Historic Center Walk (Self Guided), Santiago, Chile

Historic Center Walk (Self Guided), Santiago

Santiago's beautiful historical center is located right in the downtown area. It is where you will find some of its most important sites of historical interest as well as museums, cultural centers and financial and government buildings.

At the heart of the historical center is the Plaza de Armas, which was laid out in the 16th century. Walk around the vast square and admire the buildings that surround it. They are among the oldest in the city and include the Municipal Building, the Central Post Office and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Building work on this neoclassical place of worship started in 1748 and lasted for a little more than 50 years. Tour the streets leading off the square, upon which so much of the city's history was forged. Visit the church of La Merced, the Municipal Theater and the 17th-century Church of San Francisco.

There is an abundance of shopping opportunities in the area too, such as on Ahumada Street, a pedestrian avenue with four blocks of shops, music stores and restaurants. Huerfanos Street is Santiago's oldest commercial area and features many clothes shops as well as bars, caf茅s and kiosks selling candies, soft drinks and newspapers.

Go to the Plaza de la Constituci贸n and see impressive ministerial buildings, statues of historic figures and the Centro Cultural de La Moneda.

How it works: A discovery walk features a route using which you can explore a popular city neighborhood on your own. This walk, along with other self-guided walks in over 1,500 cities, can be found on the app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" which can be downloaded from Apple App Store or Google Play Store to your mobile phone or tablet. The app's built-in GPS navigation functions allow following this walk route with ease. The app works both online and offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walks in Santiago

Guide Name: Historic Center Walk
Guide Location: Chile » Santiago
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Discovery)
Travel Distance: 1.9 Km or 1.2 Miles
Author: MilaT

1) Plaza de Armas, Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago

2) Plaza de Armas, Catedral Metropolitana de Santiago

3) Plaza de Armas, Edificio de la Municipalidad de Santiago

4) Calle Merced, Casa de Manuel Montt

5) Calle Enrique Mac Iver, Basilica de la Merced

6) Calle Hu茅rfanos

7) Calle Hu茅rfanos corner with Calle Estado

8) Calle Ahumada

9) Calle Hu茅rfanos

10) Calle Ahumada

11) Calle Ahumada

12) Calle Ahumada

13) Calle Moneda, Palacio de la Moneda

14) Calle Moneda, Intendencia de la Regi贸n Metropolitana

Walking Tours in Santiago, Chile

Create Your Own Walk in Santiago

Creating your own self-guided walk in Santiago is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Recoleta Walking Tour

Established under the rule of Pinochet, Recoleta is perhaps the most famous of all the Santiago communes. It is undeniably one of Chile鈥檚 most multicultural places, replete with historic and architectural attractions: churches, parks and more.

The Franciscan Church and Convent of Recoleta 鈥� built in 1843, this Neoclassical complex with Tuscan influence was declared a National Monument in... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.1 Km or 1.9 Miles

Santiago Shopping and Food Tour

Santiago is a busy, walkable city, with a fairly compact downtown bursting with exciting places to dine and shop. In recent years, Chile's affluence has prompted many international retailers to open their stores in the country's capital. Here you can shop practically for everything: from food to clothing to gifts and beyond, much as your bank account allows you.

The pedestrian zones... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles

Bellavista Walking Tour

One of Santiago's most enigmatic neighborhoods, Bellavista is a lively and quirky area akin to Montmartre in Paris. Known for its bohemian culture and thumping nightlife, the district is dotted with casual pubs, low-lit cocktail bars, discos and numerous eateries serving fusion cuisine. Many of the city's esteemed intellectuals and artists live in Bellavista, following in the footsteps... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.0 Km or 1.9 Miles

Historical Churches and Cathedrals

For a country relatively small in terms of population, Chile is quite rich in two things: coastline and churches. Thanks to the Spanish founders of the Chilean capital, the majority of Santiago鈥檚 temples are Catholic. Given that most of them are conveniently located in the downtown area, checking out these historic religious sites doesn鈥檛 take too much time.

The San Francisco Church 鈥�... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles

Santiago Introduction Walking Tour

Santiago is the political, financial, and cultural center of Chile. The capital city was founded on Santa Lucia Hill in 1541 by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia. Surrounded by the snow-capped Andes, Santiago offers history, gorgeous architecture, world-class museums, and fabulous markets.

Start your trip from Santa Lucia Hill which has one of the best views of Santiago and the Andes... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip

Souvenir Shopping Guide: 14 Made-in-Chile Goods to Bring Home from Santiago

Unlike the late 20th century, when Chile was largely associated with oppressive regime, today's Chile is known primarily for its premium wines and colorful crafts. If you're fortunate to visit the country's capital city Santiago de Chile, you will find yourself spoiled for choice with...