Santiago with kids

Best things to do with kids

Park · Bellavista

1.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. A funicular climbs from Pío Nono street in Bellavista and a cable car crosses to the Providencia side; on a clear morning the summit terrace looks across the whole city to the Andes. Walking and cycling roads wind up the slopes, and summer brings two public swimming pools.

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

Museum · La Granja

2.Museo Interactivo Mirador (MIM)

Santiago's hands-on science museum has hundreds of interactive exhibits on physics, the human body, earthquakes and technology, set in a large park in the south of the city. It is designed for school-age children and easily fills half a day.

Take Metro Line 5 to Mirador station, then walk or take a short taxi ride; weekday mornings are busy with school groups.

Time needed

Half a day

Cost

Mid-priced

• Kids
• Rainy day
• Active

Museum · Quinta Normal

3.Museo Nacional de Historia Natural

Inside the Quinta Normal park, Chile's natural history museum is known for its large whale skeleton hanging in the central hall, plus displays on Chilean fauna, the Atacama and Easter Island. It is free and a manageable size for children, and the park outside has a lagoon with rowing boats.

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

4.Parque Bicentenario

A modern riverside park in Vitacura with lagoons where flamingos and black-necked swans live, wide lawns and Andes views. It is a favourite for weekend picnics, and the restaurants along Avenida Alonso de Córdova and Nueva Costanera are close by.

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

Viewpoint · Providencia

5.Sky Costanera

The observation deck at the top of the 300-metre Gran Torre Santiago, above the Costanera Center mall, gives a 360-degree view of the city, the Andes and the coastal range. It is the highest public viewpoint in Santiago and is reached by fast lift from the mall.

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

Time needed

1 hour

Cost

Mid-priced

• Views
• Kids
• After dark
• Rainy day

Rainy-day ideas

• Sky Costanera — Time your visit for late afternoon so you see the city by day and the lights after sunset.
• Museo Nacional de Historia Natural — Combine it with the Museum of Memory, across the road from the park's north side.
• Museo Interactivo Mirador (MIM) — Take Metro Line 5 to Mirador station, then walk or take a short taxi ride; weekday mornings are busy with school groups.

Where families should stay

Family travel tips

• The funicular and cable car on San Cristóbal are a highlight for children; the public pools on the hill open in summer.
• Strollers are manageable on the Metro, most stations of which have lifts, but avoid rush hours.
• Chileans dine late; plan an early 'once' or a menú del día lunch as the main family meal.
• Sunscreen and hats are essential in summer, as UV levels are high at this latitude and altitude.
• In winter, the snow at Farellones and Valle Nevado makes a memorable day out for children who have never seen snow.

Day trips for families

• Viña del Mar (About 1 hour 45 minutes by bus) — Valparaíso's neighbour is a beach resort with wide boulevards, the flower clock, the Wulff Castle on the rocks and sandy beaches; the Pacific here is cold for swimming.
• Valle Nevado and Farellones (About 1.5–2 hours by road) — The ski resorts of Valle Nevado, La Parva and El Colorado sit above 2,500 metres and are usually open from late June to September.

When to go with children

The best months overall are March–April and October–November. Weather by month.

Questions travellers ask