Santiago will be the first stop on your holiday to South America (thanks to straight flights from Melbourne and Sydney!), but this beautiful city should not be overlooked. Take a few days on your arrival to this continent or the last few on your way back home, believe us there is so much to see!
What to do with your one-day layover in Santiago de Chile
What we like about this city is not only modern buildings, restaurants and hotels, but its view of the beautiful Andes. Right in the centre of the city, you will enjoy the lively Santiago markets: Mercado Central and Mercado de la Vega. Here they will taste the flavours of this country while enjoying King Crab, piscos and merquén.
After a delicious meal, visit Cerro San Cristobal to have the best view from the city´s largest green space: Parque Metropolitano. You won´t have to spend too much time hiking up as there is a funicular that carries you between the different sections of the park all the way to the summit where you will admire the city with the Andes on the backdrop.
From San Cristobal, it’s easy to walk down into Bellavista neighbourhood. Here you can enjoy the many bars and restaurants, shops and galleries that characterise this area. The beauty also relies on street art, where local artists paint the shops’ walls according to the products sold, so you will see walls of painted shoes, hats, or even bread. In Bellavista, stop by La Chascona, one of Pablo Nerudas´ houses and to learn about this famous Latin-American poet.
Going back to the centre, you can hike up Cerro Santa Lucía, another great place for a viewpoint, but this one is right in the centre of the city, so they will have a panoramic view of Santiago. If you are a viewpoint hunter, you can also go to the tallest skyscraper in Latin America, the Gran Torre. Otherwise, you can continue back to the centre and visit the Cathedral and the Plaza de Armas. Santiago offers a wide range of great museums and architectural wonders, from Palacio de la Moneda to Gabriela Mistral Centre or the Museo Nacional de Historia.
There is so much more to Santiago, so ask our team for more recommendations to explore this city on a less conventional way!
We can take you to off-the-beaten-track areas, we tailor the best itinerary for those who want the best of the best, we are here to help!
