Santiago.
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Overview

Santiago is the capital and economic center of Chile. With its many museums, events, theaters, restaurants, bars and other entertainment and cultural opportunities, it is also the cultural center of the country. For visitors it's both the gateway to the country and a destination in its own right with an eclectic architecture, a vibrant culinary and cultural scene, surrounded by the mighty Andes welcoming skiers, trekkers and friends of wine. Its central location in the country makes it a great base for visiting other areas, and it is possible to ski in the nearby Andes and later be on the beach in the same day.

Understand

Santiago is a fast-growing city in the Santiago Región Metropolitana, in the central valley of Chile between the Andes mountain range to the east and the Coastal Range to the west. The metropolitan area has about 7 million inhabitants.

Founded in 1541 as Santiago de Nueva Extremadura by the Spaniard Pedro de Valdivia, it has been the heart of the country since colonial times and has evolved to the cosmopolitan city it is today.

History The Santiago valley has been inhabited for thousands of years by different peoples. The Inca empire, and with them the Inca road network, extended here in the late 15th century. Not long after emerged the Spanish conquistadors, and on February 12, 1541, Pedro de Valdivia founded "Santiago de Nueva Extremadura" as the capital of the Captaincy General of Chile. During the following centuries functioned as the headquarters of the Spanish for their wars against the native Mapuche people further south, during which time the city was ruined two times by earthquakes.

From the 19th century onwards, Santiago followed a similar path as many other South American cities. Independence was followed by rapid expansion and modernization and many of the city's major buildings, cultural institutions and parks were established at this time. Also the railway network to other parts of the country was greatly expanded. European immigration was from the 1930s onwards followed by immigrants from rural Chile and the city already had 3 million inhabitants by the middle of the 20th century.

The next major event in the city's history took place in 1973, when Marxist president Allende was ousted in a military coup. The military dictatorship that followed lasted until 1990. Today, Chile is a safe, democratic and stable country and one of the richest in Latin America.

Santiago sits in the middle of the Maipo river valley, at the place where it is joined by its tributary Mapocho, and the city is surrounded by mountains of various elevations, the highest of them Tupungato (6,570 m). Many of them are active volcanoes, and the soil has been covered in ash for millennia making it very fertile and high-quality grapes and other fruits are widely grown just outside the city.

The city sits between 400 and 540 meters above the sea level, but with many "hill islands" here and there including Santa Lucia, Cerro Calan and Cerro San Cristobal, the most emblematic top of the city. The Andes on the east side are noticeably higher than the Chilean Coastal Range on the west, wherefore east and west are often referred to as "up" or "down" by locals.

The administrative conurbation of Santiago is made up of 37 municipalities, of which the most important is Santiago Centro, where the main public institutions of the country and the old town are found. The east of the city is the financial center of the country.

Like most of the central part in the country, Santiago has a typical Mediterranean climate. The climate is chilly and rainy in the winter, and temperatures can fall to around 0°C at night. It very rarely snows in the city itself, and during the winter it will more likely be raining with snow falling to the east up in the Andes. It gets progressively hotter towards the summer. Summers are fairly dry although you may experience some humidity at times, and temperatures can surpass 35°C. Due to the relative lack of vegetation in the region, temperatures fluctuate wildly between day and night year-round. It is not uncommon to suffer from the heat in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt during the day but require a jacket at night.

Santiago is notorious for its poor air quality, which is due to the inversion effect in the basin and other factors. The air quality can be unhealthy in large part due to high concentrations of particulate matter (especially in the winter).

Sernatur. The main visitor information office.

Information on Santiago from Chile Travel website

Get in

Upon entry, all tourists are issued a tourist card good for 90 days. Take care not to lose the stamped tourist card as it is required to exit the country. If you happen to lose it you must get it reissued by the PDI (Policía de Investigaciones) before attempting to leave the country.

Aeropuerto Internacional Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez has flights from most continents, with major flight routes to North America, Europe, the Middle East and is the only South American airport to have flights to Oceania. The airport is also a major hub for Latin America.

Travelers from Albania and Mexico, must pay a reciprocity fee upon entry to the country by air. This is in response to these same countries' visa fees for Chilean citizens. The one-time charge must be paid in cash (US dollars) or credit card before passing through immigration and is valid for the life of the passport. There is no fee to enter by land. If paying by cash be aware that the bills must be in near "perfect" condition, no ripped bills.

There are taxis waiting immeditiately outside the terminal.

There are two public bus companies that run into town: Centropuerto and Turbus. You can purchase a one-way ticket for 2,000 pesos. Follow the signs to the bus terminal. It is a 5-minute walk from arrivals.

There is also the public Red bus line 555 that runs between the metro station Pajaritos and the parking space for the employees of the airport. It works with the Metro card and a ride with the bus (or bus+metro) counts as a standard ride (<= 800 pesos). The card can be bought and charged at Metro stations, but not in the bus. From the parking space runs a free shuttle bus to the terminals.

Transvip and WeTransport offer shared and private transport to and from the airport.

If you are renting a car, the rental car company counters are all together to your left after clearing customs in the international terminal. There is a separate set of rental car counters before customs (so you can rent a car while waiting at the baggage claim), but they are not always staffed. After you get your contract, you have to walk outside, turn left, and walk east, then cross the street to the south to a small lot where the rental cars are kept and present your contract to the attendant on duty to obtain your rental car. When you return the vehicle, you must return to the same lot. Because the airport rental car lot is far too small, traffic jams and delays are frequent, so arrive early. At return, the attendant inspects the vehicle and fills out a return checklist form in carbon copy, then gives you one of the copies, which you bring back to the inside counter to close out your contract.

Trenes Metropolitanos provides multiple commuter and interregional trains from the train station (Metro Estación Central, Line 1) to the vast wine and agriculture valley to the south. The central station, designed by Gustave Eiffel, used to be the center of an extensive passenger railway network, which has been closed down just like in the rest of South America.

Metrotren is a commuter rail that runs to San Fernando by way of Rancagua with five departures daily, prices up to 2,400 pesos. TerraSur runs to Chillán with three departures daily. It is recommended to book ahead during the high season (Austral summer) as seats fill up quickly. Prices are up to 22,000 pesos for first class and 10,800 pesos for second class. Expreso Maule runs an interregional express service to the sixth and seventh regions (O'Higgins and Maule) once daily, prices up to 3,850 pesos.

By car Entering Santiago by car, you'll probably find yourself on the Autopista Central (Ruta 5), the Chilean leg of the Pan-American Highway. To use this freeway you need a "TAG" toll transponder, or a day pass which you can buy from service stations. One-day passes are 7,000 pesos. You can also buy it after accidentally passing through it without one.

If you rent a car at the airport or anywhere in Santiago, the rental car company is required to include a TAG toll transponder in the vehicle and charge you for it.

By bus Buses are the main mode of transportation between cities, and most cities in Chile have a bus connection to the capital. For some close, large cities, like Valparaiso or Viña del Mar there may be a bus departing as frequently as every 15 minutes. Prices of bus tickets vary according to demand and type of seat (regular seat, semi-bed or bed). Buses are in general clean and comfortable, but this may not always be the case with the toilets on board. There are several bus terminals in the city, the biggest being Terminal Santiago.

The bus ride between Santiago and Mendoza in Argentina has beautiful views and takes about eight hours, depending on the time spent at the Cristo Redentor checkpoint. The border crossing is at about 2,800 m in the Andes. Fruit, vegetables or animal products are not allowed in either direction; all luggage will get checked at the border.

Get around

Transantiago Transantiago runs the metro and main bus lines in the city. card. Beginning February 2026, contactless credit / debit cards can be used on the metros. Bip! cards can be bought and recharged at any metro station ( for the card, minimum recharge ) or at a Centro bip!. They are good for both the metro and bus and allows you unlimited transfers between the two within a two hour period — you still have to swipe your card when boarding the next metro train or bus, but there is in general no deduction. In the peak period, when traveling with a ticket activated on a metro and you're transferring to a bus (or the other way around) there will be a small deduction.

You cannot return the card nor get a refund, think twice before adding too much money. However, you can use the card for several people, you just have to swipe for the second person as well. So, you might decide to only get one instead of two if you are traveling together. The free transfer between metro and bus for the other person does probably not work then.

By metro The Santiago Metro system is the second largest in Latin America and has seven lines and 136 stations, with many holding rotating art exhibitions. The lines 1, 2 and 5 pass through the historical center and 4 and 4A mostly serve the east of the city. As it is a very popular mode for getting around, the metro can be crowded during rush hours.

Trains run between roughly 06:00 and 23:00; each station posts the exact hours above the staircases leading down into the stations. Buses run parallel to subway lines after hours.

By bus Transantiago buses are mostly modern and run around the clock on the main lines. If you know a little Spanish, you can find route information on the Transantiago website.

By taxi Taxis are a relatively inexpensive and safe way to get around the city. Official taxis are black and yellow and easily identifiable. Radiotaxis are also common and a good idea late at night. There are many Uber taxis, but they are not officially licensed in Chile, and Uber drivers will not want to pick you up or drop you off where either police or licensed taxis can see them. Getting to/from the airport by Uber is particularly awkward.

By bike Santiago has a rapidly-growing network of bike lanes and paths. Bicineta has an up to date map of bike routes.

Bikesantiago. Bike sharing program with monthly and annual memberships. Must register to use the service.

Turistik Santiago Hop on – Hop off. A red double-decker bus that passes through the main tourist attractions of the city, including the Central Market, Plaza de Armas, Bellavista, and Parque Metropolitana, among others. Pass is good for the day with departures every half hour during operating hours.

See

The Historical Center is the place to go for historical sights. For over five centuries this has been a governmental seat, and you can find buildings of great historical significance here. One of them is the modernist colonial Palacio de la Moneda, built for minting of coins. From the mid-19th century it has also been the residence of the president until the coup of 1973 when it was bombed. The damage was repaired and it's still the residence of the president today.

South of the palace is Alameda, the main drag of the city with the central university building (Casa Central de la Universidad de Chile), the San Francisco church and the Santa Lucia hill with great views of the old town. Plaza de Armas opposite the university building is the most lively area of the downtown and in addition to vendors you can often find artists, comedians and singers performing here. Nearby you can find the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Palace of the Royal Court (nowadays a museum) and the mayor's residence.

Going north from Plaza de Armas you'll come to the Mercado Central, with plenty of restaurants. East along the Mapocho river's southern bank you'll be at Parque Forestal and Museo de Bellas Artes as well as the vibrant neighborhood of Lastarria with plenty of cafés, restaurants and art galleries.

Bellavista north of the river is a nightlife hotspot and there you can also visit the mythical home of the poet Pablo Neruda. You can also take the funicular or walk up the Cerro San Cristóbal for some of the best views of Santiago and the Maipo Valley. Southeast there is Providencia where you can find trendy shops and further away Sanhattan's skyscrapers including Gran Torre Santiago, the tallest in Latin America and second tallest in the Southern Hemisphere. Westwards there's Quinta Normal, a huge park surrounded by museums.

Do

Santiago is known as a cultural hotspot. Among other things, the city is home to an impressive jazz scene, with several intimate clubs scattered throughout the city, a famous one being Club Jazz in the Nuñoa district. In the Providencia district a jazz festival takes place each January with both local and foreign bands playing. For current theater, dance, and concert listings can be found in the El Mercurio newspaper. For a broad variety of art and culture, visit one of several cultural centers around the city, featuring exhibitions, performances and workshops. At some of these you can buy local art and handicraft too (refer to the Buy section for more shopping).

You can also take a pleasant walk in one of Santiago's many parks. Some of these, like Cerro Santa Lucia and Parque Metropolitano offer great views over the city. If you want something more than just hiking or taking the cable car up a little hill, take on the higher "hills" outside the city. Contact one of the local mountaineering clubs and go on a trek to some of the highest mountains in the world outside Asia, or if you like skiing, hit the slopes of El Colorado (Chile).

Central Chile is famous for its wines and wineries. There are many wineries in the outskirts of Santiago, both inside and outside the city borders. Many offer tours to visitors, wine tasting and on-premise restaurants.

Buy

Santiago has a lot of shopping malls all around the city. In the malls you can find a variety of retail stores and Falabella, París and Ripley, the most famous department stores in Chile.

Downtown and Providencia For shopping in central Santiago, head to Paseo Ahumada, a section full of different shops between the main street Alameda and Plaza de Armas.

If you prefer buying handcrafts, the ones in the Centro Artesanal Santa Lucia are good and relatively cheap compared with other handcrafts stores. Other handcrafts centres are in Bellavista (though a bit more expensive).

Providencia has a large selection of shops along Avenida Providencia.

The largest malls are Parque Arauco and Alto Las Condes, both have good restaurants and the former also has free music and shows. You can get to Parque Arauco from Metro Escuela Militar (Line 1) and to Alto Las Condes from Metro Los Domínicos (Line 1); ask locals for directions if you're unsure of how to take buses.

Alonso de Córdova Street and Nueva Costanera Avenue are very exclusive areas where you can find high fashion and luxury stores like Louis Vuitton, Hermés or local designers. In this area you find great restaurants and art galleries.

Steps from Metro Los Domínicos (Line 1) is Pueblito Los Domínicos. It is more expensive but has a wide variety of local handcrafts and antiques, as well as a small exhibition room and a bonsai exhibition behind it. It is very pretty with an artificial stream in a colonial-looking atmosphere. Half of the people there are usually tourists during the summer, so you won't be alone!

Plaza Nuñoa has some small shops in the plaza where you can buy books from Latin America (Neruda, Allende, Cortazar) and also handcrafts.

North If you're already kind of familiar with Santiago, you can also go to Barrio Patronato which is near the downtown area and it's easy to reach by metro (Metro Patronato, Line 2). There you'll find cheap clothes, food and products of all kinds, as well as some foreign stores (mainly Chinese, Koreans, Peruvians and from the Middle East), thus allowing you to save quite a bit of money. It would be better to go alongside a local, though, since it's easy to get lost due to the very short and slim streets and the very high quotient of visitors. Beware of pickpocketers.

South Similarly, those who want more surprises and know the basics about Santiago can go to the famous Persa Bio Bio in the Franklin area, also not too far from downtown and near to Metro Franklin (Line 2). It can be described as a giant flea market that opens every weekend and offers antiques, tools, handmade furniture, many food stores, etc. Again, it's not a place for novices: a local's presence would be desired.

Eat

In downtown and the east of the city you can find both global and domestic fast food chains. Why not opt for the latter and have a completo, the Chilean version of the hot dog with tomato, mayonnaise, sauerkraut or a italiano hot dog with tomato, avocado and mayonnaise. In addition there are small sandwich places known as "picadas" serving different kinds of sandwiches (some of them with huge steaks) and pies. There are also street food carts where you can find local specialties like sopaipillas (buns) stuffed with fried pumpkin and mote con huesillo, a soft drink with peaches and wheat.

The traditional cuisine of central Chile is centered around barbecued meat (beef or pork) with tomatoes, potatoes or corn. Local specialties include cazuela (a soup), porotos con riendas (beans with pasta), porotos granados (a vegetarian bean stew), charquicán (stew of beef and potatoes, topped with an egg), pastel de choclo (corn pie) and as we're in southern South America — asado (barbecued meat). Seafood is not as common in Santiago as you might expect, though if you want some, the restaurants at the central market are the place to go.

You can get vegetarian and vegan food but it will likely be some version of pizza, pasta, and burgers.

Drink

Barrio Bellavista and Barrio Brasil are popular spots close to downtown. The Bohemian Bellavista can be reached by Metro to Baquedano, or by bus to Plaza Italia. Cross the bridge will bring you to Pio Nono, which probably has highest density of bars, pubs, and clubs in Chile, including some LGBT places. By law, everything closes down at 05:00, though you may be able to join people for afterparties elsewhere. Barrio Lastarria has more sophisticated and relaxed bars, pubs, cafés, many of which have an interesting history. It's also a district for fine dining. The historic center likewise has many traditional places to have a drink, some of which have retained an ambience from the early 20th century. One of them is La Piojera, with its signature terremoto (earthquake) drink with wine, Fernet and pineapple ice cream. Plaza San Enrique is a park in Lo Barnechea (at the far northeast of the city) which is surrounded by nightclubs. The most popular one is Sala Murano (it can get very crowded!) People who attend are mostly aged 18-25 and it is one of the safest places to party. Most people there are from upper-middle to high class, so it is more expensive than other neighbourhoods. Typically, women get in for free, while men pay around 3,000-5,000 pesos. You can get there by buses, but though buses do pass later on, you might have to wait up to an hour for it. Plaza Ñuñoa is a district east of the central area and is another popular spot nightlife spot. Vitacura is pretty far east (towards the Andes). It is composed of bars and some places where you can dance. The places are nice and it can be fun to go. It is more expensive that other areas of Santiago and frequented by people that live in the eastern (wealthier) side of the city. Although you can get there by bus, it will be hard to leave on anything but a taxi since buses don't run late.

Sleep

All types of accommodation, from top class hotels to backpacker hostels are available. As a general rule, lodging gets more luxurious and expensive the further east you travel.

Classic, mid-range hotels can be found downtown, and in the nearby residential areas such as Barrio Brasil you'll find more affordable accommodation like youth hostels. Lastarria just east of downtown features small boutique hotels. In the eastern part of the city you can find hotels of international luxury chains and apartment hotels, catering to those who attend business meetings, conferences or trade shows. Still further east, outside the city and up the mountains there are the upscale ski resorts.