Location: Santiago
Top Things to do in Santiago
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10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Santiago That You Shouldn't Miss
Santiago is one of those metropolitan joys where the more you look, the more you find. Funky cafes and dance clubs dot Bellavista, Forest Park art collections range from pre-Columbian to contemporary, and architecture runs the gamut from the 16th-century San Francisco Church to mirrored office towers. Shop with the locals at Mall Panora¡mico and give your palate meals to remember with hearty Chilean fare.
Restaurants in Santiago
1. Vina Santa Carolina
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 543 reviews
Enjoy the excellent wines and delightful atmosphere of one of Chile’s most prestigious traditional wineries. An engaging guided tour of our facilities, including the park, colonial manor house, old winery, and the large cellar built using the “cal y canto”—limestone and eggshell—technique in the 1880s. During the tour you will taste 3 wines, the experience ends in our new shop.
Reviewed By progresodave - Progreso, Mexico
Having lived 2 hours from Napa for many years, we've been to a lot of wineries. This tour has a completely different focus: it's not a tour of production facilities as much as the best class I've ever had in how to really taste, select and enjoy wine. We took the premium tour that includes higher-end wines, with the time to sit down afterwards, enjoy two wines with paired appetizers, and ask questions of our expert guide. You WILL see the beautiful cellar which has withstood major earthquakes. A couple of hours beyond expectations.
2. Cerro San Cristobal
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 18,381 reviews
This 860 meter hill in the center of Santiago features a zoo and wine museum at the midway point and a gondola ride to the top, where a Virgin Mary statue overlooks the city.
Reviewed By GoGo2SlowGo - Denton, United States
It has several attractions in its 1784 acres. Central Park is only 842 acres by comparison. Some of its most important attractions are: the sanctuary and balcony of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception; The National Zoo of Chile, where you can get dazzled with the different species of animals; the historic funicular railway and the recently inaugurated cable way. From the top of the park you can enjoy a panoramic view of Santiago and the Andes Mountain Range, also there are two swimming pools, plazas and games for children.
3. Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10,321 reviews
Reviewed By nickd18 - Calgary, Canada
when we visit the main church in a capital city we expect it to have great art, wonderful sightlines, an altar complete with paintings and sculptures, large yet intricate stained glass pieces, murals and frescos on the interior ceiling or dome and a massive pipe organ. We expect this but some churches are just more awe -inspring than others. This cathedral has everything and more. Beautiful side chapels, carved pulpit and an open an airy feeling because of the interior height. Well worth the visit
4. Cerro Santa Lucia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19,554 reviews
The climb up this natural 230 foot hill offers a worthy reward: breathtaking panoramic views of the city.
Reviewed By Finewinery2019
We had the benefit of a very good personal guide who provided in depth knowledge of the beautiful park. This made our visit much more interesting.
5. Casa Museo La Chascona
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 9,382 reviews
Tour the eclectic architecture of this home which served as the romantic hideaway for famed poet Pablo Neruda and his wife Matilde, as portrayed in the 1995 film "Il Postino."
Reviewed By kanemochi - Seattle, United States
This is a fabulous museum paying tribute to the great Nobel Prize poet Pablo Neruda. The museum is literally the house Neruda built and lived in with his wife Matilde Urrutia in Santiago. Please note you are not allowed to take any photographs inside the house. You’re free to take as many photographs outside the house, however. You’re given an audio guide which explains the different parts of the house. This was the most underrated site I visited in Santiago. I would recommend this museum as a must visit for anyone who has even a slight interest in literature. Even those who are not interested in literature will appreciate this museum as a great tribute to one of Chile’s greatest sons.
6. Barrio Bellavista
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7,017 reviews
This cultural city neighborhood is rich with artists, entertainers and some of chile's best ethnic and local cuisine.
Reviewed By VernonW143 - Cape Town, South Africa
……A true-lii intriguing barrio to find yourself in just to wonder about casual-lii and explore and discover whatever there is to be found in this area. Besides the trend-ii ‘PATIO BELLAVISTA” centre with all its fascinating shops and restaurants it’s just amazing to see even so much more bars, cafes, restaurants of different proportions all around the streets of this barrio. We would just like to make mention in this review of all the places that we came across in this vicinity so that others may know it is here. The trend-ii “ZONA 3” that looks like a nice beer-garden where lots of young people hang out. “VENEZIA” Restaurant a renowned Chilean gastronomia. The big park-entrance to Cerro San Cristobal with food-vendors all around and also known as “the meeting place in the city”. The “DINING ROOM” Restaurant & Piano Lounge housed in a palatial double storey house with secured parking, La bodeguita de JULIO (the wine-cellar JULIO for Flavour & culture, the nice corner cafe Gracia Heladia which offers ice cream and breakfast. We also came across an outdoor amphitheater with lots of Graffiti on its walls. There was also CAVALERA Art & Tattoo shop, TEATRO SAN GINES a small but nice looking performing arts theater and very close-by was this impressive school building COLEGIO MARIA IMMACULATE the surroundings was very neat & clean, The VIVA LA VIDA restaurant very beautiful-lii decorated walls with bright-lii coloured flowers painted outside. There was a MINI MARKET shop where you could buy all kinds of liquors, a FLORISTERIA with very trend-ii and innovative floral decorations and also “LAPISLAZULI” Factory Shop the Blue Semi Precious Stone which is very popular here in Chile, they had some nice jewelry and fancy stuff created out of this Blue Stones. A nice church building which looks like it’s been here since 1891 and in 1997 the people requested that this be declared a Heritage Site and a Historic Monument. Even on the border of this Barrio there is a love-lii big STAR-BUCK……This is an area that needs lots of time to explore so it’s a must visit when in Santiago de Chile…………………..NB! Don’t forget to take time to study all the expressionism told by the multitude of GRAFFITI all over the area!......
7. Parque Forestal
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,439 reviews
Perfect for strolling or biking, this park has a huge playground and is close to all of the main attractions in Santiago.
Reviewed By hawkes2an - Cranbrook, United Kingdom
Stretching from Plaza Baquedano (also known as Plaza Italia) all the way to the historic building Estancia Mapocho, near the Puente Cal y Cante metro station, this urban park in downtown Santiago is a tranquil place (even though Santiago's traffic is not that far away) with lots of winding paths providing endless options for walkers, joggers and cyclists. Its stretches of grass provide table-cloths for picnicking families. One of the distinctive landmarks in the park is the Fuente Alemana (German Fountain). This elaborate work of art is a good example of the sculptures and metalwork found throughout the park.
8. Parque Metropolitano de Santiago - Parquemet
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,454 reviews
Reviewed By colinhD3399JP - Leicester, United Kingdom
This park is 100 years old and is a super place to spend time if you wish to escape the bustle of downtown Santiago. It’s much busier at the weekend than during the week. The funicular is a fun way to the top where you have fabulous views over the whole of Santiago. There are cafes and shops at the top, serving the local drink of barley & dried peaches. It’s really popular and super sweet. You can then either take the bubble car or funicular down or walk down. It’s a lovely walk out the back of the park down the designated path. Again, great views and you pass a lovely open air swimming pool and the fabulous Japanese Gardens. You could go to the bottom in the bubble car and it’s then a simple walk to the metro passing a super modern shopping mall on the way – great to dive into for their aircon and a drink if it’s a hot day! There is also a zipwire and climbing area at the bottom of the bubble car. And if you need some exercise - power walk up!
9. La Moneda
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7,781 reviews
The center of Chile's history, this presidential palace is a beautiful building that occupies an entire city block on downtown Santiago.
Reviewed By deborahk3 - Maidstone, United Kingdom
La Moneda is the seat of the president of Chile. It also houses the offices of three cabinet ministers. It occupies most of a large block in the Civic District of downtown Santiago. It looks much like other parliamentary buildings around the world, but well worth seeing. La Monda, is of neoclassical design by an Italian architect and was originally built as a Mint . In 1973, during the military coup, the building was bombed by the Chilean air force. The building was rebuilt some years later although some bullet marks remain and have been preserved. Well worth a visit.
10. Museo Interactivo Mirador
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,142 reviews
Museo Interactivo Mirador is a huge interactive science museum with more than 350 exhibits and other type of educational activities for children and young adults. It also has a playground outside..
