Where to stay · Santiago · Chile
Where to stay in Santiago
7 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Carlos Figueroa, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Lastarria. Cobbled streets, bookshops, cafés and theatres below Cerro Santa Lucía. Best alternatives — families: Providencia; budget: Bellavista; nightlife: Bellavista.
Key facts
- First visit
- Lastarria
- Families
- Providencia
- Budget
- Bellavista
- Nightlife
- Bellavista
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Lastarria | Cobbled streets, bookshops, cafés and theatres below Cerro Santa Lucía |
| Families | Providencia | Tree-lined avenues, mid-range hotels and easy Metro Line 1 access |
| Couples | Lastarria | Cobbled streets, bookshops, cafés and theatres below Cerro Santa Lucía |
| Budget | Bellavista | Murals, Neruda's house and late bars at the foot of San Cristóbal |
| Luxury | Las Condes and El Golf | Glass towers, business hotels and upscale dining nicknamed 'Sanhattan' |
| Nightlife | Bellavista | Murals, Neruda's house and late bars at the foot of San Cristóbal |
| Food lovers | Lastarria | Cobbled streets, bookshops, cafés and theatres below Cerro Santa Lucía |
| Solo travellers | Bellavista | Murals, Neruda's house and late bars at the foot of San Cristóbal |
| Shopping | Providencia | Tree-lined avenues, mid-range hotels and easy Metro Line 1 access |
| Quiet stays | Barrio Italia | Design shops, patios and brunch cafés along Avenida Italia |
Santiago neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, couples, culture and food lovers
Lastarria
Barrio Lastarria grew around José Victorino Lastarria street and the small Plaza Mulato Gil de Castro, and is now the most walkable base in central Santiago. The Gabriela Mistral Cultural Centre (GAM), the Museo de Bellas Artes and Parque Forestal are a few minutes away, and Plaza de Armas is about 15 minutes on foot.
- Good
- Walkable to the centre and Bellavista; Strong café and restaurant scene; Universidad Católica and Bellas Artes Metro stations
- Watch out
- Busy and noisy on weekend evenings; Limited choice of larger hotels
- Nearby
- Cerro Santa Lucía, GAM, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Parque Forestal
$$ · 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
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families, solo travellers and shopping
Providencia
Providencia is the practical middle of Santiago: residential, green and well served by Metro Line 1 along Avenida Providencia, with stations such as Pedro de Valdivia, Manuel Montt and Los Leones. Hotels, supermarkets and restaurants are plentiful, the San Cristóbal cable car starts on its northern edge and Costanera Center is at its eastern end.
- Good
- Calm, comfortable base; Excellent Metro links; Wide range of mid-range hotels
- Watch out
- Less historic character; A Metro ride from the historic centre
- Nearby
- Costanera Center, Parque de las Esculturas, Cerro San Cristóbal cable car
$$ · Best for shopping, food lovers, couples and quiet stays
Barrio Italia
Barrio Italia, on the border of Providencia and Ñuñoa, is a grid of single-storey houses converted into furniture workshops, antique dealers, design stores and courtyard cafés, mostly along Avenida Italia and Girardi. It has few hotels but plenty of short-term rentals, and is one of the best areas for a leisurely weekend afternoon.
- Good
- Independent shops and cafés; Local, residential atmosphere; Close to Parque Bustamante
- Watch out
- Few hotels; Not directly on a Metro line
- Nearby
- Avenida Italia, Parque Bustamante, Plaza Ñuñoa
$$$$ · Best for luxury, families and quiet stays
Las Condes and El Golf
East of Providencia, the El Golf area of Las Condes is Santiago's financial district, with international hotel chains, steakhouses and restaurants around Isidora Goyenechea and Avenida El Bosque. It is clean, orderly and close to the Andes foothills, but 25–30 minutes by Metro from the historic sights.
- Good
- Polished, calm streets; Large modern hotels; Good restaurants and shopping malls
- Watch out
- Far from the centre and nightlife; Feels corporate in the evenings
- Nearby
- Parque Araucano, Pueblito Los Dominicos, Costanera Center
$$ · Best for budget, culture and first-timers
Centro Histórico
The historic centre holds the Plaza de Armas, the Metropolitan Cathedral, La Moneda Palace and the Mercado Central, linked by pedestrian streets such as Paseo Ahumada and Paseo Huérfanos. It is busy and convenient by day, with Metro Lines 1, 2, 3 and 5 crossing it, but empties out after office hours.
- Good
- Walk to the main historic sights; Lower hotel prices; Hub of several Metro lines
- Watch out
- Quiet and less pleasant after dark; Pickpockets in crowded pedestrian streets
- Nearby
- Plaza de Armas, La Moneda Palace, Mercado Central, Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino
$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and culture
Barrio Brasil and Yungay
West of the Panamericana, Barrio Brasil and Barrio Yungay keep grand but worn early-20th-century houses, the tree-filled Plaza Brasil and a handful of old-school picadas and bars. Hostels are common, and the Quinta Normal park with its natural history museum and the Museum of Memory is a short walk away.
- Good
- Low prices; Historic architecture; Close to Quinta Normal museums
- Watch out
- Some streets feel run-down at night; Fewer upscale restaurants
- Nearby
- Plaza Brasil, Quinta Normal, Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Lastarria | $$$ | Cerro Santa Lucía, GAM, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Parque Forestal |
| Bellavista | $$ | La Chascona, Cerro San Cristóbal funicular, Patio Bellavista |
| Providencia | $$$ | Costanera Center, Parque de las Esculturas, Cerro San Cristóbal cable car |
| Barrio Italia | $$ | Avenida Italia, Parque Bustamante, Plaza Ñuñoa |
| Las Condes and El Golf | $$$$ | Parque Araucano, Pueblito Los Dominicos, Costanera Center |
| Centro Histórico | $$ | Plaza de Armas, La Moneda Palace, Mercado Central, Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino |
| Barrio Brasil and Yungay | $ | Plaza Brasil, Quinta Normal, Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos |
Getting to your hotel
Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) is about 17 km west of the centre. Airport buses run to Los Héroes and Pajaritos Metro stations, and shared vans and official taxis can be booked at counters inside arrivals; by road, the ride to Providencia takes about 30–45 minutes depending on traffic.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Santiago for first-time visitors?
Lastarria. Barrio Lastarria grew around José Victorino Lastarria street and the small Plaza Mulato Gil de Castro, and is now the most walkable base in central Santiago.
+Where should families stay in Santiago?
Providencia: Calm, comfortable base.
+Which area of Santiago is best for a budget stay?
Bellavista ($$): Murals, Neruda's house and late bars at the foot of San Cristóbal.