First: the seasons are upside down
Chile is in the southern hemisphere, so the calendar flips relative to Europe and North America. Summer runs December to February and winter June to August.
The shift is milder for Brazilians — the seasons line up — but the intensity is not: the Chilean winter is a real one, and the mountains hold snow of a kind Brazil has nothing like.
Winter (June to September): the snow
It is the only window in which the ski resorts operate, and the reason most Brazilians pick these dates. Nine of our tours exist only in this period.
July is the busiest month because it coincides with Brazilian school holidays. If you can shift to August or early September, you get the same snow with shorter queues.
Spring and autumn: the quiet months
September to November and March to May the city is pleasant, the coast walks well and the Maipo Valley wineries run at full tilt. Fewer tourists and the days stretch further.
Autumn also brings the harvest, between March and April: the wineries are picking and the vineyard looks nothing like it does the rest of the year.
Summer (December to February): no snow, everything else
No ski season, but the other sixteen tours all run: Valparaíso, Isla Negra, the wineries, Cajón del Maipo, Parque Safari, the city tour and the pasta or beer evenings.
It is also when the Pacific can be enjoyed differently — though the Humboldt current keeps the water cold all year: the Chilean coast is walked and photographed more than it is swum.
The short answer
Coming for the snow: June to September, and August if you get to choose. Coming for the city, the wine and the coast: spring or autumn, when the weather helps and there are fewer people.
And if your dates are fixed because work or school says so, there is still a good trip: what changes is which of the 25 tours fits your week.
The tours in this guide
Keep reading
Farellones, El Colorado, La Parva or Valle Nevado?
All four sit on the same road, one above the other. Here is the real difference between them.
When is there actually snow in Chile?
The season runs June to September. But altitude matters more than the month, and that changes how you plan the trip.
What a day in the snow in Chile really costs
The tour is one part of the spend. Here is every line item, so none of them surprises you up there.
How many days do I need in Santiago?
Three cover the essentials and five let you breathe. But what shapes the itinerary is not the number of days: it is which days of the week.
Is Valparaíso worth it in winter?
Yes, if you are going for the hills and the street art. No, if you are going for the beach. It is a full day, and it helps to know what for.
What documents do I need to enter Chile?
Brazilians need no tourist visa. What does need checking before you leave home is something else.
How much money to bring to Chile, and how to pay
What takes a card, what needs cash, and the costs that appear up the mountain that nobody warns you about.
Is renting a car in Chile worth it?
For the coast and the wineries, yes. For driving up to the ski resorts in winter, no — and not because we sell tours.
What to pack for the Chilean winter
There are 16 degrees between Santiago and Valle Nevado. That, not the forecast, is what decides your suitcase.
Chile with children: which tour works at which age
Five of our tours do not admit under-18s and three more have a minimum age. Better to know now than at the door.
Which neighbourhood to stay in in Santiago?
It depends what kind of trip it is. And on one practical detail: where we can pick you up at five in the morning.
SIM cards, internet and phones in Chile
Three options and all of them work. What is worth knowing is where there is no signal — which is where you will want it.
Is Santiago safe for a tourist?
It is a big capital and behaves like one. What helps is not a yes or a no, but knowing where you are and at what hour.