Smart Self-Managed Tours

Country guide

Chile

A photograph of Chile
Photograph · Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0

Chile is a narrow strip between the Andes and the Pacific, the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica. Its 756,102 km² are arranged almost entirely along one north–south line, with Peru and Bolivia at the top and the Drake Passage at the bottom, so nearly every journey here is a journey up or down. The 2024 census counted 18.5 million people. Santiago is the capital and largest city. Chile also administers Pacific islands far offshore, among them Juan Fernández and Easter Island, which means two places under the same flag can sit an ocean apart.

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Spanish
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+56
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Chilean peso (CLP)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
133 police · 131 ambulance · 132 fire
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C and L · 220 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No single verified statement covers all regions and remote areas

Planning a visit

  1. January: seasonal closure recorded
  2. February: seasonal closure recorded
  3. March: seasonal closure recorded
  4. April: no seasonality data recorded
  5. May: no seasonality data recorded
  6. June: no seasonality data recorded
  7. July: no seasonality data recorded
  8. August: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  9. September: seasonal closure recorded
  10. October: seasonal closure recorded
  11. November: seasonal closure recorded
  12. December: seasonal closure recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. La Batuta
    02 2 hours

    La Batuta

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  2. La Piojera
    03 2 hours

    La Piojera

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  3. Passapoga
    04 2 hours

    Passapoga

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  4. Bar Nacional
    06 2 hours

    Bar Nacional

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  5. Budapest
    07 2 hours

    Budapest

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  6. El Barcito
    09 2 hours

    El Barcito

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  7. La Birreria
    10 2 hours

    La Birreria

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  8. Makalu
    12 2 hours

    Makalu

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  9. Secreto
    13 2 hours

    Secreto

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  10. Teclados
    14 2 hours

    Teclados

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  11. 1289
    15 2 hours

    1289

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  12. 1/2 Kilo Pub
    16 2 hours

    1/2 Kilo Pub

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  13. 27 F
    18 2 hours

    27 F

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  14. Acqua Diva
    19 2 hours

    Acqua Diva

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  15. Adobe
    20 2 hours

    Adobe

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  16. Akbar
    21 2 hours

    Akbar

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  17. Akitu
    22 2 hours

    Akitu

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  18. Alcazaba
    24 2 hours

    Alcazaba

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  19. Alcazaba
    25 2 hours

    Alcazaba

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  20. Alimapu
    26 2 hours

    Alimapu

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  21. Alonso
    27 2 hours

    Alonso

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  22. A Lo Roto
    28 2 hours

    A Lo Roto

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  23. Al Pub Chino
    29 2 hours

    Al Pub Chino

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  24. A Mano
    34 2 hours

    A Mano

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  25. Ambar
    35 2 hours

    Ambar

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  26. Amigos Bar
    36 2 hours

    Amigos Bar

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  27. Angélica
    37 2 hours

    Angélica

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  28. Arica Rock
    39 2 hours

    Arica Rock

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  29. Aura Club
    42 2 hours

    Aura Club

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  30. Autóctono
    43 2 hours

    Autóctono

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  31. BackRoom
    46 2 hours

    BackRoom

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  32. Bar
    48 2 hours

    Bar

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  33. Bar 105
    49 2 hours

    Bar 105

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  34. Bar 360
    50 2 hours

    Bar 360

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  35. Bar 38
    51 2 hours

    Bar 38

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  36. Barado
    52 2 hours

    Barado

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  37. Bar Aires
    53 2 hours

    Bar Aires

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  38. Baraja
    54 2 hours

    Baraja

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  39. Baramu
    55 2 hours

    Baramu

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  40. Baratisimo
    56 2 hours

    Baratisimo

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  41. Barba Azul
    57 2 hours

    Barba Azul

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  42. Bar Badalu
    58 2 hours

    Bar Badalu

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  43. BarbaNegra
    59 2 hours

    BarbaNegra

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  44. Barbazul
    61 2 hours

    Barbazul

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  45. Barbazul
    62 2 hours

    Barbazul

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  46. Barbazul
    63 2 hours

    Barbazul

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  47. Barbazul
    64 2 hours

    Barbazul

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  48. Barbazul
    65 2 hours

    Barbazul

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  49. BarBazul
    66 2 hours

    BarBazul

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  50. Bar Bizarro
    68 2 hours

    Bar Bizarro

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  51. Barbones
    69 2 hours

    Barbones

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  52. Barbones
    70 2 hours

    Barbones

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  53. Barcaza
    73 2 hours

    Barcaza

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  54. Barcelona
    74 2 hours

    Barcelona

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  55. Bar Chueca
    77 2 hours

    Bar Chueca

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  56. Bar Cinzano
    78 2 hours

    Bar Cinzano

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  57. Bar del Tío
    81 2 hours

    Bar del Tío

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  58. Bardenor
    82 2 hours

    Bardenor

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  59. Bar de Pisco
    83 2 hours

    Bar de Pisco

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  60. Bar de Rene
    84 2 hours

    Bar de Rene

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  61. Bar El Bajo
    87 2 hours

    Bar El Bajo

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  62. Bar El Farol
    88 2 hours

    Bar El Farol

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  63. Bar Esquina
    90 2 hours

    Bar Esquina

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  64. bar estadio
    91 2 hours

    bar estadio

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  65. Bar Farewell
    92 2 hours

    Bar Farewell

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  66. Bar Francia
    94 2 hours

    Bar Francia

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  67. Barfusion
    95 2 hours

    Barfusion

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  68. Bargoño
    96 2 hours

    Bargoño

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  69. Bar Inglés
    98 2 hours

    Bar Inglés

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  70. Barisino
    99 2 hours

    Barisino

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago
  71. Bar Jiron
    100 2 hours

    Bar Jiron

    • Notable
    • Nightlife venue
    • Santiago

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Chile be?

A 10–16 day visit should pair Santiago with one major region, such as the Atacama, the Lake District or a Patagonian gateway. Chile’s length makes combining north and far south in a short itinerary transfer-heavy.

What entry documents are needed for Chile?

Chile’s consular service publishes the visa rules used for entry. Nationality, travel purpose and length of stay determine the requirement, and any application should be made through the official consular channel.

What is the best way to travel around Chile?

Santiago is the central international and domestic hub. Flights connect the desert, lake and Patagonian gateways, while long-distance buses cover mainland corridors and remote parks require a confirmed final transfer.

When is a practical time to visit Chile?

October through April is the broad operating window for many central and southern journeys. Atacama conditions, central-valley heat and Patagonian wind are distinct, so the least flexible regional leg should set the calendar.

What money and payment basics apply in Chile?

Chile uses the Chilean peso (CLP). Current withdrawal costs and merchant acceptance are Not recorded; review the amount in pesos and any conversion offered before completing payment.

What practical safety details should I save for Chile?

Chile uses 133 for police, 131 for ambulance and 132 for fire. Power is 220 V with Type C and L plugs, while nationwide tap-water guidance remains Not recorded.