CL · Santiago Metropolitan Region · 33.44°S 70.65°W

santiago

Andes-backed viewpoints, markets, neighbourhood cafés and museums of Chilean history.

Best time
September–November and March–May are mild and good for walking. December–February are hot and dry; June–August bring cool rain, snow on the Andes for skiing and smoggy days in the valley.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop via Sydney or Melbourne, about 23–27 hours all in; crossing the date line, you land in Santiago before you took off from Australia, by the clock. The airport is 30–45 minutes from the centre. Santiago is 11 hours behind KL from September to early April, 12 the rest of the year.
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CL · Santiago Metropolitan Regionsantiago33.44°S 70.65°Wgowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Andes-backed viewpoints, markets, neighbourhood cafés and museums of Chilean history.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingSantiagoCL, Santiago Metropolitan Region
KLsantiago
≈ 16,553 km from KL, as the crow flies
La Moneda

Photo: Miguel hernandez · CC BY-SA 2.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Santiago sits in a wide valley with the snowy Andes rising right behind it. It's a good first stop in Chile, with hilltop parks, markets and museums for a few days before heading south to Patagonia.

Makan

  1. Empanada de pinoBaked pastry of minced beef, onion, egg and an olive.Map ↗
  2. Pastel de chocloSweetcorn pie over beef and chicken, baked in a clay dish.Map ↗
  3. Mote con huesilloA summer drink of wheat grains and dried peaches in sweet syrup.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Cerro San CristóbalA funicular and cable car up a hilltop park, with views across the city to the Andes.Map ↗
  2. LastarriaA compact neighbourhood of old buildings, cafés and small museums.Map ↗
  3. Museum of Memory and Human RightsA sober record of the Pinochet dictatorship and its victims.Map ↗
  4. La Vega and Mercado CentralThe big produce market, and across the river the old iron fish hall packed with seafood counters.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Halal is scarce; the seafood counters at Mercado Central are the easiest meal.
  • The Andes are clearest after rain, when the smog lifts, so save the hilltop for one of those days.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.