Wine Tours Around Santiago

Wine Tours Around Santiago

If you want to see the vineyards of Chile, there's no need to travel to the Central Valley. Some of the country's finest wineries are within an hour or so of Santiago, meaning that you have plenty of time to tour one or two early in the day and still be back in the capital in time to enjoy your favorite vintage at one of the city's excellent restaurants.

Many of the city's top tour companies offer half-day trips to the vineyards -- a good idea if you want to avoid driving on Santiago's crowded streets. The rates vary quite a bit, but expect to pay between $50 and $74 per person, depending on the number of people in the tour and the number of stops along the way. Chip Travel can put together customized tours of Viña Cousiño-Macul, on the eastern edge of Santiago. The company can also arrange visits to some of the smaller boutique wineries in the region. Av. Santa María 227, Bellavista. 2/735-9044. www.chipsites.com

Turismo Cocha (Av. El Bosque Norte 0430, Las Condes. 2/464-1000. 2/464-1010. Pedro de Valdivia 0169, Providencia. 2/464-1600. 2/464-1699. Huérfanos 653, Santiago Centro. 2/464-1950. www.cocha.com), one of the country's largest tour companies, brings you on daylong journeys either to Viña Cousiño-Macul or Concha y Toro for a tour and a tasting. On the way back you'll stop at a roadside stand to sample steaming hot empanadas or at a typical country restaurant.