Here you'll find everything you need to know to plan a three-day trip to Santiago, Chile with room for a day trip to Valparaíso.
Background:
Santiago & Valparaíso were one of 4 excursions we planned during our 5-week stay in Buenos Aires. The trip spanned Thursday (2/15/2024) to Sunday (2/18/2024), and we found this to be the perfect amount of time to experience and explore both cities in Chile.
About:
Santiago is the capital and largest city in Chile, representing 40% of Chile's total population. Home to 7 million people, the city ranks within the top 10 largest cities in the Americas! It's even more populated than Chicago. The city is known for its picturesque views of the Andes Mountains, wine, and proximity to the Pacific Ocean.
Getting to Santiago:
Like our other excursions, we arranged our travel and stay in advance. We booked roundtrip tickets from Buenos Aires to Santiago through Sky Express for about 200 USD per person (our most expensive flight of the South America tour). We departed at 8 a.m. and after a little more than an hour and a half, we were in Santiago!
Our Stay:
We booked our stay at a small one-bedroom apartment in Santiago through Airbnb. The accommodation was more than sufficient. The only drawback was that it lacked A/C, which was manageable as the weather was milder (and dryer) compared to Buenos Aires. However, A/C is always a priority for us Americans ;)
Exploring Santiago (Day 1):
We spent our first day in Santiago exploring the city. After purchasing SIM cards at a Movistar near us (about 5 USD per person for more than enough gigs of data), we made our way to the following:
Plaza de Armas
Mercado Central: This is the central market of Santiago and a top tourist attraction. We found it to be just that - very touristy. There are people pushing menus and inviting you to eat/shop at every turn. It's nothing more dramatic than what we've experienced in general but more than we were used to in South America.
La Moneda Palace (Palacio de la Moneda): This is the seat of the president of Chile. Unfortunately, we did not realize that you need to reserve tickets in advance to tour inside (for free!). However, the views outside were still splendid. Tickets can be reserved here.
Sky Costanera: This is the tallest building in South America. Tickets to the top were about 20 USD per person but it was totally worth it! The views are immaculate and there is a rooftop bar with cheap, delicious drinks! We booked for 7 p.m. and stayed for a couple of hours to catch the sunset (which was beautiful). If we had to do it again, we likely would book a little closer to sunset, because pictures in the sun are harsh. However, it does have a 360-degree view, so, regardless of the time you visit, you'll probably snap some great pictures. We would recommend getting to the Sky Bar early before the sun sets to reserve a prime window seat. As sunset approaches, everyone flocks to the bar to witness the city transition into the night. Tickets to the top can be purchased here.
Day 1 in Santiago.
Views from the Sky Costanera at sunset.
Exploring Santiago (Day 2):
Day 2 in Santiago started with visiting the famous Cerro San Cristobal. This hill is a scenic tourist attraction that ends with the iconic Virgin Mary statue. Many locals and tourists choose to walk or bike up the path to the top, but there are also tickets to access cable cars, a funicular, and a panoramic bus. We purchased tickets for unlimited rides on all three transportation options (a little more than 8 USD per person). We thought it made the most sense to first take the cable car to the top, explore a bit, then take the funicular down to the mid-level and explore the National Zoo (which is free to visit!). However, once you get to the hill, you can decide how best to conquer exploring it.
Later that evening, we strolled through the National Museum of Fine Arts (free entry) and explored more around the Bellas Artes neighborhood. Knowing we still had access to all of the transportation services on the San Cristobal Hill, we decided to make our way back to snap some pictures in the afternoon light. Note that the last ride on any of the options available is at 7:30 p.m. and the park closes at 8 p.m.
To end the night, we decided on a place for dinner, which ended up being at Chipe Libre - República Independiente del Pisco (highly recommend).
Day 2 in Santiago.
Exploring Valparaíso (Day 3):
For our final day in Chile, we reserved a rental car in advance for a planned day trip to Valparaíso. This is one of several excursions you can plan out of Santiago, and, based on what we read, it was at the top of the list. Our rental (booked through Expedia) cost about 56 USD for the day. The rental car company was located in an underground garage near the Costanera Center in downtown Santiago. It was a little confusing how to find the place, but you should see the logo on the stairs that lead below the street. The trip was relatively easy and took about an hour and a half.
Prior to this trip, the Valparaíso region faced devastating fires. We were questioning whether we should continue with the day trip but ultimately stuck with the original plan and made the drive west. We noticed some forests by the highway were burned completely but that was the extent we saw for the area we were traveling to. Once we got there, we realized how charming this coastal city was. The murals and colorful buildings added to its uniqueness. At one point, we thought to ourselves, "this reminds us of San Fransisco." Little did we know, Valparaíso is known as the "little San Francisco." There are also small cable cars in a couple of spots to ascend and appreciate better views of the city. If you are planning a trip here, you probably don't need more than a day or two - we found our day trip to be more than sufficient.
During our research phase, we read that the city was getting increasingly more dangerous and that people needed to be extra vigilant. It's advised to not venture outside of Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre, which we ensured we stuck to. There was plenty to do within these two neighborhoods with the most popular attractions here. We even met a stray dog that would follow us around for most of our day here. We really contemplated adopting him but realized that it would be almost impossible to get him back to Chicago.
Recommendations for Valparaíso:
María María - a cute cafe with a scenic view
WIP Coffee - great quality espresso with a unique brand
Taking a drive along Altamirano from Mirador Cementerio to Hélice
Day trip to Valparaíso.
Once we had our fill of coast, we decided to head back to our base and spend the remainder of the evening at the Red2One rooftop bar at the W in Santiago. Be sure to reserve a table in advance via their Instagram page - it was unclear if absolutely required but it seemed so if you aren't staying at the hotel. Tables also fill up quickly. We planned this reservation for sunset to get another chance to watch the beauty unfold. We enjoyed great drinks, live music, and in Ethan's opinion, the best tres leches cake he's ever tasted. Highly recommend! We did make a reservation for this in advance.
Views from Red2One.
Overall Thoughts and Impressions:
Santiago/Valparaíso was a wonderful excursion in South America during our time there and we'd highly recommend it if your itinerary allows. Given that our lengthy stay in Buenos Aires makes this trip unique, you could just as well plan a trip to Santiago, spend some time in the city, head to Valparaíso for a day or two, and plan a Patagonia trip from there. Prices in Chile were a bit higher than Buenos Aires across the board despite the exchange rate being roughly equal; however, Santiago was still much cheaper than Montevideo.
Itinerary Budget Breakdown (per person):
Roundtrip ticket to Santiago (from Buenos Aires): 201.98 USD
Stay (3 nights): 90.29 USD (180.58/2)
Car rental (1 day): 28.10 USD (56.19/2)
Sky Costanera ticket: 19.48 USD
Cerro San Cristobal ticket: 8.88 USD
SIM Card: 5.20 USD
Total = 353.93 USD
*Estimated Variable Costs (consisting of Ubers, meals, drinks, & souvenirs: 253.50 USD (507/2))
Timelapse of a Santiago sunset from the Red2One Rooftop at the W Santiago.
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