Cajón del Maipo Private Day Tour: Wildlife Refuge & Casa Chocolate

Panoramic view of the Cajón del Maipo valley with Andean peaks, Chile
Casa Chocolate handmade chocolate shop in San Alfonso, Cajón del Maipo
Bird rescue exhibit at Refugio Animal Cascada inside Cascada de las Ánimas Nature Sanctuary
Maipo River winding through the Cajón del Maipo canyon with the Andes Mountains in the background

Cajón del Maipo Private Day Tour: Wildlife Refuge & Casa Chocolate

Maipo Canyon, Santiago Region, Chile

    • Duration

      9 Hours

    • Type

      All Ages

    • From US$

      150 p/p

Tour Overview:

This private day tour from Santiago is ideal for families with children. We head into the Maipo Canyon (Cajón del Maipo), the Andean valley where locals go to escape the city on weekends. Along the way we stop at Casa Chocolate for a chocolate tasting, visit the Refugio Animal Cascada wildlife refuge inside the 3,600-hectare Cascada de las Ánimas Sanctuary, do an easy hike good for all ages, and have a typical Chilean lunch at the restaurant inside the park.

Tour Highlights:

San José de Maipo

Cajón del Maipo (Maipo Canyon)

Casa Chocolate

Cascada de las Ánimas Nature Sanctuary

Refugio Animal Cascada

Price Details:

1 guestUS$ 580 per person
2 guestsUS$ 300 per person
3 guestUS$ 350 per person
4 guestsUS$ 200 per person
5 guestsUS$ 180 per person
6 guestsUS$ 150 per person

Tour Includes

  • ● English Speaking Guide
  • ● Private Transportation
  • ● Bottled Water on Board
  • ● Entrance Fee toÁnimas Nature Sanctuary

Tour Excludes

  • ● Meals
  • ● Chocolate Tasting

    • Itinerary Details:

    Santiago

    Hotel pick-up in Santiago, 9:30 a.m. We meet you at your hotel and head southeast toward the Cajón del Maipo. The drive to San Alfonso takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on traffic.

    Transfer from Santiago to Cajón del Maipo (Casa Chocolate)

    1.5 hours
    1

    Casa Chocolate: Chocolate Tasting

    30 minutes

    We start at Casa Chocolate, easy to spot by its fairy-tale wooden architecture and one of the most photographed corners of the valley.
    You will sit down for a chocolate or pastry tasting and take a few photos before heading to the wildlife refuge.

    2

    Refugio Animal Cascada hike

    2.5 hours

    A short drive away, inside the Cascada de las Ánimas Nature Sanctuary, we join a guided visit to the native wildlife refuge. Refugio Animal Cascada works both as a rescue and rehabilitation centre and as an educational space focused on Chilean fauna, with groups limited to 12 visitors.
    The refuge is home to native birds and mammals, including a puma, and is one of the few places near Santiago where you can see Andean species up close.

    3

    Lunch at La Tribu

    1.5 hours

    From there we head to La Tribu, the sanctuary's riverside restaurant, for a Chilean meal beside the Maipo River. The menu changes with the season and uses local produce from central Chile.

    4

    Trails inside Cascada de las Ánimas park

    1.5 hours

    For guests who want more time outdoors, we can add one of two short trails inside Cascada de las Ánimas:
    Waterfall Hike (Option A): a 2 km loop with a viewpoint over the Maipo Valley, recommended by the sanctuary as good for all ages and families. The waterfall is rain-fed and can run low between November and March in particularly dry years.
    Meseta Viewpoint (Option B): a steeper trail climbing about 200 m to an open plateau with wide valley views and a good chance of spotting an Andean condor.

    Return to Santiago

    1.5 hours

    The drive back to your hotel takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. Most guests are back between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., depending on whether you add the optional walk.

    Santiago

    Arrive back in Santiago at 6:30 p.m.

    Information

    What to Bring:
    Comfortable closed-toe walking shoes
    A light, warm layer (mornings and evenings in the Andes can be cool, even in summer)
    Sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat
    A refillable water bottle
    For families: a small snack and a comfort item for younger children, if helpful

    Frequently Asked Questions about Santiago Tours and Excursions

    Is this a good day trip from Santiago for families?
    Yes. The pace is easy, the stops are short, and the optional walk is gentle enough for grandparents and small kids. One of the most popular family day trips from Santiago into the Cajón del Maipo.
    How far is Cajón del Maipo from Santiago?
    About 60 km south-east of central Santiago, roughly 1 to 1.5 hours by car. San Alfonso, where this tour takes place, is one of the closest Andes destinations to the city.
    Can we do the refuge visit and a short hike on the same day?
    That's the longer 8-to-9-hour version of the private day tour from Santiago. The visit to Refugio Animal Cascada is fixed at 2.5 hours and the sanctuary walks have their own start times, so we plan the day around both.
    Which optional walk is better for kids?
    The Waterfall Hike. It's a flat 2-km loop and the sanctuary itself recommends it for families. The Meseta trail is steeper and feels more like a real hike.
    Will the waterfall have water when we visit?
    Not always. It's rain-fed and can run low between November and March in dry years. The loop and the valley viewpoint are still worth it.
    How much walking is there overall?
    Without the optional trail, very little. Casa Chocolate is a few steps from the car, and the wildlife refuge visit is an easy stroll between exhibits. Add the trail and you get roughly another 2 km of gentle walking.
    What's the weather like, and how should we dress?
    The Cajón del Maipo is cooler than central Santiago. Andean mornings and evenings are crisp, days are dry and bright. Bring layers, closed shoes, sunscreen and a hat.
    Does the tour run year-round?
    Yes. On rare snowy or rainy winter days (mostly July and August) we may swap higher sections for safer alternatives. The core of the day stays the same: chocolate, native wildlife and a Chilean lunch in the mountains.
    Is the chocolate made from Chilean cacao?
    Cacao doesn't grow in Chile. The beans come from Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, and the chocolate is made locally. Casa Chocolate has been doing it this way since 2015 and is one of the best-known stops in the Cajón del Maipo.
    Will the scenery look like the Alps?
    No, and that's part of the appeal. The Chilean Andes are drier and more dramatic - cacti, native shrubs, seasonal wildflowers. Snow on the higher peaks is most reliable from late May to early September. The Maipo River runs strong and silty, ranging from turquoise to grey by the season, and is famous locally for rafting.
    Where in Santiago do you pick up from?
    Hotels and apartments in central Santiago, Providencia, Las Condes, Vitacura and Lastarria. If you're staying further out, just let us know when you book.
    What might we see in the sanctuary?
    A representative slice of central Chilean nature inside the Cascada de las Ánimas Nature Sanctuary. Among the most likely sightings: Plants: Quillay, Bollén, Colliguay, Litre, Roman cassie, Quisco cactus, Turquoise puya, Guayacán, Glory of the Sun, Chilean climbing gazania, parrot-beak orchid, three-coloured Indian cress, painted-tongue plant and añañuca amaryllis. Reptiles and amphibians: Arriero toad, Chilean tree iguana, Chilean lizard and long-tailed snake. Birds: striped woodpecker, southern house wren, grassland yellow-finch, grey-hooded sierra-finch, torrent duck, giant hummingbird, Chilean flicker, tufted tit-tyrant, black-chested buzzard-eagle and Harris's hawk. (A full field guide with Latin names is available on request.)
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