Santiago, Chile Travel Guide: Efficient Itineraries, Neighborhoods + Day Trips
Since I’ll be based in Santiago for a bit, I’m building a series for no-car, active travel—with one-bag carry-on packing and ready itineraries you can just plug and play.
📌 Bookmark this page or subscribe to follow along — I'll update it as each post goes live, and it’ll eventually become the full Santiago guide!
Start here
The goal of this series is to help you plan quickly and comprehensively for Santiago (where to stay, how to get around, what to do), focused on car-free travel.
Decide your base neighborhood
Dial in the core logistics
Pack with a simple layer system and comfortable shoes
Follow time-boxed, walkable itineraries based on your trip length
Add day trips if you have extra time
(Optional) Stay active with running routes in the city
What’s coming in the Santiago series
Core planning
✅ SCL ↔ Santiago: Airport to City (Time, Cost + Safety)
My step-by-step breakdown of the 3 best ways to get between the airport and Santiago (rideshare vs airport bus + metro vs public buses + metro), with timing, cost, and decision guide, plus scam-avoidance tips.✅ Where to Stay in Santiago: Best Neighborhoods for a Walkable, Efficient Trip
My personal, experience-based breakdown of 5 areas I’d actually recommend, with vibe, “best for/avoid if” notes, and category ratings (safety, walkability, transit, affordability, food, noise, runner-friendliness).✅ Ride the Santiago Metro Like a Local: bip! Card, Best Lines + Essential Tips
All you need to know to use Santiago’s excellent metro system, based on local experience. Includes hours, fares, how to pay (including buying and reloading the bip! transit card), the best metro lines for visitors, and tips on safety, etiquette, and rush hour crowds.✅ Santiago in 1 Day: Ultimate Itinerary + Map (Efficient, Walkable, Local-Approved)
The exact 1-day Santiago route I built and tested with my Santiaguino partner —complete with a map, hour-by-hour plan, practical logistics, and my notes and impressions on each stop.Santiago in 3 days: efficient 3-day city plan + map with modular swaps (and optional day trips)
Santiago in 1 week: Santiago-as-a-base 7-day framework + map (choose your city days + day trips flexibly)
Day trips (no car)
All of these are doable by bus/metro + walking.
5 best day trips from Santiago: my car-free day trip recommendations
Valparaíso day trip: walkable itinerary + transit tips (street art, viewpoints)
Viña del Mar day trip: easy coastal itinerary + transit tips (beach, ocean views, low-effort)
🧭 Maipo Valley (Pirque) day trip: wine-day itinerary + transit tips (Concha y Toro, optional add-ons)
Pomaire day trip: food + local crafts itinerary + transit tips (empanadas, pottery)
Andes hiking day trip: best routes + what to pack (closest hikes to Santiago, difficulty notes, simple packing list)
One-bag packing + staying active
✅ One-Bag Packing List for Santiago, Chile: A Layering System + Local Add-Ons (Carry-On Friendly)
A practical, location-specific packing guide for visiting Santiago using a one-bag layering system. Covers what makes Santiago different (big temperature swings, strong sun, and lots of walking), how to adjust a core capsule, repeatable outfit formulas by season, the two-shoe strategy, laundry tips for air-drying, and essential toiletries, health, and tech items.🔜 5 runs in Santiago: best routes for each workout (easy run, tempo, intervals, long run, hill reps) + logistics tips
What “efficient” travel in Santiago means for me
Pick one base neighborhood that fits your style to spend less time commuting.
Walk first, metro second – no stress renting a car and figuring out driving in a new place.
Use time-boxed, well-planned routes so you can see the highlights without doubling around.
Pack for layers + comfort so you’re ready for temperature swings.
Last updated: February 2026
