Petrohué Falls, inside Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, is the most visited place among Chile's protected areas: the park received 597,307 visits in 2025 according to Conaf, and the falls have 25,774 Google Maps reviews with a 4.8 rating. Next come Torres del Paine (337,224 visits and a 4.8 rating), Malalcahuello National Reserve and the Milodon Cave. This list brings together Chile's 12 best places to visit measured with public data, not personal taste.
*Updated on 10 November 2026.* This list is updated on this same page when Conaf publishes its annual visitor spreadsheet and when prices change.
How we chose this list
- Official visits: Conaf's Protected Areas Visits 2025 spreadsheet, corrected on 28 February 2026.
- Reviews: each place's rating and number of reviews on Google Maps, checked on 10 November 2026. Only places with more than 1,000 reviews or official visitor counts qualify.
- Search interest: monthly searches for each destination, according to DataForSEO (November 2026).
- What we don't measure: Rapa Nui, Valparaíso and Chiloé are not in Conaf's spreadsheet because Conaf does not manage them. We include them on reviews and searches, and say so in each entry.
- The list is not exhaustive: Chile has 105 protected areas with recorded visits and hundreds of destinations. These are the ones that score best on all three criteria.
View the data as a table
| Visits to Conaf areas in 2025 | 2.99 M |
| Vicente Pérez Rosales | 597,307 |
| Reviews of Petrohué Falls | 25,774 |
Comparison of the best places to visit in Chile
This table sums up the 12 places with their region, the 2026 entry fee, how to get there, the best season and the kind of traveller each one suits. Conaf park fees are those of Pases Parques, checked on 10 November 2026, for adult residents of Chile; foreigners pay a higher rate.
| Place | Region | 2026 entry | Getting there | Best season | Ideal for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrohué Falls (Vicente Pérez Rosales NP) | Los Lagos | See Pases Parques | Route 225 from Puerto Varas | All year; busiest in February | Families |
| Torres del Paine | Magallanes | CLP 9,400 per day (adult resident) | From Puerto Natales, about 110 km | October to April | Trekking and photography |
| Malalcahuello National Reserve | Araucanía | See Pases Parques | Route 181 from Victoria or Curacautín | July (snow) and summer | Snow and families |
| Milodon Cave | Magallanes | See Pases Parques | 24 km from Puerto Natales | October to April | Short stops |
| Conguillío National Park | Araucanía | CLP 6,700 (adult resident) | From Melipeuco or Curacautín | November to April | Nature and camping |
| Radal Siete Tazas | Maule | CLP 5,000 (adult resident, summer 2026) | From Molina, route K-275 | December to March | Families and hikes |
| El Tatio geysers | Antofagasta | Tour or community ticket | About 90 km from San Pedro de Atacama | All year, at dawn | Adventure |
| Valle de la Luna | Antofagasta | Ticket with booking | Minutes from San Pedro de Atacama | All year, at sunset | Couples and photography |
| Teatro del Lago, Frutillar | Los Lagos | Depends on the show | Frutillar waterfront | Summer (Musical Weeks) | Culture |
| Churches and stilt houses of Castro | Los Lagos | Free | Route 5 and the Chacao ferry | December to March | Culture and food |
| Cerro Alegre, Valparaíso | Valparaíso | Free | About 120 km from Santiago | All year | City and heritage |
| Rapa Nui (Easter Island) | Valparaíso | Rapa Nui National Park ticket | Flight from Santiago | All year | Once-in-a-lifetime trip |
| Saltos del Petrohué | Los Lagos | 597,307 | 4.8 | 25,774 |
| Torres del Paine | Magallanes | 337,224 | 4.8 | 11,061 |
| Malalcahuello | Araucanía | 318,939 | 4.8 | 1,917 |
| Milodon Cave | Magallanes | 137,508 | 4.7 | 8,038 |
| Conguillío | Araucanía | 135,139 | 4.8 | 5,109 |
| Radal Siete Tazas | Maule | 123,300 | 4.6 | 9,908 |
| El Tatio geysers | Antofagasta | No data | 4.8 | 8,406 |
| Valle de la Luna | Antofagasta | No data | 4.6 | 2,399 |
| Teatro del Lago, Frutillar | Los Lagos | No data | 4.8 | 15,839 |
| San Francisco Church, Castro | Los Lagos | No data | 4.6 | 6,983 |
| Cerro Alegre, Valparaíso | Valparaíso | No data | 4.7 | 2,733 |
The 12 best places to visit in Chile, one by one
1. Petrohué Falls and Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park
Key fact: 597,307 visits in 2025, the most visited protected area in the country according to Conaf, and 25,774 Google Maps reviews with a 4.8 rating. It is Chile's oldest national park (1926) and combines the turquoise falls, Lake Todos los Santos and the Osorno volcano. More in our Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park guide.
2. Torres del Paine National Park
Key fact: 337,224 visits in 2025 (Conaf) and 11,061 reviews with a 4.8 rating. It is the most searched Chilean destination abroad: 27,100 monthly searches in the United States according to DataForSEO. The daily ticket costs CLP 9,400 for residents and CLP 32,400 for foreigners on Pases Parques. See the Torres del Paine entry fee and the W and O circuits.
3. Malalcahuello National Reserve
Key fact: 318,939 visits in 2025, the third most visited protected area; 79% came between June and September for the snow on the Lonquimay volcano and the Corralco ski resort. Rated 4.8 on Google Maps (1,917 reviews). Guide: Malalcahuello.
4. Milodon Cave Natural Monument
Key fact: 137,508 visits in 2025 and 8,038 reviews rated 4.7. It is the easiest stop around Puerto Natales, on the way to Torres del Paine. See things to do in Puerto Natales.
5. Conguillío National Park
Key fact: 135,139 visits in 2025 and a 4.8 rating from 5,109 reviews. Monkey-puzzle trees, Lake Conguillío and the Llaima volcano. Guide: Conguillío.
6. Radal Siete Tazas National Park
Key fact: 123,300 visits in 2025 and 9,908 reviews rated 4.6. It is the most visited park in central Chile outside Santiago. Guide: Radal Siete Tazas.
7. El Tatio geysers
Key fact: 8,406 reviews with a 4.8 rating, the highest in the north on this list. It is not in Conaf's spreadsheet because Atacameño communities manage it. Guide: El Tatio geysers.
8. Valle de la Luna
Key fact: it is part of Los Flamencos National Reserve (78,083 visits recorded in 2025, with no data from September to December) and is rated 4.6 on Google Maps. San Pedro de Atacama gets 40,500 monthly searches in Chile. Guide: Valle de la Luna.
9. Teatro del Lago, Frutillar
Key fact: 15,839 reviews with a 4.8 rating, the best-rated cultural venue on this list, and Frutillar gets 74,000 monthly searches. Guide: things to do in Frutillar.
10. Castro and the churches of Chiloé
Key fact: Castro's San Francisco church has 6,983 reviews rated 4.6. The churches of Chiloé are a World Heritage Site. Guide: Chiloé: mythology, stilt houses and food.
11. Cerro Alegre, Valparaíso
Key fact: 2,733 reviews rated 4.7, and the historic quarter is a World Heritage Site. Valparaíso gets 49,500 monthly searches in the United States. Guide: Valparaíso in a day.
12. Rapa Nui
Key fact: "Easter Island" is the Chilean search with the highest volume in the United States, 165,000 a month according to DataForSEO. Rapa Nui National Park is run by the Ma'u Henua community and the ticket is compulsory. Guide: Easter Island: what to know before you go.
Where Chile's best places to visit are
View the data as a table
| El Tatio geysers | 4,8 |
| Valle de la Luna | 4,6 |
| Cerro Alegre | Valparaíso |
| Radal Siete Tazas | 123.300 |
| Malalcahuello | 318.939 |
| Conguillío | 135.139 |
| Frutillar | Teatro del Lago |
| Saltos del Petrohué | 597.307 |
| Castro | Chiloé |
| Torres del Paine | 337.224 |
| Milodon Cave | 137.508 |
Three southern regions account for 72% of protected-area visits: Los Lagos (887,275), Araucanía (667,817) and Magallanes (602,378), according to Conaf. In accommodation, the Santiago Metropolitan Region led overnight stays in September 2026 with 572,650, followed by Valparaíso and Antofagasta, according to the INE's EMAT survey.
View the data as a table
| Metropolitana | 572,650 |
| Valparaíso | 181,219 |
| Antofagasta | 141,116 |
| Los Lagos | 117,165 |
| Coquimbo | 69,381 |
| Biobío | 64,229 |
| La Araucanía | 56,068 |
| Tarapacá | 50,954 |
| Atacama | 48,396 |
| Magallanes | 39,199 |
| Maule | 31,751 |
| Los Ríos | 31,478 |
| Ñuble | 31,280 |
| Aysén | 16,833 |
| Arica y Parinacota | 14,471 |
Which one to choose for your trip
- Travelling with children: Petrohué Falls and Radal Siete Tazas, with short trails and paved or good gravel access.
- For trekking: Torres del Paine and Conguillío, between October and April.
- As a couple: Valle de la Luna at sunset and Frutillar with a show at Teatro del Lago.
- For snow: Malalcahuello in July, when it gets more visits than any other protected area.
- First trip to Chile from far away: combine Santiago and Valparaíso with a nature destination: Atacama in the north or Torres del Paine in the south.
In 2025, 6,004,567 foreign tourists arrived in Chile, the second best year on record, according to the Undersecretariat of Tourism. Protected-area details are in Chile's most visited national parks and the most visited park in each region.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most visited tourist place in Chile?
Among protected areas, Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, with 597,307 visits in 2025 according to Conaf. There is no single official figure comparing cities and parks.
Which place in Chile has the best Google rating?
Among places with more than 5,000 reviews, Petrohué Falls, Torres del Paine, El Tatio, Conguillío and Teatro del Lago are rated 4.8 as of 10 November 2026.
When is the best time to travel around Chile?
For Patagonia, October to April. For the Atacama Desert, all year. For snow, June to September. February is the month with the most park visits (458,712 in 2025).
How to cite this data
Viajando Chile (2026). *The best places to visit in Chile 2026: a ranking based on Conaf visits and reviews*. With data from Conaf, INE, the Undersecretariat of Tourism and Google Maps. Available at: https://viajandochile.com/en/news/best-places-to-visit-in-chile-2026
