Day Trips
5 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 94% of travelers
94% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$447
per adult
Chile Off Track
Chile Off Track
5
Cultural ToursNature & Wildlife ToursWine Tours & Tastings Horseback Riding ToursDay Trips
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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About
Private and/or semi private tours (2-8 pax) for a unique experience! Our tours are tailored to suit the most important person, you! As a Boutique Tour Company we offer day tours around Santiago and customized tours to the Lake District & Patagonia. In the Santiago area we offer a variety of day trips, such as horseback rides, winery tours, cultural & nature tours for the perfect day out! Our tailored tour experiences in Chile will take you off the beaten path! We create unique experiences and lasting memories in this beautiful country.
Santiago, Chile
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Improve this listingTours and Tickets by Chile Off Track
Day Trips
8–9 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$325
per adult
Walking Tours
1–2 days
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$249
per adult
Horseback Riding
6 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 97% of travelers
97% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$279
per adult
Day Trips
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$358
per adult
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
323 reviews
Excellent
297
Very good
15
Average
5
Poor
4
Terrible
2
Jan 2023 • Couples
Thank you so much to Claudia and her team for wonderful time during our short stay in Santiago.
We had so much fun with Francisca and started chatting about so many things we found it hard to stay on schedule. We appreciated her knowledge, passion, and love for the area – we learned a lot and had wonderful wine and food! After a short turn around, Danny picked us up for an evening of stargazing. Although we had a language barrier, we found communication easy and he shared interesting sites along the way to the observatory and we had a fun time. We booked our stargazing trip with Chile Off Track months in advance and a few weeks before our trip their observatory had to cancel. Claudia and her team worked very hard to look at other options and did an amazing job up to the last minute to make our trip to Chile memorable. We look forward to coming back!
We had so much fun with Francisca and started chatting about so many things we found it hard to stay on schedule. We appreciated her knowledge, passion, and love for the area – we learned a lot and had wonderful wine and food! After a short turn around, Danny picked us up for an evening of stargazing. Although we had a language barrier, we found communication easy and he shared interesting sites along the way to the observatory and we had a fun time. We booked our stargazing trip with Chile Off Track months in advance and a few weeks before our trip their observatory had to cancel. Claudia and her team worked very hard to look at other options and did an amazing job up to the last minute to make our trip to Chile memorable. We look forward to coming back!
Written April 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Kerry,
I am so happy all our coordination planning your perfect trip to Chile worked out wonderfully!
Hope to see you back!
Warm regards,
Suzanne
Written July 28, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cameron W.
Indianapolis, IN
Apr 2022
We absolutely loved our private tour! After some quick email exchanges with Suzanne, we identified our goals to visit a winery, see Laguna del Inka/Portillo Ski Lodge, and the Aconcagua Valley. Suzanne built an awesome itinerary for us, allowing us to both see the sites we wanted and return to Santiago with plenty of time before dinner. Our guide Joaquin was a great driver, gave great context on the sites and activities, and ensured we had an excellent tour. Because we visited during Holy Week, select wineries were closed and we visited the In Situ vineyard. Wow! What a treat that was - we got to go behind the scenes to see the production process and were educated on all the farming In Situ does. Overall, we had an amazing experience and will absolutely work with Chile Off Track during our next visit.
Written April 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Cameron,
Thank you for your raving review and kind words of our LAGUNA DEL INCA TOUR. A unique experience and a scenic drive.
We hope to see you again.
Thank you for booking with us!
Warm regards - Suzanne, Chile Off Track Tours
Written January 10, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Oct 2023 • Couples
This tour was fantastic! Will and his wife were so accommodating. The whole day felt like you were hanging out with your friends. The horseback riding was spectacular! The views were unreal and you felt as though you were the only people on the mountain. I 100% recommend this tour.
Written October 12, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jenny S
Houston, TX
Jan 2020 • Couples
We used Chile Off Track for the 4 days we were in Chile and we were so impressed! Barbara was our guide for all of our tours and quickly became our friend too. She made sure we experienced everything we wanted to while in Chile. Communication with COT was quick, professional, and friendly. They have set the bar high for other tour agencies! 100% recommend!
Written January 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laura D
London, UK
Apr 2015 • Friends
Overall Impressions
- Chile Off Track would not be my first choice when booking a tour in Chile. I spoke with various western branded hotels during this situation and none of them had heard of this company.
- If you are looking for someone to coordinate your activities for a smaller-type group, Chile Off Track may give you a better experience.
- As the organizer, I will say that I did not have issues working with the management and I hope that this becomes a learning lesson for them.
- In regards to the tour operators, I was very excited to work with Tessa and left unbelievably disappointed in her service and behavior.
- They handled our complaint very poorly, and it has resulted in many upset students and a lot of time spent after the end of the trip.
Key issues:
1. They were the wrong fit for our group:
-- We were a group of 23 international graduate students and two faculty who hired Chile Off Track for our fun weekend events in between two weeks of our studies.
-- Chile Off Track is a small operation that although emphasizes personalized tours, are really more a point to point tour company. I imagine they are great for tourists who need help arranging and coordinating fun activities in a foreign place.
-- Chile Off Track is knowledgeable about the different sites in Chile and accommodating to your group needs. They will work with your group to get you the activities you want at a reasonable price.
-- Although I had had a call with our tour guide, Tessa, prior to the trip to highlight that we wanted a tour that focused on the history/information of the places we were visiting it was clear that this isn’t their forte, and if it is, it wasn’t indicated in their performance.
2. Terrible attitude of the tour guides
-- We got off on the wrong foot due to our large group being ~20 minutes tardy but despite a number of attempts to assuage the situation, the tour operators did not act professionally. I had several talks with our guides Tessa and Juana, regarding their tone of voice and their abrasive attitude towards the students. After three separate attempts early on asking them to change their behavior they continued to talk down to the students, scold students who needed to use the bathroom, etc.
-- Considering that we had faculty and a clear tour leader, and I had discussed with them on the objective of the day – to learn about the history of Valparaiso, it would have been very easy to start over and enjoy the remainder of the day.
-- The tour guide unprofessionalism is the biggest issue that I have with the tour because there were a number of chances to rectify the situation. There was no need for it to escalate. This was an unfortunate situation that should have been turned around considering that we were paying clients who were alerting them to the fact that we were not getting the service we were looking for.
3. Behavior of management towards the customer complaint
-- We filed an official complaint with the company after the first tour. The way the company handled the situation after the trip has been very unprofessional. Regardless of the size of the company, when you have a disgruntled customer it is important to understand what went wrong.
-- Instead, the mangement chose to take sides and aggressive actions such as recording the telephone conversation with us without letting us know it was being recorded.
-- I do believe that because they are a relatively small company their first response might be to get defensive, and when you feel that way you often react without thinking.
Also, we held the conversation relatively near the date of the tour, I believe that emotions were high on both sides, which usually leads to less productive conversations.
-- In the end, I currently have a number of upset students who paid for a less than fulfilling tour not to mention all the time that I have had to dedicate to resolving a situation that could have been easily rectified.
Overall, Chile Off Track wasn't the tour company for us and may be better suited for your needs. I would strongly recommend stating your travel objectives and getting a clear breakdown of your trip should you work with them. I do beleive that they gave us a fair price and had the tour day been managed differently, we would have had a different outcome.
- Chile Off Track would not be my first choice when booking a tour in Chile. I spoke with various western branded hotels during this situation and none of them had heard of this company.
- If you are looking for someone to coordinate your activities for a smaller-type group, Chile Off Track may give you a better experience.
- As the organizer, I will say that I did not have issues working with the management and I hope that this becomes a learning lesson for them.
- In regards to the tour operators, I was very excited to work with Tessa and left unbelievably disappointed in her service and behavior.
- They handled our complaint very poorly, and it has resulted in many upset students and a lot of time spent after the end of the trip.
Key issues:
1. They were the wrong fit for our group:
-- We were a group of 23 international graduate students and two faculty who hired Chile Off Track for our fun weekend events in between two weeks of our studies.
-- Chile Off Track is a small operation that although emphasizes personalized tours, are really more a point to point tour company. I imagine they are great for tourists who need help arranging and coordinating fun activities in a foreign place.
-- Chile Off Track is knowledgeable about the different sites in Chile and accommodating to your group needs. They will work with your group to get you the activities you want at a reasonable price.
-- Although I had had a call with our tour guide, Tessa, prior to the trip to highlight that we wanted a tour that focused on the history/information of the places we were visiting it was clear that this isn’t their forte, and if it is, it wasn’t indicated in their performance.
2. Terrible attitude of the tour guides
-- We got off on the wrong foot due to our large group being ~20 minutes tardy but despite a number of attempts to assuage the situation, the tour operators did not act professionally. I had several talks with our guides Tessa and Juana, regarding their tone of voice and their abrasive attitude towards the students. After three separate attempts early on asking them to change their behavior they continued to talk down to the students, scold students who needed to use the bathroom, etc.
-- Considering that we had faculty and a clear tour leader, and I had discussed with them on the objective of the day – to learn about the history of Valparaiso, it would have been very easy to start over and enjoy the remainder of the day.
-- The tour guide unprofessionalism is the biggest issue that I have with the tour because there were a number of chances to rectify the situation. There was no need for it to escalate. This was an unfortunate situation that should have been turned around considering that we were paying clients who were alerting them to the fact that we were not getting the service we were looking for.
3. Behavior of management towards the customer complaint
-- We filed an official complaint with the company after the first tour. The way the company handled the situation after the trip has been very unprofessional. Regardless of the size of the company, when you have a disgruntled customer it is important to understand what went wrong.
-- Instead, the mangement chose to take sides and aggressive actions such as recording the telephone conversation with us without letting us know it was being recorded.
-- I do believe that because they are a relatively small company their first response might be to get defensive, and when you feel that way you often react without thinking.
Also, we held the conversation relatively near the date of the tour, I believe that emotions were high on both sides, which usually leads to less productive conversations.
-- In the end, I currently have a number of upset students who paid for a less than fulfilling tour not to mention all the time that I have had to dedicate to resolving a situation that could have been easily rectified.
Overall, Chile Off Track wasn't the tour company for us and may be better suited for your needs. I would strongly recommend stating your travel objectives and getting a clear breakdown of your trip should you work with them. I do beleive that they gave us a fair price and had the tour day been managed differently, we would have had a different outcome.
Written April 6, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Some individuals of this group have behaved in such unpleasant way that these 2 days are marked as black pages in our 6 year history. They arrived late for every tour which caused logistical problems in the planning of the tours, delayed the tours while we were on a walking trip, did not assemble when the guides were giving information, in summary: it felt for our guides as if they were managing a group of young children rather than adults.
As management, we proactively sent an email after the first day suggesting a feedback conversation with 1 representative to help us to understand what had happened. In the mean time we offered the group a drink on the house for the next day in response upon their request for Chile Off Track to pay lunch for 25 people as they were not content with the tour. Unfortunately they declined the gesture of a drink.
On both days we had our 2 desperate guides numerous times on the phone asking for help to manage the situation as they have never been treated in such a disrespectful way by any of our clients. With a member of the Faculty Management Team we have decided to waive the participation costs of the 2 last minute passengers (417 USD in total) on the first day not to cause any more dissatisfaction. The member of the Management Team has also admitted to our guides that this behaviour of the group has been a pattern throughout their trip.
With already having received the feedback from our guides we entered the feedback conversation with the representative. After having heard his feedback we shared with him that we have received the same comments from our guides about the group’s behaviour. We explained to him that we have been working for a number of years with these 2 expert guides in particular and that we have **never** received a negative comment.
We told him we would check back with our guides again and meanwhile contact the Faculty Management to find a possible solution. The representative told us he was not interested in feedback about his group’s behaviour and that he could perfectly manage his group. He gave way his true intentions of the “feedback” conversation and claimed a partial refund of the tour, otherwise he threatened to post negative comments about our “little tour company”.
Meanwhile we have contacted Faculty Management and addressed the misbehaviour of this group of students, to explain how they have used the Faculty’s name to enforce discounts and finally to threaten a small company with negative reviews on TripAdvisor. In the mean time we have reached the agreement that only one person would write a review representing their group in order to stop the stream of libel by the other students, which for us seems fair.
We have worked very hard in the last 6 years to establish the boutique brand of Chile Off Track and as an owner I find it very disappointing that the tours with this group has not worked out the way we both would have wished for.
Chile Off Track is a Boutique Tour Company that organizes semi private tours for the sophisticated traveller. Most of our clients stay in boutique hotels or bigger 4 /5 * Hotels and we work closely together with their international concierges. We have been awarded 4 years in a row the Certificate of Excellence on TripAdvisor and have received 156 reviews, of which 143 are 5* reviews. Most of our clients have enjoyed higher education and are well mannered which contributes to a pleasant trip experience.
Written April 7, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
cpagirl54
Longmont, CO
Sep 2015 • Couples
After using several different guides throughout our South American travels, Chile Off Track was our last, and most disappointing service.
The biggest problem was, we were assigned a guide who was on her third professional tour to Valparaiso. As a result, the tour my husband and I received was woefully inadequate.
By comparison, in previous South American tours we were paired with a guide who had 30 years experience, and a separate driver for a much more reasonable daily rate of $200 vs $300+ charged by Chile Off Track.
The tour started of pleasant enough with a prompt pick up from our hotel. After that, red flags started going up when the tour guide said, 'I am still trying to get used to driving in South America.' That was evident with the herky jerky driving, along with several wrong turns and backtracking throughout the day.
Another red flag was when the guide said that she had no previous guiding experience, and that she applied for this job somewhat out of desperation, thinking that she wouldn't get the job given her lack of experience.
While I am all for young people trying new things, my husband and I didn't think it was appropriate for us to be paying $300+ for a guide who told us we were only her third tour group to Valparaiso.
The guide was very personable, sharing with us abundant information about herself and family. We didn't have the heart to tell her, we're paying for a tour of Valparaiso, not a recap of your life experience.
As it was, we had zero information along the drive to Valparaiso. Nothing as basic as, 'here we are beginning to get into the wine making area'. This lack of information continued in Valparaiso. We came to the main square and asked the guide about the prominent statue in the square, 'when was the statue in reference to?' The guide's answer was, 'let's see what the plaque says'. We also asked a basic question about one of the prominent churches in Valparaiso, the guide was not able to answer the question.
When we came to the vineyard we were supposed to tour, the guide said, 'I have never been here before'. Really? That's not what we want to hear when we are shelling out our hard earned money.
You may be surprised to hear, we don't fault the guide for the poor quality of the tour. We fault the management. You don't charge customers a premium price, then provide an inferior product.
Follow up from the management was equally disappointing. Paying in cash, we were doubtful that any compensation would be made for our experience. We were right. After pointing out the shortcomings of the tour, we were told that the company didn't think there was cause for a refund. On the flipside, they supposedly took our points to heart and were going to implement changes in their training regimen. If we had valid enough points to cause changes to their training, why wouldn't you appease your clients with some sort of refund?
The biggest problem was, we were assigned a guide who was on her third professional tour to Valparaiso. As a result, the tour my husband and I received was woefully inadequate.
By comparison, in previous South American tours we were paired with a guide who had 30 years experience, and a separate driver for a much more reasonable daily rate of $200 vs $300+ charged by Chile Off Track.
The tour started of pleasant enough with a prompt pick up from our hotel. After that, red flags started going up when the tour guide said, 'I am still trying to get used to driving in South America.' That was evident with the herky jerky driving, along with several wrong turns and backtracking throughout the day.
Another red flag was when the guide said that she had no previous guiding experience, and that she applied for this job somewhat out of desperation, thinking that she wouldn't get the job given her lack of experience.
While I am all for young people trying new things, my husband and I didn't think it was appropriate for us to be paying $300+ for a guide who told us we were only her third tour group to Valparaiso.
The guide was very personable, sharing with us abundant information about herself and family. We didn't have the heart to tell her, we're paying for a tour of Valparaiso, not a recap of your life experience.
As it was, we had zero information along the drive to Valparaiso. Nothing as basic as, 'here we are beginning to get into the wine making area'. This lack of information continued in Valparaiso. We came to the main square and asked the guide about the prominent statue in the square, 'when was the statue in reference to?' The guide's answer was, 'let's see what the plaque says'. We also asked a basic question about one of the prominent churches in Valparaiso, the guide was not able to answer the question.
When we came to the vineyard we were supposed to tour, the guide said, 'I have never been here before'. Really? That's not what we want to hear when we are shelling out our hard earned money.
You may be surprised to hear, we don't fault the guide for the poor quality of the tour. We fault the management. You don't charge customers a premium price, then provide an inferior product.
Follow up from the management was equally disappointing. Paying in cash, we were doubtful that any compensation would be made for our experience. We were right. After pointing out the shortcomings of the tour, we were told that the company didn't think there was cause for a refund. On the flipside, they supposedly took our points to heart and were going to implement changes in their training regimen. If we had valid enough points to cause changes to their training, why wouldn't you appease your clients with some sort of refund?
Written October 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This client is the same client as of the review posted on the 24th of September.
We have reached out to the clients proactively after their first review on TripAdvisor and told them we would investigate the tour and explore if we could maybe offer a partial refund as part of our customer service. After all, we want happy clients!
However, after our internal investigation we came to the conclusion a refund is not in place as the clients have expressed multiple times during the tour how happy they were with a native English speaking guide versus a Spanish speaking one and how happy they were with the tour!
The clients never asked for a refund. Via email we suggested we could perhaps offer them a partial refund if we came to the conclusion that was in place after our internal investigation.
However, for the reasons mentioned above, we decided a refund was not in place and informed the clients via email. After our communication, the clients have decided to post another review about the same tour under a new account name to make the same point.
In addition, we think it is important to mention we prefer to stick to our company’s norms and values based on fairness and transparency even if we risk these kind of comments on TripAdvisor.
To conclude, our same management applies as for the 24st of Sept.
Written October 14, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
rastus0706
Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia
Feb 2015 • Solo
Wow - what can I say? I got in touch with Chile Off Track as I'd seen them so highly recommended on Tripadvisor, and I wanted to get out and see some "different" things during my few days in Santiago. I wanted to do one of their horse-riding tours, and had a couple of days to choose from, but at the time of my first enquiry there were no other people booked for those days. I had the option of paying a single supplement, but I opted to wait until closer to the time to see how things would go. Just as I arrived in Santiago (a couple of days in advance of the tour), I got an email to say that 2 other people had booked for one of the days I wanted, and would I like to also join the tour - of course the answer was YES, and it was all organised quite quickly. I was staying in the city centre so was to meet the guide at the hotel the other guests were staying in, so that we didn't get caught up in traffic. This was no problem and it was a 20 min taxi ride for me which was actually quite fun (especially giving directions/address information to the driver in my "Spanglish"!)
As I arrived at the hotel, Tessa was already there and waiting for us - and it was no time until we were on the road and heading for the hills. Only a short drive out of town, and there is this "invisible barrier" where civilisation stops, and the hills begin - it was really fantastic to see!
All three of us were inexperienced riders (I try and get out for a trail ride when travelling, but that's it), and our horses were amazing... mine a little slow and needed some encouragement to speed up at times, but it helped to make us all switch off and unwind a bit and absorb the amazing views and atmosphere of the hills. We had been told to be prepared for an unseasonal rain shower, and so we all had rain coats with us (thankfully, as we did get quite a sharp downpour towards the end), but it just added to the whole experience. Seeing the clouds roll over the hills - most of them around us but a few over our heads was truly breathtaking! The ride itself was the perfect length - just enough that my legs felt it the following day, but not too long. We had a delightful picnic lunch before heading back to the city - Tessa was very sweet and dropped me much closer to my apartment than where we had been picked up, so I had a really enjoyable walk through a couple of parks to get back "home" - which also helped keep the legs moving and stop that telltale ache from getting too bad!
I had also seen on the Chile Off Track website that they do "Insider Shopping Tours" and had thought of that as an option, but then discounted it thinking I could better spend that money on buying more things while shopping solo. The horse-riding trip changed my mind on that, as I'd had such a great time and they were so well organised and accommodating. I had also come to realise that while bartering in another language seems fun, it can actually get quite stressful, so I sent off an email to see if they had availability for my last day in Santiago. Again, the reply was prompt and positive, so I arranged to meet Suzanne at one of the prime shopping areas (Los Domenicos Market).
We bonded quite quickly and it was the start of an amazing day - I went through some of the things I was looking to purchase, and Suzanne was there to offer advice on where we should go, how much I should expect to spend on specific pieces etc. She helped translate throughout the day, and would let me know when things were unreasonably priced and there were always other places for us to find similar things... I ticked all my shopping boxes, and we had an amazing lunch (best food I've had in ages) at a restaurant she recommended (Baco).
The best way to put it is that Suzanne listened to me and got to know me as an individual, then tailored the day to suit what I hoped to achieve. I would never have managed to have such an amazing day by myself, nor would I have been able to purchase some of the beautiful pieces of jewellery and handcrafts that I did. And at the end of the day (knowing I needed to be back at my apartment to collect luggage in time to head for the airport), we finished up just nearby to my apartment and I was dropped off in perfect time - a truly fabulous day!
While their tours aren't "cheap" I do firmly believe you get what you pay for - I had two amazing days with Chile Off Track and I can comfortably say I got true value for money. I will be singing their praises to anyone I meet who is planning to travel to Santiago!
As I arrived at the hotel, Tessa was already there and waiting for us - and it was no time until we were on the road and heading for the hills. Only a short drive out of town, and there is this "invisible barrier" where civilisation stops, and the hills begin - it was really fantastic to see!
All three of us were inexperienced riders (I try and get out for a trail ride when travelling, but that's it), and our horses were amazing... mine a little slow and needed some encouragement to speed up at times, but it helped to make us all switch off and unwind a bit and absorb the amazing views and atmosphere of the hills. We had been told to be prepared for an unseasonal rain shower, and so we all had rain coats with us (thankfully, as we did get quite a sharp downpour towards the end), but it just added to the whole experience. Seeing the clouds roll over the hills - most of them around us but a few over our heads was truly breathtaking! The ride itself was the perfect length - just enough that my legs felt it the following day, but not too long. We had a delightful picnic lunch before heading back to the city - Tessa was very sweet and dropped me much closer to my apartment than where we had been picked up, so I had a really enjoyable walk through a couple of parks to get back "home" - which also helped keep the legs moving and stop that telltale ache from getting too bad!
I had also seen on the Chile Off Track website that they do "Insider Shopping Tours" and had thought of that as an option, but then discounted it thinking I could better spend that money on buying more things while shopping solo. The horse-riding trip changed my mind on that, as I'd had such a great time and they were so well organised and accommodating. I had also come to realise that while bartering in another language seems fun, it can actually get quite stressful, so I sent off an email to see if they had availability for my last day in Santiago. Again, the reply was prompt and positive, so I arranged to meet Suzanne at one of the prime shopping areas (Los Domenicos Market).
We bonded quite quickly and it was the start of an amazing day - I went through some of the things I was looking to purchase, and Suzanne was there to offer advice on where we should go, how much I should expect to spend on specific pieces etc. She helped translate throughout the day, and would let me know when things were unreasonably priced and there were always other places for us to find similar things... I ticked all my shopping boxes, and we had an amazing lunch (best food I've had in ages) at a restaurant she recommended (Baco).
The best way to put it is that Suzanne listened to me and got to know me as an individual, then tailored the day to suit what I hoped to achieve. I would never have managed to have such an amazing day by myself, nor would I have been able to purchase some of the beautiful pieces of jewellery and handcrafts that I did. And at the end of the day (knowing I needed to be back at my apartment to collect luggage in time to head for the airport), we finished up just nearby to my apartment and I was dropped off in perfect time - a truly fabulous day!
While their tours aren't "cheap" I do firmly believe you get what you pay for - I had two amazing days with Chile Off Track and I can comfortably say I got true value for money. I will be singing their praises to anyone I meet who is planning to travel to Santiago!
Written April 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andy H
South Dakota
Feb 2015 • Family
My family had a great experience with Chile Off Track in mid-February. I would highly recommend the Observatory tour if you only had to pick one, it would be impossible to replicate that experience anywhere else. The hike and horse back ride also offered a great outdoor experience and hearing Juane's insights on Santiago were very enjoyable & informative on the city walking tour. I recommend using Chile Off Track.
Written April 6, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PSCarrol
Chicago, IL
Jan 2015 • Friends
Everything regarding this tour from planning to coordinating to execution was seamless and professional. We booked two excursions, the Santiago City Highlights tour and the Valparaiso day tour. The tour had a general layout of places to see and visit but it allowed flexibility to spend more time at various sights. Our guide was knowledgeable, punctual and very passionate for Santiago! His restaurant recommendations both in Santiago and Valparaiso were spot on and we thoroughly enjoyed our meals. Both excursions were reasonably priced. Let's not forget these are personalized tours that provide an intimate experience, an experience which is lost in group tours
Written March 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lynne S
Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada
Feb 2013 • Friends
We recently hired this company to take us to the hot springs. While we were picked up by a sweet young tour guide with whom we bonded very quickly, we were never advised to prepare for bad weather and the possibility that we could be trapped in the mountains. The facilities at the springs were completely filthy. The company had not checked the weather which turned out to deliver heavy rains higher in the Andes precipitating mudslides. 7 in all. We we left in the mountains in sandals, t shirts and shorts with our towels for warmth. The guide had no cell service or satellite phone to call for help. There was no first aid or extra supplies in the vehicle. Our guide, merely 24 years old was totally out of her element, no fault of her own.
After 48 hours a rescue crew came to Plowright us out. We later me the company owner on the drive out of the mountains , who was on her way to deliver food and to hopefully retrieve her vehicle. While she expressed her concern, she also asked the galling question; had we brought her cooler and picnic basket with us.
This lady , Suzy , appeared to be way too naive and in my opinion not well equipped to be taking tourists into such a volatile location.
Even if the slide had not happened...the springs are not worth the 3 hour drive and are completely filthy.
After 48 hours a rescue crew came to Plowright us out. We later me the company owner on the drive out of the mountains , who was on her way to deliver food and to hopefully retrieve her vehicle. While she expressed her concern, she also asked the galling question; had we brought her cooler and picnic basket with us.
This lady , Suzy , appeared to be way too naive and in my opinion not well equipped to be taking tourists into such a volatile location.
Even if the slide had not happened...the springs are not worth the 3 hour drive and are completely filthy.
Written February 18, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Let me start by saying that we feel very sorry to receive such a contradictory review of one of our clients in comparison to all our other very positive reviews. We are a boutique tour company and attend our clients in a personalized way and feel very affected by this review. We have received the TripAdvisor award of excellence for 2011 & 2012 and feel very proud of it.
Unfortunately we do not master natural disasters and take distance from any responsibility of consequences for it.
The excursion to the hot springs is offered from October to the end of April, the other months the road is closed due to winter conditions, and there are no tours operating in that area.
The last six years it has not rained in our Chilean summer months, which is the reason why the rain in the higher Andes on the border between Chile & Argentina, causing mudslides in our area, caught everybody by surprise.
In the area where we operate the hot springs tour and the glacier hike, we have access to 2 spots with satellite phones: from the national forestry office and the mining company.
In emergency situations, these 2 companies can call for help. Our vehicles count with a first aid kit underneath the seats.
As the road was cut off, our guide Sara, (with a degree in tourism, hands on experience and several first aid diplomas), walked 13 km to the nearest point and call the police to inform them there were more than 80 people cut off by the mudslides.
However, already notified, the local authorities decided help must wait and prioritized help to 4 other affected areas where roads where cut off as well. Once they decided to go to the hot springs, the helicopter could not land due to strong wind. The local facilities at the hot springs provided the stranded people with enough water & food (they even celebrated one person’s birthday and had roasted lamb!). Sunday the road was cleared again and vehicles could pass through.
We are very sorry that our clients had to go through this experience, but luckily they had a comfortable place to shelter and where well taken care of. A satellite phone at the hot springs would not have made the rescue teams have cleared the road any sooner.
We understand that the experience for this lady has been more intense as we have been informed by her 3 travel companions that she ran out of her medication against anxiety attacks.
One final note: as the hot springs are completely natural, there is mineral sediment at the bottom of the water. When the water is still, the water has a beautiful blue color. When grabbing the sediment to rub on one’s back or face, the water gets grey colored. Most of our clients get emotional by seeing such a breathtakingly beautiful place! Please view our other reviews on TripAdvisor.
Written February 26, 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Larissa H
Bangkok, Thailand
Hi my husband and I will be in Santiago for work and have decided to stay on a few days. Currently our meetings are all finished on the afternoon of the 6-10-15 and we depart on Flight Qantas 28, DEPARTURE, Santiago, Chile 1:30 PM, Monday Oct 12, 2015.
This is our first time to Chile and we are looking for suggestions of accommodation and tours for the time we have free. We are interested in guides / tours that can pick up and drop off at our hotel. We both speak English.
My husband is interested in fishing and we would love to see some of the sights, some shopping, history etc. Im not sure if it is possible, but I would be interested in going up into the mountains and doing a winery tour.
Are you able to help us with this? If so could you send me an example of an itinerary and quote.
Cheers
Larissa
Written September 16, 2015
Hi,
I would also recommend "Chile Off Track." My wife and I had four days in Chile in May and we did a number of tours/activities with them and thought they were terrific
Their website should give you a number of ideas of different types of activities and tours you can do. We did a couple of the winery tours listed, went up into the mountains, did an observatory visit one night, a day trip to Valpo, the walking tour of Santiago and a few other things. Frankly, had we had more time we would have done more with them (including horseback riding):
- They took care of all the picking-up and dropping off from the hotel
- Everyone is fluent in English
- I thought the value was terrific
- The guides we had - Juane and Tessa - were just awesome. Very knowledgeable, super friendly and engaging.
We didn't ask them about fishing but my sense is they could figure out the best way to arrange something that met your husband's needs: they just have a really great 'can do' attitude.
Hope that helps - and enjoy Chile!
Gabe
Written September 16, 2015
Patrick-traveler2015
Sacramento, California
We can stay in some large hotels but I like something more individual and interesting in the areas that we are traveling.
Written May 22, 2015
Juane B
Santiago, Chile
On our website you can see the links to the hotels we recommend, all of them small boutique hotels:
The Aubrey
Hotel Boutique Le Rêve
Hotel Orly
Petit Hotel l´Ambassade
B&B Vila Franca
Petit Hotel Meridiano Sur
I hope this answers your questions. If you have any further questions, you can send us an e-mail directly from our website chile pff track . com
Written June 9, 2015
Patrick-traveler2015
Sacramento, California
I would like to get some (multiple) suggestions for nice boutique hotels in the wine regions around santiago
Written May 22, 2015
Juane B
Santiago, Chile
Hi Patrick,
I believe I've answer this question before, but just in case. We have a 3 day program in the Colchagua Valley on which our clients stay at Tumunan Lodge. On our programs in Casablanca Valley we recommend the hotel at Matetic Vineyards.
Written June 9, 2015
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