What the tour covers
Round-trip transport from your hotel, a Portuguese-speaking guide and transport insurance. From CLP 38,000 per person, around R$ 245.
That is what the tour includes. Everything below is paid separately, and it is where people get their sums wrong.
The resort ticket
Not included in any tour, ours or anyone else’s. You buy it at the gate and it varies by resort and day.
If you are not skiing, several resorts sell a cheaper pedestrian ticket instead of the lift pass. Ask for it: almost nobody does.
Snow clothing
Rent it in Santiago the day before, not on the mountain. The price gap is wide and you also go up already dressed, without losing the first hour.
It is the tip Brazilian travellers repeat most among themselves, and the one that saves the most.
Equipment, only if you ski
Skis or board, boots and poles are rented at the resort. First time? Add the lesson.
If you are not skiing, this line disappears from the total entirely.
Food
Everything costs more up there, as on any mountain. Bringing water and a snack lowers the spend without giving up lunch with a view.
The honest total
Not skiing: tour + entry ticket + clothing rental + food. The most common scenario, and the cheapest.
Skiing: add equipment and a lesson. It can double the day, which is why it is worth deciding before you are in the queue.
The tours in this guide
Keep reading
Farellones, El Colorado, La Parva or Valle Nevado?
All four sit on the same road, one above the other. Here is the real difference between them.
When is there actually snow in Chile?
The season runs June to September. But altitude matters more than the month, and that changes how you plan the trip.
How many days do I need in Santiago?
Three cover the essentials and five let you breathe. But what shapes the itinerary is not the number of days: it is which days of the week.
Is Valparaíso worth it in winter?
Yes, if you are going for the hills and the street art. No, if you are going for the beach. It is a full day, and it helps to know what for.
What documents do I need to enter Chile?
Brazilians need no tourist visa. What does need checking before you leave home is something else.
How much money to bring to Chile, and how to pay
What takes a card, what needs cash, and the costs that appear up the mountain that nobody warns you about.
Is renting a car in Chile worth it?
For the coast and the wineries, yes. For driving up to the ski resorts in winter, no — and not because we sell tours.
What to pack for the Chilean winter
There are 16 degrees between Santiago and Valle Nevado. That, not the forecast, is what decides your suitcase.
Chile with children: which tour works at which age
Five of our tours do not admit under-18s and three more have a minimum age. Better to know now than at the door.
Which neighbourhood to stay in in Santiago?
It depends what kind of trip it is. And on one practical detail: where we can pick you up at five in the morning.
SIM cards, internet and phones in Chile
Three options and all of them work. What is worth knowing is where there is no signal — which is where you will want it.
Is Santiago safe for a tourist?
It is a big capital and behaves like one. What helps is not a yes or a no, but knowing where you are and at what hour.
When is the best time to travel to Chile?
It depends what trip you want. Nine of our 25 tours are winter-only; the other sixteen run all year.