Cajón del Maipo day trip: Embalse El Yeso & folk picnic

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

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Duration9h–10h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN · PT +1

PickupAt your hotel

Turquoise reservoir, mountain villages, and a traditional Chilean picnic in the Andes

A full-day guided tour from Santiago into Cajón del Maipo canyon, traveling by air-conditioned minivan to Embalse El Yeso reservoir and rural Andean villages where you taste local goat cheese and honey, photograph baby goats, watch live folk dance, and share an included picnic with wine. Hotel pickup and English-speaking guide are included; the tour returns to Santiago around 6:00 PM.

9h–10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Full-day Andes adventure and picnic

Depart from Santiago city
Travel toward San José de Maipo
Pass mountain villages and towns
Enjoy specialty coffee by Maipo River
Visit Embalse El Yeso reservoir
Walk easy marked trail and viewpoints
Photograph baby goats and wildlife
Taste goat cheese, honey, and alfajores
Browse local crafts
Meet locals in traditional attire
Watch live folk dance
Enjoy included picnic with wine toast
Return to Santiago around 6:00 PM

The Experience

Your first morning starts with hotel pickup in Santiago and a drive toward San José de Maipo, the main town in Cajón del Maipo. As the minivan climbs into the canyon, your guide shares stories about the mountain villages you pass—La Obra, El Canelo, El Manzano, San Gabriel—each with its own history tied to the Maipo River and the Andes. The route follows the G-25 road deeper into the canyon, where the landscape shifts from suburban sprawl to narrow valley walls and river gorges.

The centerpiece is Embalse El Yeso, a reservoir sitting above 2,000 meters elevation with emerald-green water ringed by dramatic peaks. You'll walk an easy marked trail and reach panoramic viewpoints arranged through Parque Cordillera, the park operator that coordinates safe access. This is where the included picnic happens: cheeses, charcuterie, olives, snacks, juice and a wine toast, all set against the water and mountains. Before or after, you'll visit a rural homestead where locals in traditional Chilean attire demonstrate folk dances and games, sell fresh goat cheese and artisanal honey, and let you photograph baby goats and native wildlife. Casa Chocolate, one of the canyon's most photographed spots, may also be part of the route depending on timing and conditions.

The drive back to Santiago takes the afternoon, with your guide continuing to point out the villages and geological features of the canyon. Arrival is around 6:00 PM. The minivan is air-conditioned throughout, and the pace is set by the guide—you're not navigating, not arranging park entry, not figuring out where to eat. The only thing you arrange is showing up at your hotel at pickup time.

What’s included

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Santiago.
transport by air-conditioned minivan.
English-speaking guide (Spanish and Portuguese available).
entry to the folk tradition session with live dance and local interaction.
visit to Embalse El Yeso with Parque Cordillera coordination.
easy marked trail and panoramic viewpoints.
fresh goat cheese tasting.
picnic with cheeses, charcuterie, olives, snacks, juice and wine toast.
photography of baby goats and native wildlife.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomeNot for pregnant travelersInfants must sit on laps

Operated by MTO Tour Chile

Is this one for you?If your first or last day in Santiago has a free afternoon or morning, this tour fills it with the high Andes without requiring a rental car or advance planning of park permits. The guide handles the route, the park coordination, and the cultural stops; you show up at your hotel and return with the day arranged.