Shopping · Santiago · Chile
Shopping in Santiago
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Warko, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Santiago has large modern malls in the eastern districts, design and antique shops in Barrio Italia, and crafts at Los Dominicos and the Centro Cultural La Moneda. Lapis lazuli, copper, wine and Mapuche-style silver are the classic buys. Best souvenirs: Lapis lazuli jewellery, Chilean wine and pisco and Merkén.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 4
- Markets
- 3
- Top souvenir
- Lapis lazuli jewellery
Where to shop
Costanera Center
The country's largest shopping mall, at the foot of the Gran Torre Santiago in Providencia.
Barrio Italia
Furniture workshops, vintage and antique shops and Chilean design stores along Avenida Italia.
Alonso de Córdova and Nueva Costanera
Upscale boutiques, galleries and designer stores in Vitacura.
Paseo Ahumada and Huérfanos
Busy pedestrian streets of the centre lined with department stores and everyday shops.
Markets
Pueblito Los Dominicos
Craft village of workshops selling ceramics, textiles, copper and lapis lazuli at the end of Metro Line 1.
La Vega Central
The city's big produce market, good for dried fruit, nuts and merkén spice.
Persa Bío Bío
A sprawling weekend flea market of antiques, second-hand goods and bric-a-brac south of the centre; keep valuables close.
What to buy
Lapis lazuli jewellery
Chile is one of the few sources of this deep-blue stone, sold in jewellery shops and at Los Dominicos.
Chilean wine and pisco
Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon and bottles of pisco from the Elqui Valley; pack bottles well.
Merkén
A smoked chilli and coriander spice blend from Mapuche cuisine, light and easy to carry.
Copper crafts
Plates, bowls and jewellery from the country's signature metal.
Mapuche silverwork
Traditional-style pendants and earrings, sold at craft markets and the La Moneda cultural centre shop.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Market · Centro Histórico
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.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Architecture
- Iconic
Market · Recoleta
La Vega Central
Across the Mapocho River from the Mercado Central, La Vega is the city's great working produce market: avocados, Andean potatoes, dried fruit, cheeses and seasonal fruit such as chirimoya and lúcuma.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Photo spot
- Shopping
Neighbourhood · Lastarria
Barrio Lastarria and GAM
Lastarria's short cobbled streets hold bookshops, wine bars, the Museo de Artes Visuales and weekend book and antique stalls.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Food
- Shopping
- After dark
Market · Las Condes
Pueblito Los Dominicos
Beside the white colonial-style church of San Vicente Ferrer, this craft village of adobe workshops sells Chilean lapis lazuli, copper, ceramics, woven goods and leather.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Free
- Off the beaten path
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Empanada de pino, Mote con huesillo, Pisco sour and Terremoto. Bakeries and empanaderías across the city, especially on Sundays and around the September national holidays. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Lastarria | $$$ | Cobbled streets, bookshops, cafés and theatres below Cerro Santa Lucía |
| Bellavista | $$ | Murals, Neruda's house and late bars at the foot of San Cristóbal |
| Providencia | $$$ | Tree-lined avenues, mid-range hotels and easy Metro Line 1 access |
| Barrio Italia | $$ | Design shops, patios and brunch cafés along Avenida Italia |
| Las Condes and El Golf | $$$$ | Glass towers, business hotels and upscale dining nicknamed 'Sanhattan' |
| Centro Histórico | $$ | Plaza de Armas, government palaces and busy pedestrian streets |
| Barrio Brasil and Yungay | $ | Faded 19th-century mansions, hostels and neighbourhood restaurants west of the centre |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in CLP. A 10% tip is customary in restaurants and is usually added as a suggested line on the bill when you pay. Petrol station attendants and supermarket baggers, often students, expect small change.
- Say 'buenos días' or 'buenas tardes' when entering small shops and offices.
- 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.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in February and April–June; the busiest months are the peak holidays.
- January: Santiago a Mil — international theatre festival (usually January)
- March: Lollapalooza Chile — music festival (usually March)
- March: Grape harvest festivals in the wine valleys (usually March)
Staying near the shops
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, solo travellers and shopping
Providencia
Tree-lined avenues, mid-range hotels and easy Metro Line 1 access
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Santiago?
Lapis lazuli jewellery, Chilean wine and pisco, Merkén and Copper crafts.
+Where is the best shopping in Santiago?
Costanera Center: The country's largest shopping mall, at the foot of the Gran Torre Santiago in Providencia.
+What are the best markets in Santiago?
Pueblito Los Dominicos, La Vega Central and Persa Bío Bío.