Private Santiago City Half Day Tour

The Central Market in Santiago, Chile, has been named as one of National Geographic’s top ten food markets worldwide. Taken from National Geographic’s book Journeys of a Lifetime, the list runs through the best markets in the world for offering fresh local produce alongside a slice of local life.

Paseo Ahumada is four-block-long street in downtown Santiago. It extends in a north–south direction from Plaza de Armas to the Avenida Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins and is lined by buildings housing retail establishments at their lower levels. At its northern terminus is Plaza de Armas metro station, whereas that at its southern end is Universidad de Chile metro station.

Is the seat of the Archbishop of Santiago de Chile, currently Celestino Aós Braco, and the center of the archdiocese of Santiago de Chile. Construction of the neoclassical cathedral began in 1753 and ended in 1799. The architect was the Italian Gioacchino Toesca. Further alterations ordered at the end of the 19th century give it its present appearance.

La Moneda, is the seat of the President of the Republic of Chile. It also houses the offices of three cabinet ministers: Interior, General Secretariat of the Presidency and General Secretariat of the Government. It occupies an entire block in downtown Santiago

The Central Post Office Building is a historic post office building on the northern edge of the Plaza de Armas, in Santiago, Chile. It is adjacent to the Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago and is located on what was the land lot originally owned by Pedro de Valdivia and where he built his house.

Is the former home of the Chilean Congress. Congress met in this building in central Santiago until Salvador Allende's socialist government was overthrown by Augusto Pinochet's military coup d'état on September 11, 1973. During the Pinochet dictatorship, Congress was moved to new premises in Valparaíso; the old building was declared a national monument in 1976 and between 1990 and 2006 housed the ministry of foreign affairs. The Senate moved its offices in Santiago to this building in December 2000

On top of the Santa Lucia hill, in the historic center of the city of Santiago, is El Castillo Hidalgo, a building built in 1816 during the Reconquest by order of the last Spanish Governor of Santiago, Casimiro Marco del Pont. It is one of the most important buildings in the history of the city.

+++ If Option Selected +++ Although it’s probably on all of the Top 5 tourist sites of Santiago, Cerro San Cristóbal is not overrated in the least. This big hill in the middle of the city affords one of the most incredible Santiago panoramas available. Every time I head up, my knowledge of the city has increased, and thus I am able to point out more landmarks, distinguish different sectors, etc. For those unfamiliar to Santiago, the view from up here will let you orient the city in its surroundings: the Andes Mountains and the Cordillera de la Costa.

+++ If Option Selected +++ This hill is actually quite the historical locale. First off, It is the remnant of a 15 million year old volcano. Secondly, the conquistadors used it as a lookout point when they were conquering Chile. It was atop this hill that Pedro de Valdivia declared the founding of Santiago in 1541. In 1872, governer Benjamin Vickuna Mackenna decided to turn the hill into a park to commemorate its significance in the city’s history. Since then, it has undergone many renovations. Today, it comprises 65,300 square meters, replete with bronze gates, metal stairways, and various fountains and statue

This is the financial sector in the upper area of our city

Is a plaza occupying a full square block in the heart of the civic district of Santiago, Chile. It is located in front of the northern facade of the Palacio de la Moneda and is surrounded by other government buildings such as those housing the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Banco Central de Chile and the Intendencia de Santiago

The church, along with the adjacent convent, is one of the oldest colonial-era buildings in the country. The church was consecrated in 1622.

The Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda beneath Plaza de la Ciudadanía. A glass-slab roof floods the vaultlike space with natural light, and ramps wind down through the central atrium past the Cineteca Nacional, a state-run art-house movie theater, to two large temporary exhibition spaces that house some of the biggest touring shows to visit Santiago.

Is an area that lies between the Mapocho River and San Cristóbal Hill in Santiago, Chile. It is known as Santiago's bohemian quarter, with numerous restaurants, boutiques, avant-garde galleries, bars and clubs. Many of the city's intellectuals and artists live in Bellavista, and Pablo Neruda's house in Santiago, La Chascona

+++ If Option Selected +++ The park was created in April 1966, when incorporating the Chilean National Zoo and the services of San Cristóbal Hill, and is managed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development

The Biblioteca Nacional is, together with the Instituto Nacional and a small number of institutions, one of the first institutions created by the newly formed Republic of Chile in the Patria Vieja period. In the newspaper El Monitor Araucano, a Proclama de Fundación ("Proclamation of Foundation") of the Biblioteca Nacional was published on August 19, 1813. With this vision, a call was made to all the citizens to submit their books for the formation of one great public library

The building housing the Supreme Court of Chile, the Court of Appeals of Santiago, and the Court-martial Court of the Chilean Army, Chilean Air Force and Carabineros de Chile. It occupies a full block-front of Compañía Street between Bandera and Morandé Streets

Chile’s most famous poet, Gabriela Mistral (1889 – 1957), significantly inspired the work of this cultural centre for her love of words, her democratic conviction and her dedication to education. Born as Lucila Godoy Alcayaga in the small town of Vicuña in north-central Chile, she started writing and working as a teacher and at the age of 15. At 25 she published her first mayor work, “Sonetos de la muerte”, which brought her the Chilean literary award in 1912

The Torre Costanera, was designed by architect César Pelli and is 300 metres (980 ft) tall, making it the tallest building in Latin America and the second tallest in the Southern Hemisphere

Parque Forestal is a large, narrow park dotted with numerous must-see locations in downtown Santiago. It borders the Mapocho River from Plaza Baquedano, also known as Plaza Italia, all the way to Estación Mapocho, a historical building and cultural center near the Puente Cal y Canto metro station. Mercado Central, La Vega, and the Bellas Artes museum are some of the other major destinations located in or adjacent to Parque Forestal.

This open-air complex of bars, restaurants, and shops, located on the corner of Pio Nono and Constitución, is a relatively recent addition to the culinary, nightlife, and cultural landscape of the city.

The Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts is one of the major centers for Chilean art and for broader South American art. Established in 1880 (making it the oldest in South America) The current building, the "Palace of the Fine Arts" dates to 1910 and commemorates the first centennial of the Independence of Chile. It was designed by the Chilean architect Emile Jéquier in a full-blown Beaux-arts style and is situated in the Parque Forestal of Santiago.

Bicentenario Park (Parque Bicentenario) is a nature park set on one side of the capital’s financial district, better known as “Sanhattan”. Discover this modern and well-tended park and enjoy walking across its extensive lawns. Watch the swans and other birds in its two artificial lagoons and have fun in its themed spaces for leisure activities and on walks with family or friends.

Nestled between the Mapocho River and Avenida Santa María, you’ll find Santiago’s Sculpture Park (Parque de las Esculturas). Opened in 1982, this park is a type of open-air art museum that was initially created to beautify an area of the city damaged by a flood of the Mapocho River. The park features impressive sculptures by different Chilean and international artists. In the summer months it’s not.

Departure from Santiago city