Chilean Lakes District & Central Chile Itinerary

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Chile is an incredibly long country in South America. It is 4,270 km or 2,653 mi long! Most people come to Chile to visit the Atacama Desert in the north or Torres del Paine National Park in southern Patagonia. They skip the miles and miles in-between and miss out on some of Chile’s lesser known destinations. This three week Central Chile itinerary will include everything you need to know about Chiloé Island, the lakes region of Chile, Concepción and Santiago. Make sure to check out all my linking posts for more information on theses places. 

This Chile itinerary contains information on how to get to each place on the itinerary by plane or bus. Tips for taking buses in Chile are also included. You will find out where to stay in each place and a suggestion for a budget or mid-range accommodation. Last but not least, suggestions on where to eat! Many of the recommendations are vegetarian friendly and different cuisines. 

Taking Buses in Chile

Don’t think you can fly everywhere in Chile, even if there is an airport. Okay, you could fly, but it isn’t as straightforward as you think. Most flights in Chile take off or land in Santiago. Let’s say you are trying to fly between the airport in Puerto Montt and Concepción, you will need to go through Santiago first. Considering the backtracking of the flight and the layover, taking a bus isn’t that much longer. Buses are much cheaper and pretty nice in Chile too! Here are some things to know about the Chilean long-distance buses.

• Seats: Buses are typically two levels with three seats across. They have little curtain dividers between the seats and the seats are larger with footrests. There are different options for how much the seat reclines. You can reserve your specific seat when booking at the ticket desk or online.
• Bags & Luggage: There isn’t a lot of space for your belongings on the bus, there are no overhead bins on most buses. You can check your luggage below the bus. Just like at the airport you receive a baggage claim ticket. Unlike at the airport you actually need to show the ticket to retrieve your suitcase. Don’t be like me and lose your ticket….I got reprimanded!
• Movies: Most buses play movies. Sometimes they will have the volume on, other times you need to use headphones to listen. You may end up watching “A Dog’s Way Home” three times. I couldn’t believe that three different bus companies were all playing that movie!
• Facilities: The toilet is typically located on the lower level. There is rarely toilet paper or soap so plan ahead.
• Tickets:  Use recorrido to search for bus times and tickets or go directly to the bus station. Some companies do not sell tickets online. If you can’t find a route that matches your schedule, go in person to see if there are other options.

Day 1: Fly into Santiago

Santiago is your gateway to all the natural wonders of Chile. Latam often has the best deals for flying into and around Chile, but use SkyScanner to search for the best deal depending on where you are coming from. With Transvip you can get a shared shuttle from the airpot to your accommodation for about 7.000 CLP ($10.22) or private transportation for about 19.500 CLP ($28.47). Taking Cabify (similar to Uber) is usually the cheapest way to go. In can be challenging to find your designated driver at the airport though. It’s easier to use Cabify going to the airport, than from the airport. 

Days 2 – 5: Santiago

I know you are anxious to get exploring the country, but don’t disregard Santiago. The capital of Chile isn’t as well visited as other major cities around the world. To me that was an added bonus, there weren’t hordes of tourists everywhere. Santiago is known as one of the safest and most well-developed cities in South America.

What to Do in Santiago

Santiago is a city of parks and museums! Spend a couple of days at all the free museums in the city and exploring San Cristóbal Hill. Use a couple of days to take a day trip to the nearby vineyards, the colorful, coastal cities of Viña del Mar & Valparaíso and to hike in the Cajón del Maipo gorge. My what to do in Santiago post is full of ideas and tips on how to spend your time in and around Santiago.

Where to Eat in Santiago

Chipe Libre

This was my favorite restaurant I dined at in Santiago. It’s definitely on the pricer end, but well worth it for some Chilean dishes with a modern flare. I went with the salmon and quinoa and my friend had the lamb. We both cleaned up our plates 🙂

If you are just arriving in Chile, you may want to stick to the typical dishes. If not, I can highly recommend Curry & Kabab for Indian food and Coco Thai for Thai food.

For something cheaper and traditional, eat at one of the markets I wrote about in my what to do post. You can also get completos (a loaded hot dog) or italianos (hot dog with avocados, tomatoes and mayonnaise) on the street or in little permanent food stands around the city.

Bellavista and the area around Plaza Peru in Las Condes are both neighborhoods to find restaurants for a dinner out.

Where to Stay in Santiago

If you are only in Santiago for a couple of days it is best to stay in the center. I spent a night at Hotel Panamericano in the center. The hotel is only a few blocks from La Moneda Palace in one direction and La Plaza de Armas in another direction. The hotel is convenient to the metro to get you anywhere you want to go in the city. I was really impressed with how nice the hotel was and the options at breakfast, considering what a great deal the price was. The doorman went above and beyond to help me as well!

My where to stay in Santiago post gives the best accommodation options by neighborhood. 

Day 6: Fly to Chiloé Island

Unless you want to take a 15 hour bus ride to Castro in Chiloé Island, I recommend a direct flight to Castro from Santiago. Depending on the type of bus seat you choose it will cost about $25 – 50 by bus and about $75 – 100 by plane.

It’s important to mention that flights only go to Castro a few times a week. Make sure to line up this itinerary with a day that flights are available. If not, you can fly into Puerto Montt and then take the bus about four hours to Castro.

More information about Chiloé Island transportation is available in my Chiloé Island Guide.

Note: If you are planning to visit southern Patagonia and Torres del Paine, fly to Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales first and then work your way north to Chiloé Island and continue following this itinerary.

Days 7 – 9: Chiloé Island

I had never heard of Chiloé Island before I started to research off-the beaten path places to visit in Chile. When I read about the magical island that is full of opportunities to get outside and explore some secluded natural spots, I knew I wanted to visit. It’s a great place if you love seafood, want to experience some local life in Chile and enjoy both small towns and the great outdoors. 

What to Do in Chiloé Island

Base yourself in the capital of the island, Castro. Spend some time discovering the palafitos and eating seafood in town. Take some day trips to the surrounding small towns to tour the world heritage churches. Go on day tours to visit the penguins in Ancud, kayak in Chepu river and hike in the national park. My Chiloé Island Guide explains how to do all of these activities. 

Where to Eat in Chiloé Island

Chiloé Island is perfect for seafood lovers and those that want to eat food from the land. I wrote about what to eat and where in Chiloé Island pretty thoroughly in my designated post on the island, so check it out here. 

Where to Stay in Chiloé Island

I found Hospedaje Amapola to be a nice budget option, yet it didn’t feel like a budget option. I had a clean, spacious room all to myself with a private bathroom. The host was eager to please and the location was perfect for getting to the bus station and walking around Castro.

Day 10: Bus to Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas is about 4 hours away from Castro by bus. About half-way through the journey to Puerto Varas the bus drives aboard a ferry. You can get out, walk around and even have something to eat in the ferry’s cafe. The bus stations in Castro and Puerto Varas are both walking distance from several different accommodations.

Days 11 – 13: Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas is a Chilean town in the southern lakes district with a German feel. The German style can be seen in the architecture and tasted in the food. Puerto Varas has a prime location in the Chilean Lakes District on Lake Llanquihue.

What to Do in Puerto Varas 

Although Puerto Varas is a charming town, filled with friendly people, the draw to the region is the surrounding area.  The area is full of different water activities. I spent all my time there on the water and highly recommend you give rafting and kayaking in Puerto Varas a try as well!

If you like your water from a distance, you might be interested in a day trip to Petrohué Waterfalls or a Llanquihue Lake tour. Perhaps you want to see the water from a very far distance. Then you need to hike up Osorno Volcano!

I almost extended my trip for Frutillar. It’s another Germany style town along Llanquihue Lake. The German colonial museum that tells the history of the Germans that settled there years ago, sounded interesting.

The town of Puerto Varas is a lovely place to spend some time in too. Take a walk along Lake Llanguihue or even go for a swim or a paddle right in the lake. Museo Pablo Fierro is supposed to be a fun and quirky museum in town. 

Where to Eat in Puerto Varas 

Pims Irish Pub

Yes I am recommending something non-Chilean and non-Irish, despite the name. On top of that it is touristy and located along the Plaza de Armas. The location is perfect for people watching while sitting outside on a nice day. I have gotten to the point where I believe most touristy places don’t have the best food. Pims proved me wrong! They have a lot of tex-mex type items on their menu.

Another added bonus is they are open from 10am – 2am every-day. You will know by this point that it is a challenge to find somewhere for dinner in Chile before 7pm and sometimes 8pm. After walking up early and having active days it is ideal to have someplace to eat dinner earlier!

The restaurant sells ice cream (you can buy it outside from the stand as well). I regret not having any, because if the constant stream of people buying it tells you anything, it was good!

Bless Yuz

Next to the Paseo Puerto Varas mall are several food trucks. Bless Yuz offers healthy vegetarian selections. The mall has a grocery store and free toilets too.

Where to Stay in Puerto Varas 

Hotel Solace is a really nice boutique hotel that overlooks Puerto Varas. You start your day here with a wide selection of breakfast items and end your day with a chocolate on your pillow.  For a four star hotel the rates are really reasonable and the accommodations are clean and comfortable. The hotel is also in walking distance from the bus station and the center of Puerto Varas.

Day 14: Bus to Pucón

This is one of those bus journeys that you may need to go to the bus station to buy a direct ticket. I made the mistake of only looking online where there weren’t any buses from Puerto Varas to Pucón. As a result, I needed to make a stop in Temuco before and after visiting Pucón. From Puerto Varas a direct bus ride to Pucón is about 4 hours.

Side Stop: Temuco

I didn’t include any days in Temuco because unless you need to visit for transportation purposes or other reasons I would skip the city. Temuco is a smaller, big city. It’s in that category that it doesn’t have the bustling, exciting big city vibe with a lot to do. On the other hand it is too big to be considered a quaint town with it’s own charm. I admit that I did hardly anything in the city and perhaps if I made more of an effort I would have discovered some recommendable places. Even the taxi driver I had on the last day said the reason to come to Temuco is for the natural sights in the region….which you can see from Pucón! That being said if life brings you to Temuco, here is where to stay and a restaurant recommendation.  

Where to Eat in Temuco

I went to this basic restaurant in a mall in the center of Temuco called Marriet. I wasn’t expecting very much, but I was proved wrong. My sandwich was gigantic and very good. I got one with green beans because once you get to this point in your central Chile itinerary you take veggies where you can get them! The dessert case looked amazing as well. The cake portions were just as humongous as the sandwich ones.

Where to Stay in Temuco

I stayed at both Hotel Frontera Clásico and Hotel Luanco. Hotel Frontera is your typical mid-range hotel with clean rooms and an ample breakfast provided in the morning. Hotel Luanco is a budget hotel that feels like you are staying in a cabin within the hotel. The price was very economical and the rooms were surprisingly nice. I don’t know why, but they gave me a suite with two rooms with two beds in each. The only downfall was the tiny breakfast the next morning.

Days 15 – 17: Pucón

Most people go straight to Patagonia if they want to have outdoor adventures. Pucón is a lesser known destination in Chile, but is full of thrilling things to do. It is located in the central Chilean lakes district. Thanks to all the buildings the town has a Northwoods feel about it. Due to all the adventure activities it also felt like what I imagine Denver to be like. Lastly, it reminded me of Reykjavik, Icleand. Imagine all three of these, but wrapped up into a Chilean town! 

What to Do in Pucón

Most of the active pursuits include hiking or water sports in the surrounding area outside of Pucón. My post, Pucón Day Tours will tell you how to book tours and what types of activities are available in the region. 

If you have extra time in Pucón take a walk up to the Santa Clara monastery on the outskirts of the center. It’s an uphill forest walk that doesn’t take too long and offers views of the town from the top. Don’t worry about any crowds obstructing your view. I didn’t see another person from when I crossed the road to start the walk until I got back down to the road again.

You can also spend some time shopping and wandering the streets of the town. There are two separate areas where you can see Villarrica Lake and walk along it. One area has a beach and a short woodland walk. The other area offers boat rides and rentals.

Where to Eat in Pucón

If you read my post about day tours in Pucón you will know about my struggles booking adventure trips from the city. As any experienced traveller knows, when things don’t go accordingly to plan you quickly adjust. Even though I love going out to eat and trying new foods & places this often gets put on the back-burner when I travel because my planning is focused on getting around, accommodations and what to do. In Pucón I had some extra time that I could happily devote to eating! 

Surprisingly Pucón has a really nice food scene full of a good variety of places for a town of its size. Most importantly there were a lot of healthy choices. By this point you may want a break from all the seafood and meat heavy dishes and Pucón is just the place to get your veggies! 

Trawen

I enjoyed Trawen so much that I went back a 2nd time! For a girl who lived in NYC for four years and rarely went back to a restaurant twice, that is saying something! The best way to describe Trawen is fresh and healthy! This isn’t the place to go if you are looking for a typical Chilean meal, but a good spot if you want those veggies I promised. I don’t know what kind of spread came with the delicious bread, but that was probably my biggest motivator for returning! The staff are really friendly here too.

El Powder 

Like many restaurants in Pucón El Powder offers a “menu del dia”, a fixed price lunch menu that often includes an appetizer, main dish, drink and dessert. I was enticed by the pizza menu though. El Powder is a good spot to go if you are craving some Italian food.

De La P 

Another restaurant that offers a “menu del dia”. My pizza was so good at El Powder, that I had to give the pizza here a try! Really what tempted me more than anything were the desserts and chocolates.

La Fabrika

I finally made use of one of the great “menu del dias” deals at Fabrika, which included an appetizer, main dish, drink and fresh fruit smoothie. There are several places around Pucón where you can order fresh fruit drinks. 

D’ TOROS

D’Toros has a classy, bistro feel with comfy outdoor cushioned booths. It is another good place for pasta, as well as other meat dishes.

Kuchenladen

This might be contradictory considering I said Pucón has several places where you can get healthy options. But it is also a destination for great desserts! Kuchenladen is the place to go if you need cake and want a lot of choices! 

Where to Stay in Pucón

I usually avoid hostals, but Hostal Muller had reviews and rates too good to pass up. With a cozy interior, access to a clean kitchen and eggs made to order at breakfast, it lived up to it’s reputation. The hostal is only a couple minutes away from the bus stations and the center of Pucón. 

Day 18: Bus to Concepción

I feel bad giving another less than stellar recommendation about a Chilean city, but Concepción is another one of those places I need to do that. When I talked with some Chileans from Concepción they didn’t even seem too enthused about their city. Really there isn’t anything wrong with the city, there just isn’t a lot to do.

You may be asking why I included it on the itinerary? The main reason is that it breaks the journey up between Puerto Varas and Santiago. If you aren’t averse to a 12 hour bus ride or don’t have the time to spare you might want to skip Concepción. If you are like me and living remotely, doing some slow travel and like visiting less popular places take some time in Concepción. There are some nice sights to see and reasonably priced accommodations. I did enjoy Concepción, much more than Temuco.

There are two bus stations in Concepción, make sure you are aware which one you are arriving to and departing from. One is in the center and you may be able to walk to your accommodation. The other is further afield and you can take a taxi.

Days 19 – 20: Concepción

What to Do in Concepción

Parque Ecuador (Ecudaor park) is a long park that is perfect for a walk away from the hustle and bustle of the center. It leads to Cerro Caracol (Caracol hill), which is about a 4 – 5 mile round-trip hike up to the German look-out point. The walk is pretty straightforward, as long as you stay on one of the main paths you can’t get lost. There are two different ways to go up and down. I went up the pedestrian stair way and came back down on the steep hill.

I was concerned about hiking alone, but on a Saturday afternoon there were enough people around that I felt safe. It was nowheres near being overcrowded though. Many moments all I saw were the trees around me! A good number of bikers use the trails and will be seen off-roading. Depending on your fitness level, it is a work-out making it to the top! There are free toilets about 15 minutes from the look-out point at the top and also at the look-out point. The park has pay toilets.

When in Parque Ecuador learn about the history of Concepción at the Galería De La Historia. Despite the writing in Spanish only, you can look at all the little dioramas. The main floor of the museum shows the history of the city chronologically through dioramas. The one pictured above shows the earthquake of 1939 that destroyed around 15 thousand houses.

Also take a walk through the University of Concepción. It’s known as the most beautiful campus in Chile. Within the campus are green spaces, museums and sculptors. The university hardly resembled my Alma Mater, but it still gave me major nostalgia to walk around and remember those years of my life.

Where to Eat in Concepción

There are a couple of food trucks in Ecuador park. I really liked the sandwich I had from the Meche Food Truck. I also had some delicious Thai food from Kithai.

Where to Stay in Concepción

My AirBnB was decent enough here. It was a cozy apartment with a washer right in the kitchen. Although the building seemed new and modern, it seemed like the apartment could use a good deep cleaning.  The location in the center of Concepción was perfect for my week-long stay because it was only a couple of blocks from the park, Unimark grocery store and Pacific gym. See what is available in the area on your travel dates.

Booking.com

Day 21: Bus to Santiago

On your final day take a 6 hour bus back to Santiago. From here you can either continue traveling north to the Atacama Desert in Chile or fly to your next destination.

Hopefully this Central Chile itinerary gives you all the information you need to visit some of the best destinations in Chile.

Not up for planning your own trip or want to travel with some other people? Throughout my travels in South America I met some people taking G Adventure group tours. They had rave reviews about how the tours were organized and were having a lot of fun with their fellow tour goers.

Not a fan of group tours, but don’t want to plan your own travel either? Don’t worry, I can help! Through my Personal Travel Planning service I can plan the perfect Chile itinerary to meet your travel needs…or any other place you dream of visiting!

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