Shared day
Our picnic day
Shared, with pickup
- Length10 hours
- GuideSpanish, English, Portuguese
- CancelUp to 24 hours
See your group's price
Cajon del Maipo tour price, from the picnic van to a private car
Cajon del Maipo and El Yeso day from Santiago
★ 4.3 · 4,276 guest ratings
Short answer
A shared Cajon del Maipo day from Santiago with El Yeso and a picnic starts low; breakfast, the optional lunch, park access and snow gear are the costs to plan around.
Price essentials
Compare 4 side by side
Cajon del Maipo day cost for your group
Select a canyon day and the number of people travelling.
- Our picnic day10 hours, pickup · for one person from $42
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View - Picnic with alpacas10 hours, breakfast · for one person from $36
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View - Springs and El Yeso10 hours, pools · for one person from $90
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View - Volcano hiking day10 hours, up to 12 · for one person from $150
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View
Currency conversion uses the ECB reference rate on GetYourGuide from-prices. The exact price is displayed when you book.
The starting prices of the canyon days from Santiago side by side, what each ticket covers at El Yeso, and the small costs in pesos that no booking includes.
Editorial team, cajondelmaipotour.quest · Updated November 11, 2026 · 7 min of reading
Facts at a glance
- Our dayPickup, El Yeso and the picnic for 10 hours, from $42.
- Cheapest seatsOther shared El Yeso days start from $35 and $36.
- Hot springsDays with Termas Valle de Colina start from $75 to $90.
- Private carA private day for your own party starts from $380 per group.
- CancellingA full refund on our day if you cancel 24 hours or more ahead.
What a day in the canyon costs from Santiago
The Cajon del Maipo tour price you see first is for the shared van day, and it is low for what it covers. Our featured day costs from $42 and fills 10 hours, with pickup in Santiago and a live guide in Spanish, English or Portuguese. For that money you ride up the canyon, spend 70 minutes at El Yeso Dam, taste goat cheese, stop at Casa Chocolate and finish with a picnic, wine and a folk dance show.
Competing shared days cost about the same. A rival day of 10 hours with breakfast, a reservoir walk and a picnic is listed from $36, while a premium-picnic day of equal length is listed from $35. If you want a cheap Embalse El Yeso tour, any of these will do, since the difference is a few dollars, so the deciding questions are what else the day packs in, how many reviews back it, and which languages the guide speaks.
Prices jump when the day changes character. A soak in the hot springs, a hike to a volcano viewpoint or a car for your party alone each moves you into a higher band. The sections below walk through each band, then list the costs that a ticket never covers, so you can set a budget for the whole day rather than for the booking alone.
Side by side
Canyon day prices compared
| Day | Length | From | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our picnic day | 10 hours | $42 | Cheese, chocolate, folk show |
| Picnic with alpacas | 10 hours | $36 | Breakfast and picnic |
| Premium picnic | 10 hours | $35 | Lowest from-price |
| Springs and El Yeso | 10 hours | $90 | Thermal pools added |
| Volcano hike | 10 hours | $150 | Up to 12 hikers |
| Private car | 7 hours | $380 | Per group, non-refundable |
These are starting prices: dates and party size move the final total.
What the picnic day includes, and what you pay on top
The itinerary of our day names its stops with their lengths. After a van ride of 2 hours comes a canyon stop of 70 minutes with coffee, tea and breakfast, then 70 minutes at the reservoir with a guided walk and photo stops, and later a rural stop of 50 minutes with cheese tasting and farm animals. The last canyon stop lasts 1.5 hours and brings wine, a picnic with local snacks and a traditional dance show.
Some items cost extra. The listing marks the breakfast at the morning stop as not included, and the lunch of 1.5 hours in San Jose de Maipo is optional and charged separately. If you skip that lunch, the picnic later in the afternoon fills the gap well enough for most appetites; if you want a proper grilled meal, budget for it in pesos.
In winter there is another possible cost. When snow is on the ground, snow clothing and equipment can be hired along the road, and that hire is not part of the price. Travellers who arrive in Chile with summer luggage often take it, because the walk at the reservoir is far colder than the streets of Santiago.
Time for your money
How long each kind of canyon day lasts
- Volcano and springs12
- Springs and El Yeso10.5
- Our picnic day10
- Small-group El Yeso9
- Private car7
Durations as each listing states them.
Does El Yeso charge an entry fee
Yes: any Embalse El Yeso price now has to allow for a park ticket, because a ticketed park now runs at the reservoir. Parque Cordillera, the association of municipalities behind it, sells entry through Punto Ticket, and both Chile Travel and the ticket page ask for a booking made in advance.2,3 When we last read the ticket page, the park was in a trial opening in which only the trail along the dam wall was open, while the Laguna Negra trail was reserved for certified guides and operators that deal with the park directly.4
That page listed Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, a morning slot from 8:00 to 12:30 and an afternoon slot from 14:00 to 17:30, with each ticket in the visitor's name, and it also carried a closed-for-winter notice.3,5,6 Check the status and the price on that page before you go, because it is set by the park and can change between seasons. Our day lists coordination with Parque Cordillera at the dam in its description, so the guide handles the access for you.
Chile Travel notes another limit that no ticket changes: the public cannot walk down to the water itself for safety reasons, so you look at the turquoise lake from the road and the marked viewpoints.7 Plan your photos for the viewpoints, and keep in mind that the colour of the water changes with the light and the season.
Your budget
Which price band suits you
Decide what the day is for, then find the band that delivers it.
If I want the lowest price for El Yeso
A shared picnic day
Shared El Yeso days start from $35 to $42.
If I want a soak in hot springs
A springs day
Days with Valle de Colina start from $75.
If Our party fills a whole van
Compare a private car
A private 7-hour day starts from $380 for the whole group.
If I want to hike, not sit in a van
A volcano hiking day
A 10-hour hiking day for up to 12 starts from $150.
If I travel in winter
Budget for snow gear
Snow clothing can be hired on the way, at extra cost.
Budget bands
Pick the band that fits your trip
For a soak
Springs and El Yeso
Thermal pools added
- Length10 hours
- BringSwimsuit and towel
- CancelUp to 24 hours
For groups
Private day
Your own car and guide
- Length7 hours
- PricePer group
- RefundNon-refundable
Hot springs days cost more, and why
The natural pools of Termas Valle de Colina sit at kilometre 89 of the canyon road, in its last settled corner, so a day that includes them adds distance and gravel.8 A 10-hour day with 2.5 hours at the springs and a premium picnic starts from $75, and a day with 3 hours of soaking starts from $78.
Days that combine the pools with El Yeso sit a little higher. A 10-hour day with the reservoir, the springs and lunch starts from $90, as does another 10-hour day that adds the Chocolate House. A 10.5-hour version with 80 minutes in the water and 30 minutes at the dam starts from $85, though its listing says it runs only in certain summer weather.
If you go independently, Chile Travel gave the entry to the springs in March 2025 as starting at CLP 10,000, paid only in cash.9 That figure helps you judge what part of a combined day is the pools and what part is transport, guiding and food. Bring a swimsuit and a towel either way, as the combined listing asks.
Money through the day
Where the pesos go on a canyon day
When booking
Reserve, pay later
Hold a seat now and pay later; a refund stays possible until 24 hours before.
Morning stop
Coffee and breakfast
The listing marks breakfast at the morning canyon stop as not included.
At the dam
Park access
Our day lists coordination with Parque Cordillera at El Yeso Dam.
Midday
Optional lunch
The 1.5-hour lunch in San Jose de Maipo carries an extra fee.
Afternoon
Picnic and wine
The picnic, wine and dance show are part of the day.
Private cars and hiking days at the top of the range
A private car changes the arithmetic. The private day with the most reviews runs for 7 hours with hotel pickup, the reservoir, Casa Chocolate and the El Tinoco tunnel, and starts from $380 per group rather than per person. Note that it is non-refundable once booked, unlike the shared days, which refund you in full if you cancel 24 hours or more ahead.
Small-group hiking days are priced for a different kind of guest. A 10-hour day with a hike toward the San Jose volcano, limited to 12 people, starts from $150, and a 12-hour volcano and hot spring day starts from $170. Both are rated 4.9 by their guests, and the extra money buys a distinctly more active day.
A small-group day built only around El Yeso, capped at 12 people, starts from $120 for 9 hours and needs at least 2 passengers to run. For a couple who want fewer people at the viewpoint without paying for a whole car, that is the middle band worth comparing with the private price per head. Divide the private price by the size of your party before deciding: for a larger party, the gap to a small-group seat can shrink a great deal.
Video
A hidden corner of the Andes in the Cajon del Maipo
James Cheng on YouTube · Video data is requested only when you tap play.
Carry water, snacks, and a trash bag. Some areas require cash for entry fees. Always check road conditions to the Reservoir and prefer Sernatur registered operators for activities like rafting or horseback riding.
Money checklist
Before you pay for the day
Book3
- Set each starting price against the stops in its itinerary
- Note whether your day can be cancelled free
- Work out the price per head before choosing a private car
Carry3
- Small peso notes for coffee, snacks and entry fees
- A card for the optional lunch and larger buys
- Your booking confirmation on your phone
Budget for3
- Breakfast at the morning stop
- The optional lunch in San Jose de Maipo
- Snow gear hire in winter
Cash, cards and the small costs in the canyon
Chile prices everything in pesos, and its banknotes run from 1,000 up to 20,000.10 In the canyon that matters more than in the city. Chile Travel points out that some places along the road take only cash for entry, and the hot springs are a named example.1,9 Sort out small notes in Santiago before the trip, so you are not hunting for change at a roadside stall.
Typical extras on a shared day are the morning coffee and sandwich, the optional lunch, chocolate or ice cream at Casa Chocolate, a jar of honey or a cheese at the farm stop, and snow gear in winter. Each item is modest, yet the sum can rival a cheap ticket, so carry enough for the treats you already know you will want.
Tips are not mentioned in the listing, so they are your own decision. A guide who also drives the van all day has worked hard, but there is no fixed custom you must follow. Keep the tip separate from your spending money, and hand it over at the end, when you know how the day went. If you booked through a platform, the review you leave afterwards is also worth something to the guide, since future guests read those reviews before they choose a day.
Reading the price against the reviews
Price is only part of the comparison. Our day carries 4,276 reviews averaging 4.3, and its breakdown gives the guide 4.5, transport 4.4 and value for money 4.4. So many verdicts on a day that costs from $42 are a strong signal that the long, packed format suits the travellers who choose it, and that the guides keep a long day moving.
Cheaper days are not automatically worse. The day with alpacas has 2,031 reviews averaging 4.5, and the premium picnic day has 925 reviews averaging 4.4. What separates them from ours is the content: our day adds the cheese farm, the chocolate house and the folk party at the end, while theirs keep the schedule simpler.
The fair way to choose is to list what you want from the day and check which listing names it. If you want the reservoir, food and Chilean music, the picnic days give you that for the lowest price. If you want the springs, a hike or your own pace, pay for the day that promises it in writing. A low price for a day that skips the thing you came for is no bargain, while a higher price for exactly the day you wanted is money well spent.
FAQ
The short answers to your questions.
How much is a Cajon del Maipo tour from Santiago?
From $42 for our day.
That buys the 10-hour shared canyon day with pickup; rival El Yeso days go as low as $35.
Is lunch included in the price?
Lunch is optional and extra.
The 1.5-hour lunch in San Jose de Maipo costs extra, but the picnic with wine is included.
Do I pay to enter El Yeso?
Yes, the park sells tickets.
When we last read its page, Parque Cordillera asked for a prior booking and a ticket bought online; our day lists coordination with the park.3
How much do the hot springs cost?
From CLP 10,000 (2025 figure).
Chile Travel gives that starting entry price at Valle de Colina, paid in cash only.9
What does a private tour cost?
From $380 per group.
That private day lasts 7 hours with hotel pickup, and it cannot be refunded once booked.
Do I need cash on the day?
Yes, bring some pesos.
Some places in the canyon take only cash for entry, so carry small notes.1
Can I cancel if plans change?
Yes, up to 24 hours before.
Cancel at least 24 hours before departure and our day refunds you in full.
Sources
- Sernatur, Chile National Tourism Service (chile.travel) · A few kilometers from Santiago: What to do in the Cajon del Maipo ↩
- Sernatur, Chile National Tourism Service (chile.travel) · Cajon del Maipo: Hot Springs and Incredible Landscapes Just Miles from Santiago ↩
- Asociacion de Municipalidades Parque Cordillera (its ticket page on Puntoticket) · Parque el Yeso - Laguna Negra ↩
- Asociacion de Municipalidades Parque Cordillera (its ticket page on Puntoticket) · Parque el Yeso - Laguna Negra ↩
- Asociacion de Municipalidades Parque Cordillera (its ticket page on Puntoticket) · Parque el Yeso - Laguna Negra ↩
- Asociacion de Municipalidades Parque Cordillera (its ticket page on Puntoticket) · Parque el Yeso - Laguna Negra ↩
- Sernatur, Chile National Tourism Service (chile.travel) · Embalse El Yeso ↩
- Sernatur, Chile National Tourism Service (chile.travel) · Cajon del Maipo: Hot Springs and Incredible Landscapes Just Miles from Santiago ↩
- Sernatur, Chile National Tourism Service (chile.travel) · Cajon del Maipo: Hot Springs and Incredible Landscapes Just Miles from Santiago ↩
- Sernatur, Chile National Tourism Service (chile.travel) · Currency and costs ↩
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