15 Best Things to Do in Santiago, Chile

The best things to do in Santiago, Chile, are the view from Sky Costanera, the cafes and galleries of Barrio Lastarria, the funicular up Cerro San Cristóbal, the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, and lunch at the Mercado Central. Add a day in the wine valleys, a day trip to Valparaíso and a day in the Andes, and four or five days fill easily.

Santiago sits in a wide valley between the Andes and the coastal range, about 100 kilometers from the Pacific. On a clear day after rain, the snow-covered peaks seem to rise straight out of the city.

Pedro de Valdivia founded the city on February 12, 1541, at the foot of Cerro Santa Lucía. Much of the colonial and 19th-century center survived the earthquakes that have shaped the city since, and it sits a few metro stops from the glass towers of Providencia and Las Condes.

Santiago is often treated as a stopover on the way to Patagonia or the Atacama Desert. That undersells it, as the food, wine and museums are some of the best in South America, and the mountains are close enough for a day trip.

To help you know where to start, we asked a group of travel bloggers about their favorite things to do in Santiago, and their recommendations are credited below. Universal Traveller updated the prices, opening hours and practical details in October 2026 and added seven more experiences.

Things to Do in Santiago Compared

1. See the City from Sky Costanera

Recommended by Leticia from Happee Travelers

Sky Costanera is the observation deck at the top of the Gran Torre Santiago, which at 300 meters is the tallest building in South America. The tower is part of the Costanera Center, a complex with one of the largest shopping malls on the continent, offices and a hotel.

I had no idea before landing that the Andes surround Santiago, and I love landscapes with snow-capped mountains. We went up at sunset, just in time to see the orange light on the city and the mountains on the horizon.

From above, you notice how flat Santiago is, with broad avenues laid out in a grid that feels almost North American. The deck covers the two top floors, and the upper one is open to the air.

Verdict: Worth it on a clear day, ideally an hour before sunset. On a smoggy winter afternoon, the Andes may not be visible at all, so check the sky before you pay.

2. Wander Through Barrio Lastarria

Recommended by Ale Werner from Universo Viajero

Barrio Lastarria is a small, walkable neighborhood in the center of Santiago, between the Alameda, the Parque Forestal and Cerro Santa Lucía. Its construction began in 1857 with the Church of the Vera Cruz, and by around 1900, wealthy families had built mansions here that now house much of the city’s cultural life.

The streets are made for walking on any day of the week, with street artists, craft stalls, independent cinemas, design shops and plenty of restaurants. At weekends, families come out for a stroll, and the cafes spill onto the sidewalks.

Nearby, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo share a grand 1910 building on the Parque Forestal, and both are free. The Centro Gabriela Mistral, known as GAM, on the Alameda, hosts theater, dance and exhibitions.

Verdict: Worth it, and the best area for a first evening in Santiago. Many travelers stay here for the restaurants on their doorstep.

3. Climb Cerro Santa Lucía

Cerro Santa Lucía is a small rocky hill on the edge of Lastarria, where Pedro de Valdivia founded Santiago in 1541. In the 1870s, the city turned it into a park, with terraces, fountains, stairways and the neo-Gothic Castillo Hidalgo.

The climb to the lookout at the top takes about 20 minutes. The last section is a set of narrow, steep stone steps, but the view across the city to the Andes is worth it.

Verdict: Worth it in the morning or late afternoon, combined with Lastarria. Skip the upper steps if you are uneasy with heights.

4. Join a Walking Tour of the Center

Recommended by Claudia from My Adventures Across The World

One of the best ways to start in Santiago is a guided walking tour of the center. Several companies run tip-based tours every day, and there is no need to book.

You just show up at the meeting point at the set time.

Most tours cover the Plaza de Armas and the cathedral, the main government buildings and some of the best street art. Guides also explain local habits, such as the way residents look after the city’s stray dogs as shared pets.

Some tours include a market stop, a good chance to try local food, starting with empanadas, pastries filled with meat, onions, olives and egg. Paid tours by bike cover more ground, including the parks along the Mapocho River.

Verdict: Worth it, especially on your first morning. A bike tour is the better choice if you want to see more than the center.

This bike tour covers the center, the parks and the political history of Santiago, rated 4.6 from over 90 reviews.

5. Explore the Plaza de Armas and La Moneda

The Plaza de Armas has been the heart of Santiago since 1541. Around it stand the Metropolitan Cathedral, whose current building dates from the 18th century, the Central Post Office and the National History Museum.

A few blocks south is the Palacio de La Moneda, the seat of the president, which was bombed during the military coup of September 11, 1973. The changing of the guard takes place in front of the palace every other day, and the Centro Cultural La Moneda, underground beneath the square, hosts major exhibitions.

Between the two, the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino holds one of the best collections of pre-Columbian art in the Americas.

Verdict: Worth half a day, ideally with a guide. Keep your phone and bag close, as the center is busy with pickpockets.

6. Have Lunch at the Mercado Central

Recommended by Carole from Berkeley and Beyond

The Mercado Central, on the northern edge of the historic center, is about a 10-minute walk from the Plaza de Armas. Its iron structure was prefabricated in Britain and opened in 1872, with high ceilings and ornate ironwork that recall a Victorian train station.

The seafood stalls sell crabs, mussels, sea urchins and oysters, and the restaurants inside serve them cooked. Donde Augusto, the best known, has tables spread across much of the market, and the Chilean sea bass is the classic order.

The market has been through hard years. In 2025, many stalls were closed and the surrounding streets felt rundown, so go at lunchtime, when it is busiest.

La Vega Central, the produce market across the river, is more lively and much cheaper.

Verdict: Worth it for one seafood lunch. Combine it with La Vega Central and a food tour if you want to understand how Santiago eats.

This small-group food tour includes more than 12 tastings at Santiago’s markets, rated 4.9 from 17 reviews.

7. Drink a Terremoto at La Piojera

Recommended by Elisa from World in Paris

One of my favorite things to do in a new country is to try its local food and drink in a place where locals go. A Chilean friend in Santiago took us to La Piojera for empanadas and terremotos.

La Piojera, at Aillavilú 1030, near the Mercado Central, has been pouring cheap drinks for well over a century. It is a no-frills tavern with basic furniture, a short menu of staples and a loud, friendly crowd.

The terremoto, which means earthquake, mixes pipeño, a young sweet wine, with pineapple ice cream and grenadine. The story goes that it was named in 1985, when visiting German journalists tried one after the earthquake that shook Santiago and said it felt like another one.

Verdict: Worth one drink in the afternoon, combined with the Mercado Central. Go easy, as a terremoto is stronger than it tastes, and take a taxi or ride app if you leave after dark.

8. Visit the Museum of Memory and Human Rights

The Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos tells the story of the human rights violations committed during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, from 1973 to 1990. It opened in 2010 in a modern building in the Barrio Yungay.

Photographs, letters, radio broadcasts and testimonies make the exhibits personal rather than academic. The wall of portraits of the victims stays with most visitors long after they leave.

Verdict: Worth it, and the most important museum in Santiago. Allow at least two hours and borrow the audio guide.

9. Spend a Day in the Parque Metropolitano

Recommended by Kaila from Nylon Pink

The Parque Metropolitano covers Cerro San Cristóbal and the hills around it, and it is one of the largest urban parks in Latin America. It is a free, easy escape from the traffic, with paths for walking and running and roads popular with cyclists at weekends.

The park also has a botanical garden, the National Zoo, a Japanese garden and two public swimming pools, the Tupahue and the Antilén, open in summer. At the top stands a statue of the Virgin Mary and a lookout over the city.

You can bring your own food and have a picnic. There are tables and barbecue areas in several parts of the park.

Verdict: Worth half a day. Go up by funicular, walk across the park and come down by cable car to Providencia.

10. Ride the Funicular up Cerro San Cristóbal

Recommended by Halef and Michael from The Round The World Guys

Santiago was built at the foot of the Andes, and Cerro San Cristóbal rises about 300 meters above the city. The most popular way to the top is the funicular, a steep incline railway that has run since 1925 and was declared a National Monument in 2000.

The ride starts at the Tudor-style Pío Nono station in Bellavista and climbs about 500 meters of track in a few minutes, with a midway stop at the zoo. At the top, a short walk leads to the statue of the Virgin Mary and the view across the city.

A new cable car line from Pío Nono, opened in 2026, and the older cable car from Pedro de Valdivia make it easy to combine different routes up and down.

Verdict: Worth it on a clear day, but avoid weekend afternoons, when the lines can take longer than the ride.

11. Visit La Chascona and Explore Bellavista

La Chascona was the Santiago home of Pablo Neruda, the poet who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971. He built it in 1953 for Matilde Urrutia, whose wild red hair gave the house its name.

The house climbs the hillside in several small buildings and is full of his collections, from ship figureheads to colored glass. Visits are with an audio guide.

Around it, Bellavista is Santiago’s bohemian quarter, with street art, restaurants and bars along Pío Nono and Constitución streets. It is liveliest in the evening, and the Patio Bellavista courtyard is a good starting point.

Verdict: Worth it for Neruda readers. If you visit Valparaíso, his house La Sebastiana there has the better views.

12. Shop for Crafts at the Pueblito Los Dominicos

Recommended by Juergen from Dare2go

If you want time outside the busy center, take metro line 1 to its eastern end at Los Dominicos. Here, in the wealthy suburb of Las Condes, the streets are greener and the air is better.

The main attraction is the Pueblito Los Dominicos, a protected historic site behind the San Vicente Ferrer church, a National Monument. The old farm buildings of a former Dominican estate now house nearly 200 craft shops in rustic adobe buildings.

Benches in shady lanes invite you to rest, and there are small restaurants with outdoor tables. It is the best place in Santiago for souvenirs, from jewelry and alpaca shawls to paintings, often sold by the people who made them.

Verdict: Worth it for souvenirs. Go mid-morning on a weekday, avoiding the metro at rush hour, and expect crowds of locals at weekends.

13. Taste Wine in the Maipo Valley

Santiago is surrounded by wine country, and some vineyards are within the city itself. Cousiño Macul, founded in 1856 and still family-owned, has its winery in Peñalolén, on the eastern edge of the city.

The Maipo Valley, south of the city, is known for Cabernet Sauvignon and is home to large houses such as Concha y Toro in Pirque. The Casablanca Valley, on the road to Valparaíso, is cooler and better for white wines and Pinot Noir.

Verdict: Worth a day. Small producers give a more personal visit than the big, busy tours at the best-known houses.

This small-group tour visits four wineries with tastings, rated 4.9 from over 130 reviews.

14. Take a Day Trip to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar

Valparaíso, about 120 kilometers west of Santiago, is a port city built on steep hills above the Pacific. Its historic quarter is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with colorful houses, murals and old funiculars, called ascensores, that climb from the port to the hilltops.

Pablo Neruda’s house La Sebastiana sits at the top of one hill. Viña del Mar, next door, is a tidier resort town with beaches, gardens and a casino.

Verdict: Worth it, and the best day trip from Santiago. Better still, stay a night in Valparaíso to see it after the tour buses leave.

This small-group tour covers both cities and a wine tasting, rated 4.7 from over 500 reviews.

15. Head into Cajón del Maipo and the Andes

Cajón del Maipo is a deep river canyon southeast of Santiago, about 1.5 hours away, and the city’s outdoor playground. You can hike, raft on the Maipo River in summer or soak in hot springs.

The highlight is the Embalse El Yeso, a turquoise reservoir at about 2,500 meters, ringed by mountains. The road beyond the last village is unpaved and can close after snow, so a tour is the easiest way in.

In winter, the ski areas of Valle Nevado, La Parva and El Colorado are about 1.5 to 2 hours from the city. The season usually runs from June to September.

Verdict: Worth it for anyone who likes mountains. Choose a hike over a minivan tour if you are fit, as you see far more on foot.

This small-group hike near the San José volcano includes transport and a guide, rated 4.9 from over 500 reviews.

More Santiago tours and day trips are listed on GetYourGuide.

Is Santiago Safe for Travelers?

Santiago is safer than most large cities in South America, but street crime has increased in recent years. In August 2026, the US State Department rated Chile at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, citing crime and demonstrations that can disrupt the metro and buses.

• Keep your phone out of sight on the street and in cafes, especially in the center and around the markets
• Use ride apps or registered taxis at night
• Avoid demonstrations, which often gather around Plaza Baquedano and the Alameda
• Stay in Lastarria, Providencia or Las Condes, and avoid the center after dark

Where to Stay in Santiago

Lastarria is the best area for walking to museums and restaurants. Providencia is a calm middle ground with good metro links, and Las Condes and Vitacura have the big international hotels and the most polished restaurants.

• For character: The Singular Santiago in Lastarria, with a rooftop bar facing Cerro San Cristóbal
• For something smaller: Hotel Magnolia, a 40-room boutique hotel in a 1929 building beside Cerro Santa Lucía
• For classic service: The Ritz-Carlton Santiago in El Golf, near the restaurants of Isidora Goyenechea
• For space and gardens: Mandarin Oriental Santiago in Las Condes, the first Mandarin Oriental in South America

Recommended by Lauren from The Traveller’s Guide By #ljojlo

The Sheraton Santiago Hotel and Convention Center sits by the river below the hills of the Parque Metropolitano, with views over the city or parkland. I stayed there before a trip to Antarctica and found the rooms clean and calm, with indoor and outdoor pools and a gym.

It is a large hotel aimed at business travelers, convenient for the airport and for Providencia.

Sheraton Santiago Hotel and Convention Center

Getting to and Around Santiago

Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) is about 17 kilometers west of the center. Centropuerto and TurBus buses run to Los Héroes and Pajaritos metro stations for about CLP 1,800 one way (2025), taking about 45 minutes.

Official taxis and shared shuttles sell fixed fares at counters inside the arrivals hall. Ignore drivers who approach you before you reach them.

In the city, the metro is fast, clean and cheap. Since February 2026, you can tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard at the gates instead of buying a bip! card, and fares depend on the time of day.

From Santiago, most travelers continue south to Patagonia or north to the Atacama Desert by plane. See also hiking in Torres del Paine and the best things to do in Buenos Aires, a two-hour flight away.

Best Time to Visit Santiago

Santiago has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cool, damp winters. From December to February, highs reach about 30°C, while from June to August they sit around 16°C, with frosty nights.

Almost all the rain falls between May and August. Spring, from September to November, and autumn, from March to May, are the most pleasant times for walking, and the grape harvest in March and April is the best time for the wine valleys.

Climate data: 1991 to 2020 averages for Quinta Normal, Santiago. Crowd levels are Universal Traveller’s assessment.

Suggested 4-Day Santiago Itinerary

• Day 1: a walking tour of the center, the Plaza de Armas and La Moneda, lunch at the Mercado Central, an evening in Lastarria
• Day 2: the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in the morning, the funicular up Cerro San Cristóbal and La Chascona in the afternoon, Sky Costanera at sunset
• Day 3: a day trip to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar
• Day 4: a wine tour in the Maipo Valley, or Cajón del Maipo if you prefer mountains

With an extra day, add Cerro Santa Lucía, the Pueblito Los Dominicos and a terremoto at La Piojera. In winter, swap the wine day for a ski day.

More Universal Traveller Guides to South America

• Best things to do in Patagonia
• Hiking in Torres del Paine National Park
• Best things to do in Buenos Aires
• Best things to do in Bolivia
• A 3-day tour to the Uyuni salt flats
• The best hikes in the world
• Best places to visit in South America
• All South America guides

Frequently Asked Questions About Santiago

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• About the Author
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Pauline Joie

Pauline has a bachelor’s degree in Tourism and is a professional content writer. She specializes in writing about travel and food. Pauline spent most of her career life in Dubai and is a Travel Expert for the United States and Costa Rica.

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