5 Great Things to do in Santiago, Chile

There are a lot of great things to do in Santiago, Chile, but I, unfortunately, did not have enough time to explore all of them. Santiago was a stopover, not the main focus of a trip to Chile, but we still wanted to make the most of it. It was a bonus that it turned out to be such a lovely city. Glimpses of the Andes, amazing food, and vineyards. Santiago, Chile is worth more than the time we had for it.

We only had 2 days in Santiago before we had to head to Patagonia to hike in Torres del Paine. Here are the highlights from what we were able to experience, and what I would recommend if you have limited time in this awesome place.

#1 Cerro San Cristobal

A statue of the Virgin Mary stands atop this hill, where Pope John Paul II used to say mass in 1984.  It can be a spiritual experience, a good amount of exercise if you decide to walk, or it can be something entirely different if you choose to visit the National Zoo, botanical gardens, or swimming pools.

Whatever you choose, though, the views are beautiful.

View from the top of the hill. Worth it.

There is a tourist info kiosk and the start of a dirt trail at Plaza Caupolicán.  You can drive up it, take the funicular train, or walk like we did.  Just a warning, it’s quite a long, uphill walk.  There are some snack shops along the way, and the views from the top are worth it. This is a free activity in Santiago if you choose to walk up and down without paying for any extra attractions along the way.

#2  Visit a vineyard.

We did Vina Aquitania.  It was a 20 min taxi/uber ride away (one of the closest ones to visit).  The tour is $13 and includes a tasting at the end.  The view of the vineyard with the mountains behind it from their tower was exactly what I imagined a Chilean vineyard to look like.  Our tour guide was incredibly nice and funny, and the wine was SO good.

Checking out the grapes during our vineyard tour

There are many, many options for vineyards in Chile, so I am by no means saying this is the best one.  If you’re short on time, though, this will help you check the “visit a Chilean vineyard” box.

Here’s someone else’s post about the 5 best wineries to visit near Santiago – Vina Aquitania is on the list! So I’m not wrong in this recommendation 🙂

#3  Wander around and visit the market.

One of my favorite things that we did in Santiago was just walk around.  It’s a very walk-able city, and people take advantage of any green space.  I loved seeing couples, kids, anyone sitting or lying in the grass.  It seemed as though people just wanted to be outside and to be together.

While you’re meandering through the streets, visit their Central Market (Mercado Central).  The bottom floor sells fruit, fish, vegetables, etc, and you can have lunch on the second floor.  If you are going to be annoyed by people bombarding you to get you to try their seafood dish, this might not be for you.  Once you weed through the different options and pick one where locals are dining, the food is delicious.

#4  Shop and eat in Barrio Italia.

If you’re looking for more things to do in Santiago, Chile, check out Av. Condell and Av. Italia, 2 streets lined with open-air restaurants and boutiques.  It is a very cute area, and I’m currently drooling thinking about the mushroom empanada from La Tranquera that I devoured.  It is a great, chill way to spend half a day.

#5  Eat at Mistura Del Peru.

This quaint restaurant is in the Providencia area, and it was here that I consumed one of the best meals of my life.  Our server didn’t speak much English, and we didn’t know what half the stuff on the menu was.  We let him pick out our meals and drinks, and holy cow was it good.  I can still taste the seafood paella and the chicken dish (sorry, didn’t understand the language, so I don’t know what it was actually called) that we ate.  Others staying at our hostel were going back multiple times because it was THAT good.

I apologize that I don’t have a before photo. But this is the face of pure food bliss. Apparently.

Tips for things to do in Santiago, Chile:

One random thing we struggled with was finding somewhere to eat at “dinner time.” Because we were coming from the United States, we would get hungry around 6pm. Chileans don’t eat until 9pm or later due to their work days. Keep this in mind while planning your day. Pack snacks 🙂

Be safe. We took the usual 2 young girls in a foreign country precautions and felt safe the whole time. I hate that we even have to worry about this, but we do. Please be careful.

While there are many things to do in Santiago, Chile, it is also worth a cheap 2.5 hour bus ride to the beach. I recommend Viña del Mar. It is not too far and is very pretty.

If you have any chance at all, GO to Torres del Paine in Patagonia, Chile. It is the most beautiful place I have ever witnessed. Check out my post if you’re even the slightest bit interested.

And enjoy Santiago!

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