Central Valley Tours
Central Valley Tours
5
Cultural Tours • Sightseeing Tours
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About
We are a friendly and reliable company that offer you all the assistance you may need during your stay in our beautiful country. We offer the best tours in Santiago and surroundings and with us you will have the opportunity to discover the beauties of our land and see how the Chileans really live.
Santiago, Chile

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Tours and Tickets by Central Valley Tours
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

5.0
232 reviews
Excellent
230
Very good
1
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
1

Wile E. Coyote
4 contributions
Feb 2020
Maricio our guide and the owner of Central Valley Tours picked us up at our apartment, even though we were at ground zero for the demonstrations. The four of us along with Maricio were in his 2018 Mahindra SUV. Clean and comfortable. His seven years in the U.S. have given him excellent language skills. Born in Chile, raised in Brazil he has a great deal of knowledge about the area and culture of Chile.

His driving is reassuring and he is familiar with all the streets and neighborhoods of Con Con, Vina Del Mar and Valpariso. The colors of the houses and the buildings of Valpariso are mesmerizing. Houses clinging to the hillsides burst with murals, graffiti and unique architecture.

Simply a well paced, informative adventure.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

TXWanderLust555
Texas15 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
TL;DR version: Worth every penny. Stop reading and book it.

Longer version:
As Texans with only passable Spanish and zero Portuguese, we decided that the private tour was the way to go for us as a combined tour would also need to include these languages for the Brazilian tourists who flock to Chile. That said, after spending the day with him I have zero doubt that Mauricio would keep English-speakers in a mixed group informed equally well. His language skills are quite impressive.

Our private tour started with an early morning stop at the Emiliana Vineyards in Casablanca. It was a timely stop as it's about halfway between Santiago and Valparaiso/Vina so we were able to get out and stretch our legs. We visited the pristine grounds, my girl and I shared a glass of 9AM wine (Hey! It's vacation!), and soaked in the view. As we were traveling internationally with only carry-on luggage, we were unable to leave with any bottles. Very sad.

Anyway, we jumped back in the (very nice) van to continue our trip and arrived in Vina del Mar about 30 mins later. Both cities are on the water, but the views in Vina are spectacular and Mauricio made very sure we didn't miss any of them. His knowledge of the area ensured that we saw as much as possible in the time allotted without feeling rushed (at all). TIP: Ask Mauricio to eat lunch in Vina...I've included pix of the lunches girlfriend and I had...both were "amazeballs" as the kids would say. I don't remember the name of the joint, but point Mauricio to the pix or this review and he will know.

After lunch in Vina, we jetted over to Valparaiso to check out the famous graffiti and the city center. Once again, Mauricio knew exactly where to take us for the best photo opportunities and historical tidbits. He also took us to visit the home of the Nobel prize-winning poet, Pablo Neruda, the view from which makes it clear how he could be inspired to write his beautiful and seminal "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair".

In closing, I cannot recommend this tour highly enough. Mauricio is as gracious as he is knowledgeable and his only care is the comfort and enjoyment of his clients.
Written August 29, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Ilkleygal
Pedreguer, Spain30 contributions
Mar 2016 • Couples
I did a lot of research before opting for Mauricio for our two half day tours in Santiago and was not disappointed.
Mauricio is a true professional, his English is perfect and local knowledge was impressive. He is conscientous, patient and goes out of his way to accommodate his clients needs. I would highly recommend him to anyone visiting this wonderful city.
Written March 27, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Randy S
Fitchburg, WI35 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
Mauricio was an excellent tour guide. We saw all the highlights of Santiago and even more. His English is excellent and had a great grasp of all the history of Chile and Santiago. We really enjoyed our trip and highly recommend him for whatever trip you want. He will customize whatever you want.
Written May 20, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

JeepeeQC
Montreal, Canada22 contributions
Apr 2018 • Family
We had such a wonderful day with Mauricio ! He arrived at our hotel in Santiago on time, he drove us to the boat and came with us to see the penguins. He recommended us a very nice restaurant for lunch and we visited the very nice city of Valparaiso. We planed everything by email few days before. We are completely satisfied ! He speaks French, English, Spanish and Portuguese.
Written April 26, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you so much for your review Annie! It was a real pleasure for us to have met you and help you in our country! All the best for you and the kids!
Written May 8, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

maryjan2015
Baltimore, MD238 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
I contacted Mauricio months in advance for his services. My husband and I were planning five days in Santiago before our cruise around South America. Due to a death in the family, my husband did not arrive until several days after I did. Mauricio was there to pick me up at the airport upon my arrival. Two days later we went out to the Maipo Valley and the following day did two winery tours. Not only was he great company for me as a single person, but he was extremely knowledgeable about the areas we visited and Chilean history (about which I was mostly ignorant). My husband arrived the day before we were to board our ship in Valparaiso. I had arranged transfers there with stops at a winery and tours of Vino Del Mar and Valparaiso. I was sad to say goodbye to him. If you’re headed to Santiago, do yourself a favor and contact Mauricio. You won’t be disappointed.
Written February 14, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Mlfc0
Philadelphia, PA48 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
After reading the reviews on Trip Advisor, I decided to go forward and book 3 trips with Mauricio: 1) Central Valley Tours picked us up at the airport on the day of our arrival and brought us to our hotel. It was so nice to see my name on a placard after spending 10+ hours on a plane. The cost was the same or less than getting a taxi, without the stress!
2) Mauricio picked us up at our hotel at 8:30 the next day and took my husband and I on a custom tour of the city. He was prompt, his van was clean and comfortable, he spoke perfect English (which was great because Spanish is not my strong suit), and he was an excellent driver. He covered all the sights we wanted to see and more! We even got to see the "changing of the guards" at the Palace. Quite a treat! 3). On our last day in Santiago, we needed to get to Valparaiso (which is about an hour and a half away) in order to board a cruise ship. Mauricio picked us up at our hotel at 9 am, drove us to a vineyard along the way for a wine tasting, then on to a tour of the beautiful beach town of Vina Del Mar, ending up with a tour of Valparaiso. We went to the Nobel Prize winning poet Neruda's museum and then headed to a local eatery for authentic empanadas before being dropped off at the ship. We never even had to touch our luggage because we were close enough for the stewards to take them right to the check in area.
To sum up: Mauricio is a great guy, and very proud of his country. He responds quickly to your emails and will tailor your experience to your requests. I highly recommend his tours. They are a great bargain. Worth every penny!!
Written March 12, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Helen L
Hong Kong, China4 contributions
Feb 2016 • Friends
We stayed in Santiago and were going to embark Star Princess at Valparaiso. Mauricio came to pick us at the hotel at 8.30am, half an hour earlier to avoid heavy traffic. We first visited a winery, did some wine tasting & bought bottles of wine at good price. Then we visited the long stretches of beach in Vina del mar and saw the emblem of Vina del mar -- seagull. On the way, we also stopped by Concon and saw an island covered with birds & seals. Finally we arrived at Valparaiso, a city with colourful houses built on dozens of steep hillsides. We didn't have time to ride on the funicular, but Mauricio brought us uphill to some spots where we could have a good view of the city. He also brought us to visit art in the streets which were very impressive, the house where Neruda, the Nobel prize winner lived, Plaza Sotomayor, Paeso 21 de Mayo. I highly recommend this tour for those who will embark cruises at Valparaiso.
Written March 18, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Tony M
Bossier City, LA27 contributions
Nov 2015 • Family
The trip was Great!!!! We went on a 1 day tour to the beach from Santiago and it was the best, best day of our vacation. Mauricio was wonderful!!!. He was like a walking google.com He knew every question my wife threw at him, - the best place to eat, what to do at night, what was the history of different places., how vineyards grow and so many other things. The restaurant he recommended was to die for and the view the best. His driving skills were excellent and he spoke 3 different languages which was really helpful.

I would definitely book another tour with him
Written December 2, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

TravellinCanukMatt
Canada7 contributions
Mar 2014 • Couples
Mauricio Estay is a great tour guide. One of the best I've ever had.
Jen & I thoroughly enjoyed our day out touring the wineries of Casablanca.
The van was great. We would of did more touring but were on our way home.
Highly Recommended!
Written February 28, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Central Valley Tours (Santiago) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go