This student tour brings Spanish learning beyond the classroom and into everyday life in Chile. Students will hear and use the language as they explore Santiago’s markets, discover the art and stories of Valparaíso, and meet the communities of the Atacama Desert and Chiloé Island. Along the way, they’ll encounter Chile’s remarkable range of landscapes, from salt flats and geysers to Pacific waterways and ancient forests, while learning how geography, history, and local traditions shape each place. With an English-speaking tour escort accompanying the group, the journey offers students the support to travel confidently and the opportunity to engage with Chilean culture firsthand.

Depart the United States for Santiago on an overnight international flight. Settle in and look ahead to the changing landscapes that will shape the journey, from the Pacific coast to the high desert and the forests of southern Chile.

Arrive in Santiago and meet your English-speaking tour escort. Transfer to your hotel. Explore the capital on foot and by subway, beginning with stations that double as public art spaces. At Universidad de Chile station, see a mural that brings the country’s history into the rhythm of everyday travel. Continue through a local market to see the seafood, fruits, and vegetables that shape Chilean cooking, then walk to the Plaza de Armas, the city’s historic main square. Taste local snacks, including empanadas and fruit drinks, and, if time and energy allow, continue to the colorful Bellavista neighborhood. Dinner is at the hotel.

Travel to Valparaíso for a full day in this hillside port city. Walk among murals, street art, stairways, and older neighborhoods while your guide shares the stories of the artists and communities behind them. Valparaíso’s historic seaport quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for its role in Pacific trade and its distinctive urban landscape. Enjoy local food tastings and lunch with a panoramic view, then visit La Sebastiana, the former home of poet Pablo Neruda. Return to Santiago for dinner at the hotel.

Fly from Santiago to Calama and transfer to San Pedro de Atacama, an oasis town that serves as a gateway to the desert. In the afternoon, explore Moon Valley’s dunes, salt formations, and sculpted ridges. Learn about the area’s salt extraction history and the heritage of the Lickanantai people as you visit landmarks such as the Three Marys and the former Victoria Mine. End in Mars Valley with a sunset toast as the desert changes color. Dinner is at the hotel.

Visit the Atacama Salt Flat and Chaxa Lagoon, where flamingos feed in mineral-rich waters against a vast desert backdrop. Continue to Toconao to see its volcanic-stone bell tower, village architecture, and local handicrafts. Later, take a guided walk of approximately 4 km through Guatín’s Cactus Valley. Follow the Vilama River gorge and learn how water supports life around San Pedro de Atacama, while observing the plants and wildlife adapted to this dry environment. A boxed lunch is provided, followed by dinner at the hotel.

Rise early for the Tatio Geysers, more than 4,300 meters above sea level. In the cold morning air, steam rises from the geothermal field as the surrounding Altiplano comes into view. Continue to the village of Machuca for a glimpse of local highland life and regional flavors, then enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. After dinner, head out beneath the Atacama’s dark skies for a guided astronomy experience. Use telescopes to view celestial objects and learn both scientific and cultural ways of understanding the night sky.

Transfer to Calama airport for your flight south to Puerto Montt, then continue by road to Puerto Varas. The journey brings a dramatic change of scenery: the dry Atacama gives way to Chile’s green Lake District. Settle into your hotel and enjoy dinner.

Travel to Pargua and board a ferry across the Chacao Channel to Chiloé Island, watching for seabirds and other coastal wildlife along the way. Explore Dalcahue and Castro, where markets, wooden architecture, and Castro’s waterfront palafitos—houses built on stilts—reflect the island’s relationship with the sea. Visit the churches of Dalcahue and Castro, both among the Churches of Chiloé UNESCO World Heritage Site, celebrated for their distinctive wooden construction and the blend of European and Indigenous traditions. Continue to Ancud to see the historic San Antonio Fort and local market before returning to Puerto Varas. Lunch is arranged during the excursion; dinner is at the hotel.

Travel along the coast near Puerto Montt to Alerce Andino National Park. Walk the approximately 4 km Salto Río Chaica trail beside clear water and through dense vegetation, keeping an eye out for birds such as chucaos and woodpeckers. Continue to the Chaica River Falls and the ancient alerce tree described in the planned route. The day offers time to experience the quieter side of southern Chile’s forests before returning to Puerto Varas for dinner.

After breakfast on Day 10, transfer from Puerto Varas to Puerto Montt airport for your flight to Santiago. An English-speaking guide will meet the group on arrival and accompany the transfer to the hotel. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant and a final night in Chile. On Day 11, have breakfast at the hotel before transferring to the airport for your flight to the United States. Depending on the flight schedule, you will travel overnight and arrive home on Day 12, bringing your journey through Chile to a close.