We spent a total four days in the Chilean capital, Santiago. In reality, they weren’t consecutive days; there was a gap in the middle during which we flew to Easter Island. We opted to split our stay between central Santiago and the nearby wine growing area of Pirque, home of one of the world’s largest wine producers; Concha y Toro. Pirque, which is around 20 miles south of Santiago, is also a popular day trip from the city. Here is my pick of the top 10 things to do on a visit to Santiago.
How to get to Santiago
We flew into Santiago Airport, aka Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, which is situated 10 miles north west of the city centre. From here, there are various options to get into town. A shared mini bus shuttle with Transvip costs CLP 9,500 (around £8). There are also two airport buses; TurBus and Centropuerto. We used TurBus, which takes around 45 minutes and costs CLP 1,900 (around £1.60). Buses run from outside the terminal building every 10 to 30 minutes. You can opt to go all the way into the centre of town or disembark at one of the earlier stops which connect with the Metro network.
Getting Around Santiago
We covered a lot of Santiago on foot. For longer journeys, we used the Metro, which is clean, efficient and cheap. You will need to purchase a bip! card. The card can be obtained and recharged at any Metro station and in other outlets, such as supermarkets. The cost of the card is CLP 1500 (around £1.25) To reach Pirque, we took the Metro Line L4 to the end of the line at Plaza Puento Alto, then a taxi for last few (around 6) miles. For winery visits, there are also plenty of guided tour options if you prefer the door-to-door treatment.
Where to stay in Santiago
One reason why we chose to stay in Pirque rather than take a day trip from Santiago is La Calma de Rita. This unique hotel offers guests the chance to sleep in a room built around a wine barrel or an old railway carriage set in picturesque gardens where you can sip wine beside the pool.
In central Santiago, we stayed an apartment which has since become student accommodation.
Santiago: Top 10 Things to do
| 1 | Go wine tasting at Concha y Toro |
| 2 | Take a tour of the Palacio de la Moneda |
| 3 | Stroll round the Plaza de Armas |
| 4 | Admire the splendour of Santiago Cathedral |
| 5 | Climb to the top of Cerro Santa Lucia |
| 6 | Explore the Parque Metropolitano |
| 7 | Ride the Cable Car for a bird’s eye city view |
| 8 | Wander round the Japanese Garden |
| 9 | Visit the Gran Torre Santiago |
| 10 | Relax in the Sculpture Park |
No 1 – Go Wine tasting at Concha y Toro
We start our visit to Santiago just outside the city at Concha y Toro, the 5th biggest wine producer in the world.
There are various tour options, including with Santiago pick up. We book the Premium Tour, which includes a glimpse of the founder Don Melchor’s villa and gardens as well as the cellars, with wine tasting at various points along the way. The tour takes a couple of hours and costs CLP 30,000 (about £25).
We start at the villa, then move on to a small vineyard, each row containing a different type of grapes. We’re invited to wander round, trying the different varieties. I’m surprised how different they taste, but then I’m no wine connoisseur. I just like wine…
Our tour permits us to taste three different wines, which are served at various spots around the vineyard. Then, we are given a funky orange box to pack our commemorative wine glass in to take home. In our case, home is five weeks and many thousands of miles away, so I don’t fancy its chances.
The tour concludes in the Casillero del Diablo, where we see thousands of barrels of wine, a fake devil and a sound and light show explaining how the legend of the ‘Devil’s Cellar’ came about.
No 2 – Take a tour of the Palacio de la Moneda
We start our central Santiago sightseeing extravaganza with a guided tour of the Palacio de la Moneda (the seat of the President).
Once we have had our passports checked and been issued with passes, we are taken on a guided tour of the ground floor; courtyards, the press room, state rooms and the chapel.
Tours are free but popular. Security is tight; tours need to be booked online in advance and you need to bring a passport. (Note; although we started our day here, there is currently only one tour a day at 4.30 pm and this only runs between Monday and Thursday.)
No 3 – Stroll round the Plaza de Armas
Then on to the main square; the Plaza de Armas, a hub of activity amidst its 100 shade-giving palm trees and fountains.
No 4 – Admire the splendour of Santiago Cathedral
We take a quick visit to Santiago Cathedral. This 18th Century cathedral is grand and ornate. Although to be honest, after several weeks in South America, they all start to look a bit alike…
No 5 – Climb to the top of Cerro Santa Lucia
Next stop is Cerro Santa Lucia. Here, you can climb several hundred steps through various gardens to a turreted lookout across the city.
At the summit, we are confronted by the rather surreal scene of a family taking their cat on an outing, while a man plays the soundtrack to Grease on a harmonica.
No 6 – Explore the Parque Metropolitano
The Parque Metropolitano on Cerro San Cristóbal is a large urban park overlooking the city.
First, breakfast from the mini market over the road. The old man buys a cake tossed in a thick coating of icing sugar and coconut. He puts it into a bag, then picks the bag up by the wrong end. The cake falls, he executes a miraculous catch, saving the cake and covering the next lady in the queue in sugar and coconut.
After we’ve finished juggling/eating breakfast, we walk to the southern edge of the park in Bellavista. Here, a funicular railway, which operates from its own castle, takes you 500 metres up the hill for great views over the city.
You can then climb past a series of painted crosses to a 22 metre high statue of the Virgin Mary.
No 7 – Ride the Cable Car for a Bird’s Eye City View
There are a range of activities available on Cerro San Cristóbal; parks, gardens, swimming, a zoo. The must-do activity is to take a Cable Car across the park, which provides spectacular views of the city.
Tickets for the cable car vary in price according to the day of the week. You can buy a single, return or joint attraction ticket. Details are on the website.
No 8 – Wander round the Japanese Garden
From here, we descend on foot to the Japanese Garden.
The garden is very pretty and also has great views across the city, across to the Gran Torre Santiago – the tallest tower in Latin America.
No 9 – Visit the Gran Torre Santiago
We continue our way down the hill and head for the 62 storey Gran Torre Santiago, where you can take a lift to the top for ‘the best view in Latin America’. Tickets for Sky Costanera cost CLP 18,000 (around £15). Inside the tallest tower in South America you will find one of the largest shopping malls in Latin America. We decide we’ve already enjoyed plenty of views of Santiago, purchase some lunch and walk to the sculpture park.
No 10 – Relax in the Sculpture Park
The Sculpture Park isn’t spectacular. But it is free, has some interesting pieces and is a pleasant place to sit and have lunch in the shade.
Then, we walk the final 2.5 miles back our apartment (not my idea).
- Trip taken: February 2019
- Updated: March 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For more top picks from other destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full Top 10 Things To Do list here.
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