Own vehicle
Private day
Your party, your pace
- Length7 hours
- PricePer group
- RefundAll sales final
See your group's price
A private Cajon del Maipo tour, and when it pays off
Private Day Trip to Cajón del Maipo & El Yeso Dam from Santiago.
★ 4.8 · 110 guest ratings
Short answer
A private Cajon del Maipo tour gives your party its own vehicle, guide and pace for a per-group price, which pays off for families and larger groups more than for couples.
Private essentials
Compare 4 side by side
Private car or shared seats for your group
Pick a day and your party size to compare totals.
- Private dayPer group, 7 hours · from just $380
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View - Our shared dayPer person, 10 hours · for one person from $42
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View - Small-group El YesoPer person, 9 hours · for one person from $120
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View - Springs and El YesoPer person, 10 hours · for one person from $90
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View
Currency conversion uses the ECB reference rate on GetYourGuide from-prices. The exact price is displayed when you book.
Your own driver-guide, your own stops and your own clock at the reservoir: what a private day in the canyon costs, what it includes and who should book it.
Editorial team, cajondelmaipotour.quest · Updated November 11, 2026 · 7 min of reading
Facts at a glance
- Top private day7 hours with hotel pickup, from $380 for the group.
- Group sizeThat private day takes up to 15 travellers.
- RefundsIt is non-refundable: all sales are final.
- Shared optionA shared seat on our day starts from $42.
- Middle wayA small group of up to 12 starts from $120.
What you get from a car of your own
A private Cajon del Maipo tour swaps the shared van for a vehicle and guide that serve your party alone. Top of the private listings by review count is a 7-hour day with collection and return at your hotel, its own vehicle and a professional guide who speaks Portuguese, English or Spanish. It starts from $380, and that price covers the whole group, not each person.
Its itinerary moves up the Maipo Canyon, spends an hour at El Yeso, pauses for 40 minutes at Casa Chocolate and for 30 minutes at the El Tinoco tunnel, with a stop at a restaurant for lunch along the way. Those are the same landmarks a shared day touches, but the order, the photo stops and the pace can bend to what your party wants.
Behind it stand 110 reviews averaging 4.8, a strong score for a product where the driver-guide carries the whole experience. What the reviews cannot tell you is how a given guide reads your group, so say clearly when you book what you care about most: photography, food, history or simply time in silence at the water.
Formats side by side
Private, small group and shared days compared
| Format | Length | Price basis | Cancelling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private day | 7 hours | Per group, from $380 | Non-refundable |
| Private with springs | 10 hours | From $295 | Free until 24 hours before |
| Small-group El Yeso | 9 hours | Per person, from $120 | Free until 24 hours before |
| Our shared day | 10 hours | Per person, from $42 | Free until 24 hours before |
What each listing promised when we checked: its starting price, its length and its refund rule.
Private, small group or shared: the real differences
Several formats share the canyon road, and each has its own logic. Our shared day packs the reservoir, a cheese farm, Casa Chocolate and a picnic with a folk show into 10 hours, from $42 per person. A small-group El Yeso day caps the group at 12, lasts 9 hours and starts from $120 per person, needing at least 2 passengers to run.
The private day is shorter at 7 hours, because it skips the farm and the closing party and goes where you want, when you want. You give up the social side of a shared van and the folk show, but gain control over the most precious resource on a canyon day: time at the places you care about. For many parties that trade is the whole point of paying more, especially when the day is a once-in-a-trip outing.
Travelling alone or as a pair, you will pay far less on the shared day for much the same landmarks. As your party grows, the gap shrinks fast, because the private price is set per group. The calculator on this page does the sum for your own number of travellers, so you can see where the lines cross. Remember to add the extras on both sides, such as the optional lunch on the shared day and any meals the private operator leaves to you.
Who shares your vehicle
Largest group each canyon day allows
- Private day15
- Small-group El Yeso12
- Volcano hiking day12
- Laguna Negra trek8
Group caps from the listings; on the private day the vehicle carries nobody but your party.
Who gains most from going private
Families with small children are the clearest case. A shared van runs to a timetable for everyone on board, whereas your own guide can pull over for a restless toddler, drop the long lunch and turn for Santiago sooner. The private listing allows bookings for up to 15 travellers, so an extended family fits into a booking. Grandparents, cousins and children travel together, and nobody has to fit around strangers.
Photographers come next. The reservoir colour changes with the light, and on a shared day your time at the dam is whatever the schedule allows, 70 minutes on ours. A private guide cannot extend the park hours, but can plan the drive so you arrive inside the slot you want and leave when your memory cards are full.
Older travellers and anyone who finds steps hard should look closely too. A private car means fewer people to wait for and an easier pace on the short walks. Among the private listings we compared, a 10-hour private day with El Yeso and the Valle de Colina springs states that it is wheelchair accessible. Confirm the details with the operator before booking.
Private or not
Should your party go private
Find your situation below to see which format makes sense.
If I travel alone or as a couple
Take a shared day
A shared seat starts from $42, far below a private car.
If We are a large party
Price the private day
The private day is priced per group, for up to 15 travellers.
If We want fewer people, not a whole car
A small-group day
Groups of up to 12, from $120 each.
If Our dates may change
Avoid non-refundable bookings
The top private day cannot be refunded once paid.
If Someone in our party uses a wheelchair
Ask about the accessible private day
A 10-hour private day lists wheelchair access.
Ways up the canyon
Pick your kind of company
Fewer people
Small-group El Yeso
A van of up to 12
- Length9 hours
- Minimum2 passengers
- CancelUp to 24 hours
Lowest price
Our shared day
Picnic and folk show
- Length10 hours
- GuideSpanish, English, Portuguese
- CancelUp to 24 hours
Booking terms to read closely before paying
Cancellation is where private and shared days differ most, and it is the clause travellers skim past most easily when the photos look good. The private day with the most reviews is non-refundable: once paid, all sales are final. Our shared day works the other way: free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance, and a reservation that costs nothing until later.
That matters in the Andes. Chile Travel warns that the mountain climate is unpredictable and asks visitors to check the forecast before they travel, especially in winter when snow can fall on the route.3 A non-refundable booking for a date when the road is closed could leave you with nothing, so ask in writing what the operator does when snow shuts the road: a new date, a different route or a refund.
A private GetYourGuide listing for a 10-hour day with El Yeso and the hot springs does allow free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, but it has only 11 reviews averaging 3.28. Weigh those flexible terms against a thin review record with a low average; neither is a reason to book on its own. In Spanish you will often see the same product called a Cajon del Maipo tour privado, and the same questions apply whatever the label.
A private day
How the private canyon day is laid out
Hotel pickup
Leaving Santiago
Pickup and drop-off at your hotel are included.
Morning
Up the Maipo Canyon
The itinerary gives 120 minutes to the canyon itself.
Midday
El Yeso
An hour at the reservoir, within the park opening slots.1
Afternoon
Casa Chocolate
A pause of 40 minutes at the chocolate house.
Heading back
El Tinoco tunnel
A last stop of 30 minutes at the El Tinoco tunnel.
Coming from Valparaiso or Vina del Mar
If you are based on the coast, you may be looking for a Cajon del Maipo tour from Valparaiso. The geography makes that a very long day, and it is worth understanding before you book: Chile Travel puts Valparaiso 120 km from Santiago's airport along Route 68, and San Jose de Maipo lies a further 45 to 50 km from Santiago on the canyon road, depending on which of its pages you read.4,5,6
The private listings we compared collect from hotels in Santiago, not from the coast. Before booking, ask the operator in writing whether they will collect you in Valparaiso or Vina del Mar and what that adds to the price. If they will not, the simplest plan is a night in Santiago before the canyon day, which also lets you leave your big luggage at a city hotel.
A night in the capital also helps with timing. The reservoir park's morning window closes at 12:30, and a pre-dawn start from the coast would struggle to arrive in time.1 Arriving rested from a Santiago hotel makes the long canyon road much easier to enjoy, and gives you a calm evening back in the city afterwards instead of another drive to the Pacific.
Video
A day trip into the Andes from Santiago
Ryan Brailsford on YouTube · Video data is requested only when you tap play.
From Santiago, Route G-25 (Camino al Volcán) takes you to the reservoir. The journey is about 100 km and lasts about 3 hours. We recommend coordinating your trip by hiring a specialized tour.
Before you pay
Private tour checklist
Ask in writing3
- Is the price per group or per person
- Who books the park tickets at El Yeso
- What happens if snow closes the road
Check the operator3
- Registered with Sernatur
- A vehicle fit for the gravel road
- A guide in your language
On the day3
- Warm layers for the reservoir
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Pesos for lunch and small purchases
Access rules that apply to every car
Going private does not change the rules at El Yeso. When we last read its ticket page, Parque Cordillera listed the reservoir park as open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with booking and a ticket bought in advance and named tickets; the same page also showed a winter-closure notice.7,1,8 Ask your operator who buys the tickets and on which days they run, because a midweek private day may not reach the park at all. Keep the ticket confirmation on your phone, as the names on it must match your party.
Beyond the dam wall lies the Laguna Negra trail, and when we read the park's page it let visitors onto it only in the company of a certified guide or an operator with a direct agreement.9 If that walk matters to you, ask before booking whether your private guide is approved for it; if not, a dedicated trekking day is the safer choice, and it usually suits fit walkers better anyway.
The road itself deserves respect. Chile Travel describes the last stretch to El Yeso as mountainous gravel where a 4x4 is essential, and warns of winter closures due to snow.10 A private operator with the right vehicle and local knowledge is worth more than a cheaper operator with a city car. In winter, ask whether the vehicle carries chains and whether the driver has worked the road in snow.
Questions to ask before you pay
Before you pay, ask these questions in writing: whether the price is per group or per person, which stops are included and for how long, who handles the park tickets at the reservoir, and what happens if snow or a road closure cancels the day. The answers tell you more than the photos do, and a good operator answers them quickly and plainly. Slow, vague replies before you pay rarely improve once your money has gone.
Ask too about food and language. The private day with the most reviews names a stop at a restaurant for lunch among its inclusions; check whether the meal itself is paid on top. Its guides speak Portuguese, English or Spanish, so name your preferred language when you book. If anyone in your party has a dietary need, mention it at the same time so the lunch stop can plan for it.
Finally, Chile Travel recommends hiring tourist services registered with Sernatur, the national tourism service, rather than informal drivers.11 A registered operator, a clear price and written terms are what turn a private day from a gamble into a pleasure. With those in hand, the canyon road, the turquoise water and the quiet at the dam can have your full attention.
FAQ
The short answers to your questions.
How much is a private Cajon del Maipo tour?
From $380 per group.
The private day with the most reviews lasts 7 hours with hotel pickup and a guide.
Is the private price per person?
No, it covers the group.
That listing sets its price per group, for up to 15 travellers.
Can I cancel a private tour?
It depends on the listing.
The private day with the most reviews is non-refundable, while a private springs day can still be called off at no cost until a day before it starts.
Can a private tour pick me up in Valparaiso?
Ask the operator first.
The private listings we compared collect from hotels in Santiago; coastal pickup must be agreed in writing.
Which languages do private guides speak?
Portuguese, English or Spanish.
The private day with the most reviews offers its guiding in each of those languages.
Is there a wheelchair-accessible option?
Yes, there is.
A 10-hour private day with El Yeso and hot springs lists itself as wheelchair accessible.
Does private mean I can walk to Laguna Negra?
Only with an approved guide.
Your guide must be certified or work for an operator with a direct park agreement.9
Sources
- 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 ↩
- Sernatur, Chile National Tourism Service (chile.travel) · Valparaiso ↩
- Sernatur, Chile National Tourism Service (chile.travel) · San Jose de Maipo ↩
- Sernatur, Chile National Tourism Service (chile.travel) · Cajon del Maipo ↩
- 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) · 7 nature day trips near Santiago you can do in one day ↩
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