3 perfect days in Santiago, Chile

In the Chilean capital of Santiago, there's no shortage of cutting-edge museums, inventive restaurants, and record-setting skyscrapers. And the area just beyond the borders is a nature lover's dream, with gurgling hot springs, crackling glaciers, and epic alpine views, not to mention a patchwork of vineyards and small-batch wineries.

If you’re like me, you’ll want to explore it all, so this three-day itinerary covers the city itself and the surrounding area (with help from Tripadvisor ratings and reviews). Trust me, you don't want to miss a thing.

Start your Santiago tour in the city’s historic heart, the Plaza de Armas, a stately square shaded by 60 towering date palms. Many of the original buildings have been lost over the years—Chile is one of the world’s most seismically active countries—but you’ll still find magnificent relics like the Metropolitan Cathedral, built between 1748 and 1800.

Food lovers should head just north of the plaza to the ornate Mercado Central, a fish market heaving with all the treasures from the Pacific Coast, including giant loco abalones and fleshy sea squirts. A 10-minute walk (or a quick taxi ride) across the Mapocho River takes you to the city’s main vegetable market, La Vega, which is brimming with finds from across the country—colorful potatoes from the island of Chiloé, tart custard apples from Chile’s arid north. At both markets, be sure to keep a close eye on your belongings.

If you want more time for culture, head instead to the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, a block west of the plaza, which has Chile’s finest collection of Andean textiles, pottery, and jewelry. Three blocks to the southwest, underneath the presidential palace of La Moneda, is the city’s preeminent cultural center, the Centro Cultural Palacio de la Moneda, which screens films, hosts large-scale touring exhibits, and has great craft stores, including the largest branch of Tienda Fundación Artesanías de Chile.

SANTIAGO CENTRO TOUR OPTIONS

After all that walking, you’ll have worked up an appetite. Head west to the low-rise Barrio Yungay neighborhood, where you’ll find historic restaurants like Espacio Gárgola and Peluquería Francesa, which is attached to an old-school barbershop and filled with curios sourced from nearby antique markets.

After lunch, take a leisurely stroll through the barrio to check out its vibrant murals and historic mansions (the checker-tiled Pasaje Adriana Cousiño is notably picturesque). Be sure to end your walk at Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, an architecturally striking museum that grapples with the human rights violations committed during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, which lasted from 1973 to 1990. It’s vital for understanding the Chile of today.

You might need a strong drink after learning about this country's darkest days. For that, head to the bohemian Barrio Lastarria neighborhood, which lies just east of Cerro Santa Lucia, a manicured hilltop park with lovely sunset views. Here you’ll find uniquely Chilean bars like Chipe Libre, which specializes in the frothy national cocktail: pisco sour.

If you prefer wine, head to Bocanariz, which has themed flights and wine-friendly bites, or Pizzeria Gabilondo, which serves two dozen Chilean wines by the glass—all from small and often natural wine producers. The nearby Santiago Wine Club is the perfect place to pick up another bottle for the hotel. Or, stick around after dark to catch a show at a performing arts venue such as the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral (for contemporary dance and experimental theater) or the Teatro Municipal (for opera, ballet, and classical music).

Wake up early for a stroll around Parque Metropolitano, Santiago’s largest urban park. To make things easier on yourself, take a cable car to the top of towering Cerro San Cristobal. If it’s summer, you can break up the trip with a stop at the Piscina Antilen swimming pool before continuing onward to the Santuario de la Inmaculada Concepción, where a Virgin Mary statue lords over the capital.

Viewpoints below the statue have sweeping views over Santiago and the mountains beyond. Emulate the Chilean tourists here and drink a mote con huesillo, which is a cinnamon-flavored peach juice topped with husked wheat berries. Descend back to the city via a creaky 100-year-old funicular.

PARQUE METROPOLITANO TOUR OPTIONS

Short on blockbuster attractions but perfect for an idle stroll is the sprawling middle-class neighborhood of Providencia. Nowhere is more charming than the low-rise Barrio Italia district, where clothing boutiques, antique dealers, art galleries, design stores, and leafy patio cafes are located along small alleyways behind unassuming facades.

A good place to begin is at Estacion Italia, one of the city’s largest shopping arcades. For a market-fresh lunch, try nearby Silvestre Bistro. Or, head elsewhere in Providencia to daytime dining dens like Casino Latriana and Verde Sazón, the latter of which specializes in vegan fare.

More shopping is found closer to Gran Torre Santiago, the tallest building in South America, which lies beside the Costanera Center, a massive megamall. Unless you need a name-brand product, skip the mall and head instead to the small shops (with products actually made in Chile) at Mercado Drugstore and Mercado Urbano Tobalaba, the latter of which also has a large urban food market.

When Santiaguinos want to party, the first neighborhood that comes to mind is Barrio Bellavista. Though it’s not as well known for its food chops, you’ll find a few restaurants that travelers rave about, including Peumayen Ancestral Food (for inventive Chilean cooking) and Selvado (for top-quality Peruvian fare). There are also plenty of “restobars” like Bar El Retiro, where casual dinners segue into drinking.

As midnight approaches, Bellavista kicks into full gear with dance clubs (like La Feria), jazz clubs (like Thelonious Lugar de Jazz), and live music venues (like El Clan), all drawing big crowds. Bellavista is also the hub of LGBTQ+ nightlife in Chile, with most clubs and drag shows found between Bombero Núñez and Purísima streets.

Day three is all about adventures along the edge of the city, beginning with Cajón del Maipo, a scenic river valley with easy access to the Andes via a (mostly) paved road. You could easily spend the day—or an entire weekend—exploring this area, particularly if you want to hike to the San Francisco glacier in Monumento Natural El Morado or venture onward to the remote hot springs of Termas Valle de Colina.

Another highlight: rafting the Class III and Class IV rapids of the Maipo River with Rutavertical Rafting. Or, you can take some photos that are sure to light up your social media feed at Embalse El Yeso, a turquoise reservoir encased in snow-dusted Andean peaks.

On the way back to town you’ll pass through Pirque, a rural enclave that’s home to many Maipo Valley wineries. The most famous is Concha y Toro, which produces just over 1% of the world’s wines. (Chances are you’re familiar with labels like Frontera or Casillero del Diablo.) Have a tasting, a tour, or a meal at the vineyard, then head to other big-ticket wineries like Santa Rita, which not only runs tastings and tours, but also houses a stunning onsite museum of Andean artifacts

Fighting off Santiago’s urban sprawl is Causiño Macul, a historic winery within the city limits. Tours here show off the grand history of Chilean winemaking. Like all Maipo Valley wineries, big, bold Cabernet Sauvignons are the stars of the show.

MAIPO VALLEY TOUR OPTIONS

Don’t worry about getting back to the city a little late. Nobody goes out to dinner in Santiago until at least 8 or 9 p.m. Cap off your Santiago trip with some fine dining in the ritzy Vitacura neighborhood, where you’ll rub shoulders with the movers and shakers of Chilean society.

Borago is the most famous restaurant in Santiago—and in all of Chile—thanks to its innovative chef, Rodolfo Guzmán, who uses home-grown ingredients from Patagonia to the Atacama Desert. Borago’s theatrical tasting menus are as memorable as the unexpected Chilean wine pairings.

Want something a bit more casual? Chile’s long and cool Pacific Coast supplies some of the best seafood on earth, and at La Calma by Fredes you can taste a bit of everything with its legendary La Calma Platter.

Finish the evening with a nightcap at the famed red-lit cocktail bar, Siete Negronis, where you can let the bartenders design a drink based on your palate and mood.