San José de Maipo Day Trip

Activity Options

When booking, you can choose between the following routes:

Tour Without a Visit to El Yeso Reservoir

After meeting at the meeting point in Santiago, we’ll set off southeast toward the Cajón del Maipo. Let’s go!

After a 1-hour journey, we’ll arrive in the town of San José de Maipo, a picturesque community founded in the 17th century and rich in mining history and Andean traditions. We’ll stroll through the Plaza de Armas, admire its colonial architecture, and wander among its historic houses.

We’ll then continue to one of the region’s most charming spots: Casa Chocolate, which looks like it’s straight out of a fairy tale. There, in addition to admiring its unique façade made from recycled materials, we’ll be able to taste artisan chocolate made with local ingredients. Perfect for warming up in the Andean cold!

After a 30-minute visit, we’ll return to the vehicle for a 40-minute drive to El Morado Lodge, an oasis of comfort nestled in the heart of the mountains, where we’ll be welcomed with a pisco sour, a glass of sparkling wine, or water.

There, we’ll enjoy lunch, where you can savor beef shank in red wine vegetable broth with mashed potatoes, goat cheese in cranberry and carmenere sauce, and wild berries. The other option will be grilled salmon in caper sauce with cilantro rice and arugula.

Afterwards, you’ll have 2.5 hours of free time to relax in the indoor and outdoor thermal pools, where the experience will feel magical. You’ll be surrounded by a peaceful atmosphere as the pure Andean air envelops you.

Finally, we’ll head back to the meeting point in Santiago, where we’ll say our goodbyes after a total of 10 hours.

Tour With a Visit to El Yeso Reservoir

When booking, you can choose the option that includes a visit to El Yeso Reservoir. In this case, after completing the same guided visit to San José de Maipo described in the previous option, we’ll go to a local café called Adicción del Maipo, known for its artisan chocolates.

Next, instead of visiting Casa Chocolate, we’ll head to the impressive El Yeso Reservoir, located in the heart of the Cajón del Maipo. Once there, we’ll find ourselves surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Andes Mountains, at over 2,500 m (8,202 ft) above sea level. To fully enjoy this destination, we’ll take a panoramic walk that will allow us to admire this natural setting in all its splendor while breathing in the fresh mountain air.

At the end of the walk, we’ll enjoy a delicious outdoor brunch with seasonal regional flavors while continuing to take in the most impressive views of the Metropolitan Region.

The itinerary will then continue with a stop at Santuario del Río Lodge and Spa, where you’ll be welcomed with a pisco sour. You’ll also have a Chilean cuisine lunch included, accompanied by wine or another drink of your choice. Finally, you’ll enjoy a spa session and hot tubs in a beautiful natural setting.

We’ll wrap up this 10-hour day trip by returning to the meeting point in Santiago.

Please note that due to the southern winter, this option isn’t available between mid-May and late September.

Meeting Points

This tour includes pickup at the following meeting points in Santiago:

• Avenida Ricardo Lyon, 32, Providencia: at 7:30 am
• Hotel Sheraton: at 7:30 am
• Avenida Vitacura, 2653, Las Condes, Chile: at 7:45 am
• Plaza de Armas: at 7:45 am
• Parque Arauco: at 8:15 am