Booking choice: The Famous Valparaíso walking tour, from $40 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Valparaíso is one of the busiest bus routes in Chile. Turbus and Pullman, the two big companies, run it from early morning until late evening, with Cóndor and smaller lines alongside. You do not need to book far ahead outside holiday weekends.
Here is where to catch the bus in Santiago, how long it takes, where it leaves you in Valparaíso, how to get up the hills and across to Viña del Mar, and why a walking tour on arrival is worth it.
The quick answer
Take a Turbus or Pullman bus from Terminal Alameda (Universidad de Santiago metro, Line 1) or Terminal Pajaritos (Pajaritos metro, Line 1). Departures run about every 15 to 30 minutes, the ride takes about 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45, and a one-way seat costs a few thousand pesos. You arrive at the bus terminal on Avenida Pedro Montt. Join the Famous Valparaíso walk ($40) at Plaza Sotomayor to see the hills with a local.
How do you get from Santiago to Valparaíso by bus?
Go to Terminal Alameda or Terminal Pajaritos, buy a ticket with Turbus or Pullman, and ride about 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45 to the Valparaíso bus terminal.
The two big companies sell online at turbus.cl and pullman.cl, or at the ticket windows. Buses run about every 15 to 30 minutes during the day. Seats are assigned. On a Friday evening, a Sunday afternoon or a long weekend, buy the day before; otherwise you can walk up and leave within half an hour.
Fares change with the time of day and the seat class, and a one-way ticket costs a few thousand pesos. Check the current price on the company sites when you book.
Taking the bus and want a guide for the hills? The Famous Valparaíso walk meets at Plaza Sotomayor and includes two funicular rides and a trolleybus ticket, from $40.
Check dates for the Famous Valparaíso walking tourWhich Santiago bus terminal goes to Valparaíso?
Terminal Alameda is the main one. Terminal Pajaritos, further west on Line 1, is handy if you come from the airport road or Las Condes.
Terminal Alameda sits on Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins next to the Universidad de Santiago metro station, on Line 1, and is the terminal Turbus and Pullman run. Most Valparaíso buses start here, so you have the widest choice of times.
Terminal Pajaritos is a smaller stop beside Pajaritos metro station, also on Line 1, on the way out of the city towards Ruta 68. Many Valparaíso buses call there after leaving Alameda, which saves you a trip into the centre from Providencia or Las Condes. Buses can arrive already busy, and not every service stops.
How long is the bus from Santiago to Valparaíso?
About 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45 in normal traffic. Allow more on Friday evenings, Sunday afternoons and summer weekends.
The route is the same Ruta 68 the tours use, about 120 km through the Casablanca Valley and two tunnels. Leaving Santiago before 8 am gets you to the coast before the lanes on Cerro Alegre fill up. Coming back, the last buses run in the evening, so you can stay for sunset and still sleep in Santiago.
Compare that with a tour: 1.5 to 2 hours each way as well, plus the pickup round. The bus does not save you road time. It saves you the winery and Viña del Mar stops, which is time you spend in Valparaíso instead.
Where does the bus arrive in Valparaíso?
At the Valparaíso bus terminal (Terminal Rodoviario) on Avenida Pedro Montt, across from the National Congress, in the flat part of the city.
The tourist hills, Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción, are at the other end of the lower town, by Plaza Sotomayor and the port. Take a local bus or a taxi along Pedro Montt and Avenida Brasil, or walk it in roughly half an hour along the flat streets. From the lower town, the Reina Victoria and El Peral lifts take you up.
Keep your bag in front of you at the terminal. The UK government’s travel advice for Chile warns that thefts are frequent at bus stations. More in the safety guide.
How do you get from Valparaíso to Viña del Mar?
By the Metro Valparaíso train along the shore, by local bus, or by taxi. The train takes about a quarter of an hour.
The Metro Valparaíso train (people still call it Merval) runs from Puerto station by Plaza Sotomayor along the coast to Viña del Mar and inland to Limache. You pay with a rechargeable card bought at the stations. Local buses along Avenida España do the same trip.
You can also take the bus from Santiago straight to Viña del Mar, which has its own terminal. For how the two cities differ, read Valparaíso or Viña del Mar.
Want the train, a trolleybus and the funiculars done for you? Valpo in One Day rides all three with a local guide, starting at 10 am by the port.
Explore the Valpo in One Day walkWhat should you do once you arrive?
Walk to Plaza Sotomayor, ride a funicular up to Cerro Alegre or Concepción, and give the murals a few hours. A walking tour helps on the first visit.
The hills are a maze of lanes, stairs and dead ends, and it is easy to lose an hour going in circles. The Famous Valparaíso walk ($40) starts in front of the Navy monument on Plaza Sotomayor, rides the Reina Victoria and El Peral lifts, and covers Paseo Gervasoni, Paseo Atkinson and Palacio Baburizza in three hours. A guest in March 2026 called it "a must upon visiting Valparaiso as the streets and hills can be very confusing".
Shorter on time? The street art and funiculars walk ($34) does it in two hours from Muelle Prat. Then have lunch on Cerro Alegre and go back down by a different lift.
Only two hours before your bus home? The street art and funiculars walk covers the murals and two lifts from Muelle Prat, from $34.
Check dates for the street art and funiculars walkIs the bus or a tour better value?
The bus plus a walking tour costs less than most day trips and gives you more time in Valparaíso. A tour adds the winery and comfort.
A return bus ticket and the three-hour walk come to less than the Stamp’s Tour day trip at $75, and you get five or six hours in the city instead of two or three. You also choose your own lunch, on the hills rather than on a beachfront.
A tour wins if you want the Casablanca tasting, if Spanish at the ticket window worries you, or if you would rather be dropped at your hotel. For the whole picture, see the day trip guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which bus company goes from Santiago to Valparaíso?
Turbus and Pullman run most departures, with Cóndor and smaller lines too. Buy online at turbus.cl or pullman.cl, or at the terminal.
How much is the bus from Santiago to Valparaíso?
A few thousand pesos one way. The price changes with the time and seat class, so check the company sites when you book.
How often do buses run from Santiago to Valparaíso?
About every 15 to 30 minutes during the day, from early morning until the evening.
Where do Valparaíso buses leave from in Santiago?
Terminal Alameda by Universidad de Santiago metro, and Terminal Pajaritos by Pajaritos metro, both on Line 1.
Ready to book
Choose your Valparaíso tour
Every option here can be cancelled for a full refund; the deadline is on each listing. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Famous Valparaíso Walking Tour with a Native Guide
Cerro Alegre and Concepción in depth, two lifts
Valparaíso Street Art, Funiculars and Port Walk
A short walk if you are staying on the coast
Valpo in One Day: Walking Tour by Train, Trolley and Funicular
Cruise passengers docked in Valparaíso
