tours and tips
 

I will be in Chile from May 31st to June 11th. We will stay in Santiago the first 4 days. I need suggestions of tours during these days. I've been to Santiago before and have visited most major sites, including viña del mar and valparaíso. I wonder if the one day tour to the mountain during these period is worth it? Will there be snow already? The next 6 days we will stay in Atacama and the last 3 days we will go to Colchagua Valley. My husband and I wanted to rent a car to go to the venyards, we will stay at a hotel in santa cruz, but i have read it is better to hire a driver? is this so?
thanks for any tips
best regards
Georgia

Whether there will be much snow or not depends on rainfall and we haven't yet had a lot of rain, despite being told it will be a wet winter. The skiing season usually starts at the end of June. You can get tours into the Andes from Santiago quite easily. Below is a half-day tour. I am not recommending them, just showing what is available. A private tour could be arranged at a higher cost.
http://www.turistik.cl/tour/andes-3?lang=en

Santa Cruz and the area around it in the Colchagua valley is best appreciated with your own transport. The countryside is worth exploring and vineyards can be a fair distance one from the other. The recommendation for a driver probably comes because of the very strict drink driving laws in Chile, much stricter than the US or UK. It depends on how much tasting you plan to do. If you have your lodging already sorted out, contact them and ask about transport options. But again, it is a nice area to drive around and explore.

Have you taken one of the walking tours of Santiago? They are usually very good. There are also graffiti tours in both Santiago and Valparaiso which are fun. Not endorsing any company, just for info.
http://tinyurl.com/p8dsgpr
http://www.valpostreetart.com

I'll second Huentetu's middle paragraph. Drive yourself around so long as the driver keeps it under control; it's easy to drive down and back from Santiago. Just be careful about getting off the highway (returning northbound) at the correct exit for the airport (if that's where you are going) as missing it (for us) developed into a huge problem.

With a car you can easily stay at a hotel outside the city of Santa Cruz. We really like Hotel Terra Viña which sits in the middle of a very large vineyard.

If you do go past the exit you want on a highway, look for RETORNO. This exit will take you around over the highway so you can head back in the direction you came and have a second go at the correct exit.

Thanks Guys! Huentetu, I Will definetly look up the tours you have suggested! Noflyzone, great to hear you have enjoyed terraviña cause we have booked two nights there! Best regards.
Georgia