If your cruise itinerary says Santiago (San Antonio), there’s something important to know: your ship isn’t actually leaving from Santiago.
Getting from Santiago to San Antonio Cruise Port means travelling more than 100 km to the Chilean coast, so you’ll need to organise transport before your cruise.
I made this journey before boarding a Holland America Line cruise from San Antonio through South America and Antarctica.
We flew into Santiago Airport and, rather than booking an expensive transfer, travelled all the way to San Antonio using public buses.
But the bus isn’t your only option. Here are the different ways to get from Santiago to San Antonio Cruise Port – and how to decide which is right for you.
This article may contain affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase after clicking on a link, I may receive a small commission. Read the full disclaimer here.
Check Which Santiago Cruise Port You Need
Before booking transport, check your cruise documents carefully to confirm exactly where your ship is departing from.
Cruises associated with Santiago can depart from San Antonio or Valparaíso, two different port cities on the Chilean coast. Neither is actually in Santiago.
This caught out a few passengers on my cruise. They had assumed they were leaving from Valparaíso and had booked accommodation or transport for the wrong port.
Don’t rely on Santiago being listed on a cruise itinerary or booking website. Look for the actual port name – San Antonio or Valparaíso – before booking your hotel or transfer.
This guide is specifically for cruises departing from San Antonio Cruise Port.
How to Get From Santiago to San Antonio Cruise Port
San Antonio is around 115 km from central Santiago. By road, allow roughly 1½ to 2 hours, although traffic can make the journey longer.
There are several ways to get there, ranging from a cheap public bus to a private door-to-door transfer.
| Option | Best For | Things to Consider |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise line transfer | Convenience and peace of mind | Usually one of the more expensive options |
| Private transfer | Easy door-to-door transport | Convenient, especially with luggage |
| Transfer with sightseeing | Making a day of the journey | Takes longer and follows a set itinerary |
| Taxi or rideshare | Flexibility | Price and availability can vary |
| Public bus | Budget travellers | Cheapest, but requires a change if coming from the airport |
We chose the public bus because we had plenty of time and were happy to travel independently.
It was cheap and surprisingly straightforward, although it did involve navigating bus terminals with our luggage and very little Spanish.
Book a Transfer with Your Cruise Company
Best for: Travellers who want the easiest option and are happy to pay more for convenience.
Depending on your sailing, your cruise line may offer transfers from Santiago Airport or designated hotels in the city.
The big advantage is that the cruise line knows you’re on your way to the ship. We saw the value of this when our Holland America ship was delayed arriving in San Antonio.
Passengers who had booked their flights, accommodation and transfers through the cruise line had Holland America dealing with the changes for them.
Cruise-line transfers aren’t usually the cheapest option, but you’re paying for convenience and less organising. Check what’s available for your particular sailing.
Private Transfer from Santiago to San Antonio
Best for: Travellers who want easy, door-to-door transport.
A private transfer is probably the simplest independent way to get from Santiago to San Antonio. You can arrange to be picked up from Santiago Airport or your hotel and taken directly to the cruise terminal.
It’s particularly appealing if you’re carrying a lot of luggage, travelling with others or arriving after a long international flight.
There’s no need to find bus terminals, work out tickets or move your luggage between different forms of transport.
Private transfers cost considerably more than the bus, but the price can become more reasonable when shared between several people.
I’d book in advance, particularly on cruise days when plenty of other passengers may be travelling to San Antonio.
Check prices for private transfers from Santiago to San Antonio →
Transfer from Santiago with Sightseeing
Best for: Travellers who have time to spare and want to see more of Chile along the way.
Instead of simply driving to San Antonio, you can turn the transfer into a day of sightseeing.
Pre-cruise transfer tours may include Valparaíso, Viña del Mar or the Casablanca Valley, one of Chile’s major wine regions. Your luggage travels with you and you’re dropped at the cruise terminal afterwards.
I seriously considered this option, but we decided to travel directly to San Antonio after landing in Chile and stay overnight instead.
If we’d stayed in Santiago, though, it would have been tempting. Our scheduled cruise check-in wasn’t until 3:40 pm, giving us plenty of time to reach San Antonio.
Make sure any tour you book is designed for cruise passengers, includes your luggage and gets you to the correct port comfortably before your embarkation time.
Here are two options you might like
- Transfer to San Antonio port prior cruise with tour in Valparaiso and Casablanca
- Pre or Post San Antonio Cruise with Santiago City Tour and optional Vineyard
Best for: Travellers wanting door-to-door transport without pre-booking a transfer.
I used Uber regularly when we returned to Santiago after our cruise and found it easy and convenient.
I didn’t use it for the longer journey to San Antonio, though, so I can’t comment on that trip from personal experience.
With a rideshare app, you can see the estimated fare before confirming and pay through the app. However, prices vary with demand, and a driver still needs to be willing to accept a journey of more than 100 km.
A taxi offers similar convenience, but make sure you understand how the fare will be calculated before leaving.
I’d compare the current taxi or rideshare price with a pre-booked private transfer. If there isn’t much difference, I’d choose the private transfer and have everything organised in advance.
Need a sim card to order those rideshares on your South American trip? I used an eSIM from Airalo
Bus from Santiago to San Antonio
Best for: Budget travellers comfortable with public transport and handling their own luggage.
This is how we travelled from Santiago Airport to San Antonio, and it was considerably cheaper than a private or cruise-line transfer.
If you’re coming from the airport, the journey has two stages:
Santiago Airport → Terminal Alameda → San Antonio
We arrived at Santiago Airport at around 2 pm and weren’t boarding our cruise until the following day, so we had plenty of time.
If you’re comfortable using public transport and managing with limited Spanish, it’s very doable. The buses were comfortable and our luggage was stored underneath.
I wouldn’t choose this option if I had only a few hours between landing and embarkation. But if you have plenty of time – or you’re travelling to San Antonio the day before as we did – it’s an excellent way to save money.
Step 1: Santiago Airport to Terminal Alameda
From Santiago Airport, take the Turbus airport bus to Terminal Alameda.
Turbus currently operates the service daily, with buses approximately every 10–15 minutes between 5:30 am and midnight. The fare is currently 2,000 CLP.
When we did the trip, finding the Turbus was easy. The bright green coaches were hard to miss, and our suitcases were stored underneath.
Airport pick-up arrangements have changed since my visit, so check the current Turbus departure point when you arrive rather than relying on my old directions.
Make sure you’re taking the bus to Terminal Alameda, where you’ll connect with the bus to San Antonio.
Check current Santiago Airport bus times and fares on Turbus →
Step 2: Terminal Alameda to San Antonio
Terminal Alameda is at Av. Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 3750, Santiago. It felt fairly chaotic when we arrived, but we soon worked out where we needed to go.
We travelled with Pullman Bus Costa Central, which operates regular services to San Antonio.
We found the ticket windows and asked for tickets on the next bus. That bus was already full, so we bought tickets for the following one and waited about 30 minutes – a good reminder not to make your schedule too tight.
Tickets have allocated seats, and our suitcases were stored underneath the coach. The seats were large and comfortable.
The journey takes around 1 hour 40 minutes, although traffic can add to that.
You can buy tickets online in advance, which makes sense if you’re already staying in Santiago and know when you’ll arrive at the terminal.
Coming straight from an international flight, I’d be more cautious. A flight or immigration delay could mean missing your booked bus. We bought our tickets at the terminal and simply took the next service with seats available.
Check current Santiago to San Antonio bus times and fares before travelling.
Step 3: Arriving in San Antonio
Our bus arrived at the San Antonio bus terminal on Angamos, close to the port.
We walked to the cruise terminal with our luggage. It wasn’t particularly far, although the port layout meant we seemed to walk towards it and then almost back on ourselves to reach the passenger terminal!
San Antonio is very much a working port rather than a pretty cruise harbour.
The current cruise passenger terminal is operated by DP World San Antonio at Alan Macowan 240. Embarkation arrangements can change, so check the instructions supplied by your cruise line before deciding to walk from the bus station.
If you have heavy luggage or don’t feel comfortable walking through an unfamiliar port area, take a taxi for the final part of the journey.
The area around the bus station and port felt quite industrial and a little rough around the edges when we visited. We had no problems walking there, but keep an eye on your belongings and be aware of your surroundings.
Where to Stay in San Antonio Before a Cruise
We travelled to San Antonio the day before our cruise rather than staying overnight in Santiago.
We stayed at Hotel Casino San Antonio by Enjoy, also listed as Hotel Enjoy San Antonio.
It’s a comfortable mid-range hotel that worked well for a night before our cruise. Breakfast was included, and the highlight was being able to look over the port from our room and see our cruise ship arrive.
The hotel has 70 rooms, a restaurant, bar and 24-hour reception. It’s also next to the Parque Arauco shopping centre, handy if you need anything before boarding.
When we stayed, the hotel was running a shuttle to the cruise terminal on embarkation day, and taxis were also available. Check with the hotel rather than assuming the shuttle will operate for your cruise.
Check prices for Hotel Enjoy San Antonio →
Should You Stay in Santiago or San Antonio Before Your Cruise?
If you’re arriving in Chile a few days before your cruise, I’d stay in Santiago and spend some time exploring the city.
But if you’re arriving the day before, there’s a good argument for continuing straight to San Antonio as we did.
San Antonio isn’t somewhere I’d necessarily add to a Chile itinerary for sightseeing, but waking up in the same city as your ship removes one potential problem on embarkation day.
It also gives you a restful morning after a long international flight. Instead of getting up early and tackling another transfer, you can sleep in, take your time over breakfast and give yourself a little more time to adjust to the jet lag.
We arrived in Santiago at around 2 pm, took the buses to San Antonio and stayed overnight. The following morning, we could see our ship in the port from our hotel room and had a relaxed start before boarding.
For me, that was worth giving up a night in Santiago.
Which Santiago to San Antonio Transfer Would I Choose?
I’d happily take the public bus again if I were arriving the day before my cruise. It was cheap, comfortable and easier than I expected.
If I were arriving on embarkation day, however, I’d pay for a private or cruise-line transfer. Missing a cruise because I was trying to save money on transport isn’t a risk I’d take.
If I were already staying in Santiago, I’d consider a sightseeing transfer if I had enough time.
In short:
- Arriving the day before: Public bus and overnight in San Antonio
- Arriving on embarkation day: Private or cruise-line transfer
- Already staying in Santiago: Private transfer or sightseeing transfer
- Want the easiest option: Cruise-line or private transfer
A cruise is one occasion when I’d much rather arrive too early than be watching the clock and wondering whether I’m going to make the ship.
Getting to San Antonio Cruise Port
Getting from Santiago to San Antonio takes a little more planning than you might expect when your cruise itinerary simply says “Santiago”, but there are options to suit almost every budget and travel style.
Whichever you choose, double-check that your ship is departing from San Antonio rather than Valparaíso and give yourself plenty of time to get there.
Then you can stop worrying about the transfer and concentrate on the much more exciting part – getting on that ship!
Staying in Santiago? Try one of these tours
Before you go….
You might like to read these next
Things to Consider Before an Antarctic Cruise
Visiting Iguazu Falls
11 Important Things to Know Before You Go to Argentina
Visiting La Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires
Found this post useful? Share it with your friends and pin it for later
