What to Do in Santiago de Chile: 10 Must-See Experiences to Discover the City

In Vitacura, Renaissance Santiago Hotel offers a stay that goes beyond the room. Its location, dining spaces and a programming designed to connect guests with the surrounding area make the hotel a good starting point for exploring this part of the city.

Built in 2012, the building was designed from the outset with sustainability criteria and today holds LEED Gold certification, making it the first hotel in Chile to receive the distinction, ensuring that its stay has the lowest carbon footprint in the area. This is not simply a matter of labels: energy efficiency, water use, choice of materials and event management are all part of this approach. For example, in the antechamber of Dbar & Lounge, screens share information with guests about the hotel's different environmental initiatives.

That commitment also extends to the neighborhood surrounding the hotel. Every year, all the hotels in the chain celebrate Renaissance Day of Discovery, a global initiative that in 2026 had its Santiago edition at the hotel. The idea is simple: use the neighborhood as a starting point for discovering a city through its producers, creators and flavors. More than an isolated activity, it works as a good summary of what the hotel seeks to convey: that staying at a hotel can also be a way of getting closer to the people who live in and create the city.

The tip: if you're staying from Monday to Friday, head to Dbar & Lounge at 7pm for the Bar Ritual: a different cocktail is presented each day.

Where: Av. Kennedy 4700, Vitacura, Santiago de Chile.

If you don't have much time, one of the best ways to get to know a city is undoubtedly by tourist bus. In Santiago, Turistik Chile operates a hop-on hop-off system and different themed routes ranging from the classic tour (which also includes access to the San Cristóbal Hill cable car and funicular) to the winery tour, which allows you to explore some of the vineyards operating in the city. A full loop of the classic route takes around 2 hours and 15 minutes and connects 10 stops across different parts of the city.

The bus has audio guides in different languages, and some must-see stops include Plaza de Armas, home to the city's historic center; Plaza de la Constitución, where the Palacio de la Moneda, home of the Presidency of Chile, is located; and Plaza de la Aviación, where you can explore the Providencia neighborhood, a dining hub with local design shops.

The tip: the bus operates every day from 9:20am to 6pm (the last full loop begins at 3:30pm).

Where: there are 10 stops throughout the city where you can begin the tour. If you're staying in Las Condes, it's convenient to board the bus at Stop 9, at Costanera Center shopping mall.

Visiting the home of an illustrious figure has something of a journey through time: you can enter their rooms, discover the objects they chose and catch a glimpse of an intimacy that doesn't appear in biographies. In Santiago, that experience has a name: La Chascona, one of Pablo Neruda's three house museums in Chile.

The poet began building it in 1953 for Matilde Urrutia, who at the time was his secret love. Tucked between the streets of Bellavista and at the foot of San Cristóbal Hill, the house is as distinctive as its owner: it features staircases, different levels, passageways, terraces and rooms filled with objects, works of art and collections. An audio guide accompanies the tour and helps uncover the stories behind each space.

The tip: pay attention to the portrait of Matilde Urrutia painted by Diego Rivera. Among her hair, the artist hid Neruda's profile, a reference to the relationship they kept secret.

Where: Fernando Márquez de la Plata 0192, Bellavista, Providencia. It's best visited during the day and combined with a walk around San Cristóbal Hill.

Some places don't need to be visited just for a specific exhibition or performance: sometimes the plan is also to see the building, the activity and the energy that surrounds it. That's the case with the Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center, better known as GAM. Located between Alameda and the Lastarria neighborhood, it is one of the most active cultural spaces in Santiago, as well as one of the city's most striking architectural landmarks, with its Brutalist structure.

It is named after Gabriela Mistral, the poet, teacher and first Latin American author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Alongside theater, dance and music, visitors can currently see free exhibitions such as Lo cotidiano al descubierto, focused on contemporary Chilean art, and La Veta, centered on Chilean ceramics.

The tip: the original building was constructed in just 275 days for an international conference in 1972. Before going, it's worth checking the day's schedule, as many of its activities and exhibitions change frequently.

Where: Av. Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 227, Santiago.

Between old mansions and workshops, specialty coffee shops, restaurants, Chilean design galleries, and small hidden courtyards began to appear, inviting visitors to wander in and out without much of a plan. This is the small neighborhood of Barrio Italia. While it's trendy today, its history dates back to the arrival of Italian immigrants who settled here between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. On Caupolicán Street, antique dealers and furniture restorers now converge. That tradition coexists with ceramics, fashion, home décor and food.

The tip: don't stick only to Avenida Italia. Take a detour down Caupolicán, where restoration workshops and stores selling antique furniture and objects still survive. It's one of the streets that best preserves the neighborhood's original identity.

Where: Barrio Italia stretches between Providencia and Ñuñoa. The tourist and commercial area is mainly concentrated around Avenida Italia.

If your trip to Chile has to include a good seafood meal, El Ancla is a stop worth keeping on your radar. The restaurant opened in 2006 and built its identity around Chilean seafood cuisine, with traditional recipes and fresh ingredients. The menu features classics such as ceviche, chupe de jaiba, Parmesan scallops, fried fish bites, reineta, conger eel and southern hake, as well as less common preparations such as piure-filled empanadas.

The Providencia branch operates from a corner house on Santa Beatriz and has a fairly relaxed atmosphere, closer to a good neighborhood seafood restaurant than a polished dining room. One of its most distinctive features is its saltwater tanks, from which clams and oysters are taken and served to order, depending on availability. The experience is rounded out by service that tends to receive plenty of praise from visitors.

The tip: we recommend the seafood spaghetti with cream sauce (it's a generous and very flavorful dish). The warm bread with butter served when you arrive is another must. If it's cold outside, there's nothing like a cup of broth to start the meal.

Where: Santa Beatriz 191, Providencia. Open Monday to Saturday from 12:30pm to 10pm and Sunday from 12:30pm to 4:30pm.

In a city where buildings are part of the landscape and the Andes provide a backdrop, heading up to a rooftop or sky bar is a must. On the 16th floor of the Renaissance Santiago Hotel, Sky Bar Ky offers a change of perspective, looking out over Santiago from above, especially as the sun sets and the lights of Vitacura come on. The space operates at night and combines an eclectic atmosphere, panoramic city views and a menu centered around Asian cuisine and cocktails.

The menu has a strong Thai and Asian-fusion influence, with dishes designed especially for sharing. The idea is less about sitting down for a formal dinner and more about filling the table with several dishes, adding a signature cocktail and staying to enjoy the view.

The tip: if you really want to make the most of the view, try to arrive around sunset and ask for a table by the window. There is no outdoor terrace.

Where: 16th floor of the Renaissance Santiago Hotel, Av. Presidente Kennedy 4700, Vitacura.

Parque Arauco feels more like a small shopping district than a traditional mall. In addition to hundreds of brands, it has areas with very different personalities: the Luxury District, dedicated to international brands; spaces focused on design and home décor; an extensive food offering and, above all, the Boulevard, an open-air promenade surrounded by restaurants and terraces. That combination makes the experience quite different from other large malls in Santiago: you can step outside, sit down for a meal and continue exploring without the sense of being enclosed that often sets in after several hours among corridors and shop windows.

There is also something interesting when comparing it with other shopping malls in the city: it is preferred by people who enjoy a more open and relaxed format. That doesn't mean it's empty — it also attracts plenty of visitors — but its plazas and terraces help distribute the crowds and make the experience feel less rushed.

The tip: if you're an international visitor, before you start shopping, register with Arauco Travellers. Presenting your ID at the information desk allows you to activate benefits and discounts at participating stores and restaurants.

Where: Av. Presidente Kennedy 5413, Las Condes.

Right on Alonso de Córdova, one of the most interesting food hubs in Vitacura, CV Galería combines restaurants, bars, art and design in a single space. The appeal lies precisely in not thinking of it solely as a place to eat: between one reservation and the next, you can come across exhibitions, contemporary art offerings and different culinary activations.

One of its most striking restaurants is Fogo de Chão, the Brazilian chain's first location in Chile, founded in 1979. Its specialty is gaúcho churrasco: cuts of meat grilled over an open fire that gaúcho chefs bring directly to the table and carve to order. The experience is completed by a Market Table with salads, vegetables, charcuterie and Brazilian specialties, although fish, seafood and à la carte dishes are also available. The idea is to try different cuts — picanha, fraldinha, tenderloin, lamb and chicken, among others — rather than choosing a single main course.

The tip: during our visit, we attended a pairing dinner with Viña Casa Silva and its ambassador, Marcelo Pino, where different wines accompanied each stage of the dinner at Fogo de Chão. Casa Silva is a family-owned winery whose winemaking history dates back to 1887. Today, the sixth generation is already involved in the project, and the winery works with vineyards in different parts of Colchagua, from areas near the Andes to locations close to the Pacific.

Where: Alonso de Córdova 4355, Vitacura. Fogo de Chão operates inside the gallery and is currently open Monday to Wednesday from 12pm to 10pm, Thursday to Saturday from 12pm to 11pm and Sunday from 12pm to 9pm.

The bar at Dbar has a fairly clear idea: start with classic cocktails and give them a twist using ingredients that increasingly look toward Chile. Located in Vitacura, inside the Renaissance Santiago Hotel, it operates throughout the day but comes into its own in the afternoon and evening, when it takes on an after-work atmosphere. It has a spacious lounge, Chilean wines, craft beers and signature cocktails, and you don't have to be staying at the hotel to make it a stop on your itinerary.

The creative force behind the bar is Ignacio “Nacho” Ulloa, the hotel's production manager. “The Chilean cocktail scene is starting to do more of what they do in Peru: take local ingredients and improve the techniques,” he says. Part of the work happens behind the scenes: they make their own liqueurs and garnishes, experiment with ingredients and use recognizable cocktails as a starting point for creating new versions.

That closeness to the people behind the bar is also part of the experience the venue offers.

The tip: don't go thinking only about the drinks. Dbar has a much more extensive menu than you'd expect from a lounge: croquettes, ceviche, carpaccio, pizzas, sandwiches and sharing plates that can turn an after-work drink into dinner.

Where: Av. Kennedy 4700, Level -1, Vitacura.