3 days in Santiago

Day by day

1. Day 1: Cerro San Cristóbal and Parque Metropolitano and La Chascona

   Cerro San Cristóbal and Parque Metropolitano, La Chascona and Plaza de Armas and Metropolitan Cathedral, then Sky Costanera in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Cerro San Cristóbal and Parque Metropolitano

      Santiago's largest park covers Cerro San Cristóbal, a hill rising about 300 metres above the city and topped by a white statue of the Virgin Mary.

   2. Late morning

      La Chascona

      Pair it with Neruda's seaside house at Isla Negra or La Sebastiana in Valparaíso if you plan a coast day trip.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Empanada de pino

      Bakeries and empanaderías across the city, especially on Sundays and around the September national holidays.

   4. Afternoon

      Plaza de Armas and Metropolitan Cathedral

      Laid out when Pedro de Valdivia founded the city in 1541, the palm-shaded main square is framed by the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Central Post Office and the Museo Histórico Nacional in the old Royal Audience building.

   5. Evening

      Sky Costanera

      Time your visit for late afternoon so you see the city by day and the lights after sunset.

2. Day 2: La Moneda Palace and Mercado Central

   La Moneda Palace, Mercado Central and Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, then Barrio Lastarria and GAM in the evening.

   1. Morning

      La Moneda Palace

      Combine the façade and plaza with an exhibition at the underground cultural centre, entered from the south side of the palace.

   2. Late morning

      Mercado Central

      A wrought-iron hall prefabricated in Britain and opened in 1872 houses fishmongers and seafood restaurants serving caldillo de congrio, paila marina and machas a la parmesana.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Completo

      Fuente de soda counters and sandwich bars in the centre and Providencia.

   4. Afternoon

      Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

      Allow time for the basement Chile gallery, which many visitors miss after the main floors.

   5. Evening

      Barrio Lastarria and GAM

      Visit on a weekend afternoon, when the stalls are out and the café terraces are full.

3. Day 3: Museum of Memory and Human Rights and Museo Nacional de Historia Natural

   Museum of Memory and Human Rights, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural and Cerro Santa Lucía, then Bellavista in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Museum of Memory and Human Rights

      Opened in 2010, this museum documents the human rights violations committed during the military regime of 1973–1990 through testimonies, photographs, letters and broadcast footage.

   2. Late morning

      Museo Nacional de Historia Natural

      Combine it with the Museum of Memory, across the road from the park's north side.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pastel de choclo

      Traditional picadas and market cocinerías, mainly from December to March.

   4. Afternoon

      Cerro Santa Lucía

      The rocky hill where Santiago was founded was turned into an ornamental park in the 1870s, with the Neptune Fountain terraces, stone stairways and the small Castillo Hidalgo.

   5. Evening

      Bellavista

      Bars and clubs along Pío Nono and Constitución, Patio Bellavista's terraces and the city's main LGBTQ+ venues.

Before you go

• La Moneda Palace: Guided visits inside the palace are limited and must be requested in advance through the presidency's official channels.
• La Chascona: Visitor numbers are limited at busy times; arrive early or check the foundation's site for reservations.

If it rains

• Swap in Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Parque Forestal): Walk through Parque Forestal along the Mapocho afterwards towards Lastarria.
• Swap in Museo Interactivo Mirador (MIM) (La Granja): Take Metro Line 5 to Mirador station, then walk or take a short taxi ride; weekday mornings are busy with school groups.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Lastarria keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Bellavista ($$) suits nightlife, budget, solo travellers and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 16–19 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.9 hours in June to 14.4 hours in December, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Santiago
• 2 days in Santiago
• 5 days in Santiago

Questions travellers ask