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Top things to do in Santiago

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About Santiago

Including tips for the best time to visit Santiago

High rise buildings and a criss-cross of streets, Santiago is a portrait of a pulsing metropolis framed by the mighty Andes. The capital of Chile has something for everyone – be it history, culture, food or adventure.

The journey to explore Santiago begins from the central square of the city, known as the Plaza de Armas. This historical place was once used for public executions but has now become a popular place to relax. Surrounded by historical and cultural landmarks like the Royal Court Palace and the Metropolis Cathedral, you can travel back in time with a visit to the National Museum of Natural History located in the Royal Court Palace. Later, you can stop at the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral to view its ornate frescoes.

Owing to its coastal location, Santiago has a thriving fishing industry and a variety of seafood dishes to offer. From razor clams, crab and lobster pies to eel soup and sea urchin, Chilean cuisine provides a varied platter of seafood. You can try Sopa Patagonica, a soup with pork, mixed with shrimp and mussels served with Chilean potatoes. If seafood is not your thing, then try ordering a parrillada – a skillet full of meat including chicken sausages, bacon and steak.

A small distance away from Santiago lies Valle Nevado, a skiing spot in the heart of the Andes. Whether you're a pro at skiing or a beginner, you'll find something for your level. This location offers hiking and biking options during the summer months.

Tonight

From $20 per night

Next weekend

From $46 per night

Most popular time to visit October-December
Cheapest time to visit January-March
Local currency USD
Language Spanish
Average weekend price $103 per night
Average weekday price $97 per night
Average stay 2 nights

Points of interest in Santiago

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Santiago reviews

What other travelers say about Santiago

10

Beautiful city and people.

December 4, 2023

Beautiful city and people. A lot to do in and around the city. Great food everywhere and very lively night life (such as the Lasterria area). But visitors (especially foreigners) should be on guard of thieves and pick pocketers. We had the unfortunate experience of being targeted by those people in Valparaiso. They managed to deflate one of our tires and, while pretend to help, stole all our bags containing our cards/cash. Our car rental company was not helpful at all. Left us without any money or means of accessing money with a temporary tire and 120km away from Santiago. Just need to be care so not to let such things ruin your otherwise great experience.

Jun
Jun United States of America
8.0

The sights are good, parliament square, cathedral and post...

December 4, 2023

The sights are good, parliament square, cathedral and post office worth a visit. San Franciso Church and museum are worth a visit, nice gardens with peacocks and art displays. Note - there are usually 2 prices on display for entrance fees, one for locals and one for tourists. It's a big city but totally walkable, youll get your steps in. The views from the funicular and cable car are excellent - book online to avoid the massive queues. The walk up to the Virgin Mary statue is lovely and it was nice to sit and relax while listening to the impromptu singers below. The locals didn't recommend a visit to the zoo because of poor conditions. The streets downtown are bustling, full of people and traders. Its great to sit in the main square and people watch. Little London and Little Paris were quaint and worth a mooch. Everything seemed to be a similar price to the UK. We were advised by friends and hotel staff not to wear jewellery while in town, or get your phone or a map out, and to wear a back pack on your front, to keep safe, basically try not to look like a tourist. To be fair we felt safe and didn’t see any problems but we took the advice. Remember to look up, lots of lovely architecture is above your head but also remember to look down, there are lots of stray dogs on the streets. We took taxis arranged by our hotel when we wanted to explore further. Las Condes was a really up market area of Santiago with modern buildings and a brilliant high end mall with lovely eating places. We didn't have time to try as many as we would have liked - absolutely recommend the Japanese and Peruvian restaurants. It felt completely safe there, easy to walk around and a buzzing atmosphere with live music every night. Wine tasting in Casa del Bosque, just outside Santiago was expensive but brilliant - the food, wine, pisco sours and service were exceptional.

Debbie
Debbie United Kingdom
10

What a great and diverse city.

November 26, 2023

What a great and diverse city. Walk the old city center and as many of the city neighborhoods as possible. The Hop On/Off buses stop at most of them. Uber drivers are also available in abundance, and are affordable. Eateries are everywhere however we kept it close to our hotel in the modern north east part of the city. Great day trips to to the mountains or the ocean / Valparaiso are available thru Turistik are a must if you have the time.

Lynch
Lynch United States of America
10

marvelous and comparatively cheap city, many types of...

November 23, 2023

marvelous and comparatively cheap city, many types of restaurants, on the negative side: all museums, cable car and funicular closed on Sundays, although Hop-on Hop-off bus works, despite the fact that you cannot do anything else

Oskar
Oskar Austria
6.0

One day (or one and a half) is enough to see the main...

November 14, 2023

One day (or one and a half) is enough to see the main attractions of Santiago - unless you're going to visit the museums. You can stay for a couple of day more if you want to wander a bit further (at Valparaiso/Viña del mar, or for a walk in the Andes at the east of the city) (The weather was bad and the museums were in the middle of a strike during my time here. This might affect my opinion of how Santiago really is for tourism)

Johan
Johan
10

There is a lot of misinformation about Santiago out there.

November 9, 2023

There is a lot of misinformation about Santiago out there. Contrary to what you will read on line, the city is not dangerous (at least in the tourist areas) and it is definitely not boring. The city is very clean (no litter) (although there is too much graffiti). The people are wonderfully polite and helpful. And, most importantly, there is a lot to see and do, starting with Cerro Santa Lucia and Cerro San Cristobal. Both are a short walk from the center of the historic downtown and both are worth the ascent. . And there is a lot of great food to eat (despite -- or maybe "because of" -- your call -- the love that Chilenos have for huge amounts of mayonnaise on hot dogs and hamburgers).

Spretnak
Spretnak United States of America

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