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An aerial view of Santiago's dense downtown grid stretching toward a wall of snow-capped Andes peaks.
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SantiagoTravel Guide

Chile5 stories

Chile's capital beneath the snow-capped Andes: hilltop parks, poets' houses, serious seafood, and world-class wine valleys an hour away.

Is Santiago right for you?

When to come

Spring (Sep–Nov) and autumn (Mar–May)

Around 30°C by day in January, 15°C in July — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

Mid-range. Comfortable without planning around money, expensive if you stop counting.

What we've planned, and who for

We publish a multi-day route for this one.

Santiago is inWarm in JanuaryCool in July
When to go
January: around 30 degrees by day, 14 at night, 0 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
February: around 30 degrees by day, 13 at night, 1 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
March: around 28 degrees by day, 12 at night, 3 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
April: around 23 degrees by day, 8 at night, 13 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
May: around 19 degrees by day, 5 at night, 33 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
June: around 16 degrees by day, 4 at night, 69 millimetres of rain, some rain.
July: around 15 degrees by day, 3 at night, 53 millimetres of rain, some rain.
August: around 17 degrees by day, 4 at night, 35 millimetres of rain, some rain.
September: around 19 degrees by day, 6 at night, 17 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
October: around 23 degrees by day, 8 at night, 8 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
November: around 26 degrees by day, 10 at night, 4 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
December: around 29 degrees by day, 13 at night, 2 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Spring (Sep–Nov) and autumn (Mar–May)

Average daily highs, recorded at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, Pudahuel, Santiago (1991-2020).

Where this comes from

Direccion Meteorologica de Chile (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago weather box) — Southern hemisphere - peaks Dec-Feb.

Budget level

Mid-range

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with

Nothing else we cover is within a comfortable hop — this one is a trip of its own.

Plan itWhere to stay in Santiagoad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Santiago

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The stories

Reading Santiago

Aerial view over Santiago's leafy eastern districts, residential towers and a green golf course backed by the dry peaks of the Andean foothills
01
Destinations

Santiago for First-Timers: The Complete Guide

Andes views, Neruda's house, seafood markets, and vineyards on the doorstep — how to get Chile's underrated capital right on a first visit.

Chile · 2 min
Santiago spread out at dusk beneath the snow-covered Andes, the tapering Costanera Center tower rising above the skyline while traffic traces the highway alongside the Mapocho river.
02
Destinations

Should Santiago Be More Than a Stopover? The Honest Briefing

Wedged between the Atacama, Patagonia and Easter Island, Chile's capital is usually reduced to an airport transfer - here is what two or three days actually buys you.

Chile · 12 min
Dozens of hand-crimped empanadas laid out on a floured wooden board as a cook folds more
03
Food

Santiago Street Food and Cheap Eats That Overdeliver

Santiago eats cheaply and extremely well if you know the hours, the neighbourhoods and which side of the market hall to sit on - here is the working plan, from completo counters to the cocinerias above La Vega.

Chile · 13 min
The neoclassical front of the national history museum on Santiago's Plaza de Armas under a clear sky
04
Itineraries

Four Days in Santiago, Reordered by the Cordillera

Santiago is worth four days, but not in a fixed order: the mountains decide which day you spend high and which you spend low, and a plan held loosely beats a plan followed exactly.

Chile · 10 min
A painted house front in Santiago's Barrio Brasil: a deep pink neighbour with an oval window beside a pale green facade whose black doors carry a mural of two staring eyes and a reclining figure, with a tree throwing shadows across the wall.
05
Hidden Gems

The Santiago Barrios Most Travelers Walk Right Past

Santiago's tourist circuit takes half a day; its barrios take three. A practical route through the design quarter, the heritage streets, the markets and the plaza where the city drinks off duty.

Chile · 12 min
In pictures

Santiago, framed

Santiago's towers rising in front of the snow line of the Andes
Photo: Juan Pablo Ahumada / Unsplash
Eat like a Chilean, Santiago
Photo: Adam Young / Unsplash
Eat like a Chilean, Santiago
Photo: Chalo Gallardo / Unsplash
Go up the tallest tower in Latin America, Santiago
Photo: Francisco Kemeny / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Santiago

See and do

Eat and drink

Before you go

Practical essentials for Chile

Money

Chilean peso (CLP)

Language

Spanish; English is limited outside hotels, airlines and tour operators.

Power

Type C/L (Type F also found), 220V 50Hz

Getting around

Santiago's metro and buses run as Red Movilidad on a bip! card; since February 2026 contactless bank cards and phones also work at metro gates, though not yet on buses.

Tipping

10% is customary in restaurants and is usually suggested on the bill as "propina"; taxi fares are not tipped.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink in Santiago and most of the country; in the far northern desert its mineral content is very high and locals avoid it.

Driving

Right-hand side; a photocard national licence is accepted for three months, so an International Driving Permit is only needed if your licence carries no photograph.

Emergency

133 police, 131 ambulance, 132 fire

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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