Cajón del Maipo Day Tour: Hot Springs & Folk Culture
Natural hot springs sit two hours into the Andes, surrounded by seven thermal pools fed by mineral water.
A full-day tour from Santiago to Cajón del Maipo combines a drive through Andean villages with entry to Colina Valley Hot Springs, a traditional folk culture session, and a picnic with cheese, charcuterie and wine. Your guide shares local history as you pass San José de Maipo, photograph baby goats, taste fresh goat cheese and artisanal honey, then soak in thermal pools ranging from 25°C to 55°C before returning to the city around 6:00 PM.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Cajón del Maipo and hot springs
- Depart from Santiago city
- Travel through scenic mountain villages
- Stop for coffee by Maipo River
- Visit abandoned Tunel del Tinoco
- Tour San José de Maipo Main Square
- Photograph baby goats and taste local products
- Relax in Termas Colinas hot springs
- Enjoy picnic with wine toast
- Meet locals and enjoy folk culture
- Return to Santiago city
What’s included
- Transport by air-conditioned minivan with a guide separate from the driver.
- hotel pickup and drop-off.
- live commentary on board in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
- entry to Colina Valley Hot Springs.
- entry to the traditional folk culture session.
- picnic with cheeses, charcuterie, olives, salami, juice and wine.
- fresh goat cheese tasting.
- and the chance to photograph baby goats and interact with traditional games and dances.
Times
- Every day No fixed time
Before you book
Operated by MTO Tour Chile
Prices and times updated yesterday
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The experience
The route climbs from Santiago into the upper Maipo River basin, where the canyon narrows between confluent rivers and rocky slopes. Your guide travels separately from the driver and speaks English, Spanish or Portuguese, narrating the landscape and local traditions as you pass through a series of mountain towns: La Obra, built around 19th-century canal construction; San Gabriel, where Cypress of the Cordillera trees cling to hillsides; El Manzano, ringed by native scrub; and San José de Maipo, the communal capital where artisanal goods line the main square on weekends. A coffee stop by the Maipo River sits partway through the morning, though drinks cost extra.
Before the hot springs, you stop at a working farm to photograph baby goats and native wildlife, then taste fresh goat cheese, artisanal honey and traditional alfajores while locals in traditional dress demonstrate folk games and dances. The Tunel del Tinoco, an abandoned railway tunnel that carried trains between 1914 and 1980, cuts through the mountains along the route: now dark and sealed, a remnant of the region's industrial past. Your guide explains the history as you pass.
Colina Valley Hot Springs holds seven natural thermal pools fed by mineral water, with temperatures ranging from 25°C to 55°C depending on the pool. The site sits in the heart of the Andes with no Wi-Fi signal, so the experience is uninterrupted by connection. After soaking, you gather for a picnic of cheeses, charcuterie, olives, salami, juice and a wine toast before the drive back to Santiago, arriving around 6:00 PM.
Is this one for you?The tour runs nine to ten hours with soaking time built in, so you're on your feet during the drive and village stops but spend the afternoon in the thermal pools rather than hiking or climbing. Choose this if you want mountain scenery and local culture without strenuous activity.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What is the Tunel del Tinoco and where does it fit in the day?
The Tunel del Tinoco is an abandoned railway tunnel that runs through the mountains along Camino Al Volcán. Trains operated through it between 1914 and 1980. Now it is sealed and dark, a remnant of the region's industrial past that your guide will explain as you pass it on the route.
Can I soak in the hot springs for as long as I want?
Colina Valley Hot Springs has seven natural thermal pools with temperatures ranging from 25°C to 55°C, and you have time to relax in them as part of the full-day itinerary before the picnic and return drive to Santiago.
What happens at the farm where you photograph baby goats?
At the farm stop, you photograph baby goats and native wildlife, then taste fresh goat cheese, artisanal honey and traditional alfajores. Locals in traditional dress also demonstrate folk games and dances of Chilean tradition during this time.
Does the tour include lunch?
A picnic with cheeses, charcuterie, olives, salami, juice and a wine toast is included after the hot springs. A coffee stop by the Maipo River happens earlier in the morning, though drinks there cost extra.
What are the mountain towns you pass through?
The route passes through La Obra, built around 19th-century canal construction; San Gabriel, known for the Cypress of the Cordillera trees on its rocky slopes; El Manzano, ringed by native scrub; and San José de Maipo, the communal capital where artisanal goods are sold on weekends and holidays.
Cajón del Maipo Day Tour: Hot Springs & Folk Culture
9h–10h · EN · ES · PT
from US$ 63.90 per person
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