Santiago Valleys & Wine — Self-Launched
4 days · Santiago & Central Chile Wine Valleys
Gray Line Chile charges £620
No-markup version: ~£228 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 4-day Santiago city break plus wine-valley hop covering the same ground as Gray Line Chile's "Valleys & Wine" package: the classic Santiago city circuit, the Maipo Valley (Concha y Toro and Santa Rita), and the Casablanca Valley (Veramonte and Casas del Bosque). Instead of a hotel-plus-bus-day-tours bundle, you base yourself in a Santiago hostel or guesthouse in Providencia or Bellavista, use the cheap and reliable metro and shared wine-tour minibuses (or local buses to Pirque and Casablanca), and book each winery visit directly or via GetYourGuide/Viator. Expect cold-climate whites from Casablanca and bold Carmeneres from Maipo. Costs are rough per-person backpacker estimates in GBP; winery tastings are the main variable.
Day-by-day
Santiago city classics on foot and by metro
Santiago
Do the city circuit the tour does, but on your own schedule. Start at Plaza de Armas, pop into the Catedral Metropolitana (free), then walk the pedestrian Paseo Bandera to La Moneda and Plaza de la Constitución (the Changing of the Guard is usually around mid-morning on odd days — check locally, it's free). Continue to Cerro Santa Lucía for the free climb to the terraces and panoramic views, then wander Lastarria for coffee and Bellavista for street art. Grab lunch at Mercado Central (skip the touts at the front — go to the stalls deeper inside for cheaper mariscal). If time and light allow, hop the metro to Parque Bicentenario in Vitacura for a sunset stroll by the lagoon. Optional: lapis lazuli jewellery shops are clustered around Providencia/Huérfanos if you want to browse.
🚌Metro de Santiago day is cheap — buy a Bip! card (~CLP 1,500) and top up; rides ~CLP 800 (£0.70). Walk between central sights. Airport transfer via Turbus/Centropuerto bus ~£4 or shared transfer ~£8.
🛏Hostel dorm or private room in Providencia/Bellavista (~£14-20 dorm, £35-45 private)
- →Plaza de Armas & Catedral Metropolitana (free)
- →La Moneda & Plaza de la Constitución (free)
- →Cerro Santa Lucía viewpoint (free)
- →Lastarria & Bellavista neighbourhood walk
- →Mercado Central seafood lunch
- →Optional: Parque Bicentenario by metro
Maipo Valley — Concha y Toro & Santa Rita, DIY
Maipo Valley (Pirque)
Self-book the two big Maipo wineries. Concha y Toro runs its own tours from its Pirque Wine Center (book online in advance: the classic 'Casillero del Diablo' tour plus varietal garden and tasting of four wines). Optionally add the sensory experience or a wine-paired lunch at Bodega 1883. In the afternoon, Viña Santa Rita (a short taxi/remis hop away in Alto Jahuel) offers its own tour through the vineyards, the historic Bodega 1 and Bodega de los 120 Patriotas, with a tasting of Reserva and Gran Reserva wines. To keep costs down, take the metro to Puente Alto and a local bus or colectivo into Pirque rather than a hotel-pickup tour, or book a shared GetYourGuide Maipo day tour (~£45-60) if you'd rather not navigate.
🚌Metro Line 4 to Puente Alto (~CLP 800) then local bus/colectivo to Pirque (~CLP 700-1,000). Between wineries use a remis/taxi (~CLP 8,000-12,000, £7-10) or pre-book a shared shuttle. Return same way.
🛏Same Santiago hostel/guesthouse
- →Concha y Toro Wine Center tour + Casillero del Diablo tasting (book direct ~£20-28)
- →Varietal garden & Don Melchor house walk
- →Viña Santa Rita vineyard & Bodega de los 120 Patriotas tour + tasting (~£20-25)
- →Optional wine-paired lunch at Bodega 1883
- →Optional Bluestone / wine shop browsing
Casablanca Valley — Veramonte & Casas del Bosque
Casablanca Valley
Head west to the cool-climate Casablanca Valley. Cheapest route: Turbus/Pullman bus from Santiago's Terminal Alameda or Pajaritos to Casablanca town (~1h15, ~£3-4), then a local taxi or book a shared valley shuttle between wineries. Book Viña Veramonte's tour (cellar and fields, tasting of Sauvignon Blanc Reserva, Chardonnay Gran Reserva, Carmenere Gran Reserva and Syrah Pequeñas) direct, then Viña Casas del Bosque's winery and barrel-room tour with three-wine tasting — Casas del Bosque also has a garden restaurant for lunch (book ahead). Alternative: an organised shared Casablanca wine day tour from Santiago (~£50-70) which handles all transfers.
🚌Turbus/Pullman Santiago–Casablanca ~£3-4 each way; local taxis between wineries ~CLP 5,000-8,000 each. Or shared GetYourGuide/Viator Casablanca wine tour ~£50-70 all-in.
🛏Same Santiago hostel/guesthouse (or optional overnight in Casablanca guesthouse ~£25-35)
- →Viña Veramonte tour + 4-wine tasting (~£18-25)
- →Viña Casas del Bosque winery/barrel room tour + tasting (~£15-22)
- →Lunch at Casas del Bosque restaurant (optional, ~£15-20)
- →Valley vineyard walks
Flexible Santiago morning & departure
Santiago
No set drop-off needed — use the morning for whatever the tour leaves out. Options: the free (tip-based) walking tour of the historic centre, Cerro San Cristóbal by funicular/cable car (~£4) for the best city panorama, the Museo de la Memoria (free) or Pre-Columbian Art Museum, or a last coffee in Barrio Italia. If you're flying out, leave 2 hours for the airport bus. If you added an extra night, use it to catch the Changing of the Guard or a day trip to Valparaíso (~£4 bus, 1h40).
🚌Metro to your final sight; airport bus Turbus/Centropuerto ~£4 or shared transfer ~£8.
🛏Checkout (optional extra night ~£14-20 dorm)
- →Free walking tour of Santiago (tip-based)
- →Cerro San Cristóbal funicular & cable car (~£4)
- →Museo de la Memoria or Museo Precolombino (free/cheap)
- →Barrio Italia café stroll
- →Optional: Valparaíso day trip by bus
Self-launched vs. Gray Line Chile
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Gray Line Chile | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£228 | £620 |
| Duration | 4 days | 4 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £392 per person (63%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Gray Line Chile-style trips? Check them out here.~£228
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 Santiago Valleys & Wine — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £228 per person for 4 days in Santiago & Central Chile Wine Valleys. 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 Gray Line Chile?+
Yes — Gray Line Chile charges around £620 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £228 — a saving of roughly £392 (63%) per person.
How long is the Santiago & Central Chile Wine Valleys trip?+
This itinerary runs 4 days, covering 4 day-by-day stops through Santiago & Central Chile Wine Valleys.
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 foodie, culture, city-breaks trip through Santiago & Central Chile Wine Valleys, 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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