This guide is for you if you have half a day in Santiago, perhaps your first, perhaps the last before a flight. It helps you pick the morning or the afternoon start, decide which day of the week to avoid, and know what you can and cannot see inside.
Morning or afternoon, and which day
The tour starts at 07:00 or 13:00. The choice matters more here than on most city tours, because the last stop depends on the funicular up San Cristóbal Hill.
The Parque Metropolitano, which runs the hill, publishes the funicular's hours. From Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays it runs from 10:00. On most Mondays it opens at 13:00. On the first Monday of each month it does not run at all. Hours change with the season and with maintenance, so check the official site before you go.
What that means for you:
- The 07:00 start reaches the hill at about 10:00, just as the funicular opens, on any day except Monday.
- On a Monday morning the funicular is shut, so we swap the hill for the Lastarria and Bellavista neighbourhoods.
- On a Monday afternoon it is usually running. On the first Monday of the month it is not, and we swap the hill for Lastarria and Bellavista.
The early start has another advantage. You see the Plaza de Armas and the squares around La Moneda before the office day fills them.
What each season feels like
Santiago's summer runs from December to February, and temperatures often pass 30°C. In those months the afternoon start puts you on the hilltop in the hottest part of the day, so the morning is the cooler choice. Autumn, from March to May, is calmer, with fewer visitors, and it is harvest time in the valleys around the city. Winter, from June to August, is the coolest season. Spring follows from September, when the parks come into flower.
The national holidays, the Fiestas Patrias, peak on 18 and 19 September with parades, music and fireworks. Expect a different city on those days, with some streets busy and some offices shut.
How the four hours are spent
The old centre comes first. Half an hour after pick-up you are at the Plaza de Armas, and about forty-five minutes later at La Moneda, seen from the two squares on either side. The car then takes you to Santa Lucía Hill, and the last hour goes on San Cristóbal.
The two hills are different. Santa Lucía is small and in the middle of the centre. The people who lived here before the Spanish called it Huelén. Pedro de Valdivia took it on 13 December 1540 and gave it its present name. In 1872 the city's intendant, Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna, turned it into a public promenade, with terraces, stairways and a fountain with a statue of Neptune that he brought from France. A tower at the top gives a view all round. The hill has opened from 09:00 to 18:00 in winter and to 19:00 in summer, with no charge for entry; check the hours before you go.
San Cristóbal is the big one, in the Parque Metropolitano. The funicular leaves from the Pío Nono station and covers about 483 metres in around seven minutes. It reopened in July 2022 after two years of maintenance and has been running for close to a century. The funicular fare is not included in the tour, so you buy it there.
At the end you choose: back to your hotel, or out at Bellavista or Lastarria for lunch. Tell your driver on the day.
Can you go inside La Moneda?
Not as part of this tour. Visits inside are arranged by the palace itself, and we cannot book them for you. From outside, the Plaza de la Constitución and the Plaza de la Ciudadanía are open to everyone.
There is one day a year when the doors open widely. On the Día de los Patrimonios, the national heritage weekend at the end of May, the palace shows its state rooms and the Los Naranjos and Los Cañones courtyards. The dates are set each year, so check them for your trip. The guided visits have needed registration in advance on the Presidency's website, for security reasons. If your trip falls on that weekend, register early. The visit is separate from our tour, so choose the start time that leaves your slot free.
On your own or with a driver
None of these stops needs a guide or a ticket booked in advance, and you can see all of them yourself if you have a free day and like to find your own way.
A driver helps when time is short. Four hours covers the old centre and both hills without working out routes between them, and the car takes you on from one stop to the next. It suits a first look at the city, or a short day before a flight. If you only need the ride to the airport, see our airport transfers. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
What to bring
- Comfortable shoes. Santa Lucía is all steps and terraces, and you walk a fair amount at each stop.
- Sun cream, a hat and water in summer, when the afternoons often pass 30°C.
- Money for the funicular fare, which you pay at the station, and some local cash for a coffee or small purchases.
Who it suits
It suits first-time visitors, families and anyone with a flight later in the day. It is a light day: most of the walking is on squares and paths, and the funicular does the climbing on San Cristóbal. Santa Lucía has many stairs, so if anyone in your group finds steps hard, tell your driver and you can see it from below.
If you have more time, use this half day to get your bearings and then head out of the city. Our guide to day trips from Santiago compares the five, from the Valparaíso and Viña del Mar day to the Concha y Toro wine tour, which also comes in a 07:00 or 13:00 version.
Questions people ask
What if there are more than 16 of us?
You travel in two vehicles on one booking. Message us through the contact page and we will price it.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you get a full refund. See our cancellation page.
Booking the half day
Choose the 07:00 start in summer and avoid Monday mornings if San Cristóbal matters to you. The pick-up areas, timings and what is included are on the Santiago private city tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
