If you’re spending any time in Santiago, Valparaíso is a must-see. Only 1.5 drive from the city center, going from Santiago to Valparaíso is an easy day or weekend trip.

9AM Leave Santiago

The journey from Santiago to Valparaíso is an easy one, and you only have two options – by bus or car. If you sign up with a tour group, your transport will likely be included, which makes it even more of a breeze. If not, the bus is supposed to be very easy, quick and cheap. Here’s a great rundown on exactly how to get a bus to Valparaíso.

9:45AM Stop at Dulces Millahue

If you opted not to take a public bus, or your bus driver is open to suggestions, Dulces Millahue in Curacaví is a great stop. Time-wise, it’s not exactly necessary to break up the drive, but if you have a sweet tooth and / or like llamas, this stop is for you. Grab some coffee, your favorite Chilean pastry, and then go out back and pet the llamas. You’re welcome.

11AM Arrive in Valparaíso

We stopped at Viña del Mar first and saw the flower clock before walking to the Metro and taking it to Valparaíso. But you can also straight shoot it directly to Valparaíso by car.

12PM Museo a Cielo Abierto

Spend at least a few hours wandering the streets of Valparaíso, getting lost amidst the amazing street art. Museo a Cielo Abierto was one of my favorite spots – a labyrinth of cool, colorful street murals painted by various Latin American artists in the 90s. Better yet, sign up for a tour so you can get all the cool stories behind the art – and learn the significance of the green lion.

3PM Eat Lunch

There was no shortage of good-looking restaurants around, but our lovely tour guide Monse gave us a great list of suggestions. We ended up eating at El Internado with a panoramic view of hillside Valparaíso (underrated but arguably equally beautiful to the town’s coastal views), but some others ate right next door at Fauna and raved about it.

4PM Ride the Funicular

There are a few funiculars in Valparaíso, but one is right around the corner from where we ate and drops you off right at a cute brewery – Casa Cervecería Altamira. You can also walk down the stairs, but what’s the fun(icular) in that?

4:30PM Grab a Coffee with Pablo Neruda

Cafe del Poeta
Cafe del Poeta

One of my favorite spots was Café del Poeta, also just a short walk away from the base of the funicular in Plaza Anibal Pinto. This quaint poetry-themed cafe features two (very lifelike in your peripheral vision) statues of the famous Chilean poets Pablo Neruda and Gabriela Mistral – the first Chilean poet to win the Nobel Prize in Literature – sitting at a table together enjoying their own cafecitos. The scene is an homage to a friendship that wasn’t written in the stars – Pablo Neruda said he regretted not being born sooner to have the chance to spend time with Gabriela Mistral, whose work was largely influential on his own. So right there in Café del Poeta, you can see the two finally having coffee. (For more on the back stories of these two amazing poets, check out this article on The Culture Trip.)

6PM Catch the Sunset

With all its hills, Valparaíso has a plethora of options for seeing the sunset. Take the funicular back up, or embrace the hike, and make your way to one of the many terrace viewpoints to grab a sundowner. We went to Inquilino, which had a beautiful view we took full advantage of.

9PM Head back to Santiago…

…or don’t 😉 We decided to spend the night so we could see the Saturday Night Lights of Valparaíso, and rented an Airbnb right in the heart of things.

11PM Pre-Drinks

This is Chile, so the party starts late. We didn’t head out until 11PM or so, but there are places open sooner if you’d like. Cumming Street has a bunch of lively spots to start off your night, or try and sneak your way up to the roof of WineBox (or better yet, stay there as a hotel guest).

12AM Terraza Bellavista

Step 1: Get on a list. There are lots of promoters around town, but whatever you do make sure you get your name(s) on a list. Otherwise the “door price” equates to about $70 USD. Yeah…no.

Step 2: Dance the night away! Split your time between the outdoor rooftop dance floor that overlooks the city of Valparaíso and the main dance floor downstairs (which plays better music).

Viña del Mar Alternative

Another spot that came highly recommended was Casino de Viña del Mar. Viña del Mar is considered the more “upscale” neighborhood of the Valparaíso coastal region, and apparently the Casino is the place to be for whatever vibe you want – bar drinks, gambling (of course), or there’s a nightclub inside. We opted to stay in Valparaíso and get the full experience, but if you’re staying Viña del Mar side this could be a fun alternative!

11AM Get breakfast and head home

It was a bit too chilly for us to hit the beach, and we had already done a lot of the walking and exploring the previous day, so our main Sunday activities were brunching and heading home. We went to a cute American diner themed breakfast restaurant called Good Morning Valparaíso, ere are a few more Valparaíso cafe favorites to choose from.