How to Spend 48 Hours in Santiago
How to Spend 48 Hours in Santiago - Day 1
Getting to Santiago - Miami to Santiago on American Airlines
I visited Chile in the summer of 2016. It was my second sizeable international trip, and I had only started to get into international travel. At the time, I had no plans for this website. As a result, I do not have as many pictures of air travel or hotel accommodations, and my descriptions were written from memory years later. My stay in Santiago would be short, as I would have just 48 hours in Santiago on my way to some of the other popular destinations in Chile.
I began my trip flying on American Airlines from Chicago O’Hare to Miami. After a short layover in Miami, I continued to Santiago on an American 777-200. My flight arrived at 6:30 am, and I quickly cleared customs and immigration, arriving the Hotel Montecarlo Santiago by 8:00 am. The front desk agent informed me that my room would be ready around 11:00 am and that while I waited, they could store my luggage.
How to Spend 48 Hours in Santiago, Chile - Table of Contents
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Making the Most Out of My Arrival Day in Santiago, Chile
Since I was only spending 48 hours in Santiago, I decided to walk around the local area while I waited for my hotel room. For this particular trip, Santiago was simply my arrival city. I was most interested in the Atacama Desert, which would take up the majority of my two weeks in Chile. The closest metro stop to my hotel was Bellas Artes. The Bellas Artes area was the area that I initially chose to walk around, and included a park and two important buildings: the National Museum of Fine Arts and the Academy of Fine Arts. It was fun just to become accommodated to the area and being in Chile.
This trip was the very first time I had been in a foreign country where English was barely spoken at all. It took a little bit of time to get used to reading the advertisements, and street signs in Spanish, as well as having to communicate in only a foreign language. I took three years of Spanish in high school but still found myself having trouble ordering food, communicating with hotel staff, and taxi drivers.
Visiting Santiago, Chile's Plaza de Armas
As of 10:00 am, I was exhausted and returned to my hotel. I had flown the red-eye overnight and had barely slept at all on the flight. Thankfully, my room was ready, and I was able to fall asleep quickly. I woke up in the early afternoon and headed to La Plaza de Armas. The Plaza was built around the Santiago Metropolitan Cathedral as well as many food stands and shops. This area was a favorite hangout for both locals and tourists.
I went inside the Metropolitan Cathedral to take pictures, and I had my first instance where my lack of fluency in Spanish was an issue. A man came running towards me, yelling at me in Spanish. I thought he was upset that I was taking pictures. After some more pointing and yelling, I put my camera away and continued looking around. Minutes later, he came up to me and began yelling again and pointing. It was only then that I figured out that he was trying to tell me that the cathedral was closed. Somewhat embarrassed for not understanding such simple directions, I left the cathedral and continued to explore the Plaza.
It was around 8:00 p.m. at this time and I was hungry. I went into one of the food kiosks and ordered a Carne Asada Sandwich. It came with chips and a real sugar Coke. I was surprised that most of my sandwich was mayo and guacamole, covered by at least three sliced up tomatoes. The steak was overpowered by the bun, mayo/guacamole, and tomatoes. The next time I ordered something similar, I asked for just a few tomatoes and still received more than an entire sliced tomato. As it was getting late, and I had limited time in Santiago, I returned to my hotel and got some rest. Day two of my 48 hours in Santiago would come quick, and I had a lot that I wanted to see the next day.
How to Spend 48 Hours in Santiago - Day 2
Visiting La Moneda Palace - Santiago, Chile
The next morning, I woke up early and was out exploring by 7:00 am. Despite knowing I only had 48 hours in Santiago, I was still inexperienced in planning trips and did not plan my route. It was silly to think I’d be able to figure it all out on the fly. I spent much time walking around (and looking at my electronic map) to try to find Palacio de La Moneda, which is home to the Chilean President.
I had many issues because my map wouldn’t load due to poor cell phone service and lots of tall buildings. Most of Santiago (and Chile) only had 3G service.
While I was looking for the President’s House, I found the Palace of Justice as well as some interesting locals. The locals were pulling hay by a horse-drawn wagon and were excited to have me take pictures of them.
I finally was able to find the President’s Home. Knowing I only had 48 hours in Santiago, I was happy to be no longer searching. Directly outside of it was a statue of Salvador Allende. Allende was the first Communist elected democratically. Things had been so bad in Chile, that they believed their best option was to select a Communist. Within years, Allende was overthrown, with the help of the U.S., and Chile entered the regime of the evil military dictator, Augusto Pinochet.
One of the evilest things Pinochet did was dismantle public education. Even today, public education in Chile has not recovered. As I arrived at the Palace, I was surprised to see how many guards, police, and soldiers were around. I knew there would be some security, but this seemed to be more than could ever be needed.
It turned out that there was an education protest scheduled that would be meeting at the Moneda Palace. The cause they were protesting was the lack of affordable public higher education.
My guidebook discouraged being around protests, but after Googling the demonstration, I learned that the government approved it, and it was not likely to turn violent. I took some pictures and spoke with some of the protesters through my broken Spanish.
Following the protest, I went and walked around the University of Chile. Being a teacher, I wanted to see examples of their public education. I was unable to get into any of the buildings inside the university, so I decided to jump on the Metro and go to the Gran Torre at Constanera Centre.
Visiting the Gran Torre - The Tallest Building in South America
The Gran Torre, or Grand Tower, is Santiago’s tallest building. It also happens to be the tallest building in all of South America. Attached to the Grand Tower is the six-story Costanera Center mall, which is the 71st largest shopping mall in the world. One of the highlights of my 48 hours in Santiago would be going to the top of the Gran Torre.
For a cost of 5,000 Chilean Pesos ($7.50), I went to the top of the Grand Tower to get a great view of Santiago and the Andes Mountains. One of my favorite parts of my trip was taking pictures of how the Andes Mountains trap the pollution and smog in the Santiago Metro Area. I was able to share these pictures with my students during our studying of this region. The guide at the top floor told us that today was a decent day for visibility. I would have been interested to see what it would have looked like with poor visibility.
I spent about an hour in the Grand Torre and then went to the mall to eat dinner. It was there that I discovered my favorite Latin American dish that was a Peruvian meal called Lomo Saltado. Lomo Saltado features cut up steak over rice and french fries and is absolutely delicious.
Visiting Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos - National Stadium of Chile
My final stop in Santiago was Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos. This stadium is home to the Chilean National Soccer team. During my visit, the team was coming off a thrilling victory in the Copa América, and the stadium was open to visitors. I purchased a ticket for CLP$10,000 (USD$12) and entered the stadium.
Although the locker rooms and behind the scenes part of the stadium weren’t open, I was able to walk around the seating area and go down on the field. As I sat in one of the seats and took in the view of the Andes Mountains behind the stadium, I saw pure joy on some of the kids visiting the stadium. I realized for them, this stadium was their Yankee Stadium or Soldier Field.
Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos has a capacity of just over 48,000 people and has had an interesting history. In 1962, the stadium hosted the World Cup final. Interestingly, in 1959, it hosted the World Basketball Championships outside because the intended venue was not completed on time. There is a dark history of Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos as well. During the presidency of Salvador Allende, the stadium served as a prison camp.
The record attendance was 146,242 for a Madonna concert in 2008.
The next day I took the Tur Bus to the beach city of Valparaiso, where I would spend a few days before heading back to Santiago. My return to Santiago would be just long enough to get to the airport to fly to Calama, which is the gateway to the Atacama Desert. Santiago was nice, but I wish I would have planned better. There was so much to see, and I felt very disorganized as I only had 48 hours in Santiago. Santiago would change the way that I planned my trips in the future.
Santiago Area Tours and Packages
I did not take a tour when I was in Santiago and possibly missed out on some sights because of my poor planning. If you have limited time, a tour might be the way to go. I have linked eight tours below that caught my eye.
Please note that I am an affiliate of Viator. If you book using one of my links, I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
 Experience Santiago: Private Food Markets Tour with Cooking Demo and Homemade Lunch - $188.00 Get a taste of Chile’s culinary culture and cuisine on this private tour of Santiago’s food markets, plus a hands-on cooking demonstration and seasonal meal in a private home. Enjoy appetizers and a cocktail followed by a main course, side dish, salad and dessert – all paired with cheese and wine. You’ll learn about Chilean culinary traditions as well as contemporary food culture from your knowledgeable host and chef, and receive memorable recipes to take home! |
 City Tour of Santiago de Chile - $50.00 Get to know the Chilean capital on this 4-hour tour of Santiago by luxury coach. In a small group of no more than 12 with an local tour guide in your language so you don't going to miss any detail of the chilean history, daily life in this interesting tour. |
 Santiago Sightseeing Classic City Tour - $59.99 See the history, culture, sights and sounds of Santiago on this 3-hour tour! |
 Santiago Like a Local: Private Walking Tour with Coffee, Markets, Street Food and San Cristobal Hill - $197.00 On this private walking tour, experience Santiago like a true local -- a Santiaguiño -- as you explore boutique shops, food markets and diverse neighborhoods with your knowledgeable guide. You’ll sip coffee, sample street food, stop for lunch and have a drink at a local bar, immersing yourself in Chilean culture as you go. |
 Santiago Center Cultural Bike Tour - $88.00 This tour of Santiago will take you to see the cultural highlights of Santiago Center, like historical monuments, palaces, museums, churches, as well as typical sites in downtown Santiago. |
 City Tour of Santiago de Chile - $75.00 Get to know the Chilean capital on this 4-hour tour of Santiago by luxury coach. In a small group of no more than 15, visit such landmarks as La Moneda, Cerro Santa Lucia, and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. Also, explore the city's diverse neighborhoods, from the bohemian Barrio Bellavista to affluent El Golf. |
 Bike Tour through old Santiago de Chile - $128.00 Get ready to live the experience of knowing old Santiago de Chile on a bike! |
 Santiago City Sightseeing Small-Group Tour by Night Including Dinner - $109.00 Combine evening sightseeing with a 3-course dinner during this night out in Santiago. Start your evening with a tour through some of the city’s most popular neighborhoods, including hip Bellavista, cultural Lastarria and the financial district. Admire a spectacular view of the twinkling city from the top of Cerro San Cristóbal, and see La Moneda, the seat of the Chilean government, lit up after dark. Then, sit down to a relaxing dinner at your choice of international eateries at the Borde Río restaurant complex. This tour is limited to just six people, ensuring you enjoy a small-group experience. |
 Half day city tour of Santiago de Chile - $60.00 Departure from your hotel to visit the Civic Centre, the Presidential Palace La Moneda built in 1846, Main Square, the Cathedral, Post Office and downtown, continuing to B. O"Higgins Ave. and the old residential areas. Tour proceeds through Club de la Union Building, Universidad de Chile and Santa Lucía hill where the city was founded (1541).Visit to Bellavista area, full of nice Cafes and Restaurants, Theaters etc, and going up the San Cristobal hill to obtnain the best views of Santiago. Free time for pictures and continue visiting the new residential areas of Las Condes, Vitacura and Providencia. |
 Santiago de Chile & Santa Lucia Hill Sightseeing Tour - $32.31 If you are looking for what to do during your visit we recommend our City Tour through Santiago, which is a tour around the most important historical, commercial and residential areas. |
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