Santiago airport is the main gateway for tourists to Chile: in 2025 it received 2,368,213 foreign tourists, 39.4% of the year's total. It is followed by two Andean passes with Argentina: the Cristo Redentor system (Los Libertadores), with 1,119,198 arrivals (18.6%), and Cardenal Antonio Samoré, with 397,994 (6.6%). These are the figures in the official series of foreign tourist arrivals by border crossing, compiled by Sernatur from records of Chile's investigative police (PDI) and published by the Undersecretariat of Tourism.
*Updated on October 21, 2026, with data through August 2026.* This ranking will be updated on this same page every time the Undersecretariat publishes a new month.
Chile's 15 busiest border crossings for tourists in 2025
| # | Point of entry | Region | Arrivals 2025 | % of total | Change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arturo Merino Benítez Airport (Santiago) | Metropolitan | 2,368,213 | 39.4% | +2.8% |
| 2 | Cristo Redentor system (Los Libertadores) | Valparaíso | 1,119,198 | 18.6% | +23.5% |
| 3 | Cardenal Antonio Samoré | Los Lagos | 397,994 | 6.6% | +40.3% |
| 4 | Colchane | Tarapacá | 381,710 | 6.4% | +33.9% |
| 5 | Pino Hachado | La Araucanía | 193,145 | 3.2% | +43.8% |
| 6 | Concordia (Chacalluta) | Arica y Parinacota | 191,695 | 3.2% | -3.5% |
| 7 | Mamuil Malal (Puesco) | La Araucanía | 176,423 | 2.9% | +39.2% |
| 8 | Dorotea | Magallanes | 124,342 | 2.1% | -16.6% |
| 9 | Chungará | Arica y Parinacota | 122,019 | 2.0% | -0.8% |
| 10 | Integración Austral (Monte Aymond) | Magallanes | 106,128 | 1.8% | +4.4% |
| 11 | Jama | Antofagasta | 95,634 | 1.6% | +26.7% |
| 12 | Futaleufú | Los Lagos | 74,979 | 1.2% | +2.9% |
| 13 | Río Don Guillermo | Magallanes | 71,989 | 1.2% | -4.4% |
| 14 | Pehuenche | Maule | 71,653 | 1.2% | +145.2% |
| 15 | Río Jeinimeni | Aysén | 71,196 | 1.2% | +18.4% |
| National total | 6,004,567 | 100% | +14.6% |
Source: Sernatur with PDI data, “Cuadro por Paso Fronterizo” sheet of the series published in October 2026. Percentages and changes calculated by Viajando Chile. As in the whole official series, the total includes Chileans living abroad who enter as tourists.
Three in five tourists entered in 2025 through Santiago airport or Cristo Redentor. The rest are spread across 54 points of entry with recorded arrivals, most of them Andean passes with Argentina and Bolivia. Regional airports barely register: Punta Arenas received 6,419 international tourists in the whole year and Easter Island 1,019, because most foreigners who travel to those cities first enter the country through Santiago.
Busiest border crossings for tourists in 2026: January to August
| # | Point of entry | Jan-Aug 2025 | Jan-Aug 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santiago airport | 1,558,250 | 1,587,207 | +1.9% |
| 2 | Cristo Redentor system | 815,536 | 426,262 | -47.7% |
| 3 | Colchane | 233,535 | 200,453 | -14.2% |
| 4 | Cardenal Antonio Samoré | 275,477 | 166,245 | -39.7% |
| 5 | Concordia (Chacalluta) | 129,930 | 132,987 | +2.4% |
| 6 | Mamuil Malal (Puesco) | 113,328 | 85,997 | -24.1% |
| 7 | Pino Hachado | 142,148 | 73,504 | -48.3% |
| 8 | Chungará | 79,379 | 71,952 | -9.4% |
| 9 | Dorotea | 80,384 | 69,791 | -13.2% |
| 10 | Integración Austral | 75,094 | 54,818 | -27.0% |
| National total | 4,090,538 | 3,308,873 | -19.1% |
Source: Sernatur with PDI data (preliminary 2026 figures). Changes calculated by Viajando Chile.
In 2026 the map changed. Santiago airport is the only major entry point that is growing (+1.9%) and it now accounts for 48% of arrivals, while the passes with Argentina have collapsed: Cristo Redentor has lost almost half its tourists and Pino Hachado 48.3%. It reflects the drop in Argentine tourism, which we explained in tourist arrivals in August 2026. That is why Colchane, on the border with Bolivia, has moved up to third place.
Border crossings by region: where most tourists enter
| Region | Arrivals 2025 | Jan-Aug 2026 | Jan-Aug change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan | 2,368,675 | 1,587,207 | +1.8% |
| Valparaíso | 1,120,230 | 427,402 | -47.6% |
| Los Lagos | 485,254 | 217,327 | -35.5% |
| La Araucanía | 432,035 | 183,767 | -40.0% |
| Magallanes | 405,627 | 235,948 | -10.0% |
| Tarapacá | 382,734 | 203,266 | -13.1% |
| Arica y Parinacota | 315,671 | 206,227 | -2.0% |
| Antofagasta | 201,910 | 121,457 | -9.1% |
| Aysén | 127,629 | 56,275 | -41.1% |
| Maule | 72,960 | 24,998 | -58.3% |
Source: Sernatur with PDI data. Region of the point of entry, not of the tourist's destination.
What the ranking shows
- More planes, fewer cars: Santiago airport is gaining weight because long-haul and Brazilian tourists, who arrive by air, are growing.
- The north holds up: Chacalluta (Peru) is up 2.4%, and Chungará and Colchane (Bolivia) are falling less than the southern passes.
- Binational Patagonia: Dorotea, Integración Austral and Río Don Guillermo, in Magallanes, are the entry points for those combining El Calafate with Torres del Paine; see what to do in Puerto Natales.
- Seasonal passes: Pehuenche (Maule) and Juntas del Toro (Coquimbo) depend on the weather; the Agua Negra pass still has no opening date this season.
If you plan to cross by land, check the pass status on the day: Cristo Redentor, for example, is reopening in stages after the snowfalls. To see which countries tourists come from, check the ranking of foreign tourists in Chile by country, and for terminal traffic, the one on South America's busiest airports.
Is your hotel, agency or transport company on a border route? Reach travellers planning their crossing.
See advertising optionsHow to cite this data
Viajando Chile (2026). *Chile's busiest border crossings for tourists in 2026: the official ranking by point of entry*. With data from Sernatur and the PDI. https://viajandochile.com/en/news/chile-busiest-border-crossings-for-tourists-2026
Frequently asked questions
What is Chile's busiest border crossing for tourists?
By land, the Cristo Redentor system (Los Libertadores), with 1,119,198 tourists in 2025. Including airports, the first is Santiago's, with 2,368,213.
Where do most tourists enter Chile in 2026?
Through Santiago airport, which received 1,587,207 foreign tourists between January and August, 48% of the total.
How many border crossings record tourist arrivals?
In 2025, 54 points of entry recorded tourist arrivals, including airports, land passes and the Arica-Tacna train.
