Self-Launched Chile: Santiago, Valparaíso, Viña del Mar & the Wine Valleys
6 days · Central Chile
Aborigen Tours charges £790
No-markup version: ~£375 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched, solo-friendly version of Aborigen Tours' 6-day private Santiago & coast circuit. You'll cover the same ground — Santiago's civic core and Bellavista, Concha y Toro in the Maipo Valley, a tasting in Casablanca Valley, Viña del Mar's Quinta Vergara and the Easter Island Moai, and the UNESCO hill-town of Valparaíso — but using Santiago's excellent metro and the cheap coastal buses and trains instead of a private driver, and staying in hostels and guesthouses. Everything is bookable yourself: the winery tours direct or via GetYourGuide, the rest on foot or by public transport. Costs are rough per-person estimates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Santiago — settle into Bellavista
Santiago
Land at Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL) and take the Turbus/Centropuerto shuttle bus (~£5) or the Metro Line 1 extension bus into the centre — no private transfer needed. Check into a hostel or guesthouse in Bellavista or the Centro. Spend the late afternoon wandering Lastarria and the Cerro San Cristóbal lower slopes, then eat a completo and a pisco sour at a local picada in Bellavista. Ask your hostel about a Bip! card for the metro (about £1.30 per ride).
🚌Airport shuttle bus ~£5; metro ~£1.30 per ride
🛏Hostel dorm or private room in Bellavista/Centro (e.g. around Barrio Bellavista) — ~£16
- →Arrival and check-in
- →Evening stroll in Lastarria and Bellavista
- →Welcome pisco sour
Santiago on foot and by metro — civic core to Providencia
Santiago
Do the operator's city tour independently. Start at Plaza de Armas to see the Catedral Metropolitana and the Museo Histórico Nacional, walk five minutes to the Palacio de La Moneda and Plaza de la Constitución (catch the changing of the guard around 10:00 on alternate days). Metro to Baquedano for the Paseo de la Memoria, then walk the Bellavista streets up to La Chascona (Pablo Neruda's house — book a slot online, ~£7). In the afternoon cross into Providencia for the cafés along Avenida Providencia and pop into the Iglesia de Los Dominicos and its handicrafts market (Pueblito de los Artesanos) — free to browse. Optional: take the funicular up Cerro San Cristóbal (~£2.50).
🚌Metro day of rides ~£3
🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Santiago — ~£16
- →Plaza de Armas, Cathedral and National History Museum (free)
- →La Moneda Palace and Plaza de la Constitución
- →Bellavista and La Chascona (Neruda house, ~£7)
- →Providencia Quarter and Pueblito de los Artesanos at Los Dominicos
Maipo Valley — Concha y Toro winery
Santiago / Maipo Valley
Book the Concha y Toro 'Tradicional' tour directly on their website (about £20–25) or via GetYourGuide if you want pickup included. To do it cheaply, take Metro Line 1 to Las Mercedes and then a local bus/taxi (~£3) to the Pirque estate, or take the operator's optional transport if you prefer. The tour covers the old cellars and the Casillero del Diablo legend, with a tasting. Back in Santiago by late afternoon — use the evening for the Mercado Central or a cheap menú del día in the centre.
🚌Metro + local bus to Pirque ~£4 return
🛏Same hostel/guesthouse in Santiago — ~£16
- →Viña Concha y Toro winery tour and tasting (~£22)
- →Maipo Valley scenery
- →Mercado Central evening
Santiago to Viña del Mar via Casablanca Valley
Casablanca Valley / Viña del Mar
Leave Santiago by Pullman or Turbus from Terminal Alameda to Casablanca (~£6, 1h15), or take the bus straight through to Viña del Mar (~£8, 1h45). With an early start, hop off in Casablanca and book a tasting at Casas del Bosque or Viña Indómita (tastings ~£15–25, book direct — some offer simple walk-in tastings at the bar). Continue by local bus (~£2) down through the valley to Viña del Mar and check into a guesthouse near the coast.
🚌Bus Santiago–Casablanca ~£6; Casablanca–Viña local bus ~£2
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Viña del Mar — ~£18
- →Casablanca Valley winery tasting (~£18)
- →Transfer down to the coast
Viña del Mar and Valparaíso — coast, Moai and the hills
Viña del Mar / Valparaíso
Morning in Viña del Mar: walk the Costanera and Quinta Vergara park (free), see the Easter Island Moai gifted to the city in Plaza Vergara, and the Reloj de Flores. Then take the Merval train from Viña del Mar to Puerto station in Valparaíso (~£1.50, 20 minutes) — far cheaper than the operator's van. Walk the historic port, Plaza Sotomayor, and take one of the old funiculars (ascensores, ~£0.50) up to Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción for the street art and viewpoints. Optional guided walking tour from the plaza (~£8) if you want the history. Return to Viña by train in the evening, or stay in Valparaíso if you prefer.
🚌Merval train ~£3 return; funicular ~£1
🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Viña del Mar (or Valparaíso) — ~£18
- →Viña del Mar coastal walk, Quinta Vergara and Moai
- →Valparaíso historic quarter and port
- →Cerro Alegre & Concepción street art and ascensores
Back to Santiago — depart
Viña del Mar / Santiago
Take the bus from Viña del Mar back to Santiago Terminal Alameda (~£8, 1h45) — plenty of departures through the day, no need to pre-book too far ahead but do buy a day or two earlier in high season. If flight timing allows, drop your bag at the hostel and squeeze in a last wander around Lastarria or the Museo de la Memoria before heading to the airport by shuttle (~£5). Trip ends in Santiago.
🚌Bus Viña del Mar–Santiago ~£8; airport shuttle ~£5
🛏None (departure day)
- →Return bus to Santiago
- →Optional last-minute sightseeing
- →Airport departure
Self-launched vs. Aborigen Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Aborigen Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£375 | £790 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £415 per person (53%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Aborigen Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£375
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Chile: Santiago, Valparaíso, Viña del Mar & the Wine Valleys cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £375 per person for 6 days in Central Chile. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Aborigen Tours?+
Yes — Aborigen Tours charges around £790 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £375 — a saving of roughly £415 (53%) per person.
How long is the Central Chile trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Central Chile.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, city-breaks trip through Central Chile, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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