36 Hours
36 Hours in Santiago, Chile
![A city skyline in the evening. The buildings are lit up and the sky is purple. One gleaming tower rises impressively higher than the other skyscrapers. A snow-capped mountain range soars high in the background.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-gphb/21hours-santiago-gphb-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Because Santiago, Chile’s sprawling capital, is the gateway to some of the world’s greatest natural wonders — Patagonia, the Atacama Desert, Easter Island — many travelers understandably breeze through. It might not wow like Rio de Janeiro or Buenos Aires, but scratch the surface and the city is alive with music, art and nightlife, against the arresting backdrop of the Andes. Divisions still run deep, 50 years after Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s U.S.-backed coup d’état ushered in a 17-year dictatorship. Just four years ago, Chile exploded into cathartic and, at times, violent unrest, as hundreds of thousands of Santiaguinos protested social inequalities. The scars are there for all to see. But if you’ve made it all this way, you should give Santiago a chance to impress.
Recommendations
- A hike to the top of Cerro San Cristóbal offers the best views of the city and the Andes Mountains, particularly after rain has cleared the air.
- The Persa Víctor Manuel flea market boasts music, art and good food on Saturdays and Sundays.
- The Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos tells the story of General Pinochet’s dictatorship, and helps to explain the Chile you see today.
- La Pulpería Santa Elvira remixes seasonal Chilean classics and is one of Santiago’s most exciting restaurants.
- Salsoteca Maestra Vida, a two-room salsa club, gets going late and takes you through into the small hours.
- Blondie, a former cinema-turned-L.G.B.T.Q. nightclub, hosts a varied crowd.
- El Bajo is a plant-filled mezzanine bar beneath the GAM, an arts center in the historic Lastarria neighborhood that hosts exhibitions, book fairs and live events.
- Casa de la Cueca showcases Chile’s national dance, la cueca, and serves hearty dishes on the first Sunday of each month.
- El Portal Ex Bahamondes is the birthplace of the completo, Chile’s culinary obsession.
- El Franchute del Barrio is the lively setting for French-inspired weekend lunches.
- Café Escondido is a fun bar tucked down an alleyway in the city center.
- La Chascona, the former home of the poet Pablo Neruda, is stuffed with trinkets and collectibles.
- Factoría Franklin is a new arts and cultural space with stalls, creative workshops and AFA Galería, a modern art gallery.
- Centro Artesanal Los Dominicos, a former convent right at the end of L1 on the metro, is a one-stop shop for Indigenous handicrafts, leatherware and assorted artisanry.
- Metales Pesados and Ulises in the city center are two of Santiago’s finest bookstores.
- The Singular Santiago in Lastarria is an upmarket option with a smart rooftop bar and views towards Cerro San Cristóbal. Double rooms start from around 180,000 Chilean pesos, or about $204, for the night.
- The Hotel Boutique Castillo Rojo, in a renovated colonial mansion in the Bellavista neighborhood, is a boutique option with rooms starting from about 140,000 pesos.
- Hostal Forestal, a laid-back city center hostel, has private rooms with ensuite bathrooms starting from 32,000 pesos. A bunk bed in a six-to-eight-person dormitory costs about 12,000 pesos.
- Short-term rentals are abundant. Find somewhere along the metro’s L1 in Providencia or Lastarria to be close to the action.
- Uber and Cabify compete for ride-hailing traffic, and both are safe and reliable. Taxis are fine, too, but you’ll nearly always have to pay in cash — make sure the meter is running before you set off. The metro is extensive and safe, but as with any city, watch out for pickpockets. Buses rattle along all of the main routes and are relatively cheap and easy to use.
- Streetside bike rental (download the Bike Itaú app) is a good option, but parking docks are concentrated in the wealthier neighborhoods. Be wary of disconnected bike paths and merciless bus drivers. On Sundays, many of the city’s main arteries are closed to cars for the Ciclorecreovía, an event that allows for leisurely exploration on foot and by bike.
Itinerary
Friday
![People dance while holding colorful handkerchiefs. Behind them is a brightly painted mural of an outdoor scene.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-ljqm/21hours-santiago-ljqm-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![People dance while holding colorful handkerchiefs. Behind them is a brightly painted mural of an outdoor scene.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-ljqm/21hours-santiago-ljqm-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A dish with an immaculate presentation — a crisp lattice is placed on top of what appears to be meat. On top of the lattice are colorful small flowers and green leaves.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-jbhl/21hours-santiago-jbhl-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A dish with an immaculate presentation — a crisp lattice is placed on top of what appears to be meat. On top of the lattice are colorful small flowers and green leaves.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-jbhl/21hours-santiago-jbhl-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![People sit at a long wooden table in a lantern-lit courtyard, lush with greenery, in the evening. Glasses of wine and other drinks sit on the table in front of them.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-lfgv/21hours-santiago-lfgv-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Saturday
![A museum with glass surfaces displays a tall wall covered in hundreds of black-and-white photos of people.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-gvwm/21hours-santiago-gvwm-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A museum with glass surfaces displays a tall wall covered in hundreds of black-and-white photos of people.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-gvwm/21hours-santiago-gvwm-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A person wearing a long-sleeved collared shirt and a black tie sits at a small wooden table in the corner of a restaurant. The walls are painted light blue and hung with framed old portraits and documents. A large mirror on the wall reflects the seated diner.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-hmjg/21hours-santiago-hmjg-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A person wearing a long-sleeved collared shirt and a black tie sits at a small wooden table in the corner of a restaurant. The walls are painted light blue and hung with framed old portraits and documents. A large mirror on the wall reflects the seated diner.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-hmjg/21hours-santiago-hmjg-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A close-up of a stew in a dark-colored bowl. And identical bowl of stew, behind, is being fired with a kitchen blowtorch.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-lwmf/21hours-santiago-lwmf-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A close-up of a stew in a dark-colored bowl. And identical bowl of stew, behind, is being fired with a kitchen blowtorch.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-lwmf/21hours-santiago-lwmf-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A bartender wearing a denim apron stirs one of two clear-colored drinks on a marble counter, each garnished with orange slices.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-hcpq/21hours-santiago-hcpq-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A bartender wearing a denim apron stirs one of two clear-colored drinks on a marble counter, each garnished with orange slices.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-hcpq/21hours-santiago-hcpq-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Performers in short, glittery dresses perform with microphones on a small stage with a band that includes a saxophonist, drummer and trumpet player.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-tvgf/21hours-santiago-tvgf-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Performers in short, glittery dresses perform with microphones on a small stage with a band that includes a saxophonist, drummer and trumpet player.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-tvgf/21hours-santiago-tvgf-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![People dance in a nightclub illuminated with glowing blue cubes on the ceiling and beams of hot-pink light projecting around the room. Two people in the center of the photo are kissing.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-qbfm/21hours-santiago-qbfm-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Sunday
![Two people sitting inside a cable car as it traverses a mountainous area. One person is looking out the window and taking a photo on their smartphone.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-fztg/21hours-santiago-fztg-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Two people sitting inside a cable car as it traverses a mountainous area. One person is looking out the window and taking a photo on their smartphone.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/09/21/multimedia/21hours-santiago-fztg/21hours-santiago-fztg-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)