After morning hotel pickup in Santiago, travel with your guide southeast of the city through El Caj?n del Maipo, a canyon and river valley chiseled into the Andes mountains. Your road follows the course of the Maipo River and curves upward. From the comfort of your vehicle, capture a hypnotizing array of panoramas, including rich vineyards and orchards, arid mountainsides and snowcapped peaks.
Make a brief stop at the region’s capital, San Jos? de Maipo, a picturesque adobe-style town founded in 1792, and stock up on any goodies you’d like to munch on during the hike.
Back aboard the vehicle, you'll head to either El Morado Natural Monument or Valle de las Arenas (depending on weather and road conditions) for your 5-hour (round-trip) trek of moderate difficulty. Both hiking routes involve similar terrain; you'll begin in an expansive valley surrounded by towering mountains. Follow your guide up rocky slopes strewn with wildflowers and on mountain paths, perhaps catching sight of condors swooping overhead or yellow-breasted cometocinos fluttering by.
After a 2.5-hour ascent, you’re rewarded with spectacular views of the hanging glacier of El Morado, or its immense lagoon with floes of ice with the snowy summit in the background, soaring 15,246 feet (4,467 meters) into the sky. Admire this landscape while enjoying your box lunch, usually a sandwich, cereal bar, fruit and juice (vegetarian option available). Afterward, follow your guide back to the vehicle.
Treat your sore muscles at Ba