Five days in Santiago, Chile itinerary
Santiago was the first stop on our eight week trip exploring Chile and Argentina and it didn’t disappoint. I love Latin America and especially the vibe of the cities there. And though it felt very different to Medellin or CDMX, it had its own charm. It was similarly green and leafy with a vibrant feel to the streets. The food was just as good and the people just as warm and friendly. But in the places we visited we found there was much more rock and English-language music – an interesting fact since this was the city where we came across the fewest people speaking English.
We were in Santiago for five days and could probably have stayed even longer since this included two day trips outside of the city centre.
This is what you need to know about the five days we spent in Santiago.
Where to stay in Santiago
We stayed at the Solace Hotel in Providecia, one of the most popular neighbourhoods for tourists visiting the city. The area was safe and pretty, and full of bars and restaurants as well as parks for relaxing and running.
It’s easy to get the metro around the city from Providencia and is often faster than using Uber or Cabify. Lastarria and Bellavista are other fun and tourist-safe barrios with plenty of hotels.
Is Santiago safe?
The Providencia, Bellavista, and Lastarria neighbourhoods of Santiago all felt very safe and clean, and the people were lovely, friendly, and helpful. Although there were other tourists around the city, it didn't feel touristy at all and it would be useful to be able to speak some Spanish as we only really came across English speakers on tours and in hotels. Though we didn’t go far from Providencia on foot, we never felt unsafe in Santiago even when running in the mornings and walking home from the metro at night.
When to visit Santiago
We arrived in Santiago in early March, which is considered autumn in Chile – technically. But the average temperature forecast throughout our five days was around 26-30ºc so it felt more like a summer holiday.
Santiago is in the middle of the country and in line with Buenos Aires. June to August is winter and tends to be cooler and wetter, so may not be the ideal time to visit depending on your plans. But in general, you can expect a mild, Mediterranean climate with a low chance of rain.
Here’s what to pack for two weeks in Chile in March.
How long to spend in Santiago
For us, five days was the perfect amount of time to spend in Santiago. We were able to explore different areas of the city and still had time to take day trips into the wine valleys and to Valparaíso.
You could definitely spend more time if you wanted to explore the city slowly, and if you are visiting Valparaiso and Viña del Mar separately you might be able to see lots of Santiago in a long weekend. But it’s a large capital city so if you want to make the most of your trip, 4-5 days or more is best.
The best things to do in Santiago
Santiago is the capital of Chile so there are so many things to see and do. But these were the highlights of our four nights in Santiago.
Cerro San Cristobal
Parque de las Esculturas
Barrio Bellavista
Barrio Lastarria
Day trip to Valparaiso and Viña del Mar
Day trip to the wineries
Centro histórico
The museum of memory & human rights
Cementerio General de Santiago
Cerro Santa Lucia
Sky Costanera
From Santiago we moved on to Patagonia where we spent two weeks. Find out about our stay in Patagonia here.
Where to eat and drink in Santiago
With only five days and four nights in Santiago our chances to eat out and explore the food scene were limited. But these were our favourite places that we ate and drank in Santiago:
Oda - great food and cocktails in Lastarria.
José Ramon 277 - huge sandwiches and a good selection of beers in Lastarria.
Micheladas Gratis - good micheladas in lots of locations across the city.
Jardín Mallinkrodt - different options for food and drink including sushi, burgers, and tacos.
Güeros - good tacos in Bellavista.
Yuzu Sushi - really good rolls.
Planta Baja - Valparaíso not Santiago, but amazing seafood.
Simonetta Pizza - good, affordable pizzas by the slice.
Find out more about our favourite places to eat and drink in Santiago here.
And find out more about our full Chile itinerary here.