Cajón del Maipo: Exclusive Andes Full-Day Nature Escape

Worthwhile trip to see the Cajon del Maipo and Yeso reservoir - stunning views all the way up through the valley and beautiful stroll around part of the reservoir. Picked up on time and the guide/driver was helpful, although it was difficult to hear his commentary on the bus and it would have been good to have more information about the area and spend more time at the reservoir. We felt that the tour wasn’t quite as described- we didn’t picnic at the reservoir and the price of entry to the national park was not included in the price (not too bothered about that as it’s only CLP1000 - just remember to take cash!). We were taken to a restaurant on the way back to Santiago for lunch - a bit expensive. Also other stops on the way back included a goat farm (selling wares), and a tourist-trap chocolate shop. Would happily have sacrificed these for more time at Yeso. Enjoyed the picnic and dance at the end.

A great tour with a fantastic and informative guide Edison. Communication was excellent, we were picked at the time stated at our accommodation. Edison was very informative throughout the day and made us feel very relaxed and safe. A beautiful area to visit whilst visiting Santiago and a pleasure to experience it with Edison.

Our tour with Edison to Cajon del Maipo and El Yeso reservoir was a wonderful and full day. Edison had a lot of info that he shared in both English and Spanish easily. The drive into the mountains was beautiful and the stops were fun.

The morning was great, seeing the Maipo River and Embalse de Yeso. In the final analysis, this provided transportation to the river and the embalse, which was our primary goal. This is the only reason I rate it this high. There was truly marvelous scenery driving through the Maipo Valley. The guide gave some useful information during this leg of the trip. There was confusion about the entrance fee to the Cordillera Park at El Yeso. The listing says entrance is included, the guide contradicted this. He then collected money from each passenger. Though it was a negligible amount, it was a minor annoyance. The afternoon was like a different trip. After leaving the lake, the guide shut down the microphone and there was no firther information offered except between him and the two passengers who had moved up to the front seats. We did not visit either the Plaza de Armas of San José del Maipo, or the Tunel Ferroviario de Tinoco as indicated in the listing. There was no commentary about the towns we passed by. The chocolate stop was not included on the original itinerary and was rather a waste, nothing more than another attempt to scam tourists. The house was cute, but not terribly original. The dance presentation was also rather lame, as if for stupid tourists. It consisted of an old man and a younger woman running through folk dance moves in a very rustic manner. Furthermore, this phase of the tour was ridiculously protracted at a time when we were feeling exhausted both by the long day and by the failure to present the tour as advertised. The picnic was minimal - hardly a picnic as one would use the term, though the wine was quite nice.

Fantastic day out of Chile. Despite bad weather limiting our time at the dam, we enjoyed a great lunch. The Casa Chocolate, and a wine and cheese party at the end. Tour was professional and well-run

This was a great tour, especially the local dance show with wine. Also the sugar free ice cream in the Casa de chocolate was delicious.

I enjoyed parts of this trip, especially the beautiful scenery and the chance to meet a couple of lovely people on the tour. The stops at the chocolate shop, cheese tasting, and the dance show were pleasant, and the reservoir itself is stunning. However, the experience overall felt quite underwhelming. Our guide was friendly, but provided very little information about the places we visited. For example, at the chocolate house he simply announced the stop, but didn’t explain anything about the history or the family behind it — I only learned those details myself by reading a small plaque. Several stops felt more like commercial drop-ins than meaningful additions to the tour. I think this tour could be much better with a more engaging guide who offers context, stories, and local insights, and who helps the group interact a bit more along the way. With a richer narrative and less emphasis on shopping-style stops, this could be a great experience. As it stands, it’s a solid 3-star day out but not particularly memorable.

Great experience, the guide is lovely and the tour is amazing. It gave me a true view of the region and traditions. Met a Llama, ate typical food and visited great places.

Great views of the mountains and Yeso lake. Very good and flexible guide. Cannot recommend this enough. Pickup time was an hour earlier than advertised as the bus has to pickup from multiple hotels. More time at viewpoints and less stops on the way back would be better

Every place was fantastic. Worth every single penny and minute! Gonzalo was a really nice tour guide gave you time to enjoy every stop :)