Visit Santiago Chile in 48 Hours

Santiago, the capital city of Chile houses almost 6 million people and is fast becoming one of South America’s important business and travel destinations.

An eight hour 44 minutes flight is all it takes to travel from Miami to Santiago’s Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport. This city offers endless views of the Andes mountains, a massive selection of seafood, empanadas and wine, museums and visits to the wineries. While its rival cities like Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro may have problems with pickpockets, Santiago is relatively safe when it comes to that department. However, never take your safety for granted when you travel anywhere in the world.

Here is what you can do if you visit Santiago Chile in 48 hours:

Visit to the Winery
Whether you are in Santiago for business or leisure, one not-to-be-missed activity is a visit to a nearby winery. You can either take a whole day trip to Casablanca Valley, the rolling hills of Santa Cruz or to Concha y Toro Winery, which is the closest to the city.

If you absolutely do not have the time but want to experience guided wine tasting in Chile, visit Centro Desgustacion de Concha y Toro for a wine class in the city. This visit is also part of a guided tour to Concha y Toro winery.

Mercado Central
Chile is a long and narrow nation with 4630 km or 2880 miles of coastline which means the country has an abundance of fish and seafood. A visit to Mercado Central will introduce you to the many variety of fish and seafood in Chile. Ice covered fish and crustaceans are found in almost every corner of the market a third of the other parts of the market presents a variety of dining choices for visitors.

You will get to see how locals shop for fish and dine in one of the seafood restaurants for delicious seafood stew, a specialty in the Mercado Central.

Bellavista
During the day Bellavista is pretty quiet with visitors and locals stopping by for lunch along Pio Nono Street. By 10 p.m. the scene changes. Bellavista is a great place to hang out day or night since the area has a family style, fast food or classy eateries to fit all budgets and tastes.

Bellavista is also well-known because of Pablo Neruda’s house called La Chascona and is close to Cerro San Cristobal other must-see places in Santiago.

While in Bellavista try out some of Santiago’s specialties like completos (Chilean hotdog on bun) and Chorrillana (meat, eggs and onions on top of a pile of French fries).

Check out Patio Bellavista for souvenirs, live music or dine in one of those comfortable outdoor restaurants.

Cerro San Cristobal
Get a view of the city of Santiago from the few lookouts on Cerro San Cristobal. Cerro San Cristobal is part of the Parque Metropolitano of Santiago. At the foot of the hill is the old funicular train that climbs 284 meters to the summit.

Unfortunately the funicular was not running during our visit. The next best thing was a free bus that takes visitors from the foot of the hill to the top. At the summit of the hill is a 14m statue of Virgen de la Immaculada Concepcion.

Cerro San Cristobal has church and an outdoor space for concerts and church services.

Walking tour in Santiago with Free Tour Santiago

This four-hour walking tour is available at 10 am or 3 pm and no advance booking is needed. The guides are paid by tips from guests.

This tour starts from Plaza de Armas, Santiago’s main square by City Hall, Central Post Office and The Cathedral. You will walk to Museo de Arte Pre-Colombino, Antiguo Congreso (Old Congress Building), Supreme Court, The Government House (Palacio La Moneda), Santiago Stock Exchange, The Opera House, Santa Lucia Hill, Museum of Fine Arts, Forestal Park, Italy Square, Lastarria neighborhood café, Bellavista Neighborhood, Cerro San Cristobal and more.

It’s a quick overview of the city’s sights and important places. The guides are knowledgeable and are able to give you recommendations for restaurants and activities in Santiago.

Santiago is no longer a stopover to other parts of South America. It is fast becoming a unique destination for anyone who wants a quick introduction to South America without the hassle of bad transportation and communication.

Here are a few Travelmath calculators that can help you before you travel:

1.   Currency converter – One US Dollar is 471 Chilean pesos
2.   Airlines that fly to Santiago Chile
3.   Mileage chart to other parts of Chile and South America

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