When to go · Chile
Chile in September
Good month. Fiestas Patrias (18–19 Sep): fondas, barbecues, closed businesses; spring in the centre.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Good
- Crowds
- Medium
- Chile
- Prices
- Medium
- Chile
Verdict
Fiestas Patrias (18–19 Sep): fondas, barbecues, closed businesses; spring in the centre.
Weather in September
- Atacama and the north · San Pedro de Atacama, Calama, Aricabest weather
Among the driest places on earth; summer 'Altiplanic winter' storms (Jan–Feb) can close high roads; cold nights, freezing at the geysers Jun–Aug.
- Central Chile · Santiago, Valparaíso, wine valleysfine
Mediterranean: hot dry summers (30 °C+), cool wet winters with smog in Santiago; harvest festivals in March.
- Lake District · Pucón, Puerto Varas, Chiloérainy
Green because it rains; summer is the dry-ish window; ski on volcanoes in winter.
- Patagonia · Torres del Paine, Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas, Carretera Australcool
Nov–Mar long days and full services; very strong winds in summer; many services shut Jun–Aug.
- Easter Island · Rapa Nuifine
Subtropical; warm Dec–Mar, wetter and windier in winter.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Fiestas Patrias big impact
18–19 Sep
Independence and Army days; fondas, businesses closed, travel peak.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Chile
- Medium
- Prices · Chile
- Medium
What to pack
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast
Where to go in September
Rated best or good this month
Atacama and the north
Best weather of the year (San Pedro de Atacama, Calama, Arica)
Spring; Fiestas Patrias week (around 18 September) is busy.