Paso de Uspallata

Rent a car for 1 or 2 days from Santiago and go visit the beautiful Uspallata Pass with Monumento del Cristo Redentor, the Aconcagua Provincial Park for some hiking, the impressive El Puente del Inca or even laid-back Mendoza and its vineyards. The pass road itself is gravel road and a detour from the tunnel which most people use between Chile and Argentina. The views from the pass into Chile and Argentina are breathtaking, and the drive itself is exciting (not just along the gravel road). If you rent the car at around 16:00 and start in the morning near Los Andes or even closer to the pass, it might be better due to lesser clouds in the morning. Note, the border crossing into Argentina, which is 10 km or so behind the actual border, can take 2–6 hr with cars queuing for many kilometers before the tunnel underneath the pass. Since you actually do not want to take the tunnel, you should find a way to pass the waiting cars, maybe with the help of a local border police car. The gravel road to the pass starts about 100 m before the tunnel. If you just go to the Uspallata Pass and return to Chile without entering Argentina, do not tell the customs office on the way back that you went to see the Christ statue—it seems that the statue is on the Argentinian side. On the way back, you will be checked by customs for not allowed goods and food, even if you did not cross into Argentina—so, best to leave everything (even the wine) in Chile before you go to the pass.

outdoors

Getting there: between Chile and Argentina
Price: US$30 per day car rental fee

Directions Suggest a nearby place

Listing from Wikivoyage: Santiago, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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