Santiago de Chile seen from San Cristóbal Hill, with the Gran Torre and the Andes behind
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Santiago in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 7.5 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

With two days Santiago stops being a race. You spend the first on neighbourhoods and the story of fire and memory, and the second on the history of power and two museums that deserve their time. It is the right pace to eat without rushing, climb a viewpoint and understand how a city founded in 1541 still faces the mountains.

Day 1Hills, museums and shadows

Begin with «From Santa Lucía Hill to Neruda's house», linking the hill, Lastarria, Fine Arts and La Chascona. Have lunch over a paila marina. The afternoon is free: step into the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, beside the Plaza de Armas, then head up the Gran Torre for the mountain view. Be back in time for dusk, when «Santiago of earthquakes, fire and memory» takes you from the old Congress to San Agustín, San Francisco and Londres 38. Dinner is a pastel de choclo.

  1. Morning

    From Santa Lucía Hill to Neruda's house

    Mixed · 3.2 km · 2 h 30 min

    1. Santa Lucía HillThe crag where Santiago began, turned into a garden of terraces, fountains and castles with views over the whole city.
    2. Lastarria district and Plaza Mulato Gil de CastroCobbled streets, restored townhouses, cafés and museums in the most bohemian corner of central Santiago.
    3. National Museum of Fine ArtsA palace inspired by the Petit Palais in Paris, with a 115-tonne glass dome, built for Chile's Centenary.
    4. German FountainThe German community's bronze gift for the Centenary: an allegorical ship sailing towards Chile's future.
    5. La Chascona, Pablo Neruda's houseThe house Neruda secretly built for Matilde Urrutia on the slope of San Cristóbal, shaped like a ship and named after a head of hair.
    6. San Cristóbal Hill FunicularA 1925 funicular that climbs the slope of San Cristóbal to the great white Virgin watching over Santiago.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Paila marina and caldillo de congrio at Mercado Central. Ismael Valdés Vergara 900, Santiago

  3. Afternoon

    Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art

    Housed in the old Royal Customs House beside the Plaza de Armas, it gathers pieces from the peoples of the Americas, from Mesoamerica to the Andes. A compact, very well-designed visit, perfect for escaping the midday sun.

    Directions

    Sky Costanera Viewpoint

    The Gran Torre's observation deck, in Providencia, looks over the city and the snow-capped Andes. Go on a clear day, ideally after recent rain, and leave plenty of time before sunset to get back to the centre.

    Directions

  4. Early evening

    Santiago of earthquakes, fire and memory

    Mysteries & legends · 1.8 km · 1 h 35 min

    1. Gardens of the Former National CongressBeneath this garden stood the Church of the Compañía, where in 1863 a fire killed some two thousand people in little more than an hour.
    2. Church of San Agustín and the Christ of MayA crucifix that survived the 1647 earthquake with its crown of thorns slipped down to its neck, and a legend linking it to the dreaded Quintrala.
    3. Church of San FranciscoSantiago's oldest building, raised to shelter the Virgin that Pedro de Valdivia carried on his saddle.
    4. Londres 38, memorial siteOn a street with a Parisian air, a townhouse that the dictatorship's secret police used as a detention and torture centre.
    5. Santa Lucía HillThe crag where Valdivia founded Santiago holds the tomb of the man who turned it into a garden, and the memory of the dead who were refused a cemetery.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Pastel de choclo at Galindo. Dardignac 098, Bellavista, Providencia

Day 2Power, memory and an old district

Give the morning to «From Valdivia to the Centenary station»: the University of Chile's main building, La Moneda, Casa Colorada, the Plaza de Armas and the two iron landmarks, the Central Market and Mapocho Station. Have a Barros Luco sandwich on the Alameda for lunch. In the afternoon the metro drops you at Quinta Normal, where recent history is told in an essential museum, and then you wander the streets and alleys of one of the city's oldest districts.

  1. Morning

    From Valdivia to the Centenary station

    History · 2.5 km · 2 h

    1. Main Building of the University of ChileThe first grand building on the Alameda, raised for the university founded under Andrés Bello and scarred by a tragic day in 1938.
    2. La Moneda PalaceBuilt to mint coins, it became the home of presidents, and on 11 September 1973 it was bombed from the air.
    3. Casa ColoradaThe best-preserved colonial mansion in the centre, home of the count who presided over Chile's First Government Junta in 1810.
    4. Plaza de ArmasThe spot where Pedro de Valdivia laid out Santiago in 1541, framed by the cathedral, the old Royal Audiencia and Chile's kilometre zero.
    5. Central MarketAn iron hall cast in Scotland that has been feeding Santiago fish, shellfish and home cooking since 1872.
    6. Mapocho StationThe railway station built for the Centenary, which now welcomes books, concerts and fairs instead of locomotives.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Barros Luco sandwich at Confitería Torres. Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 1570, Santiago

  3. Afternoon

    Museum of Memory and Human Rights

    Opened in 2010, it documents human rights violations under the 1973-1990 dictatorship with archives, objects and testimonies. An intense visit that complements Londres 38; allow plenty of time and go without rushing.

    Directions

    Yungay District

    One of Santiago's oldest neighbourhoods, with old mansions, quiet alleys, murals and the Yungay and Brasil squares. You can cover it on foot in an hour, it sits next to the museum and is a good spot for an afternoon coffee.

    Directions

The map

Santiago in 2 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

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Before you go

Tips for Santiago in 2 days

  • Over the two days, think in layers: mornings are often cool and the midday sun burns, especially in summer. Bring a light jacket and sunscreen.
  • Santiago's metro is clean and fast; use it for the long hops, such as from the Alameda to Quinta Normal or Providencia, and walk the routes.
  • To see the Andes sharp and clear, the days after rain and autumn tend to give the cleanest sky; in winter, smog can veil the views.

Questions

Santiago in 2 days: your questions

How many days do you need in Santiago, Chile?

Two days cover the historic centre, the liveliest neighbourhoods and a couple of museums without rushing. If you also want another district, a market and the cemetery, or a trip to the coast, add a third day.

How far do you walk on this itinerary?

The first day adds up to about 5 km across the Santa Lucía and mystery routes (3.2 + 1.8), and the second about 2.5 km, plus transfers and museums. A reasonable plan, with no marathon walking days.

Where should you stay for this itinerary?

The most convenient base is the centre, near the Alameda, or Lastarria and Bellavista, which put you within walking distance of several stops. Any hotel next to a line 1 metro station works well.

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