Things to Do in Valparaíso: Our Tips for Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

Day Trip to Valparaíso

If you’re doing a road trip through Chile, a day trip to Valparaíso is simply a must. One day is also more than enough to see the most important sights, since they’re all clustered in the same area.

These are our top highlights in Valparaíso that you can discover all in one day:

• Cerro Alegre
• Cerro Concepción
• Funiculars
• The colorful staircases
• Plaza Sotomayor
• Port of Valparaíso

Here you can book a day trip to Valparaíso from Santiago:

Day tour from Santiago to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

The 6 Best Things to Do in Valparaíso

Let’s take a closer look at the top attractions in Valparaíso.

Cerro Alegre

Think of Valparaíso as a city built almost entirely on hills. Only the central plazas, the port, and a few wide streets sit down along the coast.

The most central and most touristy hill in Valparaíso is Cerro Alegre — and it’s a great first stop when exploring the city.

On Cerro Alegre you’ll find pretty alleyways lined with colorful houses and charming cafés. Almost every building is covered in seriously cool street art.

You also get fantastic views of the city and the ocean from up here.

Top spots on Cerro Alegre include the viewpoint Paseo Atkinson, the piano staircase Escalera Piano, and the church Iglesia Luterana Alemana.

Cerro Concepción

Right next to Cerro Alegre is Cerro Concepción. Honestly, we couldn’t quite figure out where the boundary between the two hills lies — in our opinion, they’re really one and the same hill.

That said, the alleyways and houses on Cerro Concepción are just as colorful and perfect for a leisurely wander.

The highlights here are the viewpoint Paseo Gervasoni, the Escalera de Colores, and the alley Pasaje Gálvez Arte Callejero.

Funiculars of Valparaíso

The funiculars are iconic landmarks of Valparaíso. They’re an important and efficient way to get up to the hills — and a genuine attraction in their own right.

In Spanish they’re called Ascensores, and the downtown ones have become real tourist draws on top of being everyday transport.

Particularly popular are the Ascensor Reina Victoria, which goes up to Cerro Alegre, and the Ascensor Concepción.

A ride costs just 100 CLP — about 10 cents. Only the Ascensor Concepción and the Ascensor Artillería charge 300 CLP.

Colorful Staircases and Street Art

Since Valparaíso has so many hills, it also has a huge number of staircases. And so they wouldn’t look too boring, almost all of them have been painted in bright, bold colors.

The most beautiful ones are the Escalera Piano — which looks exactly like a piano keyboard — and the Escalera Colorida leading up to Cerro Concepción.

Beyond the staircases, most of the walls in Valparaíso are decorated with street art too. The murals you’ll discover all over the hillside buildings make for fantastic photo opportunities — don’t forget your camera.

In some ways, Valparaíso’s colorful palette, hilly terrain, and street art reminded us of Lisbon — just in a somewhat more rough-around-the-edges South American version.

Plaza Sotomayor

Plaza Sotomayor is a main square in Valparaíso, sitting west of Cerro Concepción between the hills and the sea.

It’s home to the Monumento a Los Heroes de Iquique and the historic Armada de Chile building — both absolutely worth seeing and great for photos.

That said, we wouldn’t recommend lingering too long here, since you’ll constantly be approached by nearby restaurants, which gets a bit tiresome.

Port of Valparaíso

Right in front of Plaza Sotomayor lies the port of Valparaíso. It left us feeling a bit torn. On one hand, there are quite a few shady characters around, so keep a close eye on your wallet and your phone.

On the other hand, it’s one of the most important ports in South America and genuinely historically significant. Cruise ships dock here, and there’s a small aquarium on the port grounds.

Like Plaza Sotomayor, the port is simply part of any visit to Valparaíso — but you don’t need to spend a lot of time here.

The 4 Best Things to Do in Viña del Mar

Alongside Valparaíso, it’s really worth visiting the neighboring town of Viña del Mar. Especially if you’re in the mood for beaches and the ocean, Viña is a great choice.

Beaches of Viña del Mar

The top attraction in Viña del Mar is its beaches. The closest one to Valparaíso is Playa Caleta Abarca. The longest stretch and the main beach in Viña del Mar is Las Salinas.

There’s also a long promenade here, perfect for walking and exercising.

A bit further north is the beach at Reñaca, which is especially popular with Chileans.

Swimming conditions vary — sometimes better, sometimes not. In summer the water is definitely warm enough, but there are usually plenty of waves.

If you feel like surfing, head to Playa La Boca, located north of Viña. It’s a seriously good surf spot.

Flower Clock

The Reloj de Flores is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Viña. The concept is genuinely cool, and it’s pretty to look at.

But that’s really about it. Beyond snapping the obligatory photo of the flower clock alongside a crowd of other tourists, there isn’t much else to do here.

Castillo Wulff

We find Castillo Wulff even more impressive than the flower clock. It’s a small castle perched above the sea that makes for a wonderful photo subject. The castle was built by a German immigrant, by the way — which explains why the name sounds so German.

You can normally visit Castillo Wulff, and inside there’s a small exhibit. Admission is free.

Important: Castillo Wulff is currently closed for renovations. It is unclear when it will reopen.

Dunes of Concón

Between Viña del Mar and Concón you’ll find beautiful, impressive sand dunes. You can hike up them on foot — it’s quite a workout in the soft sand, but totally worth it.

From the top you get a breathtaking panorama of the ocean and Valparaíso. The dunes of Concón are especially magical at sunset.

Where to Stay in Viña del Mar

Personally, we prefer staying in Viña del Mar over Valparaíso — the city is cleaner, safer, and you have nicer beaches right on your doorstep. From Viña, you can reach Valparaíso by bus in about half an hour.

These are our three hotel recommendations for Viña del Mar:

Where to Stay in Valparaíso

If you decide to stay in Valparaíso itself, we recommend these three hotels:

Getting to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar from Santiago

From Santiago de Chile you have several options for getting to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.

Also check out the most beautiful sights in Santiago

Also read our hotel tips for Santiago
Guided tours to Valparaíso

You can book a guided tour with transfer from Santiago included:

Day tour from Santiago to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

By Bus to Valparaíso

Probably the most popular option is the bus from Santiago. Several buses depart every hour for Valparaíso and Viña.

They leave from Terminal Alameda and Pajaritos. We recommend boarding at Pajaritos — the ride is shorter from there, and you can easily reach the terminal by metro. From Pajaritos, the journey to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar takes about one hour and 40 minutes.

The most popular bus operators are Turbus and Condor.

Ticket prices at both operators range between 5,000 and 10,000 CLP. Friday afternoons are the most expensive. You can buy tickets at the terminal or online at Turbus. Note that the website is only available in Spanish.

By Car to Valparaíso

If you’ve rented a car, you can of course drive to Valparaíso or Viña as well. Just avoid rush hour, or you’ll spend a lot of time stuck in traffic.

The drive takes just under 1.5 hours. You can compare rental car deals on Discovercars to find the best price for your trip.

Getting Around Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

Both towns are easy to explore on foot. To get between Valparaíso and Viña — or the other way around — your best bet is the bus. The city buses are called Micros and run roughly every five minutes between the two cities.

There are countless different bus lines and stops. The easiest approach is to search for your destination in Google Maps, which will show you all the available options. Unlike in other Chilean cities, this works really well here.

A bus ride from Valparaíso to Viña costs 540 CLP — less than $1. Travel within one city by bus costs 320 CLP. If you’re riding up to a cerro, you pay 450 CLP.

Tell the bus driver where you’re headed when you board — they’ll give you the correct change. Try to pay with coins if possible. Small bills (1,000 and 2,000 CLP) are fine too, though.