Santiago de Chile

Chile's capital, ringed by the snowy Andes, with Neruda's house, the view from Cerro San Cristóbal, Maipo Valley wineries and day-trip skiing in winter.

Santiago is the capital of Chile, set in the Central Valley between the Andes and the Coastal Range at an altitude of about 570 m. On clear days, the snowy mountain skyline is visible from high points around the city. The city core can be divided into: the old town center (Plaza de Armas, La Moneda presidential palace, the Mercado Central, the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art); right next to it, the Lastarria and Bellavista arts neighborhoods (at the foot of Cerro San Cristóbal); Barrio Yungay and Parque Quinta Normal to the west (Museum of Memory and Human Rights); and the high-rise areas of Providencia, Vitacura and Las Condes to the east (Costanera Center, Parque Bicentenario, the Los Dominicos craft village). Day trips: 1 hour east by car brings you into the Andean valley of Cajón del Maipo, and in winter you can ski at Farellones and Valle Nevado; 40–50 minutes to the south is the Maipo Valley wine region (Concha y Toro, Santa Rita), and there is also the Cousiño Macul winery within the city; to the southwest is the pottery village of Pomaire. Valparaíso and Viña del Mar on the Pacific coast are covered as separate destinations. The climate is Mediterranean: December to February is hot and dry summer, March to May is grape harvest with pleasant weather, June to August is rainy winter with heavier smog but ski season, and September to November is spring and the most comfortable. Getting there: Santiago Airport (SCL) is 30–40 minutes from the city; the airport bus to Los Héroes metro station is cheapest, and for taxis we recommend prepaying at the airport counter. The metro covers the main sights, and you need a Bip! card. Chinese citizens need to apply for a visa in advance to travel to Chile. We suggest 3 days: 2 days in the city plus 1 day for wineries or the Andes. It is also often used as a stopover on the way to Easter Island, Atacama and Patagonia. Notes: pickpockets are common downtown; the summer UV is very strong; small shops require Chilean pesos in cash, and restaurant bills often include a 10% suggested tip.

Top sights

Cerro San Cristóbal – The city's summit at 880 metres, with a 14-metre statue of the Virgin and 360-degree views of the snow-capped Andes; riding the 1925 funicu…
Plaza de Armas & Metropolitan Cathedral – The central square founded with the city in 1541, surrounded by the cathedral, the central post office and the National History Museum, wit…
Barrio Lastarria – Santiago's most stylish little arts neighbourhood, with galleries, the GAM cultural centre, an old cinema, bookshops, cafés and wine bars…
Cajón del Maipo – An Andean canyon 1–2 hours southeast of Santiago, with the glacier-blue-green Embalse El Yeso reservoir, mountain hot springs and glacier h…
La Moneda Palace – Chile's presidential palace, a neoclassical building from 1805 and the site of the 1973 bombing during the coup, where you can watch the ch…
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art – One of South America's finest pre-Columbian museums, with pottery, textiles and treasures from the Andean civilisations, beautifully displa…
La Chascona (Pablo Neruda's House) – Nobel laureate poet Neruda's boat-shaped house built for his lover at the foot of San Cristóbal Hill, with quirky collections and an audio…
Sky Costanera – The 300-meter tallest building in Latin America, with a 360-degree observation deck on floors 61 and 62; on clear days you can see the enti…
Concha y Toro Winery – The century-old estate of South America's largest winery, with a 19th-century mansion, gardens, and the “Devil's Cellar” legend; the easies…
Mercado Central de Santiago – A seafood market with a cast-iron structure dating from 1872, a longtime Santiago favorite for seafood stew, king crab, and abalone.
La Vega Central – A large produce market where locals shop, with fruit, spices, and cheap home-style lunches; more lively and authentic than Mercado Central.
Museum of Memory and Human Rights – A national museum documenting human rights abuses during the 1973–1990 military government; free admission, heavy but essential.
National Museum of Fine Arts – The Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts, housed since 1910 in a palace styled after the Paris École des Beaux-Arts; the Museum of Contempo…
Barrio Bellavista – A bohemian neighborhood at the foot of San Cristóbal Hill, with colorful graffiti walls, Neruda's house, and Santiago's liveliest nightlife.
Barrio Italia – A district of converted old houses with design shops, antiques, and cafés; Santiago's most stylish place for a stroll.
Santiago General Cemetery – One of South America's largest cemeteries, with luxurious family mausoleums that resemble a small town; home to Allende's tomb and a wall c…
Palacio Cousiño – The 19th-century French-style mansion of a wealthy Chilean mining family, with original furniture, wallpaper, and crystal chandeliers prese…
Barrio Yungay – One of Santiago's oldest residential districts, with 19th-century row houses, private alleys, and street murals, and very little tourist de…
Quinta Normal Park & National Museum of Natural History – A large park converted from a 19th-century botanical garden, home to the free National Museum of Natural History, the Railway Museum, and s…
Church of San Francisco – Santiago's oldest surviving building, begun in the late 16th century; it has withstood many earthquakes and sits beside a colonial art muse…
Parque Bicentenario (Vitacura) – A modern park in upscale eastern Vitacura, with black-necked swans and flamingos on its lake, views of the Andes, and plenty of nearby rest…
Pueblito Los Dominicos – A craft village beside a white colonial-style church, with nearly 200 workshops selling lapis lazuli, copper, pottery, and alpaca textiles.
Farellones – An Andean ski village about an hour from the city, with beginner-friendly slopes and snow play areas; the top choice for a winter day trip.
Valle Nevado – One of South America's largest ski resorts, above 3,000 meters, with more than 40 km of runs and views of the main Andes peaks.
Viña Santa Rita – A historic winery in the Maipo Valley with a 19th-century estate, century-old gardens, and the Andean Museum; plenty of culture beyond wine…
Viña Cousiño-Macul – A century-old winery within the city, run by the Cousiño family since 1856 and reachable by metro, ideal for a tasting without traveling fa…
Viña Undurraga – A winery founded in 1885 in Talagante, with a French-style garden and an old cellar; a tasting day trip that's easy to reach by commuter tr…
Pomaire – A village famous for red clay pottery, with workshops lining its main street and a lunch of giant Chilean meat pie.
Cerro Santa Lucía – A small hill where Valdivia founded Santiago in 1541, transformed in the 19th century into a romantic park with a castle, fountains, and st…

Where to eat

Boragó – Chile's most prestigious restaurant, where chef Rodolfo Guzmán crafts seasonal tasting menus using native ingredients.
El Hoyo – A historic Chilean establishment founded in 1912, now relocated to Barrio Italia, famous for its meat platters and "Ter…
Peumayén Ancestral Food – An indigenous-flavored restaurant in Bellavista, presenting ingredients and techniques from various Chilean indigenous…
Bar Liguria (Manuel Montt) – An iconic Santiago bistro serving Chilean comfort food and cocktails, popular among actors and journalists.
Fuente Alemana – A classic Santiago sandwich institution, famous for its pork lomito, with long lines during lunch hours.
Galindo – A traditional Chilean restaurant housed in an old adobe building in Bellavista, open since 1968, with its pastel de cho…

Itineraries

Elqui Valley Stargazing & Atacama Desert Tour – Go stargazing and wine tasting in the Elqui Valley from La Serena, then fly north to explore salt flats, highland lagoo…
Grand Chile North-to-South Classic – From deserts and port cities to the Lake District and Torres del Paine, covering the highlights of Chile with three dom…