Santiago de Chile seen from San Cristóbal Hill, with the Gran Torre and the Andes behind
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Santiago in 3 days

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

Three days is the ideal length for Santiago: one route a day, afternoons for museums and neighbourhoods, and a final morning among markets and memory. There is time to sit down in a small market kitchen, wander off-the-beaten-path alleys and let the city show you its two faces, today's bustle and a past that is still there.

Day 1Neruda, hills and design

Start with «From Santa Lucía Hill to Neruda's house»: the hill, Lastarria, Fine Arts and the German Fountain, all the way to La Chascona and the funicular. Have lunch over a paila marina. The afternoon changes pace: first the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, beside the Plaza de Armas, then the metro to Barrio Italia, to stroll among antique shops, workshops and cafés at a slower pace. End the day with a relaxed dinner nearby.

  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

    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 well-designed visit of the right length, ideal for the sunniest hours.

    Directions

    Barrio Italia

    A district of low houses and alleys in Ñuñoa and Providencia, known for its antique dealers, design workshops and cafés. It is a no-rush stroll, best in the afternoon when the shops are open.

    Directions

Day 2Power, memory and an old district

Give the morning to «From Valdivia to the Centenary station»: the University of Chile, La Moneda, Casa Colorada, the Plaza de Armas, the Central Market and Mapocho Station. Take your time over a pastel de choclo for lunch. In the afternoon the metro takes you to Quinta Normal, where recent history is told in an essential museum, 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 Pastel de choclo at Galindo. Dardignac 098, Bellavista, Providencia

  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. It 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. It sits next to the museum and takes about an hour on foot, with a café stop.

    Directions

Day 3Market, memory and last light

Start in La Chimba, the district north of the river, with its market and cemetery, at an easy pace. Have a Barros Luco sandwich for lunch, then keep the afternoon to rest or revisit what you liked best. At dusk, «Santiago of earthquakes, fire and memory» links the old Congress, San Agustín, San Francisco and Londres 38 up to Santa Lucía Hill. Finish with dinner at La Piojera and a terremoto: order one, honestly, and think twice before asking for a replica.

  1. Morning

    La Vega Central

    Santiago's fruit and vegetable market, in Recoleta, a few minutes' walk from the Central Market across the Mapocho. Crowded aisles, colour and the smell of fresh produce. Go in the morning, when it is liveliest.

    Directions

    Cementerio General

    Founded in 1821, it is a cemetery-city with mausoleums of presidents and artists, and also the Memorial to the Detained and Disappeared. Best visited by day and with time to spare; it is close to the Vega.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

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

  3. 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

  4. Dinner

    Try Terremoto at La Piojera. Aillavilú 1030, Santiago

The map

Santiago in 3 days, on the map

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

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Santiago in 3 days

  • Over three days you can alternate long and short routes: day 1 is the most walking, day 3 the gentlest. Keep that margin for resting rather than stacking three intense days.
  • Many museums close on Mondays and on Sundays some shops and markets open for half a day; check the schedule and plan La Vega Central and the cemetery for a weekday or Saturday morning.
  • In summer, find shade at midday and keep your walking for morning and afternoon; the hills offer shade and a breeze. Autumn and spring are the most pleasant seasons for walking.

Questions

Santiago in 3 days: your questions

Are three days in Santiago worth it?

Yes, if you like history and neighbourhoods with life. Three days let you walk one route a day, see two museums and cover markets and districts without rushing. With more time, Valparaíso and the coast make an easy day trip.

How far do you walk on this itinerary?

The routes add up to about 7.5 km over three days: 3.2 on the first, 2.5 on the second and 1.8 on the third, plus metro transfers and the on-foot visits of the afternoons and the free morning.

Which day should I keep for the museums?

A weekday that isn't Monday, when many museums close. The Memory Museum and the Pre-Columbian Art museum are best in the early afternoon, with fewer people; check the schedule before you set out.

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