Your first day in Santiago usually starts at dawn, after an overnight flight, with a big city between you and your bed. It doesn’t need to be complicated. We’re a Santiago-based team, and this is what we’d tell a friend before they land: how to get into the city, the few practical things worth knowing, and a simple plan that turns a tired arrival day into a good one.
From the airport to the city
Santiago’s airport (SCL) is roughly half an hour to an hour from the center by road, depending on traffic. Your options, from cheapest to most comfortable (prices checked October 2026):
- Airport bus: Centropuerto runs to Los Héroes Metro station and Turbus to Terminal Alameda, both for around CLP 2,000–2,500 one way. Easy if you travel light; from there, take the Metro.
- Official taxi or shared van: book at the counters inside the arrivals hall, after customs. Taxis have fixed fares by zone — roughly US$30–45 to the center, Providencia or Las Condes.
- Ride apps: Uber, Cabify and DiDi operate in Santiago; follow the app’s instructions for the airport pickup point.
One simple rule: use the official counters or an app, and politely ignore anyone offering you a ride inside the terminal.
Where to stay on your first night
- Providencia — leafy, central and on Metro Line 1, with plenty of cafés and restaurants. The easiest base for a first visit.
- Las Condes and Vitacura — modern, quiet and close to the business district; a little farther from the historic center.
- Lastarria and Bellas Artes — walkable, cultural neighborhoods next to the center, with museums, bookshops and restaurants. Lively by day.
Like any big city, Santiago has pickpocketing, mostly in crowded places: the historic center, the markets and the Metro at rush hour. Keep your phone in a front pocket and your bag in front of you, and don’t leave it hanging on a chair. The U.S. State Department rates Chile Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution, pointing mainly to petty crime such as pickpocketing and theft, and to demonstrations that can disrupt transport with little notice.
Money and tipping
- Currency: Chilean pesos (CLP). Cards, including contactless, are accepted almost everywhere in the city; carry a little cash for small market stalls.
- Restaurants: the bill usually suggests a 10% tip — the propina. It’s customary but voluntary, and you’ll often be asked whether to include it when you pay by card.
- Taxis: tipping isn’t expected; rounding up is enough.
- Tours: tips are not included on our tours and are always up to you.
Getting around: the Metro
Santiago’s Metro is the fastest way across the city. Since February 2026 you can pay at the gates with a contactless Visa or Mastercard, or with your phone (Apple Pay, Google Pay), at the standard adult fare — check with your bank that your card works for transit. The Bip! card still works too, and you need it for city buses, which don’t take bank cards yet.
Good to know
- Plugs: types C and L, 220 V — bring an adapter.
- Tap water is safe to drink in Santiago.
- Meals run late: lunch is the main meal, and restaurants fill up for dinner late, often after 9 PM.
- The Andes are your compass: the mountains are to the east.
A simple plan for your first day in Santiago
The trick for the first day is to stay outdoors and on your feet until the evening — and to eat well. This is the plan we’d follow:
- 10:00 AM — Taste the city. Start with our Santiago Food Tour: four hours on foot from Bellas Artes through the historic center, Mercado Central, Tirso de Molina and La Vega Central, with 12+ Chilean tastings — enough to replace lunch. It’s a small group with a local host, Monday to Saturday, and it ends around 2:00 PM in Barrio Lastarria. USD 58 / person.
- Afternoon — Slow down. Check in, take a short rest, or wander Lastarria’s streets and climb Cerro Santa Lucía, the small hill park at the edge of the center.
- Sunset — The big view. Go up Cerro San Cristóbal for the whole city with the Andes behind it.
- Evening — Dinner the Chilean way. Late, unhurried, in Lastarria, Bellavista or Providencia.
Start your first day with Santiago’s markets
Four hours, 12+ tastings and a local host: the easiest way to understand the city — and to have lunch sorted — on your first day.
Count me inAfter the first day
Once you’ve found your feet, the best of central Chile is a day trip away. Ride through the pine forest, dunes and beach of Ritoque on horseback, ending with a Chilean BBQ, or take a small boat to look for Humboldt penguins at Cachagua. For more ideas, see our guide to the best day trips from Santiago — and if you’re heading south next, here’s how to plan the W Trek in Patagonia.
