Cajón del Maipo: Andes Day Trip with Wine, Picnic & Empanada

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1/41

Duration10h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN · PT +1

PickupAt your hotel

Andes canyon roads, lake views and wine under the sun in Cajón del Maipo

You’ll ride deep into Cajón del Maipo from Santiago with a local guide, feel mountain air by Embalse El Yeso’s blue water, share Chilean wine at a picnic spot few tourists find, and taste fresh empanadas in San José de Maipo. It’s not just scenery — it’s laughter over lunch and quiet moments you’ll remember long after you’re back in the city.

10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Cajon Del Maipo and Andes views

Pick up at Santiago hotel
Stop for bathroom and coffee
Drive through Maipo River Canyon
Arrive at Yeso Reservoir viewpoints
Free time to explore and take photos
Enjoy empanadas and Chilean wine
Visit fairy tale house and buy local products
Return to hotel

The Experience

We left Santiago before I was fully awake, honestly — but the city faded fast behind us and suddenly it was just mountains everywhere. Our guide, Felipe, played some old Chilean pop songs on the radio and pointed out where the Maipo River cuts through the rock. The air changed as we climbed — sharper, almost sweet, like someone had just opened a fridge full of wet stones and wild herbs. There was this tiny café at our first stop; I grabbed coffee and tried to chat with a local woman selling pastries. My Spanish is rough, but she smiled anyway.

The drive along Cajón del Maipo is kind of hypnotic — cliffs on one side, river on the other, all those colors you don’t get in photos. At Embalse El Yeso, Felipe led us to a spot away from the bigger groups. The wind came off the water cold enough to sting my cheeks but it felt good. He poured us Chilean wine (red for me) and set out cheese and olives right there by the lake. I still think about that view — snow patches clinging to rock above turquoise water — and how quiet it got for a second when everyone just looked around instead of talking.

Lunch was in San José de Maipo: flaky empanadas straight from the oven, filled with beef and onion so hot they nearly burned my tongue (worth it). Felipe teased me for eating too fast. We sat outside with our glasses of wine while stray dogs wandered past our feet. On the way back we stopped at this odd little house that looked like something out of a fairy tale — apparently famous for chocolate and homemade ice cream. I bought chocolate for later but ended up eating most of it on the bus home.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup from Santiago (or meeting point), all transport by air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver and multilingual guide, entry fees where needed (like small waterfalls), an empanada lunch paired with Chilean wine plus bottled water at San José de Maipo, time at Embalse El Yeso reservoir (weather permitting), stops for snacks or chocolate shopping—and finally drop-off back at your hotel in the evening.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Go2Chile Travel