Private Tours from Valparaiso to Santiago???

[agelessgram]

Read some very good private tours from the port to Santiago. (espeically from Lawra09) but I tried the web sites and emails and they are coming back as undeliveable. So I am back to square one.:confused:

Our plane doesn't leave until 10 pm that gives us a LOT of time. The cruise ship excruisions (Star Princess) didn't sound that interesting and to sit in an airport for 10 hrs is not my idea of a great way to end a vacation. If anyone knows of other web sites or emails that I can contact that would be great.

I love this site and have found oodles of wonderful information that I have put in my travel folders. Thanks in advance

Sue:)

[eh2zed]

Try www.enaturchile.com We used them going the other way.

[Peregrina651]

Read some very good private tours from the port to Santiago. (espeically from Lawra09) but I tried the web sites and emails and they are coming back as undeliveable. So I am back to square one.:confused:

 

Not necessarily. E-mail service to Chile can be dicey. Try sending your messages again.

[trixietx]

Try Christian, The Van man christianroymx@hotmail.com. We used him in January and March. He is reliable and will give you a good tour. In March he was busy, but he arranged for someone else to pick us up at the pier in Valparaiso and tour with lunch and to the airport in Santiago. We had a driver and good english speeking guide. They were great. The guide even went with us into the airport and made sure we were where we needed to be and got our boarding passes and luggage taken care of.

I recommend Christian highly.

[tonylander]

You get in touch with "The van man" Christian Montenegro is a FANTASTIC person, he will take you on a tour through the Vinards and many other places of interest, he is very flexiove, honest and proud of his work. Write to him christianrayMX@hotmail.com

[arlenez]

Thank you for the tip about Christian the "Van Man". I contacted him and I am about to set up a tour with him. Our ship will arrive at 8 am and he said he will pick us up in Valparaiso and he has arranged a nice tour with a stop for lunch (extra)and final drop off at the airport at about 8 PM for our 10 PM flight.

 

If anyone is interested and are on the same cruise (January 31 on NCL from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso) we would be happy to share the tour.

 

Best regards,

Arlene

[commodoredave]

I will also be using Christian. We've hired him for a tour to the Colchugua wine valley and then the transfer from Santiago to Valpo to catch the Crystal Symphony on Jan 8 with a tour on the way there.

[chees]

All day tour from Valparaiso through wine country, then Santiago city tour and up to the top of the local mountain before being deposited at the airport for our 10pm flight home.

 

Tina

[arlenez]

It sounds like Christian is a popular guy. I don't think any of us will be disappointed.

 

Best regards,

Arlene

[JuneauGal]

We used a young man named Hector Medina. This is the link to his site: http://sites.google.com/site/privatetourguidechile/

 

He was a fabulous guide! Speaks Spanish, English and French. He picked up up at our hotel in Valparaiso and took us on a tour of beach towns south of Valpo. Took us to a great local beach restaurant for seafood that we probably would not have found on our own. Also went to Pablo Neruda's houses. He also took us on a tour through the back roads to Santiago and dropped us at our hotel. We also hired him the 2nd day and he met us at our htoel in Sanitago and gave us a wine tour and walking tour in Sanitago. We can't say enough good things about him! Very friendly and nice and a grat communicator! Very flexible and accomodating! We would hire him again in an instant.

 

R&R Welton

Norwegian Sun

South America Cruise

Feb. 2009

[trixietx]

I can assure you that you will be pleased with Christian.

 

The drive from Santiago is beautiful going through the wine country. We especially like Vina Del Mar and Valparaiso.

 

Enjoy your cruises!

[Paul123]

We are interested in booking Christian from the recommendations on this thread. We are scheduled to be in Valparaiso in March next year. Our ship will be in port from 8am until 6pm and we would like to book a local man for a tour including a visit to a vineyard, lunch and a look at Sandiago and then back to the ship by say 4.30 ish.

 

Is Christian based in Valparasio or the capital? Does he charge per person or by the van? You say he is 'The van man'? Roughly what are his charges for this length od tour 8.30-4.30.

 

Paul

[arlenez]

We are interested in booking Christian from the recommendations on this thread. We are scheduled to be in Valparaiso in March next year. Our ship will be in port from 8am until 6pm and we would like to book a local man for a tour including a visit to a vineyard, lunch and a look at Sandiago and then back to the ship by say 4.30 ish.

 

Is Christian based in Valparasio or the capital? Does he charge per person or by the van? You say he is 'The van man'? Roughly what are his charges for this length od tour 8.30-4.30.

 

Paul

 

Hi Paul:

 

I suggest that you contact Christian directly. Our tour is for approx. 12 hours so the cost is probably a little more than you would pay for 8-9 hours. His email address is christianroymx@hotmail.com.

 

Regards,

Arlene

[Paul123]

Hi Paul:

 

I suggest that you contact Christian directly. Our tour is for approx. 12 hours so the cost is probably a little more than you would pay for 8-9 hours. His email address is christianroymx@hotmail.com.

 

Regards,

Arlene

 

 

Thank you for that

[agelessgram]

We booked a tour with Christian "the Van Man" for March 2nd. We are cruising the Star Princess from B.A. to Valparaiso. Our tour (with Christian) leaves the dock at 8 am and we will be at the airport in time for our 10 pm flight home. We will be touring Valparaiso, Vina del Mar - stopping for a wine tasting and lunch - extra $$$ - then a tour of Santiago before our final destination - the airport. I have a list of the places we will be stopping. If you want to join us contact Christian his email is christianroymx@hotmail.com. The tour sounds just wonderful and the perfect way to end a delightful cruise.

[Paul123]

We booked a tour with Christian "the Van Man" for March 2nd. We are cruising the Star Princess from B.A. to Valparaiso. Our tour (with Christian) leaves the dock at 8 am and we will be at the airport in time for our 10 pm flight home. We will be touring Valparaiso, Vina del Mar - stopping for a wine tasting and lunch - extra $$$ - then a tour of Santiago before our final destination - the airport. I have a list of the places we will be stopping. If you want to join us contact Christian his email is christianroymx@hotmail.com. The tour sounds just wonderful and the perfect way to end a delightful cruise.

 

 

Does he charge by the person or by the van?

[trixietx]

By the person!

[julieanne]

Usually, the larger the group, the cheaper the tour for each person, Paul. If you can get others, the cost will go down. Christian was booked solid when we went. We used enaturchile, they were great as well!

[Paul123]

Thanks to you both. Have now communicated with Christian and he is free to take us for the day. He is asking $130 from each of us (my wife and myself) for the day (8.30 to 4.30) including tour of vineyard and Santiago.

 

Are you suggesting that if we get more pax on this tour the individual price will come down?

[agelessgram]

It is my understanding that the more people -the cheaper the tour. Christian has a 6 or 10 passenger van. He has been so helpful and given us so many options to choose for our tour. Good luck.

[Paul123]

It is my understanding that the more people -the cheaper the tour. Christian has a 6 or 10 passenger van. He has been so helpful and given us so many options to choose for our tour. Good luck.

 

Yes thank you. Christian is using his 6 pax van on this one and said if we fill it up with another two couples it will be $80 each. That's a good deal for a day trip. We already have one other couple asking to join us as we posted this on our Roll Call thread. So we are now at $100 each and looking good. Christian actually just e-mailed me asking if I didn't mind the other couple joining us. His written English is perfect. Thanks for all your help.

[Gracegeis]

I will also be using Christian. We've hired him for a tour to the Colchugua wine valley and then the transfer from Santiago to Valpo to catch the Crystal Symphony on Jan 8 with a tour on the way there.

 

HI Commodoredave:

 

Is this a private tour or is it open for additional passengers. I will also be on the Symphony January 8 and am arriving from Miami on that morning. Just wondering if I should take the Crystal transfer or not.

 

By the way have you checked the Crystal Board? I do not see you listed for this cruise. Also if you are new to Crystal I will be happy to sponser you and you can get a $100 SB credit. You may contact me at glg960@aol.com

[greatam]

Thanks to you both. Have now communicated with Christian and he is free to take us for the day. He is asking $130 from each of us (my wife and myself) for the day (8.30 to 4.30) including tour of vineyard and Santiago.

 

Are you suggesting that if we get more pax on this tour the individual price will come down?

 

FYI

 

Don't know what time your flight is, but you MAY want to hire your guide for a few more hours if your flight leaves at 9:00PM or later. The SCL airport is a mess most of the time, even more so on cruise days (chaos is more like it). Unless you have airport club access, waiting in the gate area is not a particularly good experience.

 

You need 3 hours to check in at SCL. Airlines DO NOT open up check in much before 3.5 hours pre flight. So you will have to keep your luggage and drag it around the airport if you have a 9:00PM or later flight until check in opens.