TravEL detAilS

Here’s some information about Santiago and a few destinations to turn your visit into a larger trip. We’ve put together a more detailed travel guide that we’ll email you, which you can also download below.

Santiago de Chile

Santiago is a sprawling city of nearly 7 million people nestled at the base of the Andes mountains. There’s a lot to see and do, and it’s a starting point for most journeys to more remote parts of Chile.

Santiago is divided into various “comunas” or municipalities. More substantial than a neighborhood, each comuna has its own mayor and city hall. All of the comunas we recommend visiting are very connected by public transportation or an easy Uber ride.

Keep in mind that seasons in the southern hemisphere are the reverse of the US. You’ll be visiting at the end of summer/beginning of fall. Central chile has a mediterranean climate, very similar to California.

Stay

There are a lot of hotels in Santiago, from chains to boutique hotels at a wide range of prices. Airbnb is also a great, more affordable option. We recommend staying in the comunas of Ñuñoa, Providencia, Las Condes, or Vitacura. If you're unsure about location, you can always send us a message before you book. Below are a just few hotels we recommend due to location and walkability:

Here are some of our recommendations for activities in Santiago:

Visit wineries in the city (Cousiño Macul, Concha y Toro, Santa Rita)
Museum of Memory and Human Rights
Pre-colombian Art Museum
Take a gondola, teleférico in Spanish, up San Cristobal Hill
Take a day trip or overnight to Valparaíso

Eat

From casual picadas to nice restaurants, here are some recommendations on where to eat. Make sure you try a pisco sour!

Casa Las Cujas, Vitacura
La Liguria, Providencia
Forá, Providencia
Fuente Mardoquea, Fuente Alemana, or Fuente Suiza
Boca Nariz, Santiago Centro

MaKe A TRIp OF IT!

Here are some top tourist destinations and some of our favorite places in and around Chile. There are so many great options that we couldn’t fit here. Find even more destinations and information in the guide.

Destinations in Chile

Torres del Paine National Park

The most famous national park in Chile. Generally when people think of Patagonia, it’s this park or Mount Fitz Roy in Argentina. (It’s possible to visit both on the same trip!)

Torres del Paine is named for the steep mountains that seem to jut out from a glacial lake, called las torres, or towers. However, there are so many things to do and see in the park. Wildlife, like the guanaco pictured on the left, is abundant. Visitors can take boat rides, kayak amongst glaciers, complete a multi-day trek, or visit beautiful spots by day hiking.

There are options for all budgets: from backpacking and camping to staying in refugios on a trek, or staying in luxury hotels and exploring the park by day.

Colchagua Valley

Chile is known for its wines, and the Colchagua Valley is one of the best places to experience Chilean wine country. Located about 3 hours south of Santiago, it’s an easy bus ride or drive to the valley. March is the wine harvest season with various harvest festivals in different valleys.

Santa Cruz is a small town and the capital of this part of wine country. There are cute boutique hotels in town, good restaurants (Francis Mallman from Chef’s Table has a place there), and of course wonderful wineries. Some of the hotels even rent bikes to get from tasting to tasting.

Its a great option for a weekend or a few day getaway from Santiago.

San Pedro de Atacama

The Atacama Desert is the driest place on earth. This vast desert is sprinkled with impressive volcanoes, valleys that look like a different planet, geysers, hot springs, and sparkling lagoons. It also happens to be one of the best places to see the stars.

The desert is huge, covering most of the northern part of Chile, but the best place to visit is San Pedro de Atacama. San Pedro is a picturesque desert town and a great jumping off point for exploring Atacama.

People generally stay in town and book tours to visit different attractions around the area. There are a wide variety of hotels at different price ranges.

Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

We have yet to visit Easter Island, but everyone who goes loves it! You've probably heard of it as Easter Island, but it’s real name is Rapa Nui, which is also the name of the indigenous Polynesian people that have inhabited the island for centuries.

Rapa Nui boasts beautiful white sand beaches, volcanoes, and the famous Moai – statues carved by the Rapa Nui people between the years of 1250-1500.

From biking around the island to relaxing on the beach, there are so many things to do. Visitors can enjoy surfing, diving, watching the sunrise over the moai, seeing ancient petroglyphs, and experiencing Rapa Nui culture.

International Destinations

Buenos Aires, Argentina

We love Buenos Aires! It’s a wonderful city with amazing food, culture, and people, and we try to go once a year. It’s a short flight over the Andes from Santiago and a great option if you like exploring cities.

From visiting the parks and museums to watching a soccer game, there’s something for everyone in Buenos Aires. Bookstores and theaters are abound and the city has tons of great places to eat. The city’s architecture is a beautiful mix of old and new and each neighborhood is very different from the next.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

We also love Rio! It's one of our favorite places to visit. The flight to Rio is a little longer than to Buenos Aires, but still only about 3.5 hours.

Rio de Janeiro boasts beautiful beaches, incredible music, delicious caipirinhas, and an overall happy vibe. It’s hard to be sad listening to samba or bossa nova at the beach.

Visiting Sugarloaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer, and the Botanical Gardens are great options. People-watch on Copacabana or Ipanema beach or explore the hilly cobblestone streets of Santa Teresa. With so much to do, it can be hard to balance beach days and sightseeing, but it’s worth doing both!

Machu Picchu, Peru

A wonder of the world, Machu Picchu is a bucket-list trip for many. To get to Machu Picchu, you would fly from Lima to Cusco. Lima, the capital of Peru, is a 3 hour flight from Santiago, and often a layover stop for flights from Los Angeles, CA. Lima is also well known for it’s food scene and worth a visit if you’re heading to Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu an incredible place to visit and with options to hike or bus to the ruins, your trip can be as adventurous and active as you want to make it. I recommend spending some time in Cusco and exploring the surrounding Sacred Valley as well.