South America has charisma, uniqueness, nerve and… well, scale! You could spend a lifetime exploring the vast continent and still have barely scratched the surface.

Chile alone could keep you busy for well into your later years. It stretches for more than 2,600 miles from the Atacama Desert in the north to Patagonia in the south, squeezing deserts, volcanoes, vineyards, cities, glaciers, and Pacific islands into one very long, if a little skinny, country. Not that there’s anything wrong with being long and skinny, of course! Then, just across the Andes, waits Argentina, the land of tango, Malbec, big-city queer culture, and juicy steaks. And that’s just the tip of the Patagonian iceberg!

For LGBTQ+ travelers, the appeal is not just the scenery or attractive men. Chile has become one of the region’s more progressive destinations, while Buenos Aires has a long and fascinating queer history of its own. Not to mention a gay scene to rival anything the States and Europe have to offer. Pride Tours connects the lot with LGBTQ+-focused experiences, local guides, and partners chosen with queer travelers in mind. So, starting at the top and working our way all the way down (as one should), here is what an itinerary for a journey through Chile to Argentina might look like.

Sweet Home Atacama (Desert but not Deserted)

First stop: the Atacama Desert. Your first thought might be that desert means endless sand with little in the way of things to see or do, but you’d be wrong.

Every expedition needs a base, and the desert town of San Pedro de Atacama makes the perfect one. From there, head out into Valle de la Luna, whose salt and rock formations look suitably lunar, especially as the sun starts dropping behind the desert. Then there are the Desert Lagoons and Ojos del Salar, plus the high-altitude Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons, where brilliant blue water sits beneath volcanoes more than 4,000 meters above sea level. Around the Salar de Atacama, you’ll see its famous flamingos showing off, as flamingos do.

You can also stop in the small village of Socaire for a look at authentic Chilean desert living before soaking it all off in the Puritama Hot Springs, a series of naturally heated pools tucked into a canyon. Away from the city’s air pollution, the night skies turn into a celestial light show, making stargazing a rather romantic way to finish a day in the desert.

Santiago & Central Valley (City Sights & Wine Nights)

Back on less dry land, Santiago has everything an LGBTQ+ traveler needs in a city. Chile’s capital is visually stunning, sitting snugly beneath the Andes. It mixes grand civic architecture with creative neighborhoods, great food, green spaces, and a queer scene that holds its own.

A queer history walk is the best introduction, taking in La Moneda, the Old Congress, Plaza de Armas, and Santa Lucía Hill while tracing Chile’s LGBTQ+ community and its path toward greater equality. Every good city has a breathtaking viewpoint, and in Santiago, you should head up Cerro San Cristóbal by cable car, then work your way back down on an electric scooter.

Once the sun goes down, the gays in Santiago come out to play and are welcoming to intrepid tourists looking for fun of another kind. Its scene ranges from long-running institutions like Bunker and Fausto to alternative favorite Blondie, with drag shows and queer parties filling out the week.

Day-trip ideas are plentiful, including the wineries of the Maipo and Casablanca valleys for copious amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay, while Cajón del Maipo offers hot springs and the turquoise Embalse el Yeso reservoir. Then there’s Valparaíso, a colorful port of steep hills, historic funiculars, street art, and queer counterculture. You are spoiled for options, really!

Patagonia & Lake District (Frozen Paradise)

Chile just keeps on going. And keeps on giving too. Eventually, the desert, vineyards, and city streets give way to Patagonia, where the scenery gets bigger, the weather gets significantly cooler, and Mother Nature shows her frosty yet beautiful side.

Puerto Natales makes a handy base for exploring Torres del Paine, famous for its sharply pointed granite towers, enormous lakes, glaciers, and wildlife. You can spend the day hiking and sightseeing through the national park before taking to the water for a trip toward the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers, where towering walls of ice provide a fairly dramatic backdrop to lunch.

For something more grounded, Estancia La Peninsula offers a look at traditional Patagonian farm life, with hiking or horseback riding followed by a lamb barbecue. You can traverse enormous rock formations and glaciers one day, and the next mount a horse and live out your Game of Thrones fantasies. And all that is just the tip of the Patagonian iceberg!

Getting yourself a guide is recommended, of course, as is using accommodation partners to handle the practicalities. That way, you can keep the mountain excursions pleasingly wild without veering into danger.

Easter Island (An Easter Egg Worth Hunting)

It’s not close, but then the most interesting things in life rarely make themselves convenient. Technically part of Chile, geographically way out in the Pacific, culturally Polynesian, and generally unlike anywhere else on the planet, Easter Island (or “Rapa Nui”) deserves its own detour. Getting there means a direct flight from Santiago to Mataveri Airport, currently taking around five and a half hours.

The name Easter Island came courtesy of Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who became the first recorded European to reach it on Easter Sunday in 1722. Today, the island is best known for its Moai statues, enormous stone figures carved by the Rapa Nui people and erected on ceremonial platforms called ahu. Many were positioned to watch over the communities that created them. Yes, you’ve seen these stone faces in a hundred photos, but nothing prepares you for the awe they inspire in person. Especially at sunset.

Easter Island also has volcanic landscapes, lava caves, and a fascinating history best learned on a guided tour. That way, you can learn the story of the island’s first king, learn about the legendary Birdman tradition, which involved a daring competition to retrieve the first egg of the manutara bird, and head underground into Ana Te Pahu, a huge lava-tube system also known as the Banana Caves.

Leave time for Hanga Roa too, the island’s main town and cultural hub, with restaurants, craft markets, and a waterfront where green sea turtles can even be spotted swimming among the boats.

Don’t Cry for Me Argentina (Heading Further South)

Your journey need not end in Chile. Cross the Andes and you hit Argentina, the country of tango, Malbec, juicy meat, and beautiful men.

Buenos Aires is the “Paris of Latin America” and home to the epic sights of Plaza de Mayo, La Boca, San Telmo, Recoleta, and Puerto Madero. Then dig into the city’s queer history, from the National Congress and Carlos Jáuregui station to queer cultural spaces and the story of why Evita became a gay icon. Take a tour to enjoy tango shows, including queer ones, foodie experiences, and gay nightlife outings. Outside Buenos Aires, Mendoza provides an excuse to return to the vineyards, with Pride Tours offering a four-day adventure in Argentina’s famous wine region.

And if Patagonia has left you thinking, “Could we go any farther south?”, the answer is yes. Pride Tours’ Antarctica Air Cruise flies from Punta Arenas in Chile to King George Island, skipping the Drake Passage before boarding a small expedition ship to venture into the frozen unknown.

So, from the Atacama to Antarctica, Santiago to Easter Island, with Chile and its neighbors, going all the way is the only way to go.

About Pride Tours

All of the above are best experienced with a sturdy guide at the helm. Pride Tours is an LGBTQ+-owned travel company specializing in journeys across Chile, Argentina, Antarctica, and Easter Island, while making sure you feel safe, celebrated, and free wherever your escapades take you.

Owners Freddy and Ivan act as your personal trip architects, crafting seamless itineraries built around insider experiences that connect you to the culture, people, and places that make each destination unique. That same thinking extends to their Pride Network. Guides, hotels, wineries, restaurants, and other operators are vetted not simply for being nominally “gay friendly,” but for genuinely welcoming LGBTQ+ guests.

Trips include the Atacama Desert Express, Patagonia Torres del Paine Grand Escape, Easter Island Experience, Mendoza Pride Adventure, Buenos Aires 101, and an Antarctica Air Cruise. They handle the details, vet the guides, approve the hotels, and choose trusted partners, leaving you free to show up, be yourself, and enjoy the ride.

You can book a trip with Pride Tours here: Pride Tours – LGBT+ Travel Agency | Travel with Us, Travel with Pride

Featured photos from Pride Tours.