Free Tour Valparaiso: Where the City was Born

9.6
476 Reviews
Verified by: FREETOUR.com
Provided by: Ecomapu Travel
Duration
2h 30min
Meeting point
Plaza Sotomayor
Languages
English, French +2
From €0
Tip based
Free Booking. Free Cancellation.
No fixed price — pay what you feel the tour is worth.

Overview

Discover the living history of Valparaíso as we explore its oldest neighborhood, the cradle of traditions and a testament to the origins that earned it UNESCO World Heritage status. We’ll start at the iconic Plaza Sotomayor and take historic funiculars to visit parts of the Concepción and Alegre hills, where we’ll admire 19th-century European-inspired architecture—a legacy of immigration that shaped the city—and be captivated by the vibrant street art that brings its colorful streets to life.

From the terrace of Mercado Puerto, located in the heart of Barrio Puerto, we’ll enjoy a privileged view of the historic La Matriz neighborhood, complemented by a walk through the area and a visit to its art galleries, while delving into the fascinating original history of Valparaíso.

Join us and feel the unique energy of this city full of life, color, and tradition!

Note: Visits to Mercado Puerto, the Barrio Puerto tour, and the view of La Matriz are available from Tuesday to Saturday and are subject to availability. This tour may be canceled in case of heavy rain or events that result in the closure of Plaza Sotomayor.
Tour Conditions
Accessibility
Suitable for people with reduced mobility
Minimum Attendees
No minimum attendees
Children
Suitable for families with children
Extra Fees
No additional cost
Pets
Pet-friendly
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This activity includes:

  • Plaza Sotomayor
  • Ascensor Cordillera
  • Cerro Cordillera de Valparaíso
  • Bar Liberty
  • Plaza Echaurren
  • Lord Cochrane's Museum
  • Cerro Alegre
  • Ascensor El Peral
  • Mercado Puerto
  • Ascensor Concepcion
  • Reloj Turri
  • Paseo Galvez, Valparaíso
  • Paseo Yugoslavo Cerro Alegre
  • Paseo Gervasoni Cerro Concepción
  • Escalera Cienfuegos
  • Ecomapu Travel
  • Mercado Puerto
  • Graffiti
  • Street Art
  • Sitio UNESCO
  • Galería de Arte
  • Paseo Yugoslavo
  • Calle Serrano
  • Cerro Alegre
  • Cerro Cordillera
  • architecture
  • Cerro Concepcion

Our Guides

Felipe — Guide of Free Tour Valparaiso: Where the City was Born, Chile
Felipe
Cristian — Guide of Free Tour Valparaiso: Where the City was Born, Chile
Cristian

Meeting point

Plaza Sotomayor

On arrival

Please look for the guide dressed in a green Ecomapu t-shirt who will be waiting on the light blue platform in Sotomayor Square (Plaza Sotomayor). The meeting point is on the light blue platform, which is about 15 meters in front of the fire station, between Cochrane and Blanco streets. The appointment is at 12:00 PM, and the tour starts at 12:10 PM.
*Our guides speak at least two languages. The tour can be in two languages.

Things to note

Wear comfortable clothing.
Wear comfortable shoes.
It is recommended to bring a bottle of water.
Bring sunscreen cream.
Leave all important documents at the accommodation.
This tour does not take place on a rainy day.
This tour may be suspended due to official activities or demonstrations in Plaza Sotomayor.
*Because of commercial closures in the Barrio Puerto neighborhood on Sundays and Mondays, and for safety considerations, the tour itinerary will be adjusted.

How can the tour be free?

Our concept is simple — there is no set price. Instead, you tip your guide at the end of the tour whatever amount feels right to you. Typically, guests give between $10 to $50, depending on their satisfaction and budget.

Most guides accept cash or card payments, or you can do it via our app.

Rating
9.6
Organisation
9.7
Atmosphere
9.8
Content
9.6
Guide
9.8
Usefulness
9.7
Reviews (476)
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Reviewed on Mar 30, 2025
“Great first experience in Valparaiso”
Our guide Diego tried very much to explain all the informations and history of the city Valparaiso. It was my first experience with free tour guidance and I get much more than I expected. The whole tour lasted even longer than 3 hours and he showed us the most beautiful and artistic parts of the city. I trully recommend it.
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Reviewed on Mar 29, 2025
“Thanks for everything sebastian”
Thanks to Sebastian we were able to visit the narrow streets of Valparaiso, he introduced us to the interesting history of this city and more broadly of the country of Chile, showed us good places to eat ice cream or empanadas and was very understanding with clear French Thanks for everything!
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Reviewed on Mar 19, 2025
“Amazing experience”
The tour was amazing, one of the best experiences we had in our trip to Chile. We are brazilian and were put in a group of spanish speaking people, but out guide was kind enough to acknowledge that and speak slowly as well as try to translate some of the words to portuguese. This tour was full of historical and culture knowledge and made to actually know and understand Valparaíso and not just to take pretty pictures. We loved it!
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Reviewed on Mar 17, 2025
“It's perfect!!!”
We really appreciated the young Franco-Chilean guide. Thank you again
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Reviewed on Mar 17, 2025
“Great tour”
A very well designed tour, very comprehensive and informative, ang going way beyond the usual touristy spots. Our guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Highly recommended.
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Reviewed on Mar 17, 2025
“Sehr gut”
Steven was great
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Reviewed on Mar 17, 2025
“Discovering Valparaiso”
This walking tour of Valparaiso was a great experience. Our guide was very friendly and went out of his way to give us as much information as possible, including the address of a nice local restaurant at the end of the walk.
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Reviewed on Mar 15, 2025
“Valparaiso ”
Very interesting and friendly guide To be repeated Thank you
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Reviewed on Mar 12, 2025
“Best free guided tour I’ve had in a while”
Our tout guide was amazing ! He could speak perfect french, we learned so many things about the city ! We went to places he recommended (for food for example) and it was really good ! The 3 hours tour went by too fast
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Reviewed on Mar 06, 2025
“Excellent tour”
Excellent tour, the guide was brilliant and very knowledgeable! We really enjoyed, thank you!
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Free Cancellation

You are free to cancel a booking anytime. We kindly remind you to cancel bookings you cannot arrive for. Being reported as absent decreases your customer level points and the benefits you can enjoy.

Availability & Language
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Today, 10 April 2025
english
english
12:00 PM
spanish
spanish
12:00 PM
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Tours Organized by Ecomapu Travel