One of the most popular day trips for tourists in Santiago is the town of Valparaíso. This colorful city is a favorite among a lot of travelers, and quite frankly, I see it pop up on nearly every itinerary I look at. There is a good reason for that though. Valparaíso, along with the more beach focused city of Viña del Mar, is easy to reach from Santiago, fun to explore, and makes a great way to spend one day of your Chile itinerary. So whether you’re visiting as a day trip or spending a little more time, you should definitely add one, or both, of these cities to your itinerary.
While you could spend more time in the area (I added three nights in Viña del Mar to my Chile itinerary), this post is focused on people with less time. It will be a busy day, but efficient travelers can spend one day in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.
About Valparaiso
Valparaíso is a colorful city and a favorite among travelers to Chile. It’s a major shipping port and therefore, you’ll unsurprisingly find some nice ocean views. That said, I think the colorful neighborhoods are a bigger draw and are frankly more exciting than the ocean views. So if you have just one day in Valparaíso, focus on the colorful streets (and save the beach views for Viña del Mar).
What to Do in Valparaiso
While there are plenty of lists of what specifically to see in Valparaíso floating around online, I think there’s one major highlight to this city. A visit here would not be complete without exploring its colorful neighborhoods. While it’s totally possible to explore on your own (that’s what I did!), you’ll likely get more out of your visit if you take a guided tour. This is especially true if you only gave one day of your Chile itinerary to Valparaíso. There are loads of walking tours offered throughout the city, so jump on a tour to learn the history and see the best art.
For those not on a tour, I’d recommend focusing your time in the Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre neighborhoods. Both of these neighborhoods are full of colorful murals. I also heard good things about Cerro Cárcel but didn’t quite make it there on my visit.
As you walk through the city, don’t forget to take your eyes off the colorful murals. Across Valparaíso, you’ll find look outs that give you some great views of the entire city. One example is Ascensor Reina Victoria. While you can take a funicular to the top, I walked up and got great view of Valparaíso. If you don’t want to walk, the funicular is cheap and offers an alternative.
This is a great place to note that Valparaíso is full of hills. To see the best murals and the most colorful streets, expect to hike up your fair share of hills. And it’s not just little hills. Expect to climb some steep hills throughout the city.
Bonus: I don’t typically recommend places to eat because I’m not really a foodie traveler, but I’m making an exception here. Delicias Express offers fantastic empanadas (either to eat in the small restaurant or to take away). They have so many different options that you’re sure to find something that appeals to you. It will make a great lunch on a busy day.
About Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar is a city along the ocean. Well, Valparaíso is also a city along the ocean, but I found Viña del Mar to be slightly better in this respect. Viña del Mar is a vacation town and it’s where you’ll find plenty of Chileans relaxing with friends and family. While it doesn’t have the same colorful streets as Valparaíso, I found Viña del Mar to be better for relaxing on the beach and getting those amazing ocean views. So even if you visit both Valparaíso and Viña del Mar in one day, you’ll get two different in Chile.
What to Do in Viña del Mar
My favorite part of Viña del Mar was the oceanfront. Whether you relax on the beach, walk down Vergara Pier, or walk along the pedestrian path, you’re sure to have a good time. Or, just find a spot along the wall to sit and take in the views. While I’m not a person to typically relax on vacation, I made an exception in Viña del Mar. The vibe of the city is relaxed and who am I to argue.
Beyond the ocean, you have a few other cool sights. One highlight is the Flower Clock, which in my opinion is just ok. However, I do recommend stopping by the Flower Clock. Just make sure to climb the stairs behind it for views of the city.
As you walk along the ocean, you’ll pass Wulff Castle. It was closed during my visit, but you could still see it from the outside.
Visit the Archeology Museum to learn some history. Or, if you can’t fit in an excursion to Easter Island, see the Maoi outside of the museum.
And if you’re sick of ocean views, head to Quinta Vergara Park. Walk through the park, tour the palace, or just find a quiet place to sit and enjoy.
Bonus: I ate really well when I was in Viña del Mar, so I’m giving another recommendation. While my recommendation in Valparaíso definitely won’t break the budget, my recommendation in Viña del Mar is more upscale. Donde Willy is located at the end of an alley, but has delicious seafood and it may have been the best meal I had in Chile.
How to Get Between Valparaíso and Viña del Mar
The easiest way is to take the metro between Valparaiso and Viña del Mar. There is one metro line and the journey from Valparaiso to Viña del Mar takes just 15 minutes. The metro costs just 600 CLP, but you also need to buy a Bip! metro card (1,700 CLP). If you’re basing yourself in one of these cities for a few days, the metro option may be worth it.
However, if you’re visiting both cities as part of a day trip from Santiago, this may not be the cheapest route. Instead, a local bus will be the cheaper option since you don’t have to pay the additional 1,700 CLP for the metro card.
Since I based myself in Viña del Mar for three days while I was in Chile, I used the metro a few times and it was worth picking up the Bip! card. I then used that to travel between Valparaiso and Viña del Mar.
How to Get to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar from Santiago
Buses depart from Santiago regularly. Every twenty minutes a bus departs for Valparaíso. Buses to Viña del Mar are also frequent, but slightly less than Valparaíso (more like every thirty minutes). While many travel guides will recommend you travel from Santiago Parajitos bus station, buses also depart from Santiago Alameda. Because of where my hotel was located, it just made more sense to ignore all of the online advice and take a bus from Santiago Alameda.
Because the buses are so frequent, there’s no need to by a ticket in advance. Just walk to the station, go to the ticket window and as for your destination city. They will likely ask you “Ida o Vuelta”. “Ida” is a one way ticket and “Vuelta” is a return ticket. In 2023, my one way ticket cost 6000 CLP.
Is One Day Enough?
In my opinion, yes. It is possible to see both Valparaíso and Viña del Mar in one day. Of course, more relaxed travelers could easily spend one day in each city, but for travelers with limited time in Chile, I think combining Valparaíso and Viña del Mar into one day is a valid option.
Despite spending three nights in Viña del Mar, I only spent a half day in Valparaíso. I expected to fall in love with the city, the same way that so many other travelers did. That just didn’t happen. I enjoyed my time in the city, but wandering the streets endlessly, looking for more street art was only fun for so long. Meanwhile, I took my time in Viña del Mar, but I easily could have squeezed in the main sights to a half day. That would have just meant a little bit less time relaxing in front of those amazing ocean views.
Sample Itinerary As a Day Trip from Santiago
8:00 – Depart Santiago
9:30 – Arrive Valparaiso
1:30 – Depart Valparaiso
1:45 – Arrive Viña del Mar
5:00 – Depart Viña del Mar
6:30 – Arrive Santiago
Viña del Mar or Valparaíso?
This answer varies from traveler to traveler. For me, I enjoyed Viña del Mar more than Valparaíso. The city of Viña del Mar felt like it had more options for just slowing down. In Valparaíso I wandered the colorful streets, but in Viña del Mar, I found myself finding a place to sit and relax near the beach.
As a note, in recent years there’s been concerns about safety in Valparaíso. These concerns caused me to change my hotel from Valparaíso to Viña del Mar. In the end, this worked out for the best because I enjoyed the city of Viña del Mar more. While it’s always a good idea to take proper safety precautions, I didn’t feel unsafe during my visit (even as a solo female traveler). That said, I didn’t go out at night and I don’t drink alcohol.
Final Thoughts
Despite their close proximity Valparaíso and Viña del Mar offer very different experiences to travelers. If you can, visit both of these cities. Between the colorful streets of Valparaíso and the relaxing beaches of Viña del Mar, you can’t go wrong with spending one day of your trip to Chile here.
Continue Your Adventure
Santiago: So many trips to Chile start or end in its capital city, so it seems a shame to not spend at least one day exploring Santiago. Or if you have more than one day in Santiago, consider a visit to El Cajon del Maipo.
Day Trips from Viña del Mar: Viña del Mar is a great town to explore, but give yourself an extra day so you can take a day trip to another awesome area in the region. For hikers, consider day tripping to La Campana National Park.
Chile Itinerary: For first time visitors, I recommend my 9 Day Chile Itinerary. Visit the capital city of Santiago, the beaches in Viña del Mar, and head south to Puerto Varas.
Chile Travel Guide: Check out my Chile Travel Guide for everything you need to start planning your trip, including itineraries, city guides, travel tips, and a detailed budget.