A virtual tour from the city administration takes you through 15 areas of Cerro Santa Lucía, including the Entrada Monumental, the Ermita and the Terraza Caupolicán. This lets you get to know a specific place before your trip. When planning your stay in Santiago de Chile, consider which topics interest you most: the history of the city center, pre-Columbian and fine art, or views of the city and the Andes.

Historic Center and Getting Your Bearings

The historic center preserves the Chilean capital’s founding and republican heritage. Plaza de Armas is at its heart. The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino is on the corner of Bandera and Compañía streets, one block from the plaza. Knowing this specific location can help you find your way when planning visits in the center.

The metro also connects the main sights in the historic center directly. The relevant stations are Plaza de Armas on lines 5 and 3, Universidad de Chile on lines 1 and 3, and Bellas Artes on line 5.

Collections and Exhibitions

At the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, you’ll find a collection of more than 11,000 pre-Columbian and ethnographic objects from across the Americas. The museum currently features three permanent exhibitions: “Pre-Columbian America in Art,” “Textile Gallery” and “Chile Before Chile.” Exhibitions may change, so check what’s currently on view before your visit.

The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes offers a different perspective on art. Its permanent exhibition, “145 años. Historias de una Colección,” presents more than 300 works by over 250 artists. This is distinct from the museum’s institutional collection, which comprises more than 6,000 works. The museum is located in the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The building was inaugurated in 1910 as part of the celebrations marking the centenary of Chile’s independence.

Art venues are also connected institutionally: the Barrio Arte alliance brings together the Museo de Artes Visuales (MAVI), the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (MAC) and the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral (GAM) in the shared Parque Forestal–Lastarria area of the Municipality of Santiago. This connection adds a shared cultural perspective on the area to the experience of individual collections.

City Views and Landscape

Parque Metropolitano is accessible via hiking trails, cycle paths, a panoramic cable car ride and the historic funicular. Check the availability of the listed transport options and facilities before your visit. Viewpoints in the summit area of Cerro San Cristóbal offer panoramas of Santiago and the Andes. This gives you two distinct focuses for planning your trip: cultural visits in the center and expansive views of the city and landscape.

The listed locations and metro details provide specific points of reference for museums and the historic center, while the viewpoints on Cerro San Cristóbal are a separate attraction for those seeking scenic views. Compare the location of a specific accommodation with your planned destinations rather than assuming particular routes or connections from a hotel address.

Discover more destinations: El Monte, Buín, El Canelo

Return to the regional travel overview: Metropolitan Region.