Cajón del Maipo tour from Santiago: El Yeso Reservoir
The Andes rise around you at El Yeso Reservoir, where snow-capped peaks frame water that catches the light.
A full-day guided tour of Cajón del Maipo from Santiago takes you into the Andes by minivan with a small group, a professional guide and hotel pickup included. The route visits El Yeso Reservoir, the historic Tinoco tunnel carved through rock, and the Chocolate House: a landmark café set in a small forest. Winter closures may redirect the tour to other areas of Cajón del Maipo with comparable mountain scenery. The day ends with a group toast before the drive back to the city.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Cajón del Maipo and Yeso Reservoir
- Travel from Santiago to Cajón del Maipo
- Discover San José de Maipo town
- Visit Plaza de Armas
- Stop at the Chocolate House
- Walk through Tinoco tunnel
- See El Yeso Reservoir views
- Enjoy picnic with the group
What’s included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Santiago.
- professional guide in Spanish or Portuguese.
- round-trip shared minivan transfer.
- a toast with the group at the end of the day.
Times
- Every day 05:30
Before you book
Operated by TAC Turismo
Prices and times updated yesterday
Traveler reviews
The experience
Cajón del Maipo sits a few kilometers from Santiago, a mountain canyon carved by rivers and ringed by cliffs and massifs that shift with the seasons. The tour runs 10 hours and travels by shared minivan with a small group, so the pace stays manageable and the guide can stop to point out details: condors overhead, the snow line on the peaks, the way the light hits the water. Your hotel pickup means no navigating to a meeting point. The driver collects you in the morning and brings you back at the end of the day.
El Yeso Reservoir is the centerpiece: a body of water backed by snow-capped mountains that most visitors come to see. The Tinoco tunnel, a 600-meter engineering feat carved through rock for a railway that stopped running in 1985, marks another stop where the guide explains the history. The Chocolate House, one of the oldest and most distinctive tourist spots in the canyon, sits in a small forest with a cafeteria built to look like it belongs in a fairy tale: a place to rest and take in the surroundings. The Plaza de Armas in San José de Maipo, the main town, gives you time to walk around, sit under the trees and browse local craft stalls if you visit on a weekend when the fair is running. Winter weather (snow, landslides, road closures) can redirect the route to other areas of Cajón del Maipo with their own mountain landscapes. The guide will adapt the stops to what is passable that day.
The guide speaks Spanish or Portuguese and travels with the group the whole time, sharing the history of the sites and the canyon itself. At the end of the day, before the drive back to Santiago, the group gathers for a toast: a small ritual that marks the end of the outing. Wear smart casual clothes and bring layers. The mountains are cooler than the city, and the wind at altitude is real.
Is this one for you?Book this tour for a first or middle day in Santiago when you want to see the Andes without arranging a car or a guide yourself: the minivan, the guide and the fixed stops mean the day holds together, and the small group keeps the pace unhurried.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in Spanish and Portuguese.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 11).
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 Tinoco tunnel and why is it on the tour?
The Tinoco tunnel is a 600-meter passage carved through rock as part of a railway built to connect Puente Alto and El Volcán. The train stopped operating in 1985 and the facilities are now abandoned, making it a historical landmark that shows the engineering effort that went into opening up the canyon.
Can I visit El Yeso Reservoir in winter?
El Yeso Reservoir is often closed in winter due to snow, bad weather or landslides on the road. When that happens, the tour redirects to other areas of Cajón del Maipo with comparable mountain scenery and natural landscapes, so the day still goes ahead.
Does the tour include meals?
The tour includes a toast with the group at the end of the day. Breakfast and lunch are not included, so bring food or plan to eat at one of the stops. The Chocolate House has a cafeteria, and San José de Maipo has shops and services.
What is the Chocolate House?
The Chocolate House is a popular tourist stop in Cajón del Maipo with a cafeteria housed in a building designed to look like it is made of chocolate, surrounded by a small forest with walking paths, a bonfire area and rest spots. It is one of the oldest and most distinctive attractions in the canyon.
How many people travel on this tour?
The tour operates with a small group, traveling together by shared minivan with a professional guide. The exact group size varies by departure, but the minivan format keeps numbers manageable.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, hotel pickup and drop-off in Santiago are included in the tour price. The driver collects you in the morning and returns you at the end of the day, so you do not need to arrange separate transport to the meeting point.
Cajón del Maipo tour from Santiago: El Yeso Reservoir
10h · ES · PT · at your hotel
from US$ 38 per person
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