How long is the Valle Nevado and Portillo ski trip?

It's 10 days and 9 nights. Day 1 is arrival in Santiago, day 2 is the drive up to Valle Nevado, then three full ski days at Valle Nevado and four ski days at Hotel Portillo, and day 10 is the transfer back to Santiago airport.

When can I do this trip?

In the Chilean winter season, from June to September.

What skill level do I need?

None in particular. The trip is designed for all levels, and both resorts have terrain for beginners through experts. Portillo describes its terrain as 15% beginner, 30% intermediate, 30% advanced and 25% expert. Lessons are optional and available on request.

Are the lift pass and ski rental included?

Yes. A 7-day ski pass covering Valle Nevado and Portillo is included, as is ski or snowboard equipment rental. Fitting takes place on day 2 at Valle Nevado.

How big is the group?

1 to 6 guests, with a private bilingual guide (Spanish/English) for the entire program.

How far are Valle Nevado and Portillo from Santiago?

Valle Nevado is about 71 km (44 miles) from Santiago's international airport. Portillo is about 2 hours from Santiago by highway, near the border with Argentina. All transfers are private and included.

Will the altitude affect me?

Valle Nevado sits at 3,025 m and Portillo's hotel at 2,800 m. The itinerary gives you a free afternoon on day 2 to acclimatize before your first full ski day. If you have concerns about altitude, check with your doctor before traveling.

One night at a hotel in Santiago, four nights at the Puerta del Sol Hotel in Valle Nevado on full board, and four nights at Hotel Portillo.

International flights, travel insurance, meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary, ski or snowboard lessons, gratuities and personal expenses, and the optional Boragó dinner.

Can snowboarders join?

Yes. Rental covers ski or snowboard equipment, and the program is open to skiers and snowboarders of all levels.

Is travel insurance included?

No. Travel insurance is required and is not included. We recommend World Nomads for travel insurance and Global Rescue for evacuation and medical support in remote terrain. Both are optional partners, never part of the trip price.

Snow-covered peaks of the Central Andes in morning light, near Santiago

Central Andes · Winter

Valle Nevado & Portillo

Ski Valle Nevado and Hotel Portillo

At a glance

Ten days of resort skiing in Chile's Central Andes: three full days at Valle Nevado and four at Hotel Portillo, with a private bilingual guide.

10 daysDuration

Duration: 10 days / 9 nights
Max elevation: 3,310 m (10,860 ft), the highest point of Portillo's ski terrain
Difficulty: All levels
Group: 1–6
Season: Winter (June–September)

Start: Santiago airport (SCL), private pickup
End: Santiago airport (SCL), private drop-off from Portillo
Accommodation: Hotel in Santiago (night 1), Valle Nevado Puerta del Sol Hotel (4 nights, full board), Hotel Portillo (4 nights)
Guiding: Guided

Overview

This is a ten-day ski trip built around two resorts in the Central Andes above Santiago. After your first night in the city you drive up to Valle Nevado, a resort village at 3,025 m (9,924 ft) inside the Yerba Loca Nature Sanctuary, about 71 km from Santiago's international airport. You spend four nights at the Puerta del Sol Hotel on full board, with three full days on the mountain. Then the group moves north to Hotel Portillo, 3 km from the Argentine border and above Laguna del Inca, for four more ski days.

A private bilingual guide (Spanish/English) stays with the group for the whole program, and every ground transfer is private, from your pickup at Santiago airport (SCL) on day 1 to the drop-off there on day 10. A 7-day ski pass covering both resorts and ski or snowboard rental are included, so you mainly need to bring your own clothing. Lessons are available on request if anyone in the group wants coaching.

The two resorts feel quite different. Valle Nevado is a modern lift network that opened in 1988 and runs Chile's first gondola. Portillo is a single hotel with 123 rooms, around 500 hectares of terrain and a limit of 450 resort guests, so lift lines are rarely an issue there. The trip suits all levels, from early-stage skiers to experts looking for Portillo's steeper runs, and it operates from June to September. On your arrival night we can book a table for you at Boragó in Santiago; the dinner is optional and paid separately.

Highlights

Three full days skiing Valle Nevado, inside the Yerba Loca Nature Sanctuary
Four days skiing at Hotel Portillo, with views over Laguna del Inca
Private bilingual guide (Spanish/English) for the entire program
7-day ski pass for both resorts and ski or snowboard rental included
Private ground transfers, including airport pickup and drop-off in Santiago
Optional welcome dinner at Boragó in Santiago (we reserve it, you pay for it), plus the Vertic Kit and a digital photo album

Is this trip for you?

Level: All levels

Group: 1–6

Skiers and snowboarders of all levels who want a full week of resort skiing in Chile with a private bilingual guide and nothing to organize. It works well for families or friends traveling together. If you're looking for ski touring rather than lifts, see Tres Valles Backcountry or the Three Volcanoes Ski Traverse instead.

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival in Santiago
Your trip starts at Santiago airport (SCL), where a private vehicle picks you up and takes you to your hotel in Santiago for check-in. The rest of the day is yours to recover from the flight and get your bearings in the city. If you'd like to start the trip with a proper dinner, we can reserve a table at Boragó for the evening. Vertic handles the booking; the meal itself is paid separately. Tomorrow morning the group heads up to the mountains, so it's worth an early night.
Overnight · Hotel in Santiago (confirmed at booking)
Day 2
Ascent to Valle Nevado
A private transfer takes you from your Santiago hotel up into the Andes. The road climbs route G-21 toward Farellones and, at curve 40, turns onto route G-251 to Valle Nevado. The resort village sits at 3,025 m (9,924 ft), so the plan for today is deliberately light. After check-in at the Puerta del Sol Hotel you're fitted for your rental skis or snowboard, and then the afternoon is free to settle in and acclimatize to the altitude. The hotel is about 20 m from the slopes, with ski-in, ski-out access, a swimming pool and a fitness center.
Overnight · Valle Nevado Puerta del Sol Hotel · Meals · Full board
Day 3
Valle Nevado: Ski Day 1
Your first full day on the mountain. Valle Nevado has runs for every level, so your guide sets the pace to match the group, starting with easier terrain to warm up and moving on as everyone finds their legs at altitude. The resort opened in 1988 and has grown into a large lift network, including Chile's first gondola (2013) and the Andes Express, the region's first high-speed quad chairlift (2001). The whole area lies within the Yerba Loca Nature Sanctuary. You ski straight back to the hotel at the end of the day.
Overnight · Valle Nevado Puerta del Sol Hotel · Meals · Full board
Day 4
Valle Nevado: Ski Day 2
A second full day skiing Valle Nevado. With the first day behind you, your guide can take the group further across the resort and show you the sectors that suit your level, whether that's long, open groomers or steeper runs. Since all meals are included at the hotel, the day is easy to plan: breakfast before the lifts open, a break on the mountain, and back to Puerta del Sol in the afternoon. If anyone in the group wants ski or snowboard lessons, they can be arranged on request.
Overnight · Valle Nevado Puerta del Sol Hotel · Meals · Full board
Day 5
Valle Nevado: Ski Day 3
Your third and last full day at Valle Nevado. Use it to go back to your favorite runs, try sectors you skipped earlier in the week, or push your level a bit with your guide's help. By now you'll be used to skiing above 3,000 m. In the evening, pack your bags: tomorrow the group transfers to Portillo. Your rental equipment and ski pass continue with you, since the 7-day pass covers both resorts.
Overnight · Valle Nevado Puerta del Sol Hotel · Meals · Full board
Day 6
Transfer to Hotel Portillo · Ski Day 1
A private transfer takes you from Valle Nevado to Hotel Portillo. Portillo is about 2 hours from Santiago by highway, following Ruta 60 through Los Andes and up toward Paso Los Libertadores, the border crossing to Argentina, which lies just 3 km from the hotel. After check-in you head out for your first afternoon on Portillo's slopes, with Laguna del Inca below you. The hotel sits at 2,800 m and the ski terrain tops out at 3,310 m.
Overnight · Hotel Portillo
Day 7
Portillo: Ski Day 2
A full day skiing Portillo. The resort has around 500 hectares (1,235 acres) of terrain and 35 runs, with a terrain mix the resort puts at 15% beginner, 30% intermediate, 30% advanced and 25% expert. Your guide picks lines to suit the group, from intermediate runs such as Juncalillo to the advanced and intermediate terrain of Plateau. Portillo also runs its own "va-et-vient" lifts, pulley systems anchored to the mountain that pull five skiers up side by side.
Overnight · Hotel Portillo
Day 8
Portillo: Ski Day 3
Another full day on Portillo's slopes. Because the resort hosts only 450 hotel guests and sells a limited number of day tickets, there are rarely lift lines, which means more time skiing. Stronger skiers can look at the expert terrain around Roca Jack with the guide, while anyone building confidence has the Corralito beginner area and its magic carpet. The longest run at Portillo is 2.5 km.
Overnight · Hotel Portillo
Day 9
Portillo: Ski Day 4
Your fourth and final ski day at Portillo, and the last of the seven days on your ski pass. Spend it on the runs you've enjoyed most during the week or explore anything you haven't skied yet. Portillo's climate averages around 80% sunny days, according to the resort, and the views from the slopes take in Laguna del Inca and the surrounding Andes. Return your rental equipment at the end of the day and enjoy a last evening at the hotel.
Overnight · Hotel Portillo
Day 10
Departure
On your last morning, a private transfer takes you from Hotel Portillo down to Santiago airport (SCL) for your onward flight. The drive from Portillo to Santiago is about 2 hours by highway, depending on road conditions on the international route. The route runs back down past Los Andes on Ruta 60, the same highway you took on the way up. Allow for the drive and any road delays when booking your flight home. Vertic's services end with the drop-off at Santiago airport (SCL).
Overnight · None (trip ends at Santiago airport, SCL)

Where you'll stay

Night 1Hotel in Santiago
Your city hotel for the arrival night; the property is confirmed at booking.
Nights 2–5Valle Nevado Puerta del Sol Hotel (full board)
A ski-in, ski-out hotel about 20 m from the slopes, with a swimming pool, fitness center and ski storage; some rooms face the slopes or the valley.
Nights 6–9Hotel Portillo
A 123-room hotel at 2,800 m with views of the Andes and Laguna del Inca.

Dates

Private departures on request, winter (June–September).

Hours of daylight · 33° S (Santiago)

Sunrise to sunset on the 15th of each month. Computed for 33° S. Gold: the season.

Included

9 nights: one night in Santiago, 4 nights at Valle Nevado Puerta del Sol Hotel (full board) and 4 nights at Hotel Portillo
7-day ski pass covering Valle Nevado and Portillo
Ski/snowboard equipment rental
Private bilingual guide for the entire program
All ground transfers, including airport pickup and drop-off
Vertic Kit and digital photo album

Not included

International flights
Travel insurance
Meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary
Ski/snowboard lessons (optional, available on request)
Gratuities and personal expenses
Welcome dinner at Boragó (optional; we reserve it for you)

What to bring

Ski or snowboard clothing: waterproof jacket and pants, base and mid layers, warm gloves, neck gaiter

Goggles and sunglasses with good UV protection

High-SPF sunscreen and lip balm for skiing at altitude

Your own helmet, boots or skis if you prefer them to rental

Comfortable clothing for the hotels in the evenings

Swimwear for the pool at Puerta del Sol

Passport and travel insurance documents

Good to know

Valle Nevado sits at 3,025 m, which is why day 2 has a free afternoon to acclimatize before the first full ski day.
Ski or snowboard lessons are not included but can be arranged on request for anyone in the group.
Access to Portillo uses the international road to Argentina; when it opens and closes is decided by Carabineros, so weather can affect transfer timing.
Meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary are not included; the Valle Nevado nights are full board.
The welcome dinner at Boragó is optional. We make the reservation; you pay the restaurant.
Allow enough time on day 10: the drive from Portillo to Santiago is about 2 hours, depending on road conditions.

More in the Central Andes: the Central Andes travel guide, with when to go, the places and every trip in the region.

SOURCES · Vertic field notes · vallenevado.com · skiportillo.com · Daylight computed with the NOAA solar equations for 33° S (Santiago), 15th of each month

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Valle Nevado & Portillo

At a glance

Overview

Highlights

Is this trip for you?

Itinerary

Arrival in Santiago

Ascent to Valle Nevado

Valle Nevado: Ski Day 1

Valle Nevado: Ski Day 2

Valle Nevado: Ski Day 3

Transfer to Hotel Portillo · Ski Day 1

Portillo: Ski Day 2

Portillo: Ski Day 3

Portillo: Ski Day 4

Departure