The following tour operators provide tours in the middle Chile region:


TurisTour (www.turistour.cl) operates tours of Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, the Casablanca wine valley and Isla Negra. Tel: (56-32) 238 1056.


Santiago Adventures (www.santiagoadventures.com) run horse-riding, wine tours (bike optional), hiking and ski tours, lasting one to ten days. Tel: (56-2) 244 2750 or in the US, 802 904 6798.


City Discovery (www.city-discovery.com) organizes day trips to Viña del Mar, Valparaiso and vineyards around the Santiago area. Tel: 866-988-8687 from the US.

VTS (www.vts.cl) run day tours to the abandoned mining village and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sewell. Tours depart Santiago and Rancagua. Tel: (56-72) 210 290.

Altue (www.altue.com) is Chilean run and has a good reputation. It operates trekking, horseback riding, skiing and wine-tours. Tel: (56 2) 235 1519. Altue can organize personalized tours if you don’t fancy any of their trips.

Train enthusiasts will love the wine tours run by Tren del Vino (www.trendelvino.com). The tour stops off at vineyards in Valle de Colchagua and Valle de Cachapoal and transport is by steam train. Tours depart from Santiago and last one day. They only operate three or four times a month. Tel: (56-2) 470 7403.

For something completely different, visit the Gillmore vineyard in Tabonko, close to Talca. Here you can indulge in some alternative wine therapy – spa treatments, not drinking. Visit www.tabonko.cl for more information.

For a day out with real Chilean cowboys, try Puro Caballo (www.purocaballo.cl). The ranch is about one hour from Santiago and here you can see a rodeo, horse riding displays and eat some traditional food.