If you have more than a couple of days in Santiago, the nearby port city of Valparaiso is definitely worth a visit. Just 120km from Chile’s capital, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a quirky collection of dilapidated buildings, rickety funiculars, graffitied alleyways and colour as far as the eye can see! It’s also home to over 40 historic hills (cerros) offering spectacular views of the city and bay below.
It’s really easy to make the hour and a half journey between the two cities, but it definitely helps to work out the route beforehand to make sure you end up in the right place. To help you out, here’s a step by step guide on how to travel from Santiago to Valparaiso…
If you have the money and want a private ride, then travelling by taxi is an option but the most common mode of transport is the bus. There are a bunch of different companies that drive the route multiple times daily, but the two you will probably hear about the most are ‘Pullman’ and the bright green ‘Turbus’. They leave from a couple of stops within Santiago, but the easiest one to go from is Pajaritos which is the last stop in Santiago. Leaving from here means you won’t end up sitting on the bus for an extra 20 mins or so whilst the bus weaves through the centre. To get to Pajaritos, you will probably need to take the metro. For me, it was really straightforward as I just needed to take one line but depending on where you are coming from, you may need to change. The underground system is really easy to understand, but if you are unsure see my guide on how to use the Santiago metro.
Once at Pajaritos, follow the signs for ‘Bus Transfer’ which will lead you outside to the terminal. Before you exit to the outside waiting area, you will need to buy your ticket from one of the ticket desks inside. They are clearly labelled with the company names – you can’t miss the bright green Turbus signs!
To buy your ticket, head to your preferred desk and ask for ‘un boleto a Valparaiso, por favor‘ (One ticket to Valparaiso). If you want to buy your return at the same time, you’ll need to specify ‘un boleto de vuelta’. It doesn’t seem to make any difference whether you buy the return journey beforehand or not – I chose to wait and buy mine the next day. Once you have your ticket, head out to the waiting area and look out for your bus, which will have the company logo on the side and Valpariso displayed somewhere on the front. The time of the next available bus will be printed on your ticket, so you can see how long you have to wait. They run regularly (every 15 mins), but buses can fill up fast on weekends so it may be one or two buses before you can get on. Whilst you wait, you can use the baños / bathrooms in the station but you’ll need to pay 400 pesos for the pleasure. TIP: If you can wait 15 mins, there are toilets on the buses! Although you’ll need to bring your own toilet paper…
When your bus arrives, you’ll need to find your seat – your seat number is printed on your ticket (look for the word asiento). There will be a guy waiting to check your ticket before you get on, who will direct you to your seat if the bus has two levels. KEEP HOLD OF YOUR TICKET! At some point during the ride, you may have your ticket checked so make sure you keep it somewhere safe! With minimal traffic, the total journey time is an hour and a half and the time flies thanks to the beautiful views. You drive past a number of vineyards and local villages, cloud-topped mountains and sprawling green forests before arriving in to Valpariso’s dusty streets. The seats on the Turbus were really comfortable with loads of room and space to put your feet up too.
Once at Valparaiso, you will need to find your way in to the centre or to your accommodation. It’s not particularly close – around a 25 minute walk to Plaza Sotomayor so it’s advisable to take a bus, collectivo or taxi. For information on how to get to the centre, check out my guide to public transport in Valparaiso. If going directly to your accommodation it’s probably best you email your hostel to find out the best way to get there.
Update 16/11/18 – you can now get the bus direct from SCL airport to Vina Del Mar with a stop in Valparaiso which takes an hour and costs 4000 pesos. Thanks for the update Alison!
To make the return journey, head back to the same bus station (ask for terminal de bus) and find the ticket desks. Turbus leaves from dock numbers 1 -6 so keep down that end and you’ll see the bus when it arrives if it isn’t there already. Parajitos is the first stop in Santiago, so you know as soon as the bus stops, it’s time to get off!
So that’s it! Easy peasy 🙂 If you have any specific questions about travelling between these two cities, please let me know in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them!
Happy Travels,
64 Comments
Andrea Taylor
April 24, 2017 at 8:06 pmI found this extremely helpful, Thank you What do you suggest is a good drop off point in Valparaiso from the bus station for a private taxi?
thewildlife
April 24, 2017 at 11:08 pmNo problem, glad you found it helpful! Do you mean where is a good place to go after the bus station if you were to get a taxi into the centre? Plaza Sotomayor is probably your best bet – it’s a central area close to lots of cool side streets, along the tram line and lots of buses go through here. It’s also where the ‘Tours for Tips’ walking tours leave from, which I’d definitely recommend as a great way to see the city. I’d imagine there are lots of hotels and hostels nearby and ALL taxis will know this area. If that wasn’t what you meant with your question, let me know & I’ll do my best to answer! 🙂
Owen
May 24, 2017 at 12:32 amClear and easily understood. Thank you very much! I am heading to Santiago tonight and Valpo tomorrow.
thewildlife
May 24, 2017 at 7:50 amThanks – glad you found it useful! Have an amazing time in Chile 🙂
Louise
May 28, 2017 at 12:09 pmGreat post thanks! I am heading to Chile in August for an extended stay and Valparaiso and Vina del Mar are on my list!! One question – as I am also a budget traveler – how much was the ticket to Valparaiso?
thewildlife
May 29, 2017 at 10:53 amHey Louise, thanks for your comment – glad you liked the post! The ticket didn’t cost much at all – I can’t remember how much I paid at the time but the Turbus website is showing tickets from 2000-2700 pesos which is £2.30-£3.15. I just picked a random date but it will be around that price! Hope that helps 🙂
Cheryl Foster
November 20, 2018 at 2:08 pmJust did the bus (Nov, 2018)… it was 3300 pesos (just under $5 US)
Steve
June 1, 2017 at 3:58 amAmazing tips. Went to Valparaiso yesterday following your guide. We got an uber to the bus station and then bus onwards, clean, easy to do and very efficient. Thanks for the great guide work
thewildlife
June 1, 2017 at 6:59 pmThanks! Hope you had fun in Valparaiso 🙂 Glad you were able to use my guide to help you!
PJ_el_Profe
June 24, 2017 at 5:58 amI am actually taking the bus tomorrow and found all this very useful! Just a few things if you don’t mind. The bus station is pajaritos (which means little birds in Spanish) and not parajitos. Also, technically it would be “un boleto a Valparaíso. I’d actually say un pasaje para Valparaíso. But the word for ticket changes throughout Latin America and boleto is always understood. But once again, your guides are great and we’ll definitely be using your guide once in Valpo as well.
thewildlife
June 25, 2017 at 8:12 amHi there 🙂 Thank you for letting me know about the spelling mistake and how to ask for the ticket… all corrected now! I’m glad you found the guide useful – have an awesome time in Valpo!
PJ_el_Profe
June 28, 2017 at 6:39 pmDe nada. And thank you for the awesome guide! I am actually down in southern Chile now. It is breathtaking.
thewildlife
June 28, 2017 at 6:43 pmAhh, I’m very jealous! It’s on my bucket list to go back and explore Chile/ South America properly!! 🙂
Sarah
August 9, 2017 at 11:48 pmThis is a great help! We’re in Chile now and about to head over that way with very minimal Spanish – your guide makes it look very do-able 😀
thewildlife
August 13, 2017 at 2:34 pmAhhh good! Glad you have found it helpful 🙂 hope you are having an amazing time in Chile!
Eve
August 10, 2017 at 7:37 amVery helpful guide! Noted that you used Spanish when purchasing your bus tickets, is English not widely used or understood in Chile?
thewildlife
August 13, 2017 at 2:39 pmHey – thanks! Some people in the bigger shops speak a little English but generally it wasn’t spoken very much. Some basic Spanish goes a long way 🙂 I didn’t know much but used a translation app and wrote down how to say things in a notebook. Hope this helps!
Elizabeth
August 15, 2017 at 10:22 pmIs it safe to check luggage on the bus? We will be on a 5 week trip, with one suitcase and one backpack-type carryon each. BTW, I speak fluent Spanish.
thewildlife
August 16, 2017 at 2:22 pmYes, I didn’t have any problems – they are large, modern coaches with storage underneath the bus. Speaking fluent Spanish will definitely help! Have an amazing time 🙂
Barb
August 25, 2017 at 1:09 amThank you for the good information. Can you catch a bus at the airport going to Valparaiso?
thewildlife
August 25, 2017 at 10:25 amHi 🙂 I’m not sure whether it is possible to catch a bus directly from the airport to Valparaiso but I know you can catch a bus from the airport (same company – ”Turbus” which runs approximately every 15 minutes) to Pajaritos metro station, then catch the bus from there to Valparaiso. Hope this helps!
Anne
September 2, 2017 at 3:00 pmThanks for sharing the tip. It’s really helpful and very easy to follow. I plan to have a day trip from Santiago to Valparaiso. Do you think how long will I need to be there? Is it one full day? I wonder whether we can arrive back to Santiago by 4-5 p.m. We are pressed on time and thinking that perhaps we can explore Santiago 1-2 spots upon the return as the sunset is late in Summer.
thewildlife
September 2, 2017 at 3:28 pmHi! Glad you found the post useful 🙂 You can definitely see a lot in one day and get a good feel for the city. I always think it’s nice to spend at least one day somewhere so you can enjoy the day time and the evening.. but if you don’t have much time then you can still see a lot in one day! The Tours4Tips free walking tours leave at 10am and 3pm, so if you can make it work with the bus times, you can visit a lot of places in the 3 hour tours 🙂 If the timings don’t work for the tours, you could try and create your own walking tour based on the places they visit.
https://tours4tips.com/tour/valparaiso-highlights/
Hope this helps!
Hattie
September 4, 2017 at 9:18 pmThis was really helpful for a new resident of Santiago, thank you!
thewildlife
September 7, 2017 at 5:36 pmAhhh great, thanks for the feedback! Enjoy living in such a cool city 🙂
paul lewis
October 11, 2017 at 1:36 amThanks for the useful tips. Just a brief question – approx. how long is the journey time from Santiago to Valparaiso?
paul lewis
October 11, 2017 at 1:38 amSorry for the oversight – just noticed you mentioned around 1.5 hours!
thewildlife
October 11, 2017 at 2:01 amNo worries! Yeah around 1.5hrs 🙂
Sharon G
October 12, 2017 at 10:46 pmThanks for the detailed explanation. Can I ask if I buy a return ticket from Santiago to Valparaiso do I need to specify the time I want to return or is that an open ticket? Meaning I can get on any bus from Valparaiso to get back to Santiago? But then I won’t have an allocated seat?
thewildlife
October 15, 2017 at 7:45 amHi Sharon, thanks for your comment 🙂 I’m not sure whether you can buy a return ticket or not, as I just purchased two single tickets. I would imagine you would need to book a time as like you say, you would need to be allocated a seat. I’ve had a quick Google and can’t seem to find any info on open tickets so you may just need to buy a set time or two single tickets…. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
B
October 28, 2017 at 10:28 amThank you
Benjamin Chaloner-Gill
January 2, 2018 at 9:19 pmA great posting, and thank you. You answered a number of questions for us about transport from SCL to Valpo. We are looking forward to our trip in March 2018 :). The bus is the way to go, and you confirmed that for us.
thewildlife
January 2, 2018 at 9:57 pmHey! No problem 🙂 Glad the article was useful for you!
Giulia
January 18, 2018 at 6:29 pmHi,
We will be travelling from Santiago airport directly to Valparaiso, do you know if there is any direct connection from there? or do we need to take a bus to Santiago and then from there to Valparaiso?
Thanks a lot in advance! Ciao 🙂
thewildlife
January 24, 2018 at 4:00 amHi I’m not sure whether it is possible to catch a bus directly from the airport to Valparaiso but I know you can catch a bus from the airport (same company – ”Turbus” which runs approximately every 15 minutes) to Pajaritos metro station, then catch the bus from there to Valparaiso. Hope this helps!
Mark
January 24, 2018 at 12:26 pmOutstanding! Thank you.
Helen
February 14, 2018 at 12:22 amWe have 9 days after disembarking our ship in San Antonio on March 18 before flying back to Canada.
Would you recommend taking a bus from San Antonio to Valparaiso and spending a night or two?
Alternatively, we were thinking about staying 9 nights in Santiago and doing day trips. Does Valparaiso as a day trip make sense?
Appreciate your help. Your metro/ bus guide to Valpo is very valuable. Kind regards, Helen
thewildlife
February 18, 2018 at 9:06 amHey Helen,
Thanks for your comment, glad you found the bus and metro guide handy 🙂
I would say Valparaiso would be a little rushed as a day trip, although definitely possible. You’d just want to get an early bus out and a late bus back. If you can, I’d advise staying one night as you will get a better feel for the place and be able to see a lot more. It’s a cool place to spend some time!
If you can bus from San Antonio to Valparaiso, you could spend one or two nights there and then head to Santiago? You can then do a another 1 or 2 days trips from Santiago. I would say 2 days is enough for Santiago, so definitely get out on some trips if you can!
Have an amazing time 🙂
Greg
April 30, 2018 at 8:12 amThis is a fabulous site. Your information is precise and detailed. Thank you for you being prepared to help out the fellow traveller. My wife and I are off to Santiago for 3 day in Jan 2019. Valpo is now very definitely on the agenda as well.
thewildlife
May 14, 2018 at 4:57 amHi Greg! Thanks so much for your kind comments 🙂 I’m so glad the information was useful for you – enjoy your trip!
Sue Ennis
June 1, 2018 at 11:18 amReally interesting reading. Thanks everyone for your comments. My husband and I have booked a cruise for next March. Do you recommend spending time in Santiago or Valparaiso? We only have limited time before cruise.
thewildlife
June 4, 2018 at 9:00 pmI would say Valparaiso! For me, Santiago was another big city but Valparaiso was something a bit different.. Enjoy your cruise! 🙂
Mike
June 9, 2018 at 3:41 pmMy wife and I are planning to book a cruise that ends in Valparaiso and then spending a few days in Santiago before flying home from the Santiago airport (SCL). If we wanted the convenience of a private taxi/transfer from Valparaiso to Santiago (directly from the port or after spending a couple of days in Valparaiso), what would be the best way to arrange it, and what would be the approximate cost? Many thanks.
thewildlife
June 11, 2018 at 9:48 amHi Mike,
Unfortunately I never took a private taxi/ transfer so I’m not sure what kind of prices you would be looking at. I would have a chat with a travel agent or check out some companies through Google. A quick search brings this page up which might help: https://www.viator.com/Santiago-tours/Transfers-and-Ground-Transport/d713-g15
Enjoy your trip!
Steve
September 5, 2018 at 1:46 amHi – thanks for the information. As nobody else has asked this I’ll assume I’m missing something but I cant see Pajaritos on the metro – can you point out to me which line it is please
thewildlife
September 5, 2018 at 3:03 amHey Steve! It’s on Line 1, 2 stops after San Pablo 🙂
Matt
September 17, 2018 at 1:47 amHi — what time is the first bus from Santiago to Valparaiso — 5 AM? 6 AM? thanks, mc
thewildlife
September 18, 2018 at 4:40 amHey Matt, I’m not sure – best thing is to check the website https://www.turbus.cl/ (there is an option to translate) 🙂
Latika
October 3, 2018 at 2:28 amThank you for the detailed information. We are planning to go to Santiago for a day or so in January 2019 after our Mt Aconcagua expedition. I am vegetarian and my husband is vegan. Is it easy to find vegan/vegetarian food in Santiago and Valparaiso? Any recommendations?
thewildlife
October 11, 2018 at 2:26 amThank you! I found it really easy 🙂 I researched some places beforehand and then most places had an English menu. It might be worth having the Spanish for “I don’t eat meat, eggs or milk” written down somewhere so you can show people, if there isn’t an English menu. I actually wrote a post about the vegan options I tried on my visit – check it out – http://www.the-wild-life.com/best-vegan-restaurants-in-santiago/ Hope this helps 🙂
Alison Tepsic
October 19, 2018 at 12:43 amHi! Thank you so much for this helpful guide; it really eased my mind on how to navigate to Valparaíso once on the ground.
Also, not sure if you do updates, but (as I learned when I landed yesterday), Turbus now runs direct buses hourly between SCL and Vina del Mar with a stop in Valparaíso. It was a little over an hour, and 4,000 pesos
thewildlife
November 15, 2018 at 11:15 pmGreat, thanks for this! I’ll update now 🙂
Jorgelina Forrest
November 22, 2018 at 12:15 pmThank you for your directions. Well explained and with a little help from friendly attendants we made it there and back. We were going to take a tour but after reading your piece went on our own.
This might help some people; there is a metro which runs very efficiently from one end to the other along the coast.
Charlie Cleek
November 29, 2018 at 8:49 pmThanks so much for you post. I just noticed the 16/11/18 update saying that you can catch a bus from the SCL airport directly to Vina del Mar. How do you locate the ticket office for the bus at the airport. Also do you need to purchase your ticket before arriving at the airport? Thanks again for your help.
Dorothee
December 14, 2018 at 3:57 pmHi there, can you help me find the new bus that goes directly from the Santiago airport to Vina Del Mar with a stop in Valparaiso?
lynne
March 17, 2019 at 11:40 amThis was such a helpful guide! I want to head to valparaiso from the airport in Santiago, do you know if this is possible to pre book ahead of time online with Turbus as per Alisons update?
thewildlife
March 24, 2019 at 5:02 amHey sorry I’m not sure!
Nadine QUINLAND Phillips
March 28, 2019 at 2:50 pmWhat time does tha last bus leave Valparaiso to go back to the city?
Rosie Shepherd
April 1, 2019 at 10:40 pmThanks so much for this – it’s really helpful! Would you recommend we buy our ticket online as the buses fill up quickly?
Jess
July 20, 2019 at 1:11 pmThanks so much for this guide. It gave me the confidence to travel on my own to Valparaíso. Highly recommend the Valpo Street Art tours.
Cheers!
Loretta Capalbo
October 10, 2019 at 9:03 pmHi Thank you so much for the detail. I will be heading the opposite way. I am leaving a cruise ship docked in Valpaisio and will need to get to Santiago. I have one large piece of luggage . Can it be stored in the bus? How would I get from the cruise ship dock to the bus – and then where would I get off the bus to get the metro to my hotel located at Monjitas 744 Santiago Chile 8320124
thewildlife
October 11, 2019 at 2:05 amHi Loretta, no problem! Large luggage could be stored when I travelled, yes 🙂 Unfortunately I didn’t take that route myself, so I’m not exactly sure where the closest stops to the dock or your hotel would be. I used the company Turbus, so it may be worth contacting their customer service team to see if they can advise. Have a great trip!
Loretta
October 10, 2019 at 9:12 pmjust wanted to add that this is my second trip to Valparaiso. I was there 2 years ago and fell in love with the artistry in town. I spent hours in the hillsides photographing the homes an the views. At that time, I was there for the day took the mero from my hotel, and then got to the bus depot but cannot remember the train.
Loretta
October 11, 2019 at 1:33 pmthank you so much for the HUGE help in this. I will contact the company and see where I need to go and how to get there. Do u have the web site for Turbos?