Wine Tours in Santiago: How to Sip, Cycle and Taste in Chile’s Capital

Wine Regions Near Santiago

Santiago has the rare advantage of being surrounded by world-class wine country on all sides. Within an hour or two of the city centre, you can find yourself wandering among vines, sipping a crisp coastal Sauvignon Blanc, or swirling a bold Cabernet in a historic cellar.

The diversity here is remarkable: Pacific breezes cool the valleys to the west, the snowmelt of the Andes feeds vines to the north, and fertile Central Valley soils stretch out for miles to the south.

For visitors like us, this accessibility makes Santiago one of the best places in the world to combine an urban adventure with wine tasting.

Whether you’ve got just a half-day to spare or several days to explore, each region offers its own character, grape varieties, and history.

Maipo Valley

Often called the birthplace of Chilean wine, Maipo lies right on Santiago’s edge. Historic wineries here produce some of the country’s finest Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Carmenère and Syrah.

It’s the closest and most accessible valley to downtown, perfect for half-day or full-day tours that give you a true taste of Chilean wine without long travel times.

Casablanca Valley

To the west, Casablanca Valley offers a cooler climate shaped by ocean breezes, cloud cover and morning fog.

It’s famous for crisp Sauvignon Blancs, elegant Chardonnays, and increasingly Pinot Noir.

The setting is greener and gentler, with boutique wineries and coastal views making it a refreshing contrast to Maipo’s powerful reds.

Aconcagua Valley

North of Santiago, Aconcagua is known for bold reds grown at altitude.

Snowmelt from the Andes feeds the vines, producing structured Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, while newer coastal plantings experiment with whites.

Rugged and dramatic, it’s a region that perfectly reflects Chile’s diverse climate and landscape.

Rapel Valley (Colchagua & Cachapoal)

South of Santiago, Rapel encompasses the prestigious sub-valleys of Colchagua and Cachapoal.

This is the land of full-bodied Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah, with many estates offering restaurants and guesthouses.

It’s a great choice if you want to combine wine tasting with long vineyard lunches or an immersive overnight stay.

Curicó and Maule

A little further south, Curicó and Maule bring history and value. These valleys are home to some of Chile’s oldest vines and produce everything from Sauvignon Blanc to old-vine Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, and experimental blends.

It’s an area that’s less visited than Maipo or Colchagua, but well worth the trip if you want to dig deeper into Chilean wine culture.

Just over the border in Argentina – Mendoza

For a cross-border adventure, why not hop over the Andes to Mendoza in Argentina, and the beating heart of Malbec country.

It’s just an hour away by plane (or a very scenic, full-day overland trip) from Santiago, so it’s pretty easy for a quick visit.

With opted to fly from Santiago, making a beeline for peaceful Luján de Cuyo for a couple of days of tastings, before heading an hour further south to the Uco Valley, with vines stretching to the foothills of the Andes, and one of most awesome wine cellars we’ve ever seen at Bodegas Salentein.

Our Santiago Vineyard Tour

It’s no secret that we really like wine. We also enjoy the occasional bike ride, especially when the path is mostly flat and the bike seat is user-friendly.

So perhaps it’s not that surprising that when we discovered there was a Santiago wine tour in the Maipo Valley combining the two, we jumped at the chance.

Cycling and drinking, you say? Surely a recipe for disaster. We’ll admit we had visions of us, faces flushed, swerving one-handed on bikes between the vines holding glasses of sloshing Cabernet aloft.

Rest assured, on this tour, there is cycling among vines, and there is drinking of wine – both in moderation!

Chile’s wine industry was born in the Maipo Valley in the early 1540s, when Catholic missionaries accompanying the Spanish conquistadores planted vines to produce sacramental wine for mass.

Nearly 500 years later, Chilean wine is world renowned, and the Maipo Valley is one of the country’s premier wine producing regions.

Maipo also has the distinction of being an urban wine region. While the vineyards are in the foothills of the Andes mountains, Santiago’s city sprawl has expanded over the years to completely surround them.

It makes for a unique setting, and with so many wineries near Santiago it’s one of the most accessible wine regions you’ll find, a mere 35 kilometres from the city centre.

We arrived at Maipo’s Cousiño Macul winery for our bike and wine tour to find our guide setting up our bicycles with – critically – comfy-looking seats.

We were even more pleased to find a small wine tasting glass in our bike basket, along with a bottle of water for the more sensible among us.

After introductions to our fellow rider-tasters and some instructions on handling our bikes, we tootled off to explore the vineyard.

At almost 170-years-old, Cousiño Macul is one of the oldest wineries in the Maipo Valley, and the only 19th-century winery in the country that remains completely in the hands of its founding family.

On this bike and wine tour, rider-tasters like us explore the winery’s Macul vineyards – one of three estates the family owns in the valley.

The property spans more than 150 hectares but once covered ten times that ground, before Santiago’s population boomed and the city began its creep towards the mountains.

That urban expansion, combined with Santiago’s valley location, has led to some serious smog issues for the city’s seven million inhabitants, making an escape to the vineyards on the city outskirts one of the most popular things to do in Santiago.

We lucked out on our visit with a beautiful sunny morning and unusually clear views of the Andes rising above the vineyards.

Perfect weather for a pedal past plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling and Chardonnay before we paused in the shade of a vast tree for a taste of our first wine, a light and very easy-drinking Rosé.

Over the next 45-minutes we made several more stops among the vines where our guide shared stories of the winery, its grapes and Chile’s viticultural past.

Back at the winery, we parked up our bikes to head into the site’s modern wine-making facilities and learn about the grape to bottle journey of Cousiño Macul wines. From there we visited the winery’s 100-year-old underground cellars for a peek at the Cousiño family’s impressive personal wine collection.

The cellar is reached via a candlelit stairwell with a distinctly medieval feel. It’s a fitting approach to the vast, dust-covered treasury of bottles stored here, which is well protected from our covetous gazes behind a padlocked gate.

Around the corner, two vaulted tunnels filled with wine barrels stretch away into the distance. All this vine and wine gazing had us well and truly ready for some more wine tasting.

Back on the surface, we settled around a small outdoor table for a lesson in how to see, swirl, smell and taste wine, to the tune of a rich, fruity Chardonnay, a Merlot bursting with berries, and a big, flavourful Cabernet Sauvignon – three delicious vintages from the vineyards we’d just ridden through.

We took our time with the final drop and I’ll be honest, it was tempting to lie in the sun here and drink wine for the rest of the day, but tough life that it is, there was another winery just up the road we were keen to visit.

Booking Wine Tours in Santiago

While we absolutely loved our bike and wine tour in Santiago, there’s plenty to consider beyond the comfort of your bike seat when deciding on which tour to choose.

The best tours combine convenience, scenery, and depth: they offer good transport, excellent wineries, plenty of history and storytelling, tastings that let you really savour the varieties, and often, some bonus touches like interesting historic buildings, underground cellars, or lush gardens.

To get the most from your Santiago wine tour consider things like: whether transport is included? How many wineries will you visit? How much time will you spend driving? Will lunch or snacks be part of the package, and what size group will you be in?

It’s also essential to check recent reviews: Are people raving about the host or guide? Did they love the wine? What was included in the tour? What was the ambience of the winery and vineyard like? A highly rated experience will often mean the tour ticks most of these boxes and more.

If a wine tour is high on your bucket list, you should also bear in mind that popular excursions can book out in advance, so booking ahead of time is advisable, especially in peak tourist season.

To help you narrow down the options, we’ve done some of the research for you and listed a few of the top-rated wine tours in Santiago below. All the experiences and tours we’ve selected receive positive reviews from other travellers and have secure payment and flexible cancellation policies.

Maipo Valley Wine Tasting Tour with 4 Vineyards

If you’re keen to visit the Maipo Valley like we did but want to experience a few more wineries, a full-day Maipo Valley wine tour would be a great option.

Over the course of the day you’ll visit four very different wineries, from boutique family-run estates to bigger, historic producers. Each stop brings its own character, with tastings of reds and whites, cellar tours, and plenty of time to soak up the vineyard views.

Along the way there are local snacks to nibble, pisco to sample, and the chance to linger over a relaxed vineyard lunch (paid separately) surrounded by vines. Pickup and drop-off from central Santiago is included, and the small-group format makes it feel more personal, with guides praised for their energy and knowledge. If you want a wine tour that combines variety, scenery and excellent tastings, this one’s hard to beat.

Exclusive wineries in Casablanca Valley & Tanino Restaurant

We love wine tours that feel like a decadent escape – and this one certainly seems to deliver.

On this full-day Casablanca Valley tour, you’ll be whisked away from Santiago into rolling vineyards, visiting three exclusive wineries. Tastings include crisp Sauvignon Blancs, elegant Chardonnays, and boutique reds – all paired with stories and tradition.

Halfway through the day, there’s a stop at Tanino Restaurant (Casas del Bosque) for a gourmet lunch in a beautiful setting – allowing you to relax your palate, soak up vineyard views, and savour some yummy local cuisine.

The tour includes hotel pick-up and drop-off in Santiago and the group is limited. Guides are often praised for being knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive, making this tour feel very personal.

Concha y Toro Winery Half-Day Tour

If you only have half a day but still want to experience fabulous wine, then the Maipo Valley is probably your best bet.

Concha y Toro is Chile’s most famous winery, synonymous with the Casillero del Diablo brand, and it’s hugely popular estate in Pirque blends history, tradition and flavour beautifully.

A visit to this iconic winery is probably one of the most popular things to do in Santiago. On this tour you’ll be picked up in the city and driven into the valley, where the experience begins with a stroll through Don Melchor Square and the winery’s historic gardens.

There’s time to explore the old cellars, including the legendary Casillero del Diablo, and to learn about the estate’s long history of winemaking.

The highlight, of course, is the tasting: three contrasting wines that showcase Maipo’s character, with the option to upgrade and enjoy premium vintages paired with local cheeses. With hotel transfers included, this half day tour is an easy and rewarding way to dip into Chile’s famous wine country.

Inca Lagoon and Vineyard Tour

Occasionally wine tours include something a bit special, and this one’s all drama, with incredible alpine views and a vivid glacier lake to go with some excellent vino.

This full-day wine tour from Santiago takes you up through the Andes, winding along the famous ‘Los Caracoles’ switchbacks, past dramatic mountain views to the turquoise waters of Inca Lagoon.

You’ll have time here to appreciate the stunningly beautiful glacier lake and surrounding peaks, hearing tales of Inca royalty and local legends before relaxing over an empanada-style brunch. Then it’s off to Viña San Esteban in the Aconcagua Valley, where you’ll get to sip local wines among the vines while you appreciate the fresh mountain air with a stunning backdrop of Andean peaks.

The tour includes hotel pick-up and drop-off in Santiago, and the small-group format ensures you get a more personal experience.

Valparaíso, Viña del Mar & Casablanca Wine Tasting

This is another tour for those that may be interested in more than just vineyards – where you’ll get to combine coastal views, culture, street art and wine.

From Santiago, you’ll head west on a scenic drive to the coastal town of Viña del Mar, where you can enjoy the beach and a lovely seaside lunch (own expense). After lunch, you’ll head to Valparaíso to explore its colourful hills, and murals on a walking tour.

On the way back to Santiago, you’ll get to stop in Casablanca Valley for a relaxing wine tasting among vineyards, sampling refreshing whites in one of Chile’s coolest climates.

Planning a Trip to Santiago

Getting to Santiago

Santiago is Chile’s main gateway and one of South America’s busiest hubs, making it easy to reach from abroad or within the country.

Most international visitors arrive at Arturo Merino Benítez Airport, around 18km from downtown. It’s modern, well connected, and served by direct flights from across the Americas, Europe and Oceania.

The trip into the city takes 30-60 minutes depending on traffic. You can choose official taxis, rideshares like Uber, or shuttle buses such as Centropuerto, which connect to the metro.

We usually pre-book a transfer when loaded with gear, so if you’re anything like us you may want to give Welcome Pickups a try.

Flying is the quickest way to cover Chile’s vast distances and Santiago has plenty of domestic flight options. We flew between Santiago and Patagonia, the Atacama, Mendoza and Easter Island using Sky and LATAM, but you’ll also find JetSmart and others operating domestic routes.

If you have time and want to see more of the country from the road, Chile also has an extensive intercity bus network.

Major operators like Turbus and Pullman cover routes nationwide, while cross-border trips to places like Mendoza and Bariloche are run by AndesMar and others.

On longer journeys, it’s worth booking a semi-cama or cama seat for extra space and comfort. You can check routes, prices, and book your seat using Busbud.

Getting Around Santiago

Santiago is an easy city to navigate. The metro is fast, clean and affordable, making it the best way to hop between neighbourhoods like Santiago Centro, Providencia and Lastarria. It’s reliable even in rush hour and a great way to avoid the city’s heavy traffic.

Taxis and rideshare apps such as Uber and Cabify are widely used and handy for airport transfers, late-night returns, or trips to areas the metro doesn’t reach. We generally found Uber to be a reliable, convenient and reasonably priced way to get around – and a great option for independent wine tours in Santiago.

If you’re planning to explore wine regions on your own, renting a car at the airport or in town might be an option. You can check prices and book using DiscoverCars, which is our go-to car hire booking engine when we travel.

We didn’t hire a car here, but we’ve read driving in Santiago can be hectic, with busy roads and limited parking. If you do plan to drive, it’s probably best to limit car use to day trips rather than city exploring. Most organised wine tours include transfers anyway, which makes tastings stress-free and allows you to enjoy the local vino (definitely our preference).

We don’t mind pounding the pavement and generally found Santiago to be a pleasantly walkable city. Lastarria, Bellavista, and parts of Providencia are easily explored on foot, with plenty of cafés, galleries, and colourful street art to keep you distracted from all the walking. For longer journeys, we tended to combine walking with jumping on the metro or using rideshares.

Best Time to Visit Santiago

Santiago is a year-round destination, but the experience shifts with the seasons, and the best time to visit depends on what you want from your trip.

Spring (September to November) is a great time to visit as the city shakes off the winter chill, parks bloom with colour, and the surrounding vineyards burst into fresh green. Temperatures are mild and crowds are lighter, making it a good option for sightseeing and wine tours.

Summer (December to February) is peak season, with long, sunny days and warm weather. It’s perfect for outdoor tastings in Maipo or Casablanca, evenings spent in lively neighbourhoods like Lastarria, and trips into the Andes. However, it can get hot in the inland valleys and busy in popular spots, so book accommodation and tours early if you’re travelling during this period.

Autumn (March to May) is harvest time in Chile’s wine country, and for many, it’s the best season of all. We visited this time of year and found vineyards glowing with autumn colours, grapes being picked, and wine festivals bringing energy to both the city and surrounding valleys. The weather is still warm enough this time of year, and we had plenty of comfortable days with clear skies that made for stunning views of the Andes.

Winter (June to August) brings a different charm. While it’s the quietest time for tourism, the snow-capped Andes are at their most dramatic, and ski resorts open just outside the city. In the valleys, some wineries reduce their hours, but tastings continue, often in cosy cellar settings. Prices for flights and hotels are generally lower too, making it a good choice for budget-minded travellers.

Where to Stay in Santiago

Choosing the right base in Santiago can shape your whole experience. The city sprawls across a wide valley framed by the Andes, but for visitors, a few key neighbourhoods make the best places to stay.

Each has its own personality, from leafy residential streets to lively nightlife hubs, so it’s worth thinking about what kind of atmosphere you’d like to come home to after a busy day touring wineries near Santiago or exploring the city itself.

Santiago Centro is the historic heart of the city. Around the Plaza de Armas and Alameda you’ll find grand architecture, museums, and easy access to sights like the Cathedral and La Moneda Palace. It’s convenient if you want to be close to major landmarks, though it can be noisy and busy.

Just east of the centre, Lastarria is one of Santiago’s most charming neighbourhoods. It’s full of cafés, galleries, wine bars and leafy plazas, making it a perfect choice for travellers who love to wander and soak up a cultural vibe. At night the area comes alive, but it still feels safe and walkable.

Across the river, Bellavista has a more bohemian energy, with colourful street art, live music, and nightlife. It’s close to Cerro San Cristóbal, where you can take a funicular up for sweeping city views. Bellavista is lively and fun, but if you’re looking for peace and quiet, you may prefer elsewhere.

Further east, Providencia is a popular base for many travellers. It strikes a balance between residential calm and central convenience, with tree-lined streets, great restaurants, and excellent metro access. It’s a good choice if you want comfort and safety while still being well connected.

Neighbouring Las Condes and Vitacura take things up a notch in terms of space and polish. These are Santiago’s more upscale areas, with luxury hotels, shopping centres, leafy avenues, and easy road access for day trips to wine country. They’re less atmospheric than Lastarria or Bellavista but excellent for comfort, service, and quieter nights.