lakes: Santiago, Colchagua and Puerto Varas (9 days) catches the harvest in Colchagua and the Lake District before the rains, and works well again from October to December.
• The harvest months: Food and Wine of Chile and Argentina (10 days) pairs Santiago and Colchagua with Mendoza, where harvest time falls in the same months.
• Any time, including winter: the Atacama Desert Short Break (4 days) offers lagoons, geysers and stargazing; pack warm clothes for the nights from June to August.
• Year-round: the Easter Island Short Break (4 days) adds Rapa Nui to any of the above.

Planning your trip around the seasons

If you want to see the whole country in one go, the shoulder months of October to November and March to April are often the best compromise: Patagonia is open, the centre is mild, the desert is comfortable and there are fewer crowds than in high summer. Whatever the month, pack layers. Even a summer trip can run from hot afternoons in Santiago to freezing dawns in the Atacama and wind and rain in Torres del Paine.

Altitude matters in the north, where San Pedro de Atacama sits at about 2,400 metres and some excursions go above 4,000 metres. Our article on altitude in the Andes explains how to plan for it.

A private trip lets you follow the good weather: starting in the desert and ending in Patagonia as the season opens, or adding a day of slack where the weather is less predictable. Our Chile guide covers the regions in more detail, and our guide to the best time to visit South America helps if you are combining Chile with its neighbours.