7 best day trips from Santiago

Day trips compared

The day trips

120 km · About 1 hour 45 minutes by bus

1.Valparaíso

Chile's historic port climbs a ring of hills covered in brightly painted houses, street murals and old funicular lifts. Walk Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción, visit Neruda's house La Sebastiana and eat seafood by the harbour. Keep valuables close in the port area.

Getting there

Frequent buses from Terminal Pajaritos or Terminal Alameda

Best for

Culture, Couples, First-timers

120 km · About 1 hour 45 minutes by bus

2.Viña del Mar

Valparaíso's neighbour is a beach resort with wide boulevards, the flower clock, the Wulff Castle on the rocks and sandy beaches; the Pacific here is cold for swimming. Many visitors combine both cities in one long day.

Getting there

Bus from Terminal Pajaritos; Valparaíso Metro train links the two cities

Best for

Families, Beach, Couples

50 km · About 1–2 hours by road

3.Cajón del Maipo

The Maipo River canyon south-east of the city has hiking trails, hot springs, rafting in summer and the turquoise El Yeso reservoir high in the Andes. The upper road is unpaved and conditions change with snow, so a tour is the easier choice for El Yeso.

Getting there

Bus from Metro Bellavista de La Florida, tour or car

Best for

Quiet stays, Couples, Solo travellers

30 km · About 1 hour by Metro and taxi

4.Maipo Valley wineries (Pirque)

The closest wine country to Santiago, with historic estates such as Concha y Toro in Pirque offering cellar tours and tastings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère against an Andes backdrop.

Getting there

Metro Line 4 to Las Mercedes, then taxi; or a winery tour

Best for

Food lovers, Couples, First-timers

75 km · About 1 hour by car

5.Casablanca Valley

A cool coastal wine valley on the road to Valparaíso, known for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Several wineries have restaurants, making it an easy lunch stop on the way to the coast.

Getting there

Tour or car; often combined with Valparaíso

Best for

Food lovers, Couples

115 km · About 1 hour 45 minutes by bus

6.Isla Negra

Pablo Neruda's favourite house sits on a rocky Pacific shore and is packed with ship figureheads, bottles and shells; the poet and Matilde Urrutia are buried in its garden. Despite the name, it is not an island.

Getting there

Bus from Terminal Alameda towards the San Antonio coast

Best for

Culture, Couples, Quiet stays

60 km · About 1.5–2 hours by road

7.Valle Nevado and Farellones

The ski resorts of Valle Nevado, La Parva and El Colorado sit above 2,500 metres and are usually open from late June to September. In summer the same road leads to high-altitude walking.

Getting there

Ski shuttle or tour; a mountain road with many hairpin bends

Best for

Families, Couples, Solo travellers

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• The red and white city buses (Red Movilidad) cover routes the Metro does not reach and accept only the Bip! card, not cash.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask