Free things to do · Santiago · Chile
10 free things to do in Santiago
Santiago without the ticket prices: sights, walks and views that cost nothing.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Miguel hernandez, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
You can fill at least 3 days in Santiago without paying an entry fee: Plaza de Armas and Metropolitan Cathedral, La Moneda Palace, Museum of Memory and Human Rights and Cerro Santa Lucía are all free. Many national museums, including Bellas Artes, Historia Natural and the Museum of Memory, are free to enter.
Key facts
- Free sights in this guide
- 10
- Low-cost extras
- 3
- Cost level
- Moderately priced
- Lowest hotel prices
- April–June
Free sights and experiences
Landmark · Centro Histórico
1.Plaza de Armas and Metropolitan Cathedral
Start a walking tour of the centre here, then continue to the Mercado Central four blocks north and La Moneda five blocks south.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Palace · Centro Histórico
2.La Moneda Palace
Combine the façade and plaza with an exhibition at the underground cultural centre, entered from the south side of the palace.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Free
- Iconic
Museum · Quinta Normal
3.Museum of Memory and Human Rights
Plan at least two hours and something gentle afterwards, such as a walk in the Quinta Normal park opposite.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Rainy day
Park · Lastarria
4.Cerro Santa Lucía
Enter by the grand stairway on the Alameda and leave by the Lastarria side for coffee afterwards.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Couples
Gallery · Parque Forestal
5.Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
Walk through Parque Forestal along the Mapocho afterwards towards Lastarria.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- Architecture
- Free
- Rainy day
Neighbourhood · Lastarria
6.Barrio Lastarria and GAM
Visit on a weekend afternoon, when the stalls are out and the café terraces are full.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Food
- Shopping
- After dark
Historic site · Recoleta
7.Cementerio General
Ask for a map at the main gate on Avenida La Paz; the grounds are large and tombs hard to find.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Quinta Normal
8.Museo Nacional de Historia Natural
Combine it with the Museum of Memory, across the road from the park's north side.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Rainy day
- Nature
Park · Vitacura
9.Parque Bicentenario
Bring bread for the playground rather than the birds; feeding the flamingos is not allowed.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Market · Las Condes
10.Pueblito Los Dominicos
Take Line 1 to the last stop, Los Dominicos, and have lunch at one of the patio cafés inside the village.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Free
- Off the beaten path
Free sights by area
| Area | Free sights | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Centro Histórico | Plaza de Armas and Metropolitan Cathedral and La Moneda Palace | 1 hour + 1 hour |
| Quinta Normal | Museum of Memory and Human Rights and Museo Nacional de Historia Natural | 2 hours + 1.5 hours |
| Lastarria | Cerro Santa Lucía and Barrio Lastarria and GAM | 1 hour + 2–3 hours |
| Parque Forestal | Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes | 1.5 hours |
| Recoleta | Cementerio General | 1.5 hours |
| Vitacura | Parque Bicentenario | 1–2 hours |
| Las Condes | Pueblito Los Dominicos | 1–2 hours |
Worth a small ticket
Park · Bellavista
Cerro San Cristóbal and Parque Metropolitano
Go up in the morning after rain or wind, when the smog has cleared and the Andes are sharpest; walk down through the woodland to Pedro de Valdivia.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Couples
- Active
Market · Centro Histórico
Mercado Central
Ignore the waiters who wave menus at the entrance and eat at a smaller counter on the outer aisles at lunchtime.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Architecture
- Iconic
Market · Recoleta
La Vega Central
Go in the morning, carry small notes and keep your phone in a front pocket in the crowded aisles.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Photo spot
- Shopping
More ways to save
- Many national museums, including Bellas Artes, Historia Natural and the Museum of Memory, are free to enter.
- Eat your main meal at lunchtime, when a menú del día costs far less than dinner.
- Use a Bip! card on the Metro rather than taxis; fares are lowest outside rush hours.
- Hotels that invoice foreign visitors in US dollars may exempt the room rate from VAT; ask at check-in.
- Supermarket wine is excellent value and makes a picnic on San Cristóbal or in Parque Forestal easy.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Santiago expensive to visit?
Santiago is moderately priced for most visitors, but 10 of its best-known sights are free, which makes a tight budget workable.
+What is the best free thing to do in Santiago?
Plaza de Armas and Metropolitan Cathedral: Start a walking tour of the centre here, then continue to the Mercado Central four blocks north and La Moneda five blocks south.