Santiago walking tour: historic center, La Moneda, Plaza de Armas

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.94 (755 reviews) 95% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration3h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN · ES

Mobile ticketAccepted

Three hours, five neighborhoods, one guide: the core of Santiago on foot

A three-hour walking tour of Santiago's historic center with a professional guide in English or Spanish, covering Plaza de Armas, La Moneda Palace, the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, Santa Lucia Hill, and Barrio Lastarria. The guide offers recommendations for local restaurants, craft beers, wines and piscos throughout the route. Minimum age is 16; suitable for all fitness levels.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Santiago's historic center

Visit Plaza de Armas main square
See National Congress and Compania de Jesus Church
Tour Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art
View La Moneda Palace and presidential statues
Walk through old Financial District
Photograph beautiful Parisian-style neighborhood
Visit oldest church in Santiago
See the opera house
View centenary gift monument
Climb Santa Lucia Hill for city views
Explore Barrio Lastarria bars and restaurants

The Experience

The tour starts at Plaza de Armas, the main square full of colonial and 19th-century architecture, then moves through the old financial district and past the sites where the National Congress once met. You walk to La Moneda Palace through Plaza de la Constitución, seeing the presidential statues and historic buildings that frame the seat of government. The Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art sits along the route—a private collection housed in a building that served as the customs headquarters, national library and old courthouse, holding art from the native peoples of the Americas.

Santa Lucia Hill comes next, the oldest landmark in the city with views across Santiago. From there the route descends into Barrio Lastarria, a neighborhood of galleries, cultural venues, bars and restaurants where the guide points out where to eat and drink well—typical food, craft beers, wines and local piscos. The architecture here echoes Paris and London, with tree-lined streets and colonial facades. You also pass the oldest church in Santiago, which dates to colonial times, and the opera house, a centenary gift to Chile.

Public transportation options are available nearby if you need them, and the pace suits all fitness levels. The guide is trained to offer a rich experience, weaving history and local knowledge into the stops rather than rushing through them.

What’s included

Professional guide in English or Spanish.
walking access to Plaza de Armas, La Moneda Palace, the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, Santa Lucia Hill, and Barrio Lastarria.
local recommendations for restaurants and bars throughout the route.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Urbantours Chile

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a guided walk through Santiago's historic center with restaurant and bar recommendations built in, rather than piecing together your own stops.