Solo travel · Santiago · Chile
Solo travel in Santiago
How to enjoy Santiago at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Miguel hernandez, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
Santiago is easy for solo travellers: the Metro is straightforward, hostels in Bellavista and Barrio Brasil are sociable, and free walking tours start from the Plaza de Armas area. Eating alone at a bar or a menú del día counter is normal. Many solo travellers base themselves in Bellavista.
Key facts
- Base
- Bellavista
- Getting around
- Metro
- Emergency number
- 131 ambulance, 132 fire, 133 police (Carabineros)
- Language
- Spanish
Solo travel tips
- Join a free walking tour of the centre on your first day to get oriented and meet other travellers.
- Base yourself in Lastarria or Providencia for a balance of convenience and calm evenings.
- Carry your phone in a front pocket and avoid using it on street corners in the centre, where snatch thefts are common.
- Use ride-hailing apps rather than hailing street taxis late at night.
- Group day tours to Valparaíso, wineries or the Cajón del Maipo are an easy way to explore beyond the city.
Where to stay
$$ · Best for nightlife, budget, solo travellers and culture
Bellavista
Across the Mapocho River from Lastarria, Bellavista is Santiago's main going-out district, with bars along Pío Nono and Constitución and the restaurant courtyard of Patio Bellavista. It is also where the funicular climbs Cerro San Cristóbal and where Pablo Neruda built La Chascona. Side streets of low houses are covered in street art.
- Good
- Liveliest nightlife in the city; Hostels and small boutique hotels; Direct access to San Cristóbal
- Watch out
- Loud until late on Pío Nono; Bag snatching reported on quiet streets at night; Nearest Metro stations are a 10–15 minute walk
- Nearby
- La Chascona, Cerro San Cristóbal funicular, Patio Bellavista
Great on your own
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
Landmark · Centro Histórico
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
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
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
Museum · Centro Histórico
Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
Allow time for the basement Chile gallery, which many visitors miss after the main floors.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Quinta Normal
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
Meeting people
- Winery visit in the Maipo Valley — Several historic wineries in the Maipo Valley, including Concha y Toro in Pirque and Santa Rita in Alto Jahuel, run tours with tastings within an hour of the city; book ahead and avoid driving yourself.
- Menú del día lunch — Weekday set lunches of soup or salad, a main course, dessert and a drink are the best-value way to eat local food; look for chalkboards outside restaurants in the centre and Providencia.
- Bellavista — Bars and clubs along Pío Nono and Constitución, Patio Bellavista's terraces and the city's main LGBTQ+ venues.
- Lastarria — Wine bars, craft-beer pubs and cocktail terraces in the cobbled streets near GAM.
Sensible precautions
Pickpocketing and phone snatching are the main risks, especially around the Plaza de Armas, Paseo Ahumada, the Mercado Central and Bellavista at night. Chile is earthquake country: note your hotel's emergency instructions, and expect smog on still winter days.
- Emergency number
- 131 ambulance, 132 fire, 133 police (Carabineros)
- Staying connected
- 4G and 5G coverage is good across the city; local SIM cards and eSIMs are easy to buy, and many cafés and Metro stations offer Wi-Fi.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Santiago good for solo travellers?
Santiago is easy for solo travellers: the Metro is straightforward, hostels in Bellavista and Barrio Brasil are sociable, and free walking tours start from the Plaza de Armas area. Eating alone at a bar or a menú del día counter is normal.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Santiago?
Bellavista: Murals, Neruda's house and late bars at the foot of San Cristóbal.