Which Cajon del Maipo day tour suits you best

The picnic day to the reservoir is the format with by far the most reviews behind it. Our day has 4,276 reviews, and the next shared El Yeso days have 2,031 and 925. Each lasts 10 hours, collects you in Santiago and spends the heart of the day at the turquoise water. The differences that matter lie in the extras, the languages on offer and how the afternoon is spent.

What separates them is the rest of the programme. Ours adds a farm stop with goat cheese, a photo stop at Casa Chocolate in San Jose de Maipo and a closing picnic with wine and a folk dance show; its guide speaks Spanish, English or Portuguese. The alpaca day keeps it simpler, with breakfast, 80 minutes at the dam and a picnic, and a guide in English or Spanish.

This Cajon del Maipo excursion suits almost anyone who can sit in a van for a couple of hours each way and walk a gentle path at altitude. The reservoir lies at 2,500 metres, so the air is thin and cool even in summer; pack a fleece whatever the forecast in the city says.⁴ If your aim is the famous turquoise view with as little effort as possible, start here.

If sitting in a van all day sounds wrong, the hiking days are where the canyon shows its wild side. A volcano hiking day for groups of up to 12 lasts 10 hours from $150, and its listing calls the walk easy to intermediate for ages 8 to 65. It carries 492 reviews averaging 4.9. Expect real uphill walking on loose ground, long views back down the valley and a picnic rather than a restaurant at the turnaround point.

A longer volcano and hot spring day of 12 hours starts from $170, with pickup from 6:30 AM and a suggested age range of over 8 up to 75. Both listings warn that rain or snow can change the plan, so treat the route as weather-dependent rather than fixed. Good boots, a sun hat and a light pack with water and layers are what you need most on these trails.

The Laguna Negra trail above El Yeso is a different case. At our November check, the park at the reservoir opened it only to certified guides and operators who work directly with it, so you could not simply walk it on your own.⁹ A trekking day there, for 8 people at most, starts from $180; its listing asks for moderate fitness and switches to snowshoes in winter.

Riding is part of canyon life, and the tourism board names the El Yeso area as the most popular place for it.⁵ Among bookable rides from the city, a private ride in the Andes foothills gives 3 hours in the saddle and 6 hours in all, from $250; it asks for your height and weight so the right horse can be chosen.

Night tours turn the trip around, trading the turquoise water for the southern sky. A stargazing outing in the canyon lasts 6 hours with pickup, from $98, with its guide speaking Spanish. Its listing describes it as easy and open to all ages, at around 1,000 to 1,100 metres, and asks you to bring warm clothes for the night.

Both are niche choices with few reviews compared with the reservoir days, so read the listing carefully and message the operator with questions before you pay. Our separate guide to stargazing covers the night sky in more depth, and the riding question deserves a chat with the stable about your experience in the saddle before you book.