Interested in exploring Chile, the southern cone and South America? You’re in luck!
Traveling throughout the region is accessible, affordable and can fit within your semester schedule, with some good planning! Here are a few destinations you might consider traveling to while studying in Santiago with a reasonable personal budget:
Travel included within the Santiago Center programs:
Machu Picchu, Peru (NEW for Spring 2027) – Study the Inca terrace system as a masterclass in agricultural innovation: microclimate creation, irrigation and water management, soil conservation, and fertility maintenance across the challenging terrain of the high Andes.
Buenos Aires, Argentina – Walk iconic immigrant neighborhoods, sample the food traditions that shaped Argentine culture, and visit memorial sites tied to the 1976–1983 military dictatorship. Along the way, uncover why European influences dominate Argentine identity and what happened to the Indigenous communities pushed aside in the process – and how that history continues to drive Argentina’s human rights movement today.
Chilean Patagonia – Analyze Chilean Patagonia’s role as one of the world’s most significant freshwater reserves and assess potential climate change impacts on regional ecosystems and water resources. The trip also examines archaeological and cultural evidence of historical Indigenous occupation and explores the relationship between Indigenous heritage and present-day economic activities in the region.
Valparaíso Day Trip – Examine how distinct natural ecosystems – from Santiago’s central valley to the coastal zone – determine and influence socioeconomic patterns and activities in each region.
Indigenous Communities Visit – Explore Chile’s three principal Indigenous peoples – Mapuche, Aymara, and Rapa Nui – examining their worldviews on nature, traditional food practices, and the role of Mapuche medicine in contemporary Chilean society.
Top destinations within Chile:
- San Pedro de Atacama desert
- Región de los Lagos (Lake’s Region)
Common beach destinations just a bus ride away from Santiago:
- Concón
- Zapallar
- Horcón
- Algarrobo
Heading outside of Chile? Check out these sites:
- Mendoza (Argentina)
- Cusco (Perú)
- Iguazú Falls (border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay)
- Rio de Janeiro and other destinations on the coast of Brazil